For Love and Family by Victoria Pade Read Free Book Online Page A

radar.
    So as she walked along the brick path to the house, she once more reminded herself that this visit was about the opportunity for her to connect with Johnny. Hunter was nothing more than incidental to that goal.
    Incidental or not, when Terese knocked on the mudroom door and a woman her own age opened it, a pang of something very unpleasant shot through her.
    â€œYou must be Terese,” the woman said warmly, pushing open the screen as if she were letting Terese into her own home. “I’m Carla.”
    Carla.
    Who was Carla?
    â€œHi,” Terese said, stepping inside as the wheels of her mind began to spin with questions not only about Carla’s identity, but whether she had been the reason Hunter had seemed eager to end the previous evening as soon as Johnny was in bed. Had Carla been due to come over afterward and spend the night?
    Terese told herself that none of that was her business. Hunter Coltrane was a grown man—an amazingly handsome, masculine, sexy and no doubt virile grown man—and there was no reason he couldn’t or shouldn’t have female companionship. He was, after all, single and available.
    She also told herself that there was no reason for her to feel so awkward suddenly about being there herself because nothing about her visit had changed just because there was now a Carla.
    But she felt terribly awkward, anyway.
    â€œâ€™Mornin’,” Hunter called from the kitchen.
    Terese would have liked to turn tail and run back to the cabin to hide until she could regain her equilibrium. Unable to do that, she forced a cheery face and followed Carla into the kitchen.
    â€œGood morning,” she said, answering Hunter’s greeting and wishing she could blend into the wallpaper.
    â€œYou don’t ever have to knock, you know,” he informed her. “Just go ahead and let yourself in. Anytime.”
    Terese nodded, looking around the big country kitchen for Johnny. But he wasn’t there. It was only Hunter setting three places at the table and Carla, who had moved to the coffeepot.
    â€œCan I get you a cup?” the other woman asked Terese, again as if she were right at home.
    â€œYes. Thank you,” Terese answered somewhat stiffly, taking in the sight of the pretty brunette with the dark eyes and flawless skin and a bust size Terese couldn’t even come close to measuring up to.
    â€œHow’d you sleep?” Hunter asked her then, apparently feeling no inclination to explain Carla’s presence.
    The first thing that popped into Terese’s mind wasthat she’d probably gotten a whole lot more sleep than these two had. But all she said was, “Fine. That’s the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in.”
    â€œGlad to hear it,” Hunter said.
    â€œWhere’s Johnny?” she asked then, hoping she would feel less like a third wheel if her nephew would appear.
    It was Carla who answered her question, though, by hollering for the boy as if it were something she did regularly. Then, handing Terese a mug of steaming coffee, she said, “He’ll be right down. Sugar and cream are over there.”
    This was silly, Terese lectured herself as she took her coffee cup to the kitchen table that Hunter had set and had now left to go to the stove. She hadn’t come here with designs on Hunter Coltrane. She hadn’t come here with any illusions that they would form any kind of relationship that didn’t revolve solely around Johnny. So what if Hunter had a girlfriend or a significant other or whatever Carla was? Why should it make her feel so uncomfortable? So weird? So…
    Jealous? Was she feeling jealous? That couldn’t be….
    The mud room door opened again just then and Terese turned in that direction, wondering why Carla had aimed for the upstairs when she’d called Johnny if the little boy was coming in from outside somewhere.
    But it wasn’t Johnny who joined them a moment later.