Love Triangle: Three Sides to the Story by Brenda Barrett Read Free Book Online Page A

there were shadows in the room. It was late evening.
    I felt refreshed and ready to leave, but the doctor’s order that I "stay horizontal" was ringing in my ears and I was too far along now to give up my baby so easily. I touched the mound in front of me and sighed.
    The door opened softly and George pushed his head through the door. “Are you awake?”
    “I think you mean, am I alive?” I grinned at him, so happy that he was there. I almost expected him not to show up.
    “How are you feeling?” He looked genuinely concerned and I melted inside.
    “I feel as if a donkey trampled on me.”
    “You’ll have to take it easy,” his warm brown eyes looked at my belly. “Can I?” he asked as he stared at my stomach.
    “Sure, go ahead.”
    He felt my belly, his warm hands lingering as he gently massaged in round motions.
    “I am happy you thought to call me,” he whispered almost inaudibly. “I want to know what is going on with you. If there is anything that you need, don’t hesitate to call.”
    We sat together for a while in silence with our baby between us.
    “Karen?”
    I opened my eyes at the questioning tone in his voice.
    “I have another house in St. Elizabeth that I have been renting to a couple for the past three years. I am going to give it to you.”
    He put a finger on my lips as I was about to protest. “St. Elizabeth has a lot going for it; it’s near your family, you’ll get help with the baby, and you won’t have to pay rent. I will take care of our child financially; you won’t have to worry about that.”
    “And it is far enough away from Mandeville so as not to interfere with your life here,” I interrupted. “George, I am not some disease that you can hide away, okay.”
    “Karen, I am just trying to do what is best for all concerned. I have a life here in Mandeville that is already crumbling. I was disfellowshipped from church, my wife is ill and she hates my guts. I want this child to be born in a less hostile environment. People talk and I have responsibilities … ”
    “What about when your son comes to look for you? What then? Will he ever get to know your side of the family?”
    “We will cross that bridge when we get there.” He got up and he walked to the window. “I can’t believe that my one case of infidelity has ended up like this.”
    “Like what?” I squeaked disbelievingly. “Are you trying to blame me for anything here George because we both went into this with our eyes wide open.”
    “Don’t get upset.” He looked at me reprovingly. “I just want to do what’s best for all concerned. I am only a man Karen, and yes I am thinking about my children. I have three already, and I have no idea how I will break the news that their new brother is not from their mother.”
    He walked back to the bed and stood over me. “This happened. We will just have to deal with it the best way we know how.”

CHAPTER TWELVE
    George
     
    The sun was setting on the horizon in Negril, its pink and yellow hues blending into the faded blue of the sea. I held up my glass and toasted the bride along with all the participants of the wedding being held at The Inn. The rustic exterior was no indication of the plush interior and the lovely view.
    I looked over at Marie who was smiling vaguely at her Aunt Sylvie’s joke. What were they laughing at? He realised that these days he was excluded from Marie’s thoughts.
    The only emotion that was presented to him was a faint dislike and the smallest thing he did was cause for hostility. She refused to have anything to do with him and was biding her time until the summer holidays to go to America with the children for two months.
    She refused to talk about Karen or Karen’s child and the very mention of the name Karen would send her into a depression that would last for days. It’s been three weeks since she heard that Karen was pregnant and she’s been living in denial ever since.
    They were invited to her cousin’s wedding months