Mending Places by Denise Hunter Read Free Book Online Page A

at him but saw him go still in her peripheral vision.
    “What’s that?”
    She fished into her pocket and withdrew the packet, then held it up and met his eyes.
    His lips parted, surprise flashed in his eyes. Fear. Just for a moment, then defenses kicked in. “Hey, Nat, it’s not what you think.”
    “It’s not a condom?” Sarcasm wormed into her tone. “Gosh, I must’ve misread the package.” She looked closely at it, pretending to read it. “Ultra thin latex condom. Nope, guess not.” Fury seasoned her words, and she reined it in. Get the confession first, then she’d turn loose on him. Maybe if she remained calm, he’d be more likely to confess.
    “That’s not what I meant. I meant it’s not mine.”
    “Those weren’t your pants?”
    “Of course, they were my pants. The condom’s not mine.”
    “Then whose is it?”
    Did he falter for a moment, or was it her imagination? “It’s Dale’s.”
    “What are you doing with it?”
    “We played racquetball last week, remember? It fell out of his wallet when we were getting dressed, then by the time I found it on the floor, he’d already left to go on his date. I tried to catch up with him in the parking lot, but he’d already driven away.”
    She wanted to believe it. It was an unlikely story, but, oh, how she wanted to believe it. “Why don’t we give Dale a call and straighten this out?
    “He’s in Dallas this week, and I don’t have his number.”
    How convenient. And no doubt Keith will get hold of Dale before I have a chance to question him. Why won’t he just tell me the truth and get it over with?
    Keith snapped in the footrest and came to her, sinking into the sofa beside her. She refrained from looking at him. Doubt swelled in hermind, and she refused to give in to the hope that hovered just above the surface of her heart. She forced herself to be objective. It was unlikely he was teeing the truth. Yet she couldn’t condemn him outright. What if she was wrong?
    “Look at me, doll.” His voice rumbled deeply with the pet name she loved. The one he hadn’t called her for years.
    She turned and met his gaze, seeing him through a veil of tears.
    “I’m not seeing someone else. I swear.” His blue eyes penetrated her. “I’ve just been working long hours. You know things have been rough at the bank. If you can just hang in there awhile longer …”
    He looked so sincere, sounded so genuine. She looked away. She couldn’t forget the moment she’d seen the condom between her feet. If it had been Dale’s, why would Keith have kept it? Why not just toss it? Besides, Dale was not one to sleep around. And he’d only just begun dating the woman a few weeks ago.
    She drilled him with her gaze. “I called your private line tonight, and you weren’t there.”
    He looked guilty. “I had to go to the store. We were out of coffee filters.”
    “What time did you go?”
    His mouth tightened in a straight line. “I don’t know, Nat. Man, you sound like a shrew.” He jumped off the couch and snatched up his Coke, storming toward the kitchen.
    So much for the loving patience he’d demonstrated moments ago. Now he was angry and defensive. And he hadn’t given her an answer about the time of his errand.
    Moments later he stormed up the stairs without a word, and Natalie knew she would get no answers tonight.

CHAPTER FIVE
 
    Micah held the door open for Hanna, and she slipped through, waiting for him to follow. She surveyed the vast array of sporting equipment, overwhelmed by the size of the store and the variety of goods.
    She followed him with a shopping cart back to the camping area, stopping just short of bumping him in the back. “Sorry.”
    “Do you have a list?” he asked.
    She tucked in one side of her mouth. “I was hoping you could show me what we need.”
    “Sure.” He led her to a wall crowded with backpacks, then proceeded to point out the advantages and disadvantages of styles and brands.
    Hanna flipped over a price