Run Away Baby by Holly Tierney-Bedord Read Free Book Online Page A

chewing.
    The last dishtowel folded, Abby placed them all in their drawer, arranging them into tidy rows.
    “Sugartitties, I didn’t know you had it in you to do such a good job around here,” Randall joked.
    “I’m not so useless after all.”
    “I’m gonna be late,” Randall said, stuffing the last Danish in his mouth and heading to his bathroom for a shower.
    Abby changed into her bikini and dove into the pool so she’d be busy when Randall was leaving. Opening the patio door, saying goodbye – he wouldn’t bother with that unless he had some instructions or criticism for her.
    Twenty minutes later she watched his Mercedes gliding down their driveway. Once he was out of view she climbed out and toweled off, and went inside to watch TV. A half hour later Rosa arrived.
    “Good morning, Miss Abby,” she said.
    “Hi Rosa. You know it’s fine to call me Abby. How are you today?”
    “Good.”
    “Sit down in here by me for a minute. Let’s talk. You can start your work later.”
    “If you’re sure.”
    “Of course I’m sure,” Abby said, waiting as Rosa settled in uncomfortably on the chair across from her.
    “Is anything wrong?” Rosa asked her.
    Abby shook her head. “How’s your grandson?”
    “He’s very good. He turns seven next week.”
    “Seven already! Is he still into Legos?”
    “Is he ever.”
    “How’s your daughter doing?”
    “She’s good. They think they got it all this time.”
    “That’s really wonderful news.”
    “But they said that once before, and it came back.”
    “I know. I remember.”
    “A lot of people are praying.”
    Abby nodded. “Me too,” she said. She wished it were true. She’d lost her religion a long, long time ago. Now she only found herself praying in rare moments of her own selfish desperation.
    “And you’re good?” Rosa asked, tentatively.
    Abby nodded. “Of course.”
    The two women shared an awkward moment of silence.
    “I’d better get to work,” Rosa said.
    “Okay. Nice catching up with you,” Abby said. She unpaused the television, right in time to catch a handbag sale kicking off on the shopping channel.
    Rosa nodded. “You too, Miss Abby,” she said, before heading off to clean the bathrooms.
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 14
     
     
    The following Tuesday when Danielle went to lunch and Abby settled into her chair, she discovered a cardboard box beneath Danielle’s desk filled with rubber bands. At first she was thrilled over the prospect of all the work ahead of her. She went searching for the ball, but she couldn’t find it. It was not until she noticed an unusual but familiar orange rubber band in the box that it occurred to her that she was actually looking at the ball, in its dissected form.
    Abby set the box in a prominent location on Danielle’s desk and put a Post-it note reading Did you do this to be mean to me? on the top of the pile of rubber bands. She decided that she was going to talk to Randall again about quitting. She couldn’t do this any longer.
    The front door swung open.
    “Abby! Nice to see you up here today,” said Charlie.
    “You’re back from your hunting trip,” she said, casually crumpling up her message to Danielle and tossing it in the trashcan.
    “Have you been checking up on me?” he teased. He looked pleased that she had been keeping tabs on him.
    “The other mailman mentioned it,” she said. Just then Clark Lorbmeer walked through the front door. “Hello,” she said to him.
    “Abby! How are you liking it here? Settling in?” asked Clark. He was in the office so little that he didn’t seem to realize she’d been working at his firm for over two months.
    “Great,” she said.
    “Getting the hang of things around here?”
    “I sure am!”
    “I see you’re giving Danielle a chance to go out and get some lunch now and then. That’s good of you.”
    “It’s no trouble. I don’t mind it.”
    Charlie pretended to be enthralled by a picture on the wall.
    “Well,” said Clark,