The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

“You’re . . . what are you doing here?”
    â€œWhere should I be?”
    â€œBut the paper said . . .”
    â€œI know. I read it.” Kier looked over the mountain of shopping bags. “I’m sorry you were so broken up by the news. You must have been devastated.”
    For a moment she just looked at him, speechless, then recovered. “You know shopping is how I cope with tragedy. It’s therapy.”
    â€œLooks like group therapy. You must feel like a million bucks. Or is that just how much you spent?”
    Her expression relaxed. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re okay. What would I have done without you?” She reached out her arms.
    â€œLet’s find out. Take your things and go.”
    â€œJames,” she purred, smiling seductively. “C’mon Jimmy.”
    â€œAnd leave the credit card.”
    Traci pouted. “This isn’t fun. Let’s celebrate you being alive.”
    â€œYou’ve already celebrated my death.”
    When it was clear he wasn’t relenting, her expression changed from seductive to disdainful. She stopped to gather her bags, and lugged the first batch to the door. “Would you give me a hand?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œPig.”
    It took her six trips to carry everything out to her car. On her last trip he said to her, “The credit card.”
    She pulled out her wallet, extracted the card and threw it at him. “There.” It landed on the floor a few feet from him. “It’s true what they say about you. All you care about is money.”
    He nodded. “Apparently likes do attract.”

CHAPTER
Twelve

“You know what they call those things?” Lincoln said to Kier over his second drink, the din of the pub forcing him to speak loudly.
    â€œWhat things?”
    â€œWhat the paper did to you.”
    â€œLibel.”
    â€œWell, besides that. They call them premature obituaries. It’s not an erroneous obituary, because everyone’s going to have one sometime. It’s just premature.”
    â€œYeah, that’s profound,” Kier said, uninterested.
    â€œIt’s not the first time it’s happened. I looked it up. It’s happened to some pretty big names: Paul McCartney, Queen Elizabeth, Ronald Reagan, Mark Twain, Margaret Thatcher. In fact, the death of Pope John Paul II was announced three times.
    â€œThe newspapers reported twice that Ernest Hemingway had died. They say that he read a scrapbook of his obituaries every morning with a glass of champagne.”
    â€œDidn’t Hemingway commit suicide?” Kier asked. He sipped his beer. “Did people trash them too?”
    â€œOf course they did. They were movers and shakers. Youcan’t make omelets without breaking eggs and you’ve made a lot of omelets my friend.”
    â€œOmelets? I’m a freakin’ Denny’s.”
    Lincoln laughed. “When do you give Brey the heave-ho?”
    â€œMonday.”
    â€œI’d like to see the look on that fool’s face when he sees you.”
    â€œI’m sure it will be unforgettable.”
    Lincoln set down his beer. “So how are you doing? Really?”
    â€œI’m okay.”
    â€œGood,” Lincoln said after a short pause. “That’s good.”
    â€œYou expected otherwise?”
    â€œWell, I wasn’t sure. There were some pretty harsh things written about you. And you did just break up with your girlfriend.”
    â€œThat’s a good thing.”
    â€œI know. But that doesn’t make it any easier. Look what a waste Pam was, and I still gained twenty pounds after she left me.”
    Kier grinned.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI saw Pam a month after you two separated. I asked how she was doing. She said, ‘Great, I just lost two hundred pounds of ugly fat.’ ”
    Lincoln sneered. “Tossing that hen was the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”
    â€œThe