The Saint's Wife by Lauren Gallagher Read Free Book Online

couldn’t afford to forget to eat like the last three PAs—including his ex-wife—had frequently done.
    Hilary drummed her fingers beside her plate, but then she finally started eating too.
    “How did I know I’d find you two down here?”
    Chris’s voice almost made Hilary choke. She quickly gulped down a bite and then turned toward him as he came into the kitchen. “S-sorry. I didn’t realize—”
    “It’s all right.” He gestured for her to relax. “I could stand to eat too.”
    Well, that was a good sign. He was up and around, and he still had an appetite. God only knew how long either of those things would last.
    Chris rifled around in the fridge. Over his shoulder, he said, “Whatever you said, it must’ve worked. Joanna came home a little while ago.”
    “I know. I saw her downstairs in the gym.”
    “She’s in the gym already?” Chris turned around. He smiled and gave a slight nod of approval. “Good. I thought she’d wait until Kevin dragged her back.”
    David scowled. “No, she’s there. Saw her on my way in.”
    “The sooner she gets in and breaks whatever bad habits she’s developed, the better.” Chris waved a hand. “Once Kevin gets hold of her, she’ll be back to—”
    “Cut her some slack, Chris,” David said through his teeth. “She looks fine.”
    Chris shot him a look but then rolled his eyes.
    Hilary shifted uncomfortably and went back to picking at the remainder of her sandwich.
    Oblivious, Chris said, “Anyway, did you bring the proposal for the Galactic Fire expansion?”
    “Yeah.” David gestured toward the stairs. “We can go over that as soon as we’ve finished eating.”
    At least Chris had dropped the subject of his wife. Ironically, for as much as David didn’t particularly like Joanna, this was a topic he and Chris had argued about hundreds of times over the years. Chris knew how he wanted a woman— his woman—to look, and heaven help Joanna if she didn’t stay within those narrow standards.
    As Chris poured himself a pitcher of iced tea, Hilary stood. She took her plate and the remaining sandwich to the counter. “I should get back to work. I need to get on the horn with the hotel and fix the ballroom reservation for next month’s benefit.”
    “Perfect,” Chris said. “We’ll be up shortly.”
    Hilary smiled, collected her things off the island and left. As she walked out of the kitchen, David stole a glance at her.
    And couldn’t help wondering when she’d lost weight.
    The press conference wasn’t starting for another thirty minutes, but the Berserker Tech auditorium was already packed with reporters vying for the best position. Cameras and microphones were clustered in front of the table on the stage.
    Just looking out at the crowd of reporters was enough to make David ill. This was the auditorium where they’d announced several of the video games and game technologies that had put Berserker Tech on the map. It was where they broke the news about buying several smaller companies, expanding into other countries, major additions to the staff.
    A table had been set up at the front of the room with three chairs and one microphone. David would be sitting on the right. Joanna on the left. And in the middle, seated to hide the fact that he could only be on his feet for so long these days, would be Chris.
    It was a completely benign arrangement for a press conference, but it bothered David. Chris was the type who liked to stand up at a podium and speak. He’d never admitted it out loud, but David suspected he liked the feeling of standing up there like Citizen Kane or something, keeping the people in front of him riveted like a charismatic leader or an actor instead of a businessman speaking to his shareholders. David didn’t mind—he hated public speaking, so he was more than happy to let Chris handle that part.
    And the table at the front with the chairs and the microphone was a subtle but unmistakable reminder that Chris was slipping away. He