Under His Care by Kelly Favor Read Free Book Online

good.”
    Kennedy thanked her, got off the phone and packed a small bag of clothes and toiletries just in case. Then she left the apartment, and rushed downstairs, needing desperately to get clear of the emptiness that was threatening to overwhelm her.

    ***

    When Kennedy arrived at Red and Nicole’s mansion, she was welcomed by Nicole and Riley, who instantly held out her arms to be picked up and hugged.
    “Where’s Red?” Kennedy asked, as she cuddled Riley and gave her a big, wet kiss on the cheek.
    “He’s at a meeting but he’ll be back soon,” Nicole said, watching Kennedy closely. She led her inside and they went to the living room, where there was a large blanket and toys on the floor.
    The three of them sat on the floor and played, mostly focusing on the baby and how cute she was, rather than bringing up any difficult subjects.
    Kennedy was having a hard time keeping her mind off Easton and the scene that had played out in her apartment, but she did her best, and with Nicole’s help, actually succeeded in doing so intermittently.
    Eventually, Riley grew tired and began rubbing her eyes and then crying.
    “Oh, poor thing,” Kennedy said.
    But Nicole just scooped her up and smiled. “I’ll put her down for a nap and then we can just chat, the two of us.” Nicole glided out of the room and Kennedy was once again struck by how graceful and perfect her sister was.
    She lived in a gorgeous mansion with a wonderful, sexy, handsome husband who worshipped her. Why was it so difficult to find a man who would treat Kennedy the way Red treated Nicole?
    Well, that one was easy.
    Kennedy knew that she was no Nicole.
    When her sister returned, she was carrying a tray with tea and little pastries, and she put the tray on a nearby table.
    “A tea party,” Kennedy laughed. “I always wanted to have a tea party with my sister. This is just about fourteen years late is all.”
    “Better late than never, right?”
    “True,” Kennedy said, as she added milk and sugar to her tea and then sipped it. The tea was hot and soothing, and she picked up a small sugary pastry and nibbled it.
    “So,” Nicole said. “What happened today?”
    Kennedy licked the sugar from her lips and sighed. “I don’t know if I can keep myself together to tell you about it.”
    “That bad?”
    “Sort of.” She sat on the couch across from Nicole, who was sitting cross-legged on a high backed chair and watching her with concerned eyes.
    “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
    “No, I do want to. I’m just…so confused. As usual.”
    Nicole smiled gently. “There’s nothing wrong with being confused. Especially about love.”
    “Love,” Kennedy said, wincing. “Is that what it is when your heart gets torn out of your chest?”
    “I think so.” Nicole watched her, sipping from her cup slowly.
    Finally, Kennedy began telling the story, about how Easton showed up at her apartment out of nowhere and asked her to return to work. And then she described how he’d come into her apartment and she’d thrown him out, yelling at him, and he’d walked away without looking back.
    Kennedy realized her cup was shaking in her hand and she placed it on the saucer on her lap. “Part of me thinks I’m crazy for even considering being in a relationship with him after everything that’s happened. The other part of me thinks I’m crazy for sending him away.”
    “I don’t think you’re crazy,” Nicole told her.
    “You don’t?”
    “Easton came over under false pretenses. He wasn’t there to ask you to come back to work, he was there because he wants to see you again.”
    “That’s right,” Kennedy said, not having thought of it that way until now.
    “And he should have been honest in admitting his feelings for you,” Nicole said, “because I’m quite sure he has strong feelings.”
    “I don’t know,” Kennedy said. “I thought that too. But then, the other night it seemed all he wanted was sex, and when I