White Offerings by Ann Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

hear my detective daughter is going to be late.”
    “She is. She’s working on a big case.”
    “Is it dangerous?” Teddy asked, emerging from the kitchen and giving her a quick hug.
    “I don’t think so. She’s with a lot of other detectives and even some people from the FBI. I think this is really their case.”
    “Hey, stranger,” a voice called. Ari turned to see Jenna coming down the hall. She looked as though she had just awoken from a nap. Ari imagined that Jenna, pregnant with her third child, needed more rest.
    Ari kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her shoulder. “How’s everything going?”
    “Doctor says we’re fine. We went in for our first ultrasound and the baby looks healthy.”
    “Do you know if she’s a she or a he?” Ari asked excitedly.
    “No, and I don’t think we’ll find out this time. We’ve got one of each and plenty of baby clothes for either, so we want to enjoy the surprise.”
    “I don’t,” Don said. “I want another boy.”
    “All you ever wanted was boys,” Teddy said, moving back into the kitchen toward the amazing aromas.
    “Where are Brian and Lynne?” Ari asked Jenna.
    “They’re on their way. Brian did some moonlighting work for a friend, and he had a major problem. They should be here in a while. Why don’t you open that bottle of wine, pour a glass and relax?”
    She left the married women to the work and wandered through the house. She stopped as she always did to look at the family photos that lined the hallway wall. She adored the childhood pictures of Molly, and every time she studied the display, she wondered if she would have liked her when she was nine, or fifteen or twenty-three. Would there have been the unbelievable connection that existed between them now? They shared a variety of common interests, including a passion for old movies, fabulous coffee and making love. Many of their evenings included all three, beginning with great sex and ending with the two of them lounging in bed, sipping a great Sumatran blend while they watched an old classic, preferably a Lauren Bacall flick.
    She sighed. Even though they had not said the words, she knew she was in love. Every time she saw Molly her stomach fluttered and a smile crossed her face. Their fiery tempers sometimes stalled their feelings, but neither could stay angry for long, and the make-up sex was incredible. She often teased Molly about her loose past, but her days of one-night stands were over. Molly had not ventured into Hideaway since they had become a couple. They were completely committed to each other, but Ari knew that Molly still felt unworthy of her love and insecure about their relationship.
    “When will you leave me?” was Molly’s repetitious question, followed by a nervous laugh.
    Ari always laughed back, but she could see the fear behind her eyes. “You’re all I want.”
    And as quickly as it had come, the doubt was erased momentarily. Bolstering Molly’s confidence, though, was continually necessary, an injection that fueled the romance and gave her the boost she needed. So Ari played the game and things were fine—at least up until a few weeks ago, when Molly began to seem uncomfortable and nervous whenever they shared an intimate moment. As long as the talk remained benign—about work or current events—Molly relaxed. And sex was never an issue, she thought with a smile. Molly was the most capable lover she’d ever known.
    She imagined things had changed because there was only one thing left to say. They had reached the apex of familiarity, their family histories explored, their pasts explained and their individual idiosyncrasies accommodated. She knew Molly cared only about her piano and nothing else she owned, and Molly had learned she was meticulous about everything. And now they sat on the ridge between dating and permanent commitment, and she sensed Molly wasn’t sure whether she wanted to move forward. In fact, Ari wasn’t entirely sure either. So they