Page 165 of Hidden Ties

“It works out for both of us.”

“Yes, it does,” Allie agreed. “Since you’re home, I’ll take off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night,” both Glory and Sage told her.

Holding on to the arm of the couch, she waited for Allie to leave before getting up. Carefully walking around the girls, she slowly made her way to the kitchen.

“Why are you limping?” Glory asked.

“I was nearly run down by a car at the crosswalk.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I wish.”

She reached the fridge and took out the lasagna, then slid it in the oven. She then gathered the makings of a salad before, pulling frozen Texas Toast out of the freezer to go along with the meal.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m sore; that’s about it.”

As she explained what had happened, she pulled on a pair of disposable gloves and started chopping the lettuce, when the doorbell rang.

Placing the knife on the chopping board, she removed the plastic gloves.

“Allie must have forgotten something,” she said, coming from behind the counter.

She walked to the door and opened it without checking the peephole. Upon seeing Kent, she instinctively started to shut the door in his face.

His hand came out, preventing it from closing. “I want to talk to you.”

“You want to talk?” she hissed at him, barely keeping herself from screaming at him. “Go talk to Livvy! I don’t want to talk to you ever again!”

Proud of herself that she didn’t use the profanity storming through her mind, she was still inwardly screaming. If she weren’t afraid there was a chance the girls would hear, she would have.

She jerked off the bracelet she had bought and threw it at him. “Take it!” she whisper-screamed at him.

Kent caught it in his hand.

“The only memory I want of you is you walking out the door!”

THIRTY-FIVE

There was no way he could leave after seeing the ravaged expression on Sage’s face. When he barged in further, she instinctively took a step back. He closed the door behind him, then crossed his arms over his chest.

“We are going to talk—”

Kent broke off at seeing Sage’s nieces running down the hallway, coming within earshot.

“Kent, we missed you!” the children squealed at him.

Unashamedly picking up Tinsley when her arms came up to be held, he felt a compunction of guilt until he saw the loathing Sage was directing toward him.

“How are my girls?”

Both girls giggled at him.

Not wanting Colby to feel left out, he picked her up, too.

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