A Man To Count On. Helen Myers R.

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СКАЧАТЬ immediately Trey came on the line with a curt, “You shouldn’t be harassing me.”

      E.D. opened her mouth to define exactly what harassment he deserved, then considered that he might have a recording device handy. Editing herself, she replied, “It’s barely past eight, Trey, and you know we have things to discuss. But first I’d like to speak to the kids.”

      “You know how restraining orders read. You can’t.”

      “How you managed that I don’t know, but understand this, you are doing more damage than you can imagine.”

      “I’m only protecting my daughter and son.”

      “Our children, Trey. And you know damned well I know nothing about this mess with Dani. If anyone should, it’s you, since you see her more than I do.”

      “How long does it take to negligently sign something she shoves under your nose?”

      His condescension made her empty stomach burn. “I told you last night that I did nothing of the kind, and when that hack photographer is ordered to produce my signature in court, your apology won’t be enough. The fact that you so easily believe him over me is beyond insulting.”

      “I believe my daughter.”

      That was what had made her physically sick earlier, the assertion that Dani supposedly claimed E.D. had signed the document. Tonight, she was desperate to determine why her child would say such a thing. “She couldn’t possibly have said that.”

      “Oh, stop pretending. You haven’t been a wife or mother in longer than any of us can remember. I had no choice but to conclude you were so preoccupied with your career that you’d approve anything just not to be bothered.”

      E.D. cringed. She had shortchanged her kids due to her workload. But unlike her kids, Trey had no business judging her. “Has the reason for that crossed your mind? How else are the bills to be paid? We can’t both sit at home and languish in a fantasy world.”

      “Smart move insulting my misfortune.”

      “Dani is the only victim in this house. No one owes you a writing career. Either you produce something people want to read, or you face reality and get a day job like everyone else. The kids are old enough to manage on their own an hour or two after school. Good grief, with Dani’s dance lessons three times a week, she’s already under adult supervision.”

      After a slight pause, Trey taunted, “Want to go for the full strikeout?”

      His smug tone was inflaming her long-repressed resentment and E.D. could barely contain herself. If only she’d put her foot down sooner. If only she’d listened to the small voice in her head warning her that if she waited too long, her marriage would be a weight that could sink her in more ways than one. Hindsight was going to prove as bitter a pill as the rest.

      Drawing a deep breath, she forced herself to ask calmly, “At least tell me if Dani ate something today?”

      “She tried, she couldn’t keep anything down.”

      Her poor baby. “Please call Dr. Warren if things aren’t better tomorrow. What about Mac? How’s his asthma? He was pretty upset after he heard us last night.” E.D. had come home late yet again and at first had assumed all was well and that the kids were in their rooms doing homework or visiting with friends. Within minutes that assumption had been shattered, and by the time Trey had stormed off to bed, it was obvious that all of their lives were changing forever.

      His silence brought her attention back to the present. “I’ll hold. Please go check on him. Do it, Trey.”

      After another hesitation, Trey muttered, “Okay.”

      His acquiescence surprised and worried her. Did this mean he’d not seen Mac for hours and only now remembered him? Their son was the true introvert, a quiet soul who could get lost in his projects and painstaking study forgetting everything including the need to breathe.

      “He’s fine.”

      Startled at Trey’s abrupt bark, E.D. took a second to regroup. “He has his inhaler? There haven’t been any episodes?”

      “I said he’s fine. Don’t start acting like I don’t know what I’m doing. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that I’ve been holding down the fort for years. Now if you’ll excuse me—”

      “Trey, wait!” E.D. hated the sound of desperation in her voice, but she hadn’t nearly covered all that she wanted to. “Just do me the courtesy of answering one or two more questions. Please.”

      “What?” he snapped.

      E.D. wrapped her free arm around her waist. The ache there warned her that if she didn’t reduce the stress and intense emotions in her life, she would soon be fighting an ulcer. “Has that Web site you mentioned that has Dani’s pictures on it been shut down?”

      “Uh…I don’t know.”

      What did he mean he didn’t know? “Every hour it’s up has to be an unbearable humiliation for her, Trey.”

      “I’ve been busy!”

      Doing what? Figuring his options after he finished taking her to the cleaners? “What do the police say? Have you hired someone to take on this photographer? If you haven’t, please don’t. I’m working on—”

      “It’s too late for you to try to insinuate yourself into this,” Trey interjected. “You’ve done enough damage.”

      E.D. barely held back an expletive. Insinuate? Dani had acted with lightning speed on this modeling opportunity and had ignored their one conversation where E.D. had voiced her reservations and refusal to commit without more information and a meeting with the photographer.

      “Just give me the Web site address,” she pleaded.

      “I don’t know it offhand. Do you think I have the stomach to look at it?”

      “Take an antacid because the longer you allow it to stay up, the more perverts and testosterone-flooded schoolboys will be drooling over our daughter.”

      “I didn’t say—it’s being looked into,” he amended sullenly.

      “By whom? Damn it, give me names. That’s what my office is for!”

      Instead Trey hung up on her.

      Breathless, impotent with fury, E.D. stared at the dead phone. Last night when he’d declared their marriage was over and that she was to blame for Dani’s troubles, she’d been too dumbstruck and horrified for her daughter to really take in what was about to happen. Today with the restraining order and the appearance of her luggage, he’d humiliated her. She’d stood by and taken it, mostly because she had a case to finish, but nonetheless, she’d done nothing thinking it was all a bad dream that could somehow be worked through for the sake of the kids. But this…this set her free.

      Dylan was right in his thinking. First thing in the morning, she was cutting her husband loose and going on the offensive on behalf of her daughter…and for herself.

      Trey better find the common sense he СКАЧАТЬ