Just Between Friends Read Online Free Page A

at her, as if he could sense her restlessness.  An odd feeling came over him and suddenly he wished he hadn’t come. 
     
         “I’m really hungry right now.”  She nervously met his gaze once more, and a lump formed in her throat. 
     
         Cassandra, who had been unusually quiet during the meal, suddenly burst out, “Did you know Miranda’s getting married?  Steven asked her last week, and she accepted.  Show Alec your ring Miranda.”
     
         Alec looked as if he had seen a ghost.
     
         “Oh Alec, I didn’t mean for you to find out this way!”  Miranda cried.  “I was going to tell you, please believe me.  It’s just that …”
     
         “There’s no need to explain,” Alec remarked, as he pushed his chair away from the table and stood to his feet.  “I think you and Steven will be very happy together.”  His face had turned ashen, and tears were welling in his eyes, but he tried to hide them, as he moved toward the door.  “I guess I should be leaving now.  Thank you all very much for the coffee.”
     
         Miranda hurriedly rose from her seat and went after him, placing her hand on his arm.  “Please, stay a while, Alec!” She pleaded.  “Let’s talk about this!”
     
         He swiped at the tears that had made their way down his cheeks, and looked down at her with cold dark eyes.  “You don’t owe me an explanation.  If he’s what makes you happy, then I wish you the best of luck.”
     
         He pulled away from her, opened the door, and made his way out into the still pouring rain.  Miranda just stood there watching him, tears filling her eyes.  When he disappeared in the distance, she ran from the kitchen, up the stairs to her room, and slammed the door. 
     
          She was weeping so hard that the tears were running down her face, and dropping to the floor.  She had known Alec would take the news hard, but she hadn’t expected to see hate glaring from him as he stared at her. 
     
         “I’m so sorry, Alec,”  she muttered over and over again, as she made her way across the room to her bed, and dropped down on it.  “I’ll find a way to make this up to you somehow, I promise.”  With that, she buried her face in her pillow and sobbed. 

Chapter II
     
     
         The days grew longer and hotter.  There had been very little rain all summer, the most significant being the day Alec had found out about Steven and Miranda’s engagement, nearly two months earlier.  After all this time, they had hoped Alec would come around, but no, neither had seen him. Steven wished things would improve. Miranda was hardly herself now. She had been unable to forgive herself for the hurt she had caused her friend. He had to find some way to make things right, but how? 
     
         Steven took the handkerchief from his shirt pocket and swiped it across his forehead.  Perspiration clung to the sandy hair around his face. He had been working on the farm all morning, hoping to get most of the chores done before the heat of the day became too intense. He prayed it would rain soon. “Better get back to it,” he spoke to himself, “It’s not going to get done on its own.” He was in the barn, about to retrieve a shovel from the floor, when he heard a noise behind him.
     
         “Hey, little brother,” came a familiar voice?  What are you doing out here working, when your big sister came to see you?”
     
         “Samantha!” Steven yelled, as he threw the tool aside and ran to hug her.  “Goodness, it’s so wonderful to see you!  Where’s Michael?”  Samantha was four years older than he, and his only sibling.
     
         “Michael’s in the house, and I’ve been missing you all so much, I made that man of mine bring me here to see everyone.” she explained.
     
         “I’m so glad he did,” Steven beamed.
     
         “Hey, little brother, what’s this I hear about you and little