The Comeback Girl Read Online Free

responded to a move this way before. At Jenny’s suggestion, Kristin and Zach had visited a family therapist yesterday. The woman had concluded that Zach was “perfectly delightful” with normal fears, worries and concerns. Her advice: “Keep the lines of communication open and spend more quality time with him.”
    Maybe I could find us matching brick walls to bang our heads against, Kris thought.
    Donnie passed the slip of paper across the chest-high counter. “Thanks,” she said.
    She folded it and tucked it in her purse right beside her half-finished list of things to do. Between running errands, seeing to Ida Jane’s needs and worrying about Zach, Kris felt frazzled. And she didn’t have a single massage scheduled. If business picked up, who knew how she’d keep things organized?
    She stifled a sigh. She’d been managing on her own for eleven years. She’d get through this, too.
    “Kris, are you okay?”
    She straightened her shoulders and tossed herhead. Leave it to Donnie to pick up on her fears. “Fine. Just thinking about all the things I have to get done today.”
    His eyes showed concern. Could he see how close she was to the edge? How little sleep she’d gotten the past few months, fretting that she’d screwed up the lives of everyone she loved? “Gotta run. I’ll see you later this afternoon, then. I’ll give you a discount coupon for a massage.”
    Not that she figured he’d ever use it. The memories between them—both the good and the bad—would probably get in the way of her therapeutic touch.
    She bumped into three deputies on her way out the door—two strangers and Edgar Olson, who’d been the arresting officer the night of her disgrace. She faked a breezy hello, then dashed to her car.
    If she’d been in Ashland, she would have handed each one of them her business card and talked about the benefits of massage for people who worked in stressful jobs like law enforcement. But something about Gold Creek robbed her of the confidence she’d fought so hard to acquire. And that scared her even more than the thought of facing Tyler Harrison—her son’s father.
     
    E VERYTHING ABOUT this sucky town sucks, Zach Sullivan decided as he looked out the window of the cheesy little house his aunt Jenny had given them to live in.
    The rooms were small and the backyard was sotiny he felt guilty making Sarge stay there. Yesterday he’d walked Sarge over to the bordello so the dog could play with Andi’s sheepdog puppy, Harley. The bordello had a huge backyard.
    Sarge was the only good part about this move, Zach thought. And Ida Jane wasn’t too bad.
    His mother’s great-aunt was almost as old as the bordello. He liked her. He liked the building, too. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe its history. He enjoyed listening to Ida Jane tell stories about the place.
    Not that he’d ever admit that to his mother. No way. She’d lied to him for almost his entire life. He wasn’t going to just forgive her for that.
    Hell, no.
    He shook his head. His blond bangs brushed against his eyelashes. His mom had never allowed him to grow his hair this long before, but he figured she was on such a heavy guilt trip he could probably murder somebody and she’d still forgive him.
    She hadn’t even given him any crap about his nose ring. Which was sort of disappointing. The damn thing hurt like hell to have put in. The least she could have done was faint or yell or something when she saw it.
    Zach muttered the long string of epithets he and his cousins had spent weeks perfecting. Then he walked to the refrigerator and took out a Coke. Sarge, who’d been sleeping by the door, lifted his head.
    Zach walked to where the old hound was lyingand sat down. He leaned back against the cabinet and closed his eyes.
    School would start on Monday, and Sunday was the twins’ first birthday party. A part of him had always dreamed of this kind of life—hanging out with family in a place where you felt kinda safe.
    But if his mother