Unlikely Allies Read Online Free
Author: C. C. Koen
Maggie peered into his eyes as if she could figure out all his secrets and get him to tell the truth, challenging him, like his answer might have been a lie.
“Good night.” He jogged down the steps and escaped to his car. With the door propped open, his sight gravitated to the jacket in the back seat. He collapsed behind the steering wheel, snatched the coat, and tossed it on the passenger side. An image of Cece and Herbert cuddled on it came to mind. The light from Maggie’s house disappeared and left him in the darkness. He examined the white picket fence, trim lawn, flower boxes propped along the porch rail, and a wooden swing hung from the ceiling and swaying in the gentle breeze. The living room was exposed through wide-open drapes in the bay window. A faint glow from an unknown source cast a half-moon shadow along the powder-blue walls. A picture-perfect sight found on most covers of home and garden magazines.
A buzzing in the center console pulled him away from his exploration. “Stone.” He didn’t bother to read the number. At one in the morning, he knew who’d be calling. “Is that so? Put on the sheer black negligee. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
He snapped the phone shut and gunned the five hundred horsepower sports car, aiming it downtown. His new acquaintances were shoved out of his mind and a night of carnal activities replaced them. Exactly what he needed to shrug off melancholy memories: his dad, mom, him, a perfect family. Until it wasn’t.
Focused and relentless he could relate to. Home and hearth—never.
M AGGIE FLIPPED THE PALACHINKIS ON the griddle and glanced over her shoulder. “What filling do you want?”
Her sister, Kat, asked for cottage cheese and sugar at the exact moment Cece yelled, “Jelly.” Kat got both out of the refrigerator along with the fresh fruit Maggie had washed and put in a bowl before cooking their favorite breakfast. A recipe their mother, Irena, passed down, and they’d grown up eating. A family tradition she planned on including in her own restaurant someday.
Everyone had been seated at the table, and Maggie leaned across to get a crepe to put on Cece’s plate, when a sugary sweet smell that had nothing to do with the food hit her. She glanced at Cece sitting next to her in a booster seat, chomping away at a mouthful of bubblegum. No matter how often she portioned out and restricted the treat, Cece always found a way to confiscate every stick in the pack and shove it in her little mouth. It didn’t help that Kat kept a secret stash, dishing it out to her daughter regardless of the number of times she told her sister not to. The two of them would make her gray before her next birthday. Both pushed the limits and broke her rules on a daily basis.
By the time Maggie got a napkin and put it up to Cece’s chin, the open-mouthed chewing had stopped. Cece sat up straight, her fingers clasped together in front of her, smiling wide and proud, as if she just saved her mama from the hazardous deed of discarding the sticky, messy clump.
Kat’s giggle had her shooting a perturbed glare across the table, warning her sister to quit reinforcing and encouraging Cece’s bad habits. Kat ignored her as usual, and focused on filling and rolling one crepe after another until she had four lined up along her plate, including three scoops of sliced strawberries and blueberries on top.
Ever since childhood, Kat could eat an enormous amount and not gain an ounce. No such luck for Maggie. After giving birth to Cece, her weight had been up and down, mostly up. It didn’t help that she hadn’t felt like exercising even though in high school she’d been on the volleyball team and remained active until pregnancy. Before she knew it, she’d gained fifty pounds. Instead of a size eight, she now wore a twelve, and at five foot six, her pear shape wasn’t all that complimentary. Her gaze switched from Kat to her pride and joy, the pint-sized version of the rebel Kat had
“Good night.” He jogged down the steps and escaped to his car. With the door propped open, his sight gravitated to the jacket in the back seat. He collapsed behind the steering wheel, snatched the coat, and tossed it on the passenger side. An image of Cece and Herbert cuddled on it came to mind. The light from Maggie’s house disappeared and left him in the darkness. He examined the white picket fence, trim lawn, flower boxes propped along the porch rail, and a wooden swing hung from the ceiling and swaying in the gentle breeze. The living room was exposed through wide-open drapes in the bay window. A faint glow from an unknown source cast a half-moon shadow along the powder-blue walls. A picture-perfect sight found on most covers of home and garden magazines.
A buzzing in the center console pulled him away from his exploration. “Stone.” He didn’t bother to read the number. At one in the morning, he knew who’d be calling. “Is that so? Put on the sheer black negligee. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
He snapped the phone shut and gunned the five hundred horsepower sports car, aiming it downtown. His new acquaintances were shoved out of his mind and a night of carnal activities replaced them. Exactly what he needed to shrug off melancholy memories: his dad, mom, him, a perfect family. Until it wasn’t.
Focused and relentless he could relate to. Home and hearth—never.
M AGGIE FLIPPED THE PALACHINKIS ON the griddle and glanced over her shoulder. “What filling do you want?”
Her sister, Kat, asked for cottage cheese and sugar at the exact moment Cece yelled, “Jelly.” Kat got both out of the refrigerator along with the fresh fruit Maggie had washed and put in a bowl before cooking their favorite breakfast. A recipe their mother, Irena, passed down, and they’d grown up eating. A family tradition she planned on including in her own restaurant someday.
Everyone had been seated at the table, and Maggie leaned across to get a crepe to put on Cece’s plate, when a sugary sweet smell that had nothing to do with the food hit her. She glanced at Cece sitting next to her in a booster seat, chomping away at a mouthful of bubblegum. No matter how often she portioned out and restricted the treat, Cece always found a way to confiscate every stick in the pack and shove it in her little mouth. It didn’t help that Kat kept a secret stash, dishing it out to her daughter regardless of the number of times she told her sister not to. The two of them would make her gray before her next birthday. Both pushed the limits and broke her rules on a daily basis.
By the time Maggie got a napkin and put it up to Cece’s chin, the open-mouthed chewing had stopped. Cece sat up straight, her fingers clasped together in front of her, smiling wide and proud, as if she just saved her mama from the hazardous deed of discarding the sticky, messy clump.
Kat’s giggle had her shooting a perturbed glare across the table, warning her sister to quit reinforcing and encouraging Cece’s bad habits. Kat ignored her as usual, and focused on filling and rolling one crepe after another until she had four lined up along her plate, including three scoops of sliced strawberries and blueberries on top.
Ever since childhood, Kat could eat an enormous amount and not gain an ounce. No such luck for Maggie. After giving birth to Cece, her weight had been up and down, mostly up. It didn’t help that she hadn’t felt like exercising even though in high school she’d been on the volleyball team and remained active until pregnancy. Before she knew it, she’d gained fifty pounds. Instead of a size eight, she now wore a twelve, and at five foot six, her pear shape wasn’t all that complimentary. Her gaze switched from Kat to her pride and joy, the pint-sized version of the rebel Kat had
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