Vindicated Read Online Free Page A

sorry.”
    Suddenly, the game changed. He’d asked for her number. Her heart skipped a beat, recovered, and stuttered once more, a painful reminder of her attraction to him. Hope warred with denial. Could he truly be interested in her? The second after her heart soared, it plummeted back to earth, slapped with a healthy dose of reality. Even if he was interested, day-to-day survival left little time for distractions like romance. She propped her aching feet on the ottoman and closed her eyes, exhausted and overwhelmed.
    "Do you want me to say something to him?" The note of hopefulness in Ally’s voice brought a smile to Karly’s lips. “We could double date. That would be fun, right?”
    “Stop right there. I’m done with men.” Karly waved a hand in the air to dispel the notion.
    “Randy’s a cool guy. It wouldn’t hurt to hang out, would it?” The sound of muffled voices in the background caused Ally to groan. "Look, I've got to go. Jack's yelling for me. But we’re not done with this conversation. Think about it."
    "Okay." She heard the quiet anxiety in Ally's words. "Is everything alright? How's Jack doing?" The unexpected arrival of Jack’s pregnant ex-wife had thrown a wrench into Ally and Jack’s relationship.
    "Jack's a nervous wreck, and Chelsea's a total bitch. Not that I blame either one of them. Since their divorce, the gloves have been off between them. Now, the poor girl's enormous, and the baby’s due any minute. I've spent the last four hours trying to keep them from killing each other. I can't wait for this to be over." Ally covered the phone with her hand, and Karly heard the muffled exchange of voices. “Shit. Chelsea’s here, too. I’ve got to go. Catch you later, okay?”
     

 
     
    Chapter 5
     
     
     
    Sunlight slanted through the giant front window of Gordon’s Soda Shop, illuminating the black-and-white checkered floor tiles and the red vinyl barstools from a bygone era. The kind, gray-haired man behind the counter placed a steaming cup of real hot chocolate in front of Emma. The little girl’s eyes widened when he topped off the rich goodness with a dollop of whipped cream and tiny marshmallows. With a wink, he slid a pair of huge chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven, onto a plate and nudged it toward her. Emma clapped her hands in delight. The man seemed as bowled over by Emma’s reaction as Karly. She never tired of Emma’s appreciation for the smallest treats, a result of growing up poor that Karly understood all too well.
    “Those are on the house,” Mr. Gordon said. His broad grin revealed a gap between his front teeth. “I know the owner. He won’t mind.”
    “Thanks, Mr. Gordon.” Karly flashed a sincere smile.
    Once a week, she picked Emma up from school, and they spent the afternoon together. When the weather was nice, they went to the park. Bitter cold kept them inside today. The old-fashioned soda fountain was one of their favorite hangouts on days like this. She only had twenty dollars to last the rest of the week but spared enough change to buy Emma a treat. Cookies weren’t in the budget.
    “Thanks, Mr. Gordon,” Emma chimed in, whipped cream hovering over her upper lip. “That’s some good stuff.”
    Mr. Gordon winked again and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Karly alone with Emma. They sat in silence for a few minutes while Emma sighed and moaned over the rich, thick beverage. A stray sunbeam reflected off the mirror behind the counter and caught the gold strands in Emma’s abundant red curls. Karly studied the girl’s face with rapt fascination, drinking in every detail of the freckled cheeks and pale blue eyes. She was growing up so fast. Remorse and regret squeezed Karly’s heart. Poor decisions and unlucky circumstances had brought them to this moment. She shook them off, determined to make the most of their limited time together.
    “You want one?” Emma raised a fair eyebrow and nodded toward the cookies. Crumbs sprayed