Alex's Choice by Carol Steward

Author:Carol Steward
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

ALEX TURNED THE key and walked into the house.

“Emily?” Katarina’s cheerful voice echoed from the beamed ceilings.

“Katarina?” he mumbled. What’s she doing here? Alex glanced to the empty driveway and back toward the kitchen. Dinner smelled heavenly. The dining-room table was set for company, complete with a bouquet of flowers in the middle. The Boy Scout strikes again.

Katarina’s voice rang out urgently. “Kevin?” There was a crash, followed by a yelp and the rush of water from the faucet. “Who’s there?”

Alex cleared his throat to speak. He turned and looked at the door. This wasn’t at all what he had expected. He didn’t dare leave without saying something. If only Kevin had answered his phone last night. He dropped his bags and headed toward the kitchen.

“I don’t know who...” Katarina rushed around the corner wielding a huge black pan over her head.

As she took a swing at him, Alex stopped it with one hand and wrapped the other around her so she didn’t lose her balance. “Whoa.”

“Alex?” Katarina gasped.

Still stunned that he’d just about been branded with a cast-iron skillet, he yanked the pan from her hands. “Hi. Welcome home would have been fine.”

She stumbled back. “What are you doing here?”

“I might ask you the same thing.”

Hands on her hips, Katarina straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I live here. What’s your explanation?”

He turned his back to her and muttered under his breath just as Kevin, Emily and Ricky walked through the front door.

The way everyone looked at him, you’d think he was a ghost returned from the dead, he thought. The only one who didn’t appear confused was the little boy flying toward him. “Uncle Alex!”

Alex knelt to greet his nephew and swooped him into his arms. “Hey there, sport. How are you doing?”

“Great! I knew you’d come back,” he insisted. He gave Alex another tight bear hug. “I just knew it.”

He had obviously been the subject of more than one conversation in the past few weeks.

“Sorry, things took longer to clear up than I expected,” Alex said, focusing on Kevin.

His brother had a half smile on his face. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d decided against helping me out after all. I thought you meant a couple extra days, not weeks. Where have you been?”

He couldn’t go into everything now. “I’m sorry. I tried to leave messages when I could get service, but your machine kept cutting me off. Why don’t I fill you in tomorrow?”

Emily broke in by giving Alex a hug. “It’s good to see you, Alex. Sorry about the answering machine. We replaced it this morning. I’m afraid apple juice doesn’t agree with the machine’s diet.”

Ricky jumped into his daddy’s arms and nuzzled Kevin’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Ricky. Mommy’s teasing. Look at her smile.”

“Katarina, can I help you in the kitchen? The Stroganoff smells delicious.”

Alex looked over his shoulder to see Katarina turn and retreat into the kitchen with her sister following. Kevin set Ricky down and asked him to help his mother, then motioned for Alex to join him outside.

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