Because You're Mine by Colleen Coble

Author:Colleen Coble
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2016-12-27T05:00:00+00:00

Twenty

Let’s get to the bottom of this.” Barry took Alanna’s arm and marched her down the steps. “Mother just came in from a hair appointment. She is cooking lunch.”

“Did the noise interrupt you?” Alanna asked as she struggled to keep up with her husband.

“The house is designed so music wafts into the office. My great-grandfather designed it that way on purpose so he could monitor what was going on in the ballroom even if he had to be attending to business. So yes, I had to end my call prematurely.”

They reached the first floor. The aroma of she-crab soup hung in the air. Barry led her across to the kitchen where they found a flushed Patricia stirring a pot at the stove.

Patricia glanced up with a smile that quickly faltered when her gaze lit on Barry. “What’s wrong, son?”

“You tell me.” He dropped his grip on Alanna, then folded his arms over his chest. “Why did you tell Alanna to practice in the ballroom when she told you I needed quiet for a conference call?”

Patricia pushed a lock of hair from her moist face. “Why, I never told her any such thing. I told her not to practice up there, whatever she did. That the noise would travel right to you.”

The glib lie snatched away the protest in Alanna’s gaping mouth. Patricia’s expression was so disbelieving of her son’s accusation that for a minute Alanna wondered if she’d misheard her mother-in-law. Then she remembered the dumbwaiter. “That’s not true, Patricia. You even showed me where to find the dumbwaiter so I could get the instruments up to the third floor. I couldn’t be knowing where it was otherwise.”

“Of course you did,” Patricia said. “I found you exploring it this morning. I warned you to be quiet up there.”

Alanna’s jaw sagged. She’d never met anyone who could lie so convincingly. And she had no way to prove Patricia had set her up.

Barry stared at his mother. “You’re lying.”

“Of course you’d believe that little tart,” his mother spat.

“I’ll not be listening to this.” Alanna started for the stairs. She blinked at the moisture in her eyes. Why was everyone so hostile?

She marched up the steps to her bedroom. Nothing could convince her to remain in this house any longer. It would take only a minute to grab her few belongings and leave with her friends. She jerked her big suitcase out from under the bed, then went to the dresser and lifted an armful of clothing from the drawer. Her attempt to hold the tears at bay failed, and big drops slipped down her cheeks.

“What are you doing?”

She turned to see Barry in the doorway with his brows knit together. “I’m leaving right now,” she said, turning back to her packing. She heard his footsteps start toward her but continued to the closet to grab her hanging clothes. When she turned, she plowed into him.

His arms closed around her, and he buried his face in her hair. “Don’t leave,” he whispered. “I need you.

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