kitchen. She gave her father a sneer and said,
"Well, it's about time you came home to be with your family
for a little while, Father ."
Christopher stepped as far away from Courtney as he could
and continued making Caesar salad without a word.
Ray's cobalt eyes turned to steel as he stared at his
impertinent ten-year-old. He spoke as coldly as his eyes
indicated. "Speak to me with that tone again, and you will find
out what Father really means."
Courtney's attitude made an abrupt change. "Sorry, Daddy,
but you really hurt my feelings. Christopher and I worked very
hard to make something special for your anniversary."
"I understand that, Courtney, but some people are dead.
You know this is my job."
"Daddy, you're the boss. You don't have to go to every
scene. That's Aunt Chris's job. And last night you weren't
working. You were with Uncle Raif."
"Pumpkin, this time somebody I cared about died. Uncle
Raif helped me deal with my feelings."
She placed the knife on the butter dish. "I'm sorry that Mr.
LaFontaine died."
Ray jerked back a bit because he had not told his children
who had been murdered.
"Yes, I know who died," Courtney said to her father's
strange facial expression. "The news was all over school.
Momma took us to buy a card for Kyle and Kim. Daddy, I
don't think he was a very good father. He didn't make Kyle and
Kim, especially Kyle, feel loved like you usually do us. I'm
sorry I was ugly when you came in. Will you, please, look at
our cake and have some for dessert? Father," she added sweetly
and grinned.
"Yes, Pumpkin. Show me the cake."
Courtney scampered to the other side of the kitchen. "It's
yellow butter cake with chocolate icing, your favorite kind."
She carefully uncovered the baking masterpiece. The kids had
used loaf pans and made six loaves that they shaped into the
number 13.
Ray kissed Courtney on the cheek and turned to
Christopher and kissed him on the head. "Thank you. Let's eat
the one, and I'll take the three to share at work. Is that all
right?"
"Yes, sir," replied Christopher. "It's too much for just us."
Ray surveyed his two children. They were really good kids
although an occasional spanking had been necessary over the
years. Courtney had been working on some form of
punishment with her saucy tone. Both she and her brother had
his dark hair. Christopher had Larkin's dark brown eyes while
Courtney had his big blue eyes. We need one with red hair and
blue eyes or red hair and brown eyes. He chuckled under his
breath, but did not give his thought a voice for fear that Larkin
would hit him with something.
Christopher and Courtney did a good job with dinner and
the long awaited cake, but Larkin hardly ate a bite. She
confessed she really felt badly, so Ray suggested she go to bed
early. Then, he helped clean up the kitchen and sneakily played
video games with his children until way past their bedtime.
♥♥♥
The next morning, Larkin cancelled her classes at the
satellite branch of LSU where she taught both American and
British literature. She was so sick she could hardly stand. Ray
took the kids to school and two thirds of the anniversary cake
to work. Larkin told him she was going to the doctor.
She had expected to wait a long time since she did not have
an appointment, but when the nurse told Dr. Sullivan that Dr.
Reynolds was pale as death, Larkin got in to see her doctor
fairly easily.
Larkin underwent all the normal tests that she endured
every time. She was weighed, had her blood pressure taken,
gave a urine specimen, and got her finger pricked. She waited
patiently in the examination room. She still felt so sick she
actually lay down on the exam table.
Dr. Bill Sullivan came into the room in his normal affable
manner. "Well, Larkin, I need to ask you a question."
"What?" she groaned.
"What was the first date of you last period?"
"What?" she asked as she sat up, eyebrows tightly knit.
"I'm not pregnant. I'm not late, just a few days late. Ray and I
have been using birth
"Well, it's about time you came home to be with your family
for a little while, Father ."
Christopher stepped as far away from Courtney as he could
and continued making Caesar salad without a word.
Ray's cobalt eyes turned to steel as he stared at his
impertinent ten-year-old. He spoke as coldly as his eyes
indicated. "Speak to me with that tone again, and you will find
out what Father really means."
Courtney's attitude made an abrupt change. "Sorry, Daddy,
but you really hurt my feelings. Christopher and I worked very
hard to make something special for your anniversary."
"I understand that, Courtney, but some people are dead.
You know this is my job."
"Daddy, you're the boss. You don't have to go to every
scene. That's Aunt Chris's job. And last night you weren't
working. You were with Uncle Raif."
"Pumpkin, this time somebody I cared about died. Uncle
Raif helped me deal with my feelings."
She placed the knife on the butter dish. "I'm sorry that Mr.
LaFontaine died."
Ray jerked back a bit because he had not told his children
who had been murdered.
"Yes, I know who died," Courtney said to her father's
strange facial expression. "The news was all over school.
Momma took us to buy a card for Kyle and Kim. Daddy, I
don't think he was a very good father. He didn't make Kyle and
Kim, especially Kyle, feel loved like you usually do us. I'm
sorry I was ugly when you came in. Will you, please, look at
our cake and have some for dessert? Father," she added sweetly
and grinned.
"Yes, Pumpkin. Show me the cake."
Courtney scampered to the other side of the kitchen. "It's
yellow butter cake with chocolate icing, your favorite kind."
She carefully uncovered the baking masterpiece. The kids had
used loaf pans and made six loaves that they shaped into the
number 13.
Ray kissed Courtney on the cheek and turned to
Christopher and kissed him on the head. "Thank you. Let's eat
the one, and I'll take the three to share at work. Is that all
right?"
"Yes, sir," replied Christopher. "It's too much for just us."
Ray surveyed his two children. They were really good kids
although an occasional spanking had been necessary over the
years. Courtney had been working on some form of
punishment with her saucy tone. Both she and her brother had
his dark hair. Christopher had Larkin's dark brown eyes while
Courtney had his big blue eyes. We need one with red hair and
blue eyes or red hair and brown eyes. He chuckled under his
breath, but did not give his thought a voice for fear that Larkin
would hit him with something.
Christopher and Courtney did a good job with dinner and
the long awaited cake, but Larkin hardly ate a bite. She
confessed she really felt badly, so Ray suggested she go to bed
early. Then, he helped clean up the kitchen and sneakily played
video games with his children until way past their bedtime.
♥♥♥
The next morning, Larkin cancelled her classes at the
satellite branch of LSU where she taught both American and
British literature. She was so sick she could hardly stand. Ray
took the kids to school and two thirds of the anniversary cake
to work. Larkin told him she was going to the doctor.
She had expected to wait a long time since she did not have
an appointment, but when the nurse told Dr. Sullivan that Dr.
Reynolds was pale as death, Larkin got in to see her doctor
fairly easily.
Larkin underwent all the normal tests that she endured
every time. She was weighed, had her blood pressure taken,
gave a urine specimen, and got her finger pricked. She waited
patiently in the examination room. She still felt so sick she
actually lay down on the exam table.
Dr. Bill Sullivan came into the room in his normal affable
manner. "Well, Larkin, I need to ask you a question."
"What?" she groaned.
"What was the first date of you last period?"
"What?" she asked as she sat up, eyebrows tightly knit.
"I'm not pregnant. I'm not late, just a few days late. Ray and I
have been using birth
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