Private Sins (Three Rivers Series: Book 1) by Brenda Barrett Page A

clenched when he saw her.
    She sat up straighter in her chair and drunk him in. He looked so sophisticated with his curly hair slicked back and his burnt orange shirt opened at the throat. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. His eyes were sending off such deep chaotic emotions that she inhaled involuntarily.
    “What's the matter?” Theo asked, noticing her tension and then he looked in the direction she was staring and saw Chris.
    Chris smiled at him slightly and raised his hand. He whispered something to his date and they headed over to Kelly and Theo.
    “The Palmers, fancy seeing you here,” Chris said a little too brightly.
    “Chris,” Theo said, pleased to see him. “I rarely see you these days.” He got up and shook Chris' hand enthusiastically.
    Kelly felt wedged to her chair. Seeing him was a shock, and she realized once more how attractive she found Chris and that she was not as nearly over him as she had thought.
    He was watching her helplessly too; it would have been exceptionally awkward if his date had not piped up. “I'm Estella, nice to meet you.”
    Theo frowned at both Kelly and Chris and said, “This is my wife, Kelly.”
    Kelly reluctantly stood up and said, “Hello, Chris. Hello, Estella. Nice to meet you.” Kelly forced a smile in Estella's direction and then sat back down.
    “Your tables are ready,” said the pretty waitress who had taken their drinks order earlier. “I requested that the live band play ‘Ordinary People,’ just for you,” she then said to Kelly.
    Kelly smiled, though she was feeling a little light-headed. “Thank you.”
    “That’s my song too,” Chris said, smiling at the waitress.
    As Theo led his wife into the restaurant, she felt her heart beating normally again.
    “What on earth was that about?” Theo asked her curiously when they sat down. “Is there something you are not telling me about you and Chris?”
    Kelly felt her pulse fluttering again. “No, no, nothing. Isn’t the décor in here a nice combination of sophistication and casualness?”
    Theo watched her for a minute and then nodded slowly. “I guess you would know since you are the one with the artistic-eye.”
    He watched her keenly throughout the evening, his senses attuned to her every move. She was acting differently since Chris came into the restaurant, and he could not fathom why. Kelly, meanwhile, tried to pretend that she was not casting furtive glances toward the table where Chris and his date were seated, but Theo could see her and because he was directly in line with Chris' table he could also see that Chris was finding it hard not to look over at their table. What the hell was going on?
    He puzzled over the matter all the way through dinner and through the silent car ride home. They were both introspective, with Theo vowing to talk to his wife about the strangeness of her behavior and Kelly wondering who Chris' date was and if he had really moved on. Her heart wavered between intense jealousy, a sense of loss, and a low humming guilt that refused to subside.
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    Theo was sitting on the back patio cradling a drink, the baby was in a bassinet beside him and Kelly was gardening. Thea and Matthew were assigned a spot for themselves and Kelly was instructing them on how to plant their vegetables. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and the day was cool with a little chill in the air—it was three weeks till Christmas.
    Theo’s mother usually came to Jamaica from New York for the holidays but his year she was super excited because she was yet to meet her newest grandchild. She would be arriving in the upcoming week and Theo felt a fissure of excitement. He was always excited to see his Mommy. His Dad had abandoned the family when he was just twelve and his mother had really struggled hard to make ends meet in the early days.
    As soon as he had turned eighteen she migrated to America, where she worked as a practical nurse for years. Her retirement was