Midnight Sons Volume 1 Read Free Page B

wearing her pink sweater, which was still in the dirty-clothes hamper, and she’d whined all the way to school. Abbey had driven them, catching every red light en route.
    By the time she arrived at the library, she was ten minutes late. Mrs. Duffy gave her a look that could have curdled milk.
    But those minor irritations faded after lunch. Abbey received notice that the library’s budget for the next fiscal year had been reduced and two positions would be cut—the positions heldby the most recently hired employees. In other words, Abbey was going to lose her job in less than three months.
    She finally got home at six o’clock, tired, short-tempered and depressed. That was when Mr. Erickson, the manager of the apartment complex, hand-delivered a note informing her the rents were being raised.
    It was the kind of day even hot fudge couldn’t salvage.
    Sensing her mood, the kids had acted up all evening. Abbey was exhausted, and she didn’t think reruns of Matlock were going to help.
    Sipping her tea, she wondered what had happened to throw her life off course. She had a savings account, but there wasn’t enough in it to pay more than a month’s worth of bills. She refused to go to her parents for money. Not again. It had been too humiliating the first time, although they’d been eager to help. Not once had her mother or father said “I told you so,” when she filed for divorce, although they’d issued plenty of warnings when she’d announced her intention to marry Dick Sutherland. They’d been right. Five years and two children later, Abbey had returned to Seattle emotionally battered, broken-hearted and just plain broke.
    Her parents had helped her back on her feet despite their limited income and lent her money to finish her education. Abbey had painstakingly repaid every penny, but it had taken her almost three years.
    The newspaper, still rolled up, lay at her feet, and she picked it up. She might as well start reading through the want ads now, although she wasn’t likely to find another job as an assistant librarian. With cuts in local government spending, positions in libraries were becoming rare these days. But if she was willing to relocate…
    “Mom.” Scott stood beside her chair.
    “Yes?” She climbed out of her depression long enough to manage a smile for her nine-year-old son.
    “Jason’s dog had her puppies.”
    Abbey felt her chest tighten. Scott had been asking for a dog all year. “Honey, we’ve already been over this a hundred times. The apartment complex doesn’t allow pets.”
    “I didn’t say I wanted one,” he said defensively. “All I said was that Jason’s dog had puppies. I know I can’t have a dog as long as we live here, but I was thinking that maybe with the rent increase we might move.”
    “And if we do move,” Abbey said, “you want me to look for a place where we can have a dog.”
    Her son grinned broadly. “Jason’s puppies are really, really cute, Mom. And they’re valuable, too! But you know what kind are my favorite?”
    She did, but she played along. “Tell me.”
    “Huskies.”
    “Because the University of Washington mascot is a husky.”
    “Yeah. They have cool eyes, don’t they? And I really like the way their tails loop up. I know they’re too big for me to have as a pet, but I still like them best.”
    Abbey held out her arm to her son. He didn’t cuddle with her much anymore. That was kid stuff to a boy who was almost ten. But tonight he seemed willing to forget that.
    He clambered into the chair next to her, rested his headagainst her shoulder and sighed. “I’m sorry I overslept this morning,” he whispered.
    “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
    “That’s all right.” There was a pause. “I promise to get out of bed when you call from now on, okay?”
    “Okay.” Abbey closed her eyes, breathing in the clean shampoo scent of his hair.
    They sat together for a few more minutes, saying nothing.
    “You’d better get back to bed,”