The Trick To Getting A Mom. Amy Frazier

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СКАЧАТЬ leveled Pop with a flinty glare. “You can pay your poker debts, Penn, and I’ll call us even.”

      Her retort shut the older man up momentarily.

      “Now,” Adele continued, “if you can hold on for just a few more minutes, we’ll have your baby ready for viewing in the nursery. But first, Emily would like to speak to you, Sean.”

      “Me?”

      “You sure she wasn’t asking for the proud grandpa?” Pop asked, feigning insult.

      “I think I know the difference between you and your sons,” Adele replied. “I’ll be back for the rest of you when the baby’s ready.” She squinted at the assembled clan. “And try to keep your conversation to a dull roar.”

      With that, she set off down the corridor at a brisk clip, Sean in her wake.

      “Did Emily say why she wanted to see me?” he asked.

      “You can ask her yourself.” The nurse stopped outside one of the rooms. “She’s in here.”

      Emily was sitting up in bed when Sean came in, holding the baby and looking radiant.

      “Do you want to hold your nephew?” she asked.

      “You bet.”

      Sean took the tiny bundle and stared down in wonder at the newest family member. “Hey, I’m your Uncle Sean.” The baby yawned, unimpressed. “He’s a handsome dude, Em.”

      “Thank you. We think so.” Emily shifted her pillow, cleared her throat. “Would you like to have more children?”

      Yeah, he would. “I’ve got Alex,” he said, concentrating on the infant in his arms. “And a whole lot of nephews and nieces. That’s plenty.”

      “Family’s important.”

      “Nothing more important.”

      Another nurse appeared in the doorway. “I’m here to take the baby. If we don’t get him in the nursery soon, I’m afraid your family’s going to riot.”

      “They’re an impatient bunch.” Sean chuckled as he handed Eric over. He turned to Emily. “I’d better let you get your beauty sleep.”

      “Just a minute,” Emily replied. “I wanted to talk to you.”

      Sean shifted uneasily.

      “I’ve been a McCabe long enough to know what a devoted father and family man you are, Sean. You deserve a woman with the same values.”

      “How did this get to be about me?”

      “Mariah told me Kit was with you in the cafeteria.”

      “She wasn’t with me. It was pure coincidence we ended up in the same room.”

      “Hmm. Two coincidental meetings in one day.” Emily obviously didn’t believe him. “Mariah said there was chemistry between you two.”

      “Mariah’s got an imagination as vivid as Alex’s.”

      “Alex is definitely attracted to her.”

      “Kit’s not staying in town.”

      “Exactly. Why would you want to start up with someone who’s leaving?”

      “I think we’ve had this conversation.”

      Emily looked him in the eye. “My friend Elaine works for a consumer credit counseling service in Biddeford. The agency helps people manage their debt once they’re in trouble. Kit paid them a visit to get help sorting out Babe’s financial mess.”

      “I don’t think Elaine should have told you this, and I don’t think you should be repeating it to me.”

      Emily acted as if she hadn’t heard. “It seems Kit cosigned with Babe on all her accounts. When Babe skipped town, she left Kit with thousands of dollars in debt. Thousands.”

      Sean cringed. What kind of person would do that to family? A mother putting that burden on a daughter was unbelievable. It was a betrayal. He thought of how implicitly he trusted Pop and Jonas and the deal they’d struck on the pound. Bailing out and leaving a family member stranded was so far outside Sean’s realm of experience, he felt suddenly protective.

      “You can’t hold that against Kit,” he declared. “She’s trying to do what’s right.”

      “I know,” Emily said quietly. “I’m telling you this because I’m worried about you and Alex. For us, family ties, loyalty and reliability mean everything. For Kit…who knows?” She gave his hand an affectionate squeeze. “You’re a good man, Sean. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want Alex to get hurt.”

      “Neither do I. Good night, Em.” He kissed his sister-in-law on the top of her head, unwilling to admit that she’d effectively made her point. He and Kit were worlds apart. “Don’t worry.”

      He left the room to find his daughter.

      Back in the waiting room, Alex sat alone in the corner, scowling and peeling the label off a soft drink bottle. Sean could hear the rest of his family down the hall, presumably admiring the baby in the nursery.

      “Hey, june bug, don’t you want to see your new cousin?”

      Alex shrugged. “I dunno.”

      “What’s wrong?”

      “Why did Kit have to go?”

      Sean sat beside his daughter and put his arm around her shoulder, fragile as a bird’s wing. “Kit’s not part of the family, hon. Besides, she finished her business at the hospital and headed home.”

      “So why’d you follow her?”

      “I…thought Kit’s feelings might be hurt. I wanted to apologize.”

      “Aunt Mariah wasn’t real friendly to her.”

      “No, she wasn’t.” He chucked Alex under the chin. “Hey, sport, if you want to see Eric, we’d better get a move on.”

      Alex stayed put and crossed her arms over her chest. It was no secret she’d inherited his stubborn streak. “I like Kit.”

      “I know you do.” He rubbed the back of his neck, massaged the tense muscles. “And she likes you. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

      What was wrong was his inappropriate attraction to a woman who rocked his sense of responsibility. When she’d jumped on her motorcycle after slapping him, his first thought had been to climb on that powerful machine with her. He could imagine the evening breeze on his face, the heady sense of freedom, the thrill of not knowing what lay around the corner.

      “I just wanna be her friend,” Alex whispered, her face pinched in confusion. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

      His child deserved СКАЧАТЬ