Little Cowgirl Needs a Mum / Once Upon a Proposal: Little Cowgirl Needs a Mum. Allison Leigh

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СКАЧАТЬ there’s a phone call for you.”

      “Can you take a name and a message?”

      “He says it’s important, a Todd Newsome.”

      Evan watched the blood drain from Jenny’s face. “I’ve got to go.”

      He stopped her. “What’s wrong?”

      “Nothing,” she said, pulling away, then she went down the steps.

      He followed, but she wasn’t going to tell him anything. So, she had a past.

      She looked back at him. “It would be better if you concentrate on your daughter, Evan. I’ll be leaving in a few months. I’ll be going back to my job. This has to be the end of it.”

      Before he could say anything, she took off down the stairs. By the time he reached her, she’d taken the cordless phone from Millie and gone to a quiet corner. Her rejection should drive him away, but he wasn’t ready to give up; something wouldn’t let him let go of her.

      Jenny had prayed she’d never hear from Todd ever again. Her stepbrother had caused her enough trouble to last a lifetime. But over the years he kept showing up like a bad penny.

      She punched in the hold button. “What do you want, Todd?”

      “Is that any way to greet your big brother, sis?”

      “You’re not my brother. And I thought you were in jail.”

      “I got out early for good behavior.”

      “Fine. Have a good life and stop bothering me.”

      “Whoa, sis. It wouldn’t be a good idea to hang up on me. What would Mom say?”

      Jenny stiffened. Her mother had been Todd’s only supporter after his last drug offence.

      “Go call her and ask.” She turned around and saw that Evan was still there. “Look, Todd, I need to go back to work.”

      “I’d like to do the same, but I don’t have a job. Maybe you can set me up in a job with your fancy friends?”

      How did he know? Her mother. She’d probably mentioned her job with the Casalis in letters. “I wouldn’t ask any of my friends to hire you. You’re unreliable. Shouldn’t your parole officer help you find something?”

      “I don’t particularly want to be a dishwasher or a janitor.”

      “Why not? It’s honest work.”

      “I think you can do better for me.”

      “No. I told you years ago, I want you to leave me alone.” She felt the familiar panic as she recalled high school and Todd and his creepy friends. That had been the main reason she’d told the police on him. It had gotten him his stay in juvenile hall.

      “That’s too bad, sis,” he told her in a voice that made her shiver. “You owe me, and you’re my best bet these days. What’s the big deal about helping out a family member?”

      “You’re not my family. So stay away from me, Todd. I won’t help you.” Her hands were shaking as she ended the call. No, she wouldn’t let him get to her again. The three Newsome brothers had been trouble since day one, but Todd was the worst. She hadn’t been surprised that he’d gone to prison.

      She turned around and saw Evan watching her. She put on a smile as he walked to her.

      “Is everything okay?”

      “Of course,” she said just as the bell over the shop door chimed and Gracie and Cherry returned, followed by Allison.

      “Daddy.” Gracie ran to her father. “We need to go home because I have to find some material for the class.”

      “You have a week before the next class.”

      The girls didn’t like to wait for anything.

      “But all the other girls have their moms to help them pick out their material. And grandpa’s fixing spaghetti and he said we need to bring Jenny and some bread home. Please, Daddy.”

      He turned to Jenny. “Looks as if we’re outnumbered. Would you like to come to dinner at the Rafferty house?”

      It wasn’t a good idea. She looked at Gracie and began to lose her resolve. The little girl would be disappointed if she didn’t go. “Sure, I’d love to.”

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      AN hour later Jenny was seated beside Evan in his truck and on the way to the Rafferty home. How had she got herself into this? Okay, she was a coward. She wanted to be away from any more calls from Todd. No more abuse from her evil stepbrother.

      Those days were over.

      Thanks to her mother she now had to deal with him again. No doubt Marsha thought Todd had turned over a new leaf, but Jenny doubted he could do anything good, ever.

      Time served or not, Todd Newsome was a convicted felon. The last thing she wanted him to do was cause any trouble for her or her friends. She only hoped she’d convinced Todd that she didn’t want any more to do with him. Good luck with that. He hadn’t cared about her wishes, ever. She couldn’t have been happier when he was sent away.

      “Jenny,” Gracie called.

      She turned to the girl in the back seat. “What, sweetie?”

      “All the other girls think I’m lucky because I get to take you to my house.”

      She was touched. “Well, you need help with the project, too. And remember, you have to sew new blocks together.”

      Gracie nodded. “Daddy, can I have one of your shirts? The one Mommy liked.”

      Evan frowned. Meg had liked one of his shirts? She’d never said anything to him. “Sure. You’ll have to remind me which one that is.”

      He stole a sideways glance at Jenny, seeing her curious look.

      “It’s the one you wore when we all went to church on Easter that last time,” his daughter said. “I want to use something that Mommy liked.”

      “Okay, we’ll find it then,” he said hearing the sadness in his child’s voice.

      He glanced at Jenny. “Once an altar boy, but I’m not much on church these days.”

      “Grandpa Sean is Catholic and Mommy and me are Lutherans,” the tiny voice came from the back. “What are you, Jenny?”

      She smiled. “Oh, I’d say I’m a mixture of a little Catholic with some Presbyterian thrown in. All religions work if you pray.”

      “At my church they say you have to repent if you do bad things. What does repent mean?”

      Gracie was too young to hear those kinds of words. “It means to make up for what you did wrong,” Evan said. СКАЧАТЬ