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

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СКАЧАТЬ given away a secret. “Maybe you should ask your daughter about it.”

      “I plan to.”

      Jenny wasn’t sure what to do now. The man had dismissed her, but she couldn’t leave without seeing Gracie.

      Sean stepped in. “I know Gracie will want to show you her project. And Jenny, we would like you to stay for supper.”

      Jenny hesitated, but Sean smiled at her.

      “It’s my famous beef stew,” he told her. She glanced at Evan. His stoic look was meant to drive her away. She refused to let it.

      “Oh, my, how can I turn that down? Thank you. I accept.” She glanced around, trying to avoid looking at Evan Rafferty. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

      Sean waved his hand. “Oh, no, you’re a guest.”

      There was a sound of footsteps on the stairs, then Gracie came running into the room a little breathless. “Good. You’re still here.”

      She stroked the child’s hair. “I told you I wouldn’t leave.”

      “And she’s staying for supper,” her grandfather told her. “Now, go and show Jenny where to wash up.”

      Gracie’s eyes lit up. “You want to see my room?”

      “Of course, I’d love to.” Jenny held out her hand and Gracie took it. Together they walked out.

      Angry about being blindsided, Evan turned to his father. “What are you doing?”

      “It’s called being neighborly. Something you seem to have forgotten as of late. I never thought I’d see the day when one of my sons would be rude to a guest in his home. It’s time you climbed out of the cave you’ve buried yourself in. It might be what you want, but your daughter needs more.”

      Matt elbowed him. “Yeah, bro. And man, she’s one pretty lady.” He looked at his dad. “If you hadn’t invited her, I would have.”

      Sean raised a hand. “Simmer down, Matt. Jenny’s interest is in Gracie. Even she can see the child needs more. And look here, son, help came knocking on the door.”

      Evan didn’t like everyone invading his life. He just wanted to be left alone.

      His father grew serious as he looked at him. “It wouldn’t hurt for the little one to have some female companionship. So, son, don’t go looking at this gift as if it’s a curse.”

      Jenny glanced around the small yellow-and-lavender bedroom as Gracie showed off the row of her favorite dolls on a shelf along the wall. The hardwood floors were covered with a natural-colored area rug. There was a white twin bed that was covered with a patchwork quilt.

      “My mom made me this quilt for my birthday when I was six.”

      Jenny examined the detail on the Country Hearts pattern. The colorful heart appliqués sat inside each of the many six-inch blocks. The sashing was a wide strip of a lavender print. It was well done.

      “This is so pretty.” Jenny looked at Gracie. “Your mother did beautiful work.”

      The girl smiled. “She made a lot more. You want to see?”

      “Sure.”

      Gracie motioned for her to follow. They went down the hall into another bedroom. The second Jenny stepped inside she knew she shouldn’t be here. Yet, she couldn’t leave what was obviously the master bedroom. The beautiful large four-poster bed was covered in a solid navy comforter.

      Gracie went to a cedar chest at the end of the bed. “They’re in there. Daddy put them all away after Mommy … died.”

      Jenny felt as if she was intruding. “Maybe we should leave them for another time.” She glanced across the room at the dresser and saw the many framed family pictures. She recognized a younger-looking Evan standing next to a dark-haired woman who was holding a toddler, Gracie. And he was smiling. She doubted he did much of that lately.

      She quickly turned away from the loving scene. “I don’t want us to get into trouble.”

      The child struggled to lift the lid. “But my quilt is in here.” The child looked panicked. “It’s mine.”

      Jenny had no choice but to help her. She opened the heavy lid and discovered the treasure inside. There were several colorful quilts folded neatly. The top one was an amazing Bow Tie-patterned quilt in shades of blues and burgundy. The background was cream-colored with intertwined blocks of printed fabric.

      Megan Rafferty definitely wasn’t an amateur.

      Gracie continued to dig underneath. “See, there it is.”

      Jenny lifted out the plastic-covered blanket. She removed the covering and spread it out on the bed. The Wedding Ring design was only partly finished, but there were several rings already sewn together, and several other stacks were in the bag.

      “Mommy and I picked out all the colors, but she got too sick to sew anymore.” A sad Gracie looked at Jenny. “She had to stay in bed all the time.”

      Jenny couldn’t resist and sat down, pulled the small girl onto her lap and hugged her close. No child should have to go through that kind of loss.

      Gracie laid her head against Jenny’s shoulder. “I didn’t get to see her very much ‘cause she was always sleeping.”

      She had no doubt Megan Rafferty fought valiantly to keep going for her child.

      “Oh, honey, it wasn’t because your mom didn’t want you around her. She was trying to fight to get better. Just look how she worked to make you this quilt.”

      The girl raised her head, revealing tears. “That’s what she told me when I went to say goodbye to her. She said that I have to finish it for her. I promised her. I hafta do it.”

      Evan stood in the hall outside his bedroom. It had always been Meg’s domain. She’d decorated the room, trying to make it perfect. It was—to an outsider. Yet this room had never been his sanctuary, even less so now—with the guilt he felt that he’d let his wife down. Now he was letting Gracie down.

      Watching her, he felt another kind of pain. Jenny Collins was holding his daughter, stroking her hair, whispering words to soothe her sadness. Gracie couldn’t come to him, but she turned to a stranger.

      When Jenny looked up, discovering him, it was he who suddenly felt like the intruder. Her dark-eyed gaze locked with his. He couldn’t read her thoughts. Did she think he was a bad father? What did he care what she thought? She was the one intruding on his life.

      Jenny saw Evan Rafferty in the hall. She held her breath, hoping that he wouldn’t interrupt them. His daughter desperately needed to share some of her pain. She needed to let out her feelings without worrying about anyone else.

      Jenny brushed tears from the child’s face. “What else did your mother tell you?”

      Gracie looked thoughtful. “She asked me to be a good girl.”

      “And СКАЧАТЬ