Baby On Her Doorstep by Rhonda Gibson

Author:Rhonda Gibson [Gibson, Rhonda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2018-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Laura looked to the house and sighed. “Looks like we have company.” Did the wagon in front of the house belong to another woman wanting her job?

Clint led the horse to the barn after handing Laura the fish. As he tied the horse to the hitching post, his gaze moved to the front porch where Camelia sat with another woman. He pulled the girls off the horse’s back and set them on the ground.

Grace started walking to the house. Laura returned the fish and picked up a tired Hope. Together they walked to the house.

Camelia stood to welcome them. “I see you were able to catch a few fish.” She waited for them to get on the porch. “Clint, Laura, this is Millicent English. She likes to be called Missy.”

Clint reached across and shook the young woman’s hand.

Laura smiled her greeting, aware that the other woman never took her eyes off Clint Shepard. Her light brown hair was swept up in the latest style. The dress she wore was pressed and starched to perfection. Little button-up shoes covered her tiny feet. Her skin was clear as a newborn baby’s, and green eyes as big as a dessert plate stared up at Clint.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Shepard.”

Even her voice dripped with sweetness. Laura decided to leave this interview to Camelia and Clint. She took Grace’s little hand and started toward the door.

“Oh, you must be Gracie,” Missy exclaimed as if she’d just noticed the child. “You are so cute. You look just like your daddy.” Missy held out her hand for Grace to shake.

Grace smiled at her and put small muddy fingers into the other woman’s clean hand. She babbled happy to talk to a new adult.

Missy flinched away from the child when she realized how dirty her hands were. Her face took on a look of disgust. Gone was the sweet voice, and in its place was a sharpness that grated. “What is all over you?”

Too young to notice the change in the woman’s attitude, Grace reached into her pocket and tried to hand Missy her newest treasure. What was Grace trying to give Missy? It looked like mud, but Laura couldn’t remember any mud at the riverbank. The area where they’d fished and had lunch had been grassy and there were rocks along the shoreline. She’d thought the girls had stayed relatively clean.

The young woman moved back in her seat. Her big eyes took on a look of horror. She jerked away from Grace. “Get those away from me!” she shrieked.

Laura caught Grace’s arm and turned her around to see what she had in her hand. Big, red worms wriggled in the little girl’s dirty hand. She smiled. “Grace, what have you got there?”

“Whumms.” Grace smiled.

“Worms?” Laura looked to Clint, who smiled broadly at his daughter. Had he known she had worms in her dress pocket?

Disgust sounded in Missy’s voice. “Well, young lady, we do not play with worms. If you were my child, I’d spank your bottom for bringing those to the house.

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