Bourre Brouhaha by Pauline Baird Jones

Author:Pauline Baird Jones [Jones, Pauline Baird]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781962125406
Publisher: Perilous Pauline's Books

It was daytime, when the college kids across the street were at classes—thank goodness they were back in school, parking had been a nightmare with all the remote learning—and he found a place almost in front of Zach’s.

The house always looked small to him when he came back after a shift or even a day away. It was as if, in his mind, it returned to the home of his childhood. A somewhat shabby house set in a yard with imperfectly controlled grass and plants that was so much bigger in memory.

The low fence needed paint, but that had always been the case. Even when Zach had gotten the boys to paint it, it seemed to revert to shabby within a few days, as if the climate was always going to win.

His heart still lifted when he saw it. It was home. Despite the shabby edges, it looked more promising than the place where Audrey lived. The thought tightened the muscles in his chest.

He held Audrey’s hand as he pushed open the not quite closed gate, giving it a half-hearted shove once they were through.

He noticed that Audrey looked around with open curiosity. She stopped just shy of the house and smiled at him.

“I like it. I can almost see you playing out here with your brothers and your sister.”

Eddie felt a jolt of shock. Had he failed to mention how many siblings he actually had? He knew she’d met Cal and Dan that first night they’d helped out Sarah. And she knew Ben and Ingrid. That was nowhere near thirteen.

His throat closed but he managed a nod. She’d turned back toward the house or she’d have probably noticed the panic on his face. It’s not like he could tell her he didn’t expect her to have six or thirteen kids. They were dating, not family planning.

But he knew the sheer number of them had driven off even casual dates—according to his brothers. He’d not gotten far enough in a relationship for that kind of disclosure. Until now.

He rapped lightly on the door, then eased it open to call out, “Anyone home?”

Zach lifted his head from his tablet—a sight Eddie was still getting used to. Zach had been a newspaper reader their whole lives, but he’d had to adjust when the paper went digital.

“Come on in,” Zach said, then his eyes widened at the sight of Audrey. He put down the tablet and rose to his feet.

“Please don’t get up on my account,” she protested.

“This is Audrey,” Eddie said. “Audrey Goodheart.” There was no point in putting it off.

Zach’s hand might have twitched for a minute before he finished the move to shake her hand.

“This is my dad, Audrey,” Eddie said before the silence could happen. “Zach Baker.”

Usually the girls they brought home would look at Zach with a mixture of wonder, awe, and a tiny bit of censure for his part in producing thirteen children. That it had taken him two wives to get to that total wasn’t that big of a help.

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