Harlequin Special Edition January 2020--Box Set 2 of 2 by Marie Ferrarella

Author:Marie Ferrarella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

“I hope you don’t mind shopping with me,” Lacy said to Emma Tuesday afternoon as they approached the warehouse-sized grocery store in nearby Ventura.

She’d picked up the surprised and delighted Emma at school in Little River Valley, as promised, and handed her a bottle of water and one of her French apple hand pies. As the child gobbled up the goody, Lacy explained why she’d come, that Zack was at the hospital.

“Is Daddy okay?” Those were her first words, which made sense to Lacy since it was just the two of them, her and her father. Against the world, as it were. And she should’ve explained more.

“Yes. One of your dad’s employees was injured and he’s making sure the man’s getting the best care. So he’s fine, just gonna be late.”

Once inside the big-box store she grabbed a cart.

“If you’d like, you can stand here.” Lacy gestured. She’d seen other people let their kids stand on the small vehicle-sized carts before, feet on the under tray and hands on the push handle. Now, with temptations on every aisle to drag the girl’s attention away, Lacy saw how it saved time to add kids to the cart rather than let them roam free.

“Okay!” Emma was apparently thrilled by the unexpected field trip and everything it entailed. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail today, and she wore navy blue track pants with a bright pink T-shirt, looking cute as always and ready for anything. Lacy noticed Emma only had two styles for her hair, down or in a ponytail, and she figured it was because she didn’t have a mom around to try special things. Maybe sometime she’d try French braids on Emma or the double fishtail thing she could never do on herself.

As Lacy pushed, she loaded the cart with bags of onions and other vegetables, meat, chicken and ham in twenty-pound increments, three-foot-high stacks of wraps, which the child had clearly never seen. Emma watched, her feet and hands solidly in place, totally fascinated.

“Wow, that’s a lot of food!”

“I know. I literally serve a small army.” Lacy smiled, enjoying the company and how easily Emma was impressed.

Throughout the other chores of the afternoon, involving multiple stops, Emma didn’t complain once. After arriving home, as Lacy finished unloading everything she’d purchased, placing the items into the refrigerators and storage shelves in the garage, she showed her little friend around her house.

“I like it here,” Emma said, at the end of the tour.

“I’m so glad.” Surprisingly, it meant a lot to Lacy that Emma liked her home and felt comfortable with her. “Oh, and this is Daisy Mae.” Who’d come out of hiding for the clear purpose of snooping. New voice? Must check out.

“You have a cat?” Virtually everything in life excited Little Miss Sunshine.

“Sure do,” Lacy said through her smile.

“I keep asking dad for a pet, but he says no.”

“Maybe we can work on getting him to change his mind.” This risk could get Lacy in

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