Mail Order Martina: Secret Baby Dilemma by Lawless Kathleen

Mail Order Martina: Secret Baby Dilemma by Lawless Kathleen

Author:Lawless, Kathleen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Telegraph Bay Publishing
Published: 2021-03-05T00:00:00+00:00


Chapter 7

Will leaned back in his chair while Teenie filled his coffee cup for what seemed like the dozenth time, and Sam regaled them with tales of his journey here. He listened with half an ear, the rest of his attention focused on Marty as she babbled to the young one, all the while wiping his hands and face with a face flannel.

Charlie didn’t take much to being cleaned up, his face screwed up in a comical way as he tried to evade her swipes with the rag.

“You’ve near abouts scrubbed all the skin off the poor little gaffer’s face,” Will said, leaning in close. “Isn’t that right, Charlie?”

To his amazement, Charlie’s face near split in half with a huge, toothy grin. Soft, plump baby hands grasped Will’s chin.

“Wiw,” he said.

Will heard Marty catch her breath. Her eyes flew to his.

“Did you hear that?” she said in soft, reverent tones.

“Uh, huh,” Will said, wondering what to do next. With an instinct he hadn’t known he possessed, he scooped the boy from his seat and tossed him in the air the way he’d seen Marty do. “Will sends Charlie high. Right up to the moon and back.”

The youngster giggled and kicked his feet in delight. When Will brought him back to eye level, the youngster reached out and touched Will’s face: his eyes and his nose, even his mouth.

“Wiw,” he said again.

Marty rose and stood next to them. “That’s right Charlie. Will’s your big brother. He’ll always take care of you and never let anything happen.”

Will jerked upright at her words and shoved Charlie into her arms. “My track record as a big brother’s nothing to write home about.”

He saw Marty’s face fall, her delight at hearing Charlie speak again ruined by his clumsy words.

In Marty’s arms, Charlie squirmed and reached for him. “Wiw!”

“Will’s busy, Charlie,” Marty said. “Let’s go get you ready for bed.” She paused at the bedroom door and the look of disappointment on her face stabbed through Will clean as a knife wound. Him and his big mouth.

He was aware his friends stared at him, but the second he looked their way, everyone’s gaze shifted elsewhere. Teenie began bustling about clearing the table. Jerry and Sam pushed back their chairs and stood, murmuring something about the bunkhouse.

Teenie faced him, hands on her hips. “I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

“Not really,” Will muttered, feeling the same way he had when he was reamed out by a teacher in the classroom years earlier.

“That little boy hasn’t spoke a word since the day his pa died. And you had to go ruin the moment.”

Will threw up his hands. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Teenie’s anger softened. “I know you didn’t. It’s been quite a day. Lots of high-triggered emotions running all around.”

“That’s right,” Will said, feeling once more on solid ground.

“Like it or not,” Teenie said, “you’ve got yourself a new family. You can’t walk around feeling like you failed Harry once, means you’ll fail the rest of us.”

Will tried to fight back his grin.



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