The Christmas Family (The Buchanons 2) by Linda Goodnight

Author:Linda Goodnight [Goodnight, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Family Life, Series, Cowboys, Western, Christmas, Holiday Season, Christian, Religious, Faith, Inspirational, Spirituality, Love Inspired, Holiday Time, Christmas Wishes, Contractor, Single Mother, Home Makeover, Waitress, Foster Care, Charity, Daughter, Bachelor, New Home, His Wife
Publisher: Love Inspired
Published: 2015-11-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Brady was hyperaware of Abby tonight for reasons he didn’t examine. She looked relaxed and pretty seated next to him on the leather sectional as they sorted through the tub of full-size tile samples. He liked seeing her smile and loved hearing her laugh, so he told wild stories about his childhood with six siblings. He’d brought other dates here once or twice but couldn’t remember a time when an evening had been this enjoyable.

Quinn was right. All work and no play was taking a toll. Tonight he felt happier and more relaxed than he had in several weeks. Even Dad couldn’t rattle him after that steak dinner and an hour or two alone with Abby in his favorite place.

At the opposite end of the sofa, Lila was propped like a princess on a stack of pillows with her hands behind her head, the stuffed toy he’d given her snuggled close and Dawg curled on the floor next to her, snout on paws. Lila had snuggled down with a blanket and Abby predicted she’d be asleep before the first cartoon ended.

He’d set her up on his Netflix account with a show Abby said she loved. A family of pigs frolicked across the screen, mindless TV as he’d promised Abby, though Lila was enchanted. Every once in a while, the little girl giggled and his heart squeezed. She was something special.

“It must have been crazy fun,” Abby said in response to one of his tales.

“Completely nuts, as you can tell by Sunday afternoon. There was always something going on, someone to play with or harass—” he grinned, remembering “—as we boys often did to our sisters and each other. What about you? Any wild childhood antics?”

“You don’t even want to know the answer to that.”

“Sure I do. Come on. I’ve confessed that I terrorized my sisters on a regular basis. It can’t be worse than that.”

“I was in foster care, remember? Group homes can be crazy at times.” Her smile was wry and a little sad. “Not always fun crazy, either.”

He sobered. He’d forgotten that her childhood was vastly different from his own. She didn’t talk much about herself but curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know her. Not only her obvious struggles with money and medical care. Everything.

“What was that like, Abby? Growing up without parents. It had to be really difficult.”

“Time has a way of softening the edges, but yes, it was hard having no family, no stable place to belong.” She bent to the box at her feet and took out two tiles, examining each with care. “Special occasions were the worst.”

No one to celebrate her birthday or attend school functions. No rowdy bunch in the stands to cheer her graduation.

“Do you remember any of your birth relatives?”

“Not really. I was told my grandmother turned me over to social services after my mother died when I was around Lila’s age. Or as one social worker so kindly put it, she dumped me like a stray cat and never looked back.

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