The Manning Sisters by Debbie Macomber

Author:Debbie Macomber [Macomber, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 2008-11-10T23:00:00+00:00

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving Eric and Elizabeth Manning pulled their thirty-foot RV into the yard of the Lazy P.

Since school had been dismissed at noon, Taylor was home. The instant she recognized the vehicle, she called out to Russ, threw open the back door and flew down the steps, hardly taking time to button her coat. Russ followed directly behind her.

Standing by the door, Russ felt Eric Manning’s eyes on him. The two men quickly sized each other up, and Russ descended the steps. He waited until Taylor had welcomed each of her parents before he placed his arm protectively around her shoulders.

If her parents didn’t immediately guess she was pregnant, he’d be surprised. Taylor positively glowed—just like they said in the books. And he felt no less happy himself. Only rarely had he been this content. This complete. Taylor had filled all the dark, lonely corners of his life.

He hadn’t been joking when he told her he felt all warm whenever he thought about the child growing inside her. At odd moments of the day he’d think about his wife and how much he loved her, and he’d actually feel weak with emotion. Some nights he’d lie awake and cherish these peaceful moments with Taylor sleeping at his side. She’d been sleeping a lot more lately. The books had told him she’d be extra-tired. He would prefer it if she’d quit work, but the one time he’d suggested it, she’d almost bitten his head off. Moodiness. That was something else the books had addressed. Russ decided he’d let Taylor decide when and if she should stop teaching. She knew her own limits.

“Mom and Dad,” Taylor said, slipping her arm around Russ’s waist, “this is my husband, Russ Palmer. You’ll meet his sister, Mandy, this evening.”

Russ stepped forward and extended his hand to Taylor’s father. The older man muttered something unintelligible, and the two exchanged hearty handshakes.

“Come inside,” Russ invited, ushering everyone into the warmth of the kitchen. He took their coats and hung them in the hall closet while Taylor settled her parents in the living room.

There had been lots of small changes in the house since she’d moved in. She had a natural flair for decorating and had rearranged the furniture and done other things that gave the living room a fresh, comfortable feel.

“Would you like some coffee?” she asked.

“No, thanks. We just had some, honey,” her mother said.

Elizabeth Manning was an older version of her daughter. They both had the same intense blue eyes and long, thick dark hair. Eric Manning was as big as a lumberjack, tall and muscular, intimidating in appearance. It was important to Russ to win over this man. Important for Taylor. She’d fought with her father for most of her life. She’d often gone against his will, but she loved him, and his approval meant a great deal to her.

“Eric,” Elizabeth Manning said softly, looking at her husband.

The older man cleared his throat. “Before I say anything more to get myself in hot water, I want to apologize for the way I behaved when we last spoke.

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