His Unlikely Homecoming by Carrie Nichols

Author:Carrie Nichols
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-05-28T20:23:21+00:00

* * *

“So, was that the woman who put that goofy look on your face?”

Nick rolled his eyes at his niece, but he was too content to argue with her. He still had to deal with Oakley, but talking to Libby had set him back on an even keel. “She’s invited us to supper tomorrow night.”

“You’re doing it again,” she said.

“Doing what?”

She pointed a finger at him. “Getting that look on your face.”

“And you’re deflecting. We are going to discuss this situation first and foremost. You’ll get to meet Libby and Rebecca tomorrow night.”

“Libby and Rebecca? This isn’t some sort of kinky thing, is it?”

He clicked his tongue against the back of his front teeth. “Rebecca is her five-year-old daughter.”

“A single mother? At least I’m assuming she’s—”

“Oakley. Don’t.” He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He knew she was deflecting, but he missed the sweet kid she used to be.

Maybe if he’d gone back home, she still would be. Would Libby see his not going back as selfish? Would he be able to explain how he’d been afraid of getting sucked into something he might not be able to walk away from a second time? Did he want to admit this and be seen as weak?

“Uncle Nick? I’m sorry. It seems you really like this woman and I didn’t mean to...well, you know.” She shrugged.

Yeah, he knew. “It’s okay, but we will be setting ground rules. Where are your dirty clothes? I’ll start a load in the washer.”

She jumped up from the chair. “I left them in the bathroom. Let me get them. I have some in my backpack that need washing, too. I did my best to keep clean when the bus stopped at rest areas or truck stops.”

Truck stops? He had a few choice words for his sister and her conduct toward her daughter.

While Oakley was in the bathroom, he picked up her shabby backpack. He made a mental note to take her shopping tomorrow to a mall in one of the bigger surrounding towns.

“And what do we have here?” Nick asked as he reached in and pulled out a scruffy-looking blue stuffed rabbit. “Could this possibly be Blue Bunny?”

“Hey. Give me that,” she snarled, making a grab for the item. “Talk about boundaries.”

He easily pulled it out of reach. “This looks familiar... Isn’t this the one I bought you when I came back on leave to meet you for the first time?”

She’d been nearly two, and the guilt from not going back sooner still stabbed him in the gut. How could he have waited that long to see her? He must be the worst uncle on the planet.

“It might be.” Oakley stuck out her chin. “So what if it is?”

“I’m honored you kept it.”

“Yeah...well.” She shrugged.

He went with his gut and pulled her in for a hug.

She returned the hug before pushing away. “Hey, hey, let’s not get carried away. Since when have we been a family prone to displays of affection?”

“Since right now.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.