If You Choose Me (A Sugar Maple Novel) by Ciara Knight

Author:Ciara Knight [Knight, Ciara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781953396051
Published: 2021-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Rosie paced the floor and eyed the front door. “They should be back anytime now, right?” She bit her nail and stood at the window looking out.

Shirley wanted to ease her anxiety but understood how it was to wait for someone who held your future in their hands to return. She’d waited for four months while she hid her pregnancy. And then again while in the nunnery, sure Harry—a man who’d promised to marry her when he returned from war—would return. And yet again when she lived in that awful home for unwed mothers. She waited until the news reached her that he’d remained in Europe to marry another woman. She’d never wait for any man to walk through the door again.

Davey went to Rosie’s side. “Don’t worry. Those knuckleheads can’t take me. I’ll run right back.”

Rosie pulled him into her side. “That means more to me than anything that you want to stay here with us, but we need to do this the right way. And I promise I’ll never stop fighting for you—or any of you.” She held her belly, and tears pricked her eyes.

Shirley had to do something. She couldn’t watch these sweet people suffer. “How about we all sit and play a game?” she offered. “Gina, why don’t you get Monopoly?”

Davey huffed. “Don’t wanna.”

The clock ticked away on the mantel, and Shirley knew there wasn’t much she could do to help pass the time for Rosie and Davey, but she could for the other children. “Who wants to help me make cookies?” This would be her first time making them alone, but she felt ready and confident, and she knew there had to be something she could do to help the family that had provided a home for her daughter. “What do you say, Davey?”

Davey didn’t have a chance to respond before Rosie spun around with what appeared to be a happy smile, but Shirley could tell it was forced. “Yes, let’s make some cookies so that we can have a celebration when the men arrive home with good news.” Rosie took little Ava by the hand, and they all waltzed into the kitchen.

Shirley removed the cookbook she’d been studying at night after Beth had gone to sleep and turned to the basic dough recipe. “Let’s make special cookies.”

Betty held Beth’s hand and sat on the floor next to her. They’d become so close in only a couple of weeks. “Special cookies? What’s that?”

“Those are cookies you make from your heart. I’ll make and roll out the dough, and then you all cut them into whatever you want. It can be letters or shapes or anything.”

“I know my letters now,” Reggie said pridefully.

“Fun.” Beth clapped her hands and squealed. Her speech was improving since they’d arrived. Shirley had worried her child was slow, but Beth was blossoming in front of her eyes now.

Shirley put her apron on, and Rosie pulled out the ingredients and then situated all the kids at the big dining room table.

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