Stand-In Mom by Marie Ferrarella

Author:Marie Ferrarella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 1999-09-15T16:00:00+00:00

“Are you sure you don’t mind my leaving?” Marta looked at Sydney, wavering.

She knew she’d volunteered, but now that she was about to go with Ike, she had her doubts about the wisdom of her offer. Marta glanced toward Ike. A lot of doubts. Not the least of which was that she didn’t like the idea of leaving Sydney. After all, Sydney was the reason she’d come out here in the first place, not Ike.

Definitely not Ike, she silently underscored with feeling.

Sydney gave her a quick hug, correctly reading her concern. “Will you stop worrying? Go with him,” she urged. “Ike needs you more than I do.”

Though Marta hated to admit it, it was true. She’d only be keeping Sydney company. She’d be helping Ike. And Celine. It was Celine she focused on.

“All right, I’ll go with Ike.” Since she was going in Ike’s car, there might be a problem about getting back. He wasn’t to drive for the remainder of the day, and he did need his vehicle back. “Would it be too much trouble for Shayne to pick me up on his way home?”

“I can run you back,” Ike said. “I don’t need two hands.”

Marta looked at him. “What about Celine?”

“She won’t be driving for a few years, yet, will you, darlin’?”

Celine cooed in response, as if she were actually listening to him. How did he get females to do that? Marta wondered. “I mean, won’t you have to stay with Celine?”

“Luc can watch her for me. Or we can put her in the back seat. We did buy that car seat for her.”

The details could be worked out later, Marta thought. But in order to come back, she first had to leave. “All right, let’s go.” She kissed Sydney, then looked down at the stomach that got in the way. She placed a hand fondly on the swell. “You be good in there,” she admonished.

Marta walked out with Ike, Celine in her arms. Ambivalent emotions ricocheted through her like kernels of popcorn exploding in a microwave. She hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake by agreeing to go back with him. She might feel as if she saw right through him, but there was something dangerously hypnotic about the way he looked at a woman.

As she’d observed, even Celine wasn’t impervious.

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.