Temporary Dad by Laura Marie Altom

Author:Laura Marie Altom
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-08-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Ugh.” Annie lugged in the last awkward packs of diapers and wipes. On their way out of town, Jed had accused her of packing waaaay too many baby supplies, but since they were spending the night in a place that might as well be a thousand miles from the nearest Baby Depot, she was happy to have erred on the side of caution.

“Is that everything?” Jed asked on the porch, rubbing his lower back after setting down his heavy load of formula.

The creatures who drank all that formula were inside, indulging in their latest nap.

“I think so,” Annie said. “Oh—what about our stuff? Want me to get it?”

“Nah. I’ll handle it.”

While he walked to the van, Annie stood on the porch, hands on the rail, enjoying the light conifer-scented breeze that brushed curls against her cheeks.

Wow, what a beautiful place.

Even though it was only six, the mountain’s shadow crept into their sheltered valley, creating the illusion that it was later in the day. Time for a crackling fire in the stone hearth. For marshmallows and sharing stories.

The cabin and the land around it were magical.

Straight from a more innocent era, like those old Doris Day and Rock Hudson movies, where trouble was having one’s hat blow off in a sudden wind.

She sighed. If only things weren’t so complicated now. Jed was still worried about Patti. But what was Patti worried about? Was her marriage not as great as it seemed? Was she mired in an epic case of postpartum depression?

If she were Patti, Annie could’ve done a lot of thinking up here.

Annie swallowed painfully.

She had never felt so helpless as she had back there beside the lake, when Jed had poured out his soul with just one heartbreaking look into his eyes.

The man was eaten up inside, and she had no idea what to do.

Maybe that was why she got along so well with babies.

When they cried, all it took to fix them was the basics.

They wanted to be cleaned.

Fed.

Held.

Men, on the other hand, were a total mystery. Sure, she and Jed had shared a few wonderful kisses, but that moment down by the lake, that had been much more intimate.

For just an instant, when he’d turned to her, reached out to her and only her for comfort, he’d been emotionally naked. She’d wanted to help him so badly, but how? Where did she begin to—

“That’s the last of it,” Jed said, clomping onto the porch, carrying their overnight bags.

“Looks like the cab light’s still on. Want me to check it?”

He glanced over his shoulder toward the van. “Nah, I think it’s just the angle of the sun.”

Are you feeling better? she wanted to ask, but didn’t have the nerve.

“What’s for dinner?” Jed asked.

She blinked back hot tears.

So that was how it was going to be. He’d pretend what’d happened earlier hadn’t happened at all, but because she couldn’t bear to see him in that much pain again so soon, she’d let him go on pretending.

For now.

But not forever.

As

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.