Read Online Close To Home (Westen Series) by Suzanne Ferrell - Free Book Online

need to talk and I have some questions I want answered.”
    A movement from the neighbor’s lawn drew Emma’s attention. For the first time this week, Mr. Higgins decided to do yard work. Emma scanned the houses on both sides of the street. Great! All her neighbors seemed suddenly interested in pruning trees and raking leaves this afternoon.
    The heat of embarrassment mixed with anger flooded her face. Since the day she returned home to live with her parents as a single mother, she’d worked very hard to build a respectable reputation. She’d be damned if she’d have an argument with the good doctor on her front porch for all the town gossips to feed on for the next year.
    “Come inside.” She thrust the screen door open, almost hitting him in the face, then turned on her barefoot heel, marching toward her kitchen. “Whatever questions you have, I prefer not to discuss it in front of the entire population of Weston. You may be here temporarily, Doctor, but I and my family live here on a permanent basis.”
    She leaned against the countertop, arms crossed in front of her. Just because she wouldn’t feed the gossips her business for lunch didn’t mean she had to be hospitable to the man causing all her current problems. “Now, what did you want to ask me?”
    “It’s not going to work.”
    His statement startled her. “Excuse me? What isn’t going to work?”
    “Having your mother watch the boys. Today proves they’re already too much for her to handle.”
    “Today was a fluke. Mama is quite capable of watching the boys for the rest of their summer vacation.” That sounded ridiculous even to her own ears, but she wasn’t about to give in to him now. She dug her fingernails into her arms. She didn’t want to discuss this afternoon’s incident with anyone, but especially not the man threatening her family’s well-being.
    “You don’t seriously believe that.” His lips pressed into a thin line and a muscle ticked along his jaw line.
    “What do you mean? Of course I believe it.”
    “If you truly believe your mother capable of actually watching the twins, why have them spending the day with the Miller twins?"
    Emma pushed herself away from the counter. “You have it all figured out, don’t you?”
    With a smug tilt to his chin, he leaned against her kitchen table. “You bet I have. After I threatened to call Children’s Services you realized having your mother babysit the boys wouldn’t work. So you called together a few old friends and begged them to invite your mother and the boys over for the day. You figured you could placate me with your plan, and keep from paying to put your sons in proper day care.”
    “I’m cheap, as well as neglectful?” The nerve of the man!
    “If the shoe fits, lady.”
    “Well, let me set you straight on a few things, Mr. High-and-Mighty Preston.” With her hands clenched in fists, she took a step toward him. “I had a babysitter, a very good one. My father. But he died last April and Mama hasn’t been the same since. Then when school was ready to let out, I found myself facing the dilemma of paying for day care or quitting working my two jobs for the summer. But friends came to my rescue.”
    “The Millers?”
    She really hated the sardonic twist of his lips. “No. Your uncle and aunt.”
    Surprise registered on his face.
    Emma fought hard not to laugh. “That’s right, you sanctimonious jerk. Your uncle and aunt took over babysitting the boys for me. It’s why Mama and the boys feel so comfortable hanging out there. Until a week ago, they spent mornings with Doc Ray, Caroline and Harriett. When they decided to go on this tour of the world, your uncle devised this plan for people in the community he thought would be willing to watch the boys and spend time with Mama, so I could continue working.”
    Either the knowledge that she wasn’t a neglectful mother or that he wasn’t infallible shocked him so much he grabbed a chair and sat down hard. His stunned