Read Online 33 The Return of Bowie Bravo by Christine Rimmer - Free Book Online
Authors: Christine Rimmer
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and now.
He faced her squarely. “I’m not lying. I did a lot of things wrong, made a lot of bad choices. But I never lied to you and you know that.”
“You never lied to me? What about all those times you promised to quit drinking, to stop fighting, to get a job and keep it?”
She was right. Faintly, he heard Wily’s wry voice in his head. The truth may not set you free, son. But it’s a start.
He made himself bust to it. “Okay, you got me there. When it came to the drinking, I had no control. I lied when I was drinking—to you, to Ma, to everyone I cared about. To myself, most of all. But I’m not drinking now. And I am telling you honestly that I don’t want to take Johnny away from you. That would be wrong and I really am trying to do the right thing here. I only want to find a way to be a father to him, like I should have been all along.”
She stared up at him for a long time, cradling her baby’s head so gently against her breast. Finally, she asked in a ragged little whisper, “You mean that?”
He didn’t let his gaze waver. “I swear it, Glory.”
“Fine. Take the workshop. It’s yours.”
Chapter Five
“H e’s had a phone installed out there in Matteo’s workshop,” Glory said, leaning close across the table so only Angie would hear. “And cable, too, for his fancy computer.”
It was one week after Sera’s birth and Glory’s first time out of the house. With Sera all bundled up in the stroller, she’d walked from her house to Dixie’s Diner on Main Street and met Angie for lunch. It was cold out, but at least the winter sun was shining. What remained of the snow from the big storm the previous Monday was piled in dirty mounds along the sides of the streets.
Angie sipped her iced tea. They always had iced tea when they met at the diner for lunch, no matter what time of year it was. It was kind of a tradition with them. Angie asked, “But…it’s working out all right, isn’t it?”
Glory made a humphing sound. “He also had a lot of equipment delivered…tools and fancy saws and stuff.”
“Well, Glory, if he’s going to work, he’s going to need the tools to do it with.”
“I know that.” She sounded snappish to her own ears and made an effort to gentle her tone. “It’s just…oh, I don’t know. He’s been great, really. Fine.”
“So he hasn’t been out drinking and brawling till all hours?”
“He swore he wouldn’t. And he’s kept his word for a whole week.” She piled on the sarcasm. “I am so impressed.”
Angie kept after her. “He cooks breakfast for you and Johnny every morning, right? And he fixed that leaky faucet in the downstairs bathroom.”
Glory nodded grudgingly. “Yeah, and if there’s a problem at the store, he hustles right over there to handle it, follows my instructions to the letter. I swear I can’t leave unfolded laundry in the laundry room. When I go back to deal with it, it’s all in neat little stacks.”
Angie laughed. “It’s what I said yesterday, the last time we talked about this. He sounds like the perfect man to me.”
“Not funny,” Glory said bleakly. “Not funny at all.”
“Johnny warming up to him any yet?”
Glory shook her head. “Only speaks to him when spoken to. Avoids him if at all possible.”
“Give him time.”
“Yeah, right.” She bent over the stroller, which she’d parked at the side of the booth, and smiled at her baby, who was lying there quietly for once, waving her tiny hands and making soft cooing sounds. “What a good girl you’re being,” she said indulgently. And then she sat up straight and faced her sister again. “Johnny won’t give him the time of day. But Sera…”
“Yeah?”
“Adores him. I’m not kidding. He’s magic with her. She’s not like Johnny was. She’s colicky and fussy a lot of the time—well, you know that.” She waited for Angie’s nod of confirmation before she continued, “All he has to do is hold her in those big arms of his and
He faced her squarely. “I’m not lying. I did a lot of things wrong, made a lot of bad choices. But I never lied to you and you know that.”
“You never lied to me? What about all those times you promised to quit drinking, to stop fighting, to get a job and keep it?”
She was right. Faintly, he heard Wily’s wry voice in his head. The truth may not set you free, son. But it’s a start.
He made himself bust to it. “Okay, you got me there. When it came to the drinking, I had no control. I lied when I was drinking—to you, to Ma, to everyone I cared about. To myself, most of all. But I’m not drinking now. And I am telling you honestly that I don’t want to take Johnny away from you. That would be wrong and I really am trying to do the right thing here. I only want to find a way to be a father to him, like I should have been all along.”
She stared up at him for a long time, cradling her baby’s head so gently against her breast. Finally, she asked in a ragged little whisper, “You mean that?”
He didn’t let his gaze waver. “I swear it, Glory.”
“Fine. Take the workshop. It’s yours.”
Chapter Five
“H e’s had a phone installed out there in Matteo’s workshop,” Glory said, leaning close across the table so only Angie would hear. “And cable, too, for his fancy computer.”
It was one week after Sera’s birth and Glory’s first time out of the house. With Sera all bundled up in the stroller, she’d walked from her house to Dixie’s Diner on Main Street and met Angie for lunch. It was cold out, but at least the winter sun was shining. What remained of the snow from the big storm the previous Monday was piled in dirty mounds along the sides of the streets.
Angie sipped her iced tea. They always had iced tea when they met at the diner for lunch, no matter what time of year it was. It was kind of a tradition with them. Angie asked, “But…it’s working out all right, isn’t it?”
Glory made a humphing sound. “He also had a lot of equipment delivered…tools and fancy saws and stuff.”
“Well, Glory, if he’s going to work, he’s going to need the tools to do it with.”
“I know that.” She sounded snappish to her own ears and made an effort to gentle her tone. “It’s just…oh, I don’t know. He’s been great, really. Fine.”
“So he hasn’t been out drinking and brawling till all hours?”
“He swore he wouldn’t. And he’s kept his word for a whole week.” She piled on the sarcasm. “I am so impressed.”
Angie kept after her. “He cooks breakfast for you and Johnny every morning, right? And he fixed that leaky faucet in the downstairs bathroom.”
Glory nodded grudgingly. “Yeah, and if there’s a problem at the store, he hustles right over there to handle it, follows my instructions to the letter. I swear I can’t leave unfolded laundry in the laundry room. When I go back to deal with it, it’s all in neat little stacks.”
Angie laughed. “It’s what I said yesterday, the last time we talked about this. He sounds like the perfect man to me.”
“Not funny,” Glory said bleakly. “Not funny at all.”
“Johnny warming up to him any yet?”
Glory shook her head. “Only speaks to him when spoken to. Avoids him if at all possible.”
“Give him time.”
“Yeah, right.” She bent over the stroller, which she’d parked at the side of the booth, and smiled at her baby, who was lying there quietly for once, waving her tiny hands and making soft cooing sounds. “What a good girl you’re being,” she said indulgently. And then she sat up straight and faced her sister again. “Johnny won’t give him the time of day. But Sera…”
“Yeah?”
“Adores him. I’m not kidding. He’s magic with her. She’s not like Johnny was. She’s colicky and fussy a lot of the time—well, you know that.” She waited for Angie’s nod of confirmation before she continued, “All he has to do is hold her in those big arms of his and
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