Read Online A Family to Come Home To (Saddle Falls) by Sharon De Vita - Free Book Online
Authors: Sharon De Vita
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shoulder to give another look at the two men, relieved to see them still deep in conversation.
“Mama, I’m bored,” Riley said. “No one’s here. And I don’t know where they went. Even Ditka and Ruth are gone,” Riley said with a frown and a barely suppressed yawn.
“Everyone should be home soon, honey.” Hannah smiled as she glanced at the kitchen clock. She had less than two hours to finish an elaborate celebratory dinner. And that didn’t include the time she needed to make her special chocolate mousse cake. It was Tommy’s favorite. “Remember the note Uncle Tommy left for us?”
“The one you read to me, Mama?”
“Yes, honey. Uncle Tommy said he thought it would be best if he and Uncle Jesse had a chance to talk privately for a while, so he sent everyone out for the day.” She pressed a hand to Riley’s cheek as her precious daughter struggled to hide another yawn. “Everyone will be home for dinner. Remember we’re having a big get-together tonight to celebrate Uncle Jesse coming home?”
“I ’member,” Riley said, rubbing her eyes with a fist. “And Ditka and Ruth can come, too?” Riley asked, since she considered the dogs as much a part of the family as everyone else.
“Absolutely,” Hannah confirmed with a smile. “But I think, sweetheart, that maybe you should take a little nap.”
“But I’m not tired,” Riley protested, moving her fist to rub her other eye.
“Oh I know, sweetheart,” Hannah said, reaching for her daughter’s hand. “I know. But if you don’t take a nap, you might fall asleep and miss the celebration. Now, you wouldn’t want that, would you?” Slowly, she began to lead her daughter out of the kitchen, toward the back of the house and the numerous guest bedrooms, bedrooms that Tommy insisted she or Riley use whenever they felt the need.
“No, I like celebrations,” Riley admitted with a grin. “Could we have cake and ice cream?”
Hannah laughed. “I’m making your and Uncle Tommy’s very favorite chocolate mousse cake right at the moment,” Hannah said, leading her daughter into one of the bedrooms, decorated in pastel colors. She bent down and untied Riley’s tennis shoes, then pulled the beautiful yellow comforter down, folding it neatly at the bottom of the bed. “And we’ll have vanilla ice cream as well.”
“Will Timmy and Terry be there, too, Mama?” Yawning, Riley climbed onto the bed, slipping quickly under the cool sheets.
“Absolutely.” Hannah bent and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “We couldn’t have a celebration without Timmy and Terry, now, could we?”
“And can Matilda come, too, Mama?” Riley snuggled deeper into the bed, her eyes drooping. “She likes chocolate mousse cake and celebrations, too, Mama.”
Hannah laughed, trying not to shudder at the mention of Matilda, Timmy and Terry’s pet tarantula. “Yes, honey. Everyone will be there.” Hannah kissed her daughter again. “You sleep now, baby, and by the time you wake up, everyone should be home.” Tiptoeing out of the room, Hannah closed the door with a smile and hurried back to the kitchen.
“Good Lord,” she muttered when she saw the splattered spots of chocolate everywhere. Grabbing a damp cloth, she quickly wiped down the counters, the walls, then got down on her hands and knees to clean up the floor.
The snap of the back door shutting had her almost groaning. The last thing she wanted to have to do today was explain why she’d splattered chocolate over the previously spotless kitchen, especially when she was so busy and had so much to do.
When she saw the toes of the large Western boots right under her nose, she did groan.
“Darlin’, what are you doing down there?” Jesse’s deep voice was filled with concern. He reached for her hand, sending a shiver of awareness and nerves coursing through Hannah. “You shouldn’t be down on your knees scrubbing floors,” he said with a frown, helping her to her feet, trying to take the rag
“Mama, I’m bored,” Riley said. “No one’s here. And I don’t know where they went. Even Ditka and Ruth are gone,” Riley said with a frown and a barely suppressed yawn.
“Everyone should be home soon, honey.” Hannah smiled as she glanced at the kitchen clock. She had less than two hours to finish an elaborate celebratory dinner. And that didn’t include the time she needed to make her special chocolate mousse cake. It was Tommy’s favorite. “Remember the note Uncle Tommy left for us?”
“The one you read to me, Mama?”
“Yes, honey. Uncle Tommy said he thought it would be best if he and Uncle Jesse had a chance to talk privately for a while, so he sent everyone out for the day.” She pressed a hand to Riley’s cheek as her precious daughter struggled to hide another yawn. “Everyone will be home for dinner. Remember we’re having a big get-together tonight to celebrate Uncle Jesse coming home?”
“I ’member,” Riley said, rubbing her eyes with a fist. “And Ditka and Ruth can come, too?” Riley asked, since she considered the dogs as much a part of the family as everyone else.
“Absolutely,” Hannah confirmed with a smile. “But I think, sweetheart, that maybe you should take a little nap.”
“But I’m not tired,” Riley protested, moving her fist to rub her other eye.
“Oh I know, sweetheart,” Hannah said, reaching for her daughter’s hand. “I know. But if you don’t take a nap, you might fall asleep and miss the celebration. Now, you wouldn’t want that, would you?” Slowly, she began to lead her daughter out of the kitchen, toward the back of the house and the numerous guest bedrooms, bedrooms that Tommy insisted she or Riley use whenever they felt the need.
“No, I like celebrations,” Riley admitted with a grin. “Could we have cake and ice cream?”
Hannah laughed. “I’m making your and Uncle Tommy’s very favorite chocolate mousse cake right at the moment,” Hannah said, leading her daughter into one of the bedrooms, decorated in pastel colors. She bent down and untied Riley’s tennis shoes, then pulled the beautiful yellow comforter down, folding it neatly at the bottom of the bed. “And we’ll have vanilla ice cream as well.”
“Will Timmy and Terry be there, too, Mama?” Yawning, Riley climbed onto the bed, slipping quickly under the cool sheets.
“Absolutely.” Hannah bent and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “We couldn’t have a celebration without Timmy and Terry, now, could we?”
“And can Matilda come, too, Mama?” Riley snuggled deeper into the bed, her eyes drooping. “She likes chocolate mousse cake and celebrations, too, Mama.”
Hannah laughed, trying not to shudder at the mention of Matilda, Timmy and Terry’s pet tarantula. “Yes, honey. Everyone will be there.” Hannah kissed her daughter again. “You sleep now, baby, and by the time you wake up, everyone should be home.” Tiptoeing out of the room, Hannah closed the door with a smile and hurried back to the kitchen.
“Good Lord,” she muttered when she saw the splattered spots of chocolate everywhere. Grabbing a damp cloth, she quickly wiped down the counters, the walls, then got down on her hands and knees to clean up the floor.
The snap of the back door shutting had her almost groaning. The last thing she wanted to have to do today was explain why she’d splattered chocolate over the previously spotless kitchen, especially when she was so busy and had so much to do.
When she saw the toes of the large Western boots right under her nose, she did groan.
“Darlin’, what are you doing down there?” Jesse’s deep voice was filled with concern. He reached for her hand, sending a shiver of awareness and nerves coursing through Hannah. “You shouldn’t be down on your knees scrubbing floors,” he said with a frown, helping her to her feet, trying to take the rag
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