Read Online Affairs & Atonements by Clarissa Cartharn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Clarissa Cartharn
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blanket.” Ashton instructed his son.
JR looked up at him curiously, his eyebrow raised with suspicion. “You sure you know what you’re doing? I could simply ask Nan to help out, you know. She’s done this a dozen times.”
“And so have I,” he grumbled, irritated by the consistent assumption held by both mother and son that he was somehow incapable of caring for anything delicate.
“Really?” his son asked, obviously pleasantly surprised which annoyed him all the more.
“Yes. Now, are you going to get that stuff I asked for?”
JR grinned before scooting off to look for his nan. He returned fifteen minutes later with the older woman striding up to him quickly.
“I heard you found an infant squirrel,” Margaret asked concernedly as she handed over a heating pad and soft fabric.
“JR did.” He smiled. “Thanks for these.”
She smiled back. “I can see you know what you’re doing. I shouldn’t be worried then.”
“I used to help care for abandoned animals back home when I was JR’s age.”
“It seems he’s taken after you there.”
He straightened up with curiosity. “This isn’t his first time?”
She shook her head, bobbing her short, graying hair. “A few months ago, it was a cotton tail rabbit. Prior to that a kitten. He’s got a lot of love in that small heart of his, that kid.”
Ashton smiled proudly. Even though he had never been around, his son had taken after him, sealing them together more firmly than ever as father and son.
“I found it!” JR skipped in with an oral syringe, displaying it happily.
He handed it over to his father and he took it, looking at it with interest.
“I’m going to guess that you know how to make a homemade formula for the infant.” Margaret grinned.
Ashton chuckled. “Yes. It would be great if you had some Pedialyte or Gatorade though.”
Margaret laughed. “Okay, show-off. Then I should just get on with my job and leave you two experts at it.” She winked at JR. “You got yourself a winner dad.” She teased, giving him a thumbs-up. “Take care of that baby. I’ll be back to check on your handiwork. So don’t any of you dare skip steps.” She giggled as she headed towards the door.
“Yes, ma’am,” they replied, staring at each other and then burst into chuckles too.
“Wow, isn’t she such a headmistress?” Ashton teased.
“She always is with animals.”
Ashton nodded. “That’s always a good thing.” He leaned down and delicately pinched the skin of the infant rodent. It stuck out like a tent and he instantly knew it was dehydrated. “You want to help me make it some food?”
“Yes! And can I feed it?”
“Okay, but you’ve got to be real slow and gentle. You don’t want to aspirate the baby.”
“What does that mean? Aspirate?”
“You don’t want the fluid going into the lungs or it’ll get sick.”
“Right.” JR nodded.
“Do you want to give it a name though? That usually helps get them better. Some love.”
“Rusty. I love Rusty,” the boy replied as he looked eagerly upon the animal.
“Well, Rusty it is. Now, where is the salt and sugar?”
“In those cupboards.” JR pointed.
He pulled open the one above the sink and it instantly fell loose into his hand, dangling by its lower hinge.
“What the-?” He almost swore, biting back his vulgarity.
“Oh yeah, that one needs to be fixed,” JR said before returning his attention to the baby squirrel.
Ashton pulled out the jars of sugar and salt. “Why haven’t they been fixed?” he asked as he scooped out the required measurement and mixed them in a quart of warm water in a bowl.
JR shrugged. “Mom hasn’t gotten around it, I guess. It’s been like that since Pop died. Sometimes Chad comes around to help.”
He tensed. “Who’s Chad?”
CHAPTER 7
Chad Sullivan, Sheriff Deputy of Pierce County . He sneered. Why did women always fall for the poor tough guys?
“Dad…” JR hesitated, looking worriedly at the poor hinge
JR looked up at him curiously, his eyebrow raised with suspicion. “You sure you know what you’re doing? I could simply ask Nan to help out, you know. She’s done this a dozen times.”
“And so have I,” he grumbled, irritated by the consistent assumption held by both mother and son that he was somehow incapable of caring for anything delicate.
“Really?” his son asked, obviously pleasantly surprised which annoyed him all the more.
“Yes. Now, are you going to get that stuff I asked for?”
JR grinned before scooting off to look for his nan. He returned fifteen minutes later with the older woman striding up to him quickly.
“I heard you found an infant squirrel,” Margaret asked concernedly as she handed over a heating pad and soft fabric.
“JR did.” He smiled. “Thanks for these.”
She smiled back. “I can see you know what you’re doing. I shouldn’t be worried then.”
“I used to help care for abandoned animals back home when I was JR’s age.”
“It seems he’s taken after you there.”
He straightened up with curiosity. “This isn’t his first time?”
She shook her head, bobbing her short, graying hair. “A few months ago, it was a cotton tail rabbit. Prior to that a kitten. He’s got a lot of love in that small heart of his, that kid.”
Ashton smiled proudly. Even though he had never been around, his son had taken after him, sealing them together more firmly than ever as father and son.
“I found it!” JR skipped in with an oral syringe, displaying it happily.
He handed it over to his father and he took it, looking at it with interest.
“I’m going to guess that you know how to make a homemade formula for the infant.” Margaret grinned.
Ashton chuckled. “Yes. It would be great if you had some Pedialyte or Gatorade though.”
Margaret laughed. “Okay, show-off. Then I should just get on with my job and leave you two experts at it.” She winked at JR. “You got yourself a winner dad.” She teased, giving him a thumbs-up. “Take care of that baby. I’ll be back to check on your handiwork. So don’t any of you dare skip steps.” She giggled as she headed towards the door.
“Yes, ma’am,” they replied, staring at each other and then burst into chuckles too.
“Wow, isn’t she such a headmistress?” Ashton teased.
“She always is with animals.”
Ashton nodded. “That’s always a good thing.” He leaned down and delicately pinched the skin of the infant rodent. It stuck out like a tent and he instantly knew it was dehydrated. “You want to help me make it some food?”
“Yes! And can I feed it?”
“Okay, but you’ve got to be real slow and gentle. You don’t want to aspirate the baby.”
“What does that mean? Aspirate?”
“You don’t want the fluid going into the lungs or it’ll get sick.”
“Right.” JR nodded.
“Do you want to give it a name though? That usually helps get them better. Some love.”
“Rusty. I love Rusty,” the boy replied as he looked eagerly upon the animal.
“Well, Rusty it is. Now, where is the salt and sugar?”
“In those cupboards.” JR pointed.
He pulled open the one above the sink and it instantly fell loose into his hand, dangling by its lower hinge.
“What the-?” He almost swore, biting back his vulgarity.
“Oh yeah, that one needs to be fixed,” JR said before returning his attention to the baby squirrel.
Ashton pulled out the jars of sugar and salt. “Why haven’t they been fixed?” he asked as he scooped out the required measurement and mixed them in a quart of warm water in a bowl.
JR shrugged. “Mom hasn’t gotten around it, I guess. It’s been like that since Pop died. Sometimes Chad comes around to help.”
He tensed. “Who’s Chad?”
CHAPTER 7
Chad Sullivan, Sheriff Deputy of Pierce County . He sneered. Why did women always fall for the poor tough guys?
“Dad…” JR hesitated, looking worriedly at the poor hinge
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