Read Online And Baby Makes Five by Debra Clopton - Free Book Online

Normally he never added cream or sugar to his coffee. His only weakness was for taffy, but that was it on the sweet stuff. He could never say no to taffy.
    She laughed, popping her eyes open and winking at him. “My granny was full of weird little top secret things like that. She shared them with me throughout my childhood.” She rattled off a few more things about her grannies, tilting her head to the side and chuckling as she recalled them. There was a softness in her voice and a twinkle in her eye at the remembrance. Then she frowned. “Of course, not all they taught me was cute or funny. Granny Shu-Shu would be madder than a wet hen if she knew your kind was standing in her kitchen.”
    Cort took a sip of his hot coffee and tried not to choke on the steaming liquid when Lilly lifted her eyes to meet his and winked at him again. He could almost hear Granny Shu-Shu telling him he was worthless.
    “Are you okay?” she asked, shuffling over and peering up at him.
    “Fine. I’m fine.” He bit out the words while the hot liquid burned a layer out of his stomach before fizzling out.
    “Granny Gab would say take smaller sips.” She was beaming and wagging a finger at him playfully. The flicker of a frown was gone, replaced by the lighthearted girl who seemed almost determined to show him that she wasn’t hard to get along with.
    Cort scowled down at the little pixie smiling up at him. She had a way about her. “You always like this?”
    She backed away, one hand resting beneath her tummy as if supporting it. “Like what?” Picking up her cup, she ambled over and sat at the table next to the batting eyeball of Samantha. She thumped the windowpane with her fingers, making Samantha turn her damp nose and smudge the glass.
    “Perky.” The word jumped out of him. Yeah, perky, that was the word to describe Lilly Tipps. Waddling or not, the woman was perky personified.
    He watched her lift her feet one at a time and place them with a thud on the chair she’d scooted out in front of her. She had on striped socks that looked like gloves for the toes.
    “I wouldn’t call this perky. I feel like I’m gonna blow any moment now.” Sighing, she took another sip and wiggled her toes. “These legs of mine feel about as heavy as—oh, never mind. Yes, I usually have a lot of energy. But that’s enough about me. I truly am sorry for all the trouble Samantha is causing you. And about my rude behavior last night. I didn’t have everything under control. I just get excited about weird things sometimes. I am so grateful you caught Samantha before the fire reached her skin. Thank you.”
    Cort studied Lilly. “You’re welcome,” he said, noticing how she looked tired around the eyes. He couldn’t help wondering about those false labor pains she’d been having that first night in his barn. He might have come to Mule Hollow seeking solitude, but there was no way he could ignore the fact that his neighbor looked as if she needed a little bit of help.
    Even if all those grannies she was so fond of quoting had filled her mind with a bunch of hogwash about men. He also kept reminding himself that everything she did was her business. It didn’t matter if he agreed or disagreed.
    “Don’t worry about Samantha. It looks like she’s been wandering for a long time. I’ll figure something out,” he said. Being alone and pregnant, the poor woman had enough to worry about without having to fret over Samantha bothering him. “Her visiting me isn’t that big of a deal. If it weren’t for my show stock it wouldn’t matter at all.”
    “I understand completely,” she said with a sigh. “I know I could lock her in. And I should.”
    She rubbed an earring between her thumb and forefinger, worry in her eyes. Again it hit Cort that she had a lot on her plate. Where was her husband? The question had bothered him ever since she’d told him there was no Mr. Tipps. And never would be. So if there never was, then what had happened to