Read Online Buried in Bargains (Good Buy Girls) by Josie Belle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Josie Belle
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the band playing, the entire room went silent. As if sensing something was happening, Sandy looked up from Josh. She stumbled to a halt and pressed her right hand over her mouth.
Josh looked up at his mother and then spun around. His blue eyes went wide, and he yelled, “Daddy!”
Then he started to run as fast as his chubby little legs could carry him. Jake knelt down and scooped up his son, clutching him close.
“Daddy! You’re here!” Josh cried as he patted his father’s cheeks as if to make sure he was real, while Jake planted kisses all over his son’s face.
Jake shifted him onto his hip and strode out onto the dance floor. Sandy stood transfixed, staring at her two men. The tears were coursing down her cheeks and sobs rocked her shoulders.
Jake opened up his other arm and swept her into a family hug. The bandleader’s voice faded out, and the band played a hushed version of the song while Jake hugged Sandy close and kissed her lips and hair. When she pulled back she was still crying, and Josh reached forward and cupped her face, and said, “It’s okay, Mommy. Daddy’s home.”
Sandy kissed her son and her husband, and the three of them continued their dance. Maggie wasn’t sure who started it, but someone began to applaud and soon the whole room was clapping and cheering and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“Oh my god, look at me,” Ginger said. “I’m a mess.”
Maggie sniffed and nodded. “I’ll go fetch us some tissue.”
She turned to leave and found Sam and Roger standing behind them. Sam handed her a handkerchief, and Roger did the same for Ginger.
“Thank you,” Maggie said as she blotted the skin beneath her eyes and the tip of her nose.
Maggie had never been a pretty crier. Her nose and eyes turned bright red and her skin got all blotchy. She lowered her face and let her hair hang in front of her in an attempt to cover the damage.
Sam leaned close, and asked, “Are you all right?”
“Just emotional,” she said. The knot in her throat was still tight and her voice came out gruff.
Sam smiled at her, and Maggie suddenly remembered that he had been loitering by the door and in the hall.
“Did you know Jake was coming back tonight?” she asked.
Sam pursed his lips and whistled while studying the garland above their heads.
“You did, didn’t you?” she asked.
“His dad might have called the station to see if I could pick him up at the airport with a squad car to get him here in time,” Sam said.
“Aw.” Maggie felt her eyes well up again. “That was so nice of you.”
“Jake’s dad was the QB of our high school team when I was a freshman,” he said. “He’s a good man.”
“Is he here?” she asked, scanning the crowd.
“He and his wife are driving up from Florida as we speak,” he said. “They’re excited to see their boy, but they knew Jake wanted to surprise Laura and Josh.”
“Well, it was an amazing surprise,” Maggie said. She put her hand on his arm, and said, “Thank you.”
Sam looked like he was about to say something, but just then the song ended and Laura popped out of the crowd. She grabbed Maggie’s hand and dragged her out onto the dance floor to go give Jake a welcome-home hug.
Maggie cupped Jake’s face and kissed both of his cheeks. He grinned at her in just the same way Josh did when he was really happy, and Maggie felt her heart lift.
“Welcome home, Jake,” she said.
“Thanks, Aunt Maggie.” He grinned, and Maggie let Laura have her turn.
Turning away from the group, Maggie dreaded to think of what she must look like. She decided to scoot to the bathroom and attempt some damage control. Plus, that would give her a few minutes to get it together. She was still feeling watery and was afraid she’d start bawling again at the sight of the reunited family.
Maggie slipped out of the ballroom and into the hallway. The bathroom that she was familiar with was locked. She decided to try farther down the hall. In a
Josh looked up at his mother and then spun around. His blue eyes went wide, and he yelled, “Daddy!”
Then he started to run as fast as his chubby little legs could carry him. Jake knelt down and scooped up his son, clutching him close.
“Daddy! You’re here!” Josh cried as he patted his father’s cheeks as if to make sure he was real, while Jake planted kisses all over his son’s face.
Jake shifted him onto his hip and strode out onto the dance floor. Sandy stood transfixed, staring at her two men. The tears were coursing down her cheeks and sobs rocked her shoulders.
Jake opened up his other arm and swept her into a family hug. The bandleader’s voice faded out, and the band played a hushed version of the song while Jake hugged Sandy close and kissed her lips and hair. When she pulled back she was still crying, and Josh reached forward and cupped her face, and said, “It’s okay, Mommy. Daddy’s home.”
Sandy kissed her son and her husband, and the three of them continued their dance. Maggie wasn’t sure who started it, but someone began to applaud and soon the whole room was clapping and cheering and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“Oh my god, look at me,” Ginger said. “I’m a mess.”
Maggie sniffed and nodded. “I’ll go fetch us some tissue.”
She turned to leave and found Sam and Roger standing behind them. Sam handed her a handkerchief, and Roger did the same for Ginger.
“Thank you,” Maggie said as she blotted the skin beneath her eyes and the tip of her nose.
Maggie had never been a pretty crier. Her nose and eyes turned bright red and her skin got all blotchy. She lowered her face and let her hair hang in front of her in an attempt to cover the damage.
Sam leaned close, and asked, “Are you all right?”
“Just emotional,” she said. The knot in her throat was still tight and her voice came out gruff.
Sam smiled at her, and Maggie suddenly remembered that he had been loitering by the door and in the hall.
“Did you know Jake was coming back tonight?” she asked.
Sam pursed his lips and whistled while studying the garland above their heads.
“You did, didn’t you?” she asked.
“His dad might have called the station to see if I could pick him up at the airport with a squad car to get him here in time,” Sam said.
“Aw.” Maggie felt her eyes well up again. “That was so nice of you.”
“Jake’s dad was the QB of our high school team when I was a freshman,” he said. “He’s a good man.”
“Is he here?” she asked, scanning the crowd.
“He and his wife are driving up from Florida as we speak,” he said. “They’re excited to see their boy, but they knew Jake wanted to surprise Laura and Josh.”
“Well, it was an amazing surprise,” Maggie said. She put her hand on his arm, and said, “Thank you.”
Sam looked like he was about to say something, but just then the song ended and Laura popped out of the crowd. She grabbed Maggie’s hand and dragged her out onto the dance floor to go give Jake a welcome-home hug.
Maggie cupped Jake’s face and kissed both of his cheeks. He grinned at her in just the same way Josh did when he was really happy, and Maggie felt her heart lift.
“Welcome home, Jake,” she said.
“Thanks, Aunt Maggie.” He grinned, and Maggie let Laura have her turn.
Turning away from the group, Maggie dreaded to think of what she must look like. She decided to scoot to the bathroom and attempt some damage control. Plus, that would give her a few minutes to get it together. She was still feeling watery and was afraid she’d start bawling again at the sight of the reunited family.
Maggie slipped out of the ballroom and into the hallway. The bathroom that she was familiar with was locked. She decided to try farther down the hall. In a
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