Read Online Finding North by Claudia Hall Christian - Free Book Online Page B

“Joey?”
    She came right back. John
stood to greet her, and she hugged him. He took his son from
her.
    “ Thanks,” Samantha said.
“You’re the only one who’s made any sense.”
    “ I’ve had to live with
it,” John said. “It’s one downside to a pretty amazing deal. Before
you ask, it’s been well worth it. Even before Raz saved her life,
it has always been well worth it.”
    Samantha
nodded.
    “ Go on, then,” John
said.
    Samantha smiled and left.
John’s words ran through her mind as she walked down the garden
path to the carriage house. She said a silent prayer for courage
and knocked on the door. It took a moment, but Raz opened the door.
He was wearing a white apron, and his hands were wet.
    “ Samantha!” Raz smiled. He
took a step out of the carriage house and partially closed the
door.
    “ I wanted to talk,”
Samantha said. “Before you go.”
    “ I’m sorry,” Raz said. “I
wish I’d known that. I would have . . .”
    “ Wait a minute,” Samantha
scowled. “You’re dressed for a date. And an apron.
And . . .”
    Indignant, Samantha’s
mouth dropped open.
    “ You have a woman here?
Tonight?” Samantha’s voice rose with anger. “After you said you
wanted to work on us, you’re romancing someone else?”
    “ Sami,
I . . .”
    “ Who is it?” Samantha
said.
    Completely out of
character, Samantha reached behind him and opened the door. Like
Alex, Max, and Colin, she’d trained in martial arts since she was a
child. She slipped around him with ease. Moving into his home, she
saw Alex and John’s daughter Máire, tied into a wooden highchair on
the edge of his kitchen area. The baby flapped her arms in greeting
to Samantha.
    “ We were making
mini-cupcakes,” Raz said. He gave her a wry smile and went to the
oven. “I was just about to take them out of the oven.”
    Samantha gawked at
him.
    “ If you grab an apron, you
can help frost them,” Raz said.
    “ This is your night with
Máire,” Samantha said.
    The twins had so many
parents who wanted to spend time with them, that Alex, with the
help of her assistant Sergeant Dusty, had created a schedule. The
twins spent time alone with each of their parents at least once a
week. Alex wanted to make sure they had a chance to soak up every
bit of love. Of course, it only worked because the twins didn’t
mind spending some time apart.
    “ Actually, it’s Wyatt’s
night,” Raz said. “We traded so that I could spend time with Máire
before I go.”
    “ I don’t want to intrude
on your time,” Samantha said.
    “ You’re welcome to
intrude,” Raz said. “We were going to eat a cupcake and head home.
Her mama wants her to sleep at home tonight. Plus, as you can see,
Máire is tuckered out from a big day with her
grandmother.”
    As if she understood what
Raz had said, Máire squealed and laughed. Samantha spotted the
frosting on the stove.
    “ Chocolate ganache?”
Samantha asked.
    “ Grab an apron,” Raz
pointed to the closet. He turned to Máire and asked, “Are we ready
for cupcakes?”
    He smacked his lips, and
Máire imitated him. He smiled.
    “ I’ll take that as a
‘yes,’” Raz said. He put on his oven mitts and went to the oven.
“There’s wine . . .”
    He looked up to see
Samantha getting a bottle of wine from his cabinet. Their eyes
caught for a moment, and she smiled.
    “ I’m glad you’re here,” he
said.
    “ It’s been a long road,”
Samantha said. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”
    He winked and bent down to
take the cupcakes out of the oven. Appreciating the view, she
smiled.
    FFFFFF
    Sunday evening
    May 15 — 11:11 p.m.
MDT
     
    Alex shifted from under
John’s arm, and he opened his eyes.
    “ What is it?” he
asked.
    “ I can’t sleep,” she said.
“I’m just awake.”
    His long fingers stroked
the side of her face. He kissed her cheek.
    “ What is it?” he asked
again.
    “ Everything,” she said.
“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”
    He chuckled.
    “ What’s