Read Online Finding The One (Meadowview Heroes 1; The Meadowview Series 5) by Rochelle French - Free Book Online
Authors: Rochelle French
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Adult, series, small town, one night stand, Bachelor, sensual, Mistaken Identity, Sacrifice, Forever Love, Single Woman, Hearts Desire, conflict, Meadowview Heroes, Art Photographer, Artistic Career, Former Model, Lucrative Contract, Lost Relationship, Jeopardize
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enough of babies. All you ever wanted to play with were the dollies. Those baby dolls were the only items you’d bring with you each time we left a foster family’s house to move in with another. But now…now it’s as though you do anything to avoid being with kids. Especially mine.”
Guilt suffused her, tightening her chest. She owed Milla an explanation. Needed her sister to know why she reacted the way she did when an infant was put in her arms. “Milla, I—” She reached out but was cut off by a wave of Milla’s hand.
“You rarely come visit your nieces, and you never even offer to babysit even when you know how desperate I am to get out of the house with my husband.”
Her sister was right—she never offered to babysit. Sure, she’d watched the kids on occasion, but usually because she was already at the house and Milla needed to run an errand.
“I mean,” Milla rushed on, balancing the baby on her knee while she pulled out a diaper, wipes, and a changing pad from the diaper bag, “I understand how difficult it is to manage my brood, but I wish you wouldn’t reject us.”
“Milla—”
“It’s like you let the fact that we were orphans chase you away from forming a family of your own. Or loving the one you have.”
The pain in her chest intensified. Squeezed tight. Made her go all breathless, and not in a good way. She fought against the tension, willing herself to breathe through the pain. Milla had it all wrong, but for years she hadn’t been able to tell her sister the truth. How holding her sister’s babies and knowing she could never have one of her own ate at her soul.
Yes, she’d tell Milla, and soon. She’d finally come out of the closet and tell her sister about the endometriosis and the multiple surgeries to end the condition, none of which worked, until the only option was to remove her reproductive organs. But for now, she’d fake it. With the contract for Gregor Johansson on the line and her creditors down her throat, she didn’t think she had the emotional energy to deal with the pity she knew she’d see on her sister’s face when she confessed her infertility.
She waved her hands in front of Milla, finally catching her frustrated sister’s gaze. “Saturday.”
“What?”
“I’ll babysit Saturday night. All four of them. Wild Child Betsy included. I’ll be there at five-thirty. You and Jarrod stay out as late as you want. Go out to dinner, take in a movie, make out in the back seat of Jarrod’s El Camino—all fine by me. I’ll watch the kids.”
“Really?” Milla asked, her eyes wide but still a little soft around the edges from the tears she’d held at bay. “I mean, I hate to sound like a kid who can’t quite believe she’s been promised a double-decker ice cream cone, but really, truly ?”
Trudy smiled, nodded, and reached for the baby. She held Gabbie tight and kissed the top of the baby’s sweet smelling head. More of the tension left, and her body slipped into relaxation.
“Oh, thank God,” Milla said, blowing the words out on a heavy breath. “Last night out with you was so much fun, but the last time Jarrod and I had a real date was…” She paused, wrinkled her brow, and looked up at the ceiling. Then her cheeks turned pink.
“About seven months ago?” Trudy asked, pointing to Milla’s burgeoning belly.
“The El Camino has a big back seat. We call the car ‘The Babymaker.’”
One-handed, Trudy balled her cloth napkin and threw it at her sister. “What did I say about TMI? Ugh.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window, pensive. “Looks like you got the good-in-bed gene. Not that I’ve heard complaints before, but who knows? Maybe my former boyfriends were being polite.”
“I’m sure you’re fine in bed. Some people just don’t match up well. Or so I’ve heard. Jarrod’s the only guy I’ve ever slept with.” Milla patted her belly. “One too many times, maybe. The watermelon here is really
Guilt suffused her, tightening her chest. She owed Milla an explanation. Needed her sister to know why she reacted the way she did when an infant was put in her arms. “Milla, I—” She reached out but was cut off by a wave of Milla’s hand.
“You rarely come visit your nieces, and you never even offer to babysit even when you know how desperate I am to get out of the house with my husband.”
Her sister was right—she never offered to babysit. Sure, she’d watched the kids on occasion, but usually because she was already at the house and Milla needed to run an errand.
“I mean,” Milla rushed on, balancing the baby on her knee while she pulled out a diaper, wipes, and a changing pad from the diaper bag, “I understand how difficult it is to manage my brood, but I wish you wouldn’t reject us.”
“Milla—”
“It’s like you let the fact that we were orphans chase you away from forming a family of your own. Or loving the one you have.”
The pain in her chest intensified. Squeezed tight. Made her go all breathless, and not in a good way. She fought against the tension, willing herself to breathe through the pain. Milla had it all wrong, but for years she hadn’t been able to tell her sister the truth. How holding her sister’s babies and knowing she could never have one of her own ate at her soul.
Yes, she’d tell Milla, and soon. She’d finally come out of the closet and tell her sister about the endometriosis and the multiple surgeries to end the condition, none of which worked, until the only option was to remove her reproductive organs. But for now, she’d fake it. With the contract for Gregor Johansson on the line and her creditors down her throat, she didn’t think she had the emotional energy to deal with the pity she knew she’d see on her sister’s face when she confessed her infertility.
She waved her hands in front of Milla, finally catching her frustrated sister’s gaze. “Saturday.”
“What?”
“I’ll babysit Saturday night. All four of them. Wild Child Betsy included. I’ll be there at five-thirty. You and Jarrod stay out as late as you want. Go out to dinner, take in a movie, make out in the back seat of Jarrod’s El Camino—all fine by me. I’ll watch the kids.”
“Really?” Milla asked, her eyes wide but still a little soft around the edges from the tears she’d held at bay. “I mean, I hate to sound like a kid who can’t quite believe she’s been promised a double-decker ice cream cone, but really, truly ?”
Trudy smiled, nodded, and reached for the baby. She held Gabbie tight and kissed the top of the baby’s sweet smelling head. More of the tension left, and her body slipped into relaxation.
“Oh, thank God,” Milla said, blowing the words out on a heavy breath. “Last night out with you was so much fun, but the last time Jarrod and I had a real date was…” She paused, wrinkled her brow, and looked up at the ceiling. Then her cheeks turned pink.
“About seven months ago?” Trudy asked, pointing to Milla’s burgeoning belly.
“The El Camino has a big back seat. We call the car ‘The Babymaker.’”
One-handed, Trudy balled her cloth napkin and threw it at her sister. “What did I say about TMI? Ugh.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window, pensive. “Looks like you got the good-in-bed gene. Not that I’ve heard complaints before, but who knows? Maybe my former boyfriends were being polite.”
“I’m sure you’re fine in bed. Some people just don’t match up well. Or so I’ve heard. Jarrod’s the only guy I’ve ever slept with.” Milla patted her belly. “One too many times, maybe. The watermelon here is really
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