Read Online For Your Love by Beverly Jenkins - Free Book Online

froze. He looked at his girl and then at the priest. “Really?”
    Kiki nodded. “I know it’s not something we’ve talked about, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
    â€œOkay.” He knew he sounded doubtful, but couldn’t help it. This was news to him.
    â€œI only stopped by to introduce myself and to welcome you,” Reverend Paula said, “so let me get going. I hope to see you at the town meeting this evening. Bobby, again, pleasure meeting you.”
    â€œSame here.”
    The reverend slipped on her parka and departed.
    â€œDid she put you up to this?”
    â€œNo,” Kelly replied with an attitude. “I do have a mind of my own, you know.”
    â€œThen why this talk of baptizing all of a sudden?”
    â€œIt’s not all of a sudden. I grew up Catholic. I’ve missed being in church.”
    â€œSince when?”
    â€œSince my mama said sinners like me and you shouldn’t be in church.”
    He studied the hurt and anger on her face. “She said that to you?”
    She nodded tightly.
    He walked over and gently pulled her in against him and held her close. He kissed the top of her head. “You never told me that before.”
    She shrugged. “That’s because I believed her. But when I talked to Reverend Paula, she basically said if I wanted to come, I’d be welcomed.”
    Bobby felt like his world was on a roller coaster, and it was all he could do to hang on. He was in a new state, wearing a new coat, driving a new car, and had the business card of the county sheriff in his pocket. Now his girl wanted to attend church. What other changes would this new life bring? “If you want to go to church, you should go.”
    â€œYou mean that?” Kiki asked, looking up at him.
    â€œWhat am I going to say, no?”
    She smiled and snuggled back into his chest. Tiara began pulling herself up on his leg. She was getting good at it, but her brother seemed content to simply watch for now. Bobby reached down and picked her up. “Do you want to go to church with your mama, Ti? Daddy’s not going, but you and your brother can. That okay with you?”
    She clapped happily, as she did for everything these days, and he grinned. “I think that’s a yes.”
    â€œNew coat,” Kiki said, assessing him.
    â€œYes, and one for you in the bag.”
    Her eyes widened. He looked on, pleased, as she tried it on. “It fits.”
    â€œOf course it does. You think I don’t know what size you wear?”
    Bobby told her about the conversation he and Trent had about the coats, adding. “I have to admit, the one I have on now is way warmer than the leather.”
    â€œSo how’d the rest of the morning go?” Kiki asked, still admiring her new coat.
    â€œKind of crazy, but I got the car.”
    â€œOooh. I want to see!” She ran to the window. “God, it looks new.”
    â€œThree years old, the dealer said. And unlike that piece-­of-­shit van we had in Dallas, it has heat and a working radio—­not that’s there any music here, but folks won’t hear us coming a mile away because this one has a muffler that works.”
    â€œCan we go for a ride?” Kiki asked excitedly.
    â€œSure. Roads are cleared, so we won’t have to worry about sliding into somebody’s fence. We’re going to have to learn to drive in the snow, but not today.”
    â€œLet me grab their snowsuits.”
    She returned and tossed him one. While they got the babies bundled up, Bobby said, “I went to a meeting with Trent. This little place has a lot of drama going on.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œYeah, there’s this lady mayor in the next town over everybody calls Seabiscuit . . .”
    Tommy Stewart wondered how long Mayor Wiggins was going to keep him locked up. The night after he put the cockroaches in the Henry Adams grocery store,