Read Online Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton - Book One by Jennifer Peel - Free Book Online Page A

the ground my
mother walked on.
    We
conversed about normal things like the pastor’s sermon and the weather. Then,
out of the blue, my dad says, “You better make sure that daughter of his has
all of her shots.”
    I
coughed on the water I had just swallowed. “Dad, she’s not a puppy. What made
you say that?”
    “I
was reading an article today in The New England Journal of Medicine about how many people today are choosing not to vaccinate their children. It
can be dangerous, you know.”
    “Don’t
worry, I’m sure Blake will make sure she’s taken care of.”
    “What
does he know about taking care of a teen girl?”
    “I
don’t know, but I suppose he’ll learn.”
    “Don’t
you mean both of you?” my mother chided.
    I
nodded hesitantly.
    “I
don’t like this situation one bit,” my dad growled.
    “Join
the club, but there’s nothing we can do about it now.”
    “Well
I, for one, think it’s exciting. We get to be grandparents.” My mother beamed.
    Both
my dad and I looked at her like she was a little off.
    She
gave us such a look back that neither of us argued with her.
    “Like
it or not, Madeline is your stepdaughter, which makes me a grandma.”
    I
knew she had been dying to be called that. Once we were past the first
trimester of Carter’s pregnancy, she began calling herself The Grandmother. It
reminded me we all had loss to bear.
    I
smiled at my mother. “I suppose you’re right.”
    “Hmm
…” was all my dad could add.
    I
knew he wasn’t happy, but my mom was, so that’s all that mattered in his book.
    After
dinner my mom and I worked on my homemade s’more recipe. The texture was still
a tad off for me. I needed the cookie to be a little crisper, like an actual
graham cracker. My mom suggested adding more white sugar in place of some of
the brown sugar. She was the master, and her advice produced the perfect
cookie. I didn’t need to go to school to learn how to bake; my mother was the
best teacher around. School helped me with technique and running a business,
but my mom would always be my number one professor.
    “I
love your ideas for the new fall lineup,” my mom said proudly as we cleaned up.
    “Thanks.
That reminds me. Do you mind if I use your cheesecake recipe, but tweak it a
little bit?”
    “Tweak
away,” she said as she closed the dishwasher and pressed start.
    I
hugged her tight. “Thanks, Mom. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
    She
squeezed my cheeks. “You’re so cute.”
    I
rolled my eyes. “I’m going home now.”
    “Remember
to stay there,” she called out to me as I went looking for my dad. “Oh, and I
love you.”
    “Love
you too, Mom,” I called back.
    My
dad was in his office, studying.
    I
looked around at all of his degrees, awards, and licenses that hung on the
wall. He had been the chief of staff at Merryton General Hospital for years
before he retired. It was hard for him to give all of that up, but my mom was
ready to be done with the crazy doctor hours. There were also several family
pictures displayed, mostly from when I was growing up - pictures from proms,
graduations, and beach vacations. I looked at the girl in those photos and saw
someone who knew she could take on the world. What I wouldn’t give to feel that
way again.
    My
dad looked up from his computer and took off his glasses. “How’s my Belle
doing?”
    I
walked over to him and kissed the top of his head. “I’m doing okay. I came to
say goodbye.”
    He
pulled a nearby chair over. “Sit with me for a moment.”
    I
would never refuse him.
    My
dad had this way of looking at me that made me feel protected and loved. He
touched my cheek softly. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.
    “Ready
for what?”
    “You
realize how serious stage four is of any cancer?”
    I
nodded my head.
    “And
melanoma is a tricky beast. It is not as well-known as some of the other
cancers out there, which means treatments don’t always produce desired
results.”
    “So
… what