Read Online My One and Only (Ardent Springs Book 3) by Terri Osburn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Terri Osburn
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exhausted.” The newcomer cupped Jessi’s cheek. “No need to worry now. I’m here.”
Brown eyes caught Haleigh’s over a puff of gray curls. “You are?”
Haleigh mouthed the words Go with it then said, “I’m sure Jessi doesn’t want to put you out, Mrs. Ridgeway.”
“Don’t be silly,” the woman said, taking the bait as Haleigh knew she would. “You need your strength to take care of a baby. Especially in the beginning. Don’t fret one minute more. I’ll take care of the little one while you crawl right back into bed. And then, when you wake up, I’ll make you something to eat.”
“Um,” Jessi hesitated. “Okay?” She passed Emma into Linda’s impatient arms, eliciting a loud belch from the baby.
“Very good, little one,” Linda said, shooing the other two women out of the room. “Go on now. I have everything under control.”
“If you’re sure,” Haleigh said, pushing Jessi out of the kitchen from behind. Linda didn’t answer but continued to hum to the bundle in her arms.
“Am I dreaming?” Jessi asked, standing outside her bedroom.
“Linda has been hoping for a grandchild for nearly a decade. Emma is in capable hands, and if you’re smart, you’ll sleep as long as she’ll let you.”
“I don’t know. It feels kind of weird to hand my baby over to a total stranger.”
“You’re living with strangers, Jessi. How much weirder could it get?” Haleigh blamed that zinger on lack of sleep. “Sorry,” she said. “I’ve known Abby and Cooper’s mom my whole life. I promise that Emma will be fine.”
Jessi tugged on the hem of her faded black T-shirt. “I am really tired.”
“You and me both,” Haleigh said, and disappeared into her own room with a casual wave. As her head hit the pillow, she sent her brain a cease and desist order on dreams about Cooper Ridgeway. Unfortunately, her brain had other ideas. All of them X-rated.
Within an hour, she gave up and faced the day.
Lunch had ended and the three men were lingering outside Mamacita’s when Cooper remembered to ask about Jessi’s father. “Spencer, do you remember anyone in town going by the initials J.T.?”
“Doesn’t sound familiar. Why?”
“That girl I found in my storage building the other night is looking for her biological father, and all she knows is that he’s supposedly from here and gave her mother the initials J.T.”
“Did her mother meet him here?” Caleb asked.
“No. Up in Bowling Green,” Cooper answered. “Her mom was eighteen at the time and recently told Jessi that the man was older and already had a family.”
“Sounds like an upstanding guy,” Spencer observed. “Why is she looking for him now? Not that I don’t get wanting to meet your father, but does she have a reason?”
Spencer grew up not knowing so much as his father’s name, and only learned the facts last year, shortly after the man had passed away.
“I’m not sure.” Cooper hadn’t thought to ask what Jessi intended to do if she found this mystery man. Was she going to hit him up for money? Break up his family? Expect to move in with him? Or did she simply want to get to know him?
“Gerald would know,” Caleb said.
“Gerald Nichols?” Spencer asked.
“Yeah. He’s lived here all his life except for a few years spent in Korea during the war. If someone named J.T. lived in Ardent Springs, he’d be the man to ask.”
“I should have thought of old Mr. Nichols,” Cooper said. “He might be the last of his generation around here. Could you ask him for me?”
Caleb grimaced. “I would, but he and his wife are over in Napa Valley for the rest of the month. The poor man thought retirement would give him a chance to sit still, but Dolly’s kept him on the road since a week after his goodbye party. Says she’s waited their entire marriage for it to be her turn and she’s taking it.”
“Can’t blame her for that, I guess.” So much for solving the mystery on the first try. Jessi’s one-
Brown eyes caught Haleigh’s over a puff of gray curls. “You are?”
Haleigh mouthed the words Go with it then said, “I’m sure Jessi doesn’t want to put you out, Mrs. Ridgeway.”
“Don’t be silly,” the woman said, taking the bait as Haleigh knew she would. “You need your strength to take care of a baby. Especially in the beginning. Don’t fret one minute more. I’ll take care of the little one while you crawl right back into bed. And then, when you wake up, I’ll make you something to eat.”
“Um,” Jessi hesitated. “Okay?” She passed Emma into Linda’s impatient arms, eliciting a loud belch from the baby.
“Very good, little one,” Linda said, shooing the other two women out of the room. “Go on now. I have everything under control.”
“If you’re sure,” Haleigh said, pushing Jessi out of the kitchen from behind. Linda didn’t answer but continued to hum to the bundle in her arms.
“Am I dreaming?” Jessi asked, standing outside her bedroom.
“Linda has been hoping for a grandchild for nearly a decade. Emma is in capable hands, and if you’re smart, you’ll sleep as long as she’ll let you.”
“I don’t know. It feels kind of weird to hand my baby over to a total stranger.”
“You’re living with strangers, Jessi. How much weirder could it get?” Haleigh blamed that zinger on lack of sleep. “Sorry,” she said. “I’ve known Abby and Cooper’s mom my whole life. I promise that Emma will be fine.”
Jessi tugged on the hem of her faded black T-shirt. “I am really tired.”
“You and me both,” Haleigh said, and disappeared into her own room with a casual wave. As her head hit the pillow, she sent her brain a cease and desist order on dreams about Cooper Ridgeway. Unfortunately, her brain had other ideas. All of them X-rated.
Within an hour, she gave up and faced the day.
Lunch had ended and the three men were lingering outside Mamacita’s when Cooper remembered to ask about Jessi’s father. “Spencer, do you remember anyone in town going by the initials J.T.?”
“Doesn’t sound familiar. Why?”
“That girl I found in my storage building the other night is looking for her biological father, and all she knows is that he’s supposedly from here and gave her mother the initials J.T.”
“Did her mother meet him here?” Caleb asked.
“No. Up in Bowling Green,” Cooper answered. “Her mom was eighteen at the time and recently told Jessi that the man was older and already had a family.”
“Sounds like an upstanding guy,” Spencer observed. “Why is she looking for him now? Not that I don’t get wanting to meet your father, but does she have a reason?”
Spencer grew up not knowing so much as his father’s name, and only learned the facts last year, shortly after the man had passed away.
“I’m not sure.” Cooper hadn’t thought to ask what Jessi intended to do if she found this mystery man. Was she going to hit him up for money? Break up his family? Expect to move in with him? Or did she simply want to get to know him?
“Gerald would know,” Caleb said.
“Gerald Nichols?” Spencer asked.
“Yeah. He’s lived here all his life except for a few years spent in Korea during the war. If someone named J.T. lived in Ardent Springs, he’d be the man to ask.”
“I should have thought of old Mr. Nichols,” Cooper said. “He might be the last of his generation around here. Could you ask him for me?”
Caleb grimaced. “I would, but he and his wife are over in Napa Valley for the rest of the month. The poor man thought retirement would give him a chance to sit still, but Dolly’s kept him on the road since a week after his goodbye party. Says she’s waited their entire marriage for it to be her turn and she’s taking it.”
“Can’t blame her for that, I guess.” So much for solving the mystery on the first try. Jessi’s one-
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