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Authors: Debra Clopton
Tags: Romance
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moved in next door to him.
She was still surprised by him. After their first meeting sheâd never have imagined. Well, sheâd never have imagined that he was as caring as he was. She had to admit that deep down there was a niggling bit of sorrow when Gil looked up at him. Sorrow that it wasnât his daddy he was looking up at so adoringly. She told herself it was a reasonable thing for her to feel, and then set it in the corner of her heart.
She found herself wondering about Nateâs wife. What type of woman would Nate Talbert love? Of course, it was none of her business. Still, that didnât stop the idea from popping into her head. He must have loved his wife very much. She knew he missed her. It was obvious that he still had hard moments, as she did. It had eased with time, but sometimes, the familiar pain returnedâ¦and she welcomed it. It proved that Marc had meant the world to her. That heâd been here. That he wasnât forgotten.
She wondered if Nate felt that way.
She watched Gil as she talked. He missed his daddy, but seemed to be adjusting and moving forward. Like she wanted him to do. But he still hurt. It was there in his actions, in the earnest way he looked at other boys and their fathers.
Polly frowned thinking about that. This swift and total infatuation with Nate could be dangerous.
She knew she could never replace Marc in her life and she had no desire to. But Gil was a different story. It was natural for a boy to seek out someone to look up to. And of course, with Nate basically riding to their rescue at every turn, it was only natural. But⦠But what?
Her son had been hurt enough, that was what. And by the looks of it, so had Nate. So, she argued with herself, this was a positive thing. They might be good for each other.
She bit her lip and wiped her suddenly damp palm on her jeans. What if at some point Nate decided that a kid trailing around after him wasnât ideal? Or that the widow and her kid living next door to him were more of a bother than he cared to deal with?
What happened if Gil got attached and then Nate pulled back?
You canât protect Gil from everything, Polly.
Marcâs words rang in her head. She knew it was true. At least her mind knew it was true, it was her heart that needed to get the message.
Listening to Gil, she knew it was too late to pull him back from this new friendship. All she could do was pray that God would meet his needs and show her how to be both mother and father to him. And that God would continue to put people like Nate into his life who would supply things she couldnât give him. She clung to the verse, I will never leave you or forsake you. God had been good to them. It would have been better if Heâd let Gil have his father by his side all of his childhood. But that hadnât been in the greater plan.
Nate laughed at something Gil said, drawing her back from her thoughts and prayers. Looking at him now, she wondered for the first time what it would have been like to lose Marc and have nothing of him to hold on to. Gil was her life. Her reason for making the progress sheâd madeâ¦Her heart ached with just the thought of not having him to carry on a part of Marc. She thanked God every day that heâd been spared.
Her heart ached for Nate. She wondered if heâd wanted children. God had been good to her, in so many ways. But Gil. Gil was the biggest blessing of all and gave her reason to keep going.
She wondered what kept Nate going.
Chapter Seven
T hey dropped the trailer load of bawling cows off at the auction. It was after five before they headed toward the vet whoâd agreed to see Bogie after sheâd finished with her other appointments. When they finished there, they were going to swing by and pick up a baby goat.
âSo youâre sure you want a goat?â Nate asked after heâd driven the truck back out onto the road.
Polly heard the skepticism in his voice. For
She was still surprised by him. After their first meeting sheâd never have imagined. Well, sheâd never have imagined that he was as caring as he was. She had to admit that deep down there was a niggling bit of sorrow when Gil looked up at him. Sorrow that it wasnât his daddy he was looking up at so adoringly. She told herself it was a reasonable thing for her to feel, and then set it in the corner of her heart.
She found herself wondering about Nateâs wife. What type of woman would Nate Talbert love? Of course, it was none of her business. Still, that didnât stop the idea from popping into her head. He must have loved his wife very much. She knew he missed her. It was obvious that he still had hard moments, as she did. It had eased with time, but sometimes, the familiar pain returnedâ¦and she welcomed it. It proved that Marc had meant the world to her. That heâd been here. That he wasnât forgotten.
She wondered if Nate felt that way.
She watched Gil as she talked. He missed his daddy, but seemed to be adjusting and moving forward. Like she wanted him to do. But he still hurt. It was there in his actions, in the earnest way he looked at other boys and their fathers.
Polly frowned thinking about that. This swift and total infatuation with Nate could be dangerous.
She knew she could never replace Marc in her life and she had no desire to. But Gil was a different story. It was natural for a boy to seek out someone to look up to. And of course, with Nate basically riding to their rescue at every turn, it was only natural. But⦠But what?
Her son had been hurt enough, that was what. And by the looks of it, so had Nate. So, she argued with herself, this was a positive thing. They might be good for each other.
She bit her lip and wiped her suddenly damp palm on her jeans. What if at some point Nate decided that a kid trailing around after him wasnât ideal? Or that the widow and her kid living next door to him were more of a bother than he cared to deal with?
What happened if Gil got attached and then Nate pulled back?
You canât protect Gil from everything, Polly.
Marcâs words rang in her head. She knew it was true. At least her mind knew it was true, it was her heart that needed to get the message.
Listening to Gil, she knew it was too late to pull him back from this new friendship. All she could do was pray that God would meet his needs and show her how to be both mother and father to him. And that God would continue to put people like Nate into his life who would supply things she couldnât give him. She clung to the verse, I will never leave you or forsake you. God had been good to them. It would have been better if Heâd let Gil have his father by his side all of his childhood. But that hadnât been in the greater plan.
Nate laughed at something Gil said, drawing her back from her thoughts and prayers. Looking at him now, she wondered for the first time what it would have been like to lose Marc and have nothing of him to hold on to. Gil was her life. Her reason for making the progress sheâd madeâ¦Her heart ached with just the thought of not having him to carry on a part of Marc. She thanked God every day that heâd been spared.
Her heart ached for Nate. She wondered if heâd wanted children. God had been good to her, in so many ways. But Gil. Gil was the biggest blessing of all and gave her reason to keep going.
She wondered what kept Nate going.
Chapter Seven
T hey dropped the trailer load of bawling cows off at the auction. It was after five before they headed toward the vet whoâd agreed to see Bogie after sheâd finished with her other appointments. When they finished there, they were going to swing by and pick up a baby goat.
âSo youâre sure you want a goat?â Nate asked after heâd driven the truck back out onto the road.
Polly heard the skepticism in his voice. For
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