Read Online Noble Pursuits by Chautona Havig - Free Book Online Page A

a Buscher, family is a sacred trust and Craig was feeling a new weight of responsibility in that trust.
    ~*~*~*~
    Warm cookies cooled on a rack next to the oven as Cade and Amber burst into the house that afternoon. Grace welcomed the children, listened to their tales of their days, and sighed as they competed for her attention. In her no-nonsense manner, she settled several squabbles almost before they began. Once full of cookies, the two children worked on their homework, and Grace prepared supper for herself and Amber.
    “Oh, Amber…they named the baby today. Cade, would you like to see a picture of her?”
    Cade looked at the baby’s red, wrinkled face and laughed. “She looks like a chicken with no feathers.”
    “She does not !” Amber was indignant.
    “Enough you two. You are both being deliberately unpleasant, and I’ve had enough already. When you’re ready to behave, I’ll tell you the baby’s name.”
    Grace continued her food preparations and told the children to finish their homework. Several minutes later Cade came over and apologized. “I’m sorry. She just bugs me, and I let her. I should be better ‘cause I’m older.”
    “You owe her an apology too. You’ve been picking on her since you walked in the door, and I imagine all the way here.” Grace gave him a pointed look.
    Cade obviously hadn’t counted on women’s intuition to get him into trouble. He turned to Amber and hesitated a moment before squaring his shoulders and offering his apology. “I am sorry. I’ll be nicer.”
    Amber’s little chin shot up as if to reject his apology, but a glance at Grace stopped her short. “Me too. I tried to bug you. That was rude.”
    After Cade went home with his mother, Grace and Amber ate dinner, cleaned up, and then began packing Amber’s things in readiness for her mother’s arrival. “Amber? Why do you and Cade have such a hard time with each other?”
    “I don’t know. I try to be nice to him… I do! But…”
    Grace looked concerned. “What is it, Amber? I need to know.”
    Amber shrugged. “He’s just a boy and boys are mean to girls. I don’t like it, so I pick back. I’m sorry”
    Grace knew that there was more to the problem than Amber shared, but her little friend seemed bothered by the conversation. As Grace watched her carefully fill her little suitcase, Amber pretended to be very busy with her task and avoided looking into Grace’s eyes. Her silence was extremely surprising to Grace. Amber was known for being exuberantly talkative.
    ~*~*~*~
    Grace answered her phone cheerfully. “Good Evening!”
    “Feel up to a game of checkers?”
    “Sure! Your porch or mine? We have to enjoy it while we can. The weather is going to send us inside soon.” Grace began searching for her cardigan and knit cap.
    “Oh, let’s give Mr. Wirth a show. He has a better view from your porch. I’ll bring some nuts and a thermos of hot chocolate. Mom’s recipe.” Nolan grabbed his snacks as he hung up the phone and started across the street.
    Grace had warm blankets, gloves, and two cups arranged on the porch when Nolan arrived. While Nolan set up the playing board, Grace settled into one of two beanbag chairs that she dragged out onto the steps for a more comfortable game. When everything was arranged, Nolan took one black and one red checker and shuffled them in his hands. Holding out his fists, Grace chose.
    “Red. You go first.” Grace turned the board so that the red checkers were on her side and began to plan her strategy.
    For the next twenty minutes, they carefully plotted and executed moves. Grace made strategic moves to indicate that she ‘missed’ a good opportunity and tried to set up a surprise attack. Nolan countered and stopped her cold. Eventually, after whittling each other down to one king, the match was tied. To win, one or the other would have to deliberately put themselves in harm’s way, and neither would concede.
    “Good game. What do you think? One more, or is