Read Online The Hand-Me-Down Family by Winnie Griggs - Free Book Online Page A

one little girl be?
    The crux of the matter kept coming down to the fact that he and the kids were blood kin. Even a woman as stubborn as Lanny’s widow was proving herself to be couldn’t deny that they belonged together.
    Yes, that was the best way to go.
    And hang it all, he still believed someone like her just didn’t fit in here in Sweetgum, especially not all on her own. She’d be as out of place as a canary in a hen house.
    Not that the woman lacked spirit. It had taken a lot of gumption for her to make it this far. And she certainly didn’t let the thought of what others might think of that birthmark stand in her way. Yes, all in all, quite a spirited woman.
    Too bad she was so all-fired muleheaded.
    Jack pushed away from the porch rail and jammed his hands in his pockets.
    He’d never met a woman like her. True, it had been a while since he’d spent much time in what his mother used to call “polite company,” but he figured things hadn’t changed all that much. Callie was…well…hang it all, he hadn’t quite figured out what she was, besides being a thorn in his side. And just plain wrong about her rights in regard to Annabeth.
    On the other hand, could he really say the kids would be better off with him than with her?
    Rather than pursue that thought, he decided to turn in for the night.
    Â 
    Callie gently eased her armload of dirty breakfast dishes down on the counter next to the sink. She started rolling up her sleeves, then paused at the sound of a knock on the back door.
    Mrs. Mayweather, who’d just placed a large kettle on the stove, glanced over her shoulder. “Callista, would you see who that is, please?”
    Callie had a pretty good idea who was on the other side ofthe door, and she was certain Mrs. Mayweather did as well, but she dutifully wiped her hands on her borrowed apron. “Of course.”
    As expected, she opened the door to find Jack standing there. He had a pail in one hand and a basket in the other.
    â€œAh, Jackson, there you are.” Mrs. Mayweather waved him in from behind Callie. “We saved you a bit of breakfast.”
    â€œThanks. It sure does smell good.” He lifted his offerings. “I brought some eggs and fresh milk for your larder.”
    Studying his easy smile and friendly manner, Callie decided the man could be something of a charmer when he set his mind to it.
    Mrs. Mayweather obviously agreed. She beamed approvingly as she held out her hands. “Wonderful. I’ll take those and put them away. You go on to the sink and wash up.”
    She nodded to Callie as she passed. “Would you hand him a plate, please?”
    Callie nodded and stepped past Jack, reaching into the cupboard. “Mrs. Mayweather brewed a pot of coffee. Would you like a cup?”
    â€œYes, thank you.”
    There was a formality about their interactions today, a sort of stiff truce. But at least it was a truce.
    She watched him heap a pile of eggs and two biscuits onto his plate, then he took a seat at the long kitchen table. Simon was still picking at his own breakfast but the girls had finished theirs.
    Annabeth immediately moved to Jack’s side. “Did you see Cinnamon and Taffy and Pepper last night?” she asked before he’d even settled in.
    â€œCinnamon, Taffy and Pepper.” Jack drawled the words as he smeared jam on his biscuit. “Some of my favorite flavors. But I’m afraid I didn’t look in the pantry.”
    Annabeth giggled. “They don’t live in the pantry, silly.”
    â€œThey don’t?”
    Callie smiled at the teasing tone in Jack’s voice. Perhaps she’d been wrong about his ability to relate to the children. Maybe she should just step back and let him—
    The memory of his declaration that he wasn’t “the praying kind” interrupted her move toward retreat and stiffened her resolve. It just plain didn’t matter how charming