Read Online And Baby Makes Five by Debra Clopton - Free Book Online Page A

her? With her distaste for men in general he didn’t know what to think.
    What does it matter? It’s none of your business, he thought.
    Yeah, but Samantha was one thing he could help her with.
    Setting his cup on the counter, he reached for his jacket. “Leave her be and I’ll figure out something over on my end—that is, if you don’t go out looking for her in the middle of the night again.” He pinned hard eyes on Lilly, hoping she’d heed his warning for the sake of her baby.
    She looked almost as if she had a jaunty reply ready for him, but then surprised him with one of those smiles that socked him in the gut despite his need to dodge the blow.
    “I can do that,” she said. “I guess you need to get home?”
    “I’ve got horses to exercise and stalls to clean, and daylight’s burning,” he grunted, forcing himself not to ask for another cup of coffee. “The sun’s not going to last long, you know. That ice is going to start laying down again after lunch. You need anything?” He had to ask. His conscience would allow nothing less of him.
    She shook her head. “Nope, thanks. I’m fine.”
    Nodding, he stepped out the door. The blast of cold had him wishing for the warmth of Lilly’s kitchen, but his better sense told him to go home and stay there.
    Lilly might not think highly of men, but that didn’t keep him from wondering just why exactly that was. What could have happened to turn all the Tipps women against men?
     
    Lilly watched Cort walk carefully out to his big truck and drive away. The man was not a grinch…not exactly. She’d caught that hard look he’d given her when he’d asked if she could hold herself back from going out in the night in search of Samantha. Her first reaction had been to tell him that it wasn’t any of his business what she did, but something had passed across his tough expression, something in his eyes, in the softening of his voice—longing, regret…something. Whatever it was, it had touched Lilly. It had reached in deep and wound around a dark place in her heart that she had locked away and was determined to keep locked…and yet she’d responded to it by keeping her mouth shut.
    The grannies wouldn’t have liked it, but what was done was done. Instead she’d smiled, nodded and told him she could refrain from wandering around at night taking care of Samantha, for her baby’s sake.
    Lilly was all her baby had. Her grannies were gone. One at a time they’d passed on into eternity, leaving her alone with a bunch of heartfelt advice. And memories. So many memories. When she thought of Granny Shu-Shu and Granny Gab she pictured vinegar mixed with sugar. So much hurt and bitterness filled their lives. Both had been hurt by the men they’d loved. Their pain also ran through Lilly’s veins, put there like poison. Granny Bunches had tried to turn aside the bitterness, to show Lilly that there were other opinions in the world. But after Lilly experienced her own rejection, her heart had hardened. She was working on expelling the past, on moving forward. Some days were good. Some days weren’t.
    Cort Wells confused her. He seemed to have his own pain, or memories to fight. Maybe that was why she felt this odd connection with him.
    Lilly pushed herself out of the chair. She needed to do her chores for the day and then do some work on the catalog. There was always a fence that needed fixing. But the weather was too bad for that. Tomorrow she’d check the fence down by the creek that connected to Cort’s place. She didn’t want Tiny, her bull, getting over on his property. Cort had enough problems with Samantha trotting over there whenever she pleased. Lilly decided to catch up on her laundry first—anything to get rid of the disturbing internal need she kept feeling to see that smile return to her neighbor’s lips.

Chapter Seven
    L illy stretched. She was glad she’d decided to remain indoors. She’d plenty to do to fill up her day. Running a small cattle