A Baby for Easter by Noelle Adams Read Free Book Online Page B

and
pulled out a box of chocolate, cream-filled Easter eggs. He handed them to her,
his expression diffident.
    She stared at the candy in startled bewilderment. “These are
my favorite,” she breathed at last.
    “I know.” He paused. “I mean, I know they used to be.”
    She remembered one long conversation they’d had one evening
at summer camp, when she’d been raving over how much she loved Easter and how
these eggs were her favorite sweet in the world.
    But she couldn’t believe he’d remembered.
    She glanced up at his face and saw he looked slightly awkward.
“Thank you,” she said, having no idea what else to say.
    “It’s fine. They’re all over the place now.”
    Well, yes, that was true. The gesture hadn’t taken any extra
effort on his part. Maybe it wasn’t as big a deal as it felt. He was a
generally nice guy, and he’d probably passed by them at a quick shop and
randomly remembered she’d liked them. So he’d grabbed a box for her.
    He probably was uncomfortable that she’d made a big deal
over such a trivial thing.
    This was a good time to repeat her first rule—”Don’t assume
a man is interested in you unless he both tells you and shows you.”
    “Thanks,” she said, striving for a casual tone. “That was
nice of you. I’ll definitely enjoy them.”
    His expression changed, and she assumed he felt better that
the weird moment was over. “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
    “Sure.” She smiled at him brightly and wasn’t surprised when
he didn’t really smile back.
    She was surprised
when he reached out to pull her into a hug. “Thank you,” he murmured, his voice
slightly thick. “For all your help with Cara. I mean it. I wouldn’t have gotten
through this week without you.”
    She was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion as she hugged him
back. His arms were strong, and his body was hard, and his presence was warm
and real. He was Micah, and he felt like himself, more like himself than she
remembered since high school.
    “You’re welcome,” she mumbled into his shoulder, still
holding her box of eggs in one hand.
    When she was starting to feel too much—way too much to be
anything like safe—she pulled out of his arms and reached for the door. “I’m
happy to help,” she said, in her fake casual tone. “After all, I’m getting an
apartment out of it. Right?”
    He said something—probably just an empty goodnight—but she
barely heard it because the only thing she could process was the desperate need
to get away.
    She would do this because Cara needed her and because she
was glad to be somewhat independent again.
    But, if she wasn’t careful and didn’t always remember her
rules, the biggest thing she would get out of this arrangement was another
broken heart.

 

Four

 
    The next morning, Alice was resolved
to do better in following her rules and protecting her emotions.
    She wasn’t going to be stupid about a man again. She’d done
it twice already, and she was too old to make the same mistake again. She could
like Micah. And help him. And even be his friend, if he let her. But she wasn’t
going to fool herself about it turning into more than that, since he’d made no
moves in that direction.
    This was her. Following her rules. Finally being smart.
    So she drank her coffee and did her devotions and got in the
shower, feeling more at peace about everything.
    When she got out of the shower, she put on her robe and went
to open the window in her bathroom, since it was a warm morning and the fresh
air would feel good. Micah was working on the hedges in the yard, using his
trimmers with remarkable competence. He’d obviously not yet showered and
shaved.
    He’d brought Cara outside with him, and she was sitting in
her bouncy seat, bundled up in a little coat, although it was a warm morning.
He was talking to her. Alice could hear the murmur of his voice through her
opened window, although she couldn’t hear the exact words.
    Alice felt her peaceful,