Freedom Fight: Beginnings Series Book 9 by Jacqueline Druga Read Free Book Online Page A

another bath. Seems Alex now has a hair infatuation and like someone else I know, she put a hell of a lot of Hair Hold on that kid’s hair while he slept.”
    “He has bad hair, Joe.”
    “He has your hair, Henry,” Joe scolded.
    “Joe, please.” Henry ran his hand through his hair. “I work hard.”
    “You wouldn’t have to if you’d cut the shit out.” Joe switched his views to the steps when he heard Andrea singing and coming down. “Here he is. You can hand him over, Andrea.”
    “He’s such a good boy.” Andrea held him up to her eye level speaking that high pitch tone to Nick. “Aren’t you? Are you a good boy? Yes you are. You gonna go home now. Oh you sweet thing.” Andrea kissed Nick several times. “Grandmommy loves you.” She brushed her nose against Nick’s nose. “Yes, she does. She loves you. Yes she . . .”
    “Andrea!” Joe snapped. “Give him his kid.”
    Delivering a sequence of kisses to Nick, Andrea handed him to Henry. Immediately Nick started to cry. “Oh my.” Andrea reached, saw the glare from Joe, and then held her hand up. “I’ll just make my nightly cup of tea. Night Henry.”
    Nervously Henry bounced Nick. “Well, I’d better be going. Thanks Joe.”
    “Hold it.”
    Henry stopped in his escape to the door. He cringed before turning around. “Joe, he’s really fussy, I should go.”
    “I want to talk to you.” Joe walked to him. “But first . . . give me the goddamn kid.” Joe took Nick. Nick stopped crying. “Sit down, Henry.”
    “No, I think I . . .”
    “Sit!”
    Henry rushed to the couch and sat down.
    Holding Nick, Joe walked before him. “Now you know I’ve known you a lot of years and I like to think of you as my oddball son.”
    “Thanks Joe.”
    “Glad to hear you appreciate that. Anyhow right now, I’m going to talk to you as if you were my own flesh and blood. Ready?”
    “Yes.” Henry swallowed.
    “What in God’s name were you thinking about!” Joe yelled. “Thirteen hours! Thirteen hours! You didn’t know you lost your baby for thirteen hours?”
    “But Joe . . .”
    “Shut up, Henry! We all thought one hour. Two was pushing it, but when the end of the workday came and went, you pushed abandonment. Now listen to me and listen to me closely.” Joe neared him. “I know Frank looks at this kid as his own. I know he plans on raising this kid. But keep in mind one thing, your wiry ass sperm created this kid and you will learn to be a part of his life. You will learn to take care of him. You will not! Not! Push the responsibility on anyone else when you are in the position to care for him. You hear me!”
    “But Joe, he doesn’t like me.”
    “Make him like you, Henry.”
    “I don’t know how.”
    Joe handed him Nick. “Learn. Now is the perfect opportunity since Frank is away. Learn.”
    Henry whined when Nick started to cry, “See.”
    “No, what I see is you taking my grandson home and being a father to him.” Joe walked to the door and opened it. “Go.”
    “But Joe . . .”
    “Go.”
    Henry slowly walked to the door. “Bye.”
    Joe stopped him, kissed Nick, then let the two of them leave. He shut the door with the loudest of exhales.
    Andrea came from the kitchen. She handed Joe a cup. “For you.”
    “I hate tea.”
    “Drink this. You’ll like this. It’s perfect for how you feel.”
    Joe took a sip and gasped loudly.
    “Too much whiskey?”
    Joe looked back to the door and sipped again. “Perfect.”
    ^^^^
Ft. Peck Lake
    Frank laughed a silent laugh so not to wake Ellen. He spoke in a whisper while on the phone to Robbie, “What was Henry’s reaction?”
    “Shocked,” Robbie answered.
    “Who won the poll?”
    “Danny Hoi. He bet three work hours that Henry wouldn’t remember for nine hours. He was the closest.”
    “Oh shit, you know what this reminds me of, don’t you?”
    “No. What?” Robbie asked.
    “When Jimmy got married. Remember the day before he got married?” Frank heard Robbie laugh at