Once Upon a Family by Margaret Daley Read Free Book Online

relaxed back in his chair.
    Peter frowned. “And don’t forget you’re dating Nancy right now. Or is that over already?”
    “Ouch!” Noah thumped his chest. “You wound me. I know better than to date a woman with a child, let alone children. I’m not like you. I don’t want to be a father. Don’t forget I’ve seen the bad side of fatherhood.”
    Jacob nodded. “I did, too, but that won’t stop me when I meet the right woman. I want to have children. But this discussion isn’t about us. It’s about Peter and the new lady in town.”
    “We have better things to do than plan my love life.” Peter reached for a pad, needing to steer the conversation in another direction before he said something he would regret. He would love to be a father, but he couldn’t see himself marrying again. Not after Diana.
    “What love life? When Diana walked out on your marriage, she took your love life with her.”
    “That’s an interesting way to phrase what Diana did.” Anger toward his ex-wife still festered in Peter’s heart, especially when he remembered, which he made a point of not doing. So why now?
    After three years he wished he could say he was finally over Diana’s betrayal, but he wasn’t. Having another man’s child wasn’t something he could easily forget, not when he saw her from time to time with her new husband and two children. He never wanted to go down that path again, put himself in a position to be hurt like that once more.
    “It’s so much easier to date a different woman every month.” Noah picked up a pencil and began doodling on the pad.
    “I figure you’re doing the dating for both of us.” Peter infused lightness into his voice because he didn’t like the image of himself in a few years, alone, empty, but he didn’t see any other alternative. “Now let’s—”
    The doorbell ringing cut into his words. Peter made his way to the front of his house and swung the door open. Laura and three of her children stood on the porch. The twins were punching each other in the arm, and Alexa smiled from ear to ear.
    “Sorry we’re late. When I walked out of the houseto come over here, I noticed I had a flat. Sean had to change it for me.”
    Laura’s fresh, clean appearance appealed to Peter, but for some reason it also reminded him of Diana, which immediately brought up his guard. “I thought he was at school.”
    “No, he got through early.” Laura shoved her car keys into her front pocket.
    “Is he with you then?” While he pushed the screen door open, Peter peered behind the four on the porch.
    “Nope. He’d rather stay home and do nothin’,” one of the twins said as he entered the house.
    Peter mouthed the word, “Who?” to Laura because he couldn’t tell the boys apart yet.
    A grin dimpled her cheek. “Matthew, hold up. Wait for us.”
    The seven-year-old stopped in the living room entrance with Joshua trailing behind. Blue T-shirt on Matthew. White on Joshua. Got it. Peter shut the door. “Jacob and Noah are in the dining room. Why don’t you all go on back?”
    Joshua scrunched up his forehead. “Who’s Jacob and Noah?”
    “Two friends.”
    “Our age?” Hope laced Matthew’s question.
    “Sorry, my age.”
    “Oh.” Matthew’s eager expression fell.
    “But I’ve got some of the animals out back for you all to play with. They like it when I have visitors.”
    Joshua cocked his head to the side. “You don’t get to play with them?”
    Peter tousled his hair. “Not nearly as much as I would like. So will you help me out and play with them?”
    “Sure.” Matthew beamed, displaying a missing tooth.
    “Shaggy is one of my original dogs, and he looks just like the one in the movie. He needs brushing. I left the brush on the patio. He got into some bushes in the field and I think he brought half of them back to the house. Can one of you take care of him?”
    Joshua hopped from one foot to the other, his hand raised. “Me. Me.”
    Matthew punched his twin in the