The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight Read Free Book Online Page A

narrowed his eyes at her. “The cookie lady is a mind reader?”
    â€œPeople watcher.”
    She had distracted him, although the cookie conversation was not as powerful as the woman herself. A less careful man could get lost in all that sugary sweetness.
    He tilted his head toward the garage and the clatter of Ida June’s old truck engine chugging to a halt. Before he could say “She’s here,” his inimitable aunt sailed through the back entrance and slammed the door with enough force to make Sheba give one startled yip.
    â€œI heard what happened.” Disapproval radiating from every pore, Ida June slapped a sunflower knitting bag the size of his gym bag onto the butcher-top counter. “I’ll give Howard Prichard a piece of my mind and he’ll know the reason why. Silliest thing I ever heard of. Jerk a terrified child from a perfectly fine place and take him to live with a bunch of strangers.”
    â€œWe’re strangers, too,” Kade said mildly. Seeing her riled up cooled him down even though he appreciated her fire.
    â€œDon’t sass, nephew. What are you going to do about this?” With a harrumph, she folded her arms across the front of her overalls. Sheba, the peacemaker, nudged her knee.
    Kade imitated her crossed arms and slouched against the refrigerator. “Find his family.”
    â€œI expected as much. Good to hear it.” Ida June gave the dog an absent pat. Then as if she’d just realized someone else occupied the kitchen, she said, “Hello, Sophie. You selling cookies?”
    Sophie set her cup to one side. “It’s that time of year.”
    â€œPut me down for five dozen. Did you get this nephew of mine to buy any?”
    The pretty mouth quivered. “A dozen.”
    Kade was tempted to roll his eyes because he knew what was to come from his incorrigible aunt.
    â€œHe’ll have to do better than that. Stay after him.”
    â€œI plan to.”
    â€œI’m still in the room,” he said mildly. The refrigerator kicked on, the motor vibrating against his tense back. “The least you can do is wait until I’m gone to gang up on me.”
    Aunt Ida June gave him a mock-sour look. “Crybaby. Is Sophie staying for supper? I made that lasagna last nightand you didn’t eat enough of it to feed a gnat. I refuse to feed it to Sheba.” When the dog cocked her head, Ida June amended. “Maybe a bite. Well, is Sophie staying or not?”
    Kade arched an inquiring eyebrow in Sophie’s direction. He didn’t mind if she stayed for dinner. Might be interesting to know her better.
    He waited for her answer. An insistent, perplexing hope nudged up inside him.
    Sophie rose from the table and pushed in the chair, as polite and tidy as he would have expected. Kade liked what he saw, and not just the fact that she was pretty as sunshine and looked good in a sweater. He liked the feminine way her fingertips glided along the top of the chair rung before straightening the hem of her blouse. And the way she met Ida June’s gaze with straight-on, clear and honest eye contact.
    A student of human nature, Kade could spot pretense in a second. There was nothing false about Sophie Bartholomew.
    He hoped she’d stay for dinner.
    â€œThank you, Miss Ida June,” she said. “But I have to say no. I promised to drop by my dad’s this evening and help put up his Christmas decorations.”
    Kade’s ulcer mocked him. All right, so she had a life. Other than Davey, she had no reason to stick around here.
    â€œYou’re a good daughter,” Ida June said, smacking her lips together with satisfaction. “You’ll make a fine wife.”
    â€œI have a great dad.” If Sophie thought a thing about Ida June’s blatant “wife” remark, she didn’t let on. Apparently, the citizens of Redemption were accustomed to his aunt’s habit of saying exactly what she