With a Little T.L.C. by Teresa Southwick Read Free Book Online Page A

took the marriage plunge. And Nick found Abby right under his nose. They would be married now if she wasn’t so set on a June wedding. In a few weeks Abby will be Mrs. Nick Marchetti.” She sighed. “I can’t wait for the wedding. Do you have a date yet?”
    She was like a bloodhound, focused on the scent of her prey. He shook his head. “Ma, don’t you ever get tired of meddling?”
    Flo sighed as she shook her head. “You don’t have a date. I hate to be the one to tell you this, Joey. But you can’t wait much longer. You’ll be too old to, you know—do the wild thing.”
    There was that “you know” again. He preferred that euphemism to his mother’s. If that’s what this was all about, it would be easy. Liz was right about women throwing themselves at him. But he was looking for—what? The perfect woman? He knew she didn’t exist. A perfect relationship? Ditto.
    â€œMa, it’s just not as easy now as it was when you and Dad got hitched.”
    â€œYou think it was easy then?” she asked. There was that unfamiliar sharpness in her tone again.
    â€œFor you and Dad? Yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Almost everyone I know from high school has been married and divorced at least once. Some more than that. I see single mothers every day, struggling to keep it together. Not to mention the dads paying child support and seeing their kids every other weekend.” He shook his head. “Not me. I’ve decided to stay unattached rather than wind up a statistic of failure.”
    â€œOne thing never changes. If you want something to be successful, you work at it. You don’t give up.”
    â€œOr don’t try at all.”
    She pointed her trowel at him again. “I didn’t raise cowards, Joseph Paul Marchetti.”
    Uh oh. When she used all three of his names, it was time to change the subject.
    â€œSo when did the guys decide to go golfing?”
    â€œThis morning. That reminds me. Where were you so early?”
    For some reason, he didn’t want her or anyone to know about the cuddling program. She would start matchmaking—jumping to wrong conclusions. Not unlike a certain cute nurse he was trying to get out of his mind. And if his brothers found out, there would be no peace. It was best to keep this to himself.
    â€œI guess I just didn’t hear the phone,” he said vaguely.
    â€œHaven’t you heard? There’s this handy little invention called an answering machine.”
    He grinned. “I’ve heard of it, Ma.”
    â€œI should hope so.” She snapped her fingers. “That reminds me of something else. Your niece’s first birthday party is going to be here at the house in a few weeks. You will show up?”
    He decided not to ask why a phone machine would make his mother think of Stephanie’s birthday. One short year ago she’d come into this world and brightened their lives. Steve was a lucky man. A family man. Remembering that day brought him an image of Liz Anderson.
    After his anger from their encounter had subsided, he’d realized that in all probability she hadn’t been born cynical. Something had happened to make her that way. He intended to find out what that something was.
    â€œI wouldn’t miss my niece’s birthday. You can count on me.”
    â€œWith a date?”
    â€œDon’t push it, Ma.”
    Â 
    At 4:32 a.m. Liz wheeled the isolette down the hall to the nursery. She was tired after a long night. Her mind flashed onto the conversation she’d had a few days before with Joe Marchetti. About employees not showing up for work. It had happened tonight. It was her job to plug up the holes in the schedule. Hence her being there when sane people were sleeping.
    Sane adults, she amended. There were an awful lot of births in the wee hours of the morning. Like this sweet little girl, she thought smiling. A textbook