Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 143728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
“I ain’t letting a youngin’ of mine near that kook. I take the kids to the park after I give them their Sunday school lesson. I ain’t letting that kook teach my kids about the Good Book when he doesn’t practice what he preaches.”
“And you do?” Will said skeptically.
“I do a hell lot better at it than Saul Cornett does, and that’s a damn fact.”
“The park works for me,” Will agreed.
“Fine with me.”
She slowly gathered her toys, feeling her papas watching her. When she had nothing left to pick up, she hefted the bag up into her arms.
Freddy took the bag in one hand and picked her up with his other, her bottom resting on his strong arm with her legs dangling down. “Don’t look so sad. I reckon, if you get to missing the sheriff too bad before Sunday, I can bring you to town to get a quick hug.”
Evangeline gave her new papa a bright smile.
Giving her a funny face, he pretended to drop her before gathering her back up high on his arm. “You just better remember I’m your real pa, or I’ll get jealous.”
Giggling, Evangeline reached out to give Will a hug. “I love you.”
Will hugged her back. “I love you, too, little lady.”
“Got to be going. Sonia’s going to tear a stripe off my hide if I make her miss her hair appointment. See you Sunday, Will.”
Evangeline waved to Will as her new papa started to carry her through the door.
“Just a second, Freddy.”
Her smile dropped when Will put his hand out.
“Give it back, Ginny.”
“But I want it. Mine isn’t shiny like yours.”
“I ordered you a shiny one. When it comes in the mail, you can have it.”
“I’ll give yours back when you give me my new one.”
“I’ll give you a piece of candy.”
Evangeline patted the bulging pocket on her pink overall. “No.”
He stared at her bulging pocket suspiciously before he put his hand in his pocket, taking out two pieces of candy. They were both green.
“Call Sonia,” Will told her new papa. “You’re going to be late.”
“Why? That woman bitches a blue steak when I’m late.”
“I want to show Ginny where I work.”
Chapter Five
Evangeline leaned forward in the car seat as the car bounced over the rutted road that her new papa was driving over. The trees were so big that the car’s roof stopped her from seeing the top.
A sudden cry had her turning back to the infant car seat that was placed in the middle of the back seat.
“Leah, put the paci back in Ezra’s mouth.”
She watched enviously as the pretty little girl sitting in another car seat like hers expertly put the paci in the crying baby’s mouth.
“If he spits it out again, I’ll let you do it if you want to.”
Evangeline nodded, watching the baby intently, hoping he would spit it again. When he didn’t, she looked up to see the brown-haired girl staring at her curiously.
Reaching into her bib pocket, she took out a handful of candy to show her. “You want a piece?”
Leah’s eyes widened in wonder. “Your mama let you have all that candy?”
“You don’t worry about where she got that candy from,” Freddy barked out from the front seat.
Both girls jumped, startled. Evangeline nearly dropped the candy, frightened she had done something wrong.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to raise my voice. You can share the candy.”
Slowly, afraid to make her new papa angry again, Evangeline held the candy out for Leah to choose from.
“Don’t be scared. Papa likes to yell a lot. You’ll get used to it.” Taking a candy, Leah gave her a sympathetic glance.
Darting an apprehensive gaze at the front seat, she opened a piece of her candy before putting the rest back in her pocket.
“Mama doesn’t let us have candy. She says it makes me hyper and will rot my teeth out.”
“What’s hyper?” Evangeline asked curiously.
Leah shrugged. “I don’t know, but she says it does.”
“Will it make me hyper?” Opening her mouth, she showed her new sister her teeth. “Are my teeth rotted?”
“They look fine to me.” She shrugged again as she strained in the car seat to get a better look at her teeth. “If you’re worried about it, I can eat the rest of the candy for you.”
“Behave, Leah. It’s her candy. Her teeth are fine.”
They both started giggling when the car went over another rut, sending her new papa bouncing up and down. The bobbing motion must have jarred the paci out the baby’s mouth. Hesitantly, she reached out to put it back in, looking at Leah to make sure it was allowed.
At the encouraging nod, Evangeline gently slipped the paci back in Ezra’s screaming mouth. Then she smiled proudly at Leah, who smiled back.
When the car came to a stop, she tried to look over the front seat to see where they were but could only manage to see the dashboard.