Her Valentine Family Read Online Free Page A

adoration for his grandson, was absolutely breathtaking. And he didn’t get frustrated by Nathan’s confusion. Instead, he appeared to enjoy that Nathan wanted facts about the story. “You see, God was helping David, and that’s how the stone knocked off the giant’s head. Or rather, the stone knocked him down and then David cut off his head with a sword.”
    Nathan’s small hands instinctively moved to grasp his head.
    â€œNo one would want to hurt your head, so you have nothing to worry about,” her dad said with a low chuckle
    Nathan squinted at his granddaddy, then apparently noticed Jessica’s presence and shifted gears in the subject matter to what he knew was the most important item in her day. “Hey, Mama. Did you get it? Get that job you wanted?”
    She’d called home and told her parents about the position at the day care center right after the interview. Apparently, they hadn’t thought her little guy would be interested in her news, which proved they still had a lot to learn about their grandson. Nathan was interested in everything, and she loved that about him, just like she loved it about his Daddy.
    â€œWell, did you?” Nathan repeated.
    â€œI did,” she said, opening her arms and waiting, while he jumped off the bed and ran to give her his traditional welcome home hug. She inhaled his little boy smell—chocolate chip cookies with a hint of soap from his bath—and squeezed him tightly.
    â€œHey, I can’t breathe!”
    Laughing, she released her hold and placed him on the bed, where he crawled back to his spot beneath the covers.
    â€œSorry. I missed you,” she said.
    â€œMissed you, too,” he said, “But maybe you won’t miss me too much while I’m at big school if you have all those little kids to take care of,” he said, happily putting himself in the “big kid” category.
    â€œYeah, those little ones need someone to take care of them, for sure,” she agreed, enjoying the way his eyes beamed at her, and the way the gold flecks sparkled within the deep sea of green. She’d never gotten tired of those eyes six years ago, when she’d fallen in lovewith Chad Martin. And she sure didn’t get tired of them now.
    â€œNow that you’re going to work, Granddaddy says I can take the bus and it will pick me up right outside, by the mailbox.” Nathan pointed out the window toward the end of the driveway, where that big gold bus always picked up Jessica when she was his age. “And he said he’ll wait with me in the morning and that MeMaw will help me pack my new Superman lunch box for school.” Exactly what they’d done with Jessica, except her lunch box had had Malibu Barbie on the front.
    â€œWhat new Superman lunch box?”
    â€œThe one MeMaw bought him at Walmart today, I suppose,” her father said, grinning.
    â€œI got new Superman shoes, too,” Nathan announced. “For school.”
    â€œSounds like MeMaw is spoiling you rotten.” Jessica cocked her head at her dad.
    â€œDon’t look at me,” he said. “You know I’d have said no.”
    â€œSure you would’ve,” Jess said, spying an empty glass with a hint of milk at the bottom and a crumb-covered plate on the nightstand, which explained why Nathan had smelled like chocolate chip cookies.
    â€œYou’re getting me the backpack, Granddaddy,” Nathan said. “Remember?”
    Her father shrugged. “Okay, guilty.”
    â€œLet’s stop the madness at the backpack,” Jessica said, pressing a finger against Nathan’s nose.
    â€œThey’ve got Superman notebooks, too,” Nathan mumbled. Then he looked at his granddaddy and grinned. “And pencils.”
    â€œWell, you certainly can’t have the backpack and notget the matching notebooks and pencils, can you?” her father asked.
    â€œYou might as well hang it up,