Precious Embrace (Embrace Series) Read Online Free Page A

picked him up and cradled him until his crying stopped, and then changed his diaper before carrying him out of the room.
    On her way down the hall, she stopped in front of Jamie’s room. It was dark and cold. The outline of his empty bed glowed in the moonlight shining through the crack in his race car curtains. She hated not having Jamie home, but she couldn’t say no when Mark asked if they could take Jamie on vacation with them. Having been kept away from his dad during the Maylyn threat, Jamie missed Mark severely. She also wanted to give the three of them family time together. Jamie needed some solid ground with his dad, especially with Sarah being pregnant. All of these changes were too much for one little boy. His dad was in the middle of building a new family, and she, his mom, was in the middle of dividing their family with her divorce from Carl.
    When Micah let out an impatient wail she patted his back. “I know, baby, I miss Jamie too.” With a heavy heart, she left Jamie’s room and carried Micah downstairs.
    Ali pulled the bottle out of the fridge and the remaining beer in the back caught her eye. Carl’s beer…no, Johnny’s beer. Ugh…who’d of thought…moved to California permanently.
    Carl had left for good and Johnny came to stay. She looked down at Micah, this is not a complication we need right now.
    He wiggled in her arms, ready to eat. “I’m tired. You’re wearing me out, baby. After this bottle do you think you can sleep at least until nine a.m.?” She placed the bottle in the warmer and paced the kitchen, rocking him in her arms.
    He stared at her with his fist in his mouth.
    “I love you even when you don’t let me sleep.”
    Micah kicked out, his body stiffening, and he whined again. The light on the bottle warmer clicked off. “Just in time,” she muttered and tested the milk temperature before putting it in Micah’s eager mouth. She walked back upstairs to the nursery and curled up with Micah in the rocker.
    The celestial nightlight dimly lit the room, reflecting a crescent moon and stars on the ceiling. Her troubles seemed to melt away when she sat in the peaceful space with her baby. She was so hopeful when she and her sister Melissa had decorated the nursery and picked out the furniture. Even when Carl wouldn’t step foot in the room, Ali still held out hope. She was sure when Micah was born, Carl wouldn’t be able to resist him. She still didn’t understand how anyone could resist such a beautiful baby, much less their own flesh and blood. But it didn’t matter, Micah’s room still represented hope to her.
    Being a single mother was never in her master plan for life. Ever. But from the moment she found out she was pregnant, everything in her life had changed and she wouldn’t take the old life back for anything. Micah was perfect and no matter what, she’d raise a wonderful, smart, and caring son all by herself if she had too.
    Micah would never have a dad to coach little league, or teach him how to ride a bike, but neither had Ali. She’d lost her father at eight. Granted she’d already learned how to ride a bike, but she still missed having her dad there for so many other important things in her life. Would Mother be such a judgmental and angry person if they hadn’t lost daddy? Her parents were so in love, she remembered their favorite song…and the two of them dancing around the living room whenever it played on the radio. God how she’d wanted that too. True love with her best friend. Ali rolled her eyes and shifted Micah in her arms. Oh yeah, she’d had that, she’d married her best friend and broken his heart.
    But still, her marriage to Mark was another thing in her life she couldn’t regret. She had Jamie, and in reality, Mark was still her best friend. Even when he hated her for marrying Carl, Mark always came through for her. Seeing him happy…watching him marry his perfect match, well, that was a great day. Mark and Sarah deserved happiness more