Promises (New Beginnings Book 2) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Michelle Lynn
widening.
"Now her grandmother is sick," Michaela went on. "Cancer. She has no one to help her with Kimberly when she goes in for treatments, so my colleagues and I help out. I don't know what's going to happen to her when her grandma dies."
"It's that bad?"
"Yeah, it's bad."
They both stayed silent for a while after that, lost in their own thoughts. Maggie wanted to pick up that little girl and hug her again and again. No kid should have to go through all that. She knew exactly what would happen to Kimberly when her grandmother died.
Maggie had been a teenager when Jason lost his parents. She saw what happened when his only adult family, her father, refused to take him in. Heartbroken and unloved, he went into the system and bounced around between foster homes until he was old enough to be aged out. What she’d never told Jason was that going through all that was still better than if he’d been raised in her house. She never told him that she was the one who protected him from her father. She didn't think he'd ever forgive her for what she did back then.
"You okay?" Michaela asked as they left the store and got in the car.
"Has Jason told you much about living in foster care?"
"Some," she answered. "But he doesn't talk about it much."
"I can't imagine sweet little Kimberly going through some of the things he did."
"Me either." Michaela sighed, leaning her head against the headrest.
They didn't talk the rest of the drive. Michaela's usual sarcastic humor was replaced by a sadness neither of them could shake.
They pulled up outside Elijah's house and went around back to find Elijah and Jason lounging in lawn chairs and drinking beer, Jason with his blond hair and bright face and Elijah with his dark hair and wide smile. They made quite the pair.
"I see you two are working hard." Maggie laughed when they both looked at her as if they’d been caught red handed.
"Where's Josh?" Michaela asked.
"He left for the rink a couple hours ago." Jason stood and walked across the yard. Draping an arm over each of their shoulders, he led them towards the soon-to-be deck to show how far they’d gotten today.
"I still can't believe you guys started the entire house with this," Maggie said. "It's not normal."
"Since when are we normal?" Elijah grinned as he came up beside her. "Trust me. When it's done, you'll love it."
"Too bad we didn't start with the bedrooms," Jason said into Michaela's ear. Maggie didn't think he meant for it to come out as loud as it did but he probably didn't care as he pulled Michaela to him and kissed her long and hard.
"I think that was a wise decision," Elijah chuckled. "Come on, Mags. Let's go inside and order some food."
They left Jason and Michaela to whatever they were doing. They could have just ordered dinner from outside but it was nice to get a break from those two. They could be a bit much.
Maggie wasn't jealous of their relationship, but that didn't mean she wanted it in her face constantly. Jake broke her all those years ago. After their divorce, she’d tried to date. She’d wanted to find what she and Jake had never had. He’d never cared about her in the way that Jason cared about Michaela. She just didn't see it at the time. She married him because it was an escape from the life she was living. She thought he would love and protect her in a way her parents never did. She was wrong.
Thinking about Kimberly and the way she was being forced to grow up brought all of these feelings to the surface. It pissed Maggie off that people like her father or Kimberly's father could have children but she couldn't. She knew she would be a good mother.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Elijah closed the gap between them and put his hands on her arms. She wasn't crying, but he’d always been able to read every expression on her face.
"It's nothing." She tried to back away, but he didn't let go. For some reason, she didn't want to tell him about the little girl she couldn't stop thinking about. She
"Now her grandmother is sick," Michaela went on. "Cancer. She has no one to help her with Kimberly when she goes in for treatments, so my colleagues and I help out. I don't know what's going to happen to her when her grandma dies."
"It's that bad?"
"Yeah, it's bad."
They both stayed silent for a while after that, lost in their own thoughts. Maggie wanted to pick up that little girl and hug her again and again. No kid should have to go through all that. She knew exactly what would happen to Kimberly when her grandmother died.
Maggie had been a teenager when Jason lost his parents. She saw what happened when his only adult family, her father, refused to take him in. Heartbroken and unloved, he went into the system and bounced around between foster homes until he was old enough to be aged out. What she’d never told Jason was that going through all that was still better than if he’d been raised in her house. She never told him that she was the one who protected him from her father. She didn't think he'd ever forgive her for what she did back then.
"You okay?" Michaela asked as they left the store and got in the car.
"Has Jason told you much about living in foster care?"
"Some," she answered. "But he doesn't talk about it much."
"I can't imagine sweet little Kimberly going through some of the things he did."
"Me either." Michaela sighed, leaning her head against the headrest.
They didn't talk the rest of the drive. Michaela's usual sarcastic humor was replaced by a sadness neither of them could shake.
They pulled up outside Elijah's house and went around back to find Elijah and Jason lounging in lawn chairs and drinking beer, Jason with his blond hair and bright face and Elijah with his dark hair and wide smile. They made quite the pair.
"I see you two are working hard." Maggie laughed when they both looked at her as if they’d been caught red handed.
"Where's Josh?" Michaela asked.
"He left for the rink a couple hours ago." Jason stood and walked across the yard. Draping an arm over each of their shoulders, he led them towards the soon-to-be deck to show how far they’d gotten today.
"I still can't believe you guys started the entire house with this," Maggie said. "It's not normal."
"Since when are we normal?" Elijah grinned as he came up beside her. "Trust me. When it's done, you'll love it."
"Too bad we didn't start with the bedrooms," Jason said into Michaela's ear. Maggie didn't think he meant for it to come out as loud as it did but he probably didn't care as he pulled Michaela to him and kissed her long and hard.
"I think that was a wise decision," Elijah chuckled. "Come on, Mags. Let's go inside and order some food."
They left Jason and Michaela to whatever they were doing. They could have just ordered dinner from outside but it was nice to get a break from those two. They could be a bit much.
Maggie wasn't jealous of their relationship, but that didn't mean she wanted it in her face constantly. Jake broke her all those years ago. After their divorce, she’d tried to date. She’d wanted to find what she and Jake had never had. He’d never cared about her in the way that Jason cared about Michaela. She just didn't see it at the time. She married him because it was an escape from the life she was living. She thought he would love and protect her in a way her parents never did. She was wrong.
Thinking about Kimberly and the way she was being forced to grow up brought all of these feelings to the surface. It pissed Maggie off that people like her father or Kimberly's father could have children but she couldn't. She knew she would be a good mother.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Elijah closed the gap between them and put his hands on her arms. She wasn't crying, but he’d always been able to read every expression on her face.
"It's nothing." She tried to back away, but he didn't let go. For some reason, she didn't want to tell him about the little girl she couldn't stop thinking about. She
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