A Midwife Crisis Read Online Free PDF

Katie and agree to stay in the cabin to help out. He couldn’t be too smart or too dumb, just somewhere in between, like Gil. And he knew exactly who that man was.
    Freddie Powell fit all the guidelines and, as luck would have it, was coming Gil’s way. Granted, he wasn’t much to look at, a little skinny, and his hair did some wild curling, but he was a good kid mostly, and he’d been sweet on Katie for years.
    “Freddie?” Gil hiked his pants up, as much as his belly would permit, and sauntered over to talk to his future son-in-law.
    “How you doin’, Mr. Napier?”
    Gil liked that mister part. Showed the boy was respectful. “I’m doin’ good, Freddie.” So much for the polite talk, now it was time to get serious. “I was thinking about you in church this morning, and I wondered if you’re still livin’ with your ma.”
    Looking at his feet, Freddie cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah, I ain’t got nowhere else to go right now. Why?”
    “Your ma ain’t too easy to live with, is she?”
    Freddie flushed, then grinned. “She can be a bit bossy.”
    “You know, what you need to do is get married so you can be your own boss.”
    “ Married? I ain’t even got a girl!”
    “A fine feller like you don’t got a girl? You’ve got to be joshing me.”
    “No, sir, I ain’t joshin’.”
    Rubbing his hand across his chin, Gil frowned real hard to show he was thinking. Then he snapped his fingers. “I got it! Katie’s lookin’ to get married, maybe you could marry up with her.”
    “K-Katie?” Freddie stammered, and for a moment, Gil expected the boy to swoon. “Katie would never marry up with me.”
    “I happen to know for a fact she would. She knows what a fine man you are, and I suspect she’s always been sweet on you.”
    “Me?” Freddie gulped. “Are you sure?”
    “She ain’t said so right out, but I seen her looking at you.” Sort of.
    “Me?”
    Freddie was going to have to learn to say more than “me” if he planned on keeping a girl like Katie interested. “Katie knows a good man when she sees one. Why, I’m sure if you’d like to marry her, she’d be pleased as punch.”
    “I—I don’t know.”
    Gil’d better help the boy out. If Freddie turned any redder, his face might explode. “Katie’s a fine girl and marryin’ her would give you a chance to leave your ma’s and start a family of your own. You want to do that, don’t you?”
    “Sure, but Katie ? I don’t think she’s ever even talked to me.”
    “She just don’t like to come across as forward. You know how women are.” Gil nodded and winked a conspiratorial wink. “She’s going to marry up with someone. You gonna let her get away?”
    “I don’t want to let her get away.” Freddie didn’t sound real convinced, but Gil knew the boy would cotton up to it soon enough.
    “Course you don’t, son.” Gil patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll take care of everything, just come on out Saturday, and we’ll set a date.”
    Who would ever have thought Reverend Stoker could preach for two hours? John knew it now and so did his backside. Julia wasn’t as tired, but then, she’d fallen asleep soon after the tit pinching and hadn’t awakened until the last amen. Lucky child. Careful to watch for rot-ation in the church floor, John stepped out into the afternoon sun.
    Most of the parishioners stood in the yard, gabbingabout one thing or another. And try though he might, he couldn’t stop his gaze from seeking out Katie, not that it wasn’t easy to find her. She stood surrounded by people, all talking and laughing, and no doubt asking her for medical advice.
    A pregnant woman gave Katie a jar of something and another handed her a shawl. Two children tugged on her skirts, impatient for their chance to speak with her, and all the while, John felt invisible. None spoke to him, none smiled his way, and for all the good it’d done to come to church, he might as well have stayed home and adjusted