Caught in the Middle Read Online Free PDF

undo her, especially in the cramped bedroom, so similar to one she’d learned to loathe, but Tessa couldn’t know how her stomach churned at the sight of him.
    “I’m so glad you found me, Anne. This baby is bound and determined to ruin my life. Eddie said that he won’t step out with me if I bring Sammy again.” Tessa licked her finger and then pressed it to her eyelashes, curling them upward.
    “Eddie? I thought you came to town to find Finn.” Anne tried to open the window to dilute the dank air, but it was nailed shut.
    Tessa snorted. “Finn Cravens better hope I don’t find him, that scoundrel. If I ever lay eyes on him, I’m handing him his son and running for the hills. How dare he leave me with a baby—”
    Anne frowned. “Go back to Pushmataha. Anoli needs a cook and the men enjoy having Sammy around. A room above a saloon is no place to raise a whelp.”
    Tessa turned away from the mirror. “You’re right about that. Eddie’s asked me to go with him out west. It’ll be tough at first—”
    “—but better Sammy be on the frontier than here.”
    With a hand to her hip, Tessa stared at the child. Savoring his mother’s attention—which Anne feared was rarely awarded—Sammy babbled “Ma-ma-ma” as he bounced vigorously on his haunches. His soiled diaper gapped around his chubby legs.
    “Fix him for me, will you, Anne?”
    “Fix him? You mean change his . . . his . . .” Anne twisted her mouth to the side. “I’m a buffalo hunter. I might take the hide right off him.”
    Tessa tossed her a slightly damp diaper and flipped Sammy onto his back. “Nonsense. I’ve seen you covered in filth. You won’t mind nearly as much as I do.” She pushed him toward Anne, whose hands hovered above him, not sure where to start . . . not sure if she could start.
    “I don’t know what to do,” Tessa continued. “If Finn had any family I’d send Sammy to them, but he’s an orphan. My own family is out of the question. I’d rather he be raised by coyotes than endure what I went through.”
    Gingerly, Anne laid a hand on his stomach and unclasped the safety pins. She had no sympathy for the whining woman, not while trying to keep two kicking legs from landing in the mess. Using the front of the diaper she wiped him off the best she could before rolling up the soggy cloth and replacing it.
    “How do you pin this? I could do it up tight, but he’d have saddle sores by morning.”
    Leaning against her bureau, Tessa didn’t answer at first, butfeeling Anne’s disapproval she snapped to. “Oh, he’ll be fine. It’s time for his nap. Just give him a spoonful of Godfrey’s Cordial, and he won’t move until this evening.”
    Anne straightened. “Give him a sleeping draught? He’s an infant. Besides, I’m not watching him.”
    “You don’t have anywhere else to stay, do you?”
    With a glare Anne bent to clasp the second pin and then lifted the child to his feet. Holding onto the bed for support, Sammy squealed at her and then laughed delightedly when the diaper slid to his ankles. Anne wasn’t amused.
    “Listen to me, Tessa Drumright. Sammy is your responsibility. You can’t put him in a stupor while you go out. It isn’t right.”
    Tessa wrung her hands. “You’re right, of course. Sammy needs a better home. He needs a better mother. I’m not good for him. Surely you agree.”
    “But you could be. You decide what kind of person you’re going to be, and you be that person. If you want to be friendly, you talk to people. If you want to be strong, you keep your distance. If you want to be a good mother, you stop chasing after men like a lovesick polecat and take care of the kit you already have.”
    “Easy for you to say.” Tessa picked up a powder puff and dusted her bosom. “You don’t mind being lonely, but I need a companion. I want attention.”
    There were worse ills than loneliness. The child swatted at Anne’s knee and grinned impishly. His white-blond hair fell in long