Fate's Redemption Read Online Free PDF

down
to my hip, I kiss his cheek. “You’re lucky I have good reflexes,
you could have went splat on the floor.”
    “Uh huh. Ollie go splat,” he smiles, eyes
twinkling. Boys. I put him down and turn to the timid girl behind
me.
    “Ollie, this is Dominique. She’s going to
stay with us for a little while.”
    “Okay. She stay in my room?” he asks
eagerly.
    I shake my head and pull them both down the
hall. “No. She’ll stay in the guest bedroom.”
    “Donny stay with me.” Ollie pulls away from
me to hold her hand. The girl looks scared to death, and keeps
glancing around like the house will swallow her up any second. I
smile encouragingly and walk ahead, leaving them to trail behind
me. When I get to the kitchen, Rosa is banging a spoon on a
pot.
    “Ah, Mija. I know you like to cook, but you
have such a long day, and is so cold I make you dinner.” She shakes
her head and waves a hand through the air. “No, no Kinley. I tell
you, I make you my famous chili and you say nothing but thank you,
si?”
    I smile and nod obediently. “Thank you,
Rosa.” I bend to kiss her cheek and she hugs my shoulders. “Rosa, I
want you to meet Dominique. This is Rosa, she’s our right arm
around here.”
    Dominique jerkily pulls out a hand and shakes
Rosa’s. Rosa eyes the girl up in a glance, immediately taking her
to the table and pouring a glass of milk for her. Ollie climbs up
to the table and shows Dominique his toys, trying to get her to
play with him.
    Rosa meets my eyes and her’s lift after she
takes the corn bread out of the oven. I shrug. What was I supposed
to do? Rosa puts sour cream in the chili and melted cheese on the
corn bread. “Are you trying to fatten her up?” I ask quietly.
    Rosa’s mouth gets tight and she swats me
lightly with a kitchen towel. “That girl is eating for two, you
nitwit!” she whisper shouts to me.
    I gasp quietly, putting my hands over my
mouth. “I had no idea.”
    Rosa gives me a droll look and walks out with
Dominique’s food, leaving me chuckling behind her. Rosa and I have
always gotten along. She’s really the rock of this hodpodge family.
I follow behind her with Ollie’s bowl and we eat to the tune of a
toddler’s ramblings. When the door slams open everyone jumps, but
Dominique the highest.
    “Ho ho ho! Let it be Christmas!” Danny yells
through the house. Ollie is long gone to launch himself at his dad,
but when I turn the corner it’s clear he wont be jumping since
Danny is pulling the hugest tree I’ve ever seen into the house.
    “Where did you get that thing?”
    “Oh at the liquor store, baby,” he shoots
back immediately. I giggle as he gives me a dry look and a smirk.
“Where do you think I got it?”
    “Okay, you got me. It’s huge, though.” I tilt
my head for a kiss, and get my bottom lip bit before pulling
away.
    “That’s what you tell me,” he whispers before
straightening and looking behind me. He says out of the side of his
mouth, “Um, Kinley? Don’t look now but there’s a nesting doll
behind you.”
    “What?” I ask.
    “You know. A child inside of a child.” He
shrugs. “Nesting dolls.”
    I turn and wave Dominique forward as Ollie
climbs Danny. Danny lets go of the tree finally to pick up the
toddler.
    “Dominique, this is my husband, Danny. Danny,
Dominique is going to stay with us for a bit.”
    “William and Mary right? Virginia is
beautiful, have you been?” Danny asks as he holds his hand out. We
can all tell she doesn’t want to take it, but he keeps his hand
steady as I hold my breath. Finally she touches his hand with hers,
quickly letting it go.
    “No. Not yet, but maybe one day,” she says
quietly.
    I move to her side and put a hand around her
should. “Of course you will.”
    She puts her hands on her round stomach, and
Danny and I make eye contact. He sets Ollie down and pulls the tree
through the French doors and into the living room. I make hot
chocolate for the kids as Danny wrestles the tree into a