Her Valentine Family Read Online Free PDF

the counter and picked up the sippy cup and pacifier. Then he started down the hall.
    â€œDada,” she said, her tiny voice whimpering.
    He grinned. Only eighteen months old and alreadyshe knew she wasn’t a morning person. She was like her mother that way. Kate didn’t “do” mornings. With Kate, it’d been a bit irritating.
    With Lainey, it was cute.
    He rounded the corner and walked into her room, where his little lady stood inside of her crib, her small fists clenched tightly around the railing, her big blue eyes staring unblinking at the door and awaiting his arrival, and her blond curls, as always, standing on end, wild and crazy with her adorable bedhead. Dora the Explorer covered the new pink fleece pajamas he’d bought her earlier this week. He’d thought the way the feet were built into the pajamas would keep her toes warm, since she often worked her way out of her tiny socks at night. But right now, she held up one foot as though the feature was more of a nuisance than a benefit.
    â€œGood morning, sunshine,” he said, holding up the juice and pacifier so she could see he’d brought what she wanted and consequently, she wouldn’t feel the need to start crying for them. And maybe that’d make her forget about her problem with his choice for her nightwear.
    â€œDuuuce,” she said, and reached for the sippy cup.
    Chad obligingly handed it over.
    She took a big sip, noisily slurping her little pink lips around the tiny holes in the top of the cup. Then she swallowed, moved the cup away from her mouth and held out her other hand. “Pappy.”
    Chad put the pacifier in her hand. She balled her fist around it and gave him her trademark baby-tooth grin.
    â€œTank oo.”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” he said, scooping her up and nuzzling the blond fuzzy curls away so he could kiss her cheek and neck.
    Lainey ducked her chin to her neck trying to fend off her Daddy’s kisses and giggled. “Wuv you.”
    â€œI love you, too,” Chad said. And he did love everything about her—her blond curls, her baby blue eyes, her adorable mouth. He realized, as he often did, that everything about her resembled Kate. There wasn’t a trace of Chad’s features in this little angel. But resembling Kate physically was as far as it went. Because Lainey’s brilliant blue eyes were sweet and innocent, not manipulative and cold. Lainey’s smile was real, not fake.
    And when Lainey told him she loved him, she meant it.

Chapter Three
    J essica wondered if everyone experienced the same mesmerized sensation when they returned to the church of their youth. She’d grown up sitting in the pews within the steepled white building at least three times each week, and then after seventeen years of knowing nothing but this church, she left. Returning, she was welcomed by an abundance of wide smiles and welcoming arms, with everyone admiring her little boy and telling her how nice it was that she’d come back home. And that was before she stepped one foot in the door.
    Walking across the parking lot, she was bombarded by old friends. She imagined that this was something similar to what the prodigal son felt when he saw his father running toward him down the road, except it was Brother Henry, her preacher, who ran toward her now. Well, okay, he wasn’t running, but he moved faster than she’d ever seen Brother Henry move before.
    The preacher’s hair had grayed completely in the years since she’d left Claremont, and his face appeared more weathered, with the smile lines bordering his mouth more pronounced than she remembered and additionalcrinkle marks at the corners of his eyes. His brows were stark white, drawing attention to the pale blue of those kind eyes.
    â€œJessica! It’s so good to have you back. And this must be Nathan,” he said, leaning down to ruffle Nathan’s sandy waves.
    â€œYes, sir,” Nathan