His Heart for the Trusting Read Online Free PDF Page A

good-bye kiss for Jonathan.”
    He watched Sara
holding the baby as if having a baby in her arms were as natural as breathing. 
    Her eyes held
sadness when she spoke.  “You know Mitch, single parents do this all the time. 
I've seen it at the daycare.  Mind you, it's not easy, but you can do it.  You
just have to figure out your options.”
    Yeah, he could
do it.  Hadn't he made it this far on his own?  Growing up in an abusive home
left him fiercely independent.  He'd learned to rely on himself and it had
gotten him where he was today.  Now all he had to do is figure out how to
manage it with a baby.
    “Maybe so, but
I'm going to need some help.  Anyone with an ounce of sense can see that,”
Mitch said.  “At least until I find Jonathan's mother.”
    “I can't speak
for Corrine, but I'll help you any way that I can.”
    He smiled at
Mandy's offer.  “Thanks Mandy, but I couldn't do that to you.  In a few months
you're going to have your hands filled caring for your own baby.”
    Her hand went
to her belly and she began to rub it.
    “And I can't
ask Corrine to watch him day in and day out.  She has her own life, too.”
    “You don't
have--” Mandy started to say before Mitch cut her off.
    Holding up a
hand, he said, “I know both of you will help me out when you can.  I suspect
Corrine will probably enjoy doting on a kid or two by the way she's been going
on about you being pregnant and all.  I just can't ask you to take on the
responsibility every day.  That's my job.”
    “You could hire
a nanny for when you work during the day,” Sara said.
    “And what about
at night.  A cowboy doesn't work a normal nine to five job.”
    Sara shrugged. 
“Then hire a live-in nanny.  That way you can see the baby when you can and
work when you have to.  People do it and it works.  You just have to find the
right person you trust.”
    Mitch's lips
tilted to a grin for the first time since he'd walked into the house and met
his son.  “The baby seems pretty content with you.”
    The alarming
gaze Sara shot at him reminded Mitch of a deer blinded by headlights.  Her eyes
were now dry and for the first time, he really noticed them.  They were a rich
brown color that lit up when she looked at Jonathan.  That baby looked as
natural in her arms as the mountain range stretched out in the horizon. But
right now, her eyes flashed with a burst of lightning that made him suck in a
breath.
    “Oh, no.  No,
no,” she said, shaking her head. 
    He forged on. 
“Why not?”
    “Because
I…can't.  That's all.  I can't do it.”
    “Anyone can see
that taking care of a baby is way beyond my ability.”
    “No kidding. 
But I'm sorry.  I can't be the one to help you.  After I leave here I'm going
back to the reservation.”
    “For good?”
Mandy asked.
    Sara blew out a
quick breath that hinted of dread.  “We'll see how the reunion goes first.  I'm
not sure how they're going to feel having me back after all this time.  Or if
they'll truly believe I'm here to stay.”
    “You know,
Sara.  It would go a long way with your parents if you had a job,” Mandy said. 
    Mitch shot Sara
a quick glance.
    “Don’t look at
me that way,” she said quickly.  “I want to be on the reservation. Being a
storyteller, and teaching the young people on the rez about our culture, was
the whole reason for leaving California.”
    “Are you sure? 
I can’t say that I wouldn’t mind having you close by,” Mandy said.
    “It would
certainly help me,” Mitch added.
    Sara didn't
answer.
    “Okay, I won’t
push.  But be careful what you wish for,” Mandy said.  “Life in LA is quite
different than in Steerage Rock.  Believe me, I know.  It takes time to get
used to the new pace. You were so eager to leave home before, and you don't
know how things are going to be when you get back.  If you have a job, even if
it is off the reservation, it'll prove to your family that you're home for good
without committing you to