Lead Me Home Read Online Free PDF Page A

Randy, who was sitting at the kitchen table, then proceeded to prepare her own.
    “Boys! I’m not calling you again. If you’re going to eat dinner, you’d better come down before your dad says grace. Otherwise, you can stay where you are for the rest of the night!”
    She heard feet shuffling and the sounds of boys making pit stops in the bathroom to wash their hands. While she and Randy waited for them, she resumed her response.
    “I do stay busy here, but the boys are growing older. They can help more around the house for a couple of months, and besides, it will be good for them. Any girl they marry these days is going to want their help with cooking, cleaning, and caring for the kids.”
    Randy took a sip of soda and peered at her. “So glad you aren’t one of the ‘girls these days,’ babe. You take good care of me.”
    So could a maid.
    That sarcastic reply didn’t slip past Shiloh’s lips, but she gifted Randy with a smirk. Truthfully, she loved taking care of him and their family, but she didn’t like feeling as if that was all that gave her value.
    Randy shrugged and grabbed a roll from the bread basket in front of him. The boys filed in, fixed their plates, and sat in their usual spots—the two oldest boys across from each other and the two youngest facing each other, with Randy and Shiloh at each end of the table. Randy blessed the food, and they dug in like they hadn’t eaten for days.
    “If ya’ll are so hungry, what took you so long to come?” Shiloh sighed. She knew she’d never figure them out. They ate in silence, until Lem launched into another update on his recent visit to Alabama, where he’d stayed with Shiloh’s parents for two weeks. Since returning home, he’d been keeping the family abreast of the latest news with friends he met during a summer science camp for high school students hosted by Alabama University, including frequent announcements about a young lady named Lia.
    “She’s thinking about becoming a civil engineer, instead of studying electrical engineering,” Lem said. “Either way, she’s going to do well.”
    Shiloh gave Randy a knowing glance, but spoke to Lem. “What colleges is she considering?”
    “Alabama U, Spelman, Vanderbilt, Emory, Howard, Georgia Tech …”
    “You sure do seem to know a lot about her plans, son,” Randy said and grinned.
    Lem blushed and lowered his eyes. His close-cropped haircut framed his face nicely, and with that chiseled chocolate jaw and super-bright smile, he was the spitting image of his dad. Sometimes when Shiloh looked at him, she remembered Randy at that age, just as eager and optimistic as Lem was now.
    “Careful, son,” Randy continued. “She’s all the way in Alabama and you’re here. How’s that going to work?”
    Shiloh took a bite and watched Lem’s face contort as he sought to articulate his perspective. It was clear he’d thought it through.
    “There’s Instagram, ooVoo, texting. It’s not that hard to stay in touch these days, Dad. Besides, we’re just friends, okay?”
    Randy and Shiloh traded smiles, before returning their attention to their meals. After cleaning his plate, Randy sat back with a satisfied smile and raised the topic that had never left Shiloh’s mind.
    “Let’s ask the troop here what they think about your going to work.”
    “What was that?” Raphael’s twelve-year-old voice still hadn’t changed, and the squeakiness of it was sweet music to Shiloh’s ears. He was as cute as a button, but she knew she couldn’t tell him that. At least not before bedtime, when she had him alone and they could review the highs and lows of his day and share other things on their minds.
    “What do you guys think about your mom working for a while? At a high school in Milwaukee?”
    Eight eyes grew saucer-sized.
    “Really?” David asked. “Doing what?”
    “Teaching music,” Shiloh said. “The band director at Sherman Park High, near downtown, is out for a while caring for her sick