Mabe's Burden Read Online Free PDF Page B

thanks for asking.
Hey, my sister just got here with her daughter.”
    “ A daughter? Did you know?
Shane would have had a cow.”
    “ I know, right? She’s a
precious thing. I’m so glad they’re here.”
    “ I bet,” Jake commented,
surprised. “Wow, a daughter.”
    “ Listen, I’ll explain later.
Right now, I need a huge favor. Could you possibly head into
Tallahassee to pick up my other sister at the airport?”
    “ Sure. You know I’ll do
anything to help. Give me the details?”
    She gave Meg a thumbs up. “Thanks Jake,
you’re a Godsend.” She relayed the flight information.
    “ Does she still look like
her pictures in your house?”
    “ I have no clue. I’ll take a
snapshot of the photo on the wall and text it to you. Maybe you can
hold up a little sign or something.”
    “ Oh, just great. Maybe I
should rent a limo.”
    She laughed. “Hey, be sure to get one
of those little caps, too. She’d feel like royalty.” She could
almost hear his eyes roll. Jake didn’t go for the fancy. He was
probably the most down to earth man she knew. She wondered what her
oldest sister would think of him.
    “ Uh…no. Listen, I’ve got
this. You’re going to the funeral home at five, right?”
    “ Yeah. Meg’s going with
me.”
    “ Good. I didn’t want you to
have to do that alone. You want me to bring Mara there when we get
back to town?”
    “ No, just drop her off at
the house. We’ll probably be back home by then. Thanks so
much.”
    “ No problem. Gotta run. See
you later.”
    “ Okay, bye.” She placed her
cell phone on the table and sighed. “I don’t know what I’d do
without him. He’s been such a rock to lean on these last several
years.”
    Meg’s eyebrows went up, and she met
Mabe’s gaze. “Are there wedding bells in the air?”
    “ Wedding bells?” she almost
screeched. “God, no. He’s like a brother to me.”
    Her sister grinned. “Okay, okay. If you
could have seen the look on your face.” She snickered.
    Mabe smirked. “He’d be a fantastic man
for someone, but not me. He is super sexy, though. Black Irish like
you and Mom. He’s about six four, built like a brick house, long
dark hair he sometimes pins back in a tail. He’s got a few tats.
Makes him look like a pirate.” She waggled her eyebrows. “I’ve
gotta say when Da first hired him, I was afraid he’d come to the
house, maybe slit our throats in the night. I thought Da was crazy
to bring him on.”
    Again Meg’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?
Why?”
    “ Let’s say he doesn’t have
the most savory of pasts. He’d just been released from the prison
not too far from here. He’d served ten years for grand theft
auto.”
    “ Oh, my God. Da hired
him?”
    Mabe smiled at the memory. “Yeah. You
know how Da always claimed to have a sixth sense about people. He
said Jake was a good soul and needed a second chance. I must admit.
Da was right. He is solid. No one regrets his past more than he
does. He was just a stupid young man.”
    “ Wow, I can’t wait to meet
this gorgeous jail bird.”
    “ He can certainly take your
breath away. You sit here, relax. I’m going to go check on my new
niece.”
    Meg smiled, looking somewhat relieved.
Mabe wondered about her expression on her way to see what Emma was
watching on TV. She made a detour to her room. In the back of her
closet, behind her numerous pairs of shoes, was an American Girl
Doll she’d gotten as a child. Never one to really play with such
girlie toys, she’d lovingly packed her away. She’d treasured the
keepsake, a gift from her mother before she died. She couldn’t
think of a better home for Samantha than in the arms of her
niece.

Chapter Five
     
    Meg, Emma, and Mabe were just finishing
sandwiches with soup at the kitchen table when the front door
banged and loud voices rang from the foyer.
    “ What the hell?” Mabe rose
to go to the front of the house.
    “ Uh….language,” Meg
chastised, tilting her head toward her daughter.
    “ Ohhh,