Next Door Daddy Read Online Free PDF Page A

Christmas program.”
    â€œThat’s right, but we’ve understood.” Adela looked about the room, her gaze coming to rest on Pollyanna. “He’s had to take his time, move at his own pace, and we’ve tried not to interfere or push. You and I understand that,” she explained. Her brilliant blue eyes were full of compassion. “No one can truly understand what it means to lose your soul mate like those who’ve experienced it.”
    A lump rose in Polly’s throat. Nate Talbert was a widower.
    â€œI’m so sorry,” she said, knowing all too well the words were inadequate. Polly hated to think about it, but one half of every couple would someday have to face the loss of the other, it was a part of living. Still, she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. The knowledge that her neighbor had borne such a loss both saddened her and linked her to him as it did with Adela. It was like being members of a club you had no desire to be initiated into but couldn’t get out of.
    â€œGod’s blessed me, dear. God has given us resilient hearts, and you may not see it yet, but you and Nate can have room in your hearts to love again.”
    A shadow fell over Polly’s heart. “I’m really happy for you, Adela, but I’m not looking for love again.”
    â€œOf course you are,” Esther Mae exclaimed. “You’re too young and you have that wonderful son who needs a daddy.”
    â€œEsther Mae,” Norma Sue barked, censure in her tone.
    â€œDon’t you ‘Esther Mae’ me,” the feisty redhead snapped, her gaze lifted to Polly. Her voiced gentled. “You can’t limit the Lord like that, Pollyanna.”
    Polly crouched down on the counter and patted Esther Mae’s hand. “It’s okay, it’s not like that. I’m okay, Gil’s okay. I came to Mule Hollow to open a business— not for one of your cowboys. I’ll leave them for someone else. Really. God’s blessed me with the love of an amazing man and for a little while I had more than I could ever hope or dream of…That kind of love couldn’t happen twice. And well, I don’t have any desire to mess up such a perfect memory. That’s the main reason I’ll never marry again.”
    â€œThe main reason—you have more?” Esther Mae asked.
    Polly swallowed down the fear, the doubts that always rushed to the surface if she let her guard down. She nodded, not trusting her voice at first. “Oh, yes,” she managed to say after a moment. “I have more.”
    Â 
    The afternoon after meeting his new neighbors, the boy and his dog showed up when Nate was unloading feed. He’d ridden his bike over, and Bogie was panting like a locomotive as they huffed around the bend and into the yard. “Hey, Nate!” Gil called, hopping from his bike while it was still moving, then pulling it to a stop. “What’s in the bags?”
    â€œFeed,” Nate grunted, hefting two at a time onto the palettes in the corner of the barn. It wasn’t as if he could ignore the boy, even though he had a bad feeling about the entire situation. Off and on all morning he’d rehashed the emotions he’d felt the day before, being around Gil and his mother. He felt a sense of connection to them in one sense but he also felt an overwhelming need to maintain his distance. He’d become almost accustomed to being disconnected from everything. Sure, he’d asked for intervention, but truthfully, the Lord was going to have to intervene with his attitude, too, or it wasn’t happening. Some bruises ran too deep.
    But none of that was the kid’s fault, and Nate was smart enough to know that the strain he felt around the boy had more to do with how much he’d wanted kids with Kayla than anything about Gil. He wouldn’t be much of a man if he took it out on the fresh-faced boy.
    â€œI can help,” Gil offered, kicking