The Homespun Holiday Read Online Free PDF

replied,
jerking her head toward where her fuming mother sat fiddling with her phone. 
“She came in and grabbed us a table while I interrogated my daughter in the
parking lot.”
    “Good.”  He nodded, reaching for
his wallet and throwing down a couple of twenties on the table to cover their
meals.  “Your mom can go home.  I’ll take you and Paisley to school and then
you can ride to the office with me.”
    “And what exactly will we do with
Paisley this afternoon?  She’ll be with us…probably for at least three days,”
Millie asked, hoping that it was only three days that her kid would be
banned from school.  “Why do you wanna go with us, anyway?  This isn’t your
problem, Dr. Daniels.”
    “If my head nurse has a problem,
then I have a problem.  If you’re worried about what’s going on at home, you
won’t be focused on what’s happening at work.  So, I’m going to fix it for you
with these numbskulls at the school.  Just because they aren’t comfortable
hearing a word, that doesn’t make it a bad word.  Paisley shouldn’t be
expelled for using the appropriate terms when describing the human body, male or female,” he defended Paisley as he dragged both mother and daughter out of
the café by their hands.
    “But this isn’t your problem,”
Millie contended resolutely, trying to pull her slender hand from his
inflexible grip. 
    “I already described to you how it
very much is my problem, Millicent,” Mack returned evenly, opening the door to
his SUV and holding it so that Paisley could climb into the back seat and strap
her seat belt.  “Up you go, Millie,” he ordered in a tone that brooked no
argument.  “The quicker we get this done, the faster you can explain to me how
you thought it was a good idea to invite my sister for Christmas.”
    ~**~
    Half an hour later found all three
of them lined up in front of Principal Carter’s massive oak desk.  Shifting
nervously from foot to foot, Millie ordered herself to be calm.  Like her
daughter, she thought as she looked down at the seemingly serene little girl
that was currently plastered against Dr. Mackenzie Daniels’ legs.  She might be
less anxious herself it she could borrow some of the giant man’s strength. 
Unfortunately, grown women couldn’t go around leaning on strong men without
being in some kind of intimate relationship with them.  And there was no way
she could ever see Dr. Daniels going down that road with her, no matter how
many smoldering looks he tossed her way during the day.
    “So, I think we can all agree that
we have a rather… sensitive issue to deal with this afternoon, can’t we?” the
principal asked, pulling Millie’s attention back to the matter at hand.
    “Yes, sir,” Millicent agreed
quickly.  “I feel confident, however, that we can all reach a disciplinary
action that we can both accept.”
    “As you know, Ms. Robbins, we’ve
overlooked Paisley’s outbursts in the past.  We know how hard it must be for
you to be a single, working mother and are aware that Paisley doesn’t really
have any male influences in her life right now.”
    “Excuse me?” Mack growled.
    “Doc, don’t interrupt,” Millie
warned under her breath, shooting her boss a sidelong look of censure.
    Mack shot Millie a look of
disbelief.  “I most certainly will interrupt if he’s saying something untrue. 
And what he just said?  Patently untrue,” he growled, glaring at the
Principal.  “I happen to have spent nearly every day of the summer with this
child,” he shared, dropping his hand on Paisley’s head.  “Believe me, she’s had
a male influence.  ME!”
    “And you are?” the Principal asked
with a raised eyebrow, looking over his glasses at the man that stood in front
of his desk.  “Ms. Robbins?  Who exactly is this gentleman and what is his
relationship to Paisley?”
    “My name is Dr. Mackenzie Daniels. 
I’m the only OB-GYN in this town, so I suspect you know full well just who