Touch of Fire Read Online Free PDF

That’s why we ended up leaving the zoo early,” Angela added.
    “I’ve got to call my sister.” Nicole scanned the room for a phone.
    “There’s a cordless in the kitchen. Our number is on the list on the fridge. Call if you need anything else,” Brenda said.
    “Thanks.” Nicole saw them out, then slipped on some clothes before heading to the kitchen to call Ann.
    Just as she was hanging up from leaving a message on Ann’s machine, Sam ran into the kitchen waving the drawing she’d finished high in the air.
    “Look!”
    “Let’s see.” As soon as Nicole sat down, Sam crawled into her lap. “What do we have here?”
    “Gorillas.” Sam placed the drawing on the table. “Look, the mommy holds him just like a real baby.”
    “It’s so tiny.”
    Sam nodded. “I don’t have a mommy. My mommy’s in heaven.”
    Nicole felt a pull on her heart as she looked down at the little girl. “I heard about that,” Nicole said softly as she ran her fingers through the little girl’s long, dark brown locks.
    “I was a baby when she died. She loved me a whole lot, though. I just have a daddy.” Sam leaned back and studied the drawing. “Can we braid my hair now?”
    “Sure. Bring me a brush and a band. We’ll do your hair and then we’ll see about starting dinner. What does your daddy like to eat?”
    “Frozen stuff. He eats a lot of frozen stuff.”
    Nicole chuckled. “I think we can do better than that.”
    *****
    It was shortly after five o’clock when Nicole finished overseeing Sam’s shredding of the lettuce.
    “Is this enough?” Sam asked.
    Nicole looked over her shoulder and peered into the bowl. “I’d say so.”
    Sam pulled a chair over to the stove and climbed up. “Your pisghetti smells really good.”
    “ Our spaghetti. Careful, the stove’s hot.”
    “Can I stir?”
    “How about we do it together?” Nicole placed Sam’s hand on top of hers. “So, what kind of pasta should we cook? The long, skinny noodles or the short, curly ones?”
    “I like the curly ones. Are you going to give me my bath?” Sam suppressed a yawn.
    “Oh my, I completely forgot about your nap. Let’s get your bath done so that we can tuck you in after dinner. What do you say?”
    “Okie dokey. I’ll get my PJs.”
    Nicole turned down the flame under the pot of sauce before following her out of the kitchen. “I’ll meet you in the bathroom.”
    Thirty minutes later, while they were negotiating whether or not to unstop the bath, Sam’s tummy ended the debate. “My tummy is growly.”
    “You shouldn’t have let me sleep so long.” Garrett was standing in the doorway, his hair sticking up in disarray.
    Nicole lifted Sam out of the bath, then wrapped a towel around her. “You needed the rest.”
    “You were sleeping!” Sam declared.
    “That I was, baby. Wow, something sure smells good!”
    “Nicole and I made dinner. Are you hungry?”
    “Yes, actually,” Garrett replied. “Hey, you have clothes.”
    Nicole helped Sam into her nightgown. “Courtesy of Brenda and Angela.”
    “Angela let me pick out the panties. They’re really pretty,” Sam said.
    “And here I was about to say that I liked the other outfit better.” Garrett ran his hand through his hair, trying to tame the now-unruly spikes.
    “Look!” Sam turned her head. “Nicole did my hair.”
    Garrett smiled. “It’s beautiful, darlin’,” he told her, his eyes connecting with Nicole’s.
    “What do you say we put on the pasta, kiddo?” Nicole held her hand out and Sam grasped it.
    “Okay.”
    “We got wrapped up cooking dinner and kind of forgot about the nap. She’s tired,” Nicole said.
    “You made dinner? Actual dinner?”
    “It’s not frozen, Daddy.”
    Garrett’s eyes searched out Nicole’s. “Thank you. Sam, put your clothes in the hamper, then we’ll have dinner.”
    “Aye-aye, Captain.” She gave a mock salute, gathered her clothes up off of the floor, and scampered off to her bedroom.
    “It was nothing.”