Trouble in Paradise Read Online Free PDF Page B

into a place of her own, she hadn’t found time to write. At least one of her brothers or sisters, several of them teenagers by that time, had been in the midst of a crisis at any given moment. Whenever thathappened, they’d ended up at her apartment, bunking on her couch, turning to their big sister for advice.
    Shayla smiled to herself at the memories drifting through her head. As frustrated as she could get about her large, ofttimes demanding family, she loved each one of them dearly. She would even privately admit to missing them…a little. But only a little. There was something to be said for the five hundred or so miles that separated her from them. It guaranteed her solitude on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon.
    Solitude in which to sit on the porch of Aunt Lauretta’s old cabin. Solitude in which to thank God for granting her this opportunity.
    “You do open doors for Your children, don’t You, Lord?” she whispered as she lifted her eyes heavenward. “Thanks for letting me walk through this open door. Keep me focused on serving You with the talent You gave me.”
     
     
    Ian was napping on the couch, taking advantage of his one day of rest, when the phone rang. It was his sister, Leigh.
    “Sleeping, weren’t you?” she said in response to his mumbled greeting.
    “Yeah.” He yawned, then asked, “What’s up, sis? How are things in Florida?”
    “Everyone here is great. Mom’s having a bit of trouble with her hip again, but she says she can get along fine with a little discomfort.”
    “Has she decided when she’s coming to Paradise for a visit?”
    “I don’t think so. You’d have to ask her. My guess is, it won’t be until fall. She’s got a pretty full summer planned with all her retiree friends.”
    He nodded. Their mother had never been one to sit idle for long with or without a bad hip.
    “Listen, Ian. The reason I called is…I need a favor. A big one.”
    “I’ll do what I can. You know that.”
    “Yes, I know.”
    When she didn’t continue right away, he wondered how big—how serious—this favor was going to be. He felt a niggle of worry. Maybe something was wrong that she hadn’t told him. Maybe their mom’s hip problems were more serious than Leigh let on. Maybe…
    “Jim’s firm is sending him to Italy,” she offered at last. “He’ll be there from six months to a year.”
    “Wow!”
    “It’s a big promotion for him. A wonderful opportunity.”
    “But?”
    “He wants me to go with him…. Only, we aren’t allowed to take the girls.” She paused a moment before saying, “I’d like to have Cathy and Angie stay with you at the ranch.”
    “With me?”
    “You know how great it was for us, growing up there,” she hurried to add. “And you are their only uncle. Mom couldn’t do it. For a week or two maybe, but not for up to a year. What do you say, Ian? Will you let them come live with you? Jim and I wouldpay for whatever child care you would need to arrange when you aren’t around.”
    “I don’t know, Leigh. I don’t have any experience with—”
    “You always said you wanted a large family.”
    “Well, yes, but I thought I’d start from the ground up. You know. Get married, then have a baby.”
    “Ian, I’m desperate. There isn’t anyone else to ask. I can’t put them in a boarding school. They would be too unhappy there. They’re only six years old. They need to be with family, with someone who will love them. If you turn me down, I won’t be able to go with Jim.”
    His sister was right. Paradise was the perfect place for the girls. They should experience living in the mountains. They should see how things worked on a ranch. They ought to live through one Idaho winter with tons of real snow instead of staying in the summerlike conditions of Florida. And how difficult could it be to take care of a couple of six-year-olds?
    “Okay, Leigh. I’ll do it. You knew I couldn’t say no to you, didn’t you?”
    “Yes, I knew it,” she said with a