An Accidental Mom

An Accidental Mom Read Free

Book: An Accidental Mom Read Free
Author: Loree Lough
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awk-a-ah…”
    “Acquaintance,” his father helped.
    “That’s it,” Nate said, nodding, “‘acquaintance.’” He looked up into Lily’s face. “What’s your name?”
    “Her name is Lily,” Georgia said. “Lily London.”
    “Sounds like a movie star’s name.” He furrowed his brow. “But I thought a lily was a flower.”
    “It is,” Lily said, shrugging. “My mother’s name was Rose, see, so I guess she thought it would be neat to name my sisters and me after flowers.”
    Nate giggled. “That’s pretty funny.” He giggled again. “What’re your sisters’ names?”
    “The twins are Ivy and Violet, and there’s Cammi…which is short for Camellia.”
    He narrowed his big, black-lashed eyes. “They’re nice names, but I like Lily best.”
    A person would have to be made of stone not to warm to this child, she admitted, mirroring his friendly grin. “Well, thanks, Nate,” she said, shaking his extended hand. “And I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, too.”
    He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “My dad here could sure use a wife. See, my mom died when I was a baby. He does pretty good, considering he’s not a lady, but he sure could use some help. So…are you married?”
    Georgia chuckled under her breath as Max slapped a hand over his eyes and gave a loud sigh.
    Lily found herself enjoying his discomfort, perhaps a little too much. “I’m afraid I’m a little too busy to…help your dad out. I have a job. Two, in fact.”
    His brows nearly met in the center of his forehead. “Wow. Two jobs?” he said, stuffing both hands into his pants pockets.
    As if on cue, Max did the same thing, Lily noticed. It was obvious the two spent a lot of time together, because Nate had also picked up Max’s tendency to say “first” this and “second” that. Maybe Nate hadn’t been too far from the mark when he’d said Max was an okay parent.
    “I’m an animal rehabilitator,” she told the boy. “And I manage my father’s ranch.”
    Nate’s brow furrowed. “What’s that?”
    “She nurses sick and injured animals back to health,” Max explained, “then takes them back where they came from.” To Lily, he added, “Sorry. He’s a great kid, but sometimes he talks too much.”
    She was about to agree that Nate was a great kid and add that Max had nothing to apologize for, when Nate said, “Your dad has a ranch? With horses and cows and stuff?”
    Lily smiled again. “He sure does.”
    “Man, I’ve never been on a real-live ranch before. They don’t have ’em in Chicago, y’know.”
    She glanced at Max. He’d grown up in cattle country; why hadn’t he taken the boy to see his buddies’ homes during visits to his mother?
    “Are you a vettin-air-yun?”
    “No, Nate, but I do work very closely with one.”
    He crossed both arms over his chest. “I’m gonnabe a vettin-air-yun when I grow up, ’cause I like animals.”
    “Do you, now? Do you have a cat or a dog?”
    Nate shot his father a less-than-friendly look. “Dad says I’m not old enough to be ’sponsible for a pet.”
    “Well, maybe you’d like to come out to our ranch sometime, see my animals.”
    Nate gasped. “Really? I could do that? Cool! What kind of animals!”
    “Oh, a raccoon and a wolf cub, an eagle, some hawks, three monkeys and—”
    “Monkeys! Way cool! Dad, I wanna—”
    One look into his father’s stern face was enough to silence the boy. Lily couldn’t help but wonder why Max would have a problem with Nate visiting River Valley. It was the most natural thing in the world for a city boy to get enthused about the prospect of seeing animals up close, especially if his only prior contact had been at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo!
    Lily knew that if she didn’t get out of there fast, she’d likely say something she’d regret. “Where should I sign?” she asked Georgia, pen poised above the cast.
    Georgia pointed, and Lily scribbled Get Well Quick! above her signature. “I’d love to stay and

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