Broadway Baby Read Free Page A

piece of toast down. “Excuse me, little girl?”
    “I’m just asking a question. I mean no coffee is bad enough but you want me to have milk too?”
    “It’s good for you.”
    “It’s gross,” Lily wrinkled her nose. “I only like milk, real milk, in milkshakes.”
    “Mmmmm,” Shelby replied picking up the paper.
    Ripping her toast into pieces Lily looked up at Shelby. “So could I have that for breakfast?”
    Smiling when Shelby put down the paper to look at her, Lily scowled at the woman’s answer, “No, you may not have a milkshake for breakfast.”
    “Well, I’m not eating this,” Lily declared pushing her plate of uneaten toast away. “My tummy doesn’t feel like eating.”
    “You need to eat something, Lily. Trust me, you’ll feel better.”
    “Don’t wanna,” Lily pouted and climbed off the bar chair.
    “Where are you going?” Shelby’s voice stopped her cold.
    “To watch cartoons?”
    “The only place you are going is back on this chair so you can eat something.”
    “I’m not hungry.”
    Rolling her eyes Shelby walked over to Lily. Taking the girl by the arm she turned her sideways and gave Lily one hard swat. “Sit, now. I’ll make you some oatmeal.”
    Rubbing her bottom dramatically Lily stared at Shelby for a long moment. “You spanked me.”
    “I gave you a warning. Believe me you will know it when I spank you. Now go sit down.”
    Groaning, Lily slowly did as Shelby asked. Putting her head on the kitchen counter she closed her eyes and sighed. Not getting a reaction she opened one eye and looked toward Shelby. Shelby was putting the teakettle on to boil water for the dreaded oatmeal.
    Lily sighed again this time louder. Still no reaction. Wondering what she was doing wrong, Lily sat up slightly and put her chin in her hands. Seeing the oatmeal packet being opened and put into a bowl brought the loudest sigh yet along with a groan.
    “Is there something wrong?” Shelby asked, the corners of her lips twitching upward.
    “I don’t want any ole’ yucky oatmeal either. It’s almost as bad as milk.”
    “It will settle your tummy,” Shelby held up her hand. “Not another word. I am making you oatmeal and you will eat some of it. Then you and I are going to talk.”
    A short time later, Lily managed to choke down half a bowl of the dreaded oatmeal and drink all the juice under Shelby’s glare. “Go wait for me on the couch, Lily.”
    Sliding off the bar chair, Lily pouted all the way to the couch. She had really wanted her coffee and that oatmeal was horrible. It did make her feel better, but she wasn’t about to admit that to Shelby.
    Tucking her feet up under her, Lily leaned back into the couch and pulled a pillow into her lap. Hugging it she wished that she had some type of stuffed animal to hug instead.
    Hearing footsteps Lily looked up and wrinkled her brow in confusion. Shelby was entering with two mugs. “Here,” Shelby held a mug out to her and Lily took it slowly.
    “I thought I wasn’t allowed to have coffee.”
    “Little you isn’t allowed coffee,” Shelby smirked. “But right now I think that adult you and I need to talk and I figured you might enjoy the coffee.”
    “Thank you. Oh, that’s divine,” Lily moaned as she tasted the wonderful beverage. “So what did you want to talk about?”
    “Where we go from here,” Shelby took a sip of her coffee and continued. “I know we brushed on this earlier but I wanted to talk to you before Mama and Lily have their first serious talk. We also need to talk about our adult relationship.”
    Lily put her half empty mug on the coffee table and pulled her legs up wrapping her arms around her knees. “Do you not want a grown up relationship with me anymore?”
    “Oh, no, Lily, that’s not what I meant at all,” Shelby placed her empty mug on the coffee table as well and moved to pull Lily into her arms. “I just mean that we are going to discuss how our adult relationship will differ from Mama and