Free Ten Acres and Twins by Kaitlyn Rice Page B

yourself that they had problems, and they were only twenty-two when they died,” he argued.
    A wave of grief flowed over Abby, and she felt tears looming. Losing her sister had been the hardest thing she’d ever experienced, making her divorce pale in comparison.
    She wondered how much time would have to pass before the sorrow didn’t hit her like a sledgehammer.
    Brushing her palm across her eyes, she said, “This argument is pointless, and we’ve had it before.”
    The corners of his mouth twitched. “At the wedding.”
    Abby grinned back, remembering the preposterous end to Paige’s wedding. Abby had been divorced only a few months at the time, and had been reluctant to attend a gathering where she would be expected to mingle and laugh. She had sat most of the evening alone, watching everyone else have fun.
    Eventually, Jack had forced her onto the dance floor. He had used his legendary charm to put her at ease, and had flirted with her mercilessly.
    She’d been swept off her feet, until one of them had mentioned the bride and groom. Their opinions about the future of that union were so opposite that they had declared immediate warfare. In fact, their argument had gotten so heated that the entire crowd had stopped to watch.
    â€œWe pretty much ended their reception,” she said with a chuckle.
    He laughed and shook his head. “That we did.”
    The absurdity of the whole situation struck Abby, whostopped walking and laughed in turn, letting the tension flow from her body.
    After a while, she put a hand to her belly and looked across at Jack again. He had stopped, too, in front of a young pear tree. His face was shadowed by its branches as he stood watching her, but she could see his teeth.
    He was smiling, seeming to enjoy the laughter he had provoked. He was a charmer, all right.
    She arranged her face in a serious expression and began to walk toward the house again. When she felt his arm drop softly across her shoulders, she nearly missed a step.
    She needed to shrug it off.
    She hadn’t counted on liking him, but he seemed to be coming into a difficult situation with a cooperative spirit, and she’d have to be callous to refuse his offer of friendship.
    She let the arm stay, but forced herself to remain quiet, until his next comment. “Who’d ever have believed that the two people whose shouting match was the talk of the town that spring would be moving in together four years later?”
    Abby’s runaway laughter lasted all the way to the house.
    Luckily, Sharon arrived with the twins a few minutes later. Abby found it hard enough to keep her mind on her goal when she and Jack were sparring, but the shared laughter made him that much more attractive. It brought him too close, which was something she couldn’t afford.
    As she introduced Jack to Sharon in the farmhouse kitchen, Abby tried to ignore the easy chatter that flowed between the two of them, about barbershops and computer games.
    She tried harder to ignore the sly wink her friend directed her way as she left. Sharon might be perceptive, but she didn’t know everything.
    As soon as they were alone again, Jack carried Wyatt down the hallway and returned moments later with a paper bag. He buckled Wyatt into a high chair, removed a shiny purple train engine from the bag and put it on the tray.
    Wyatt squealed and kicked his feet, seemingly pleased tobe sitting up so high. Next, Jack produced a similar toy for Rosie, except hers was a red caboose.
    Smiling, Abby fitted her into the seat. “You’re just full of surprises,” she told Jack. “What else do you have in that bag? Anything for me?”
    His grin got bigger, and he plunged his hand back inside. Abby gasped. She’d only been teasing, but apparently he wasn’t. He handed her a small beige box.
    Biting her lip, she pulled out a heavy, tissue-wrapped item and removed its protective cocoon. It was a porcelain