Mistletoe Bay by Marcia Evanick Page B

tell her how to raise you, she doesn’t tell me how to raise the boys.”
    Chase climbed into his spot between the two car seats and strapped himself in. Jenni closed the door and walked around to the other side of the car where Coop and Tucker stood waiting.
    â€œBut you can give her some advice—you know, about cutting the apron strings.” Felicity was nothing if not tenacious.
    â€œNope, I’ll give her my opinion if she asks for it, and not before.” She reached up and took Tucker out of Coop’s arms. The man smelled of fresh air and hot chocolate—a tempting combination. “Thanks.”
    â€œYou’re welcome.” Coop watched as she strapped Tucker into his seat. Tucker woke once, mumbled something that sounded like “holding,” and went back to sleep.
    Jenni laughed softly. “Is that a football term?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œGreat, it’s bad enough I have to hear it all day and night from Sam, but now my nephews will be worshipping the pigskin.” Felicity pouted. “Tell Mom I’ll be home later.”
    â€œWill do.” Jenni watched as Felicity went and joined a bunch of other girls who all seemed to be waiting for the players.
    â€œMom,” called Chase.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œAre we getting a pig?” Chase’s voice held nothing but hope.
    â€œNo. Absolutely not.” She felt like elbowing Coop in the side when he started to chuckle.
    â€œA pig would be neat, Mom. We can name him Wilbur, like in Charlotte’s Web. ” Chase was getting more excited by the minute.
    â€œPig?” Tucker yawned and stretched. “What pig, where?”
    â€œFelicity said we’re getting a pig, Tuck. It’s going to have skin and all,” explained Chase.
    â€œShe did not. There is no pig. There will be no pig.” She felt like throttling Coop when his chuckles turned into a full-blown laugh. Visions of a potbellied pig snorting its way around Dorothy’s immaculate kitchen and climbing the stairs on its piggy toes was enough to make her take up drinking. Did pigs even have toes?
    â€œWhy won’t our pig have skin?” Tucker was fully awake now. “He has to have skin, or his guts will spill all over the floor.”
    â€œBojangles will like pig guts. If he eats crayons and Felicity’s purple eye junk, he’ll like guts.” Chase seemed to be calculating something in his little mind. “Mom, can pigs wear clothes? That way his guts won’t drag on the ground.”
    â€œThey don’t make pig clothes.” She tried to keep her voice at a nice, calm level. “We are not getting a pig—with or without its skin.” She closed the car door on the boys’ protests.
    â€œDo you want me to explain why a football is called a pigskin?” Coop seemed amused by the whole discussion.
    â€œDon’t you dare.” She already knew why. “Thanks again for everything.”
    â€œYou’re welcome. I’ll see if I can get a couple of contractors’ names for you before that porch roof comes crashing down on your heads.”
    â€œI’d appreciate it.” Coop Armstrong was a real nice guy. “Just make sure they aren’t too squeamish. Tucker is a child who loves a good challenge.”
    â€œWill do. Goodnight.” She could still hear Coop’s chuckle as he headed for the other side of the parking lot.
    She climbed into the car and tuned out the boys’ argument that if they couldn’t have a pig, a horse would do. Tonight she actually had had a good time. Coop was both fun and knowledgeable. He also seemed to enjoy himself with the boys. That was what she missed with Ken—the togetherness.
    Being a family. A complete family.
    Damn it, Ken, why did you have to try to save Gloria? Weren’t we important? Didn’t you even think about me or the boys? One of the chemists in the lab who had made it out that fateful day had