Sweet Blessings (Love Inspired) by Jillian Hart Page B

more than she could ever repay, and whatever she could do to make her sister smile made her happy, too.
    Cousin Karen came over, her six-month-old daughter on her hip. She held out a plastic container. “Thought I’d make a trade for one of those sodas.”
    â€œNot your grandma’s famous cookies?”
    â€œTwo whole dozen. I was making a batch for us last night and I couldn’t resist doubling it. Did you want me to take Westin after the game, or is Rachel going to?”
    â€œRachel said something about spoiling him this afternoon. I know, it’s hard to believe.” They both glanced at Rachel, who was sipping her soda, seated in her chair, baseball cap shading her face as she rooted for every kid who kicked the ball.
    â€œThanks, though. How’s little Autumn doing?” She couldn’t resist stroking the baby’s rose-petal-soft cheek.
    The baby girl gurgled and gave a wide grin.
    Amy’s heart split wide open. “Oh, she’s a sweetie.”
    â€œShe is, most of the time.” With a wink, Karen nuzzled her beloved daughter. “Do you want to hold her?”
    â€œYou know I do.” Amy handed the cookie container to Rachel, who let out a squeal of delight, and took the little girl in her arms. She stopped to watch as Allie, Karen’s oldest daughter, boldly gave a mighty kick at the soccer ball…and missed.
    She looked so cute that it was hard not to laugh, and the spectators did their best to hide their chuckles and sound encouraging instead. Allie got a second chance—this was the warm-up, after all—and managed to bump her toe against the ball and it hopped forward a few inches.
    Amy, along with Karen and the rest of the crowd cheered as if Allie’d made the winning goal.
    She felt a tug on her hair—Baby Autumn had a handful wrapped and gave a joyful gurgle. “You want all the attention, do you, darling?”
    â€œOh, don’t hog the baby!” Rachel set her soda can in the holder in the chair’s arm, brushed chocolate cookie crumbs off the front of her sweatshirt and held out her hands. “It’s my turn.”
    Gently Amy disentangled her hair from Autumn’s dimpled fist and handed over the baby. Rachel immediately started cooing.
    Whistles blasted—the game was about to start. Westin’s cheeks were pink with delight as he crouched into the huddle.
    â€œHey, where’s Paige?” Another cousin—Michelle—knelt down between the chairs. “Oh, wait, I know, she’s chaperoning the youth group. Isn’t she supposed to be back today?”
    â€œNot today! Don’t scare us like that!” Rachel teased. “She’s going to interrogate me about the books I kept while she was gone, and I’m not very good with the books. I have until tomorrow, the day of doom, when she gets ahold of the ledger.”
    â€œI brought those terrible nacho chips, they were on sale in the Shop Mart, and I got three bags for the greater good of everyone else. So please, eat them before I do.” She dropped a bright red bag on Amy’s lap.
    â€œOkay, but who’s going to rescue me from these chips?”
    â€œI will.” Rachel was all too quick to snatch the bag and yank it open, making them all laugh.
    Michelle gave Amy’s hair a quick inspection. “Don’t you go putting off your hair appointment again. Your highlights are growing out. Don’t argue, just come anyway. Well, I’d better get back to my little ones.”
    After Michelle hurried back to her toddlers and baby, Amy and Rachel crunched chips, sipped on cool sodas and watched as the game started. The teenage girls were trying to direct the little kids, who were doing their best, but ran the wrong way, missed the ball, kicked to the wrong team and forgot what to do when the ball came to them.
    â€œThis is so funny,” Rachel said as she grabbed her camera and began taking snapshots in quick