Read A Father For Zach for Free Online

could be it. Why don’t you lie down for a while?”
    She tried to smile. Failed. “Not an option. I have a six-year-old to feed.”
    Several beats of silence passed as he regarded her. “I could do that for you. If it’s something simple.” The smile he gave her seemed a bit stiff. Like a little-used window that had to be coaxed open. “I’m afraid I never learned many cooking skills.”
    Under normal circumstances, Catherine would have refused his offer. She didn’t relegate Zach’s care to anyone. Nor did she allow strangers in her home. But with a throbbing head, a throbbing foot and legs so shaky she wasn’t certain they’d keep her upright much longer, these weren’t normal circumstances. Not by a long shot.
    Rather than labor over the decision, she told herself she ought to be grateful that providence or fate or simple luck had provided a set of helping hands today.
    “Can you handle a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”
    His smile hitched up a notch. “If you direct the process, I’m sure I can manage.”
    He seemed to understand that much as she might want to take his advice and lie down, there was no way she intended to leave him in her home—nor with her son—unsupervised. She was glad he’d discerned that—and hadn’t taken offense. It made things easier. Less awkward. And there was no hurt in his eyes this time, as there had been when she’d rebuffed his gesture of friendship toward her son at the wedding.
    Relieved, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “That works.”
    He stepped aside to let her pass as she started down the hall, but she hadn’t gone more than three steps when her good leg buckled. He was behind her in an instant, his hands firm on her upper arms, supporting her.
    Fingers splayed against the wall, she drew an unsteady breath. “Sorry. I guess that little episode took more out of me than I thought.”
    Without releasing his grip, he stepped beside her. “You’ve had a rough few days. Why don’t you lean on me and we’ll get you situated in the kitchen?”
    The notion of leaning on anyone didn’t sit well with her, but she didn’t have much choice. Not if she wanted to make it to the kitchen on her feet instead of her knees. “Okay.”
    He slipped his right arm around her shoulders, and she moved closer to him, clinging to his left hand.
    As they slowly traversed the short passageway, Catherine discovered a couple of things. Despite his thinness,Nathan was strong. She could feel power in the sinewy muscles that bunched in his forearm, in the solid chest that brushed her shoulder, in the lean fingers that gripped her forearm. And he was also tall, towering at least six or seven inches above her five-foot-five frame.
    Usually big, strong men scared her.
    For some reason, this one didn’t.
    When they entered the kitchen, Zach looked up from a small pile of incriminating silver paper, his guilty expression morphing to concern. “How come you’re so white?”
    “Your mom’s toes are hurting a lot, and her stomach isn’t too happy about the medicine she’s taking to help them feel better.” Nathan stepped in before she could respond, and Catherine let him. She also let him guide her to one of the kitchen chairs. And she didn’t protest when he retrieved the cushion from the breezeway and lifted her foot to an adjacent chair, his fingers warm and gentle as he settled the soft pad under it.
    A little quiver that had nothing to do with nausea rippled through her stomach, and Catherine frowned. What in the world was that all about?
    “How does a peanut butter and jelly sandwich sound?” Nathan directed his question to Zach.
    Her son sidled a guilty look in her direction. “I’m not real hungry.”
    Nathan swiped up the incriminating silver papers and deposited them in the trash can. “You must be. Hard workers have big appetites. And you’re a hard worker, aren’t you?”
    “Yeah.” Zach wandered over to the table and sat, chin in palm, watching