A Baby by Easter Read Online Free

“Shouldn’t you go back to your guests?”
    â€œI told them an emergency had arisen.”
    â€œI’m an emergency? Yuk.” Susannah made a face.
    â€œJust like the old days, huh?” Connie teased. She shook her head. “Don’t worry. They’re friends and well used to my ‘emergencies.’ Wade will take care of them.”
    â€œIs he nice?” Susannah asked softly, studying her friend’s glowing face with a twinge of envy.
    â€œWade is—wonderful.” Connie’s face radiated happiness.
    â€œHow did you meet?”
    â€œSilver is Wade’s daughter. Wade had to leave her here while he worked in South America. David was her guardian. He hired me to be Silver’s nanny.”
    â€œHow romantic. Like Cinderella.” Susannah thought Darla would have loved that.
    â€œNot at first. When Wade came home he was nothing like I expected. But God knew what he was doing when he put us together. We were married a year ago.” Connie held out her hand. “My engagement ring was Wade’s mother’s.”
    â€œIt’s beautiful.” Susannah thought of the cheap gold circlet she’d tucked into her bag. Nick had promised he’d get something nicer later on. Another lie. “Nick died and I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
    â€œOh, Suze, I’m so glad you came here. You were only seventeen when you ran away from our foster home. What have you been doing?” Connie asked, her voice grave. “I called home several times, but Mom said she didn’t know where you’d gone.”
    â€œI got in with the wrong group and went to Los Angeles. It took me a while to get my head on straight, but eventually I got a job in a nursing home. That’s whereI met Nick.” She inhaled to ease the constriction in her throat. No more tears.
    Connie squeezed her fingers. “How did you find me?”
    â€œI finally phoned Mom day before yesterday.”
    â€œShe misses you.” Connie’s eyes blazed with sympathy.
    â€œI miss her, too.” Susannah sniffed. “I was stupid to run away. So stupid.”
    â€œEverybody makes mistakes.”
    â€œEven you?” Susannah asked, glancing around.
    â€œEspecially me.” Connie laughed. “I’ll tell you later about my mistakes.” Her voice grew serious. “But what about the baby, Suze? When are you due?”
    â€œApril. Around Easter.”
    â€œAn Easter baby.”
    Susannah gulped. “I’m on my own and I have about two nickels to rub together. I guess, first of all, I need to find a job. Do you know of any?”
    â€œFirst of all you need to get better,” Connie said in her familiar “mother” tone. “Do you want to keep your baby?”
    â€œI don’t think any child would want a mother like me.” She deliberately didn’t look at Connie.
    â€œBut you’d make a wonderful mother!” her friend protested.
    â€œHardly,” Susannah scoffed. “Look how I messed up my own family. I’m so not the poster woman for motherhood.”
    â€œYou were nine the day they brought you to our foster home. I told you then and I’ll tell you again, you did not break up your family, Suze. Nothing you did caused your father to leave you, or your mother to start drinking. Andyou did not start that fire.” Connie tucked a finger under her chin and forced her to look up.
    Susannah couldn’t stop the tears. “Why did God let this happen to me, Connie?”
    â€œOh, sweetheart.” Connie wrapped comforting arms around her shoulders and hugged her close, rocking back and forth as she had when Susannah was younger.
    â€œI feel like He hates me,” Susannah sobbed.
    â€œGod? No way.” Connie let go and leaned back. “Listen to me, kiddo, and hear me well. God does not hate you. He loves you more than you could ever imagine.”
    â€œBut I’ve messed