to move into our neighborhood. I just wanted to get out of Newark. I did that. Now I have a different set of problems here. I have no clue why Elena has targeted me. She's just crazy. I heard some of what Chad told Mark yesterday. She fought back with two state troopers. She's insane."
"Are you talking about Chad Wertman?"
"Yes, he's a state trooper now."
"What's Mark do for a living? He can't possibly be just a farmer."
"He's an agricultural engineer, but for now, he teaches Ag Tech down at the high school. He still helps his father on the farm though."
"Those two used to be little troublemakers."
"Speaking of angels," Sherry said as she saw the flash of headlights against the window.
Alison got up to pour herself a mug of coffee and remained standing by the sink. Sherry stood up as a knot of apprehension tightened inside her.
Mark came in without knocking, carrying a box of food. "Sherry, who's car is parked in the garage?"
Alison answered, "Mine."
Mark set the box on the counter. "Hello, Alison," he began warily. "I heard you were back in town."
"I came out to take care of my baby."
Sherry winced inwardly when her mother called her "baby."
"I'm taking care of Sherry," Mark informed her.
"Now that Mom's here, you can go home. Do you want us to have the food anyway?"
"Ye-es. Sherry, I'm staying."
Sherry's patience evaporated. "Fine! Then stay! But you'll have to sleep with Mom. I'm sleeping on the daybed."
Mark's eyes widened and his mouth opened but no sound came out.
Alison assumed a sexy pose and wiggled her body suggestively. "It would be nice to have a sexy young stud in my bed."
Mark's mouth went shut to open again. "In your dreams." He wheeled around, grabbed his briefcase from the table and stalked out, slamming the door.
"Mark!" Sherry grabbed his cell phone, unplugged the charger and ran after him. "Mark."
He was getting in his truck but he turned around. "What?"
"You forgot your cell phone." She placed it in his hand. "I'll need the garage door remote for Mom."
He tossed his cell phone on the passenger seat and reached up to take the remote from the dash. He slapped it down in her hand hard enough to hurt.
"Mark, I'm sorry. This was not my idea. She just showed up. Uncle Roy put her out. What am I to do? She is my mother. I don't want it this way but this is the way it is. Please don't be angry with me."
The hard lines of his features softened. "I'm sorry, too, Sherry. I love you. I want to be with you. Your mother's watching from the window."
"Kiss me." Sherry stood on tiptoe to meet him. When the kiss deepened, she stepped back. "I have to get back inside before she steals what little money I have. Good night, Mark."
"I'll stop by to see you on the way home tomorrow." He got in the truck and closed the door.
But I won't be here , she thought , I'll be working . She finally made a decision she'd been struggling with all day. She would go to work tomorrow. She walked slowly back to the house.
Alison sat at the table with her coffee. "That shut him up."
"That wasn't necessary, Mom."
"Woo-hoo. Do I detect a note of jealousy?"
Sherry made a sour face and began to take supper from the box.
Chapter 9
"I thought you were going to be late," Frank said when Mark stomped in the milk house.
"She is about as hard headed as a woman can be," Mark grumbled.
"Try independent," Frank suggested.
"I love her," Mark declared. "I want to be with her. I want to help her, to protect her. I want to make love to her. I want to wake up beside her the rest of my life."
Frank looked at his son quizzically. "You know what's wrong with what you just said?"
"What?"
"Two words: I want. Are you so egotistical that all you think about is yourself? What about what she wants? Love is sharing and caring. Giving up part of yourself for the other."
"Thanks for the insight, Dad," Mark said sourly.
Frank stopped putting the milkers together and looked at his son. "Right now Sherry is having a difficult
"Are you talking about Chad Wertman?"
"Yes, he's a state trooper now."
"What's Mark do for a living? He can't possibly be just a farmer."
"He's an agricultural engineer, but for now, he teaches Ag Tech down at the high school. He still helps his father on the farm though."
"Those two used to be little troublemakers."
"Speaking of angels," Sherry said as she saw the flash of headlights against the window.
Alison got up to pour herself a mug of coffee and remained standing by the sink. Sherry stood up as a knot of apprehension tightened inside her.
Mark came in without knocking, carrying a box of food. "Sherry, who's car is parked in the garage?"
Alison answered, "Mine."
Mark set the box on the counter. "Hello, Alison," he began warily. "I heard you were back in town."
"I came out to take care of my baby."
Sherry winced inwardly when her mother called her "baby."
"I'm taking care of Sherry," Mark informed her.
"Now that Mom's here, you can go home. Do you want us to have the food anyway?"
"Ye-es. Sherry, I'm staying."
Sherry's patience evaporated. "Fine! Then stay! But you'll have to sleep with Mom. I'm sleeping on the daybed."
Mark's eyes widened and his mouth opened but no sound came out.
Alison assumed a sexy pose and wiggled her body suggestively. "It would be nice to have a sexy young stud in my bed."
Mark's mouth went shut to open again. "In your dreams." He wheeled around, grabbed his briefcase from the table and stalked out, slamming the door.
"Mark!" Sherry grabbed his cell phone, unplugged the charger and ran after him. "Mark."
He was getting in his truck but he turned around. "What?"
"You forgot your cell phone." She placed it in his hand. "I'll need the garage door remote for Mom."
He tossed his cell phone on the passenger seat and reached up to take the remote from the dash. He slapped it down in her hand hard enough to hurt.
"Mark, I'm sorry. This was not my idea. She just showed up. Uncle Roy put her out. What am I to do? She is my mother. I don't want it this way but this is the way it is. Please don't be angry with me."
The hard lines of his features softened. "I'm sorry, too, Sherry. I love you. I want to be with you. Your mother's watching from the window."
"Kiss me." Sherry stood on tiptoe to meet him. When the kiss deepened, she stepped back. "I have to get back inside before she steals what little money I have. Good night, Mark."
"I'll stop by to see you on the way home tomorrow." He got in the truck and closed the door.
But I won't be here , she thought , I'll be working . She finally made a decision she'd been struggling with all day. She would go to work tomorrow. She walked slowly back to the house.
Alison sat at the table with her coffee. "That shut him up."
"That wasn't necessary, Mom."
"Woo-hoo. Do I detect a note of jealousy?"
Sherry made a sour face and began to take supper from the box.
Chapter 9
"I thought you were going to be late," Frank said when Mark stomped in the milk house.
"She is about as hard headed as a woman can be," Mark grumbled.
"Try independent," Frank suggested.
"I love her," Mark declared. "I want to be with her. I want to help her, to protect her. I want to make love to her. I want to wake up beside her the rest of my life."
Frank looked at his son quizzically. "You know what's wrong with what you just said?"
"What?"
"Two words: I want. Are you so egotistical that all you think about is yourself? What about what she wants? Love is sharing and caring. Giving up part of yourself for the other."
"Thanks for the insight, Dad," Mark said sourly.
Frank stopped putting the milkers together and looked at his son. "Right now Sherry is having a difficult
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