Baby Makes Four

by Cynthia Thomason

  He pressed his mouth to hers, gently but persuasively. She sighed, releasing the tension of the last moments to the feel of his lips on hers. Once she had decided to accept his kiss, the urge to feel him so close was overwhelming. Even when she’d been with Mark that one last time, he hadn’t kissed her. And right now she wondered if anyone, anytime, had ever kissed her like this. Reed’s kiss was potent, manly and yet somehow pure, as if he valued what she was giving him.

  When he drew back, she ran the tip of her index finger over the moisture on her bottom lip. She could still feel his mouth, the sweet press of his tongue. She sat back into her chair, released a deep sigh and clutched the lapels of her robe more tightly at her throat. She could lose control with a man who kissed like Reed Bolden.

  He lightly stroked her bangs with his fingertips. His thumb repeatedly brushed her forehead. “That was nice, Cam. If I didn’t know my mother was dealing with issues at my house, I’d be trying to think of ways to beg you to let me stay a bit longer.”

  And she might be thinking of ways to beg him to stay. The practical side of her, the part that protected herself and all she held dear, spoke. “It’s probably for the best if you go,” she said.

  “Probably. Dinner on Wednesday? Just the two of us?”

  Wednesday... Wednesday... Something was happening on Wednesday. She suddenly remembered the trip to Myrtle Beach. “That’s not a good day for me this week. I’ve made an appointment I can’t get out of.”

  “No problem.” He stood, bent over her and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be in touch.”

  He got in his SUV, drove down her lane until his taillights disappeared into the dark. And Cam, who felt deliciously warm under her robe, did not realize for several minutes that the temperature around her had dropped.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CAMRYN DIDN’T SEE Reed at all on Sunday, but she knew he’d been over to care for his horses. The outside water troughs had been filled and fresh hoofprints remained in the dirt at the rear of the barn.

  Monday, as she gathered eggs from her coop, Reed waved at her from Brute’s saddle, heading into the pasture for a ride. She’d never have believed she was a “cowboy sort of girl,” but seeing him with his hat pulled low and his back straight, his hands loose on the reins, she wondered why she’d overlooked the obvious appeal of a man who loved horses. Or maybe she was appreciating this particular cowboy.

  Reed had told her on Saturday night that he would be in touch, and she was ready with her answer. She would go out to dinner with him, allow herself to have a good time and maybe even wear one of the two dresses she’d brought from Charleston. Brooke would be so proud.

  On Monday afternoon, when the school bus pulled up to the lane leading to Cottontail Farm, Camryn and Rooster went to meet Esther. Esther got off the bus, barely spoke a word and stomped past her mother. Rooster whined at being ignored by his favorite playmate, and Camryn stared after her.

  “Hold on there, kiddo,” Cam said. “What’s going on? Did something happen at school today?”

  Esther stopped, spun around. “At school? No. On the bus coming home, yes!”

  Camryn caught up to her daughter and slipped her arm around Esther’s shoulder. “Want to tell me about it?”

  Esther looked down at the ground. “I hate them!”

  “Who? Who do you hate?”

  “Justin and Phillip. They’re awful.”

  Oh, dear. Images of a romantic dinner seemed to vaporize in Camryn’s head. “What did they do?”

  “They told everyone on the bus that I ratted them out.” She paused, sniffed loudly. “I guess that means tattling. They said I fell through the wood in the hayloft and blamed it on them. Phillip said I was such a big baby that I couldn’t even climb up to a hayloft without getting hurt.”

  Esther stopped, glared up at Camryn. “It’s not true. I did climb up to the hayloft, all by myself. And I didn’t get hurt.” She glanced at a bruise on her lower arm. “Not hardly anyway.”

  Remembering the incident from two days ago made Camryn cringe all over again. “Yes, I know you did. Even though you had disobeyed me, you were very brave.”

  Esther whirled out of Camryn’s hold on her shoulder. “Why did you let me tell Reed that his sons made me do it? Now everyone thinks I’m a baby and a tattletale. I’m never getting on the bus again!”

  Camryn took a deep breath. “You told Reed because that is exactly what happened, and you are not a girl who lies. I had warned you about letting the boys goad you into doing things that weren’t safe, and taunting you into climbing the ladder to the hayloft is just another example. You could have been seriously hurt, Essie, and it’s my job to see that you are safe, that you don’t take unnecessary chances.”

  Esther remained silent a moment before her bottom lip quivered. “Well, now you’ve made it so I can’t ride the bus again!”

  “What about Justin? What did he say on the bus?”

  Esther grudgingly shrugged. “He wasn’t as bad as Phillip. At least he didn’t say I was scared.”

  “We’ll talk about this later, Esther. But you know you have to ride the bus again.”

  “I knew you’d say that!” Esther headed up to the porch, went inside and slammed the front door.

  And once again Camryn decided that she would have to make this all right for Esther.

  Esther did board the bus again on Tuesday with strict instructions to sit as far away from the boys as possible, and if they teased her again, she would ignore them and pretend she didn’t hear. “Nothing shuts down mean teasing better than acting like their words don’t bother you at all,” Camryn had told her.

  Midmorning, Camryn got in her truck with Rooster riding shotgun and drove over to Reed’s property. Since all the children would be in school, this was a good time to tell him what happened yesterday and get his solemn word that he would speak to his sons—again.

  She didn’t like making such demands, especially when children were involved, and especially when this might mean that the date she’d decided to accept would probably never happen now. Camryn knew how difficult it was to be a single parent, and she could sympathize with the struggles Reed was having, but what happened on the bus was a clear case of two against one, and she had to do something.

  When no one answered her knock on Reed’s front door, Cam went around to the back of the house, where she spotted him a few hundred yards away. He was tending the cages that had recently been constructed on his land. As she approached, she heard strange squawks and cries from assorted birds who apparently didn’t like her intrusion.

  Reed turned to see what caused the commotion. When he saw Camryn, his mouth split into a grin. The cowboy was gone this morning, replaced by a casual man in shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, a ball cap low on his brow and a sturdy leather glove on his right hand.

  “Hey, Camryn, welcome. You’re just in time to see our newest residents.” He removed the glove, stuffed it in his pocket and explained that he’d been filling feed bowls for the birds. When he walked over to her, he took her elbow and led her to the cages. “I got three birds from the Low Country Rehabilitation Center. Each of these guys needs prolonged recovery before they can be released. I’m hoping I can get them well in time to fly to Florida before the cold weather sets in for good.”

  The loud squawking continued as she got closer. Thinking Rooster was the problem, she ordered him back from the cages.

  “It’s okay,” Reed said. “These birds have to get used to all kinds of wildlife, not that Rooster is so wild.”

  Reed seemed to stand taller and straighter as he paused in front of the first cage. The large, screened area was meticulously clean with new shavings on the floor, and various branches and stuffed toys to occupy the bird’s time. As Camryn stared into the cage, a sleek, reddish bird perched on a tree limb opened his beak and screeched at her. She jumped back.

>   Reed chuckled. “First time you’ve seen a Cooper’s hawk?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “This guy has a broken wing, but I’m pretty sure I can get him to fly again.”

  “So he can circle over the heads of humans and scare them half to death?” she said.

  “He doesn’t care about humans,” Reed said. “But I guarantee you he can scare a field mouse.”

  She moved on to the second cage, where a small-headed foul with a kingly bearing peered at her from hooded eyes. She could have been convinced that this bird made all the management decisions for the entire farm.

  “This is a falcon,” Reed said. “They have quite a history dating back to medieval times. They are revered.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Camryn asked.

  “An alligator took a bite out of his neck, but the clever bird managed to get away. He didn’t fly far before a camper found him lying in an estuary and brought him to the center. He needs a good month of rehab here with me.”

  She moved on. “And this last cage?” The bird inside stared at her with quiet intensity. She recognized that it was an owl. In fact it looked very much like Ollie the October Owl.

  “Your average barn owl,” Reed said. “Just wants to be left alone to ponder the universe. For some reason he stopped eating, but I plan to give him some true delicacies, crickets and grasshoppers, and bring his appetite back.” Reed smiled. “He needs to get in touch with his hunter side again before he can be released.”

  Camryn was impressed, both with the facility and with the man who dedicated his time to birds that needed help. She forced herself to remember her reason for coming over here this morning.

  “I hope they aren’t too loud,” Reed said. “Nighttime seems to be when birds of prey like to make the most racket. I tried to establish them far enough from our boundary to keep you from being pestered at night.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine.” Did she just say that? Squawking and screeching would be fine?

  Reed pointed to a metal building not far away, which had been built in just a day or two. “That will be my clinic,” he said. “Hope to be open in a week or so when all my equipment is delivered.” He leaned down and rubbed Rooster’s ears. “There’s a new doc in town, boy,” he said. “And he treats neighbors for free.”

  Taking her arm again, Reed led Camryn to the back door of his modular home. “I’m actually glad you showed up this morning,” he said.

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  “I wanted to show you our place. It’s not much, but for three guys it should do for a while.” He opened the door and held it while she stepped into the kitchen.

  The room was smaller than her kitchen, but everything a cook needed seemed to be there, including a microwave and a dishwasher. If Camryn missed anything from her old life, it was the dishwasher. She envied Reed the beautiful stainless steel appliance. “Looks good in here,” she said.

  “Truthfully it looks rather spartan,” he said. “We need some things—curtains on the windows, some place mats, real plates instead of paper. I thought I might persuade you to make a trip into town with me to pick up some essentials.”

  “You could probably do that,” she said, running her hand over the new Formica counter top. “You should have a cutting board, too, so you don’t damage the surface.”

  “Sure. Make a list. Whatever you suggest. I mostly mentioned the shopping trip as a way to rope you into seeing me.”

  Her mission in coming here suddenly came back to her mind. She turned, finding herself backed into a corner where the counters met. Reed was very close. She could see places on his face where his skin had bronzed under the Carolina sun. His time in Bufflehead Creek had made him appear strong and vital. The fact that he hadn’t taken time for a haircut was just one more interesting aspect of the man in front of her. Her fingers itched to glide through that dark hair which seemed almost coppery thanks to the sunlight coming in the window.

  She swallowed. “Reed, there is something I need to talk to you about...”

  He smiled. “I hope it’s an answer to my asking you for a date.”

  “Well...”

  “Because in case you haven’t noticed, I kinda sorta like you, Camryn. I’m finding myself thinking about you an awful lot.” He wrapped his hands around her upper arms and stepped closer. “I’ve especially been thinking about that kiss, and when I saw you just now I had a strong urge to see if it was as great as I remember.”

  She held her breath. “Are you asking for permission?”

  “No, ma’am.” He moved his hands to cup her face and threaded his fingers into her hair. “I’m just giving you fair warning that I’m determined to find out.”

  His head tilted. She blinked an instant before his lips settled on hers. And then she let her eyelids flutter closed and her mouth melt into his. He moved his lips slowly, temptingly, teasing her with his tongue until she opened to let him in. The kiss was absolutely perfect, full of promise. She sighed happily as the kiss continued.

  He pulled back but kept his hands on her cheeks. He grinned, a long, lazy, satisfied expression of his appreciation. “Yep. Every bit as good as I remember.” He pulled her face close and kissed her forehead. “Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  “I...I wanted to tell you...” She struggled to draw in a deep enough breath to get the words out. “I want to say... Well, never mind. We’ll talk about that later. For now, I’ll just say that I’d love to go out with you.” Those were not the words she’d planned to say when she came into his drive minutes ago. But they certainly expressed her desire now. And really, why make a big deal out of something that may not even be a problem today? Kids teased. Kids forgot. She would see how Esther felt today.

  “Great. Let’s plan on Friday night if you can find someone to watch Esther.”

  “I’ve got it covered,” she said. “My ex-husband is picking Essie up Friday afternoon and taking her for a weekend in Charleston. How about you and the boys?”

  “I think I can bribe my mother with some of those fancy cupcakes from the bakery in town.”

  “Well, then, it seems we can actually go on that date.”

  Reed grinned. “Super. A real date this time. We can even stay out after dark.”

  With a gentle caress down her cheek he stepped away. “I know you said you had something going on Wednesday. Is it anything I can help you with?”

  Wednesday...tomorrow. The trip to Myrtle Beach. Suddenly the decision to accompany Brooke didn’t seem so distasteful. In fact, at this moment she didn’t feel there was anything she couldn’t accomplish. “No, I can handle it.” And she left Reed’s property without “ratting out” his sons.

  * * *

  THE REST OF the afternoon Camryn worried about how she would help Esther cope with the teasing on the bus. She hadn’t complained to Reed, so now Esther would just have to do the best she could with only her mother’s advice to guide her. Camryn did not regret her decision not to tell Reed. Maybe it was time that she and Esther both grew up a little.

  As the time for the school bus drew near, Camryn and Rooster walked to the end of the lane as usual. Rooster sat back on his haunches, panting excitedly. Camryn hoped Esther didn’t disappoint him again.

  When the bus arrived, Esther did not get off immediately. Camryn had thought she would be sitting by the driver for extra protection. Eventually Essie climbed out, gave Camryn a quick hug and threw a stick for Rooster. The child and the dog raced up the lane. When they landed on the front porch, Esther was laughing.

  Camryn had to catch up with them. She sat on the porch step next to her daughter. “How did things go today?” she asked.

  Esther gave her a confused stare. “Fine. I got a B on my spelling test.”

  Camryn didn’t know whether to laugh or gasp. “That’s good, but I was talking about the bus ride. Yes
terday you told me you were never going on the bus again.”

  “Oh, that. Everything was great today. Justin was transferred to my class. He got an A on his spelling test. Our teacher said there were too many kids in his class.”

  Camryn wondered if that were true. Maybe Justin was transferred because Esther’s teacher was a more accomplished disciplinarian. “How do you feel about that?” she asked her daughter.

  “Okay. And you know what?”

  “What?”

  “The teacher was picking out a desk for Justin and he asked if he could sit next to me.”

  Sure. So he could pull your pigtails or call you names. Camryn couldn’t help her skepticism. “Did Mrs. Glover let him sit next to you?”

  “No, she didn’t. But I thought it was nice that he asked.” Esther jumped up from the step. “I’m hungry. Can I get cookies?”

  “Yes. And then what would you like to do?”

  “I wanted to go over to Reed’s and play with Justin and Phillip, but Justin said he has to do his homework before he plays. Reed must be a really mean dad.”

  “Oh, no, I don’t think that’s true.”

  “Anyway, I guess I’ll play with my Easter Egg chickens.”

  Esther bounded inside. Camryn sat a moment longer trying to analyze what had just happened. She decided that apparently Esther had grown up a bit today. Or maybe this was the perfect example of the way kids acted. Forgive-and-forget blending into a delightful coping mechanism of “Oh, that was so yesterday.” And kids didn’t know the meaning of the word “grudge.” Now it was Camryn’s turn to take a lesson from her daughter. She would work on that once she got through the ordeal at Myrtle Beach.

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE NEXT MORNING Camryn hurried Esther through her school-day routine. By the time 7:45 arrived, both Esther and Camryn were dressed for their day. Esther didn’t ask why her mother was wearing black dress slacks and a tailored white blouse. Maybe she just figured Cam was dressing up for the chickens. At any rate, Camryn didn’t tell her the plan for the day and quickly ushered her onto the bus. If she drove the speed limit, Cam could make the nine o’clock meeting time Brooke had set.