“Ga—”
She opened the passenger door and grinned at him. “I’ll take that as a ‘Wow, I hope so.’”
After getting him out of the car seat, she reached for the diaper bag and slid the strap over her shoulder. “And you get to show off today, mister. You’re the man. Taking your first steps is a very big deal.”
A first kiss from Justin would have been a big deal, too, but not in a good way.
“You’re getting heavier every day, pal.” She moved through the parking lot toward the center’s backdoor. “It’s a good thing you’re starting to walk. Your daddy doesn’t have a problem lifting you because he’s strong.”
Emma shivered at the thought, but chalked it up to the cloudy gray sky and chilly wind that blew from the north.
“Da—”
“Yes, Da.” She kissed his cheek. “You are too cute. Go easy on Danielle. I like her and her mom.”
After opening the door, Emma moved past the office and storeroom to the big open play area where a quick glance told her the majority of moms and babies were already gathered. She stopped at the cubbies on the wall and removed Kyle’s jacket then stored it along with the diaper bag.
A few moments later, she took the last empty spot in the play circle and sat cross-legged on the floor with Kyle in her lap. Maggie and Danielle were to her left.
There was no teacher for this particular class; it was about moms and babies socializing and the children learning to share. The toys were blocks, simple four-to-six-piece wooden puzzles and shapes to introduce basics and increase major muscle development. She’d been to a few sessions and was getting to know the mothers, who seemed to be accepting her.
“Hi, everyone,” she said, glancing around. There was a chorus of greetings in response. “How are you, Maggie?”
“Good. Look, Danielle—Kyle is here.” She dropped a kiss on the top of her daughter’s head. “What’s up, Emma?”
“Not much,” she lied.
“You look tired.”
“Maybe a little.” Wow, was this woman perceptive.
Maggie was a pretty brunette, petite and fragile-looking, but looks could be deceiving. She was a widow; her husband had been a soldier and died in Afghanistan several months before his daughter was born. It took a lot of strength to get through that alone and run a business, too. And she always seemed cheerful, although her beautiful brown eyes held a soul-deep sadness.
The sadness disappeared when a gleam stole into those eyes. “So, taking this little guy to the pumpkin patch last night wore you out?”
The only way she could know that was if she’d been there. “I didn’t see you.”
“I saw you.” The teasing tone implied she’d seen more than that.
“Me, too.” Lindsay Griffin watched her ten-month-old son crawl toward the toys in the center of the group. A blue-eyed redhead wearing square black glasses, she had the eager look of feminine curiosity. “What’s it like to live with hunky Dr. Flint?”
Emma felt her cheeks burn as she realized at least two of these women had seen her hugging Justin. Why hadn’t she noticed them?
Duh. She’d been a little preoccupied trying to ignore the fact that he’d held her just a little too long. After that, she was concerned with doing damage control. Trying not to get fired after letting her emotions get out of control had been her priority. But apparently there was still more damage control to do.
She glanced around the circle. Half the moms closest to her waited impatiently for her answer. The other half were too far away to hear and were chatting among themselves.
“I’m not living with Justin. He hired me to care for Kyle.”
Maggie held her daughter’s hands as the little girl in her pink flowered dress and white tights stood. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but the two of you occupy space under the same roof, no?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re living with him,” Lindsay said, like a trial lawyer who got something out of a hostile witness. “How is it?”
“A job,” she answered carefully.
“So you are attracted,” the redhead persisted.
“I didn’t say that, either.” She helped Kyle stand, then let his hands rest on her palms so he had the illusion of holding on.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Plump, blonde Rachel Evans hugged her look-alike, curly-haired daughter, Casey.
“No.” Emma saw no point in adding that she’d been engaged and it didn’t go well.
“So there’s nothing standing in your way if you decided to go with the attraction,” Lindsay chimed in.
Maybe she should share a few details to throw them off the scent. Evidence that she had no interest in anything serious. “I was engaged in California but he was cheating on me.”
“Jerk.” Lindsay turned up her nose.
“Actually, that’s too good for him. He’s a scumbag weasel dog,” Emma clarified and they laughed.
“I’m sensing that you’re not in the mood for love.” Maggie looked as if she understood not wanting to go there.
“Exactly.” Emma nodded for emphasis. “Especially with my employer. Very unprofessional.”
“Let me get this straight.” Lindsay pushed her glasses up more firmly on her nose when her little guy knocked them off center. “You live in the same house and care for his son. There’s cooking and light housekeeping involved.”
“That’s right.”
“What do you get out of it?”
“A paycheck,” she answered dryly.
“Of course, but—” Lindsay tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. “Isn’t it a lot like being married without the fringe benefits?”
“No. He’s my boss and pays me very generously to take care of this beautiful little boy.” She watched Kyle and Danielle crawl to the center of the circle and pick up blocks, then hold them out to each other.
Emma looked past Maggie and met the redhead’s gaze. “Even if I were interested, he’s not. He’s a grieving widower and may never want another relationship.”
“Good point.” The sad look was back in Maggie’s eyes and she nodded her understanding. Better than anyone here she knew how much love and loss hurt.
“I’ve heard that a man who’s been married once is more likely to take the plunge again,” Lindsay said.
“I don’t get the impression that Justin is open to that.” Emma remembered her first interview when he came right out and said he wasn’t looking for a wife. However, sharing that information wasn’t something she would do. “It’s just a job.”
“That’s not what it looked like in the pumpkin patch last night.” Lindsay stared over the top of her glasses.
“Kyle took his first steps. That was exciting.” She was telling most of the truth.
“It looked awfully personal.” Lindsay’s expression indicated she expected all the details. “It seems to me—”
“All right, give Emma a break,” Maggie interrupted good-naturedly. “Let’s change the subject. Is Ryder still waking up every night? He could be teething.”
Thank God the conversation shifted from her, and Emma sent Maggie a grateful look. The subject had changed but Emma couldn’t stop thinking about it. Hugging Justin was a fringe benefit that she’d be better off without because the memory of it was driving her crazy.
She loved Kyle so much and leaving him would be very hard. But falling for his father would make the current situation even worse. It was frustrating because she’d done her best to put distance between them. Then she promptly forgot all of that and threw herself into his arms in the excitement of a baby’s first steps. If he hadn’t hugged her back, she’d just be embarrassed. Now she was all kinds of confused.
The rest of the playtime hour flew by and before she knew it, the session was over. The moms said g
oodbye and picked up their babies to leave. But Kyle and Danielle were still happily playing on the floor.
Maggie stood and smiled. “They’re so sweet together, aren’t they?”
“I know what you mean. They do seem to have a special bond.”
“I hate to break this up, but I’m pretty sure the learning center will need the space for the toddlers in the next class.”
Emma laughed. “These two would get mowed down by the bigger kids.”
“That could ruin their whole day.” Maggie looked at her watch. “It’s almost noon. Why don’t we take them to get something to eat?”
“You’re not working today?”
“After lunch. I drop Danielle off at my mom’s before going to the ice-cream parlor. I’ll need to get something into both of us before that.”
“If you’re sure, I’d love to.” Emma liked this woman a lot and felt they could be friends if she stayed. And if she didn’t, that would be one more thing to regret. But, again, not today. “Where?”
Maggie tapped her lip. “You know the Grizzly Bear Diner is only a couple doors up, so we can walk. We don’t have to load the kids into car seats to get somewhere and the food is good. Any objections?”
More than you could possibly know, Emma thought before saying, “Let’s do it.”
Chapter Seven
Emma walked into the Grizzly Bear Diner and automatically looked at the counter where Michelle and Alan Crawford spent a lot of time talking to the regulars. They weren’t there, probably because there were no customers occupying the swivel chairs. It was just after the breakfast crowd and before the lunch rush, which meant the owners might not be here and she was sort of hoping she didn’t have to see them. She wasn’t ready yet.
Wendy, the thirtysomething hostess, showed them to a booth before bringing over two high chairs. With Kyle in one arm resting on her hip, she dropped the diaper bag on the booth bench seat and pulled out an antiseptic wipe. Then she proceeded to wash the plastic high chair tray and laughed when she saw Maggie doing the same thing.
Emma said to the hostess, “This isn’t about not trusting you to clean off every last microbe. It’s the only way to be sure.”
“I’m not judging,” Wendy answered, clearly not insulted. “It’s a mom thing. What can I get you?”
“Coffee?” She looked at the other woman, who nodded.
“Coming right up. Your server will be with you shortly.”
“Thanks.”
“A mom thing,” Maggie commented thoughtfully, settling Danielle in the chair. She fastened the strap and arranged the tray so it was snug but not too tight. When she looked up there was a gleam in her eyes. “She’s new in town. Otherwise she would know you’re the hunky doctor’s nanny.”
“Actually, not his nanny. I take care of Kyle.”
“Whatever.” Maggie waved her hand in dismissal. “You’re an awesome nanny or she wouldn’t have mistaken you for Kyle’s mom. You take good care of him.”
“It’s what I’m paid to do.”
“Technically. But there’s an obvious emotional connection, too.”
“I have a connection with all the children I’m responsible for.”
“Okay. I won’t push the issue,” Maggie said. “But it’s there for all the world to see.”
Emma settled the little boy in his chair and gave him a cracker to keep him busy. He immediately handed it to the baby girl in the chair right next to his. The two of them were side by side at the end of the booth.
“Is that the sweetest thing?” Maggie’s expression turned tender. “He’s going to leave a trail of broken hearts behind him when he grows up and I just hope he spares my daughter.”
“They’ll be good buddies.” Emma didn’t think she would be around to see it, though. “That’s so much better than anything romantic.”
“No kidding.” The other woman’s dark eyes filled with a wistful sorrow when she looked at Danielle. “Never falling in love means a lot less crying.”
“Yeah. That’s sort of my motto.” Emma’s heart twisted as she looked at the young woman across the table from her and realized she’d been through so much worse. “I’m so sorry about your husband.”
“You know about Danny.” It wasn’t a question.
“I brought Kyle into the shop for frozen yogurt and talked to Diane and Norm Schurr. They told me about him.”
“My regulars. Older couple who keep fit and come in for a treat once a week,” Maggie said. “I think they just want to check up on me.”
“Nice couple.” They had the love, respect and years together that most people yearned for. “We started chatting and, just so you know, I did tell them I’m not Kyle’s mother.”
“Honesty is the best policy.”
Mostly, Emma thought. She glanced past Maggie to the diner counter, but still didn’t see either Michelle or Alan. Her stomach knotted and she did her best to hide it.
“Diane pointed out the picture hanging on the wall behind the cash register of you and your husband, taken the day Potter’s Ice-Cream Parlor opened.”
Maggie smiled, a faraway expression in her eyes. “He loved ice cream and there wasn’t anything like it in Blackwater Lake. So, when we were looking to start a business, that’s what we did. He was here at the grand opening and had about six months left until getting out of the army.” She handed Danielle a cracker and the corners of her mouth turned up when the little girl gave it to Kyle. “Danny was so excited about becoming a father.”
As words of comfort went through Emma’s mind, she immediately dismissed each one. She met the other woman’s gaze.
“I’m sure you’ve heard all the platitudes. He’s her guardian angel. Watching over both of you from heaven. He’s in a better place.” She shook her head in frustration, remembering how it was after her mother died. “People mean well and are just trying to console. But, Maggie, it officially sucks that you were robbed of a life with him and your daughter is going to grow up without knowing her father.”
“Thank you for that.” Maggie looked genuinely amused. “I’m so tired of people feeling sorry for me. I hate that the whole town thinks of me as ‘the widow.’”
“So, you’re ready to move on?”
“It’s not something you get ready for. I had a baby. Under the circumstances you just do it.”
Emma looked at the two little ones happily chattering in a language only a one-year-old could understand. The father of this little boy was a widower. “You and Justin both understand how it feels to lose a spouse. Maybe—”
Maggie held up a hand. “Don’t go there. I’m doing great without yucky love stuff messing everything up.”
“Don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel.”
The other woman laughed. “And I’ll tell you something else. I like you, Emma Robbins.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
But Emma experienced a surge of relief that her friend wasn’t interested in Justin. Jealousy wasn’t a very good foundation for friendship. And friendship wasn’t something she’d anticipated when making the decision to stay in town a little longer. Not that she was isolating herself on the English moors like a gothic heroine from a Charlotte Brontë novel. But the longer she was here, the more regrets she would have about leaving people behind when she was gone.
“Good.” Maggie leaned forward, a conspiratorial gesture. “Because I’d like to talk to you. There’s something I’ve been thinking about.”
“Oh?”
“The crafts store next to Potter’s parlor just closed its doors forever. The owners are moving to Texas to be near their daughter. I’m thinking about leasing the space.”
“To expand the ice-cream business?”
“Expanding, yes, but it’s not a lateral move, more of a branching out and comp
lementing what I’m already doing.” Maggie gave her daughter a sippy cup of water and the child eagerly grabbed it.
Emma did the same for Kyle. “I need a little more information if you want feedback. No pun intended.”
She kept an eye on the diner behind her friend. The owners had just come out from the back and were involved in a conversation behind the counter.
“I’m thinking of adding food to the menu,” Maggie said. “Sandwiches, maybe quiche. Soup and salad. Healthy choices.”
“Something fast but nutritious,” Emma guessed.
“Exactly. But I don’t want to poach business from the diner. Michelle and Alan Crawford are friends.”
Just then Wendy brought two cups and saucers and poured coffee in them from the pot she carried. “The menus are right there on the table when you’re ready to order. Do you need cream?”
Both women nodded and she left again.
Emma picked up where her friend had left off. “I’d think both businesses are different. This is a sit-down-and-order place. More leisurely. You’re talking about order, pick up and go, for people in a hurry.”
“Exactly.”
“I’d talk to the Caldwells.” Technically she was a Caldwell, too, and she felt a sort of weird protectiveness for the people she barely knew.
“I planned to. But first I’m going to run it by Brady.”
“Who?”
“My brother. Brady O’Keefe. He’s the one in the family with business flair.” Maggie was obviously proud of him. “He has an internet conglomerate that he runs remotely from his house. It’s a really big house.”
“Wow. He sounds like a very impressive guy.”
“Hmm.” Maggie tapped her lip, a speculative look in her eyes. “Speaking of setting people up...”
“Who was talking about setups?” Emma tried to look innocent.
“You. My brother is a bachelor. Never been married.”
“And, to quote you, never falling in love means a lot less crying. God knows I’ve done enough.”
“So that’s how it is. Bad experience?”
“Like I said during the group, lying weasel dog.” Emma figured she’d dodged a bullet there. “I’ve sworn off men.”
Finding Family...and Forever? Page 9