The Baby Bargain (Men of Maine Series Book 3)

by Diana Tobin

  “Don’t worry, bro,” Ethan bumped his shoulder against Marc’s. “You’ll have all week to discuss your feelings with the girls.”

  “Listen, peg leg, don’t think I’ll take it easy on you.” Marc threw a friendly arm across Ethan’s shoulders as they headed for the food table, laughing and talking smack to each other.

  JC stood where he was as Lynn reached to take Noah Webster from his father’s arms.

  “Hey, handsome! How’s my favorite little man?”

  “Me big boy,” Noah insisted.

  “You certainly are,” Lynn agreed. “And, now I got you wet. Oopsy.” Noah giggled, gave Lynn a loud smack on the lips, then wiggled to get down. She turned to Gusta and held out her hands. “Gimme. Let me hold that darling baby girl while you eat in peace.” Glancing down at a jumping Noah, she added, “Semi-peace.”

  “Are you sure?” Gusta hesitated before handing over the baby.

  “I love being with your children,” Lynn declared. She wrapped the quilt around her to keep from getting the baby wet. “Now, hand her over, and enjoy yourself. I’m going to.” She cradled baby Emma to her chest, cooing to the bundle in her arms as she walked away.

  Something tightened in JC’s chest at the sight of Lynn holding the baby. Never would he have expected to see the sophisticated Lynn Baxter dripping with lake water, mud to her knees, and cuddling a baby like it was the most precious being on earth.

  The woman was full of surprises.

  Now, he had to decide which way to run: as far away as possible, or straight toward her.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Four days after the holiday party, Lynn was still thinking how much fun the day had been. It had also been an emotional day. She’d spilled her guts to her sister. Rather than being disgusted with Lynn’s poor choices, Micki had been supportive, comforting, and encouraging. Then, her brother had been a total goofball, dumping her into the lake.

  The water had been freezing, but the act itself was such a normal brother-sister deal she hadn’t cared. They’d never had a chance to be so playful as kids and teens. In fact, if Marc had done something like that when Lynn was in high school, she’d have been mortified. Worried about her makeup running, her hair being a drippy mess, and her clothes soggy and clinging.

  Monday, she hadn’t cared. She’d even taken it a step further by plastering herself to JC Benjamin. She hadn’t lied when she’d told him he looked hot. Hoping he’d taken it temperature-wise, she’d actually meant his fit body, slightly too-long hair, and hint of dimples made her hot. She’d had an irrational urge to eat him up, but settled for pressing her wet body to his. Before she could make more of a fool of herself she’d gone to greet the Websters.

  Who wouldn’t love the unadulterated joy of a three-year-old? Noah had greeted her with open arms and a smacking kiss and a plea to get wet in the lake like her. Web had sidetracked his son with joining the rest of the men, leaving Lynn to snatch baby Emma from her mother. Lynn had spent most of the day carrying around the baby and showing her off as if she were her own. At one point, Lynn had climbed into the hammock Micki and Ethan had strung between two trees, lulling the baby to sleep. Content to gaze down at the precious bundle, Lynn had ignored everyone else.

  Lynn hadn’t meant to be rude, and doubted anyone present saw it that way. She was simply caught up in the baby and the feelings the new little life evoked in her. Better to think about the baby than the way JC made her feel.

  She knew he didn’t much like her; leftover feelings from high school. Not that he’d had feelings for her back then, other than amusement at annoying her. He’d been nice to her at her mother’s wedding and she’d enjoyed their time together that evening. But, she knew it wasn’t going anywhere. He hadn’t spoken to her at the Memorial Day picnic except when she’d come out of the lake and tackled him.

  Lynn drew in a deep breath and blew it out. JC didn’t have to like her, he didn’t have to be friends with her, or anything more. The last thing she needed in her life was a man. She had enough to worry about and was working on getting her life back on an even keel. She would also stop pining for a baby of her own. She was young and had plenty of time to find a man and have children. Purposely, she ignored the fact when she pictured her own children they had blond hair, blue eyes, and dimples.

  “Mom called.” Marc stepped into the back room of Moose-ley Coffee where Lynn was rolling out cookie dough. “She and Wil are coming home tomorrow. They’d like us all to come for dinner.”

  “Was she surprised you were still here?” Lynn was, and very pleased her brother had taken the week off to stay in town. He spent his nights at the house where he’d grown up, but came into the coffee shop each day to help Lynn until Dani arrived after school. He’d also spent time with Micki and Ethan, and the three siblings felt they’d made a real connection with each other.

  At his prodding, Lynn had repeated her story to Marc. He’d offered to help with expenses if she wanted to return to school or start a business of some sort. While she appreciated the offer, she felt she needed to make it on her own. She did promise to keep his offer in mind.

  Marc wasn’t as forthcoming with his life. When Lynn asked if his wife would be joining him now that he’d decided to spend more time in their hometown, he’d brushed it off, insisting it was better for the three of them to have time to get re-acquainted. Adding a spouse to the mix would be too distracting. Lynn felt there was more to it since Ethan, Dani, and Charley were part of the mix and Marc had no problem with them. Rather, he treated Ethan like a brother and doted on his nieces.

  “Mom was more surprised I was here at the shop. I do have to get back to work in Boston, which is why she insisted on all of us getting together for a meal.”

  Lynn cut out circles in the cookie dough, then cut the circles in half. “Since the weather’s been so nice all week we could do a repeat of Monday.” She glanced up at her brother. “You know, grill burgers. Micki and I can do side dishes.”

  “When Dani comes in I’ll go to the store.” The front bell rang and Marc stepped out to see who had come in. A few minutes later, their sister came into the back room.

  “Hi, Lynn. Marc says the newlyweds are coming home tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. Did he tell you Mom wants us all for dinner? That’ll be good since Marc has to get back to work.” She moved pieces of dough from her workspace to a cookie sheet. “I’m going to miss him.”

  “Me, too,” Micki said. “What are these going to be?” She indicated the half circles of dough.

  “Watermelon slices.”

  “Cute, but a lot of work. You need more cutters.”

  Lynn nodded her head in agreement, then the two got down to planning a menu.

  ○◊○

  Ethan, Marc, and Wil were supposedly manning the grill, drinking beer. Charley was hanging out with the men, drinking fresh raspberry-lemonade. She loved being with her new dad, Ethan, and her very new grandpa, Wil, but especially wanted to spend every minute possible with her Uncle Marc before he left for Boston.

  Lynn, Micki, and Dani were in the kitchen with Nettie. Lynn had made sangria for them to drink and Micki had made the raspberry-lemonade.

  “I don’t see why I can’t have sangria, too,” pouted Dani.

  “Let’s see,” said her mother, “because you’re not twenty-one, for starters.”

  “Kids in France drink wine.”

  “If we ever move to France we’ll adjust accordingly.”

  “Give it up, sweetie,” Lynn said. “You know you’re not going to win this one.”

  Dani beamed a smile. “I know. I just like messing with her.”

  “Oh, you!” Micki wrapped her arms around the teen, giving her a big squeeze. “I love you.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Dani squeezed back.

  “I wish you girls would let me help.” Nettie was sitting at the table sipping her wine.

  “Once the guys get the meat cooked, we’ll take everything to the table outside. The rest is done. We’r
e doing a repeat, of sorts, from the picnic Micki and Ethan hosted Memorial Day.”

  “You had a party?”

  Micki poured two glasses of sangria. “Spur of the moment deal. Just the family, the Websters, Rose, and JC. We gathered at the lake house so I got to show off my home-to-be. Or, what there is of the house.”

  “We’ve really enjoyed having Marc here this week.” Lynn joined her mother at the table. “But we want to hear about your honeymoon. That is, the PG version.”

  “We stayed at a lovely little place in Manchester, Vermont and toured the area. We went down to Bennington and saw the monument. Thank goodness there was an elevator to take us to the top. Or, nearly to the top. There are skinny windows on the observation deck and you can see for miles. The wind also comes in those windows so it gets pretty chilly. Still, it was very nice. And there were pretty moose all around the town.”

  “Moose? They were wandering through the town? What were you drinking when you went to Bennington, Mom?” Micki giggled.

  “Not real moose,” Nettie scoffed. “They’re fiberglass, I think. Some were painted plain colors, but others had scenes all over them. The one at the monument had a number of covered bridges on it. Where’s my phone? I’ll show you pictures.”

  “I’ll get it Gram,” Dani offered.

  “I’ve heard about Cheyenne doing something like that with boots. And, Grants Pass, Oregon has bears,” offered Lynn.

  “How do you know that?” Dani handed the phone to Nettie and they admired the pictures. “What else did you do?”

  “We drove up to Weston to browse through a little country store. They sold things I haven’t seen, or thought of, in years. A pretty little town with a gazebo in the park. We visited the Norman Rockwell Museum. Seeing his artwork was wonderful. There was a little gift shop and a small café. We had lunch on the covered patio.”

  “What made you choose Manchester?” asked Lynn.

  “A lot of people go there in winter for skiing. I’ve heard tourists talk about the shopping, too. The Batten Kill runs through town and there’s a nice little waterfall. We took a walk around town one evening after supper and the falls are lit up. I think my favorite thing, other than time with Wil, was Hildene.”

  “What’s Hildene?” asked Lynn.

  “You know about painted bears and boots but not Hildene?” Micki said.

  “My trivia knowledge is selective,” retorted Lynn.

  “Hildene is the home Robert Todd Lincoln built. He was President Abraham’s only surviving son. It’s like a southern plantation set in New England. We were able to tour the house and the gardens. Just lovely. They rent out the grounds for special occasions, such as weddings. In front of the house there is a brick outline of the cabin President Lincoln grew up in. So small. It’s amazing the number of people who lived in a building that small.

  “In a room upstairs is one of Abe’s stovepipe hats. In fact, it’s the one he wore when he gave the Gettysburg Address. It’s wonderful to see our history preserved like that.” Nettie showed them more pictures.

  “Maybe Ethan and I can get away and see it for ourselves one day.”

  “You should,” Nettie agreed.

  “Burgers are about done.” Wil popped into the kitchen. “You girls ready?”

  “Yes.” Lynn, hopped up from the table. “We’ll be right out with everything.”

  The family gathered around the table in the back yard and continued talking about the honeymoon while eating.

  “Mom,” Lynn said pointing to the steps leading into the house, “I don’t remember seeing that chunk of rock before.”

  “Yeah, honey,” Wil said. “Explain your keepsake. Good thing I’m not any older. Coulda given myself a hernia prying that thing out for you.”

  “There’s an old train depot near the edge of Manchester. Next door had been a hotel run by a woman whose husband had a little grocery store called Pop’s. Pop’s is now a café and the hotel burned down years ago. All that’s left of the hotel is some of the granite foundation stones. I saw that one,” Nettie pointed over her shoulder, “and asked Wil to dig it out for me. I didn’t realize how big it would be, but no one stopped us. I found it sweet that the couple had businesses across the street from each other. Wil’s shop and mine are around the corner from each other.”

  “A connection,” Lynn said softly.

  Nettie and Wil smiled at each other.

  “Thank you everyone.” Nettie met the gaze of each family member. “This was a lovely welcome home. Sit tight. We have a little something for each of you.” She returned in a moment carrying a square box.

  “Let me help you with that.” Wil stood to take the box from her.

  “Just because I made you dig up a hunk of granite doesn’t mean I can’t lift things.”

  Wil kissed Nettie’s cheek. “I know. You should’ve told me you wanted this out here.”

  Nettie emptied the box.

  “We went to a pottery shop in Bennington and, of course, I had to get mugs for each of you. Pick the one you want.”

  “You’ve got extras,” Lynn pointed out.

  “We got one for JC, to thank him for helping with the wedding decorations, and the last two are for Wil and me.”

  The group admired the mugs and slowly picked out the one each wanted.

  “Thanks Mom and Dad,” Lynn said. “This was really nice of you.” At the look on Wil’s face Lynn became concerned. “Wil, are you okay?”

  He blinked. “You called me Dad.”

  Lynn shot a quick glance at her brother and sister. “Is that okay with you?”

  Tears welled in Nettie’s eyes as Wil nodded. Finally, he managed to croak out, “Ayah!”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The days fell into a pattern and weeks flew by. It had been a month since her mother’s wedding and Lynn was content with her life. She opened Moose-ley Coffee each morning. An easy commute since she lived above the shop. Now that school was out, either Dani or Nettie would soon come in to help. Nettie also hired a college student for the summer, allowing them each to rotate days off.

  Lynn continued to bake her cookies, selling them along with the muffins and drinks in her mother’s shop. A large part of their business was due to tourists, but she hoped locals would come hire her for their own parties and gatherings. First, she needed more cookie cutters.

  Taking an afternoon off, Lynn went next door to her sister’s salon. “Do you have time to do my hair?” she asked Micki.

  “My next appointment isn’t for thirty minutes. You want a trim?”

  Lynn gathered the heavy mass of hair in one hand. “I want it off. I have to pin it up when I’m baking and it’s so heavy it gives me a headache.”

  “We should all have such problems, dear,” stated the elderly lady getting a manicure from Rose. The woman’s pink scalp could be seen through her thin hair.

  “I know,” Lynn sympathized. “We’re never happy with what we’ve got.” Turning back to her sister, she said, “It’s hot on my neck. I’m due for a change.”

  “Sis,” Micki winked at her, “this seems to be a year of changes for us all. Come have a seat.” She draped a moss green cape around Lynn and pulled her hair up to the top of her head. “Let’s show off this lovely neck of yours. Worst case,” she met her sister’s eyes in the mirror, “you grow it back out.”

  Micki led her to the shampoo bowls giving Lynn a nice scalp massage along with clean hair. When Lynn sat in the chair again, Micki turned her away from the mirror. “I want you to wait and see the end results.”

  “I trust you.” Lynn closed her eyes to better enjoy the pampering. “Could you spare Charley for a bit this afternoon? Mary Lou has today off.” She referred to the college student helping out. “I’m hoping Mom will go to the craft store with me. I don’t want to leave Dani alone in the shop, but I’d like to get some cookie cutters.”

  “I’m sure Charley would be glad to go over, but why don’t you call Gusta? She’d probably be glad to go with
you and get out of the house for a bit.”

  “Good idea. I’ll call her once we’re done. If not, Charley is my back up.”

  A few minutes later, Micki’s scissors stopped snipping and she rubbed product into Lynn’s hair before using the blow dryer to style her new cut. Then, she turned the chair to face the mirror and waited for Lynn’s reaction, biting her lip.

  Lynn’s eyes widened and she turned her head from side to side. A grin slowly spread across her face. “I love it! I feel like a fairy.” When Micki removed the cape Lynn hopped out of the chair and turned to face Rose and her customer. “What do you think?”

  “You look lovely, dear,” said the woman.

  Rose gave her a serious look. “Turn around, please. I want to see if you have wings on your back.” She smiled at Lynn. “You are the perfect example of a pretty fairy.”

  Lynn bowed with a flourish, thanking Rose and her client. Hugging Micki, she said, “Thanks, Sis. What do I owe you?”

  “Your smile does it all, but I wouldn’t mind a batch of your cookies, with one of your new cutters.” Micki tilted her head to one side. “Maybe I should have a plate of your cookies once a week. Treats for my customers, advertising for you.”

  “Deal,” agreed Lynn.

  By the time she’d returned to the coffee shop, Lynn had phoned Gusta who agreed to pick up Lynn and take her to her favorite craft store. Lynn was telling her mother and niece her plans when Gusta entered. “Ladies, I have exciting news. Okay, I’m excited and I hope you will be, too.” She focused on Lynn. “You cut your hair!”

  Lynn turned in a circle. “What do you think?”