Their Secret Baby Bond

by Stephanie Dees

  He turned around. “Coming?”

  She followed him onto the porch, heart slamming in her chest. No, no, no, no. It was not possible for her to be falling for Latham Grant again.

  Not possible at all.

  Chapter Ten

  Latham snagged the basketball out of the air and dribbled down the concrete pad at Red Hill Farm to the other end for a layup. He caught the rebound and bounced it back to Joe, who dribbled slowly toward the centerline. The sky was clear and blue—a warm gift of a winter’s day with just enough of a breeze to be amazing.

  “You’re a little bit off today.” He stepped into Joe’s personal space, arms up, determined not to let him get a shot off.

  “You try not sleeping for a week and see how well you play basketball.” From the three-point line, Joe tossed the ball and it didn’t even make it to the goal.

  “Air ball.” Latham scooped up the ball as it rolled down the court. “Dude, c’mon. I gotta work off all the chocolate cake Aunt Mae’s been feeding me.”

  “Basketball isn’t my sport. I’m definitely better at soccer.” Joe halfheartedly waved his arms in front of Latham’s face.

  “Are you, though?” From the free throw line, Latham sunk his shot. “You’ve had newborns before. What gives?”

  Joe picked up the rebound, dribbled. “My wife hadn’t just had a baby. It’s different, trust me. You should listen, given the fact that you’re dating my sister. My pregnant sister.”

  Latham blocked the shot and stole the ball. Joe was built, but Latham probably had at least a couple of inches on him. He took it down the court and did another layup. “You’re making this too easy. And I’m not dating your sister.”

  Joe grinned. “Maybe, but you want to.”

  Latham narrowed his eyes at his best friend from childhood before passing the ball to him with a shrug. “I guess that’s fair.”

  Joe dribbled slowly, his back to Latham. “Claire and I both thought, we’ve got this. We know what we’re doing. We’ve had ten kids in one house before—one more baby isn’t that big a deal. Wrong. This kid never sleeps.”

  Joe took a shot, and this time it went in. “You have no idea.”

  Latham went after the rebound and dribbled the ball. He honestly hadn’t thought about what it would be like after Wynn’s baby was born. He should have, especially after he’d felt her move last week: one of the most unbelievably amazing moments of his life.

  He let the ball drop and bounce back from one hand to the other, imagining himself walking the floor with a tiny screaming baby. He shrugged. It didn’t seem like that big a thing.

  “Are we going to play, or are we done?” Joe scowled at Latham from across the court. He didn’t look like he was ready to play. He looked like he was ready for a nap.

  “We’re done.” Latham stuck the ball under one arm and walked toward the house, his mind still on what Joe had said. He liked babies. He liked Wynn. It was no big deal.

  And he was really getting ahead of himself. Wynn hadn’t given him any indication that she wanted the same thing out of this relationship that he did. Other than kissing him back that one time. He grinned. There was that.

  He tossed Joe the ball. “I’ve got a few things to do at the cottage. It’s almost finished.”

  “Come get a drink first.”

  The little boy, Matthew, who’d helped Latham measure the first day he’d come to check out the cottage came running up. “I finished my homework, Chief.”

  Joe ruffled the boy’s hair. “Good job. I’ll check your math when I come inside.”

  “Can I play?” The little boy was fairly vibrating with pent-up energy.

  “Yes. Go.” Joe laughed as Matthew gave a banshee yell and ran to meet the other kids on the play set. “To think I was worried that he would never talk to us. He’s firmly entrenched in the family now.”

  “Stopped trying to escape every thirty seconds?”

  Joe glanced back at Latham. “Oh yeah, I forgot he ran to the cottage that time. He’s been so protective of Claire since we got home from the hospital, he’s hardly left her side.”

  In the backyard, Pop was at his spot at the picnic table with one of the girls next to him. Joe nodded at them. “Penny loves Pop. She calls him her ‘grandpa.’”

  “He loves to come out here and be with the kids. I think it gives him a sense of purpose. He’s been better, too. More engaged in life, if that makes sense.”

  “It does. I can see it when I talk to him. Hang on, I’ll be right back with a drink.” Joe disappeared into the house.

  Latham’s Aunt Mae was sitting in one of the porch rockers with a tiny baby on her chest. She’d made herself an indispensable part of life the last two weeks that she’d been here. He was going to miss her when she had to go back to Michigan. He snagged the chair next to her. “Claire and Joe’s baby?”

  “Yes. The toddlers are sleeping, so I told Claire to go take a nap, that I would watch Frankie for her.”

  The baby was wrapped up like a mummy with a tiny cap on her head. Her eyes were closed, and she had long dainty lashes and a tiny pink mouth. She would fit in one of his hands. And he wondered, had he ever spent so much time thinking about babies?

  The serene pond and the little cottage with fresh gray siding were just beyond the barn. Wynn was sitting on the porch steps, having an animated chat with one of the teenage girls. He chuckled to himself as she stood up and did some kind of weird dance and collapsed back to the porch, laughing with Aleecya.

  Aunt Mae’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Robert looks like he’s doing better today than he was last night.”

  Latham nodded. “He does seem better. He used to have episodes like that a lot more often, where he was agitated and nothing I did could calm him down. I think he’s better in general since he’s been coming here.”

  Mae rocked a few times. “I like being here, too. I like Red Hill Springs.”

  “You could move here,” he said idly, his eyes returning to watch the kids play in the yard.

  She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Well, I don’t really have a reason to stay in Michigan, now that Larry’s gone. The kids are at opposite ends of the country, and they could just as easily come and visit me here.”

  He slowly spun around, so he could see her. She was a petite woman, who at seventy-two looked more like she was fifty-two. “Are you saying you want to move in with us?”

  His aunt shrugged, shifting the baby into a different position as she started squirming. “I could buy a little house somewhere nearby, but if I live at your house, it will free you up a lot more. I know you had to give up the work you wanted to do and it’s been really hard for you to have friends. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to help you. Larry was sick for so long.”

  He couldn’t let her feel guilty for something she had no control over. It wasn’t fair. “Aunt Mae, I don’t regret missing anything to be with Pop.”

  “I know you don’t, sweetheart. And I know you’re lucky to have each other. I just thought I might be able to ease things for you, just a little bit. Plus, I miss my brother.”

  Latham took her free hand between both of his. “I would love to have you move into the ranch house but don’t move here for me and Pop, move here because it’s what’s best for you.”

  She nodded. Her eyes, the exact brown of his, were shining. “That’s what I’ll do. It will take me some time to pack my things, but I plan to keep the house in Michigan so we can vacation there when it’s too hot to breathe in Alabama.”

  “Perfect. Pop is going to be so happy.” He hugged his aunt gingerly, as the baby’s dark blue eyes blinked open, and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m happy.”

  “I’m happy, too, now that I have a plan.” Aunt Mae stood up and bounced. No longer just squirming, Baby Frankie was fussing in earnest, her little pink mouth primping. �
�I think it’s time to take her inside to Claire. Latham, thank you. I never thought at seventy-two that I’d be moving across the country and starting over, but I’m so excited. I can’t wait to start my new life. And, young man, I think it’s about time you started yours, too.”

  Latham sat back in the rocking chair. He wasn’t sure what his aunt was talking about, but as he looked to the cabin, he saw Wynn grab the hand of the teenager she was talking to, then pull her up the steps and into the cottage. Would Wynn be a part of his new life, or was that just a silly dream that he should’ve let go of a long time ago?

  * * *

  Wynn dragged one of the boxes labeled Pots and Pans into the kitchen. Everything she owned had been in storage for the last few months. She didn’t even remember what was in the boxes.

  Aleecya lifted a stack of plates and began unwrapping them. “These are really pretty.”

  Wynn glanced over from the box she was opening. “I love those pale yellow plates. I bought one place setting every time I got paid for my whole first year working.”

  “That’s so cool. Mama Claire said you went to college up north and then worked in Washington, DC.” Aleecya put a stack of plates into the cabinet.

  “I did.” Wynn pulled out the deepest drawer and put the pots she’d stacked on the counter into it.

  “What was it like? I want to get away from here so bad.” Aleecya’s dark brown eyes were focused on faraway dreams, and Wynn had to work at not being a bubble-burster.

  “I had a lot of dreams, and some of them came true.” She stopped, a pot lid clasped against her chest, and tried to answer Aleecya’s question. “It was cool, living in DC. There’s a real sense that it’s the place where things get done. It was exciting to be a part of it.”

  “I want to live in a big city. I want a job in one of those skyscrapers.” Aleecya pulled brown paper off the plates, stacking them carefully onto the counter.

  The last thing Wynn wanted to do was step on anyone’s parenting toes, but Aleecya was waiting for her to say something. She took a deep breath. “There’s some things you can do to make your dreams come true. Study hard. Participate in clubs and be a leader. Get a scholarship to college and then keep studying hard and being a leader there. That’s what opens doors in the long run.”

  “I will, I promise.” Aleecya put another stack of plates into the cabinet. “You’re so cool. I hope I can be like you someday.”

  Wynn winced. “You mean, moving into a three-room cottage that my brother and sister-in-law own because I got pregnant and came home? I’m no role model, Aleecya.”

  The teenager’s eyes went huge and dark and wary. And Wynn felt awful. She made herself relax and smile. “Here’s the thing. You have your whole life ahead of you. Make plans. Don’t let anyone stop you. You can do whatever you set your mind to.”

  Aleecya shrugged one shoulder. “I’m just a foster kid. I don’t even know how to apply for scholarships and stuff like that. It’s easy when you have parents who care about you.”

  When Wynn had seen that notice in the paper that the man she loved was engaged to someone else, she had literally felt her heart break. She felt a similar ache right now. Aleecya had stars in her eyes, but she didn’t believe she had the power to reach them.

  “Somewhere in one of these boxes, I have a notebook. When I get moved in, we’ll start a dream planner for you. Not wishes. Dreams. And plans to make those dreams come true. You can do whatever you set your mind to.” Wynn touched Aleecya’s arm and willed her to believe in herself. Believe that she was meant to be so much more than just a foster kid. “I’ll help you. I promise.”

  A soft knock at the door caught both of them off guard. Latham stepped through the opening. “Aleecya, Pop’s ready to help you do your homework.”

  The teenager hesitated.

  Wynn gave Aleecya a quick, fierce hug and flicked her thumb at the door. “Get out of here. Do some math. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Thanks.”

  Wynn nodded. “Anytime.”

  When Aleecya was gone, Wynn picked up a stack of dishes and turned to put them in the cabinet. “How much of that did you hear?”

  Latham ambled into the room. “Enough. You gave her good advice, but more important, you gave her hope.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not the person she needs to be looking up to.”

  He took the stack of bowls from the counter and put them on the cabinet shelf. “You don’t have to be perfect, Wynn. You recognized you were going in a direction you didn’t want to go and you were brave enough to correct your course. You’re exactly the kind of person the girls need as a role model.”

  She stared at him for a moment, unmoving. Then picked up another stack of bowls and placed them in the cabinet. “It’s nice of you to say that.”

  He leaned on one elbow on the counter, deceptively lazy. “I know success feels better than struggle, but I also know that people who fail and get up again and keep going—those are the people who succeed in the end. Those are the people who those kids up there need, because their lives aren’t easy. They come from a hard place, and what they need to know is there are people who’ve walked that path before them. You’re showing them there’s a future for them.”

  “Yes, but what happened to them wasn’t their fault. I did this to myself. I gambled my future on someone who didn’t—” She broke off the thought and the words. “Look, I don’t want to talk about this.”

  “Maybe you did this to yourself, but you’re changing your life.” He smiled, and at that moment, she could’ve kissed him. Or punched him. She wasn’t sure which, but she was leaning toward punching him. “Am I? Or was I just forced to make changes?”

  She let her hands drop to her sides.

  He shook his head. “You’re so frustrating to me. The person who you are hasn’t changed. You’re still the dreamer, the idealist, the passionate world-changer. You can still change the world—maybe not from Washington, DC—but I challenge you to find a group of people more deserving of their world being changed than those kids up there. And for that matter, a group of people who are more dedicated to changing the world than Joe and Claire.” He glanced at his watch. “I gotta go. I have a job this afternoon.”

  “It’s Saturday.”

  “Yes, it is. You’re not the only person whose life didn’t go according to plan. So deal with it.” He was scowling at her, and she burst out laughing.

  “So deal with it?”

  “Yes.” The scowl faded, replaced by a hint of his usual geniality. “I mean it.”

  “Oh, I know.” She leaned into the box and pulled out the next item, wrapped in paper.

  “I’m going to work.” He started toward the door.

  The scowl had lifted from his face, but his frustration troubled her. “I’ll be here. I’m going to finish unpacking these boxes, and tomorrow I’m going to be upstairs in the studio. I can’t wait.”

  She let him get to the door before she said, “Latham. I love my house. Thank you.”

  “No need.”

  As he left, he held the door open for seven-year-old Penny, who skipped in. Wynn didn’t think she’d ever seen that child without a smile on her face. She was sweetness personified. “What’s up, Shiny Penny?”

  “Mama Claire said to tell you if you get hungry to come up for supper. One of the church ladies made a casserole.”

  “Church lady casserole. My favorite.” Wynn smiled and popped open the next box.

  “Are you going to come to church with us in the morning now that you live here?”

  Wynn’s stomach lurched. “Ah, I hadn’t thought about it.”

  “Why not?”

  If anyone had asked her, she would have never said that you shouldn’t go to church unless you have your life together. Did you tell a seven-year-old that you weren’t into going to church because you were starti
ng to show and didn’t want to be judged for your unplanned pregnancy?

  Penny smiled and patted Wynn on the hand. “You can sit by me.”

  When Penny said it, it sounded simple. Just sit by me.

  So, Wynn said yes.

  Chapter Eleven

  Wynn sat in her car outside the church, staring at the doors as people poured in from around town. Having just unpacked all her boxes from her apartment in DC, she’d thought surely she could find something to wear. For an hour, she’d tried things on and discarded them onto the floor.

  Everything felt wrong. It didn’t help that her stomach had apparently picked today to pop out. There was no hiding her condition now—but maybe that was for the best. She’d just lay it all out there, let them judge her.

  She expected the whispers, the veiled insults, the barely hidden fingers pointing in her direction. After all, she’d left town to make something of herself and she’d come home in disgrace, with nothing to show for it except a failed romance and an unplanned pregnancy.

  Why wouldn’t they judge her? Hadn’t she judged them for never leaving the small town they’d grown up in?

  Her hands were white-knuckled on the steering wheel. All she had to do was put the car in gear and drive away. She had her hand on the gearshift, but then the door to the church opened. A small figure wearing a baby blue gingham dress with black Mary Janes and little white lace-edged socks stepped out and stood by the stairs.

  Penny’s sweet blue eyes lit up every time she saw a car turn into the parking lot, and her face fell every time she realized it wasn’t Wynn.

  Wynn took a deep breath. Everything in her wanted to run away, but that precious little girl on the porch steps was waiting for her. She might be willing to let herself down, but there was no way she was letting Penny down.

  She stepped out of the car and smoothed down the navy blue swing dress she’d finally settled on this morning. With a stubborn set to her chin, she started for the front door of the church.

  As she reached the steps, Penny met her at the bottom. “Hi, Aunt Wynn. I like your dress.”