by Sky Winters
“I thought we’d go out on the lake for a bit, if you like, Lorna.”
“Yes, Lorna! The lake!” C.J. chimed in, between mouthfuls of pancake.
“That would be lovely. It looks so beautiful from my window.”
“You’ll love it. It’s gorgeous this time of year with all the foliage in full bloom. Animals playing about near and in the water.”
“I like the turtles!” C.J. chimed in, her voice a bit muffled by the pancakes she was still smacking on.
“C.J., don’t talk with your mouth full!”
She closed her mouth and finished eating while Lorna and her father finished their own food and then jumped up and took off running toward the door. She was halfway there before she stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“May I be excused?”
“Ah, there’s the manners I taught her,” Buck exclaimed. “Yes. You may be excused.”
“I wonder where she’s off to?” Lorna mused.
“Probably to chase down her cat, the little minx.”
“Oh. There is an actual cat then.”
“Of course. What did you think she meant?” he replied before letting out a little laugh and relaxing in his seat. “Oh. You thought she meant her cat. No. She’s a shifter, but she can’t shift yet. She won’t be able to do that for a few more years.”
“I feel silly now.”
“No. Don’t. It’s a different world for you. I know that.”
“Does she know she can become a cat when she wants to, one day?”
“Yes. She knows. She’s very excited about it.”
“She’s a sweet little girl.”
“She is that. She’s normally quiet and reserved around strangers. I’m surprised at how well she’s taken to you so quickly,” he replied.
“I am too. Children don’t usually gravitate toward me like that. I don’t mind, though. She and I are going to be together here for a while. We might as well be playmates.”
“You planning on reliving your childhood Barbie adventures with her, are you?”
“I never owned any Barbies, so more like creating new ones.”
Buck look at her, a sadness evident in his eyes. Damn it, she thought. She hadn’t meant to make him feel sorry for what her childhood may or may not have been. It was just one of those thoughts that had tumbled out before she had a chance to stop it. They fell into a bit of awkward silence as they finished eating their food.
“How about we get on the lake?” he said.
“Sounds good,” she replied, adjourning to her room to change into something more appropriate for boating.
Walking down the steps a short time later in a pair of cream colored capri pants and a peach colored tank with her hair pulled up in a sleek ponytail, she was ready to get a bit of sunshine. C.J. met her at the bottom of the steps, immediately launching a protest.
“I want a ponytail too!”
“You have a braid,” her father replied, tapping something into his phone nearby - a text Lorna assumed.
“But I want a ponytail. Lorna has a ponytail. Look how pretty she is. I want to be pretty too.”
“Your braid is lovely, though, C.J. I think I rather have that. Can you braid hair?”
“No,” C.J. laughed. “Daddy can, though. He did mine. Daddy, braid Lorna’s hair too so we can be twins!”
Both Lorna and Buck looked at one another with wide eyed expressions. Lorna was about to try to salvage the situation by offering to redo C.J.s hair into a ponytail, but Buck surprised her by putting down his phone and walking over.
“Would you like a braid?” he asked.
“Sure. I’d love a braid.”
“Let’s get you one then,” he said, reaching up and beginning to braid her hair. “I’m going to need another band to hold the bottom,” he said in C.J.s direction.
“I’m on it!” she cheered, barreling up the stairs behind them.
“I’m sorry, Lorna. I know you aren’t used to children dictating your hair style choices. You don’t have to give into everything she wants, you know. I had to learn that the hard way.”
“Ah, what’s the harm? If it makes her feel better, I can live with a braid.”
C.J. reappeared down the stairs holding up a band. Lorna and Buck both looked at it, one of those small twist around kind with balls on either end. Printed on the balls were rainbow colored unicorns with sparkles splattered all about. Lorna laughed as he shrugged and wrapped it around the bottom of her braid.
“Remember, you said this was okay,” he told her as he finished up.
Lorna smiled and looked down at C.J. who was like a human smiley with the width of her own across her face. She nodded her approval and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the door.
“Let’s go, Lorna. You’re going to love the boat. It’s so cool!”
“Can I come too?” Buck said, still standing way back in the foyer, while they were already halfway toward the door.
“Yes, silly. You have to drive the boat.”
“Oh. Right. Glad to know you still have a use for me,” he chuckled.
The three of them headed out the front door and down a trail that led to a large boat house. Inside, there was a boat, but not at all what she had expected. She had thought it was a speed boat or maybe one of those smaller sized yachts. Instead, it was an old pontoon boat that looked like it had seen better days.
“She’s not a looker, but she’s sea worthy. It was my father’s. I am tempted to get a new one, but I don’t have time for two and can’t bear to part with this one.”
“Amanda?” Lorna asked, looking at the name on the side of the boat.
“My mother.”
“Makes sense. Shall we get underway then, Captain?” she asked, wanting to change the subject just in case the one of his parents was something he’d prefer not to dwell on.
“We shall. First mate, C.J., get on the boat!”
C.J. stepped over to the edge of the platform and waited while he lifted her up onto the boat. He held out his hand to Lorna and assisted her on next before climbing aboard himself. It wasn’t long until they were well off and out onto the lake. Lorna sat back on one of the benches, watching everything as they passed by. It was so peaceful, even with C.J. chattering away by her side.
“I can see why you love it out here,” she remarked to Buck as they made their way quietly along the massive lake.
“Not quite like the city, huh?” he said, laughing.
Lorna couldn’t help notice the soft lines that formed at the corners of his eyes as he continued to smile over at her. Despite their age difference, she could see how attractive he was. No doubt he had been peeling women off of him when he was younger. Perhaps under different circumstances, she might have been one of them. She supposed that was out of the question now, though. He had been pretty clear that a relationship didn’t interest him. Lorna had never been one to kick a dead horse.
After spending much of the morning on the water, they returned to the house for a light lunch. Lorna excused herself to take a nap. She had noted that being pregnant seemed to really drain her, despite the supplements she was taking. She was surprised when C.J. asked to go with her.
“Oh, honey. Why don’t we let Lorna get some rest by herself. I’ll go up and read to you in your room if you want to take a nap,” Buck told her.
A frown spilled across her pretty face, now screwed up into a pout. Still, she didn’t argue, instead just marching toward the steps with a displeased look.
“I guess that was a yes,” Buck laughed, shrugging his shoulders and following her.
Lorna laughed, following them up the steps and heading to her room, where she found that C.J. had already climbed into her bed and under the covers. The little girl smiled sheepishly above the covers as she entered. Before Lorna could speak, she could hear Buck calling for C.J. down the hallway, apparently having arrived in her room further down the hall and checked his own to discover her in neither place.
C.J. giggled as
she heard his footsteps approach, pulling the covers over her head. He knocked on the partially opened door and Lorna told him to enter.
“Have you seen C.J?” he asked, glancing around.
“Is she not in her room?” Lorna said, smiling at him as she pointed toward the lump in her bed.
“No. I think that maybe she’s run away,” he replied, making a face toward the bed. “I guess I’ll have to go out and look for her.”
C.J. didn’t move. They both stood there looking at her covered figure for a few moments and then Buck walked loudly over to the door and shut it so that it made a loud clicking noise. He stood there with his arms folded as C.J. popped out of the covers, already giggling at having fooled him. She stopped short when she spotted him there scowling down at her.
“What did I tell you, C.J.?”
“But I want to nap with Lorna!” she protested, her lower lip jutted out.
“It’s okay, Buck. If she wants to stay . . .,” Lorna said quietly.
“No. It’s not okay. C.J. cannot get what she wants just by demanding it,” he replied before turning back toward his daughter. “Isn’t that right, C.J.?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she replied, full of reluctance. “Can Lorna nap with us then?”
“C.J., you are the queen of awkward situations,” he replied, scooping her up and carting her out.
Lorna wasn’t sure what to make of it all. Kids usually steered clear of her, perhaps sensing that she didn’t really care for them. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids. She adored them, but they had just never been something she’d considered for herself, so perhaps she was a bit standoffish with those belonging to others. C.J. might just be the first child that had not only not steered clear of her, but actually seemed to want to be around her as much as allowed.
Of course, it made sense even more now why Buck wanted her to have a sibling. She seemed very lonely in some way, not unhappy, but a bit solitary. The thought slipped away as Lorna climbed into bed and drifted away to sleep.
Chapter 9
“Do you want to go into Los Angeles with me tomorrow?” Buck asked several days later at dinner.
“I’d love to. How long will you be there?” Lorna replied.
“Not long, just for the day. I have to take C.J. to her grandparents’ house in Beverly Hills. They usually take her for the summer and it’s that time.”
“The whole summer?” Lorna frowned, glancing at C.J. who was too involved with picking the marshmallows out of her Lucky Charms and eating them first to pay any attention to what they were saying.
“Well, two months.”
“Oh. I didn’t know she would be leaving,” Lorna said.
“I’d think you would be grateful for the break in playing four hundred million questions,” he said, laughing as he looked at her woeful face.
“I’ve gotten used to it,” she said, trying to minimize her affections for the little girl. She realized it did no one any good for her to get too attached and really hadn’t realized that she was until just now.
“Well, don’t worry. I’ve got an idea that might help pass the time, unless you’d like to continue playing Barbies alone until she gets back.”
“You mean you won’t play with me?” she asked in a serious tone.
“Not Barbies,” he replied coyly, catching her off guard and causing her to stumble over her words as she replied.
“I . . .uh, what was your idea?”
“A screenplay.”
“A screenplay? I don’t follow.”
“I thought we could work on a screenplay together.”
“I’m not a writer.”
“You don’t have to be. I’ll do the writing, but I realized from our talks since you’ve been here, that we have very similar interests in movies and television. I think that, together, we can come up with something worthwhile.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I just don’t think I’m nearly qualified to take on something like that.”
“You never know until you try. Come on. Be adventurous. Why sit around here for another eight months or so just waiting to have a baby, when you can be doing something worthwhile with your time. If it sells, we’ll split everything fifty/fifty. You don’t have to answer right this moment. Just think about it.”
“I’ll do that.”
In fact, it was all she did think about the rest of the day. She had never considered writing a movie rather than just being in one. She wasn’t a writer by trade, but working with someone who knew how to put her ideas and thoughts into words might work and even if nothing ever came from the endeavor, it would be fun and good experience to have. Of course, she doubted that merely switching from being an actress to a writer would overcome her Dallas Dalton problems. Then again, perhaps she could change her name and he’d not realize it was her until she had gotten somewhere with it.
In the end, she decided that it didn’t matter if it sold. It didn’t matter if she could use the experience to write again. She came to realize that she was more excited than anything about just the prospect of working one on one with Buck to achieve it. After finding out that he directed under a different name, she had known quite a bit of his work, but had looked up all of it. He had been very well-known in the industry and highly regarded, with a lot of successes on his plate.
The following morning found them up early and on their way to Los Angeles with C.J. in the backseat. She was intent on playing “I Spy” all the way and some of her sightings, when all guesses were used and her answer revealed were something she had seen twenty miles back or in her room at home. Buck tried to explain to her that wasn’t really how you played the game, as no one could guess something they could no longer see or maybe hadn’t seen at all, but that made no difference. Still, it passed the time.
“Are you coming in?” Buck asked when they stopped at his former in-laws’ house.
Lorna looked from him to the massive estate that loomed on her right and shook her head from side to side. “It’s no place for me. I’ll wait here.”
“Come on. They’ll love to meet you. They don’t bite. Besides, we might be a little while and it’s getting warm out here, too warm for you to be locked away in the car.”
“You could leave it running,” she suggested, but he wasn’t having it.
“Get out of the car, Lorna,” he said, walking around to open her door with a huge smile.
“I feel like this is going to be awkward.”
“Why?”
“Oh, you know. Wife’s parents, this is my baby mama, Lorna. That sort of thing.”
“Baby mama, huh? That’s very retro modern of you.”
“Retro modern? Is that even a thing? I mean, isn’t it contradictory in itself?”
“Get out of the car, stubborn,” he said, now laughing.
“Come with us, Lorna. I want to show you to Nanna and Paps,” C.J. chimed in.
“Good grief, C.J. She’s not a pet monkey!”
“I wish I had a pet monkey,” C.J. grumbled.
“I wish I had a daughter who didn’t want everything she hears mentioned in passing,” he replied.
“Fine. I’ll go. You two stop squabbling,” Lorna said, chuckling to herself as she got out of the car.
“Good monkey,” Buck replied.
Lorna rolled her eyes at him, causing him to smile broadly, his large toothy grin lighting up his tanned face. The three of them walked hand in hand toward the door, C.J. in the middle to keep them joined, but apart. Lorna found herself wondering what in the world his wife’s parents were going to make of her. She debated to herself whether it was wife, former wife, or maybe ex-wife if the person was deceased rather than divorced. She was saved from her ridiculous contemplations by someone greeting them at the door.
“Tabitha, this is Lorna, my surrogate,” Buck told the regal looking woman at the door, without further explanation. Lorna could only assume that meant they were already well aware of her and of what he was doing.
“It’s a pleasure to meet
you,” the woman said politely, come in.
“Unusual for you to answer your own door,” Buck commented as they made their way inside.
“It’s Sunday. All of the help is off today.”
“Right. I lose track of the days sometimes.”
“I’ll get Harvey.”
The woman disappeared down a nearby hallway and Lorna looked around a bit. The house was immaculately decorated and spotlessly clean. It was a beautiful place, but she couldn’t imagine how C.J. could ever be comfortable in this cold place where she would, no doubt, be chastised for anything being put out of order.
A moment later, Tabitha returned with a tall, handsome man. He was muscular and looked to be quite a bit younger than her. Was Tabitha a cougar? The thought of such a regal, proper looking lady being a bit on the naughty side with a younger man amused Tabitha, though she tried to put it aside.
“Lorna, this is my husband, Harvey. Harvey, this is Buck’s surrogate,” the woman said.
Lorna thought she could detect a hint of distaste in her voice, but her husband didn’t seem to possess any such inflection.
“Oh, she’s lovely. It’s going to be a gorgeous baby! Just like our little C.J.”
C.J. had already latched herself to his leg and was hugging him tightly, obviously happy to be here with them. She was all smiles as she looked up at her grandfather.
“Lorna, you want to see my mother?” she squealed excitedly, suddenly letting go of her grandfather’s leg and grabbing Lorna by the hand to drag her over to a wall.
“C.J.!” her father barked, but she was already on her way and not listening.
Lorna pulled up short of the wall she was pointing out, looking at the family photos. Her eyes fell on the one of her and Buck, obviously their wedding day. They were both smiling into the camera, looking very happy. She had been beautiful with her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Christina June looked much like her. Glancing at an adjoining photo only confirmed this. It was obviously too old to be C.J., so it had to be her mom at her age, but they could have been twins.
“Isn’t she pretty?” C.J. cooed.
“Yes, C.J. She is beautiful, just like you.”