Huntington Family Series

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “Go ahead and help yourselves,” he said. “I’m going to see what Emily Jane did with the sack of gerbil food and then get something to eat. I haven’t eaten yet except for a few bites of baby cereal earlier when I was trying to convince her how good it was.”

  Cory smiled. “And was it?”

  “A little soggy for my taste.”

  Vikki walked to his computer and reached for the mouse, clicking on the Internet connection. The word processing program that had been open before vanished.

  “Well, I’ll leave you ladies to it,” Mitch said. “Looks like I have to put this baby in bed before I do anything else.”

  “When you’re finished with everything, I’d like to see your animals, if you don’t mind,” Vikki said. “Cory said you have ferrets?”

  “Not for long. Those critters are mean. I found a guy on the Internet who’ll give them a good home. I don’t want anything around that might hurt Emily Jane, even accidentally.”

  Then don’t go to sleep on the job, Cory retorted silently, sitting down at the computer. “I’ll send the files, Vikki,” she said sweetly.

  “Where are the ferrets?” Vikki glanced around, as if expecting to catch the animals sneaking up on her.

  “In the garage. Just a minute while I see if Emily Jane will let me put her into bed.” Mitch left the room.

  “Can you believe that?” Cory whispered. “Gerbil food! You see now why I have to take her away. She’s not safe here.”

  Vikki blinked at her vehemence. “Honey, I think you’re going to need a lot more than that to convince anyone that he’s unfit. You should have seen the things some of the kids in my neighborhood used to eat when I was growing up—canned dog food, grasshoppers, dirt. Once someone dared the kid next door to eat a fly—and he did. Yuck!” She shivered. “Next to that, gerbil seeds are a delicacy.”

  With a sinking feeling, Cory knew Vikki was right. Still, the idea of EmJay awake and alone, chomping on pet food, made all her protective urges kick into high gear.

  “By the way, I really think he likes you,” Vikki said. “He watches you a lot.”

  “Sh, he’s coming.”

  Too late Cory realized that she hadn’t done a thing on the computer. Mitch didn’t seem to notice. “Would you listen for Emily Jane?” he asked. “She’ll probably wake up the minute she senses I’m not within twenty feet of her.”

  Vikki chuckled, and Cory reluctantly joined in. Yes, he was amusing, but she didn’t want his ego to get any bigger. “I’ll take care of it,” she assured him. As Cory watched them leave, she couldn’t help but think how adorable he looked, hair on end, wearing those ridiculous dinosaur lounge pants.

  Dismissing the thought, she began downloading the picture files to attach them to an e-mail. His equipment was up to date, and the process went rapidly. She clicked off the Internet with a sigh of satisfaction.

  The previous document returned to the screen. Before she thought the better of it, Cory began to read about gray wolves. The words made her wish she could see these wolves, that she could hide outside their den and watch their antics, snapping pictures to forever record their lives.

  She looked up as Mitch came into the room alone. “Uh, I’m finished,” she said, wondering where Vikki had gone. “This just came up. I—I wasn’t snooping. Honest.” She grimaced at his face, which carefully showed no expression. “Well, I guess I was a bit,” she felt compelled to add. It wouldn’t serve her plan if he thought she was totally uninterested, would it? “But I didn’t mean to. It was already here when I got off the Internet, and I started reading and couldn’t stop.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Do you know how many people will see it? Well, actually, I guess not too many but enough that I don’t make it personal. It’s designed to get funding, that’s all.”

  Cory glanced back at the text. “You’re really a good writer.” She said this without even having to embellish for her plan. “I meant it when I said I couldn’t stop reading. Have you ever thought about writing for magazines?” A brief vision of her and Mitch working together in the Amazon came to mind, bringing a flush to her face.

  He studied her, as if trying to determine her seriousness. “My brother says I have talent. He’s studying journalism and thinks he’s an expert. But truthfully, I’m not interested in writing for magazines, at least not magazines for adults. Too much like report writing, and that’s basically what I do now. I’d rather be out working with animals.”

  “Oh.” Cory felt deflated, as if she had somehow offended him. “I didn’t mean anything other than that I was really intrigued by the style.”

  “I appreciate that.” He paused as if waging an internal debate. “This isn’t something I like to broadcast, but sometimes I do write a little bit as a hobby.” He took the mouse and went to his list of files. Cory saw many names she recognized: Dizzy, Hiccup and Elvis, Muffin, Lizzy Lizard, and Lady. He clicked on one named Wolf. “This is something I wrote for Emily Jane. You know, for when she’s older.”

  Emily, the gray wolf knew she was going to have a baby. She made a nice bed in her den. Her baby would need somewhere warm to sleep. As Cory continued, she saw essentially the same story she’d already read but on a child’s level. “It’s wonderful,” she told him after the first page.

  He grinned, sending a strange tingle to her stomach. “I’d like to add photographs—big, realistic pictures that capture the imagination. Sort of like National Geographic Kids. I could do books on animals all over the world. I’d like to do a TV show, too. Or DVDs. On each segment I’d show kids what is so great about a certain animal, what they eat, what they like to do. Things to look out for. I saw a series like that once, and it struck a . . . chord . . . in . . . me.” His words trailed off as he finally noticed the change in her expression.

  “National Geographic?” Cory scowled. Why had he brought that up? Was he trying to use her to get in with the magazine the way Evan had hinted at doing? She couldn’t remember if she’d told Mitch about it. “They’re my next assignment in the Amazon.” She struggled to make her voice matter-of-fact, instead of accusing. Remember the plan.

  Mitch cocked his head. “They are? Neat. That’s pretty prestigious. I can see why you’re anxious to get back to Brazil.”

  Cory could detect no duplicity in his words or demeanor. He really hadn’t known about her job. She should have left it at that, but the gutsy part of her took over. “Why don’t you do what you want?” she asked bluntly. “I mean, life is too short to work at a job you hate.”

  “I don’t hate my job.”

  “You’d rather be working with animals—or writing about them for children. So why don’t you do it?”

  He had no response except his lips forming into a thin, hard line.

  “Are you afraid?” she asked. “What’s holding you back?”

  “Things,” he said finally. “Things you know nothing about.” With that he turned on his heel. “I’d better see how Vikki’s doing. She went out to see the rabbits.”

  Cory glared at his back, but already she was feeling stupid for nosing about where she didn’t belong. Her job was to get EmJay, not to change Mitch’s life. But she was right, wasn’t she?

  Turning back to the computer, she searched for and found the file on Hiccup and Elvis. The story of the gerbils’ first meeting and the subsequent delivery of their babies made her laugh. It wasn’t just the writing; she could tell he knew these animals well and cared for them. The story made her understand him better, made her wonder what might have happened between them if they’d met in another lifetime. What if there had been no EmJay to complicate things?

  A sudden vision of Kerrianne came to Cory’s mind. She’d implied that there was no possible way Mitch would ever be interested in Cory as a woman. But why? If that was true, she might never gain his approval.

  A high, thin wail from the bedroom made her close the file and sprint down the hall. Seated in her toddler bed, EmJay’s red-orange hair poked out in e
very direction exactly like Cory’s did each morning. “Hi, darling,” Cory said. “How’d you sleep, huh? Come to Aunt Cory. Come on.”

  EmJay smiled, her face still stiff with sleep. “Moncree,” she said.

  Moncree? It sounded like a mixture of Mommy and Cory. Or maybe “my Cory.” Could it be? Cory smiled wistfully as she swooped EmJay up in her arms. “Oh, I’ve missed you!” The baby promptly stuck her fingers in Cory’s curls.

  EmJay laid her head on Cory’s shoulder. Suddenly, Cory remembered her sister doing much the same thing after their mother’s death. “I love you so much, EmJay,” she whispered. “I’m going to do everything I can to make you happy.”

  “Oh, she’s awake,” came a voice behind her.

  Cory jumped. How long had Mitch been standing there? Had he heard what she said? Not that it mattered. She loved EmJay and didn’t care who knew it.

  “Much!” EmJay exclaimed with a giggle.

  “Yes, Mitch is here,” he said, his brow furrowing when the baby didn’t hold out her arms.

  Ha, she thought. Take that!

  Mitch led the way back to the living room where Vikki was removing her USB device from his computer. “All done, I assume?” she asked.

  “Yes. I told them they’d also get hard copies in the mail by tomorrow.”

  “Good.” Vikki’s hand went to her stomach. “I’d say it’s time for lunch.”

  “I’d offer to barbecue,” Mitch said, “but I’m out of briquettes, and my gas grill still has its tenants.”

  “Won’t be long, though, before they’re out.” Cory shifted EmJay to her other hip. “They look almost big enough to fly.”

  Vikki grimaced. “Okay, this is really scary. Does anyone else in the entire world know what you two are talking about?”

  Laughing, Cory explained about the nest in Mitch’s barbecue and their method of spying on the babies. “I got an extension last night so you can see it in here, if you want,” Mitch offered. “It’ll just take a second.”

  Vikki watched as he called up the program on the computer. “You got some copies of this, didn’t you?” she asked Cory. “I know exactly where we can sell them.”

  “Mitch sent them to my e-mail, but put your USB back in and copy them now. We can get a higher resolution.”

  As the documents transferred, Vikki rubbed her hands together. “Very well, then. I’m starved. I need food—lots of food.”

  “We’ll go out,” Cory said reluctantly. What she really wanted was to stay with EmJay. “Mitch, I don’t suppose you’d let me—” She couldn’t finish. He wouldn’t agree, so what was the point of asking?

  Vikki’s knowing gaze was compassionate. “Hey, Mitch, in thanks for your help, I’d like to take you and EmJay out to lunch. What do you say?”

  Mitch’s gaze fell to his dinosaur pants. “Do I get time to shower and change?”

  “Why not? Looks like the baby needs some clothes, too.” Vikki touched the sleeve of EmJay’s pink pajamas.

  “I’ll get them.” Mitch dashed down the hall, returning shortly with a multicolored corduroy jumper and an off-white blouse, complete with suede shoes, off-white tights, a hairbrush, a hair bow, and a new diaper. Cory would have grabbed the jumper and called it good, but she was growing accustomed to his thoroughness.

  That he was leaving her alone with EmJay while he showered didn’t escape Cory’s notice. Was he starting to trust her?

  “Thanks, Vikki,” she said to her friend.

  Vikki shrugged. “Can’t charm the guy if you’re not around him, right?”

  Cory smiled. “Right.”

  She sat on the couch and began to dress EmJay—not an easy task despite the baby’s willingness. EmJay especially loved her shoes and insisted on holding them to her chest until Cory was ready to put them on. The only real trouble began when Cory combed her hair. “Ow! Ow!” she screamed, which made Vikki laugh and call her a pretender. Cory finally gave up on the bow.

  By the time she finished with EmJay, Mitch was back. His hair was freshly washed, the long bangs parted down the middle and brushed back. He wore dress slacks and a white, long-sleeved, button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up twice. In his hand were more diapers for EmJay’s baby bag.

  Cory never remembered afterward where they ate lunch, but she remembered Mitch opening the doors for them and seating them at the table. She recalled laughing and feeding EmJay halibut from her plate. She remembered EmJay dropping the fish on the floor in favor of eating her napkin. Several times Cory’s hand brushed Mitch’s across the table as they tended to the baby, and each time she found it more difficult to breathe. Mitch’s smile made her feel warm inside as she had when discussing the gospel with the missionaries.

  What did it all mean?

  At the moment, Cory didn’t care. She didn’t want to think about her conflict with Mitch. Or the past. For today, at least, she would live one day at a time.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After their late lunch, Cory, Mitch, and Vikki decided to stop at a park to play with EmJay. The day was hot, but a scattering of puffy clouds saved it from being sweltering, and tall trees shaded much of the play area and the grass. Cory felt oddly content as she carried EmJay to a swing designed for toddlers. Mitch and Vikki trailed behind, discussing Vikki’s plans to leave Monday morning.

  “Oh, I just remembered,” Cory said, stopping under the swing set. She switched EmJay to one hip and took the picture of Meeko from her purse with her free hand. “I brought this to show you and EmJay. It’s the little monkey friend I told you about.” In the picture, Meeko was stealing something from a bowl on the big camp table.

  Mitch laughed. “Is he really such a stinker?”

  “Definitely. Once he even managed to drink my shampoo. Good thing it was environmentally friendly!”

  Mitch studied the picture. “Boy, wouldn’t he make a good children’s story? You don’t have more pictures of him, do you?”

  “Rolls and rolls.” She laughed. “Like I said, we’re good friends. Would you like to try to—” She broke off, remembering that he’d shared his hobby with her in confidence.

  “You should do something with them,” he said, handing back the picture pointedly. Cory put it away.

  “I think I’ll take a rest under that tree.” Vikki pulled a novel from her purse. “I see a patch of grass with my name on it.”

  Cory placed EmJay into the swing and stepped back, letting Mitch take the first push. The silence was broken only by some children playing with a soccer ball on the other side of the park.

  “So, I’m curious,” Mitch said casually. Almost too casually. “Do you think you’ll get married someday?” He didn’t look at her as he spoke. Cory froze. She wondered if she should answer honestly, or say what he wanted to hear. Or were they the same thing?

  “Why do you ask?” she said, stalling.

  He gave EmJay another gentle push. “Well, I know you want Emily Jane to be a part of your life, but who would watch her while you’re working?”

  The careful way he spoke told her he’d been thinking about the subject for some time. Was he considering the idea of letting EmJay be with her at some point in the future? If so, that was big progress. “I won’t always be in the Amazon,” she said.

  He met her gaze. “So you might stay home and raise a family?”

  She leaned back against the metal pole of the swing set. “My job is flexible. I can take her with me anywhere.”

  “Really?” He stared at her, and she looked away. “Well, what if you were in Brazil and Emily Jane went to visit,” he continued. She noticed that he said “visit” and not “live.” “What if there was a really long hike you had to take for your work, something she couldn’t do?”

  “I’d leave her with the natives at the camp. They’re good people. They’d look after her.”

  “What if she didn’t want to stay with them? What if she was afraid? You know she’s not good with strangers. Or what if she had a fever?” Though he said the wo
rds without accusation, it seemed to Cory that they made a mockery of her mothering skills.

  “I’d manage,” she said, barely hiding her mounting anger. Was he implying if she didn’t give up her job and get married that she’d have no chance at custody? Was he saying she couldn’t be a good mother? She felt ready to explode.

  “I know your intentions are good, Cory.” His calmness called her back from the edge of anger, from which there would be no turning back, no carrying out of her plan to win him over. “I just wanted to know if you’d thought about these things. And to point out that where children are involved, there are sacrifices.”

  She lifted her chin. “I’m willing to make sacrifices.”

  He nodded. “Anyway, all I’m saying is if you were married and had two incomes, it wouldn’t be such a big deal if you couldn’t take a certain job at a certain time because of Emily Jane. You could pick and choose. You’d have someone to support you, emotionally as well as temporally.”

  Emotionally as well as temporally, she thought. He must have practiced saying that a hundred times to have it come out so smoothly. What did it even mean? But she knew. Like Tyler and Kerrianne before him, he was pointing out her lack of a family, the absence of someone in her life to share the burden of raising a child. But it didn’t matter. She could do it alone.

  Couldn’t she?

  “I’ll probably get married someday,” she said. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t normally so unsure of herself. Of course, being a parent was unexplored territory.

  He smiled. “Me too.”

  “I even have a boyfriend,” she added impulsively. “Well, a guy I started dating a few months ago.” Would that ease his fears further, or would it make her less attractive in his eyes and therefore less likely to gain custody? Her head hurt from trying to figure it all out. “He’s good with kids.” She’d seen him toss a battered ball around with the native children at the camp at least twice.

  “Oh, yeah?” His hands paused in midair, not pushing EmJay as she swung up to them.

  She shrugged, trying to act casual. “Not sure how it’ll work out. He’s a writer. We’ve been working on an article together.”