Huntington Family Series

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “I see.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “That’s good, then.” His eyes were shuttered, as though a door had closed. Cory hoped she hadn’t sabotaged her own plan. Well, at least he doesn’t think I’m completely alone.

  An hour later, Cory said good-bye to Mitch and a sleepy EmJay and returned to her house with Vikki. “Are you all right, dear?” Vikki asked, sinking onto a chair in the kitchen. Her eyes invited confidence, but Cory wasn’t sure what to say.

  Cory stood by the counter, fingering the pamphlets the missionaries had left. She had put them there so she would remember to read them. “I told Mitch I had a boyfriend. Now I’m worried that will mess up my plan. I mean, he’ll meet Evan tomorrow. What if he hates him? That could make things worse.”

  “Relax, dear.” Vikki grinned and stretched her legs under the table. “A little competition is good for men. When Mitch sees how wonderful Evan thinks you are, it can’t help but make a good impression.”

  Cory hoped so.

  “Oh, and before I forget again, I brought you a Longaberger basket from Ohio. But if you’re going to use the basket to, say, catch fish in the Amazon, you can’t have it. Those things are too expensive to actually use.”

  Cory laughed. “Okay, I’ll put it in storage. I’ll have a house or apartment someday.”

  Vikki was silent, but by her thoughtful expression, Cory knew she had something more to say. “What, Vikki?” she urged.

  “I don’t know.” Vikki sighed and shook her head. “Maybe I’m more traditional than I thought I was, because suddenly I find myself wondering how you’re going to raise a child alone if you get on permanently with National Geographic. I mean, I know their pay scale is phenomenal, but some of their assignments take up to eight months. In the Amazon, you know you have natives to watch EmJay, but what if they send you somewhere dangerous? Where there’s an illness epidemic, or political unrest? Could you still take her along? And what about a house or permanent residence? A kid needs stability.”

  “Not you, too!” Cory dropped the pamphlets and strode to the table, hands on her hips. First Tyler, then Mitch, and now her own friend! “Your dad was in the army. You moved around a lot.”

  “But we didn’t live in a tent. Besides, I always had my mom when he was working. She was my constant.”

  “That’s what I’ll be for EmJay! I can take her everywhere. You said yourself that I’d be making a bundle—and that doesn’t even take into consideration all the photographs they don’t use that I’m permitted to sell elsewhere. I’ll take that money and hire a nanny to come along. I’ll teach her myself for as long as I can, and after that I’ll pay for a tutor. It can work—I know it!” Cory set her jaw, daring her friend to contradict her.

  “She’d probably learn a lot,” Vikki agreed. “Stuff not in books, I mean.”

  With a sigh, Cory sank to the other chair. “After a while we could have a place that we’d always go back to between assignments,” she added more calmly. There was always the option of leaving her with Mitch, but if she ever managed to get custody, how could she possibly risk doing that?

  Vikki nodded. She glanced down at her clothes and flicked something off the leg of her pants. “Not to change the subject or anything, dear, but what are you going to wear at the lake tomorrow?”

  “I hadn’t thought about it. Do you have a swimsuit?”

  Vikki shook her head. “It’s back in California. You?”

  “Mine’s in Brazil.”

  Vikki grinned and took her purse from the table. “Well, it sounds like a little shopping is in order.”

  Cory groaned. She had never been big on shopping. She tended to buy anything that looked halfway decent to spare herself the torture of finding something perfect. Still, she wanted to look good tomorrow. Not only for Evan but to further her plan with Mitch.

  “Well, you could always use your shorts,” Vikki said, standing. “But I for one never underestimate the power of a bathing suit with a good cover-up that really does cover up all my flaws.” She looked up and down the length of Cory’s body. “Of course, you don’t need a cover-up. You should get a really skimpy thing. That’d knock him dead!”

  “Wait a minute.” Cory held up her hands. “I’m trying to convince Mitch that I’d be a good mother for EmJay, remember? I can’t wear a skimpy bathing suit.” That wasn’t the only reason. Growing up, her father had barely permitted her to own a bathing suit. The one time he’d caught her in a two-piece as a teenager, she’d ended up with a bruise on her back that had lasted for two weeks. Even now, as an adult, she never felt comfortable in anything too revealing.

  Vikki’s eyes gleamed. “I wasn’t talking about Mitch. But you’re probably right. He’ll want a good role model for EmJay. I guess you’ll have to settle for boring.”

  “In this case, boring is good.” Cory reached for her purse.

  Vikki dragged her to six department stores before she finally let Cory buy a deep blue suit that set off her eyes. A matching cover-up of slightly sheer fabric to tie around her waist provided exactly the right effect Cory wanted—modest but with unmistakable style. She hoped Mitch would approve.

  Vikki bought a black suit with a built-in tummy reducer and a shoulder-to-thigh black-and-white cover-up. Cory admitted the ensemble made her look slimmer. At the last minute, they remembered to buy two beach towels.

  As they were leaving the store, Cory’s cell phone rang. “Hello?”

  “Hi, sweetheart,” Evan said. “I’m in Utah!”

  “Great! Where are you?”

  “At my cousin’s in Orem. I was hoping to take you out to dinner, but Gordon’s wife has fixed a fabulous spread, and I can’t really leave them tonight. You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Truthfully, I’m exhausted. We’ve just spent hours searching for the right swimsuit. Neither Vikki nor I brought one. So, no. I don’t mind.” And she didn’t really—except she wondered why it didn’t bother him more that he couldn’t see her tonight after more than a week apart.

  “About tomorrow,” he added. “Roberta—that’s my cousin’s wife—has the food all planned and ready. You don’t need to worry about anything.”

  “She shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble.”

  “No trouble. Her youngest child is away at college this summer. Couldn’t make it home for the holiday. Roberta says she’s glad for visitors.”

  “I didn’t realize there was such a big age difference between you and your cousin.”

  “Yep, fifteen years.”

  “Oh, wait. There’s been a change since I talked to you,” Cory said. For some reason she dreaded what she had to say next. “I decided to bring EmJay, but her guardian won’t let her come unless he does too. So add two more to the list.”

  “Oh.” Evan didn’t sound bothered. “I’ll tell Roberta. If there’s a problem, we’ll just buy more food.”

  “Well, I’ll bring some things. Just in case. Vikki and I planned to stop at the grocery store on the way home.”

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea, bringing your niece to the lake?” Evan asked.

  “I think she’ll have fun. She loves the water.”

  “I’m sure. But what about you? I thought you were going to take a break.”

  Cory knew he was looking out for her, but she felt annoyed. “Don’t worry. Mitch practically doesn’t let her out of his sight. I won’t be stressed, and I promise you won’t have to do anything. I really want to introduce her to you.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll look forward to it.”

  “Good.”

  There was a brief, awkward pause, and then Evan’s voice fell to a husky whisper. “I can’t wait to see you.”

  Then come over after dinner, she wanted to say. “Tomorrow,” she said aloud. “I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone feeling oddly unfulfilled and irritated at Evan. He hadn’t changed since the Amazon, so what was wrong? Had she?

  Vikki was watching her closely. “I’m not sure about him.”

  “Neither am
I.”

  They bought several bags of groceries at the local supermarket and headed home. After they put away their purchases in the kitchen, packing most of the items to take with them the next day, Cory picked up the missionaries’ pamphlets and started for her room. She couldn’t help but wonder what Mitch and EmJay were doing at that moment. Oh, how she wished she could give her niece a hug and kiss goodnight!

  Instead, she turned to Vikki. “About our conversation earlier. I do worry about taking EmJay with me to the Amazon. I wonder if I’ll be enough for her compared to Mitch and his family. But I think I can be.”

  Vikki came to her and slipped a warm arm around her shoulders. “The fact that you’re thinking about it is proof enough to me that you’ll find a way to make it work.”

  “Thanks.” Cory gave her a watery smile.

  In her bedroom, she looked out the window. The street lights left clear circles of yellow on the ground, while the moon and stars illuminated darkened sky. “Tomorrow is the day,” she said aloud. “Tomorrow I’ll convince Mitch that she belongs with me.”

  The warmth she felt at the prediction should have made her happy. Why then did she feel a sense of impending doom?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Shortly after nine the next morning, Mitch drove toward Orem. Vikki rode next to him in the front passenger seat, and in the back Cory was playing with EmJay. He had volunteered to drive to Cory’s friend’s cousin’s house and follow them up Provo Canyon to Deer Creek Reservoir.

  The morning was clear and beautiful, promising a sweltering heat later in the day. Mitch hoped that meant the water in the reservoir would be nearing tepid instead of freezing. Not that he was going in; he hadn’t even brought a swimsuit. He wore long jean shorts and a white T-shirt with comfortable brown leather sandals. In the trunk of his car, he’d stashed his backpack and a small cooler filled with special foods for the baby.

  Mitch glanced in the backseat at Cory. He’d hardly been able to take his eyes off her since he’d first seen her that morning. Her fiery curls were tamer today, looking glossy and soft, her freckled face smooth and unlined. The blue suit she wore modestly enhanced her curves, and the long, flowing cover-up added to her femininity. Had she always been so beautiful?

  For the past few days, she seemed to be going out of her way to be nice. Did that mean her attitude was softening toward him as Emily Jane’s permanent guardian? Or was she perhaps looking at him as more than just Emily Jane’s guardian?

  Maybe they weren’t as opposite as he had first thought. But then, he shouldn’t begin hoping for something romantic between them. He had to remember that she couldn’t possibly be interested in his life or his values. She wanted Emily Jane, and that was that.

  Strangely, he found himself missing the angry sparks that had flared during their initial days, when they were definitely opponents. At least he’d had no doubts that she was being honest, and he had known exactly where they stood. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  Unsure what to expect in Orem, Mitch and Vikki waited with EmJay in the Mustang. Cory jumped out to meet two men who were hooking up a truck to a trailer that held two jet skis. One of the men, an average-sized, narrow-chinned blond man, hugged Cory and kissed her firmly on the mouth. The contact didn’t last long, but Mitch felt an urge to fly from the car and slam his fist into the other guy’s face. The stranger was taller than Cory by a mere few inches and, in Mitch’s judgment, would look more fitting in a snooty restaurant than doing anything remotely athletic like jet skiing. But who was he to evaluate Cory’s boyfriends?

  Then again, everything that affected Cory affected Emily Jane—and that was his business. One thing for certain, he was going to check this guy out thoroughly before he let him anywhere near Emily Jane.

  The second man was shaking hands with Cory now. Mitch leaned closer to the open window. “Nice to meet you, Gordon,” Cory was saying. Gordon was a robust, deeply tanned man with dark, slightly graying hair and only a bit of extra weight around his stomach. His friendly, respectful response to Cory gave Mitch an immediate good impression. A brown-haired woman came from the house and joined them. Like her husband, she was tanned and in good shape, though not slender by any means. Mitch didn’t catch her name, but Cory was bringing them all over to the car. He and Vikki got out to meet them.

  “This is Evan Hammer,” Cory said of the blond man, who promptly put a possessive arm around her, his hazel eyes sending an unmistakable message. “And this is his cousin, Gordon Hammer, and Gordon’s wife, Roberta.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Mitch Huntington.” Mitch shook hands with them all. Evan’s grasp was like a limp, moist fish; Gordon’s and Roberta’s were dry and firm.

  “I’m Vikki Moline.” Vikki proffered her hand. “Cory’s agent.” She stared hard at Evan, who didn’t appear to notice.

  “A pleasure, a pleasure,” Gordon said. “We were glad to hear from Evan. Our kids deserted us this holiday, and we really didn’t make other plans. But this is working up to be a real party.”

  “Sure is.” Mitch felt a little guilty that he’d abandoned his own family get-together.

  Cory shrugged off Evan’s arm and opened the car door. “Now for the most important person. Oh, she’s fallen asleep again.”

  “The car does that to her,” Mitch put in. “But she’ll be rested and ready to go when we get there.”

  “Oh, she’s a doll!” Roberta exclaimed. “Is this your daughter, Cory?”

  Mitch didn’t miss the pleased flush on Cory’s face. “My niece, actually. But thank you. She is adorable.”

  “I miss babies,” Gordon put in. “Our oldest daughter is expecting soon, and we’re thrilled.” Roberta grinned and nodded vigorously.

  “We should get going.” Evan clapped his hands together. “Daylight’s a wastin’.”

  Mitch wanted to ask him if he even knew how to jet ski but managed to bite his tongue. It’s none of my business what the pansy boy can or can’t do. He felt guilty almost immediately for the unkind thought and promised himself he’d go out of his way to be civil to Evan. After all, it wasn’t his fault Cory had brought him into the middle of their custody battle.

  “Why don’t you ride with your friends?” Gordon said to Evan. He glanced at Mitch. “You know where Deer Creek Reservoir is?”

  “Yeah, but I’ll follow you.” The last thing Mitch wanted to do was get stuck with Evan all day. At least Gordon and Roberta were friendly and real.

  Evan climbed into the backseat with Cory, and Mitch felt a measure of satisfaction, knowing they were separated by Emily Jane’s car seat. On the drive, the talk quickly turned to the Amazon, as Cory questioned Evan about her belongings, leaving Mitch to wonder further about their relationship. He found himself growing angry and finally tuned out their words. He even stopped glancing in the rearview mirror to peek at Cory. In the front passenger seat, Vikki was almost as silent.

  Mitch breathed a sigh of relief when he finally parked the car and began helping the women unload the trunk.

  Cory was eager to take EmJay from her car seat and wake her up so that she could introduce her. Thankfully, Evan seemed to warm to the baby, tickling her stomach and playing peek-a-boo. EmJay endured his attention, but her round eyes followed Mitch.

  Around the reservoir, groups of people were beginning to gather, and Cory could hear cars passing on the road behind them. Though the surrounding mountains were green and beautiful, she felt a sudden, raw longing for the isolation of the Amazon and its balmy, lush beauty. For an instant, she could almost feel the spongy, verdant ground; smell the tempting perfume of the flowers and fruit; and hear Meeko’s screech of surprise as another dwarf cebus stole his piece of fruit. She missed swimming in clear, cool water and exploring narrow, untouched rivers. She missed the unexpected roar, stomp, or whistle from the jungle and how the occasional storm thundered across the sky, hurtling warm, cleansing rain to the ground. She missed feeling that she belonged.

  “Are you all right?” Evan was at her
shoulder, his eyes showing concern. People kept asking her that. Couldn’t they remember that her sister was dead? Of course she wasn’t all right. She might never be all right again.

  Or would she? In the pamphlets she’d been given by the missionaries, she’d read that the Savior could heal all wounds, that He had shouldered the burdens of all men. To be free, one had only to give the burden to Him, to the One who had already paid the price. Cory wished it was true.

  Evan hugged her from behind, and she let him, enjoying the feel of comforting arms around her and EmJay. His touch reminded her of simpler times before she had learned of AshDee’s death. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced up to see Mitch standing by the truck watching them. “I’m fine—really,” she said to Evan, making her voice light. “But Gordon looks like he could use a hand.”

  Evan went to help Gordon unload the jet skis, and Mitch joined them. After placing the food on a portable camp table that Roberta took from her truck, Cory and the other women watched the men put the jet skis into the water. Mitch stopped at the water’s edge, arms folded across his chest.

  Roberta and Evan took the first rides. “See, it’s easy,” Gordon said to Vikki.

  “What if I fall off?” Vikki put a hand over her eyes to shield her eyes from the shimmering lake that reflected the morning sun like a mirror.

  “It’ll come back around,” Gordon assured her. “Won’t have to swim more ’n a stroke or two.”

  Cory hadn’t been on a jet ski for five years, and she was looking forward to the experience. “Who’s next?” she asked when Vikki took over the machine Evan had been using. “Mitch?” She smiled at him brightly, mindful that Evan was staring. She would have to explain about Mitch and her plan.

  Mitch shook his head. “No, I’m good. I’ve got work to do. You go ahead.”

  “You brought work?” Cory held tightly to EmJay when he reached for her. She touched his arm, her smile purposely flirtatious, drawing him away from the others. “Is something wrong?”