by Lola Karns
“For once, I don’t have a departure date in mind. I’m moving back. It seemed like the right thing to do, so Chloe can be around family who loves and supports her. The town lacks a bakery. I thought I’d put fliers in the dorms to sell cookies through finals, maybe even offering a one-hour window for delivering oven-fresh cookies for late-night study sessions. The storefront should be open before winter semester starts if everything goes according to plan. I’ll set my own hours and work around Chloe’s sleep schedule, so that I can spend maximum time with her.”
The excitement in her voice grew, tangling him in her web of enthusiasm, as it had a decade ago when she’d dragged him to some party or other, promising him it would be fun.
“Sounds like a great idea. Please tell me you’ll make those brownies you brought when we were getting ready for that history final at the end of freshman year. Matt and I sometimes played a game called ‘Last Supper’ when we were in the field. Your brownies were the one mainstay both of us put on our menus.”
“Last Supper?”
“On a few missions, we had to chug down gel packs instead of real food. We preferred to think about what we wished we could eat instead. Didn’t make the gel taste better, but made us want to get home.”
“I’m flattered you remembered them. I still have that recipe, but I think I’ve improved it. Since you’ll be around, maybe you could taste test a few recipes for me before I put them on the regular menu.”
There was that lilt again. Was she flirting or being the sweet Gwen he remembered?
“I’d like that.”
He met her eyes and held them for a beat longer than necessary. His fingers itched to push a stray, chocolate-colored wave off her face so he could see those eyes more clearly, but Chloe wiggled and started screaming.
“Need help?”
Chloe turned her head, wrinkled up her nose, and stared at him as if assessing his threat level. She quieted as Gwen cooed. “It’s okay, Chloe. Kyle is mommy’s friend.” He liked the sound of that.
Her muscles slackened for about a minute before she fussed again, clutching at Gwen in a flurry of arms and wiggles.
“She wants to nurse.” She breastfed Chloe on earlier flights, but never with someone she might see again close by. The illuminated bathroom light eliminated that option. Besides, who wanted to eat in a germy, stinky place? Nope. Strangers might judge, but their opinions held no sway. She might and hoped to see Kyle again. After all this time, she cared what he thought, but he seemed unfazed, not disgusted, embarrassed, or eager to sneak a peek.
“Is your cover-up in the diaper bag?”
“Yes.” Nerves choked her words. She had to relax.
“I’ll get it.” He rummaged in the bag until he pulled out a blanket and the rest of the ginger ale. “My sister nursed her children, too. She trained her husband to bring her a drink every time one of them cries. Now he brings her a drink every time a kid cries, whether she’s nursing or not.”
His soft chuckle eased her tension.
“Do you think she’d let me hold her while you get set?”
She handed her to him. Chloe wiggled a bit, using her arms to push away from his chest and study his face, but she remained calm. As she tucked his coat around her on one side and spread the blanket across her chest, her heart skipped a beat watching him make faces and silly noises at Chloe. His efforts were rewarded with one of her gurgles, eliciting laughter all around. He was far more comfortable being with the baby than Chloe’s own birth father was. Swallowing hard, she suppressed the weight of raising a daughter who would miss out on the love of two parents.
“All set,” she muttered and extended her arms to receive her little girl.
The ensuing silence made her self-conscious about what she was doing. But it was cute that Kyle turned his head to the opposite side of the plane in an attempt to give her privacy. Talking about long-lost friends sounded more fun than rehashing old lectures since she’d cut ties with everyone when she left.
“How is Matt these days? It sounds like you two have kept in touch, playing ‘Last Supper’ and all.”
He rotated toward her, reddened in the cheeks, and then looked at a spot somewhere near her ear. “We were in the same unit. He’s still in, spending more time over there than here. He’s been married for about five years to a great woman and has a two-year-old son and another child on the way. They’re based at Fort Bragg. He loves it so much down South, I don’t think he’ll ever move back. Leah’s family is from there, so she has help even when Matt is on assignment. That makes a difference.”
“I know he thought I was a bit of a flake, but next time you talk, tell him I said hi and congratulations on his children. I think it’s great you have friends from your college days. I didn’t keep in touch with anyone. What about Brooke? Weren’t you two dating at one point?”
Kyle and Brooke had dated, partially prompting her quick departure by loading up on summer-school courses. Brooke had said they went ring shopping. She taunted Gwen as only a roommate could, with casual asides and a fridge full of photos, knowing of her crush on Kyle. “You’d be a great bridesmaid,” she’d chirped, “as a reward for bringing the happy couple together.”
“We dated. It didn’t end well.” His mouth pressed into a thin line.
Interesting. There was a story there, but he spoke with a forceful tone, declaring the topic over without further details.
“Other than losing track of everyone and having a cute babe, what have you done for the past few years?”
She adjusted Chloe, removing her from her breast with a finger since she played more than ate. In a different time and place, she might not worry about being discrete, but not with this handsome man beside her. “Remember how I went to teach English in Prague after I graduated?” She rested Chloe on her shoulder, patting her on the back more as an act of comfort than to induce a burp.
“I didn’t know you taught English. You disappeared.”
His barb jabbed into her subconscious, but he didn’t need to know that. “It kept a roof over my head and beer on the table. I fell in with what I call the expat-information underground. I spent the next two-and-a-half years hanging out in bars, finding out about jobs elsewhere, telling people about jobs I knew of, and through this extraordinary networking of ‘a friend of a friend told me’, I ended up finding jobs all over the place. I worked in Prague for a while, then Bosnia, Lebanon, and ultimately Malaysia. By then, I was broke and tired of the itinerant lifestyle.”
“You did all that traveling?”
“Turns out I don’t get sick on trains. I took as few flights as possible, except to cross oceans.”
“So, are you coming from Malaysia now?”
“No. A friend helped me find a job in Phoenix at an import company. They went under, but I stayed in Phoenix working for a family-run restaurant-supply shop. It was a great job. I worked there for four years and the owners became like family to me.
“When I told them I was leaving to come back home, Bill made me sit down with him and talk through my plans for supporting Chloe. He then sold me equipment to set up the bakery at cost.”
Her skin grew clammy and burned at the same time. Stop shaking. Twitching fingers, legs, clenching stomach muscles all added up to no good. She had to cool down. Air vent. Fluttering eyelids prevented her from seeing how far she had to move her arm. The damned thing was out of reach. Kyle opened it then supported Chloe, taking her weight away. The flight attendant appeared, offering a cup of cold water and a damp paper towel. Gwen placed the towel on her forehead. Kyle took the cup with his free hand.
As smoothly as possible, he held the cup to her lips. “Small sips will help.”
It did.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
She swallowed another sip before looking at him. “No. You’ve been wonderful enough already. Thank you for holding Chloe and getting me a drink. You’re my hero.”
“Don’t say that.”
Chapt
er Two
Kyle carried her bags off the plane and held Chloe while Gwen set up the stroller. As she placed Chloe in the stroller, baby-fine hair brushed against her neck and moved away more than once. After securing the latches, she stepped back and understood Chloe’s movements. Her blue eyes twinkled as she played a little game of peekaboo with Kyle.
“She likes you.”
“I’m flattered. She seems like a sweetheart.”
“She is good-natured. I’m fortunate to have her.” She was. A child with colic or a fussy nature would put her over the edge of sanity. Chloe’s relative calmness reminded her to slow down and make better decisions.
“Is someone meeting you here, or can I give you a ride home?”
“My dad should be here, but thank you for the offer.”
They walked toward baggage claim when the sight of a familiar older woman with streaks of gray mingling with her brown hair captured her attention.
“Mom!” She couldn’t ever remember seeing her move that fast as she closed the distance. She anticipated a full-body hug, enveloping her in the most delightful way. Instead, Mom dropped to her knees in front of the stroller and reached for a pink-sleeper-clad toe.
“So, this is my granddaughter! Chloe is even lovelier in person than in the photos you’ve sent. May I hold her?”
“Yes, after I get a hug.” She peered over Mom’s shoulder as she transferred Chloe into her grandmother’s arms for the first time in her life. “Where’s Dad? I thought he was coming to pick me up?”
“He was held up on a conference call, so here I am. Besides, I simply couldn’t wait any longer to see little Chloe.”
A cough drew her attention. Kyle shifted from foot to foot. He probably wanted to get on with his trip home, but she couldn’t say or wave good-bye, not without explaining who he was to Mom.
“Mom, may I introduce Kyle Collins. Not only is he a friend of mine from my undergrad, but he’s also your new assistant basketball coach.”
Her intense scrutiny aimed to intimidate but failed. “I thought you looked familiar. I’d shake your hand, but I’m in no hurry to let go of my first grandbaby. You may call me Charlotte.”
“It’s nice to meet you again, Dr— I mean, Charlotte. I hope you, your husband, Gwen, and Chloe will come to some basketball games. I seem to remember Professor Jones liked going to the games. I’ll arrange for tickets if you would like.” He pulled a business card out of a pocket. “Call me at the office and let me know when you would like to come.”
Mom dropped the card in her purse with her free hand. “Thank you, but James has season tickets. He loves his basketball. Aren’t you beautiful? And so snuggly, too.” Since her mom seemed content to hold Chloe, Gwen put her shoulder bag in the seat of the stroller.
“Should we continue on to baggage claim?” The exhaustion of travel caught up with her after an interminable day. Seeing Mom made her realize how much she wanted to get home, lie down in her bed, and sleep. She half-hoped her mother would make her a cup of the spiced warm milk she offered when Gwen didn’t feel well as a kid. Her parents had converted her room into a guest room years ago, but she longed to gaze out the familiar window and hear the familiar creeks and moans of the old house.
“You look tired, dear. Let’s go.”
Gwen pushed on the stroller, which felt fifty pounds heavier…or maybe her arms were spaghetti. Kyle appeared unrumpled and strong. Everything she wasn’t but needed. Heat radiated from his body, even through his jacket as she touched his arm.
“I hate to be a bother after you’ve already done so much, but could you maybe help me with my luggage? I have two large suitcases plus a car seat and portable crib.” Lowering to a whisper, she continued, “Mom has muscle spasms in her back and is not supposed to lift much. I had hoped my dad would be the one to pick me up, so Mom wouldn’t try to lift the suitcases.”
He placed his free hand on top of hers. “It’s my pleasure.”
Her head seemed to be drifting away from her body but not from motion sickness. She was pretty sure it was from inspecting his mossy-green eyes and the feel of his hand. Cheeks burning, she pulled away and grabbed the stroller. The foam-covered handles provided a welcome reminder that there were far more important things in her life than gazing into a man’s eyes. Even if they were Kyle’s.
Considering the pile of suitcases and baby gear she extracted from the luggage carousel, how had she managed all the stuff in the first place? At least the gigantic suitcases had wheels. The car seat and what he presumed to be the portable crib were bulky, possessing neither wheels nor a handle. He took advantage of the straps on the car-seat case to jerry-rig a backpack and carefully balanced the weight of his medium-sized suitcase with the portable crib. She pulled the two large suitcases. He wished he could have carried one of them in addition to his own, but he remembered his physical therapist’s words of warning about carrying uneven loads. The huge car seat had to weigh as much as Gwen.
“Where are you parked, Dr.— I mean Charlotte?”
“I’m on the second level about four cars down the first aisle. With all of this stuff, I’m glad I’m nice and close.” The smile on her face seemed upbeat, but there was an undertone of worry in her voice. When they approached her car, he saw why.
“Mo-ooom, why didn’t you bring Dad’s car?”
“I don’t like to drive it, dear. It’s too big.”
“It’s a Honda Accord. It’s not that big.” There was a sharpness to her voice that he hadn’t heard before. Her mother’s eyes widened, aghast.
Gwen shook her head and rubbed her temples. “Sorry, I’m really tired. It’s been a long day. I’m just not sure the seat will fit rear-facing in this car.”
He surveyed the Mini and compared it to the pieces of luggage piled around. He hoped to avoid further conflict between the two. Gwen had had a rough day. His car was nearby and, besides, he wasn’t ready to say good-bye. Charlotte took charge.
“We can try putting the car seat in the back. Once that’s in, we can stack everything else around it. There’s a lot of room on the floor.”
He doubted anything would fit in the tiny car unless he played origami with the seats.
She removed the seat out of its carrying case and shoved the passenger seat as far forward as it would go.
“I know how it goes in, so let me get in.” Gwen climbed through the gap between the bucket seats and into the back. “Kyle, please pass the seat back to me.”
He moved slowly to thread the front part of the seat between the headrests of the front seats, but the seat blocked his view. Don’t let me hurt her.
“Ooof.”
A gasp escaped his throat. “Gwen? Speak to me.”
“I’m all right. I just bumped my head on the roof, but it’s back here.”
The three of them rotated the seat around about eight different ways, working different angles to wedge it into place. Gwen had one knee on the seat bench and one in the infant seat. “Before I latch the seat in, could you try putting the passenger seat upright?”
Charlotte pulled the lever to raise the seatback, but it stopped partway. He guessed the seat back was at a seventy-five-degree angle, a guaranteed miserable ride. Even with the yellow light of the parking garage, he could make out Gwen’s features. Her lower lip trembled and shoulders caved inward, but he might be able to prevent her from crying.
“I have a Jeep. It’s got pretty good legroom in the back, so I think the seat would fit. I should be able to drive Gwen and Chloe home if that is okay with everyone.”
“If it wouldn’t be any trouble. I would hate for you to go out of your way.” From the back seat, she pleaded.
“I have to drive through town to get to my apartment.”
“Thank you.” Two feminine voices spoke as one.
They reversed the process to extract the seat and divided the luggage so Charlotte kept the portable crib and one suitcase in her trunk. She invited him to put one of his smaller bags into her car. He declined
but accepted her offer to come to his car and make sure everything fit before leaving the parking garage.
His four-door simplified the installation. In a matter of minutes, Gwen’s capable hands positioned the seat. As he loaded the luggage into the back, he snuck a peek at her sexy rear end wiggling in the air as she kneeled and bounced in the car seat to pull the straps tight. She turned him on and amused him at the same time. He had no idea grown-ups could climb into those things, but he was sure none looked as good doing it as she did.
Once she secured Chloe, she hugged her mom and promised to meet up at home soon. He deliberated as she strapped in. Although she sported a healthier color than on the plane, if she needed a bag, he’d rather find one before getting on the road.
“How will you be in the car? Do you need anything in case you are sick again?”
“No, I’m fine in the front seat.” She opened her mouth as if to say more but closed it without saying another word.
As they left the parking garage, the rhythmic thumping of Chloe’s kicking feet echoed in the interior. By the time they merged onto the two-lane highway that would take them to Corwin, the car was quiet, except for the low drone of sports talk on the radio.
Gwen twisted her body to check on her daughter. “She’s asleep. I don’t know what this will mean for her bedtime tonight, poor girl. She has a lot of changes going on right now. She has to adjust to a new home, new people, new smells, cold weather, and a new time zone.”
He thought her assessment could apply to her, too, but he didn’t dare tell her. Even in the study groups back in the day, she didn’t rely on other people to find the answers for her, and if someone told her the answer before she figured it out, her nostrils flared. Did she still have that flash of temper? No signs showed as she gazed out the window.