Blaze a Trail (The Flanagan Sisters, #3)

by Claire Boston

  “I’m feeling well, thanks.”

  Carmen examined her carefully and then nodded as if satisfied. “Good, you’ve been looking very tired lately.”

  “We all have. It’s hard work with the babies.” Though her mother never appeared tired. Nothing seemed to faze her.

  “Sí. Have you plans for the day?”

  “I’m taking the dogs for a walk with David.”

  Her mother smiled. “You are seeing a bit of David. He’s a nice man.”

  “He is,” Zita agreed.

  Xaviera started fretting. Zita shushed her, jiggling her up and down gently.

  “Is Elena up yet?” Carmen asked.

  “I haven’t seen her. Beatriz had Xaviera when I came downstairs.”

  Carmen frowned.

  Zita understood why. Elena was struggling to cope with motherhood. At only fourteen, she hadn’t wanted to have the baby, but by the time she’d arrived in the States she’d had no choice. “Do you think it’s post-partum depression?”

  Carmen shook her head. “No. We will keep an eye on her though. It might be best to offer Xaviera up for adoption.”

  Zita held the baby closer, sheltering her. It was a practical solution, but her heart felt the warmth of the baby girl against her chest and she didn’t want to be parted from her. “Elena may still change her mind.”

  Her mother sighed. “It is too late to stop either of us getting attached.” She ran a hand over Xaviera’s hair. “But it might be the best for the baby.”

  Carmen was right. Xaviera wriggled and put her hand in her mouth. “I’ll take her inside and see that she’s fed.”

  Slowly she walked back into the house. Julio was in his portable crib and Beatriz and Alejandra were watching music videos on the television. “Is Elena in her room?”

  Bea nodded. “She’s sleeping.”

  She would have to wake up to feed Xaviera. Zita headed upstairs and knocked on Elena’s door. When there was no answer, she pushed it open and found her sprawled across her bed asleep.

  “Elena, wake up. Xaviera needs feeding.”

  As if to punctuate the point, Xaviera started wailing.

  Elena sat up slowly, brushing her hair out of her face. “Give her here,” she said with a scowl.

  Zita handed the baby over and Elena fed her. Perhaps it would be better if they switched Xaviera over to formula. Then any of them could feed her, but it may also keep Elena from bonding with the girl. Zita wasn’t sure what to do. She couldn’t blame Elena for not wanting the child. She was so young, and she’d been raped.

  When the baby was fed Zita took her and Elena turned over to go back to sleep. Zita sighed, gathered a new diaper and some clothes for Xaviera, and left the room. She’d use Alejandra’s room to wash the baby and get her ready for the day.

  By the time she was done, David was due to arrive. She gave Xaviera to Carmen and packed a day pack for herself. As she was finishing, Bess and Saint started barking. She grabbed her things and headed for the front door. “I’m off, Mama. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Have fun.”

  She opened the door as David was about to knock. He was carrying his own backpack and dressed in jeans, blue T-shirt and tennis shoes.

  “Hi,” she said and kissed him quickly. “Let’s go. If you come in, we won’t get out again for at least half an hour.”

  He grinned and followed her to her SUV, opening the back so the dogs could get in.

  “Where are we going?” David asked as she drove out of the yard.

  “There’s a place not too far from here that’s nice and the dogs can roam off the leash.”

  “Sounds good. So is Casa Flanagan the madhouse that it was last weekend?”

  “Not yet. Most of the girls aren’t up.”

  “So why the rush?”

  His question made her think. She’d been in a hurry to get out of the house, wanting to escape. “It’s Elena.”

  David waited for her to continue.

  “She’s not handling motherhood very well. I know it’s only been two weeks, but she wants as little to do with Xaviera as possible.”

  “How come?”

  “It could be many reasons.” She shrugged. “Fourteen is so young to be having a baby.” She was hardly more than a child herself.

  Zita pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. After letting the dogs out and grabbing her backpack, she joined David on the path.

  “Let’s go this way.” She pointed, whistled for her dogs to come, and started down the path.

  David took hold of her hand and the simple gesture comforted her.

  “It must be hard for her,” he said. “New country, new baby, not sure whether she’ll be allowed to stay. I imagine her emotions are all over the place.”

  “She’s arguing with everyone, even Beatriz. They had such a fight when Bea was allowed to stay in the country.”

  “Why?”

  “Elena’s scared she’ll be sent back. It’s an odd issue, because Xaviera is a US citizen. That might work in Elena’s favor, but there have been cases where a parent has been deported even if their child is a citizen. We’ve not been able to get much proof of her abuse.”

  “Except Xaviera.”

  Zita nodded. “But it’s her word that she was raped, which might not be enough.”

  Bess trotted up to her, her expression hopeful. Zita reached into the backpack and drew out the ball. Bess jumped around in delight and then sped after the ball when Zita threw it.

  “Sometimes I think life would be so much nicer if I were a dog,” she said.

  “Only if you had a kind owner.”

  She sighed. “True.” She had to cheer up. She wasn’t being a very pleasant date. “So how was your poker night?”

  “Great. Colin’s parents are retiring, so he’s taking over the family business, and Lee showed us an ultrasound of his baby girl. He’s going to be wrapped around her finger.”

  Zita smiled. “He’s looking forward to being a daddy?”

  “Absolutely. He’s more excited than his wife. He’s been reading all the baby books and taking notes for the nursery.”

  “That’s great. What about your other friend, Garth wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah. He’s fine.” David was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth as if to speak and closed it again.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He sighed. “Just something the guys said about Dad.”

  Curious, she asked, “What did they say?”

  “That he wasn’t right for politics.”

  She glanced at him. He seemed uncertain. “What do you think?”

  “Dad’s always been Dad. Sure, he can be a bit aggressive at times, and he’s conservative, but he has to show he’s in control.”

  “You never thought he was over the top?”

  “Well, yes, but that’s just who he is.”

  “And will who he is be good in politics?”

  “I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Part of me wants to say no just because I don’t want to be CEO.”

  Zita hesitated. “Have you told him that?”

  “No. I’ve only just realized it myself.” He shook his head. “How can I tell him? I’ve been groomed for the position since I was young and he wants to move on. It’s hardly fair.”

  “You need to be happy as well.” She glanced over to him. “Do you know what you’d do instead?”

  “Set up my own business.”

  His response was so quick, he’d obviously been thinking about. “Doing what?”

  “Consulting, helping other businesses grow.”

  She smiled. “That sounds like a great idea.”

  He shrugged. “It’s too late now.”

  “It’s never too late. You just need to set some goals.”

  He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Where have I heard that before?”

  “This really smart guy told me about it.” She squeezed his hand.

  “That guy didn�
��t think it would apply to himself.”

  “Why don’t you ask your siblings if they want to take over Dionysus?” Zita asked.

  “There’s not enough time to get them up to speed.”

  “So you stay as acting CEO until they are. You can always plan your business at the same time.”

  David sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”

  She hugged him. “We can set some goals this afternoon.”

  He smiled. “All right.”

  Bess ran over and looked up at Zita expectantly.

  “These two need a run,” she said. “It won’t take them long to tire out, and then we can find somewhere to have the sandwiches I brought.”

  “I’m not much of a runner.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll take them for a loop around the park and meet you on the other side.”

  Saint ran over, his coat wet and muddy. Zita jumped in front of David, shepherding Saint away. Saint bounded next to her and shook himself, mud and water flicking all over her. She groaned. Of course her dogs would find the only puddle on the field. She was covered in mud splatters.

  David winced. “Thanks for taking the hit. You’re my hero.” He pulled her close and kissed her slowly.

  She smiled against his lips as she ran her hands down his back to his butt and squeezed. Then she drew back. Now was not the time to get frisky, especially with the dogs around. “No problem. I won’t be long.”

  “See you on the other side.”

  Zita set off, stopping every now and then to throw the ball for her dogs. Halfway across the field her foot slipped and she flailed to regain her footing. Bess thought she was playing a game and jumped around her. Zita leaned back to avoid stepping on her, landing with a plop on her butt. She swore as the water seeped into her pants.

  Saint raced over with the ball in his mouth. He dropped it at Zita’s feet and the two dogs rolled in the mud.

  She groaned. It was too late to stop them.

  Zita grabbed the ball and carefully got to her feet. She brushed ineffectually at the mud on her butt and legs. She was filthy, and there was nothing she could do about it.

  After the dogs had had their fill of the mud bath, she kept them busy throwing the ball, while she watched David on the far side of the field. He had his phone out and it looked as though he was taking photos.

  He was an interesting combination. When she’d first met him, she’d taken him for a rich boy, not sure if his interest in learning more about her foster sisters was genuine. But he’d really captured her heart when he’d volunteered to help out last weekend. To stay and put up with all the crazy that was her household showed a great deal of fortitude.

  He was a lot like her, going with the family expectations so he didn’t let anyone down. She wanted to help him.

  She made her way across the field, and her dogs barked and played together, having a fabulous time. She grinned at their antics, relaxing a little.

  When she reached David, she called her dogs to her side, putting them on their leashes. “How’s it going?”

  “Great.” He turned to her and his eyes widened. “What happened to you?” His mouth twitched.

  “I found a mud pit.” She wanted to take her shoes off and squeeze the water out of her socks.

  “Ah.” He grinned then. “Those towels in your car are going to come in handy again.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Are you hungry?”

  “Yeah.”

  Zita looked for a good place to sit. Brushing the dirt off her hands as much as she could, she then got the picnic blanket out of her backpack and spread it on the ground for David. She settled her dogs with water and a chew treat at a distance so they didn’t dirty him, and used some of the water to wash her hands. “Have a seat.”

  “You’ve come organized,” David commented as she handed him a sandwich.

  “I figured if the weather stayed clear, it would be nice to spend a bit longer out here. Bess and Saint don’t get the chance to run during the week.”

  “What about you?”

  “Me?” She frowned at him. “I don’t need to run.”

  “I meant you don’t get the chance to be alone.”

  She shrugged. “It is what it is.”

  “How’s the study going?”

  Zita brushed her hair off her face. “Not great.” She was beginning to think she should skip the test and do it later in the year.

  “You could come over to my place this afternoon to study.”

  She hoped study was a euphemism. She wanted an afternoon free of responsibility. “I’d like that.” Spotting David’s phone, she asked, “Did you take some photos?”

  “Yeah.” He handed his phone over.

  It was interesting to see what captured his attention. There were closeups of tree bark and flowers, shots of clumps of trees, and then landscapes of the entire field. She and the dogs appeared in one, and she looked sad.

  “What were you thinking about?” David asked, looking over her shoulder at the photos.

  “Life.” It sounded so stupid.

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She leaned into him, enjoying the support and comfort he offered.

  “Hearing the foster girls’ stories puts my life into perspective,” David said. “I’ve never had anything but first-world problems.”

  “They can be important.”

  He shook his head. “Not like what you deal with.”

  Zita didn’t know what to say.

  The sun disappeared behind the clouds and the day turned dark.

  “We should head back,” David said.

  Zita nodded. She took the hand he offered and let him pull her to her feet.

  Chapter 12

  When they arrived back at Casa Flanagan, David was pleased the house was quiet. He’d half expected a new crisis that would prevent Zita from getting away for the afternoon.

  They took the dogs out the back to wash. He held the hose while Zita rubbed her dogs clean. She looked so cute with her butt covered in mud that he couldn’t resist. He directed the spray at her pants.

  She squealed and whirled to face him.

  “Sorry.” He grinned. “Thought you’d like to get clean too.”

  She narrowed her eyes and took a step toward him as Bess shook the water from her coat, covering Zita. She laughed and slumped in mock defeat. “You might have a point.”

  When the dogs were clean and towel-dried, Zita and David headed inside. Carmen was in the kitchen, stirring a pot and holding one of the babies.

  “Did you have a nice walk?” she asked.

  “It was a bit grubby,” Zita said. “I’m going to take a shower, but I wanted to check you still don’t need me this afternoon.”

  “No. Everything is under control.” Carmen smiled. “You go and have fun. Will you be home for lunch tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” Zita turned to David. “Do you want to come to lunch? Carly and Bridget will be here.”

  His heart jumped. She was inviting him to the family lunch. “Sure.”

  “Great. Let me get cleaned up and then we’ll head to your place.”

  He tagged her arm as she walked past and murmured to her, “You could pack an overnight bag if you want.”

  She kissed him quickly. “Will do.” She flashed a look at her mother and grinned. “Won’t be long.”

  Left alone with Carmen, David wasn’t entirely sure what to say. They hadn’t spoken one-on-one before.

  The baby in Carmen’s arms grizzled. Carmen sighed. “Hush now, Xaviera.” She swayed with her.

  “Do you want me to take her?” David asked. After he’d gotten used to the baby last weekend, it had been nice holding her. And the practice would come in handy for Lee’s baby.

  “That would be great.”

  Carmen passed the baby over and David carefully cradled Xaviera’s head, shushing her and kissing her soft downy hair. His chest swelled. She was so young and innocent, and yet her creation had been one of violence. “Where’s Elen
a?”

  Carmen sighed. “Out in the garden with Beatriz. I thought it would do her good to get some fresh air.”

  He wanted to ask whether Carmen thought Elena would keep Xaviera, but it was none of his business. He kept rocking the baby, singing her a lullaby he remembered from his childhood, and she eventually quieted.

  “You’re good with babies,” Carmen commented.

  “Beginner’s luck,” he said, slightly uncomfortable with the way she was examining him.

  “Some people are naturals.” She smiled.

  He glanced down at Xaviera who was now sleeping. Perhaps he’d picked up some of his mother’s talents. He sat down on one of the stools and pressed another kiss against Xaviera’s head. She smelled like talcum powder.

  “How’s Teresa’s case coming along?” He hadn’t asked Zita about it, had wanted to give her a break.

  “Johanna has filled in the necessary paperwork to claim asylum, which means Teresa’s case is now stronger.”

  “Zita mentioned that.”

  Carmen looked toward the living room where the television was on and lowered her voice. “Johanna took quite a risk. Fernando said it took several hours, and she was bound to have been missed. I hope she came up with a reasonable excuse.”

  David hoped so too.

  Zita walked in carrying an overnight bag and looking delectable. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wore plaid leggings and an oversized sweater that hung off one shoulder. Her face softened when she saw him. “You’re getting cuddle time.”

  “Yes. Carmen says I’m a natural.”

  Zita raised an eyebrow. “I suspect she’s right.”

  He wasn’t so sure, but it was kind of nice holding Xaviera.

  “Shall we get going, or do you want to snuggle some more?” Zita asked.

  He’d rather snuggle time with Zita. “We can go.” He got to his feet. “Where should I put Xaviera?”

  “You can take her with you if you like,” Carmen said.

  David stiffened and both women laughed.

  “I’ll grab the rocker.” Zita left the room and returned moments later with it.

  David carefully placed the baby in and gave her a kiss. “See you next time.” When he stood up, Zita was watching him with a strange expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. Let’s go.”