by Nan Dixon
Cheryl stroked the finish. Her expression got even sadder. “I wanted a bed like this when I was a girl.”
Kid’s shopping shouldn’t be depressing, should it?
Nathan sat on the bed. “The mattress isn’t too bad. You like this?” he asked Isabella.
She nodded.
A clerk came over. “I’m Stephanie. Do you need help?”
“Hi, Stephanie. This is Busy Issy.” Nathan nodded at his daughter. “And she’d like this bed.”
Stephanie checked the inventory on her iPad. “You’re in luck. We have this in the warehouse.”
“Mom, this is boring,” Josh said. “Can I go over to the toys?”
“Not right now.”
“Mom.” He drew the word out like it was a six-foot long snake.
“Joshua.” She did the same thing. “Why don’t you help Isabella pick out her bedding?”
“She’s a girl.”
Nathan laughed.
“Fine.” Josh took Isabella’s hand. “What do you like?”
Isabella walked over to the brightest, pinkest, bagged-up comforter.
Josh pretended to gag. “That?”
She nodded.
Nathan winced. “I guess we’re taking that, too.”
Stephanie pulled the correct size from the shelf and then grabbed sheets and a waterproof mattress pad.
Nathan’s dinner churned a little more with each pink selection his daughter made.
The pile in the cart grew and a second cart was retrieved.
“I don’t think I had a lamp on the list.” Cheryl peeked over his shoulder.
“Come on, Issy.” He liked the nickname. Then he held up pink lamps until the little girl pointed at her choice.
“Are we done?” Nathan swung his daughter into his arms, making her giggle.
Cheryl shook her head. “Clothes?”
Josh rolled his eyes. “Can’t I check out toys?”
“Tell you what.” Nathan set Isabella down. “Could you pick out a dozen outfits for Issy, while Josh and I look around?”
Josh frowned at Nathan.
“Josh?” Cheryl asked.
“I guess.” He and Nathan headed to the toys.
“Can you help me choose a couple of toys you liked when you were young?” Nathan asked.
Josh pointed at Legos. “These are fun. And there’s even pink.” He pretended to gag.
Nathan picked up a Lincoln Logs set he and Daniel had had when they were kids and a few more toys. Josh stopped next to the art supplies. Art had been the only area in which Nathan had excelled.
Josh pointed at a large tablet of paper. “Look what I found!”
“Grab it.” Nathan tossed art supplies in the cart for Josh and Issy. Maybe his daughter had gotten some of his creativity.
What if she’d gotten his dyslexia? Nathan swallowed. Could that be why she didn’t speak?
They met Cheryl with a sleepy Issy in her arms at the cash register.
“Mom, Mom.” Josh tugged on her shorts and held up the tablet. “Look what I got.”
Cheryl checked the price and shook her head. “Honey, we’re not buying anything today.”
“I’m paying for it.” Nathan set the art supplies on the counter.
Cheryl shook her head and Josh’s bottom lip quivered, his eyes filling with tears. “It’s for the easel.”
“I understand.” Instead of smiling like he’d hoped, Cheryl frowned.
“Please, Mom. My notebooks are too small. They’d be stupid on the easel.”
Nathan touched her shoulder and she stiffened.
“It’s not much. Come on.” Nathan grinned.
She looked at him and then at her son. Heaving out a sigh, she nodded. But she didn’t smile.
Cheryl handed Issy to Nathan. The girl whimpered at the trade-off, clinging to Cheryl’s neck.
“Go to your daddy,” she said.
Nathan peeled off her fingers and took her. Shouldn’t this be natural?
“Where do I pick up the bed?” Nathan asked Stephanie as Cheryl unloaded the cart.
“At the warehouse or we deliver.”
“You said it was available.”
“It is, but it’s at the warehouse.”
“They’ll deliver tonight?”
“The warehouse is closed,” Stephanie said. “But they’ll call tomorrow when everything is ready.”
Where would Issy sleep tonight? Nathan glanced at Cheryl.
Her eyes narrowed.
Nathan paid, gave the store his contact information and he and Cheryl pushed the rest out to her car.
“I’m not sure everything will fit.” Cheryl stared at the half-filled trunk.
“We’ll figure it out.” He pulled and rearranged packages, lamps and Josh’s easel. Cheryl packed bags between the two booster seats and on the floor.
It was a quiet ride back to Fitzgerald House. Cheryl carried Issy while Nathan grabbed some of the bags and they headed up the stairs to Cheryl’s apartment. Josh carried his easel.
Nathan dropped the bags by the door and headed back to the car. “I’ll bring up what’s left.”
“I can carry my stuff,” Josh insisted, going with him.
He balanced the tablet on his head and held his art supplies in his hand.
“Be careful,” Nathan warned, pulling the booster seats out of the trunk.
“I know.” Josh ran toward the steps.
“Slow down,” Nathan warned again.
Halfway up, Josh tripped. The tablet and bag squirted out of his arms. His chin cracked against the steps. Nathan dropped the seats and started for the kid.
Cheryl ran and thrust Isabella into his arms. She turned Josh over. “Are you all right?”
He sat up, shaking his head. “I’m okay.”
She ran her hands on his face. “Did you bump your chin?”
Josh winced. “Yeah.”
“Stick out your tongue,” she said. “No blood.” She touched his front teeth. “Nothing loose.”
“My stuff.” Josh scooted down the steps and dug through the bag. “A brush broke,” he wailed.
Nathan scooped up the rest of the things Josh had dropped.
“I need another brush.” Josh stomped up the stairs.
“You need to slow down when you’re told,” Cheryl said.
Josh glared at Nathan and Isabella. “If we’d been alone, I wouldn’t have broken the brush.”
“If we’d been alone, you wouldn’t have any of those things,” Cheryl reminded him.
Great. Now both Henshaws were frowning.
Josh pushed into the apartment and threw the broken paintbrush in the corner.
“Pick that up,” Cheryl said.
Josh trudged to the corner and jammed the brush on the tray, rattling the easel.
“Go get ready for bed.”
The boy shot one more searing glare at Nathan before heading to the bathroom.
“Is he okay?” Nathan asked.
“There’s a bump on his chin.” She wrapped her arms around her waist.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I did tell him to slow down.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Cheryl didn’t look at him. She stared down the hallway.
Nathan cleared his throat. “Can Issy sleep here again?”
Cheryl jumped. “I guess.”
“I’ll get her PJs.” He handed Isabella to her.
“Don’t forget the Pull-Ups.”
“Right.” Nathan grabbed bags and brought them to his apartment. Then he dug for everything Issy needed.
Back in Cheryl’s place, he handed her the pajamas. She shoved them back at him. “I need to check on Josh.”
He swallowed. “Sure. I’ll get her ready.”
Cheryl headed to the bathroom.
He turned back to Issy. “Arms up.”
Getting her undressed and dressed was easier with each attempt. But it was unnerving the way she didn’t say a word.
After helping Issy in the bathroom, he tucked her into the bottom bunk.
Cheryl stood on the ladder. “I love you to the moon.”
“Love you to the moon and back.” Even as mad as Josh had been, he gave his mom a hug.
Nathan tucked the blankets around his daughter. “Night, short stuff.”
“Night, little one.” Cheryl brushed a kiss on Issy’s hair. Without a word or a smile for him, Cheryl left.
He stood there, his fists on his hips. Exhaustion hit him like a two-by-four. His feet dragged as he trailed Cheryl to the kitchen. “Thank you for the shopping help and letting Issy stay.”
“Let’s hope she doesn’t have nightmares again.” She filled the kettle.
“I could sleep on the sofa. Then you wouldn’t have to get up with her.” Nathan leaned against the archway separating the kitchen from the living room. Cheryl would never agree to his suggestion.
She turned and gave him a once-over. “Fine.”
He straightened. “Really?”
She shrugged. “I need a good night’s sleep.”
He puffed out a breath. “I’ll go change.”
The kettle whistled and she added a tea bag to a mug. “All I have is the throw on the sofa. Bring a pillow and a blanket. And don’t forget to lock the door.”
By the time he returned from his apartment, Cheryl had disappeared. And he’d never gotten her to smile.
CHAPTER FIVE
NATHAN ROCKETED TO his feet and rushed into the kids’ bedroom.
Issy was curled in a ball, whimpering. What should he do?
She jerked upright and screamed.
“Hey, hey.” He stroked her back. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
Issy wailed, her cry ripping chunks out of his heart. “It’s okay.”
She shook so hard the bed rocked. “You’re safe. It’s okay,” he murmured.
“Make her shut up,” Cheryl’s kid moaned.
Nathan scooped Issy up, bouncing her in his arms. That’s what Cheryl had done last night. But she kept sobbing.
Heading to the living room, Nathan glanced at Cheryl’s door. No movement.
Settling into the rocking chair, he stroked Issy’s hair, hoping she’d stop shuddering.
“Mommy,” she sobbed.
It was the only word she’d said, and he couldn’t help her. “Sorry, kid, it’s Daddy.”
Her tears soaked his T-shirt. What the hell was he doing? He didn’t know anything about having a kid. Issy had been screwed in the parent lottery.
“Are you hungry?” he whispered. “Need a glass of water?”
Issy whimpered. He rubbed her back. The chair creaked as he rocked.
“Come on. It’s not so bad.” He patted, bounced, rocked. Nothing he did calmed her. She sobbed nonstop.
He stared at Cheryl’s bedroom door, willing it to open. She’d know what to do. He strained, hoping to hear her moving, anything to indicate she would rescue his daughter.
The only sounds were Issy’s cries and the whir of the air conditioner.
Sighing, he hummed the cheery song Mom used to sing. The tune reminded him of better times. A time when he and his brother were on equal footing. Before they’d been compared and he’d come up lacking.
Issy’s back eventually relaxed.
He searched for another tune. The only song that came to mind was “American Pie.” He hummed and hummed, sometimes breaking into the words.
Halfway through the song her body molded to his shoulder. He slowed his rocking. This was only the second night and exhaustion already weighed his muscles like they’d been made of concrete. Would Issy always wake like this? The back of his head clunked the top of the wooden chair.
Cheryl’s door opened. “She okay?”
He nodded, wishing she’d emerged twenty minutes ago.
“Good work.” She closed the door.
Good work? That’s all she had to say? He was dog-tired. But Issy was asleep and that was important.
In Josh’s room, he tucked the covers around her chin. Brushing her hair back, Nathan sighed and returned to the sofa. His feet hung over the arm, so he curled into an uncomfortable ball.
Issy needed more help than he could provide. Why couldn’t anyone see that? The little girl deserved better. Winging it, handling this crisis hour-by-hour, wasn’t doing it. He yawned. Tomorrow he needed a real plan.
* * *
“HEY, BESS.” CHERYL waved as the middle Fitzgerald sister entered the kitchen.
“Hi.” Bess headed to the coffee station. “No Abby this morning?”
“She and Dolley are meeting with the accountant.” It was strange that she was telling Bess what her sisters were doing.
“Better them than me.” Bess rolled her eyes. “How are you and Josh settling into the carriage house?”
“Good.” Sort of.
Having Nathan sleep on her sofa had kept her awake. With his daughter he was...different. When she’d finally fallen asleep, she’d had an erotic dream. Not about Brad, but Nathan. Her face heated and she bent over the dishwasher, hoping Bess wouldn’t notice.
When Isabella had screamed, Cheryl had stayed in her room. Nathan had to learn how to calm his daughter. But she hadn’t gone back to sleep until she’d checked on the pair.
“I understand Nathan moved in,” Bess said.
“About a week ago.” Cheryl pulled the last plate off the cart and set it in the dishwasher. Good. Now she could make Welsh cakes. “Did you know he had a daughter?”
“Daniel told me last night. Unbelievable.” Bess splashed cream in her coffee. “Have you met her? What’s she like? Shoot. I don’t even know her name.”
“Isabella. She’s...quiet.”
After she and Josh had run from Levi, Josh had been quiet. But Isabella never spoke. “I’m pretty sure she can talk. But she’s only screamed ‘mommy.’ She has night terrors.”
“The poor girl.” Bess leaned against the sitting-area sofa and pulled her gorgeous red hair into a ponytail. All the Fitzgerald sisters had red or golden-red hair.
The sisters were awesome. They’d built a fabulous B and B out of their family home and then expanded the business to the mansion next door.
Cheryl wouldn’t be surprised if her eyes turned green with envy. She envied them. Envied the fact that they had it so together. That they had each other.
But she had Josh. And that was enough. At least it should be. He was the reason she had to find the courage to ask Abby about working in the restaurant.
Between helping Nathan and Isabella, she hadn’t figured out what to do about culinary classes. Maybe she wouldn’t need them. She straightened her shoulders. It was time to talk to Abby.
“I get to meet Isabella tonight.” Bess pushed away from the sofa. “Debbie and Samuel are having the family over for dinner.”
Bess was engaged to Nathan’s twin brother, Daniel. Another twinge of envy shot through Cheryl. If she had a family or a partner, life would be easier. “Don’t be surprised if Isabella doesn’t talk.”
“If anyone can get her relaxed and talking, it’ll be Samuel and Debbie.” Bess tugged on a cap. “Time to work in the gardens before it gets too hot.” She headed out into the courtyard.
Bess and Daniel had something special. All the Fitzgerald sisters had gotten lucky in love.
Once upon a time, Cheryl had, too. Brad was the love of her life. After he’d died—two years ago last month—she’d been adrift.
She grabbed a food processor and poured sugar in. After pulsing it, she let the swirling sugar dust settle. Voilà. Her first batch of caster sugar.
She carefully gathered the ingredients for the tea cakes, then painstakingly measured, mixed, cut and put a test circle of dough on the griddle.
When the timer went off, she flipped it. The cake was a lovely golden brown. And the other side came out perfectly, too. She split the cake and dusted it with the caster sugar.
She broke off a piece and let the warm spices and dried fruits melt in her mouth. “That’s good.”
“Those smell great,” Abby said, coming into the kitchen and pulling off her coat.
“I think they’re right.” Cheryl pointed to the sample cake she’d tried. “Can you test one?”
Abby picked up the rest of the cake and bit in. “Delicious,” she mumbled. “Why don’t I make the filling?”
Cheryl smiled and grilled the cakes. Abby cut them open and dusted them with the sugar and spread the filling. They worked side by side in a nice rhythm.
“The guests will enjoy these.” Abby packed the cooled cakes into containers.
“I’m glad.” Cheryl bit her lip so she didn’t grin too broadly. Growing up, she rarely received compliments. Maybe from her grandmother. Never her mother. This could be the perfect time to ask Abby about a job.
“Do you feel safer with Nathan living next door to you?” Abby asked.
“I guess.” And the opportunity disappeared.
She wasn’t about to tell her boss Nathan had spent the night in her apartment. Even though it was for his daughter, it didn’t sound appropriate. “He was building your stairs yesterday.” She changed the subject.
“I stopped by last night and was impressed.” Abby bumped her shoulder. “Let’s take them some cakes and check on their progress.”
A little zing went through Cheryl. She was spending too much time around Nathan, but she looked forward to seeing him.
Abby grabbed the thermos of lemonade she kept on hand for the construction crews while Cheryl took the cakes.
Male laughter came through the open carriage door. Hammer strikes rang out, the solid thuds echoing through the courtyard.