What Happiness Looks Like (Promises) (11 page)

After removing her shoes, Joely joined Dalton in the log cabin’s bathroom. The room held a white pedestal sink and claw-footed tub. The toilet was hidden behind saloon-style doors.

She heard the tub filling with water. “I’ll just wash my hands and face in the sink.”

He pointed toward her mud-splattered shins. That’s what she got for wearing a skirt to a horse farm. She sighed. Maybe a bath wasn’t such a bad idea.

He showed her the wine-colored robe hanging on the back of the door. “After your bath, you can either wear this or I brought you some of my clothes; you can see if they fit. I’ll put yours in the wash.”

“That’s not necessary.” Even as she protested, she appreciated his offer. “I can wash them when I get home.”

“Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”

“Really. Kate has some kind of super stain-fighting detergent that gets grass stains out of Anna’s clothes. But thank you.”

He closed the door behind him as he left. She turned the lock and hesitated. Even with the door locked, it felt very intimate to get naked in Dalton’s house. A moment later, she undressed, setting her locket next to her pile of clothes.

The water almost burned when she first lowered her ankle into it. But her body soon adjusted to the temperature. By the time her shoulders were submerged, she felt wrapped in a warm, liquid blanket. A soft moan escaped her lips.

She should take a bath every day. Her body needed it.

After savoring the heat for a little while and replaying the foal’s birth, she pulled the plaid curtains to the side and looked out the window. Outside she saw Dalton’s three dogs chasing each other through the rain. Two were collie mixes and one looked like a golden retriever. They had run to the pickup to greet them when they’d first arrived and she’d laughed at their enthusiasm.

Joely could see woods in the distance and a small river snaking its way through the trees. Once their branches filled with summer leaves, the trees would obscure much of the river’s path.

There was no sign of civilization. His closest neighbor’s house was miles away, on the other side of the cabin. If Joely lived here, she would leave the curtains open when she bathed so she could appreciate the view.

She pushed the thought away.

Suddenly embarrassed that she had lingered too long in another person’s tub, she pulled the plug. She dried off and stepped into a pair of Dalton’s faded blue jeans, finding them tight across her hips and loose around her waist. She rolled the hem up an inch then slipped on his T-shirt, which advertised the Oklahoma State Fair. The freshness of laundry detergent mixed with Dalton’s own body chemistry created an invigorating scent. Her heart skipped.

She put on the heart-shaped locket that contained Anna’s newborn picture and tucked it under the shirt, close to her heart. That’s where she always wore it.

On the way out of the bathroom, she noticed a family portrait hanging on the wall—Dalton, Ryan and what must be Dalton’s ex-wife. They were all wearing coordinating outfits in black, which blended in with the black background. The effect made you focus only on their faces. Dalton stood behind the others, his dark, wavy hair also blending with the background. His dimpled chin made him look adorable. The ginger-haired woman had a frozen smile and a look in her eye as though she wished she were somewhere else. Ryan was wearing his round, wire-rimmed glasses and had a little baby fat in his cheeks. This was probably the very last picture they had taken before his mother left. Joely thought it a bit strange that Dalton kept her photo on display. She certainly didn’t have any pictures of Jake framed on the wall.

She followed the sounds of clanking dishes into the kitchen.

Dalton ladled some soup into two bowls on the table. He glanced up and his movements stopped. “Wow. I like you in dresses, but you look pretty sexy in jeans, too.”

She blushed and stopped near the table. “What’s all of this?”

“I made us some chicken noodle soup.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Jake had never cooked for her. Never run her a bath. “Why are you always so nice to me?”

He leaned in closer, his silver ladle frozen in mid-air. “Because you deserve it.”

What was it about him that made her want to climb in his lap and let him convince her?

He pulled out a chair and offered it to her. “I opened a can of Campbell’s. It’s no big deal.” He sat across from her. “Tell me more about your job hunt.”

“I’m just getting started.” They started to eat.

“What do you do again?”

She paused. “I used to work for an interior designer.”

“You can see I’ve never used one.” He gestured toward the adjacent living room where a burgundy recliner, a brown love seat and a wicker chair surrounded a stone fireplace. A white cat curled against the arm of his recliner.

Joely placed her forearm on the rustic table. “I didn’t know you had a cat. What’s his name?”

“Oliver. As in Oliver Twist. He was a stray that showed up one day and never left.”

Three dogs, a cat, how many other animals did he have that she hadn’t met yet? Was that why his wife left—she didn’t like living in a zoo? No, that was silly. Joely just couldn’t find anything wrong with Dalton. What was she missing?

Her focus returned to the random furniture. She liked that it was casual enough that he didn’t shoo the pets off as some of her clients used to do. “Your place is great. The trend right now isn’t to be all matchy-matchy anyway.”

“Interesting. So, you would help people pick out furniture and stuff?”

She shook her head. “Actually, I worked for someone who did that. What I did was paint murals on the walls.”

He stopped eating and stared at her. “You’re an artist? And you let me drag you to a parent-child painting class without so much as a word?”

Joely shrugged. “I liked it. Anna liked it.”

“But I feel like such a fool.” He ran his fingers through his damp hair. “That’s why you knew how to add the mist to my painting of the water.”

She took another spoonful of soup.

He studied her. “So why didn’t you ever paint anything in class?”

Joely focused on the broth in her bowl. “I haven’t painted in a long time. Since Anna was born.”

“Is it like writer’s block? Do artists get something like that?”

“I think so. Between the lupus and having a baby and. . . .” She didn’t want to whine about her life anymore. “I had other things to focus on. But now Anna is in school all day and I’ve kind of worn out my welcome at my sister’s place. I need to find a job.”

“Do you have any contacts in town?”

“No. Networking isn’t an option. I used to work in Michigan. I moved here when I was pregnant.”

“Do you think you could paint if you had something specific to do?”

She sure hoped so. “I’m not sure if painting is going to be a feasible option in a small town like Foxworth. The thing is, I don’t know what else I could do that would provide a decent income.”

“I went to a vet clinic once and they had this giant painting on the wall of a farm—cows, chickens, barn cats chasing mice. Could you do something like that?”

“Sure.”

“Well, I’ll hire you then. Paint a mural at my office.”

Without thinking, Joely shook her head. “I couldn’t take your money.”

“I would love something like that in the waiting area.”

She dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “I don’t want you to give me a job out of pity.”

“It’s not. It would be good exposure for you, too. People would see it and ask who painted it. It might help you get the ball rolling.”

It still felt like charity. She sighed. “Can we talk about something else?”

He waited a beat. “How are things going with your ex?”

Her blood started to boil. “Not good. Tell me this, would you take someone else’s child to get their ears pierced?”

“No.”

“I took Anna up to meet my ex’s mom. And she took Anna to the mall and pierced her ears!”

“I don’t have a daughter, but I’m pretty sure if I did, I’d have a strong opinion about that. Did your ex know she was going to do that?”

Joely paused, clinging to her anger. She wanted to blame Jake for having such a presumptuous mother. “I don’t think so. He called the other day to apologize, but I don’t know. I’m so mad. Kate hates him and won’t let him come to our house. And I’m not ever taking Anna to his place again—he lives with his mom.”

His eyebrows scrunched together in disapproval. “So you’re not going to let Anna see her dad?”

Suddenly she felt the need to defend herself. “Hey, this isn’t my fault. He’s the one who left us.”

“But he’s her father.”

Joely propped her elbow on the table. So he was on Mitch’s side. Fathers had more rights than mothers apparently because they could come and go as they pleased. Well, we’ll see about that double standard. “What would you do if suddenly your wife showed up and wanted to pretend she had never left?”

Dalton swallowed. “I keep hoping that she will do just that.”

That gave her pause. She leaned back. He still had a thing for his ex. That’s why he’d hung her picture in the hall. She looked at her wrist, but her watch wasn’t there. “I’d better get going.” The chair legs screeched across the hardwood floor as she stood. “I think I left my watch in your bathroom.”

She rushed out of the kitchen before he could protest. She hurried past the family portrait, not pausing to see the woman who still owned Dalton’s heart. In the bathroom, she found her watch and latched it around her wrist. Before leaving, she parted the curtains one last time and gazed out at the river flowing into the trees. Oh, to live near water. . . .

As she turned to leave, she bumped into Dalton’s chest. He had slipped into the room silently behind her. “Sorry.”

Time seemed to stop. His sexy, brown eyes drew her in. Too bad his heart was taken.

He placed his warm hands on her cheeks. What was he doing?

Her heart banged inside her chest. The breath caught in her throat. And his lips brushed against hers.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

JOELY

Joely was in the middle of a dream about Dalton’s kiss. She kept replaying it in her mind, but in her fantasy, she didn’t walk away.

“Mommy, Mommy!” Anna’s voice tore her from her reverie. “My ear hurts!” Anna stood at the end of Joely’s bed.

Blinking her eyes into focus, Joely sat up and studied Anna’s right ear. It was bright pink and swollen. “I think you have an infection.” Damn Mrs. Mahoney! A five-year-old wasn’t old enough for pierced ears. And now Joely had to deal with this.

Anna’s lower lip quivered. “It stings, Mommy.”

She didn’t know whether she should remove the earring or if that would hurt Anna even more. “I’ll call the doctor. Can you go ahead and get dressed?”

Anna looked as if she wanted to cry. “Can I stay home with you today? I won’t be able to concentrate in school.”

What five-year-old used the word ‘concentrate’? Joely smiled at her daughter’s uniqueness and dodged the question about school. “I’ll get an ice cube and wrap it in a washcloth. That will probably help.”

On the way to get the ice, Joely dialed the pediatrician’s number. She went downstairs and pulled an ice cube out of the freezer. She was still waiting to talk to a phone nurse when Anna came back holding a washcloth.

Joely glanced at the microwave’s clock. School started in half an hour. They were going to be late. She wasn’t sure an ear piercing gone wrong would be an excused absence. “Anna, I might be on hold here for a while. If you don’t want to get dressed, let’s get you some breakfast.”

Anna stood in the kitchen pleading with her eyes. “I want to stay here with you. Can I please? I feel like my ear’s on fire.”

Empathy overtook her. It probably wouldn’t hurt to miss one day of kindergarten. Unlike Joely, Anna actually enjoyed school. So, if she stayed home today, Anna would probably be anxious to go back tomorrow.

Joely reached around Anna and gave her a one-armed hug while holding the phone with the other. “Of course you can stay home with me today.”

“I love you, Mommy.” Anna smiled.

“I love you, too, sweetie.” Joely envisioned a special mother-daughter day of drawing chalk pictures and playing hide-and-seek.

Anna looked up at her. “Why does Daddy call me AJ?”

Blindsided, Joely took a deep breath. “It’s like a nickname. Like your Aunt Kate’s real name is Katharine. But you can tell your daddy you prefer that he call you Anna, if you want. Or I can tell him.” She would make him listen this time.

Anna shrugged. “No, thank you. I like it when he calls me AJ.”

LILY

Once the hospital finally released her, Lily moved into Mrs. H’s house. She hadn’t seen Butch for five days and thought she might sneak out after everyone had gone to sleep. That way she could get some of her clothes or maybe he’d change his mind and ask her to stay.

She stared at the lined paper of the wire-bound notebook. She scribbled the pen in the corner to make sure it worked. She’d considered typing the letter, but she thought Dayna might like to see her handwriting someday. And so she wrote:

Dear Dayna,

I almost died giving birth to you. But that’s not why I’m giving you away. I want you to know that. I figure it’s better I give you away than the state take you away. That’s what happened to me.

I’m not cut out to be a mom (although I did give up smoking while I was pregnant with you and that was a real bitch). I hope someday you’ll see that having Mrs. H. for a mom is for the best.

Lily

KATE

Kate awoke to crying. The cries of a baby. She lay in bed and waited for Lily to react.

She listened to Mitch’s soft snoring next to her and smiled. Things were better between them now. Now that their goal was in sight.

After a minute, the wailing intensified. Kate catapulted out of bed and rushed down the hall.

She pulled open the door to Lily’s bedroom and saw Dayna alone in her crib. Lily’s bed hadn’t been slept in. Kate reached down and picked up the infant. She sat in the glider they’d recently purchased for the nursery. “Shh. There, there.”

The bedroom door opened to reveal Joely standing in her cotton nightgown, rubbing her eyes. “For a moment, I had a flashback, thinking it was Anna in here, wanting to nurse.”

Kate continued rocking, offering her pinky as a pacifier. She should buy some real pacifiers. “Does it bring back memories?”

Joely nodded. “Yes. But a crying baby is much more annoying when it’s not yours, I’m discovering.”

Kate shrugged, looking at the red-faced baby. “So you’ll be annoyed when I have a baby?”

“No. Not if it’s my little niece or nephew crying.”

This might be her, Kate thought. But she didn’t know for sure yet.

Joely reached out her arms. “Give her to me. Let me see if I can calm her down.” She took Dayna and instantly a sweet expression melded onto Joely’s face. Her eyes softened and her lips murmured to the baby. She bounced the infant and paced the floor. “This used to work for Anna.” With Dayna’s cries growing louder, Joely patted the infant’s back. “Sometimes a baby can only be comforted by its mother. Where is Lily, by the way?” She scanned the room, pausing on the empty twin bed.

“She went out. She’s not used to having to tell anyone where she’s going. She basically raised herself, you know.”

“What does that mean for Dayna?”

“Good question.”

Joely shifted her weight. “I think Dayna’s hungry. They eat all of the time when they’re newborns.”

Kate offered her sister a pleading look. “Any chance you could run to the store to get some formula?”

Her sister sighed. “You mean Lily took off and we don’t have any formula?”

“Well, she’s been breastfeeding, but she must have lost track of time.”

Joely rolled her eyes, clearly disgusted, but still bouncing Dayna. “Don’t you have the number for her cell or something?”

Kate shook her head. She had endless patience when it came to Lily, but Joely was starting to get on her nerves. Kate knew transitioning to motherhood would be hard for a child brought up in “the system.” Why couldn’t her sister understand?

Kate also knew Lily could do it. Lily might achieve self-actualization once she learned how to care for Dayna. She would finally see what it felt like to love and be loved. Goosebumps popped up across Kate’s arms. Part of her wanted Lily to embrace motherhood and part of her wanted to keep the baby for herself. Why couldn’t she have it both ways?

Still cradling the baby, Joely leaned against the doorframe rather than springing into action.

Kate stood, taking Dayna into her arms. “Never mind. I’ll go wake Mitch. This will be good practice for him when we have our own baby.”

Joely walked to the pink diaper bag stamped with “Foxworth Community Hospital” in white block letters. “Wait. Did you look in here? When I had Anna, the hospital sent me home with some free samples of formula.” She rooted through the pamphlets and newborn diapers to find a little can. “Bingo. Hold on, Dayna. Milk’s on its way!”

JOELY

Joely yawned and looked up at the Spanish lace style ceiling in her bedroom. Having a newborn across the hall made it even harder to sleep. She yawned again.

She had a goal for today, but her body wasn’t quite ready to cooperate.

She imagined what her résumé would look like. Five years of being a stay-at-home mom wouldn’t be easy to finesse into marketable job skills. At one time she’d been fortunate enough to use her artistic skills to make a living, but before that position, she had waited tables. She knew restaurant pay wouldn’t allow her to get her own place, let alone afford Anna’s private school tuition. And who knew what her body could handle? Those trays full of dishes weighed a ton.

Heaving a sigh, she tossed the covers to the side. She had put off writing her résumé for too long. Today was the day. She entered the room where Kate and Mitch kept the computer and saw Lily sitting in front of it. The problem was the computer room was now Lily’s room.

“Hi,” Joely said. “I’m sorry I didn’t think to knock.” Kate had introduced them yesterday and Lily had barely nodded her head in acknowledgement of Joely. Even now Lily didn’t turn around or speak. The screen displayed a black and white photograph that looked like Stephen King.

Joely entered the room. “Are you going to be on here for very long?” No response. “I need to use the computer.”

Maybe Lily had ear buds in and couldn’t hear her. Joely walked up and tapped her on the shoulder.

Lily sprang from her seat, tipping the chair over. “Don’t ever touch me!”

No ear buds. Just rude. “Sorry.” Joely turned and left the room. She went to find Kate, who was making breakfast. “That girl is crazy.”

“What happened?”

“She’s on the computer and when I asked her when she’d be done, she acted as though she was going to claw me.”

Kate poured some pancake batter onto the griddle. “Lily doesn’t do well around people. She has trust issues.”

“She has lots of issues, I’d say. How long is she going to be staying here?”

Kate finished filling the last space on the griddle. She turned to Dayna, strapped in the automatic swing, quiet and content. Kate smiled and waved at the baby. “I’m not sure. As long as she needs to.”

“How does Mitch feel about that?”

Kate stood up straight and faced Joely. “He loves having a baby in the house again.”

As if on cue, Mitch came down the stairs and smiled at Dayna. He made a beeline for her. He turned off the swing and picked her up. “Good morning, Sunshine.”

Joely admired how he instantly had warmed up to the infant. She heard footsteps running down the stairs. Lily’s eyes locked onto Dayna. The red head rushed over and practically jerked the baby out of Mitch’s arms.

Joely held her breath. No one spoke.

Mitch rubbed his hands on his pants. “Well, Kate, can I help you with breakfast?” He walked over to the stainless steel refrigerator and opened the door. He poured orange juice into six glasses. An awkward silence filled the kitchen.

When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, Joely gladly left the room to answer it. She opened the door and saw a familiar face. “Jake.”

He smiled, his eyes looking bluer today than usual. “I tried calling, but Kate kept hanging up on me.”

Her temperature rose. Her sister had invited strangers to move in without consulting her first, and then had the nerve to cut her off from Jake. She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. “You look different.”

His hand stroked his clean-shaven jaw. “I had a job interview this week.” He looked even more handsome without the facial hair hiding his features. She now recognized him as the man who’d once possessed her heart and soul.

He tucked his car keys into his chinos. “I decided it’s time to quit sponging off of Mom and Dad.”

Joely squirmed. Did he think she was sponging off of her sister? Deep down, she worried that she was. But she didn’t know how to get a good job. She didn’t have a business degree like Jake. She had lucked into the job with Kelly when the interior designer noticed her artwork on display.

Joely suggested they sit on the wrought iron bench by the front door. Kate’s insolence was forcing her to be kinder to Jake than she’d like. “You can tell your mother that Anna’s ear got infected and we had to remove the diamonds. In fact, she can have them back.”

Jake’s expression fell, looking remorseful. “I’m sorry about that. Really. My mom can be a bit pushy. Is AJ OK?”

“Yes. She’ll live.” She crossed her arms. “What are you doing here?”

“I miss AJ. She has inspired me to put my life back together, to get a job so I can start providing child support.”

“I don’t want your money.” Although maybe he could help her afford Logan Prep next year. She pushed the thought away. She knew better than to count on Jake.

He must’ve read her mind. “I swear I’m different now. I’ve aged a decade or two in the last few weeks. Tell me what you want, what AJ needs, and I’ll give it to you.”

What she wanted was to provide for her daughter by herself. She turned her attention to the maple tree across the lawn. A goldfinch flitted between a branch and the bird feeder.

Jake reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He splayed it open and pulled out all of the green bills inside. “Here. It’s all I have on me. About . . . seventy dollars.”

Her hand raised in refusal. “What Anna needs from you is a father. However. . .” Her voice trailed off. Did she dare ask for his help? She didn’t want to, but Anna needed it. “I might let you pay her tuition to a private school.”

“How much?”

“Fifteen thousand.”

“A year?” His eyes practically popped out of their sockets. “I don’t have that kind of cash right now.” He closed his wallet and put it away. “Maybe when my house sells in California or when I get another job lined up.”