Balancing Act, page 24
“Good morning.”
“Did you rest easy last night?”
“I slept like a babe, believe it or not.”
“Nothing like vigorous exercise to aid healthy sleep.”
“Yes, well, it proved to be a miraculous medicine. But on to the reason for my call. I wonder if you regained your senses overnight.”
“Well, I did dream about you, so…”
She laughed. “Enough flirtation, Noah. I’m calling about your offer of a roof for our heads. No harm, no foul if you’ve second-guessed the idea.”
“No second-guessing here. I actually spent some time this morning dusting.” And sweeping and mopping and sanitizing.
“Oh no. Don’t do that. We will be responsible for cleaning.”
Noah’s lips lifted in a smile. “So, you’re moving in?”
“I’m serious about giving you a chance to change your mind.”
“Not gonna happen. I’m happy to have you. Honestly.”
“And you’re truly okay with moving into the loft? I feel terrible about kicking you out of your bed.”
“One of my beds. And actually, I now have a special fondness for the loft bed, and I may have started sleeping there anyway, no matter what was going on in the big house.”
“Well, in that case, as long as our visitors arrive as planned, I guess you can count on us staying there tonight.”
“Great.”
“You and I will need to sit down and establish some guidelines, and yes, I will insist on paying rent. I suspect my mother is going to hover around us today. She’ll probably have dinner with us. Would you like to join us, too? It won’t be anything fancy. Maybe takeout. Maybe pizza. It’ll likely be an early meal, too. I’m guessing between five and six. Travel is hard on little ones. I’ll bet AJ and his nanny will go to bed early.”
“I’d love to have dinner with you.”
“Great. I’ll touch base with you when we’re headed your way.”
“Perfect.”
“Noah?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You just did, Willow. Good luck this afternoon.”
After the phone call, Noah kicked it into high gear. He moved his clothes and toiletries into the loft apartment and went to work upstairs. He soon had the nursery set up and bedrooms ready for Emma and Drew.
Ready, but too generic. Glancing around the room that would be Drew’s, he thought, Too sterile. Too impersonal. It needed some stuff. A little paint wouldn’t hurt, either.
Frowning, he took a mental inventory of the attic. When Mom and Dad sold his childhood home and shipped all the Christmas decorations here to their mountain getaway, hadn’t they included a box of his and Daniel’s things? He thought he remembered seeing them in the attic.
By noon, he’d done a lot, but he still had a few final touches he wished to make in Emma’s room. They required a bit of work in the shop. So Noah placed the starship Enterprise made from a LEGO set on the shelf he’d hung on a wall in Drew’s room, then headed downstairs and out to his workshop.
As Willow grilled cheese sandwiches and heated tomato soup for lunch, she debated how to explain the sudden appearance of AJ Randall in their lives. She didn’t lie to Drew and Emma. However, she also didn’t think she needed to get into nitty-gritty details about their father’s misdeeds.
News like this traveled through the Prentices like a stomach bug during a family road trip. So far this morning, she’d fielded phone calls from her mother, her aunt, her sister-in-law, and her brother Jake. They’d offered advice, counseling, support, and management oversight in turn. Her brother Lucas’s call had been two full minutes of cussing out the memory of her husband without pausing to take a breath. Her sister, currently in France, had sent a sympathetic e-mail and promised a phone call once their time zones allowed for better communication.
Checking the bread, she judged the sandwiches ready and murmured, “Okay, game on.” Then, in a louder voice, she called, “Drew, is the table set?”
“Yes, Mom.”
Emma called, “I put the napkins on.”
“Thank you, baby. Drew, come get the sandwiches, please.” She carried the saucepan to the table and filled the bowls with tomato soup. A favorite of her children, that much was true, but comfort food for herself, too.
She waited until both children had polished off half their sandwich before saying, “So, kiddos, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that Grampy is sick, and it’s pretty serious. He’s had something called a stroke.”
“Is he gonna die?” Drew asked.
“Mimi says the doctors tell her they don’t think he will die from this stroke, but he’s going to be sick for a while and will need lots of care and help to get back to feeling like his old self.”
Drew took a bite of his sandwich, his brow furrowed in a scowl. “Oh no. It’s another bad thing, Mom. That’s two.”
“What?” What was he talking about?
Before Willow could figure it out or question him, Emma tugged on Willow’s sleeve and asked, “What’s the good thing, Mama?”
“The good thing is that Mimi and Grampy have been taking care of a little boy, and now he’s going to come to stay with us until Grampy gets better. He’s almost two years old, so Emma, you’ll get to be a big sister. Drew, you’re such a great big brother already.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a big sister,” Emma said, her eyes brightening with happiness.
Drew shrugged. “He’s not even two? That’s just a baby.”
Obviously, her son wasn’t interested in a baby brother. Good. Willow continued. “The even better good thing is that our friend Mr. Tannehill has offered to let us stay in his big house until we can find our perfect forever home in Lake in the Clouds. That means that both of you and the little boy—his name is AJ—can have your own rooms.”
Now Drew’s eyes went as round as his Harry Potter costume glasses. “Mr. Tannehill? We’re going to live at the Hideaway?”
“For a little while.”
“With Mr. Tannehill?”
“Well, not with Mr. Tannehill. His workshop has an apartment, and he’ll live there. You are not to pester him all the time, Drew. He and I will speak tonight and establish ground rules about what you’re allowed to do and not do when you’re there.”
“Probably like not touching his tools in his workshop.”
“I expect that will be one of them. Also, not going into his workshop at all without permission,” Willow emphasized. She held her breath, waiting for questions about AJ. If they got too uncomfortable, she had the nuclear distraction bomb to drop—puppies.
“Will we still go to Ducklings school if we have a new brother and new house?” Emma asked.
“Yes, honey.”
“Okay, then. I like being a Duckling. Miss Caitlin is the nicest teacher ever. Can I have more soup, please?”
With that, the dreaded conversation appeared to be done with only minor drama and zero trauma. If only the rest of the day could progress that easily.
Genevieve arrived shortly after they finished lunch and took the news about their pending change of address with aplomb. “That is interesting. So, does this change our plans? Do you still want me to babysit this afternoon? How can I be of the most help to you?”
“I think the children will be fine meeting AJ when he arrives. If you want to stay and help keep them entertained, I’ll continue packing. I did a bit already this morning. Being vagabonds, we don’t have much, thank goodness.”
Almost all of the kitchen supplies, the bedding, and the furnishings belonged to Raindrop Lodge. Their personal items amounted to their clothing, toiletries, toys, books, a few electronics, and the contents of their pantry and refrigerator. Considering that they’d lived in this cabin since January, Willow wasn’t sure whether she should feel good or ashamed about being so footloose at this point in their lives.
“We probably have time to take one load over to Noah’s before your guest is due to arrive,” Genevieve pointed out.
“I don’t think that’s necessary. If you wouldn’t mind taking a few boxes in your car, I think we can get everything in one load, Mom.”
“I’m happy to load up my car. I’m sure Helen will have room in hers, too, if there’s anything you and I can’t fit.”
“Auntie?”
“You didn’t think she’d miss this event, did you?”
“Now that you mention it, no.”
At a quarter to two, the nanny sent Willow a text saying they were about an hour away. With the packing completed, Genevieve took the children to the lake to fish while Willow retrieved the housekeeping cart from the storage building and tackled the cleaning of Cabin 17. The physical work helped settle her nerves, and she’d just finished the task and was tugging off a pair of yellow rubber gloves when a knock sounded on the door. Willow glanced up to see Noah standing on the threshold and offered him a genuine smile. “And what brings you here?”
“I thought you might need help moving boxes.”
“Thank you, but we’re already loaded up. We didn’t have all that much to move.”
“In that case.” He tugged a flask from his pocket and held it up. “Need a little liquid courage?”
“I don’t,” she said with a laugh, “but you might ask my mother. She’s strung pretty tight today. She and the kids went over to the lake to fish.”
“Getting a line wet is a good way to relax. It wouldn’t surprise me if all that fishing Gage did last week didn’t help save his life.”
“How is he doing? Have you heard anything?”
“I have. He called me this morning. Zach came by to talk.” Noah gave his head a little bewildered shake as he added, “Gage offered me a job.”
“Oh? Doing what?”
“Things Zach should be doing, if you ask me. They want me to step in and take some of the workload off of Gage’s shoulders.”
“I thought the foreman had taken over all the day-to-day work of the Triple T Ranch. That’s what Mom told me Gage told her, anyway.”
“I think that’s right. But in addition to the Triple T Ranch, Gage also owns other real estate in the area and pieces of local businesses. That’s all held under the umbrella of an entity called Throckmorton Enterprises. Plus, he has the charitable foundation.”
Willow nodded. “Mom’s partnership with Gage in The Emily is organized under the Throckmorton Foundation.”
“He wants to stay involved with the charity, but he wants me to do his work for the Enterprises organization.”
Willow could tell from his tone that he had reservations. “You’re not interested in the job?”
“I told Gage no, which was why Zach came to talk to me.” Noah gestured toward the housekeeping cart and asked, “Are you done with this? Want me to take it back where it belongs?”
“Sure. I’ll show you where it goes. I’m done here. The cabin will only need linens and a fresh dusting to spruce it up when the lodge gets a rental. So, back to this job. Why does it sound like your no didn’t mean no?”
“Because Gage wouldn’t accept it,” Noah replied, exasperation in his tone. “I told him I’m not qualified for that sort of job, but he says he can teach me everything I need to know. Then he sent Zach to tag team me and play on my sympathies.” The cart’s wheels rattled on the stone path as Noah pushed the housekeeping cart back toward the storage shed. “I guess it worked. I told him I’d help out temporarily. Just until they can make permanent arrangements.”
“Hmm,” Willow said.
They walked a little bit without speaking. Then Noah asked, “What do you mean ‘hmm’?”
“You and me and our temporary arrangements—I wonder which of us will have the longest ‘temporary.’”
“Probably better that we don’t think about it,” he said, his tone rueful.
“Yes. Probably.” At the storage shed, she showed him where to store the cart, then they walked toward the lake to join her mother and children. Genevieve happily turned over the children and the fishing poles to Noah while giving Willow a questioning look that managed to convey about twenty-seven questions.
Willow was willing to answer maybe twelve of them, tops.
And she’d have to answer them another time because just then, Aunt Helen arrived at Raindrop Lodge in a car plastered with campaign signs. Genevieve snickered and said, “Told you she’d show up.”
Aunt Helen parked in her usual spot close to the lodge’s side nearest the business office, climbed out of her car, and waved them to join her. Genevieve suggested, “Why don’t you stay here with the children? Let me see what she wants.”
“Okay.”
As her mother walked off, Willow knelt beside Emma to help her tie her shoe and looked up at her son. “Drew. Stop. Take a breath. Give Mr. Tannehill a chance to answer your first question before you ask a second one. Better yet. Stop asking questions. He’s liable to change his mind.”
“No! You won’t, will you?” Drew turned a pleading gaze upon Noah.
“Don’t worry. And I don’t mind—”
Aunt Helen called, “Willow! Willow? Please join us for a minute. I have a campaign question.”
Willow snorted. To Noah, she said, “That’s a lie. She’s going to quiz me about you.”
He chuckled. “I knew what I was getting into when I invited you to stay at the Hideaway. Go talk to your mother and your aunt, Willow. I’ve got the kids.”
“You sure?
“I’m sure. We’re good.”
Willow gave Drew and Emma her best mom look and told them to behave, then walked to join her mother and aunt, who swept her into a hug. “Honey. Noah Tannehill? Color me impressed. I need all the deets.”
“There are no deets,” Willow lied. “He has a big house and a separate apartment.”
Genevieve and Helen shared a skeptical look, then her mom asked, “And he’s come over here now because…?”
“He’s a friend, and he’s offering me support. Just like the two of you are doing.”
“But we’re family,” Aunt Helen pointed out.
“Friends and family. Like the saying goes, it takes a village.” Her phone pinged, and she read the text. The nanny. Willow’s stomach made a slow roll. She felt nervous. She felt a little nauseous. She was overwhelmed. “They’re here.”
Genevieve suggested, “Why don’t you ask her to meet on the lodge’s front porch? That way you’ll have a moment to collect yourself after seeing the boy.”
“Good idea.” Willow texted the instructions, then glanced up from her phone and over her shoulder to find Noah watching her. Had he sensed her turmoil? Both children had abandoned their fishing poles. Drew babbled on about something while throwing rocks into the lake. Emma clasped Noah’s hand and swung it back and forth, back and forth. He held Willow’s gaze, nodded, and winked. You’ve got this.
She heard the words as clearly as if he’d spoken them aloud.
A car approached the Raindrop Lodge parking lot and pulled into an empty spot. The driver’s-side door opened, and a dark-haired woman who appeared to be in her late twenties climbed out from behind the wheel. She walked around the back of the car and opened the back passenger-side door, where inside, Willow could see the figure of a child strapped into a car seat.
The dark-haired woman took less than a minute to release the child from the car seat. It felt like an hour.
They couldn’t see anything once the woman set the child on his feet. The car door slammed shut with a thunk. The front passenger door opened, and the woman removed something from the seat. Thunk. Beep. Beep. The door closed and locked.
With a rolling suitcase and diaper bag in one hand and the child in the other, the woman walked toward the front steps of Raindrop Lodge.
Willow got her first good look at the little boy, and her heart stood still. Standing beside her, Genevieve said, “Oh my.”
Aunt Helen blew out a soft whistle. “He’s Emma without the pigtails.”
Willow swallowed hard. “And Emma looks just like her father.”
A storm of emotion swept over Willow at that point. Mom is right. Every time I look at AJ, I’ll be reminded that Andy cheated on me.
It would be so hard to ever love this poor little boy.
Shame washed through Willow. That was so wrong. She was a better person than that. Sins of the father should not be visited upon the child. She didn’t accept the idea of generational sin. Not in her head at least.
Apparently, her heart had some work to do.
I’m human, far from perfect. I’ll try, but…
Who knows? Maybe the fact that he looked like Emma would make AJ easier to love. Stranger things had happened.
Her mother took hold of Willow’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “We’ve got this.”
Together, they walked forward to meet Andy’s youngest. Willow wished she had that flask Noah had brought, after all, because her mouth was dry as sand. Her mother called, “Hello! Welcome to Raindrop Lodge.”
The woman turned toward them with a smile tinged with relief. “Thank you. I’m Monica Brandt. This is AJ.”
Willow opened her mouth, but she couldn’t get any words past the sudden lump forming in her throat.
Genevieve continued. “I’m Genevieve Prentice. My sister, Helen, and I—” She made a half turn and gestured toward Aunt Helen. “We own Raindrop Lodge. And this—”
“I’m Willow,” she said, finally finding her voice and a smile. “Welcome.”
“I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Monica said brightly. “Maggie has spoken about you a lot.”
“I imagine she has,” Willow replied, her tone rueful.
Her mother and Aunt Helen continued to stare at the toddler. Monica smiled uneasily. Eventually, Aunt Helen said, “We’re being rude. Excuse us, Monica. It’s just that genetics are fascinating.”
“Oh.” Understanding dawned in the nanny’s expression. “Maggie has shown me photographs. AJ looks a lot like his sister.”
“Exactly like her,” Genevieve said. “I’ve always thought Emma had her mother’s nose, but now…”
