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“What do you expect me to do with a toddler in a funeral home? A sick toddler at that.”
“She’s not that sick.” Her father stepped in, his face set. “She’s been running a slight fever all week and you managed just fine.”
Tori hated watching this. It was a train wreck happening in slow motion, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it.
“Not today, Dad. We’re already shorthanded. I told you that when you called.”
“We can’t watch her.” Her mom threw her hands up in the air. “You’re responsible for her. You deal with it.”
They were out the door before anyone could say anything else. Tori’s heart hammered as she stood with a stoically quiet Miranda, holding onto the obviously sick Rebel. Tori pressed her lips together tightly, looking the situation over in a new way. She could use this to make another connection with Miranda, maybe show her that she wasn’t as alone as her parents had just made her feel.
“Well, that leaves you in quite a pickle, doesn’t it?” Tori said, cringing at her own choice of words. Why did she keep messing this up?
Miranda said nothing, her jaw so tight that the muscles bulged at the sides of her face. Tori looked back toward the hum of voices filtering out of the room where the wake was being held. Nadine would be expecting her back any moment, and she had to be on her toes again, didn’t she? Nadine had eased up on her need for Tori over the last hour or so, which had given her the chance to take a break. Maybe she didn’t need Tori as much as she thought.
“Does she have the bug that’s been going around?” Tori asked, running her fingers over Rebel’s back to try and comfort her.
“I don’t know.” Miranda tilted her chin down awkwardly, looking into Rebel’s face as best as she could. “They said she had a temp of ninety-nine.”
Tori snorted. “I hate that they do that. It was awful with Harley that first eighteen months she was there. She was sent home so many times, and I had to cancel so many appointments.”
“Her father couldn’t take off?”
Tori raised an eyebrow at Miranda. “Harley’s other mother has a job with a crap boss who won’t let her off work often, and my work schedule is more flexible than hers.”
Miranda’s gaze locked on Tori’s. What just happened? Tori couldn’t look away, falling into those honey-brown eyes with each passing second. Did Miranda not know she was a lesbian? It could entirely be possible because she’d been so wrapped up in herself, but Tori didn’t hide who she was.
“Because you can schedule clients when you want.”
“Yes, and at the time when Harley was really little, my business was just getting off the ground, so my hours weren’t as filled as they are now.”
Miranda hummed and pressed her nose into Rebel’s hair. She was just about to speak when Hannah interrupted her.
“Ms. Hart, we need to prepare for the graveside this afternoon.”
“Right.” Miranda’s shoulders tightened, her grip on Rebel firm. She looked wildly around, absolutely lost as to what to do.
Tori could read that look from a mile away. “You know what?”
Miranda jerked toward Tori.
Taking another risk, Tori held her hands out for Rebel. “My day was cleared for this, and Nadine is doing well enough at the moment. Let me take her.”
seven
“What?” Shock ricocheted through Miranda’s chest. She didn’t want to put Rebel down. She’d never seen her this lethargic before, and even though it had been three and a half weeks of living together, she hadn’t seen her this quiet. It worried her.
“Let me watch Rebel for you.” Tori’s hands were open, as if expecting Miranda to give in and just hand Rebel over.
“No.”
“Please. It’s the least I can do, and I know you have to work. No one can raise a child in a vacuum, and you’re doing your part. Let me help a little. I have the time.”
Miranda’s stomach was in knots. She had so much work to do. She’d been falling behind more and more each day despite staying up late to work after Rebel fell asleep against her. She hadn’t been expecting to be thrown full force into parenting. Hannah stepped in closer. They had a whole second service that afternoon, which would include going out to the cemetery in the pelting rain to do the graveside. She would be busy for hours, and she’d lied to her parents in hopes they’d agree and she could put off the inevitable frustration from them.
“I’m going to be busy the rest of the day,” Miranda murmured.
“It’s fine.” Tori gave her a quick smile, something she always seemed to do. “I took the whole day off. I really don’t mind. We can hang out in your office.”
