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“The road. What if she’s gone out onto the road?” Miranda started walking toward the street, void of cars and kids.
“I don’t think she’s in the road. Let’s check the obvious places first.” A deep desire to ease Miranda’s upset filled her. She’d question it later. For now, she had a kid to find.
They walked around, intermittently calling out Rebel’s name. Tori walked faster than Miranda, who was still dressed like she worked on Wall Street or something. Maybe she did work in the government. Who knew? It wasn’t like Miranda seemed to be into sharing information.
“I see her.” Tori took a deep breath and let it out with a smile.
They had circled the entire building, and from Tori’s position, she could see Harley holding hands with Rebel through the window of Harley’s classroom. Harley encouraged Rebel to dance along to music Tori couldn’t hear.
Miranda stepped closer, the scent of her perfume light but distinct, and it had an odd disinfectant undertone to it. Tori rubbed her finger under her nose as Miranda stepped away, the warmth of her body brushing teasingly against Tori’s shoulder.
“How did she get back inside?” Miranda clenched her fists, walking swiftly toward the front door to the center.
“Looks like you may have your hands full with a mini Houdini.” Tori tried to lighten the mood as she followed.
“Great, that’s what I need.” Miranda’s voice was colder than the afternoon. But at least it hadn’t started pelting rain yet.
Tori didn’t bother to reply as they punched in the code to get into the building. Forcing herself to take three deep breaths, Tori relaxed her shoulders and rolled her neck before following Miranda inside. She could understand being upset when losing a child. Harley had vanished a couple times on her, and it was the scariest thing on the planet.
Miranda pushed into the classroom and knelt down, her arms out. Rebel squealed and ran right for her. It was adorable. Tori had doubted Miranda’s connection to Rebel before, plenty of times before, but this was a different interaction, more akin to that morning at drop-off. Tori didn’t even try to hide her smile.
Harley came running toward her, wrapping her arms around Tori’s waist in a furious hug. “Mommy!”
“Hey, Pumpkin.” She bent and brushed a kiss into Harley’s hair.
Miranda straightened up, Rebel firmly in her arms. The tension that had been in her cheeks and neck before was gone. She must have been more stressed than Tori had realized. Their gazes locked. Tori hadn’t realized just how honeyed the browns in her eyes were until that moment. Miranda looked amazingly strong and steady.
Miranda came closer, and Tori couldn’t rip her gaze away, not even with Harley tugging at her hand. Miranda stopped in front of her, crowding Tori into the doorway as they both stood in it. Tori’s heart fluttered, her lips parted. What was she supposed to say?
“Thank you.” Miranda’s voice was calm, firm, sure. Maybe even a little vulnerable under the precision of each syllable.
Before she could reply, Miranda was already walking away. Tori still couldn’t tear her gaze from her. She was completely enthralled. Holy crap, Aili was right. She did have a crush on Miranda.
“Mommy,” Harley’s voice interrupted Tori’s thoughts.
“Yeah, Pumpkin?” She cleared her throat, finding herself again.
“Can I please have a little sister? I promise I’ll be good. I really want one.”
Tori smiled down at her. She had never wanted to have only one child, and that thought still made her heart ache.
“I’m working on it, sweetie. I’m working on it.” But no way would that happen with Miranda. Nope. She was pretty to look at but so not relationship material.
four
“You ready for this?” Miranda stared at Rebel, still locked in her car seat.
Rebel giggled, her entire face lighting up.
“Glad you are. I’m not.” Frowning, she reached in and pulled at the clips on the car seat. Tierney was supposed to be back over a week ago. Rebel had now been living with Miranda for two full weeks, and neither of them had slept well during that time, but they had found a rhythm. Mostly. Miranda had successfully gotten six full hours of sleep the night before, which was the only reason she thought she could handle this conversation with her parents.
Life wore on her.
With Rebel in her arms, she walked up to the house and knocked. Her mother, Sandra, opened the door, her brown eyes widening as she saw Rebel. “Oh, baby!”
Sandra opened her arms and took Rebel from Miranda. With the weight gone, she felt odd. When had she gotten used to that? Well, she shouldn’t. Tierney would be home any day now and Rebel would be back in her hands. This was only temporary.
The house was pristine, like it always had been since Miranda was a kid. Her mother was fastidious about keeping everything in the place it should be. When Tierney had been born, it had been her job to keep the house clean to those standards until Tierney was old enough to help. Which of course she didn’t because God forbid her parents ever actually parent her.
