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“It’s been weeks now. She’s only seen the babies once, and she was so excited about them coming. I can’t call her, it goes straight to voicemail, and none of my messages are being delivered. Do you think I should head over to her place?” Maisie looks all out of ideas. She’s got so much on her plate at the moment. Learning to be a new mom and keeping Garrett from killing his mother can’t be easy. I figure it’s time for me to start making myself useful.
“How about I swing by her place and invite her round for lunch tomorrow?” I suggest, standing up from the chair near the window and grabbing Garrett’s truck keys from the hook by the door.
“Would you do that? I’d like to know she’s okay, and it would be much easier for her to come to me than for me to go to her.” Maisie looks around at the pure mayhem that's surrounding us. For three tiny people, those kids sure take up a lot of space.
“Of course, I’ll do that.” I move over to her and place both my hands on her shoulders.
“Don’t worry about Leia, I’m sure she’s fine,” I assure her. “Now why don’t you get some rest? Two babies are sleeping and Grandma Carson’s got this little hell-raiser under control.” I tip my head toward the little boy Teresa’s holding.
“I could but—”
“No buts,” Teresa argues. “I have this covered. If one of the others wakes up and it gets too much, Josie can help me. Savannah is right, you look shattered.” I can see how grateful Teresa is for the opportunity to be trusted. Garrett makes it obvious that he doesn’t want her here, and I’ve seen how hard she’s been working to help out. Maisie is, of course, trying to do as much by herself as she can, but she has to learn to take a break once and a while.
“Fine. I’ll take a nap. But you wakemeif anyone wakes up. Jacob is due a feed in about an hour, anyway.” She jots Leia’s address down on a piece of paper and hands it to me before kissing her little boy and heading up the stairs. She’s yawning before she’s even reached the top.
“Thank you.” Teresa smiles at me when we’re alone, and I nod my head back at her before heading out the door.
I feel Cole’s eyes on me as I walk across the yard toward Garrett’s truck, and when I open the driver’s door and go to get inside I have to really hide the smirk from my face when he starts marching toward me.
“Where ya headin’?” He tips his chin at me. Maintaining his usual stern expression.
“Is that any of your business?” I throw some sass back at him, he’s hardly been very welcoming since I arrived, most of the time he looks at me like I’m an imposter. But the fact heislooking is enough to make that okay with me.
“It is when you're takin’ my brother's truck. D’ya have permission?”
“Garrett told me to help myself to anything I needed, and right now I need this.” I pull myself up into the driver's seat and when I go to close the door, Cole grips it tight and holds it open.
“D’ya know how to drive a stick?” His eyes glance down at the truck’s gear stick.
“Yes, I know how to drive a stick.” I roll my eyes sarcastically and make another attempt to close the door. Which he makes impossible and I watch his bicep flex as he holds it firm.
“This is a pretty big truck, and the roads around here ain’t like the streets of L.A.”
“Careful, big boy, you're almost sounding concerned.” I frown at him and watch the frustration grow on his face.
“Only concern I got, is for my brother's truck,” he assures me, keeping his lips straight and his eyes mean.
“Well, I promise she’s in safe hands.” I test the feelers out a little by resting my palm on his bare chest. It's solid, a little sweaty, and I’m intrigued by the scar he has on it. It looks like he’s been branded with a cattle iron.
“You just go steady.” He takes a step back, lifting his hat before he closes the door for me.
* * *
I get lost a little along the way, and I’ll never admit to Cole that he was right about the roads around here, there are no markers to keep people on their own damn side.
Still, I make it, and as I look up at the huge, glass-fronted house before me, I catch the shadow of somebody peering down from the top floor as I walk toward the front door.
I tap the heavy knocker against the wood, waiting for someone to answer, and when nobody comes, I take a few steps back and look up.
“Hello…?” I call out loudly, the house is in the middle of nowhere and from the front there is the perfect view across the mountains. I’m pretty sure I can see the Carson’s ranch from here too.
“Leia, it’s Savannah, Maisie’s friend.” I step around the side of the house and peer in through the kitchen window.
“Leia.” I tap the glass, and when I see no trace of her I head back around the front.
“Come on, I know you're in there. I saw you when I pulled up.” I bang my fist against the door again. “I need to talk to you and you can’t hide in there forever. I got all day.” I sit my ass on the porch step and rest back casually on my hands. Being out the house is actually quite refreshing. I can appreciate this silence and the pretty view for as long as she wants to keep me waiting.
“What do you want?” I turn around and stand up when a voice comes from behind me, and noticing the tiny crack she’s made in the door I step toward it.
