Linx set her ice cream down and picked the puppy up from theplaypen.
“I’ll warm up a bottle,” Tami said, surprising Linx and getting up. “You should see the website. People are signing up in droves to adopt her. We ought to put up a webcam on her. They did that with the baby otter and tons of peoplewatched.”
“That’s an idea,” Linx said. “Maybe I should get security cameras, too. Then I'll catch my mom when she dumps off her latestcreations.”
Or snag anarsonist.
Linx snuggled with the puppy while Cedar rested her head on her knee. Now that Tami was here, everything would beokay.
Okay, for her. But what aboutGrady?
She had a family to support her. She had friends. This was her hometown, and most of all, she had contact withJessie.
But Grady? He was locked out in thecold.
It wasn’tfair.
And she’d done this tohim.
Tami returned with the bottle. “Why don’t I take care of this little sweetie and you go find Grady. I know you’re not done withhim.”
“This time, we’re done.” Linx blinked as the tears pooled from her eyes. “I got the idea when he left that it was our finalgoodbye.”
“What aboutJessie?”
“What about her? She’s the pastor’s daughter. He’s not going to get the adoptionoverturned.”
“He’s not going to leave this town either.” Tami pursed her lips. “I’ve gotten to know Grady, and he doesn’t seem like the type of man who would leave his flesh and blood. For all that rolling stone bluster, he’s really close to his family. He has a twinsister.”
“I know, but he feels disenchanted by the big family scene. Just like me.” Linx held the bottle for the puppy who suckled greedily. “He told me he doesn’t feel like he fits in. His twin sister’s a fashion designer and the apple of his parents’ eyes. His big brother’s a fireman and a natural born leader. His baby sister’s sweet as pie and his baby brother’s the family clown. As for Cait, well, you know how organized and efficient she is. How does a dyslexic kid who was always getting into troublecompare?”
“Wow, you know that much about him? I thought he barely spoke.” Tami picked up her bowl of icecream.
“Only when he’s drunk.” Linx let out a chuckle. “That’s when the filter flies from hislips.”
Among otherthings.
“How many of these drunken bitch sessions have you had?” Tami gave her a side-eyed smirk. “Or were you two too busy making littleLinxes?”
“Always with protection, well, with one or two slip-ups.” Linx grinnedsheepishly.
“What if he’s had other slipups and all those women he knocked up were real?” Tami scratched the side of her head. “Maybe this rolling stone has left a trail ofmoss.”
“Ewwee. That sounds gross when you put it like that.” Linx couldn’t helplaughing.
“Think Salem’s baby was his?” Tami recovered from the laughterfirst.
“Maybe, but it doesn’t much matter now. It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?” Linx sobered up as the puppy finished thebottle.
“What’ssad?”
“That of all the pregnancy scares, no one had his baby except forme.”
“Heard you almost lost it, too.” Tami had been at college when all of this wentdown.
“Yes, weird, isn’t it? Salem found me on the floor with my water broken and she drove me to thehospital.”
“She saved yourlife.”
