“Great-grandmother,” I say. “Margaret is Lily’s great-grandmother.”
“I stand corrected.” The corners of his eyes crease as he smiles.
“What would you have done if your child had answered the door?”
“I wouldn’t have said anything about who I was or why I was there, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I nod. That’s exactly what I wanted to know.
“I would have just asked for Brooke,” he continues. “If she weren’t at home or if we couldn’t talk privately, I would have just left my business card.” He opens the door to the cafeteria for me. “I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“That’s good to hear,” I say.
“So you’ll take care of Lily while Margaret’s in the hospital?”
“Yes—and probably from here on out. I’m her legal guardian if Miss Margaret is unable to care for her. It’s in her mother’s will.”
“I see.” His expression doesn’t tell me what he thinks of the arrangement. He hands me a tray. “Who’s watching her today?”
“She’s playing with a friend who lives two doors down from her old house.” I place the tray on the slide rail. I want him to know that I’ve already covered her care for the rest of the day. He needs to realize that I’m more than qualified to care for Lily. “I called the friend’s mother and filled her in on what’s happening. She said Lily’s welcome to stay there as long as necessary so I can be here with Margaret.” I move my tray forward. “I’ll get her reenrolled in her old preschool on Monday morning. I know her schedule and her friends and their parents, so she’ll be right at home back in New Orleans in no time.”
“Sounds like she’s lucky to have you,” he says. “What’s she like?”
“Oh, she’s the sweetest, most adorable, smartest little girl in the world.”
His dimple flashes as he smiles. “I’d love to meet her.”
My stomach gnarls. Why, oh why had I made her sound so appealing? But then, how could I have done otherwise?
“I—I don’t think that’s wise right now,” I manage. “She’s just lost her mother, and now her Grams is seriously ill. I don’t think she should have to deal with another big drama.”
“She doesn’t have to know that I’m her father. You could just introduce me as your friend.”
Is he a friend, or is he a foe? My gut instinct is to keep him as far away from Lily as possible. “Let’s see how things go with Margaret first.”
“Sure. No hurry. Do you have a picture of her?”
My phone is full of Lily photos. I nod.
“I’d love to see them when we sit down.”
I don’t want to show them to him, but I can’t find a reason to refuse. After all, Margaret reached out to him.
“Sure,” I say. I take a turkey sandwich, but my appetite has deserted me.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Quinn
“WOW—SHE’S AMAZING!”Zackstares at a photo on my cell phone of Lily playing with Ruffles. We’re seated at a table against the wall, our partially eaten food on trays in front of us. The hospital cafeteria is crowded and noisy, but Zack seems oblivious to everything but the image of Lily. “I can’t get over the family resemblance. She looks like just like my sister!”
“You and your sister must look alike.” I’m feeling better after forcing down a few bites of sandwich, but I’m too jangled by everything that’s happened to want to eat.
“We do.” He stares at the picture as if he’s trying to memorize it. “Do you have any other photos of her?”
I give a wry grin. “As Miss Margaret would say, ‘Does a sack of flour make a big biscuit?’”
He laughs. I take my phone and scroll to a photo of Lily, Brooke, and me at the Bacchus parade last Mardi Gras. Lily is wearing butterfly wings and antennae, Brooke is wearing matching antennae and a caterpillar cape, and I’m wearing a padded brown costume with a pointed brown cap. We’re supposed to be the three stages of a butterfly’s life cycle, but instead of looking like a chrysalis, I resemble a poop emoji.
