Lily steps out from behind Quinn. “Thank you.” She smiles, and my heart swoons. She’s got Zack’s dimple!
She tilts her head as she looks at me. “You kinda look like the mommy of one of my friends. Are you a mommy?”
“I don’t have any children,” I say, “but I’d like to.”
“Well, you’d better hurry up.”
“Lily!” Quinn scolds. She gives me an apologetic smile.
“My mommy says ladies shouldn’ wait too late to have chil’ren,” Lily says.
“Oh,” I say, a little flabbergasted. Lily—or maybe her mother—seems eerily psychic.
“My mommy died,” Lily announces.
“Oh!” I know this, of course, but I’m jarred to hear her say it. “I’m—I’m very sorry.”
Lily nods somberly. “She’s in heaven. An’ my grams is in the hospital, but she might not die because she got to have an op’ration. I was livin’ with her, but now I live with Auntie Quinn.”
“Oh. Well. How... nice,” I say, at a loss for words.
Quinn puts her hand on Lily’s head and gives me an apologetic smile. “I’m sure that’s more information than you bargained for.”
“Mommy says it’s always good to have lots of information,” Lily pipes up.
“She sounds like a very smart lady,” I say.
“She is.”
“I can tell you take after her.” I smile at Lily, then turn to Quinn. “Well, I’d better be going. Thank you for letting me look around.”
“Come back anytime.” Quinn walks me to the door and picks up a business card from a silver bowl. “If we can help with any of your design needs, let us know.”
“I’m afraid I’m about to move out of state,” I say.
“Not a problem. We do video phone consultations with long-distance clients all the time.”
“Terrific.” I take the card. “Thanks.” I wave at Lily, who is climbing on a rocking horse at the side of the room. “Good-bye.”
She waves back. “Bye.”
The bell above the door tinkles as I hurry outside. About half a block away, I toss the card into a trash can, wishing I could rid my life of this whole complication as easily.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Quinn
I GET GOOSEbumps when I first see the beautiful brunette in my store. She looks familiar, but I’m not entirely certain who she is until I pull out my cell phone and re-google Zack’s wife.
“Sure enough,” I murmur.
“What’s going on?” Terri asks.
I put my finger to my lips and eye Lily, who’s climbed off the rocking horse and is now playing tea party with a vintage Raggedy Ann doll. I hand Terri my phone. She studies the photo, but still looks confused.
“Lily,” I call, “Terri and I need to look at the window display from the street. We’ll be right outside on the sidewalk. You can see us through the window, and we can see you.”
We hustle out the front door.
