One thing the apartment owner has going for them is their dedication to security. The other apartments in town don’t have the same luxury. They’re lucky if half of the lights in the parking lot and along the building even work.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Emily. It’s Iris Salisbury. I’m calling to check in and make an appointment for our monthly visit. Are things going okay with Baby Grace?”
“Yes, she’s doing amazing. Growing like a weed.” I jostle my purse higher on my shoulder as I walk along the sidewalk.
“Wonderful. I can’t wait to see her again.” She pauses a second, which causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand.
“What is it?”
“Well, you know that Chad Whitlock was arrested, right?”
“Yes, I know.” I stop with one foot on the lowest step.
“There’s been some talk in town that Baby Grace is his stepsister Mackenzie’s child. I plan to contact her to see if she’s willing to talk to me.”
“I see.” My stomach churns at the news. In the distance, a car horn honks as wheels spin on pavement. We’ve always thought that there was a chance that Grace belongs to Mackenzie, but we didn’t realize anyone else had put the clues together.
“I don’t want you to worry. With the note and no one stepping up to claim the baby, I don’t anticipate anything changing. And if Mackenzie is the mother, she’s not in a stable place to raise her. It’s just that everything will resolve sooner if the biological parents sign over parental rights. As it is, we’re looking at several months before we can move forward with the next step.”
“Right.” The tension in my shoulders eases slightly as I take the next step. “That makes sense.” And it does to the rational part of my brain. The irrational side of my lizard brain just wants to go to my apartment, pack my bags, and disappear with Grace.
“I won’t contact her for a few days to give her time to adjust. I believe her stepfather’s sister is staying with her until Chad’s situation is resolved.”
That’s right. Mackenzie is 16. If she didn’t have a relative ready to step up, she’d end up in foster care herself. What a mess.
Once we set the date and time for her visit, I open my door to find Jake sprawled on the sofa with Grace asleep on his chest. Tussled hair. Puckered lips. Peaceful expressions. My two favorite people.
I swipe the screen on my phone and snap a shot of them. One of Jake’s eyes opens at the sound of the camera click. “Hey, gorgeous.”
“Hey, yourself. Did everything go okay today?”
He straightens with one hand holding Grace’s back steady. “Yes, great.”
We were both worried for nothing when Xavier and my brother watched Grace this morning. When he arrived at my place, they had everything under control. She was fed, diapered, and sleeping. I guess my brother isn’t as useless as I’ve always said.
Or maybe I should’ve given Xavier more credit. He might be a lady’s man, but he has a way with kids. It’s probably his cheeky grins that make the kids feel like he’s one of them. Always on the precipice of doing something crazy. If only that something crazy was my best friend.
“How was your day?” He scoots over, giving me room to join him on the sofa.
“It was fine,” I sigh as I drop down onto the cushions. “Iris just called.”
After I’ve filled him in, he places a hand on my thigh. “I’m here for you if you need me.”
“Thank you.” I smile and bite my bottom lip to keep it from quivering. I love that he doesn’t placate me by saying everything will be fine. It might not be. But he’ll be by my side, no matter what. That means more to me than anything else he could say.
Enough melancholy. I turn sideways to face him and arch an eyebrow. “Tell me how it went down. I can’t believe Chad is finally off the streets.”
“And he will be for years. Running from the police, possession of drugs, and assaulting a law enforcement officer, adds up to years in prison. Not that I’m anticipating he’ll become a reformed man behind bars, but at least we’ll be rid of him for at least 10 years.”
As he relays the chase, the posse that helped round him up, and the random cow mooing in the pasture, I lean back into the cushions and watch as Grace’s head slowly rises and falls on his chest. And my heart bursts with happiness. It’s impossible to love them more. Except, somehow, every day, my heart grows bigger, giving them an even larger space to fill.
“I hope you don’t wait too long.”
His eyes heat at my perusal. “For what?”
The corners of my lips twitch. “To ask me to marry you.”
