by Claire Adams
“Mama, please—”
“A man doesn’t take a woman on a cross-world trip unless he’s interested in a lot more than a little fun.”
I rolled my eyes even though I knew she couldn’t see it. “Okay, I’m going to let you go. I should give Lionel a call while Juniper is still asleep.”
“Okay, Emily. Just think about what I said.”
“I will, Mama. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I took several deep breaths. What happened in Tokyo needed to stay in Tokyo. Juniper getting sick proved that more than anything. She was fine before I left, and suddenly, she was sick. Lionel hadn’t done a good job of watching her, I suspected.
There was no point in even bothering to ask him about it because he wouldn’t have even noticed a problem anyway. That didn’t do much for the anger burning inside me.
I called Lionel up and waited, praying it’d go to voicemail. The last thing I needed that day was having to actually talk to my ex-husband.
“What?” Lionel answered bluntly.
“Hello to you too.”
“I’m a busy man, Emily. So, what?”
“I wanted to let you know that Juniper has strep throat.”
“You took her to the doctor, right?”
I sighed. “Of course, I did.”
“Then why are you telling me this, Emily? I’m not going to be seeing her for a bit. So why is it important?”
“Can you not be an ass for one second? I was trying to be nice and let you know you might have caught it too. I was out of the country, so her exposure would have been at some point where you might have been exposed.” I barely stopped myself from accusing him of not doing a good job of watching her.
Lionel let out a long groan. “I don’t have time for this right now.”
“Oh, don’t be such a baby, Lionel. I’m sure you can take some time off work.”
“It’s not about that. It’s about going on a trip to Cabo San Lucas with my girlfriend. I can’t get sick. She’s really looking forward to it. And unlike you, she’s a woman who appreciates my efforts.”
“I’m so sorry our daughter is messing up your plans to take your girlfriend to Mexico.” I did my best to force my disdain into my voice.
He scoffed. “Whatever. You think you can do whatever you want with Logan Hawkins. What? Am I supposed to sit around like some priest never having sex while you’re off slutting it up in Japan?”
Lionel had moved from annoying to downright enraging. My face heated, and my heart kicked up. I took several deep breaths trying to calm down.
“Shut up, Lionel. You’re the one with a new girl on your arm every other month. I’ve barely so much as looked in another man’s direction. So, no, you don’t get to act like I’m some whore because I finally took a trip with a man.”
“You listen to me, Emily, yo—”
I ended the call, glancing over at Juniper. I didn’t have time to argue with her father, and if I started yelling, I risked waking her up.
She still slumbered peacefully, though her little face was a little too red for my comfort. The dark circles under her eyes only showed how little actual rest she’d gotten the night before.
I shook my head and tossed my phone on a nearby chair.
I couldn’t believe Lionel. He’d cheated on me during our marriage and then constantly threw his new women in my face, and then he had the gall to act like I was out of line because I went to Japan with Logan.
Then there was the not so little matter of the cocaine habit. I’d found out about that at the end, but I suppose I should have always known.
I’d even been understanding. I could have used the drugs as a reason why he shouldn’t have joint custody, but I didn’t want to take Juniper’s daddy from her, even if he was a cheating son of a bitch, especially since he swore on the Bible he’d clean himself up. The one good thing I could say about the man is that as far as I knew, he had stopped with the drugs. At least he learned something from the divorce.
Very few people knew about the drugs. As far as the divorce court was concerned, it was just irreconcilable mutual differences.
I scoffed at the thought. I’d bent over backward to be nice to a man who’d screwed me and not in a good way.
Shaking my head, I thought about the future. It’d be easier if he didn’t have joint custody. Then, at least I wouldn’t be forced to see him so much, and I wasn’t so certain he was a good influence on his daughter with all his girls of the month. For all I knew, one of them had strep throat and passed it to Juniper.
I sat down in my lounge chair and put my feet on the nearby Ottoman. Another yawn erupted. I was running on fumes between my flight and dealing with Juniper. A little nap wouldn’t hurt, so I closed my eyes.
Lionel couldn’t mess with me in my dreams.
Chapter Twenty-four
LOGAN
I had a plan to see Emily again. It was a stupid plan, and maybe a little selfish, but at least it was a plan.
My boys barked from the back seat. Riding in a limo could be nice, but I preferred the personal control that came with driving myself. It also made spontaneous changes in your schedule a bit easier.
Sure, my chauffeur would obey me, but I didn’t like to have to explain myself. It was more pleasant all around.
“Quiet down,” I said, glancing at my two black labs in the rear-view mirror. “You’ll like where we’re going. There are two people there you’ll like to meet.”
Both dogs barked once and then lay back down on the seat. I’m sure they were killing my upholstery, but I’d not thought to bring a blanket or anything. I didn’t care all that much. I was just happy to see them again. No matter what happened with Emily, I had the respect and love of my boys at least.
I drove through an intersection into a subdivision. I was close to my destination, Emily’s house.
I hadn’t planned originally on bringing my dogs to her house. I’d gone to pick them up from the kennel, but then my mother called and told me how she’d run into Emily and Juniper at the pharmacy. The second she hung up, my stupid plan appeared in my mind like the Lord himself was giving me inspiration, albeit very low-key dog-based inspiration.
The way I saw it, this would be another example of where self-interest could meet charity of sorts. I wanted to see Emily and Juniper again, and this gave me an excuse. Juniper wasn’t feeling well, and animals could be a great comfort to sick children.
Win-win, all around. I hoped so, at least.
I turned a corner. The main problem with my plan was I had no idea how Emily would react, as she wasn’t a sick little girl but a grown woman trying to keep her distance from me. It wasn’t like she’d told me she never wanted to see me again, but I was sure she didn’t want me showing up the next day knocking on her door.
That made sense if she were trying to establish that we weren’t an item. My little plan might come off pushy and aggressive, but I also knew if I wanted to have any chance at a relationship with her, I couldn’t give up and run away with my tail between my legs. I needed to prove to her we could work and not just on a sexy vacation.
The thing was, we already did work together. We had a good time together, and we were a volcano together in bed.
I understood her problems. She had issues because of her ex, and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable, but I refused to give up.
I’d not slept well the night before, thinking about what it’d be like if I never saw Emily again. There was no delusion left. I was in love with her. Apparently, she wasn’t in love with me yet, but I could change that. I had to change that.
My hands tightened around my steering wheel. This whole surprise visit could end with her screaming at me to leave her alone and never talk to her again, or it could end with her appreciating a kind gesture from someone interested in her and her daughter. We could start on the road to something permanent.
I made the final turn onto her street. Joe barked. Then Dean barked.
&
nbsp; “Just a few seconds, boys.”
I spared another glance into the rear-view mirror at my dogs. They’d handled the kennel a lot better this trip than last time. I didn’t know why, but it would help with my plan. I didn’t want to show up to cheer up a sick child with depressed dogs who had torn their hair out and looked like they needed a few days at the veterinary hospital.
Sighing, I parked the car in Emily’s driveway. It was time to see if I could forge a path to a future with Emily.
I went around the back of my car and opened the doors, not letting my dogs out until I had their leashes on. They were obedient, but I didn’t want to Emily to think I wasn’t in control of my animals.
They both barked a few times, and we walked toward her front door. I knocked a few times and waited. The door opened, revealing a haggard-looking Emily.
She stared at me, shock on her face. Her gaze dropped to my boys, and the shock gave way to a smile. She knelt to pet the black labs. They both barked, their tails wagging furiously.
“What wonderful dogs, you are,” she said in that voice women saved for babies and animals. “Yes, you are.”
I chuckled.
She looked up at me. “What are you doing here, Logan?”
“I was on the way back from the kennel when I remembered how whenever I was sick as a child, my dog always cheered me up.”
Emily narrowed her eyes slightly. “You know about Juniper being sick?”
“Strep, right?”
She nodded slowly.
I shrugged. “My mother called me and mentioned it.” I laughed. “I imagine she did it right after she ran into you at the pharmacy.”
Emily chuckled quietly and scratched behind the ears of Joe and Dean. “Of course. I should have guessed.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Sorry about that. My mother can be…” I shrugged.
She shrugged, too. “My mother is the same way, so don’t worry about it.”
We both shared a laugh.
“I remembered you mentioning that Juniper wants a dog,” I said, “but you were waiting until she was older.”
She stood with a smile. “Yes. That’s part of it. I wanted a dog after Juniper was first born. I loved the idea of a puppy growing up beside her, but Lionel is allergic, so it was another dream that died with my first marriage.”
Allergies? A sudden worry crept in. “But Juniper isn’t?”
“Oh, no. We go to the mall sometimes so she can pet the dogs in the store.”
“Well, in that case, at least she can have some dogs for a little bit to pet.”
Emily opened the door and motioned inside. “Please, come in.”
I stepped inside with the boys. Juniper lay on the couch, pale and with dark circles under her eyes. The poor girl looked miserable, and it ate at my heart. Whatever my own motivations, it was a good thing I’d brought the dogs. She could use at least a few minutes of happiness.
Emily closed the door behind us.
Juniper sat up, and her eyes widened. “Dogs? Did you finally buy some, Mama?”
“These are my dogs,” I said. “Joe and Dean.”
“Mama, I want to play with them. Can I?”
Emily rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, you’re a little too sick to play with them.”
Juniper sighed.
“How about they just lay down with her, and she can pet them?” I suggested. “That shouldn’t be too much of a strain.”
Juniper nodded eagerly. “Please, Mama. Please, please, please.”
Emily smiled. “That should be all right.”
“Joe, Dean,” I said, patting their heads. “Go sit on the couch.”
The dogs both barked happily and hopped on the couch. They both licked Juniper. She let out a delighted laugh and hugged a dog. They both nuzzled her.
The boys did like kids, but other than the occasional neighborhood kid, they didn’t get to spend much time around them, so this was as fun for them as it was for Juniper.
Just a moment before, Juniper had looked depressed and drained of energy, but now, despite her pale face, she was laughing, moving, and full of life. It warmed my heart. No matter what happened with Emily, coming over was worth it to see that look on her daughter’s face.
Emily embraced me, and I hugged her back, only barely resisting the urge to rub her back.
“Thank you,” she said after pulling away. “I didn’t think she’d be so happy, but thank you.” She tucked a loose brown strand of hair behind her ear. “Would you like some coffee? I know she should get some more rest, but she should get some time with the dogs.”
“Some coffee would be great.”
Emily led me into her cozy kitchen. She’d already brewed a pot apparently. She fished out a LEGOLAND coffee mug decorated with pictures of LEGO minifigs and handed it to me.
“Cream or sugar?”
“No. I like it black.” She poured my coffee, and I took a sip. I smiled. I needed the hot brew more than I knew. I held up the mug, inspecting it. “You took her to LEGOLAND? She must have loved that.”
Emily shook her head. “Oh, no. We’ve never been there. She’s wanted to go since she’s heard of it, but it’s not the kind of place I can see us going to, and Mama, well, she wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like that.” She picked up her own mug, rather nondescript compared to mine, and took a sip. “She’d find it tacky.”
I resisted the urge to offer to take them to LEGOLAND. Compared to taking Emily to Japan, it’d be trivial, but we were supposed to be friends, not a couple, and whisking her and Juniper off on a family trip suggested something far more than friendship.
“Well, Juniper’s young. I’m sure you’ll have a chance to go sooner than later.”
“I hope so,” Emily said. She averted her gaze for a second. “You didn’t go to work today?”
“I read some emails at home, but I just finished a major business deal. I’m allowed a day off, I think, and well, it’s my company. And you? Did you already have the day off?”
“No, but I’m concentrating on Juniper today,” she said softly. “Going to work from home for the rest of the week, assuming I don’t get sick.”
I glanced out of the kitchen into the living room where Juniper was still petting and hugging the barking dogs, her face alight with pure joy.
“I know you said you wanted to wait,” I said after taking another sip of my coffee, “but pets are a good way for children to learn responsibility.”
Emily nodded a few times. “I guess it’s something to think about.” She looked down for a moment. “Maybe I’ve let Lionel continue to mess things up for me, even years later.”
I opened my mouth and then shut it. I wanted to tell her how beautiful and special she was, how much I wanted more, but I couldn’t. Emily had made her feelings clear, and I was going to respect them. I suspected if she could get through her feelings concerning her ex-husband, she’d be more than willing to give a new long-term relationship a try.
We fell into a comfortable silence, both sipping our coffee and watching Juniper play with the dogs. She was having a good time, but that didn’t stop her trying to hack up half her lungs every few minutes.
“Looks like she needs some rest,” I said, rising.
Emily nodded.
I headed into the living room and smiled down at Juniper. “I need to get these guys home, Juniper.”
She stuck out her bottom lip. “No fair. I wanna keep playing with the dogs.”
I scratched Joe on the head. His tag thumped so hard it sounded like someone was punching the floor. “Well, maybe when you get better.”
“Promise me I can play with them whenever I want.”
I hesitated to respond. That was a big promise, and one that tied me to the family probably more than Emily was comfortable with.
Glancing over at Emily, I noticed she was looking at Juniper and not me.
“I promise,” I said.
Juniper grinned and lay back down.
I waved
and then grabbed the leashes of my boys. I spared one last glance for Emily as I headed out the front door. She watched me with a small smile on her face, a relaxed air around her.
I could only hope I’d done some small part to make her day better.
Chapter Twenty-five
EMILY
Logan bringing over the dogs on Monday did a lot to lift Juniper’s spirits. I’d hoped that would be the worst of her strep. Then Tuesday came, and things grew worse. It was harder to control her fever, and her coughing sounded awful.
Now it was Wednesday morning, and though my little sweet pea managed to get some sleep, it seemed like she was having trouble breathing. She’d also started vomiting.
I’d already called work to take rest of the week off, which thankfully, my boss had no problem with. That allowed me to devote all my time to taking care of my sick little girl.
“Mama,” Juniper said from her spot on the couch, sweat covering her face. “I don’t feel good.” She followed with a hacking cough that made her entire little body shake.
I bit my lip, trying to think about what I should do. She was on antibiotics, but they didn’t seem to be helping much if at all.
She coughed again, and I sucked in a deep breath.
No more hesitation. I wouldn’t let my baby end up worse because I was too worried about some doctor thinking I was overreacting. I was tired of seeing her suffer.
“We’re going to the hospital, sweet pea. The doctors will make sure you’re all better.”
* * *
“Severe pneumonia, Mama,” I said over the phone. “She’s going to need to stay overnight, maybe a couple days. They have to try out some antibiotics to make sure they can clear the infection causing the pneumonia.”
Juniper slept in the hospital bed in front of me, an IV hooked up to her arm. I could almost not bear to look at my daughter in such a state. The worst thing for any parent is to see their child suffering and not be able to do anything about it. I took some small solace in realizing that at least I’d not made her suffer through another day at home before taking her to the hospital.
