Mothers of the Year

by Lori Handeland

  “Dad?” she croaked. “H-he’s gone….”

  Rick checked the dog’s breathing to confirm it.

  “I don’t think I can go back to my job now.” The tears poured down her splotchy cheeks. “Buddy hated it when I left him all day. I didn’t even stay with him last night.” Her body shook. “I think he died of a broken heart, and it’s my fault.”

  “Of course it isn’t—”

  There were degrees of pain. Rick thought he’d passed through all of them, but he was wrong.

  A few minutes later, they arrived at the vet clinic and he confirmed it for them. Taking Rick aside, he said, “You can let me dispose of him, or you can bury him in your yard. It’s not legal, but I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  Once again they bundled up the dog. Brittany held him while Rick drove. It was almost noon when they pulled around the back of the house. The day was already a scorcher.

  “Let’s take him in the house out of the sun. This evening when it’s cooler, we’ll bury him in the garden. That’ll give you time to think of the right words to say. I’m sure Danice will want to come say goodbye.”

  As Rick moved the dog next to the hearth in the family room, they heard the front doorbell ring.

  “Maybe that’s her now.” Brittany got up from the floor, tears dripping down her face. “I’ll get it.”

  While he stood there looking down at Buddy, he heard his daughter cry Abby’s name. Rick’s lungs constricted.

  No. He must have misheard. She was on her way to Switzerland.

  When Brittany didn’t come back, he walked through the house to find out what was going on. His psyche wasn’t prepared for the breathtaking sight that greeted him.

  There was Abby, hugging Brittany, who was sobbing her heart out to her. “I know how you feel, sweetheart. I’ve lost two dogs myself.”

  “I loved him so much.”

  Over his daughter’s heaving shoulders, those gorgeous green eyes sought his approval while she gave his child a mother’s comfort.

  Right now he didn’t ask any questions. They could wait.

  All he knew was that she’d come. This had to be some kind of miracle because, so help him, Rick had reached the rock bottom on ideas of how to get them through the rest of this day.

  “Is Buddy here so I can see him?” she asked Brittany, but she was looking at Rick.

  He nodded. “In the family room.”

  The three of them walked through the Tudor-style home to the back of the house. Brittany ran over and lifted the blanket. Abby sank on her knees to look at the dog.

  “Oh…he’s adorable. Just like one of those black Scottie dogs wearing a red-and-green sweater you sometimes see on Christmas cards.”

  “That’s what I always thought, too,” Brittany said, still crying.

  “Are you going to have a funeral for him?”

  “Tonight, when it’s cooler. I wish you could come, but you probably have to leave for the airport, huh?”

  Rick stopped breathing while he waited for her response.

  She rose to her feet. Without looking at him she said, “After you called me last night to say goodbye, I decided this wasn’t the best time to go to Switzerland so I canceled my trip.”

  His head lifted. Brittany must have phoned her from Danice’s house. What in the hell had she said to make Abby change her plans?

  “Does André’s family know?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Are they upset?”

  “Disappointed maybe.”

  “And what about you?”

  Abby eyed him. “What do you think?” She threw him the same challenge he’d once directed at her.

  “I can tell you right now this family’s going to get through Buddy’s passing in better shape than I’d supposed. Brittany,” he said, without looking at his daughter, “why don’t you go upstairs and call Danice. I’m sure she’ll want to know what’s happened.”

  As her footsteps faded, Rick held out his arms. “Come here, Abby.”

  She came instantly. When she kissed him, he felt a completeness, a joy that was earth-shattering.

  He lost track of how long they stood entwined. Every kiss promised more.

  “Are you for real, or am I dreaming this gorgeous woman just walked through the door into my life?” he asked in a husky voice.

  “What would you prefer?” she whispered provocatively against his lips. “The dream or the reality?”

  “Both.”

  “I’ve never chased a man in my life. You’re the first. Just so you know, I’ve removed my wedding ring.” She covered his face and neck with kisses. “If that makes you nervous, tell me now.”

  “Do I act nervous?” He reached for her left hand and pressed his lips to her ringless finger. “What exactly did my daughter say to you?”

  Rick could see her throat working. “That we’re in love.”

  “She’s right about that.” His hands cupped her flushed cheeks. “As you pointed out, she’s a smart girl. What else did she say?”

  “She begged me to come home safely. After we hung up, I thought about that for a long time. Accidents happen. I know that better than anyone.” She kissed his hands. “It frightened me to think something might happen and I’d never get the chance to tell you what you mean to me.”

  “Tell me now,” he demanded. “You’ve got one minute, then I’m taking you somewhere in the house very private and I’m going to show you how I feel.”

  She leaned closer, pressing her forehead against his. “I—I never thought there could be anyone after André. Different men asked me out. But I poured myself into my work. Then one day, along came your daughter.”

  She lifted her head so she could look at him. “Call it fate, destiny. Whatever it was, I was drawn to her. And then I met you…The night the two of you walked home after eating dinner at the restaurant, I saw you through the upstairs window. It killed me not to be with you. I was struck by the realization that I’d fallen in love with you. But I was afraid I was only a fleeting interest in your life.”

  “Now you know differently,” he murmured against her throat.

  “Brittany set me straight last night. I love that daughter of yours. I love you, Rick. You have no idea how much.”

  “Abby—”

  By now he’d undone the clip and her hair fell loose around her shoulders. He buried his face in it.

  “The first morning we met, I knew you were going to change my life. You’d already changed Brittany’s.”

  Her adoring gaze played over his features. “The way to your heart was through your daughter? How blessed am I that no one else got there first.”

  “Is it okay if I come in?”

  Rick laughed as he turned Abby around, his arms encircling her slender waist, her back firmly planted against his chest. “Enter at your peril.”

  “Dad—” Brittany came in smiling, then swung to a full stop. “Oh…Whoops…are you two—I mean…I guess everything’s okay now.”

  “It’ll be even better after we’re married.”

  “You’re kidding!” she cried.

  He kissed the back of Abby’s neck. “You are going to be my wife, aren’t you?” he whispered. “I want a baby with you. How does that sound?” He felt her tremble. “I take it that was a yes.”

  Brittany stepped closer. “After you’re married, will it be all right if—” She hesitated.

  “If you call me Mom?” Abby helped her out. “I can’t wait. Come here, darling.”

  LATER THAT EVENING, Rick ushered Abby out to the flower garden. They hadn’t let go of each other all day. It was as if they were afraid to be apart even for a moment. But he had to release her long enough to conduct the funeral Brittany was waiting for. The three of them stood around the little grave.

  He’d dressed for the occasion in a dark suit and tie. Abby had never seen anyone so handsome.

  “Buddy? We’re gathered tonight to honor you. You gave us fifteen years of love. I bought you when Brittany was
just a year old and you loved my little girl from the first moment. You understood without words that it was your job to guard her with your life. That’s what you did. We’ll always miss you.”

  Abby heard his voice crack and felt the tears come. “Brittany? It’s your turn, sweetheart.”

  With surprising composure she smiled at her father then cleared her throat.

  “This morning Dad and I lost our best friend. All day I’ve been thinking of what I wanted to say to you.” She sniffed and unfolded the paper she was carrying.

  “Dear, Buddy

  In life I loved you dearly, in death I love you still

  In my heart you hold a place no one could ever fill

  If tears could build a stairway and heartache make a lane

  I’d walk the path to heaven and bring you back again”

  She looked up from the paper. “I won’t ever think of this as a sad time because when you went to heaven today, I know you sent me the present I’ve always wanted. A mom.”

  While Abby smiled through her tears at the darling girl who was going to become her daughter, Rick put his arm around Brittany.

  “Buddy? We just want you to know that Abby and I are planning a September wedding. We’ll have the reception out here so you can be a part of it. We know you would have loved to live long enough to take off with a piece of wedding cake—”

  “Dad!”

  At that point Abby couldn’t resist stepping into Rick’s arms. The three of them were going to be a family.

  Joy.

  For mothers everywhere

  who nurture others’ dreams into realities

  BABY STEPS

  Anna DeStefano

  Dear Reader,

  When I began thinking about what motherhood meant, my wacky writer’s mind locked onto an unlikely motif from my favorite fairy tale—Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

  You see, Snow White not only took over the care and nurturing of an entire band of little people, she picked the crankiest, most cantankerous of the dwarfs as her special project—Grumpy. Grumpy wasn’t bad in her eyes, just misunderstood. With a little extra effort, he could become all he and the other dwarfs needed him to be.

  And Snow White was up for the challenge. I think she understood how scary it was for Grumpy to trust again. How much he must have been hurt to have developed such a hard, hands-off shell. They had a lot more in common, these two, than the reader first realizes. Snow White was determined not to give up until Grumpy let love in again, and by helping him she never really let love go herself.

  It’s Grumpy who ends up leading the charge that destroys the wicked witch—saving both Snow White and her prince in the process. In fact, if it weren’t for Grumpy, Snow White’s happily ever after might never have happened. Amazing stuff.

  I hope you enjoy my very contemporary interpretation of this timeless fairy-tale theme. Mothers of every kind out there, know that you have my admiration. Being a Mother of the Year is as simple as opening your heart and making a difference in a child’s life. And it’s just that complicated. Loving so deeply makes you all fairy-tale princesses in my book!

  Please come visit me at www.annawrites.com. And join the fun and fabulous giveaways at annadestefano.blogspot.com.

  Anna DeStefano

  CHAPTER ONE

  “LILY, THE CHICKEN bottoms aren’t fat enough. Do you have any more stuffing?”

  “If I had a dollar for every time someone’s asked me that…” Lily Brooks looked up from her portable sewing machine and handed over a bag of cotton batting. “And for the last time, Ashley. They’re hens. Happy mothers, all.”

  The stars of her Mother’s Day surprise for the school’s upcoming Spring Fling.

  “Okay, then.” Ashley Lawson crammed a brown corduroy bottom with more white filling. “I don’t think top-heavy hens falling over and smothering live chicks is what Ms. Emory had in mind when you suggested doing something special for the K-third-grade moms.”

  “Good point.” Lily grabbed a handful of cotton, plumped the nearest chicken’s tush to find the hidden Velcro seam and pried it open. “I’m going for memories the families can look back on and cherish. Not scarring children for life.”

  She’d pitched the idea of a booth where carnival attendees could stop and play with baby chicks, then smile for commemorative photos that the younger kids could decorate for a Mother’s Day present. Another fabulous idea, the assistant principal, Gayle Emory, had cooed. I’m sure you’ll pull it off as effortlessly and successfully as you do everything else.

  Lily stuffed and sighed.

  She’d lined up a local farmer to provide the chicks, rented a tent from the same company providing the dunking booth and she and her best friend, Ashley, would be spending their lunch hours for the next two weeks effortlessly sewing and painting a picturesque barnyard motif for other women to enjoy with their kids.

  A perfect idea that would take forever to execute.

  She glanced around the cluttered, colorful art room. Ashley put her energy into exploring and enjoying the school day. Getting the most out of each moment. Planning and worrying that everything was perfect wasn’t her style. Lily had the corner on that obsession.

  She tossed a chicken at her carefree friend.

  Ashley giggled and lobbed the stuffed bundle onto the growing pile. “So, what’s next?”

  “Mr. Palmer offered to bring enough animals for a petting zoo, if we could find the space for him to set up a corral.” Last year, Lily had been his granddaughter’s third-grade teacher, and she’d encouraged Molly’s parents to test her for dyslexia. Since starting treatment, the formally shy, withdrawn child had blossomed, and the Palmer family was convinced Lily was their angel’s fairy godmother. “But I’m not sure—”

  “Do it!” Ashley ran her hand over the bolts of bargain-bin fabric Lily was morphing into replicas of living, breathing, pooping stable inhabitants. “Sewing everything would be a safer solution, but a little chaos is a good trade-off. It might get crazy, mixing things up with the kids and real animals, but everyone will love it!”

  Crazy…mixing things up…

  Panic surged through Lily at the mere suggestion. She was starting to hate that about herself.

  “Maybe…maybe it wouldn’t be too out of control,” she said. “As long as we’re careful about which animals Mr. Palmer brings.”

  “Dakota, stop running in the hallway!” a familiar voice boomed, a split second before a whirlwind dressed in jeans, T-shirt and an Atlanta Falcons cap blurred through the doorway and took aim for Lily and Ashley’s poultry assembly line.

  “Look out!” Ashley dove left.

  Lily ducked right. “Hey!”

  The boy hit his knees and slid beneath the table, catching a table leg with his sneaker. Corduroy and butt stuffing flew into the air. The table clattered to its side. Their hen-assailant kept on sliding, until he’d crashed into the easel Ashley had set up to teach the second-graders coming in after lunch.

  “Ow!” he yelped.

  The wooden frame collapsed on top of him.

  “Are you ladies okay?” His pursuer’s gaze connected with Lily’s. Tyler knelt on one knee, held out his hand and helped her to her feet.

  His frown warmed to a smile in response to her nod. When he turned toward Ashley, Lily forced herself to let go and head for the struggling heap of little boy and art supplies in the corner.

  “Nice touchdown, kiddo.” She extricated the easel, then the blank canvas that had been propped on top of it. The kid’s shaggy, dark hair partially obscured the bright blue eyes glowering up at her. “I bet you’re a champ on the ball field.”

  “What do you know about it, stupid!” His insult missed its mark. His scowl was simply too adorable to pull it off.

  “Dakota, you know better than that!” Tyler corrected. He stepped to Lily’s side. Impossibly tall. Impossibly handsome. Silent Springs’ favorite PE teacher. “Apologize to Mrs. Brooks for your bad manners.”

  The child str
uggled to his feet, which were covered in unlaced, hole-riddled sneakers that didn’t square with the rest of what appeared to be spanking-new clothes. A hint of embarrassment, maybe even regret, touched his hostile expression. Then everything but anger disappeared.

  “Why do you care how I talk to your wife?” Dakota demanded. “Everyone in school knows you two aren’t even living together anymore.”

  “BECAUSE SHE’S A teacher,” Tyler Brooks explained to his gym-class truant. Lily was also the most beautiful woman Tyler had ever met, not that now was the time to make that point. “And even if she wasn’t, she’s an adult. Don’t talk to adults that way, period, and you might tunnel out of detention before the end of the school year.”

  “Oh, okay,” the kid spit back. “But Nathan Grover can call me a bastard all he wants!”

  “Of course he can’t.”

  “Nathan called you what?” Lily stepped closer. A petite dynamo, she was barely taller than the kids she taught.

  “Some of the boys were playing four square, and Dakota’s our new all-star.” Tyler dragged his attention away from his wife’s peaches-and-cream complexion and dark auburn hair, and nudged Dakota’s shoulder. “Seems Nathan doesn’t take kindly to losing, so—”

  “So! He cheats. And he calls me names when you’re not looking. And—”

  “You kicked him, Dakota, right before you bolted out of the gym without a pass.” Tyler watched his wife circle a gentle arm around the fourth-grader’s shoulder. Caught up in the day’s latest injustice, the child forgot to resist the nurturing that came as naturally as breathing to Lily. “No matter what someone else does, there’s no excuse for—”

  “Defending myself?” Dakota’s gaze slid to where Lily’s hand rested on his shoulder. He sidestepped until they were no longer touching.

  “There’s no excuse for hitting.” Lily folded her arms across her chest. She caught Tyler’s smirk and shot him an eat me look, because she knew that he knew how much she wanted to still be hugging the kid. “And there are smarter ways to defend yourself. You let Nathan goad you into losing your cool, and you’re the one who gets caught. Meanwhile, he looks as clean as a whistle?”

  “Screw you!” Dakota made a beeline for the door.