The Baby Favor

by Andrea Laurence

“It’s Wednesday. And no, that’s not why I’m coming. I’m coming to pick up the Maui mural. You said you’d have it done by today. I’ve got to get it copied and crated to ship. It’s done, right?”

  “Yes, it’s done.” Thankfully, Scarlet had finished it up the day before as she attempted to avoid Mason when he got home from his visit with Jay. There might still be a couple tacky spots where it wasn’t fully dry, but it was done. She’d set some fans up the night before to help it along.

  “Good. I’ll see you in ten.”

  The phone went dead. With a sigh, Scarlet stood up and dusted the sand off her shorts. “We’ve got to go back inside, Lulu. Auntie April is on her way to get our whale picture for Mr. Bishop.”

  Luna stuck out her bottom lip and gave a yelp of displeasure as Scarlet picked her up off the beach towel. Settling the baby on her hip, she tossed the shovel into the bucket and picked up the towel with a shake. Back inside the house, she put Luna into her playpen. There, she immediately forgot about the beach and was content to find some of her favorite toys. With Luna happy, Scarlet went upstairs to check on the painting.

  All things considered, it might just be one of her favorite pieces. It would be perfect for the Mau Loa Maui. She’d toured the hotel a few months back when she was desperate for a reason to get out of the house for a few days. Things at home had reached a fever pitch with Mason and she thought a break would help things between them.

  It hadn’t.

  But the trip hadn’t been completely in vain. The owner of the hotel, Kal Bishop, had given her the freedom to paint whatever she wanted to. Seeing the space where the painting would hang in the hotel helped her visualize what kind of piece to create and what scale would fit it.

  It was also an inspiring trip. Seeing the humpback whales breaching just off the shore of the hotel had made it easy to decide what to feature. In the late winter and early spring months, the humpback whales traveled to the warm Hawaiian waters to mate and give birth to their calves. Typically, the mother and calf would be joined by a male escort who was there to protect them and hopefully get the chance to be the next calf’s father. That was why she’d chosen to paint a large-scale image of three humpback whales—the mother, the calf and the escort.

  As Scarlet was picking up the first panel to carry it downstairs, she heard the doorbell ring. She hauled it to the first floor and left it leaning against the wall to open the door.

  April was standing there, looking smart in her linen suit and Gucci sunglasses. “You’re not lying to me, right?” she asked without saying hello. “The painting is finished?”

  “Finished, yes. Completely dry and ready to ship, perhaps not. You may want to wait a day or two before you get it photographed and scanned for the catalogs and prints. Then it should be dry enough to wrap it and box it up.”

  “I’ll take it.” April pushed into the door and turned to inspect the panel beside her.

  Her critical eye had always been helpful to Scarlet. Sometimes she didn’t know when a painting was truly finished. Usually “done” was determined by when April snatched it from her hands.

  “What’s it called?” she asked.

  “New Life in Maui,” Scarlet said.

  “I could use a new life in Maui,” April quipped. “There’s three pieces?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll go lay down the seats of my Lexus.”

  Scarlet carried down the other two panels and they were able to set them in the back of April’s SUV without any wet-paint disasters. She expected April to take off, but instead she shut the trunk and followed Scarlet back into the house.

  “Is it wine o’clock yet?”

  Scarlet shrugged. “I’ve got a bottle of chardonnay in the chiller even if it isn’t.”

  “Perfect.”

  April poured herself a glass while Scarlet checked on Luna. She looked like she was ready for her afternoon nap. After picking her up out of the playpen, she carried her into the nursery. Just as she got Luna settled in, she heard April’s loud voice behind her.

  “What the hell is that?” she shrieked.

  “Shh!” Scarlet hissed before turning back to check on Luna. She looked a little surprised, with wide eyes, but after a moment of her little music box playing, she eventually closed her eyes again. Having dodged that bullet, Scarlet scooted April out of the room and shut the door behind her.

  “I’m waiting,” April said in a quiet yet annoyed tone.

  Scarlet took her by the arm and led her over to the living room, where they sat on the couch. “It’s just something I painted for Luna,” she said at last.

  “Luna, the little girl you were keeping your distance from? Luna, the baby that your soon-to-be ex-husband has custody of? Luna, the adorable chubby-cheeked child that has obviously wormed her way into your heart?”

  That was a lot to take in all at once, but Scarlet listened and finally nodded. Thankfully, Mason was at the office and not around to hear all that. “Yes,” she vocalized.

  “Care to tell me what’s changed since the last time I saw you?”

  Not really. But Scarlet knew she needed someone to talk to. Things had gotten a little complicated lately. Wishing she had a glass of wine of her own but not wanting to drink while Luna was in her care, she took a deep breath and started at the beginning. She began with the first few awkward days, the late-night kiss, the nanny’s illness and finally falling back into bed with Mason. The more she spoke, the more April’s eyes seemed to widen. “And now we’re avoiding one another,” she said, finishing off her sordid tale.

  “Uh-huh,” April replied before taking a large sip of her wine. “It’s hard to believe you’ve lived a life that dramatic and yet still managed to paint a huge panel piece and a mural.”

  “When I wanted to avoid Mason, I worked.”

  “Remind me to thank him later.”

  “Don’t thank him just yet. I don’t know that he deserves it.”

  “Why? Was the sex...?” April tilted her hand side to side in a “so-so” gesture.

  “No! It was...well, it was just like it was before. Even more like it was early in our relationship. I’m just worried.”

  “About what?”

  Scarlet sighed. “About everything. Mason walked away from me and bought that place in the Hills. Then the next thing I know, he’s moving back in and kissing me. He makes love to me, and then he avoids me. Was I just a convenient outlet for pent-up sexual energy or did it mean something more to him? I don’t know what to think of all of this. It’s certainly not the fairy-tale reunion you’re hoping for, I’m sorry to say.”

  April considered her words thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, there might be more to his motives than just sex or rekindling your romance. Do you think he’s trying to win you back just so Luna will have a mother? Or more to the point, so he doesn’t have to be a single father?”

  Scarlet blinked a few times. She hadn’t considered that before. He’d been the one pushing the divorce from day one. She’d never wanted it, but he wouldn’t listen to her, as usual. This sudden turnaround once Luna entered the picture could be seen as suspicious. Did he really want her back or was he just unwilling to face his unexpected and scary future all alone?

  “I don’t know,” Scarlet admitted. “But I do know he hasn’t mentioned anything about a future together or calling off the divorce. Our night together felt very in the moment. As far as I know, all this ends once Jay is gone, since it’s all for his benefit.”

  “Sleeping with you wasn’t for Jay’s benefit.”

  “True. That might’ve just been an unintended side effect of our arrangement. But he’s acted weird since then. I think he regrets it.”

  “And do you regret it?”

  More than ever, Scarlet wished that April had loaded up those panels and taken them to the shop instead
of loitering around and digging into her personal business. These weren’t easy answers. She wasn’t about to let this go, though.

  “I do and I don’t. I regret that it complicated matters between us and strained what little friendship we had left. But at the same time, it was so amazing to be in his arms again. I’ve missed him. I wouldn’t admit that to anyone but you, but I have. This whole scenario—pretending to be a family, living together again, having a baby to care for, making love—it has me all turned around. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going anymore.”

  “Well, for your sake,” April said, “I hope you’re coming, or it’s hardly worth the trouble.”

  “April!”

  Her manager laughed and drained the last of her wine. “I kid, I kid. Just trying to keep things light. There’s entirely too much drama in your life. Of course, you’re an artist. You thrive on drama.”

  Scarlet wrinkled her nose. She hated drama. She wasn’t a van Gogh out there pining for her lost love and painting her feelings. She painted what she saw. And yet, as an artist, she knew how her moods could affect her work. The mural in Luna’s room had been a joyful piece because of how she felt painting it. So maybe April was onto something. “Whatever you say, manager lady.”

  “Can I get that recorded so I can hear it when you’re being contrary or moody with me? No? Okay, fine.” April set her wineglass down on the table and stood up. “I’m going to get those panels ready to go, and then I’m heading up to San Francisco to oversee the last-minute details of the gallery opening. All this drama isn’t going to interfere with that, is it?”

  “I don’t think so.” The only thing she could envision being an issue was if Jay were to pass, but there was no way of knowing when that would happen. April should know that was a possibility, so there was no reason to mention it to her and start her worrying unnecessarily.

  “Well, I hope not. Opening your gallery without you there is kind of pointless. We’ve gotten over a hundred and fifty RSVPs from art connoisseurs in the area. They’re coming to meet you and admire your work. I intend to sell more than a few of your pieces that night and I need you there to shake their hands and talk up your work. Got it?”

  Scarlet sighed. This was hardly her first gallery opening. She knew how it would work. Mingle, sip wine, smile and sell herself to the art-appreciating public. Normally, it didn’t bother her. She much preferred days spent painting in dirty overalls with her hair in a ponytail, but dressing up every now and then to sell her work made those other days possible. “I’ll be there with bells on.”

  “That’s what I want to hear. My assistant will email you your itinerary and hotel information. I’ll see you up there. Oh, and when you’re done with that mural—” she gestured toward the nursery “—let me know. I’ll send someone over here to photograph it and get it cataloged. I don’t want any Scarlet Spencer originals floating around without my knowledge. It all goes into the portfolio.”

  “It’s just a mural for Luna,” Scarlet argued.

  “If I had painted it, sure. But when an internationally recognized wildlife artist paints a giant mural of her subject of choice, it’s not just decoration in a baby’s room any longer. You should’ve opted for teddy bears if you didn’t want me putting prints into production. Sorry.”

  Scarlet got up and walked April to the door. “Okay. I’ll see you next weekend.”

  “All right. Keep me posted on how things are going with the ex. If necessary, we can book a second ticket and you can bring him with you.”

  Scarlet flinched. “Bring Mason with me to the opening?”

  “Why not?” April asked. “If you two are still together publicly, wouldn’t you want him to come? And even more importantly, don’t you think some time alone with him could help you figure out what he really wants from you?”

  She had a point, Scarlet had to admit. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said. “We’ll have to stop avoiding each other first.”

  April just smiled and slung her purse over her shoulder. “You two can’t avoid each other for long. You’ve got more chemistry than a sophomore in high school.”

  Seven

  Scarlet was at the store and Luna was taking a nap, since she’d been a little fussy all afternoon. Mason was finally getting more comfortable having the baby with no one else around, but he was certainly feeling more confident with Luna asleep. Carroll was planning on coming back tonight after several days of misery on her sister’s couch, so soon neither he nor Scarlet would have to watch Luna every second of the day.

  That was good. He had a company to run and Scarlet was headed to San Francisco soon to open her latest gallery. Neither of them had really had the chance to adapt their lives to the addition of a baby. If Scarlet could’ve gotten pregnant or they were going through the adoption process, they would’ve had months to plan and prepare before a child arrived. Luna was simply there one day. Carroll had been convenient to slip into their lives, but adjustments still needed to be made.

  Especially once he was on his own without Scarlet.

  She knew exactly what to do when it came to handling babies, while he was completely clueless. He wasn’t entirely sure how she got so comfortable around them, but he admired her for it. A lot of it just seemed like a mother’s instinct.

  Mason was about to consider a nap of his own when he heard a sudden, angry wail coming from Luna’s nursery. He didn’t know much, but he was pretty certain that something was wrong. It didn’t sound like her usual cry for food or a change of diaper. He opened the door to the nursery and found that she had gone from fussy to a complete meltdown.

  She was standing in the crib, gripping the bars with her tiny fists. Her face was bright red with both tears and a stream of snot running down her face. He picked her up and held her close, her cheek brushing across his. He nearly flinched from the contact because her skin was burning up with fever.

  Mason tried not to panic. Babies got sick. That was just what happened. But he didn’t know exactly what to do. At the same time, he didn’t want to call for help either. If he was going to raise Luna, he needed to be able to figure this out on his own.

  He carried her over to the changing table and opened the drawers until he found one filled with creams, medicines and something that looked like a weird flashlight. Picking it up, he realized it was actually an in-ear thermometer. He tested it on himself, then carefully pressed it to Luna’s ear.

  After a few seconds, it beeped and the screen read 100.9 degrees. It was higher than his, but he wasn’t sure how high was too high for her age. He carried her into the kitchen to look up the pediatrician’s phone number where they’d posted it on the refrigerator for Carroll. He was fishing his phone out of his pocket while holding a squirming and still screaming Luna when Scarlet came in through the garage with her hands full of grocery bags.

  Her dark brown eyes widened as she took in the scene in the kitchen. “What’s wrong?” she asked and placed the groceries on the ground.

  He’d never been so happy to see Scarlet in his life. He didn’t want to call for help, but if she was here, he could at least watch and learn. “She woke up from her nap with a fever and a runny nose. I was about to call the pediatrician to see if we need to take her in or not.”

  “Did you take her temperature?”

  “Yes,” Mason said, thankful he’d at least gotten the first step right. “Yes, it’s just under 101.”

  “That’s good. Any higher can be dangerous. Did you give her some baby Motrin?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet. Is that what you give babies for fever?”

  Scarlet nodded. “It’s in the guest bathroom cabinet. I’ll go get it. That should help bring down her fever, and if we can’t get her to the doctor until tomorrow, she’ll at least be more comfortable.”

  “How do we get her to swallow a pill?” Mason asked, t
railing behind her.

  “It’s a liquid.” She pulled the box from the bathroom and showed him the bottle with the dropper. “She won’t take pills until she’s quite a bit older.”

  Mason felt both stupid and relieved at the same time. He remembered trying to get the family cat to take a pill once and it had been a nightmare. He couldn’t imagine doing that to an infant. He had so much to learn; it was more intimidating than college. No matter how this new family had come about, Mason wanted to do a good job. He didn’t want Luna to cry for her nanny when she was hurt or sick. He wanted her to want him, like she would her real daddy. That meant knowing how to handle these kinds of situations, and he was starting from the very bottom.

  He held Luna as Scarlet filled the dropper and squirted it into Luna’s open mouth. The sudden arrival startled her out of crying for a moment as she swallowed the medicine. Her bottom lip pouted out—he imagined the flavor wasn’t so great—and then she began to cry again.

  “What now?”

  “I think we make her a cool bottle of electrolyte water so she doesn’t get dehydrated and I’ll call the doctor.”

  “Okay.” Mason rocked Luna back and forth on the balls of his feet while Scarlet disappeared into the kitchen to make the call he’d tried to make earlier. By the time she’d gotten off the phone, Luna had calmed down a little, so he carried her into the living room and sat down in a recliner. He rocked back and forth, petting her back and trying to soothe her as much as he could. Eventually, her cries faded to a fussy sort of whining that was much easier to take.

  He didn’t like this at all. Mason was the CEO of his own company. He was used to being able to handle any situation. He snapped his fingers and a dozen people ran out of the room to make things happen. There was nothing he could do to fix this. They could give her medicine and make her comfortable, but an illness usually had to run its course. He didn’t like seeing Luna miserable, and this was just a fever. He couldn’t imagine her being seriously ill or hospitalized.

  Scarlet came into the room with a bottle. “The nurse said that the fever is low enough not to bring her in tonight. At this point, they can’t be sure if it’s just a cold or if Carroll gave her the flu. They said to keep an eye on things and bring her in tomorrow morning. If she develops any other flu symptoms, they can give her the medication for that.”