by Jeannie Moon
Harper was amazed. Her country-born-and-bred mother, who had only been to the big city once, had navigated her way through two states and managed to find Harper in the hive that was New York City by getting help from a cop and a total stranger. Damn.
“You did great, Mama.” Harper was sitting next to her and wanted more than anything to ask her what had happened, but she didn’t know if she wanted to upset her too much. She’d been through something, and Hill was going to pay for it, that much was certain.
“My goodness, Missy Anna,” she said to the baby, who blew a bubble and smiled in response. “You have grown since I saw you last month. She looks lovely, Emmy. Just like you except for those big blue eyes.”
The doorbell rang again and she rose, handing the baby to her mother, suddenly being aware of her injured arm. “Are you okay to hold her, Mama?”
Tucking Anna next to her on the couch. “We’ll be fine. Who’s here?”
“Kevin’s here. Anna’s daddy.”
Her mother’s eyes opened wide and she ran a hand over her hair and straightened her plain blue top. “Oh. Oh! I’ll be happy to meet him.”
Harper nodded. She hurried to the foyer and pulled the door open.
“Let’s get moving. I found a parking space, but I’m worried I’ll get boxed in.”
“We can’t go this second.” Harper checked the hallway again and closed and locked the door.
“We’ve been through this. You are coming for Thanksgiving. I don’t know how else I can convince you that it will all be fine.”
“This isn’t about me. My mother showed up a couple of minutes before you did.”
“Your mother? You weren’t expecting her, were you?”
“No. Something’s wrong.” She pulled him into the small bathroom by the front door. “She’s by herself. Took the bus to Port Authority and found her way here. All she has is a totebag full of clothes. It looks to me like she ran.”
“Oh, man. No stepbrother in sight?”
“Not that I saw, but he won’t be far behind if he wants something from her.”
Kevin pulled her close, wrapping one arm around her neck and holding on.
“I can’t leave her.”
“Of course you can’t. She’ll come with us.”
Harper had never considered taking her mother to Meg and Jason’s for dinner. “I don’t know . . .”
“You’re not staying here alone with her when she could have been followed by a lunatic.”
Okay, he’d just scared her. Pretty much to death. “When you put it that way, okay. I’ll have to get her ready. She’s a mess. Call Meg, let them know, and then we need to find a way to get there.”
“Why? I’ll drive.”
“In your car? There’s barely enough room for the three of us.”
“No,” he said. “I bought a new car.”
He was just full of surprises today. Harper reached out and hugged him. She didn’t say anything and to be honest, she didn’t know why she was hugging him except that it made her feel better. Safer.
He took her hand and walked into the living room with her. That’s where he saw the frail woman who was Harper’s mother. Knowing how women looked in this world when they had access to clothes and stylists, Harper’s mother looked much older than her fifty-four years. Of course, it seemed she’d been through hell.
Her mother turned and her breath caught at the sight of Kevin. “Oh, Anna,” she said to the baby. “Your daddy is very handsome.”
“Mama, this is Kevin Rossi. Kevin this is my mother, Diane Snow.”
“Mrs. Snow, it’s a pleasure.” He shook her mother’s hand like she was the queen of England.
“Kevin. It’s nice to meet you.”
He smiled and his dimple creased. “I’m going to call my sister and tell her we’re running late and we have one more coming.”
“What?” Her mother looked panicked. “Where are we going?”
“To Kevin’s sister’s house on Long Island for Thanksgiving.”
“I can’t go anywhere. I don’t want to impose, and look at me. Those are rich people, aren’t they?”
Diane clutched the baby to her and a tear leaked out of her eye. “I traveled for two days to get here. I know you didn’t want me to come, but I had nowhere else to go. I barely had time to get my things.”
Harper sat down next to her on the couch and reached out her hand, rubbing her mother’s back and trying to soothe her. “You did the right thing coming here.”
“I can’t go anywhere, though.”
Kevin came back in the room and Harper handed him the baby. “Give me forty-five minutes,” she said. “Mama needs to get ready before we go.”
Her mother looked shocked, but barely gave an argument. “I don’t . . .”
Rising to her feet Harper helped her mother up. “Fortunately for you, you have maintained your girlish figure, and I’m sure I have something that will fit you. Let’s go. First thing you need is a shower, and then we have to find you an outfit.”
They entered Harper’s bedroom, and Diane sat on the bench at the end of the bed. “Your gentleman is very nice,” she said.
“He is nice, but he’s not my gentleman.” Harper didn’t really want to explain, and thankfully, her mother didn’t ask. Harper, though, had some questions. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
She shook her head. “Not right now. I will, but I can’t think about it right now.”
“Okay. Let me get you some towels and you can shower. What size shoe do you wear?”
“An eight.”
“Perfect. I have some pretty flats in size eight from when I was pregnant.”
“This is very nice of you, but I could just stay here. I don’t know how to talk to people like your friends.”
“Mama, Kevin’s family is very nice. Yes, there’s a lot of money involved, but that’s not what they’re all about. You’ll be fine.”
Her mother took the towels, and they walked together into Harper’s bathroom. She set the water, showed her mother where the shampoo and body wash were, and then left her to get clean.
She went to her closet and looked at some clothes she had, but had never worn. Her mother was small, maybe even a size smaller than her. Unfortunately, it appeared her mother’s slender figure was more about not having enough to eat than trying to fit into any particular size. She found a pair of simple black trousers and a lovely and very simple dove gray turtleneck sweater that would look perfect. With a pair of black bow flats, she’d look stunning.
“Hey.” Harper turned around to see Kevin in her doorway. “Any idea what happened?”
“She’s not telling.” He didn’t have the baby. “Where’s Anna?”
“Asleep in her crib. You timed it perfectly. She’d have slept the whole ride to Meg’s.”
“Dammit.” His smile drew her right to him and she planted a kiss on his lips. “Thank you for being patient.”
“It’s fine. I’m here for you, you know that.”
“I know. Oh, I just heard the water go off. See you in a bit.” She nudged Kevin into the hall and closed the door. Her mother came out of the bathroom and that’s when Harper saw the smudged purple marks on her mother’s left arm. Marks that were left by someone’s hand.
“I found some clean underwear and a bra in your tote. Why don’t you put them on and then I can do your hair and makeup.”
Her mother didn’t argue and did just as Harper asked. Fortunately, her hair was short and easy to manage, she didn’t need a lot of makeup, and when she slipped on the gray sweater, her mother sighed. “I had a scarf made of cashmere once. Your father gave it to me.”
Harper nodded at the memory. “It was light blue. I remember.”
There were no more words exchanged until Diane Snow was fully dressed and ready to go; she looked picture perfect, right down to the pearl studs Harper had secured in her ears. When her mother looked in the mirror, she gasped a little because the transformation was so complete. S
he looked like a well-to-do woman who would be with her family on Thanksgiving. “Oh, Emmy.”
“You look beautiful, Mama. Very polished. You and your impeccable Southern manners are going to do just fine.” Her mother’s upbringing in the Deep South never left her. Rich or poor, manners were part of who they were.
“It’s so simple, but . . .” Diane drew her fingers to her lips, and her eyes said everything. She loved how she looked and felt better about fitting in, and that was half the battle of feeling good in a new situation.
***
Kevin waited on the couch for Harper and her mother, and he was thinking of all the possible things that could have made her mother run. The fact that Harper’s stepbrother was out there and could have followed Diane to New York made his skin crawl.
That he could put Harper and Anna in jeopardy put him on alert. He’d be sleeping here tonight.
The door opening in the hallway made Kevin turn his head and he could not believe what he saw. Disheveled Diane Snow looked like a million bucks.
“Wow, Diane, you look fantastic.”
“Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever looked this good.”
“You’ve always been very pretty, Mama.”
Harper’s mother looked at her threadbare coat hanging on a hook in the foyer. “Oh, my coat.”
“No worries. I have one you can use.” While Harper was getting her mother settled into a gray wool coat, Kevin went to get Anna. His daughter did not want to get up and travel, and the wail that came from her made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted to sleep.
“Honey, there are days I feel the same way. But we have a party to go to.”
It took a little doing, but within ten minutes, he’d loaded two women, one infant, three pies, and a bouquet of flowers into his new car. He was glad he’d gone for the SUV.
Harper happily settled into the passenger seat and ran her hands over the buttery leather. “It’s beautiful. I never thought you’d be a Mercedes guy.”
“I never thought I’d have a car that could seat seven. But they gave me the best deal.”
“Ah. It has nothing to do with all the bells and whistles, then?”
“Uh, no,” Kevin lied. It so had to do with the bells and whistles. This truck had every conceivable option, and he loved it.
“I can’t believe you bought a new car!”
“If you want to drive it, it’s all yours.”
“Seriously?”
He grinned. “Yes. Anything you need.” Kevin gazed at the Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge, which was almost shining in the bright sunlight of the day. Glancing back in the rearview mirror, he saw that Harper’s mother was out cold. He could only imagine what her last two days had been like.
“Your mom is asleep.”
“Good. She could use the rest.”
“She didn’t tell you anything?”
“Nope, nothing. I am pretty scared, though. She has bruises.” Harper glanced back. “Do you think he’ll try anything? She can’t ever go home.”
“We’ll take care of her.” Kevin’s hand reached toward hers and their fingers wound together. It was exactly as it should be. They were in this together.
***
It was just a matter of time before everyone in her orbit found out she was a big, fat phony. But for the first time in her life Harper really didn’t care.
Traffic was surprisingly light once they left the city. After getting onto the Long Island Expressway, it was less than an hour to Meg and Jason’s house. Her mother woke up about half an hour into the trip, when Anna started to fuss, and it was nice having her in the backseat to calm her down. Whatever Harper thought about her mother’s choices, she was magic with her granddaughter.
Pulling up to Jason and Meg’s house for the first time would certainly impress most people because the house was a showpiece, but to a woman who’d lived in a run-down trailer park for the last twenty-five years, it might as well have been Buckingham Palace.
“Oh, my goodness.”
“It’s even prettier inside,” Harper said.
“I’m going to be afraid to touch anything.”
“No, it’s not a museum, but it is beautiful. Just like a house you’d see in a catalog.”
“Your apartment is like that. It’s obvious you took a lot of time with it.”
They stepped from the car and Mama turned in a circle, taking in the gorgeous front porch, the colorful mums in the garden, and the trees that surrounded acres and acres of land.
“It must be so peaceful to live like this.”
“Having more space is appealing, isn’t it? I’m thinking of moving out of the city. I’ve been house shopping.”
“Really?” her mother said. “Not interested in city life?”
“My company moved out here. It’s not a ten-minute walk to the office anymore, and Anna needs space to run and play.”
Her mother nodded, but it was Kevin’s voice that turned her head.
“You didn’t tell me you were thinking about moving.”
“There’s nothing firm, but I think it’s something I should consider, don’t you? You did mention that the city isn’t really a good place to raise a child.”
“I agree. You and I should have a talk about it, though.”
She hadn’t thought about talking to him about her plans. That was something she’d have to get used to.
They walked in the house, all of them laden down with something, whether it be a baby, pies, or some other thing. For as peaceful as the outside was, the inside of the house was frenetic.
There were voices and pots clanging and a dog barking and a baby crying. It was the sound of a big messy family, and Harper felt like she’d died and gone to heaven.
Her mother tugged at her sleeve. “This is what you always wanted, isn’t it? And here you are.”
Here she was, but she didn’t know yet how she would be received. It could have gone either way, but the day took a decidedly positive turn when Mrs. Rossi came over and gave Harper a kiss on the cheek.
“It’s good to see you, and is this your mother? We’re so happy you could come. I’m Meryl.”
“Diane. Thank you so much for having me on short notice.”
“The more the merrier. If you can handle the noise, you’ll do just fine.”
Helping Diane remove her coat, Kevin’s mother gently guided her by the elbow to introduce her to the family. Meg didn’t hold back and gave her a hug. Caroline shook her hand. Molly jumped onto one of the island stools and started talking.
Kevin took Anna out of her carrier and came to her side, just as Diane asked for an apron so she could help. “I think she’s going to be okay.”
Kevin nodded. “I’m staying with you tonight, you know that, right?”
Harper nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’m really scared for her, Kevin. I don’t know what he’s going to do.”
“Your mother isn’t the problem with your family life, is she?”
“Not directly, but she was so devoted to Charlie and Hill, what I thought and felt didn’t matter. She and I have some things to work out, but I need to help her first.”
“This guy is bad news, huh?”
“The worst. If he fell off the face of the earth tomorrow, no one would miss him except his bookie and a few hookers.”
Kevin laughed at her description, but she knew it was just that. This wasn’t funny, and it was forcing Harper to see that she was going to have to tell him everything.
Emmy Poole was going to have to tell the truth.
Chapter 12
With all the activity, there wasn’t a lot of time for Kevin to think about Harper, her mother, or the very strange situation that seemed to be developing. Considering how nervous she was about joining his family for Thanksgiving, Harper had eased into the mix without much trouble. A nice warmth had developed between them, and even Caroline seemed to be coming around. Kevin had never said this out loud, but Harper and Caroline were a lot alike, and he
guessed that was why they butted heads.
With a brandy in hand after dinner, he found a quiet spot in the sunroom to absorb all the new information about Harper. And based on the things he’d learned today, it looked like he had a lot to think about.
It should have been cold in here, but Jason and Meg wanted to be able to enjoy the room year-round and had installed heaters. It was a good thing, too, because in an unseasonable twist, light snow had started to fall, covering everything outside in white.
He heard footsteps in the hallway and Meg stopped short when she caught sight of him alone in the room. She’d asked several times if he was okay, and the fact was, he didn’t know. He had a bad feeling about the whole situation with Harper, and he had a feeling he was going to find out some things that could turn his world upside down.
“It looks so pretty outside. Are the roads okay?”
“I checked,” he said. “Just wet. It’s not that cold yet.”
“How are you doing?” she sat next to him on the wicker settee, and leaned against him. “I think it was a good day.”
“It was. You guys are great hosts.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her blonde head. “How did Harper seem to you?”
“Worried about her mom. I know you said she was nervous about coming here, but she didn’t seem it. Why did her mom show up?”
“Something happened with her stepbrother. Her mother grabbed what she could and took off. I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Kim’s visiting her family, so Harper has room, but we’re going to have to help her mother find a place to stay.”
“I’m sure Harper has five places ready to look at already.”
Kevin grinned. Harper’s efficiency was legend in his family circle. “Something’s not right, Meg. I don’t know if I can put my finger on it. I mean, her mother is really—different from her. What do you know about Harper?”
His sister sat up and settled herself against the cushion behind her, and Kevin was glad they’d gotten back to the point where they could talk. He needed Meg’s take on this. “She went to the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. Worked for a couple of big tech firms before coming to us. She lives in New York. I know she’s allergic to curry, so we never go out for Indian food. She likes romantic comedies. I think she’s always considered herself a Yankees fan.” She smiled after the last one, but it was ironic.
