“Of course not,” Libby said, a wicked twinkle in her gaze. “If anyone marries the guy, it’ll have to be you.”
After dropping off Libby, Sierra headed for her apartment on the town’s northern edge. Although her daughter loved to spend the night with her grandmother, Maddie had an early-morning play date with a friend and that meant tonight she’d be sleeping in her own bed.
Her mother and Maddie were so intent on Candy Land they didn’t react when Sierra stepped into the living room. Just as Sierra was about to clear her throat, Maddie looked up. Pure joy crossed the little girl’s face and she immediately jumped to her feet. “Mommy.”
Maddie raced liked an out-of-control train across the living room. Her tiny body hit Sierra with a thud and she wrapped her arms tightly around her mother’s legs. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Sierra knew that Maddie had probably been having so much fun with her grandmother that she hadn’t had time to give her a second thought. Still, the sweet words made Sierra’s heart swell with love. Though she deeply regretted her marriage to Jerry, something good and beautiful had come out of the union.
Her hand stroked her daughter’s tousled blond curls and when she spoke her voice was thick with emotion. “I’ve missed you too, pumpkin. Did you and Gram have fun?”
Maddie took a step back and her blue eyes danced. She nodded her head vigorously. “We had ice cream and cake and—”
The little girl paused and her eyebrows pulled together. She cast her grandmother a beseeching glance.
Peggy Summers smiled, love and pride reflected in her eyes. “Fruit punch?”
“’N punch.” Maddie’s smile widened. “It gave me a stash. But Gram said that was okay.”
“A rash?” Sierra’s heart rose to her throat. Her gaze darted to her mother. With all of Maddie’s allergies, didn’t her mother realize that an unexpected rash could indicate a serious reaction. “Why didn’t you call me?”
Sierra didn’t wait for a response. Her hands moved to Maddie’s shirt. She couldn’t see any red spots on her arms and legs, so it had to be on her chest or back. Though her mother had apparently dismissed it as trivial, Sierra needed to see for herself.
Maddie laughed and brushed aside Sierra’s hands as if it were a game, her giggle at odds with the tight coil of tension gripping Sierra’s gut.
“Honey, there’s nothing to worry about,” Peggy said in a reassuring tone. “Maddie had a mustache, not a rash.”
Mustache?
For the first time Sierra noticed a faint red color on her daughter’s upper lip. She exhaled the breath she’d been holding.
If anything ever happened to Maddie…
“She’s fine,” Peggy said as if she could read her daughter’s thoughts. “Aren’t you, pumpkin? Tell Mommy you’re filled to the brim with ice cream and cake.”
Maddie smiled broadly, showing a missing front tooth. “’N punch.”
“Punch, too?” Sierra tried to join in the spirit, but the fear had left her drained.
Maddie nodded happily.
Sierra cast her mother a questioning glance. Though she didn’t mind her daughter having a treat now and then, it sounded as if tonight had been a junk-food feast.
Peggy rose to her feet and straightened her skirt.
For the first time Sierra noticed her mother was dressed in the new skirt and blouse she’d bought last weekend.
“Maddie and I went to Frank and Lynn’s anniversary party tonight,” her mother said in response to Sierra’s questioning glance. “They were going to celebrate on the weekend, but their plans changed. Her sister is leaving town earlier than expected so they changed the party to tonight.”
Her mother had been Lynn’s maid of honor thirty-some years ago and they were still good friends. Guilt sluiced through Sierra. She’d never have asked her mother to baby-sit if she’d known tonight was Lynn’s anniversary celebration. “You should have told me—”
Her mother cut her off, casting a pointed glance at Maddie. “Everyone was glad to see Maddie. You would have been so proud of her. She was very well-behaved.”
“I said please and thank you,” Maddie said. “And I ate my cake with my fork.”
The little girl made the announcement with such emphasis that Sierra knew her mother must have coached her and then praised her extravagantly for her efforts.
Thank you, God.
The prayer of thanks was for both of the women in her life. God had truly blessed her. Though her life hadn’t been without trials, she’d had her mother’s love and support every step of the way. And now her mother was showering the same unending supply of love on Maddie.
“Sounds like you girls had a fun evening,” Sierra said, emotion making her voice huskier than normal.
“We did.” Peggy moved across the room to stand close to her daughter. “A busy day and a fun evening. But now we’re both tuckered out.”
It was only eight-thirty. Sierra knew her mother rarely went to bed before midnight, but Maddie’s eyes were already drooping.
“I want to play another game.” Maddie whined, dropping back to her knees and shoving the Candy Land board aside.
Sierra’s gaze met her mother’s and they exchanged a knowing look.
“Maddie’s already had her bath and brushed her teeth,” her mother said in a low tone. “She’s exhausted but won’t admit it.”
Sierra took note of her daughter’s petulant expression. It looked like bedtime was going to be a struggle. She heaved a resigned sigh and turned her attention back to her mother. “I’m sorry you had to take her—”
Peggy laid her hand on Sierra’s arm.
“Not another word,” Peggy ordered in that same no-nonsense tone she’d used on her when Sierra had been Maddie’s age. “I was happy to have her. Some of my friends hadn’t seen her in a while and this gave me a chance to show her off.”
The pride in her mother’s voice warmed Sierra’s heart. “She’s a good girl.”
“Yes, she is,” her mother said.
“Can you stay for a cup of coffee?” Sierra asked. “I’d love to hear all about the party.”
“I wish I could.” A tinge of true regret laced Peggy’s tone. “But if I stay, Maddie won’t want to go to bed.”
“I can’t find it.” The urgent whine over a missing board piece told Sierra that Maddie was rapidly approaching meltdown.
“You’re right.” Sierra blew out a disappointed breath. Though she and her mother were close as sisters and talked every day, Sierra hadn’t seen her mother as much since the switch. Impulsively she gave her mother a quick hug. “Thanks so much for watching her.”
“We had a lovely time,” Peggy said, a smile of remembrance lifting her lips. “Reverend Carl was at the party. He asked about you. He’s so good with Maddie. Why he isn’t married with children of his own, I don’t know.”
“Maybe he’s just never found the right woman,” Sierra said lightly.
She wished she would have kept silent when a speculative gleam filled her mother’s eyes. “Maybe he has found the ‘One’ but she doesn’t know it. He talked about you constantly.”
Sierra tried to quell her irritation. “I’m surprised. I barely know the man.”
The words slipped past her lips before she had a chance to consider their impact on her mother. Peggy had the utmost respect for men of the cloth and in her eyes, Carl was practically perfect.
Her mother’s lips pursed together and though she’d said nothing bad about the man, Sierra had a crazy impulse to apologize.
“You went all through school with him,” Peggy pointed out when Sierra remained silent. “He’s the assistant pastor of the church you attend every week. I think you know him a bit more than barely.”
Sierra bit back the desire to tell her mother the truth was, that she already knew him better than she wanted. Instead she lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. “You’re right. I do know Carl. And he is a nice guy. It just makes me uncomfortable to have him talk about m
e when I’m not there.”
“I think he’s sweet on you,” Peggy said, nodding her head at the conclusion. “I really think he’d like to date you. And you couldn’t find a better man.”
“I’m already dating someone,” Sierra said before her mother had a chance to visualize her and Carl walking down the aisle. And, though “dating” wasn’t exactly accurate, “I’m kissing someone,” wasn’t something she felt like saying to her mother.
“You are?” Her mother’s eyes widened in surprise and the look on her face would have been laughable at any other time. “Who?”
“Someone I just met,” Sierra said quickly. “His name is Matt and he’s involved with the Advocacy Center fund-raising.”
She didn’t mention his father’s connection to Jerry. If her mother knew Matt was Dix’s son, she’d never believe that Sierra would date him.
“Is this Matt the man Carl saw you with at Crane River?” Her mother tilted her head and her gaze grew sharp and assessing.
“Crane River?” Sierra asked stupidly.
“Carl mentioned he’d run into you and a male friend the other day over lunch,” her mother said. “I could see it had shaken him. He wanted the scoop but I had to tell him I didn’t know anything about the man. He asked if I thought it could be serious and I told him I’m sure it wasn’t, because otherwise I’d have met him.”
Sierra could see the hurt in her mother’s eyes. At the moment she wasn’t sure if it was the not knowing that bothered her mother or the fact that Sierra didn’t seem to return Carl’s interest.
For years her mother had harbored the hope that she and Carl would get together. She’d told Sierra on more than one occasion that she would make the perfect minister’s wife. Though for a split second, Sierra had considered coming clean with her mother, she now rejected the option. It would be best to let her mother think she was interested in Matt.
Otherwise, Sierra could envision the next few months. Her mother would be inviting Carl over for dinner and encouraging Sierra in a million other less obvious ways to give the good pastor a chance.
Sierra knew she’d disappointed her mother when she’d married Jerry. Though at the time everyone had thought Jerry was a great catch, her mother had voiced strong reservations about the union. And time had proved her mother’s instincts correct.
But she’s not right in this case.
Sierra’s hands tightened into fists at her side. Reverend Carl was not the man for her. He couldn’t be. No matter what her mother thought.
Actually, after her divorce she’d vowed to swear off men entirely. She didn’t need a guy in her life to be happy. She had a daughter to raise and Maddie was her priority.
She’d thought her mother would agree when she’d said as much to her one day. But to her surprise Peggy would hear none of such talk. She wanted Sierra to marry again, to find the true happiness that had eluded her the first time around. And, from the look in her mother’s eye, Peggy was convinced Sierra would find that happiness with Reverend Carl.
If she were an impartial bystander, Sierra might agree. On the surface she and Carl had everything in common: background, values, faith. He adored Maddie and would make a wonderful father. Many would argue, a successful marriage between the two was practically guaranteed.
But every impractical part of Sierra’s being railed against that conclusion. Carl didn’t make her pulse leap when he walked into a room and his long-ago kiss had repulsed rather than excited her.
There’s more to life than sexual attraction, she scolded herself. Look at Jerry. Her heart had done flip-flops whenever he was in the room and look how that had ended.
“Sierra?” Her mother’s voice jerked her back to the present. “Who is this new man in your life? Why haven’t you mentioned him?”
“I hadn’t mentioned him before because our relationship—” Sierra’s tongue stumbled over the word “—is fairly new.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie, she told herself. Their business relationship was brand-new. When, or if, a personal one would ever get off the ground was anyone’s guess.
But, Sierra realized suddenly, it wasn’t anyone’s guess, it was up to her. Matt had made her an offer and it was up to her to accept it or not.
“You must like him,” Peggy said.
Sierra thought for a moment then nodded. “Well enough, anyway.”
“Other than Carl and the insurance agent, he’s the first man you’ve dated since Jerry,” Peggy added.
Her mother was right, but instead of it scaring her, the thought gave her a measure of comfort.
A relationship with Matt would be like sticking her toe into the water rather than jumping in feet-first. She could get used to the water, then at the end of the summer when the project was over and Matt was long gone, she could decide if she was interested in getting back into the dating game or not.
Yes, when you thought about it, spending time with Matt this summer made complete sense.
“Matt is nice,” Sierra said to her mother. “But neither of us is looking for anything serious. Not at this point, anyway.”
“What religion is he?”
The question took Sierra by surprise. The minute she’d mentioned she was dating someone she’d known an interrogation would be forthcoming, but she hadn’t expected it would start tonight. Sierra blinked, thought about lying, then decided to be honest. “I’m not sure.”
Her mother’s gaze narrowed. “Haven’t you talked about your faith with him?”
“It hasn’t come up,” Sierra said, knowing it wasn’t much of an answer. Unfortunately it was the truth.
Her mother pursed her lips. “Does he like children?”
The casual tone and offhand manner didn’t fool Sierra. “We haven’t talked about children, either. Like I said, the relationship is brand-new.”
Sierra wished she could tell her mother not to worry, that Matt was the last man Sierra would ever seriously consider. And it didn’t matter what he thought about God or children because he would never meet Maddie, and he would certainly never be a part of their life.
“Maddie.” Sierra turned to her daughter, who was rummaging through the toy box. “Help Gram and me pick up the toys.”
Maddie whirled, her bottom lip protruding. “I don’t want to pick up, I want—”
Sierra straightened and favored the girl with the look she’d perfected the past four years. Though she and Maddie were close and Sierra loved the little girl with all her heart, she was determined to raise a well-adjusted, well-behaved child.
Maddie stared at her mother for a long moment. “Okay,” she said finally, only a trace of sulkiness in her tone. “But first I have to give Gram a hug.”
The little girl propelled herself across the room and lifted her arms to her grandmother. “I love you, Gram.”
Sierra and her mother exchanged a smile. Maddie still hadn’t realized that there was no divide-and-conquer when it came to the two women in her life.
“I love you too, pumpkin,” Peggy said, sweeping up Maddie in her arms and giving the girl a big bear hug before setting her back down. The older woman’s gaze shifted to the Candy Land boxes. “Do you think you can put all the pieces in those little slots all by yourself? Or do you need Gram to help you?”
Maddie shook her head vigorously. “I do it myself.”
It was all Sierra could do not to laugh. The response was just what she’d expected from her independent daughter.
Sierra smiled and picked up a stuffed pig with ten Velcro-attached piglets lying on a chair. With a wide arching lob she tossed the pig family into the toy box.
God had blessed her with faith and family. She had everything she needed. Who could ask for anything more?
Chapter Nine
Sierra checked on Maddie one more time before she slipped into the shower. The water’s cool spray was invigorating and she hummed as she dried off and slathered lotion on her body. She’d just wrapped a towel around her head and pulled on the silk robe her mothe
r had given her for Christmas when the phone rang.
Praying the loud ring wouldn’t wake Maddie, Sierra shot out of the bathroom, sidestepping a headless Barbie in the hall. She reached the living room in record time, her hand clicking the cordless phone on the minute her fingers closed around it. “Hello.”
“Hey, beautiful.” The deep masculine voice filled the phone line. “What’s up?”
“Who is this?” Sierra forced an innocent tone.
Silence filled the line for a second. “It’s Matt. Who did you think it was?”
“It could have been any one of my many admirers,” Sierra said airily, smiling at the thought of how easily she’d taken the wind from his sails. “That’s why I always ask.”
“Many admirers, huh?” Matt asked. “Like Reverend Carl?”
Sierra laughed and dropped to the sofa, ignoring his question. “You called at a good time. I just got out of the shower.”
A brief pause greeted her words and she didn’t have to see Matt to know there was now a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Sounds exciting. Can I come over?”
Sierra shook her head and her smile widened. Matt might not have all of Carl’s virtues, but he was fun.
“Have you heard the saying ‘the early bird gets the worm’?” She plumped up an accent pillow and made herself comfortable against the overstuffed cushions. “Well, you’re five minutes too late. I have my robe on. And you live too far away, anyway.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” he asked. “I’ve moved to Santa Barbara for the summer. If our new office works out well, the move may be permanent.”
“No way.” Her heart caught in her throat and she wasn’t sure if it was dread or excitement coursing through her veins. After all, it was one thing to have a casual relationship with someone who lived out of town, quite another when they could be only blocks away and close enough to call any bluff.
“Don’t sound so enthusiastic.” His voice was quietly teasing and she could almost see the grin spread across his face.
“It doesn’t matter to me where you live,” Sierra said, waving a dismissive hand even though he wasn’t there to see it.
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