My Heart is Home: Hidden Creek Series #2

by Barbara Gee

  “I wanna read more books.”

  “Good, because I love reading. You go pick out some books and I’ll clean up our dishes, okay?”

  “Yup!”

  She skipped off and I stuck our plates and cups in the dishwasher, then went to join her. Lily listened raptly for the first few stories, but about halfway through the pile of books she’d assembled she started yawning. I was afraid she was going to fall asleep in my lap instead of in my car, but then I heard the front door open, followed by Adalyn’s voice.

  “Grammy’s home,” I said, easing Lily gently off my lap. “Let’s go see her.”

  “Grammyyyyyyy,” she sing-songed as she bounded out into the hall.

  I followed, looking anxiously at Adalyn, trying to gauge how she was feeling.

  “Hey, sweet girl,” Adalyn said, bending down to hug Lily. She looked up at me, looking weary but no worse than she’d been that morning.

  Her friend Louise held out a hand to Lily. “Come, Lily-girl. Show me those beautiful babydolls you have.”

  They headed into the playroom and Adalyn motioned for me to follow her to the kitchen. “Did you have a chance to talk to JP?” she asked as she got a glass of water.

  “I did. He said it’s fine if I bring Lily back with me.”

  Her shoulders slumped in relief. “I’m glad to hear it. I’m not feeling terrible at the moment, but yesterday my nausea got worse as the evening wore on, and I expect it will again today. I think sending Lily with you would be best.”

  “Okay. I asked her earlier if she’d want to go to JP’s again sometime, just to get her reaction, and she was all for it.”

  Adalyn chuckled. “She’s been begging to go. Are you sure JP can work out childcare? I’d hate for him to miss too much work.”

  “I’ll watch her tomorrow, and he’ll figure out Friday. Don’t worry about it.” I settled on a barstool at the end of the counter nearest her. “There’s something else I have to tell you, Adalyn.”

  She froze with the glass halfway to her mouth, lowering it slowly. “What is it, Myla?”

  I gave her an apologetic look. “It’s…Haley. She showed up here at lunchtime.”

  Adalyn’s eyes closed for a long moment, then she turned and put her glass in the sink before sliding onto the stool next to mine.

  “What did you do? Did you let her in?” Her expression grew suddenly alarmed. “Did she see Lily?”

  I put a calming hand on her arm. “No, I didn’t let her in. I told her she had to come back when you were home.”

  “Do you think she’ll come back today?”

  “I’m pretty sure she will. She wasn’t happy that I wouldn’t let her wait here for you. But I didn’t want her to see Lily unless I knew it was okay with you.”

  Adalyn rested her elbows on the counter and rubbed her temples. “We need to pack up Lily’s things and get you on your way. I’ll deal with Haley, but I don’t want Lily here. It’ll be much better if it’s just the two of us. We obviously have a lot of things to hash out.”

  “I’m so sorry, Adalyn. I wish she’d waited until you were finished with the treatments and feeling stronger.”

  She huffed out a humorless laugh. “Haley never was one to cater to anyone else’s schedule. I’ll just have to deal with her the way I am and hope for the best.”

  “Will you let her stay here at the house if she wants to?”

  She thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “I suppose so, if that’s what she wants. But I doubt that’ll be the case. She hasn’t spent the night in this house since the night before she gave birth to Lily. She went straight from the hospital to her friend Rosie’s house, and a week later she left town. I don’t even know where she went. It was ten months before I heard from her again. That’s when the money ran out. Took her less than a year to spend it all.”

  “I’m sure it was hard for you. Wondering where she was and everything.”

  “Ah, well, I’d gotten pretty used to her ways over the years. Plus, I was so busy with Lily it kept me from dwelling on it too much.”

  I put my arm around her shoulders and hugged gently. “You did a good thing, you know, making sure Lily made it into the world.”

  Adalyn gave me a melancholy smile. “The pregnancy took every ounce of patience and courage I possessed, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done. Lily makes this world a better place.”

  “That she does.”

  Adalyn straightened, her expression becoming determined. “And now we need to get that little girl packed up to go with you before Haley comes back.”

  Chapter 28

  “T

  hat’s Daddy’s house!”

  “Yes, ma’am, it sure is.” I parked the car and looked back at Lily before sending a quick text to JP to let him know we had arrived. “Daddy’s not here yet though, so how about you and I go in and unpack your suitcase, then play with your toys for a little while before we cook some supper?”

  “Yeah! ‘Member that blue horsie that lady gave me? I wanna play with that!”

  I laughed as I got out and went around to her door. “That lady is your Grandma Keller. She’s JP’s mommy, remember?”

  “Who was that man?”

  I unbuckled her and lifted her out of the car. “That’s JP’s daddy. Grandpa Keller. You and he are going to be good friends.”

  “I like them. And the blue horsie.”

  I grabbed her little pink suitcase from the floor of the car and we went inside. Lily was clearly happy to be there and made a beeline to her bedroom. She pounced on the blue stuffed horse waiting on her bed like a long-lost friend, jabbering to it in her best baby voice. I asked her to help put her clothes in the dresser drawers and she tucked the horse safely under her arm—where I was pretty sure it would stay for most of the evening.

  We played with a few of the other toys until it was time for me to figure out what to make for dinner. I coaxed her out to the kitchen and sat her at the table with a wooden puzzle while I surveyed the contents of JP’s fridge. I found all the ingredients I needed for a hamburger, green bean, and potato casserole, and I browned the meat as Lily switched from the puzzle to the family of mini-people Janna had given her. Once the dish was in the oven we moved her toys to the living room. I built a fire and watched her play while we waited for JP.

  Twenty minutes later I heard his truck roll up and I eagerly went to meet him. He came in looking all handsome in light-colored khakis and a dusky blue Henley shirt with an Owens Construction logo. He smiled when he saw me, and, oh man, that smile alone made the hours of driving and the stress of worrying about Haley and Adalyn all worth it. He wrapped me in his arms and I leaned into his big, warm body, realizing there was nothing I wouldn’t do for this man. Well, as long as it was legal.

  “Hey there,” he said, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. “You’re just what I need at the end of a long day. The drive go okay?”

  “Yeah, it went fine.” I breathed him in and held on. ”How was your meeting?”

  “Jude and I both felt good about it. We should hear one way or the other soon.”

  We stood there and soaked each other in for a little bit longer, then he asked how Adalyn had reacted to the news that Haley had shown up.

  “She actually handled it pretty well. I think she’s ready to have the discussion and get it over with. She was mostly concerned with making sure Lily was gone beforehand.”

  JP sighed. “Man, even though I hate that you had to deal with Haley, I’m thankful you were there to head her off until we could get Lily away. From that standpoint, the timing couldn’t have been better. Now we just have to hope Haley doesn’t talk Adalyn into anything she’ll regret later.”

  I stepped back and looked up at him. “I think she’s immune to any tricks Haley might try to pull. She’s seen and heard it all before.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  I gave him a fond smile. “Lily’s been waiting for you, Daddy. Go see her. I’ll finish getting dinner rea
dy.”

  He cupped my head in his big hands and bent his head to give me a brief, hard kiss. “What would I do without you?” he murmured, giving me a second kiss before going to greet his daughter.

  ***

  JP and Lily both approved of the meal I’d hastily thrown together. Lily told her dad all about our day, including the paper heart chain we’d made for Adalyn’s bedroom. I felt bad that we’d been in such a hurry to leave that we’d forgotten to show it to Adalyn, but I assured Lily that her Grammy would love the surprise when she went to bed tonight.

  “We’ll call her in the morning and ask her about it,” JP promised.

  “I can make you one, Daddy,” she offered sweetly.

  “You can?” he asked with a grin.

  She nodded, sticking her finger in the jelly on her dinner roll and sucking it off. “My-My will help me make it. Right, My-My?”

  “I sure will. We’ll do it tomorrow while your daddy is at work.”

  “I can’t wait to see it,” JP said, reaching over to smooth a hand over Lily’s hair. “Thank you for being such a good girl for Myla today.”

  She gave me an angelic smile. “I like when you play with me,” she said.

  “Good, because I like doing it.”

  “Do you like My-My too, Daddy?”

  His eyes crinkled with a smile, his gaze holding mine. “I sure do. I like her a lot.”

  ***

  After Lily was tucked into bed, the blue horsie and half a dozen other stuffed animals piled around her, JP and I planned out our schedules for the next few days. We also talked about what to do if Adalyn couldn’t take Lily back until after her chemo treatments were completed.

  JP had called his mother earlier in the day and she was willing and eager to help as much as needed. She wanted us to come over for dinner tomorrow evening so they could get better acquainted with Lily. Assuming that went well, she would babysit while JP and I were both at work on Friday. Then, if Adalyn couldn’t take Lily back for a while, Camilla wanted to watch her three days a week, and she’d already talked to the daughter of one of her friends, a “wonderful young woman” who did some babysitting in her home, about covering any other days.

  I assured JP that I was also available on the days I wasn’t teaching, and I could tell he was grateful and relieved to have options.

  “Adalyn might want to come here some, too,” I said. “Even though she can’t handle Lily on her own, she’s going to want to spend time with her.”

  “Yeah, Mom mentioned that, too. She said she’s welcome to stay with them since I only have the one extra bedroom here.” He grimaced. “I might be in the market for a bigger place sooner than I expected. And just when this house is starting to feel like a home, thanks to you.”

  “We can make any house feel like a home,” I said, snuggling against his side.

  He was silent for a while. “Do you think Haley’s still there?”

  “I think there’s a good chance. I doubt if she had anywhere else to go and Adalyn said she’d let her stay if she asked.”

  “I wish I could’ve listened in on their conversation.”

  “Me too, but we know Adalyn will do whatever’s best for Lily. I don’t doubt that for a second.”

  His chest rose and fell with a sigh. “I can’t help thinking about what might’ve happened to Lily if Adalyn hadn’t decided to tell me about her. She could’ve bribed Haley into cleaning up and taking her, knowing she’d do it if that was the only way to get the money. And I wouldn’t have ever found out about Lily.”

  “Adalyn would’ve never risked that. Haley’s too unstable.”

  “Unless she thought spending time with Lily would finally ignite Haley’s maternal instincts.”

  “There’s no reason to even go there, JP. Adalyn did call you, and she’s doing everything in her power to make sure you have Lily. Knowing her granddaughter is in a loving home is more important to Adalyn than using her in a last-ditch effort to reform Haley.”

  “Yeah, I know you’re right. It’s just that it could have happened. And aside from the Haley stuff, there’s also the fact that if Adalyn hadn’t gotten sick, Lily would have grown up thinking her father didn’t care. Didn’t want to be part of her life. And then there’s me not evening knowing she existed.”

  I shifted on the couch so I was facing him and took his hand between mine. “If you dwell on what could have happened, the resentment will take over. Adalyn knows what she did was wrong and it means the world to her that you’ve forgiven her. I’d hate to see things go sour between you two at this point.”

  He nodded slowly. “I know. I don’t want that either. But I missed out on three years of Lily’s life. It’s hard not to think about that, you know?”

  I didn’t know what to say. He was right and had every reason to feel cheated.

  He went on. “The thing that comforts me is that I feel God intervened to make sure I found out about Lily. When Adalyn got sick, I believe He put it in her heart to contact me. He’s also given me the grace to forgive her, so even though I’ll always regret missing out on those years, I’m more sad than angry. Adalyn has done a great job with Lily. She’s her whole life, and I guess—I guess part of me understands her choices.”

  I brought his hand up and pressed the back of it to my cheek. “You’re kind of incredible, Jedidiah.”

  He looked at me, a slow grin curving his lips. “You wanna know who’s incredible? This girl right here.” Without warning he stood and scooped me up, only to deposit me right back down onto the couch, this time laying flat on my back. My squeak of surprise ended in an oomph and then he came down beside me, one leg crooked over mine, his head propped up on a hand so he could look down at me.

  His beautiful eyes gleamed. “I believe you said something earlier today about me showing you how much I appreciate you. Do you happen to recall anything about that?”

  I scrunched my face thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember some talk of that.”

  He lowered his head and rubbed his nose down along mine, then bit gently at my bottom lip. “I suppose I could’ve brought you flowers,” he said, his voice low and rough. “That would’ve shown appreciation.”

  I nodded slightly and shifted my legs under his, restless and yearning. “Flowers are…nice.”

  He pressed his lips to my cheekbone. “But since I didn’t get flowers, I have to think of some other way.” His hand slid under my shirt, warm on my back.

  “Are you open to suggestions?” I asked a little breathlessly.

  “Only if it involves kissing you senseless.”

  I ran my hand across his shoulder, up his neck, and into his hair. “Oh, that’s exactly what it involves.”

  His lips brushed over mine. “I do appreciate you, Myla.” Another light kiss. “I don’t want to neglect our own relationship while we’re trying to figure things out with Lily.”

  I squirmed again. “I’ll share,” I whispered, my eyes fixed on his oh-so-attractive mouth.

  He stroked his hand along the curve of my waist, making me shiver. “I love you.”

  I closed my eyes and savored those words. I would never, ever, ever get tired of hearing them. “I love you, too,” I said, opening my eyes just in time to see him smile. I closed them again as his lips claimed mine.

  No more soft nips and teasing brushes. JP kissed me exactly like I’d been craving. Hot and deep. Passionate. And he was so very, very good at it.

  I wanted no one else’s touch, no other kiss. And I never would.

  Only JP’s.

  Chapter 29

  J

  P was working in Hidden Creek on Thursday, so he dropped Lily off at my house on his way to the office. The little gal was very excited to have yet another new house to explore. I let her go in every room, following along behind her and laughing at her ceaseless chatter.

  When she was satisfied that she’d seen everything there was to see, we got busy making the paper chain and hearts she’d promised
JP. I wasn’t sure she’d be able to fill very many hearts since she hadn’t known him long, but she rattled off the reasons she loved him with no problem. He brings me toys. He lifts me up high and drops me but he always catches me. He reads me lots of books. He has a big truck. He tells me I’m a good girl. He’s gonna get me a puppy.

  I had to question her on that one. “Are you sure about that, Lily?”

  She gave me a “duh” look. “Shiloh’s daddy got her one. That’s what daddies do.”

  “Have you talked to your daddy about it?”

  “I told him I want a black one.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, we’ll see, I guess.”

  I checked the time and wondered whether JP would hear from Adalyn soon. Both of us were anxious to hear how things were going with Haley, and he’d promised to call me if he found out. I was glad Lily was here to keep me busy so I couldn’t dwell on it too much.

  Ava called when we were halfway through the chain. I gave Lily a snack of dried fruit and let her watch cartoons while I updated Ava on everything.

  “Haley actually showed up at the house?” she asked in disbelief when I got to that part.

  “Yep. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I told her she had to come back later and she got so mad. She threatened to force her way past me so I told her there was a camera on her. That made her leave. I’m sure she went back later, though. Is probably still there, in fact.”

  “I’m so glad Adalyn sent Lily with you. She doesn’t need to see or hear any of that.”

  “I agree. Thank goodness she’s been as happy as can be here. Last night she went right to bed with no argument. JP read her a few books and she was out. Slept all night, too. Now she’s at my house. We’re working on a Valentine’s gift for JP, then I’m going to take her to my mom and dad’s. They’re dying to meet her.”

  “Let me know if you guys want to get together this weekend,” Ava said. “Uncle Jude and Aunt Ava need to get to know their niece better.”