Huntington Family Series Read online

  The baby didn’t smile, but she didn’t cry, either, and Cory took that as a good sign. EmJay went into her arms freely enough, though she kept searching the front yard with her eyes. “Much?” she asked.

  “In a minute, Emily Jane.” Kerrianne started up the stairs again. “You’ll be back with Mitch soon. Don’t worry, sweetie.”

  “Where is he?” Cory glanced down the street at his house as she went up the stairs past Kerrianne. His obnoxiously colored car wasn’t in the driveway.

  Before Kerrianne could reply, they were inside, and the middle child, a thin, bright-eyed boy of about four, asked, “Where’re we gonna sit, Mommy?”

  “Just on the floor, Benjamin.” Kerrianne set down her baby, who Cory surmised to be at least several months older than EmJay. “Misty, honey,” Kerrianne said to the blonde girl, “help keep an eye on Caleb, okay? You too, Benjamin.”

  Nodding, Misty stepped up to Cory, proffering a plate she hadn’t noticed before. “We made you peanut butter chocolate bars last night. They’re yummy.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure they’re wonderful.”

  EmJay immediately reached for one. Cory stopped her since she didn’t know if a baby was allowed to eat such things. “Can she have one, do you think?” she asked, hoping her ineptness wouldn’t get back to Mitch. “All the children, I mean,” she amended hastily.

  Kerrianne studied the plush, off-white carpet doubtfully. “Maybe in the kitchen?”

  “Yeah!” the older kids shouted in unison.

  Soon the children were happily eating their treats in a circle on the kitchen floor. All but EmJay, who remained in Cory’s lap, making what Cory surmised to be the biggest mess in history. The little girl refused to allow Cory to feed her but wanted to hold the bar herself.

  “So where is Mitch?” Cory doubted that he was aware Kerrianne was here with EmJay or he’d probably come to make sure Cory didn’t run off with her.

  “He had a meeting at work.” Kerrianne held the bar she’d taken for herself but didn’t bring it to her mouth. “He stayed up all night finishing a paper he was supposed to present today. Apparently Emily Jane had another rough night, so when he wasn’t at the computer, he was with her. They were both worn out when I arrived this morning. Cranky, too.”

  Cory’s eyes fell to EmJay. “She doesn’t look cranky.”

  “That’s because she’s been sleeping for the past hour and a half while we’ve been walking. She doesn’t take to me very well yet, so I have to take her on a walk. She doesn’t mind staying with us if we do that.”

  “I would have watched her.” The peanut butter bar in Cory’s mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

  “I know.” Kerrianne’s eyes dropped to her hands lying on the card table. She took a breath and met Cory’s gaze. “Look, Mitch didn’t just go to work. Afterward, he was going to talk to my dad’s lawyer—his lawyer now.”

  Cory knew how that would go. “According to my attorney, I need to convince Mitch that I’m the one who should raise EmJay.” She’d leave out the possibility of suing for custody if she joined the Church—for now.

  Kerrianne appeared surprised at her honesty. “That’s pretty much what our lawyer said to my father yesterday on the phone.”

  “So what’s the chance that Mitch will give me custody?” Instinctively, Cory’s arms tightened around EmJay.

  “I don’t know.” Kerrianne shook her head and sighed. “If you’d come two weeks ago, or three—you know, right when Mitch was in the thick of adjusting—you’d have had a better chance. But he has bonded with her now—all of us have. She’s part of us. It would be difficult to let her go.”

  Cory felt a surge of jealousy at the words. EmJay was part of them. Part of the busy, friendly, crazy Huntington family. For a moment, she desperately wished she could make such a claim. “She’s part of me, too,” she said instead.

  Kerrianne didn’t reply. She glanced at her children, who were playing with toys they had taken from her diaper bag.

  Now Cory understood. Mitch’s sister was here to fight his battle for him, a battle that according to her attorney he’d already won. “You want me to leave, don’t you?”

  Kerrianne’s face whipped back to her. “It’s not that at all. I . . . well, maybe just a little. Look, growing up, Mitch and I weren’t the closest. He and Amanda were like twins, doing everything together. I was older and got stuck a lot with the baby, Tyler, so we sort of hung out together by default. I was always close to Amanda because she was my only sister, but Mitch, well, we were just siblings.” Tears started to form in Kerrianne’s eyes. “But when my husband died, Mitch came over every day. He looked for ways to help me around the house—still does. Without him . . .” She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears. “Without him I would have been lost. I wanted you to know what kind of man he is. What kind of family we are. That’s all. No one wants to kick you out of Emily Jane’s life, but we won’t let her go, either. Please try to understand. Not only do we love her, but Mitch made a promise to your sister, and he’ll fulfill it if it’s the last thing he does.”

  Cory welcomed the fury that rose in her heart. She wanted to be angry at this woman who took so much upon herself. How appalling that Kerrianne would accept an invitation to come into her house when she had only come to intimidate—despite her pretty words to the contrary.

  “It’s so hard raising children by yourself,” Kerrianne went on, oblivious to Cory’s internal raging. “I didn’t know how hard until my husband died.”

  “But you’re doing it.” Cory’s words were sharp, bitter.

  “Not alone.” Kerrianne’s eyes willed her to understand. “That’s what I’m saying. Without my family, I couldn’t do it half as well.”

  Cory lifted her chin. “So you’re saying I couldn’t raise EmJay by myself?”

  “No, I bet you could. But as well as someone with a support system?” Kerrianne shook her head. “I don’t think so. And Mitch will get married soon. If he’d opened his eyes to all the good women around him, he’d already be married by now. When he does marry, Emily Jane will have two parents again.”

  “I could get married.” Cory tried to picture Evan holding EmJay—and failed. Mitch’s face kept inserting itself in her mind. She lifted her chin. “I can’t just go away. AshDee was my sister. Don’t you understand that? How would you feel if your sister died? Wouldn’t you want to take care of her baby?”

  “You’re right. I don’t know the answer. All I have to go by is what Emily Jane’s parents wanted for their daughter.”

  Cory felt like crying but refused to show any weakness. “All I know is that EmJay is my family. My only family, and I’m not about to give her up. I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to keep her. As for Mitch getting married, how will that woman feel about EmJay when she has her own children? What if my niece gets second best? I won’t stand by and watch that happen.”

  “Mitch wouldn’t let it. None of us would.”

  “You wouldn’t be able to stop it.”

  “Well, what about when you have your own children?”

  “EmJay’s my sister’s child. I would love her like my own. I love her already, and nothing can change that. AshDee and I have a shared past. Only I can give that past to EmJay.” Cory wanted to stand and demand that Kerrianne leave, but her hands were full of a sticky EmJay. Besides, a glance out the window showed her it was raining. She couldn’t very well force the woman out in the rain—especially when she’d take EmJay with her.

  “Here, let me.” Kerrianne took out a container of baby wipes and began washing one of EmJay’s hands. Cory started on the other.

  EmJay squealed, “Ow, ow! Ow!” though she wasn’t in any pain. The other children came to watch. EmJay’s pink shirt wouldn’t come clean, but the chocolate on her hands and face came off easily. Kerrianne squatted on the floor and began cleaning little Caleb’s hands.

  “Do you like Uncle Mitch’s animals?” Misty asked Cory.

  Cory nodded. “Yes, I do
. In fact, the other day I took a whole bunch of pictures of EmJay and his baby bunnies. And I’ve been thinking about getting a camera that will let us peek inside the robin nest in his gas grill.”

  “Really?” Misty’s blue eyes opened wide. “Can I see?”

  “Me too,” Benjamin said.

  “I’m sure he’ll let you. I’m going to buy the camera this afternoon.” In fact, that would be the perfect excuse for her to confront Mitch or at least to begin bringing him around to her way of thinking.

  After the children’s excitement died down, Cory felt Kerrianne’s eyes on her. “What?” Cory asked, wondering if maybe her wet hair was drying funny or something. Probably. The humidity brought by the rain would help, but it was still likely to be shooting everywhere—just like EmJay’s. After living in Utah, no wonder AshDee had worn her hair long.

  “You like Mitch’s animals?” Kerrianne asked. “You actually like them?”

  Cory laughed at her incredulity. “Of course I do. I’m a wildlife photographer, remember?”

  A smile stole across Kerrianne’s thin face. “Exactly. Then maybe we’ve solved a problem.”

  “What?”

  “You should marry my brother. Then you’d both have EmJay.”

  Cory’s heart skipped a beat. “Well, I’m not sure my boyfriend would approve.” There, that should fix her.

  Kerrianne started laughing. “I’m joking! I’m joking. Of course you and Mitch can’t get married. He wouldn’t think to marry out of—uh, never mind. I was just joking. But I can’t tell you how many times Mitch’s relationships have fallen through because of those creatures.” Kerrianne bent and began retrieving her toys. “I think the rain is letting up now. I’d better get to Mitch’s. If he’s back, he’ll be wondering where we are.”

  “So he doesn’t know you’re here?”

  “Of course not.” Kerrianne laughed. “From what I hear, he’s the only one allowed to fraternize with the enemy.” As she talked, Kerrianne expertly herded her children to the front door and out onto the porch. “I’ll tell him, though, when I get back.”

  “So why did you come?” Cory asked, watching her take a thin blanket from her bag and mop up a few raindrops that had blown inside the covered jogging stroller. “Aside from the peanut butter bars.” And trying to scare me away, she added silently.

  Kerrianne snapped Caleb into his seat and then took a reluctant EmJay from Cory’s arms. “Because,” she said matter-of-factly, “I thought you would like to see Emily Jane.” She bent and strapped EmJay into the other stroller seat. “There now. All ready.”

  Her answer, and the sincerity of it, caught Cory by surprise. “Thank you,” she said softly.

  Kerrianne smiled. “You’re welcome. And for what it’s worth, I’m very sorry about the whole situation. I hope you understand that I don’t have anything against you personally. I just don’t want to see my brother hurt—or Emily Jane, either. They’ve both been through a lot.”

  Watching them leave, Cory breathed in the pungent smell of the rain-washed asphalt. She loved the clean feeling that the smell brought to mind. Sometimes when it rained, she’d go outside and stare up into the sky, wishing the drops could wash her clean as well—wash clean the weak and tarnished part of her that had permitted her father to bar AshDee from their lives. But no matter how many times she stood in the rain, she remained stained and broken.

  She noticed that Mitch’s bright orange-red car was back in his driveway. For the second time that day, Cory felt like crying.

  Chapter Fourteen

  After her nap, Mitch took Emily Jane to the patio for her snack, glad that the afternoon sun had chased away the clouds. He didn’t think he could face cleaning off her high chair tray again.

  “No, Muffin,” he said to the dog. “Stay inside until I finish feeding her. And leave the turtle alone.”

  The rare summer storm had left his grass looking green and stiff, and the air felt clean and new. After making sure the concrete wasn’t too hot, he set Emily Jane in the shade of the tall walnut tree next to the patio. Between them was a plate of freshly sliced pears and a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal. He’d learned that if he allowed her to hold a pear, he could feed her better. There were, however, some unfortunate side effects. As if reading his thoughts, Emily Jane smashed a pear on her head. Then she gave him one of her mischievous grins.

  Cute but messy.

  He laughed and handed her another pear. Despite the morning rain, it was warm enough to fill up the little pool he’d bought her, so what was one more overripe pear?

  “Open up, sweetie.” He gave her a spoonful of milk-thinned oatmeal.

  “Oh, there you are,” came a voice from the side of the house.

  Swivelling, he caught sight of Cory coming through his tall wooden gate. He scrambled to his feet. She was wearing khaki shorts and a baby blue T-shirt that made her eyes stand out. Her red hair appeared less orange, and the tight curls looked windblown, though there wasn’t any breeze. Her purse hung over her shoulder, and in her hand she carried a plastic shopping bag.

  “I hoped you’d be out here.” She fastened the gate behind her. “Your car’s in the drive, but when I rang, no one answered.”

  I should tell her to go away, he thought. But Emily Jane made an expression of gladness and waved at Cory as though excited to see her.

  Cory sauntered across the patio, squatting down by the baby. “Hi, darling.”

  “Hi. Hi,” Emily Jane said with a smile.

  “You look so pretty,” Cory added. “I’ve heard pears do wonders for the hair.”

  “Shabahs mash-lama shing gasna ba.” Emily Jane brought another piece to her mouth, and juice dribbled down the sides of her mouth. Cory gave her a bite of oatmeal from the bowl Mitch had left on the concrete.

  They were getting along far too well in Mitch’s view. “We have to talk,” he said. “I’ve been to see my lawyer.”

  A lost expression replaced the smile on Cory’s face, making her look younger than her twenty-six years. She returned the spoon to the oatmeal bowl and stood. “I know. Your sister told me when she brought EmJay over this morning.”

  Mitch rubbed his jaw as he thought how to reply. Kerrianne had told him about the visit, and he’d given her the same lecture he’d given Tyler the day before. But at least Tyler’s visit had been an accidental encounter, not a premeditated one. His sister had shrugged his concerns aside. “She needs to see that baby,” she’d told him. “Whatever happens, you can’t keep her out of Emily Jane’s life.”

  He knew Emily Jane could use as many people to love her as she could find. He knew that someday Emily Jane would want to learn about her mother’s childhood and upbringing. Only Cory could give her that. But until the custody issue was settled to his satisfaction, Mitch wanted to be present during the visits to assure Emily Jane’s safety. At least that’s what he told himself.

  “I saw my attorney, too,” Cory said when he didn’t speak.

  “Then you know the papers will hold up in court unless I’m unfit.” He shrugged. “I may be a lot of things, but I’m not unfit.”

  She didn’t rise to the bait. “I know.” Hefting her plastic bag, she said, “I bought the camera so we can see the baby birds. It hooks up to the computer, but the cord’s not very long. You’ll have to move your computer out here.”

  All the fight seeped from Mitch’s body. She remembered the birds! She actually cared enough about them to remember. “Great! Let’s see it.” Then, in case he’d shown too much excitement, he added, “If you have time.”

  She smiled a slow smile that made a knot form in his stomach. “That’s why I’m here.”

  Remembering the baby, Mitch turned to where she was sitting, one hand now grasping her spoon, the other patting a handful of oatmeal into her hair. “Ohhh,” he said, closing his eyes.

  Cory giggled. That started Emily Jane laughing, and Mitch, too. “Well, now we’ll really have to fill up the pool.”

  “Are you kidding?” Cory
asked. “The water will be too cold.”

  “Not if we connect the hose inside. Don’t worry, I did it all the time when I was young. My mom must have grounded me a dozen times. I could never make her understand that my dogs liked warm water for their baths.”

  Cory laughed again. “I’ll feed her the rest of the oatmeal while you get the pool ready.”

  By the time Cory had finished giving the baby her food, Mitch had the tiny pool half filled with warm water. Emily Jane toddled up to the edge and fell into the water, giggling wildly. Her shorts and top were soaked. “Hold on,” Mitch said. “You don’t want to drown.” Emily Jane shrugged off his hand and plunged into the water again. She came up gasping but laughing.

  Mitch glanced toward Cory, but the laughter was gone from her face. “AshDee loved the water,” she said. “She was always going to the beach or the pool. She’d take a big umbrella and wear this funny straw hat to keep off the sun. Looks like she took EmJay into the water a lot.”

  “Yeah, she did.” Mitch remembered many times that he had gone to the indoor pool with Lane and Ashley. He wanted to share these memories with Cory, but the sadness in her face forbade his intrusion.

  After Emily Jane was oatmeal-free and dressed once more, Mitch put away the pool and let Muffin outside to play with Emily Jane. As Cory began sliding the mini camera into a small opening on the side of the barbeque, Mitch brought out his coffee table and set his computer on top, plugging it into the outside electrical outlet. Cory sat on the concrete to install the software.

  “I can’t get the see-in-the-dark function to turn on,” she said after a few minutes. “We’ll never see the babies if we can’t figure that out. Pass me the instructions.”

  “Instructions? You don’t need those.”

  She snorted. “Hey, don’t give me that machismo. Do I look like a guy? I’m not afraid to read the instructions.”

  “That’s not what I meant. Look.” He pointed to where Emily Jane sat contentedly munching on the folded instruction paper. No matter how hard he tried to convince her otherwise, she still adored eating paper. He’d finally decided that as long as he got to her before she swallowed too much, it probably wouldn’t hurt her.