Page 58 of The Cowboy and the Baby

Jackhammer downstairs?

News to me.

Then again, I’d been in a daily haze of sorting through all the things Grandpa kept tucked into closets and bedrooms. A load filled the back of the truck near to bursting, ready to donate at the local town thrift store after we ran to the grocery store.

“H-how old is your daughter?” Dagny asked. The question stirred up all kinds of awkward energy. Lily was my daughter. Would always be my daughter now that Naomi was gone, but I still struggled with the verbal transition. Cade introduced me with an effortless confidence about the situation, yet I struggled to share his calm attitude about it.

Because a single mother now lived with Cade, and this was already proving itself to be a typical small town.

People would talk.

But I forced those fears aside to answer the question, irritated that such a benign request stirred up so much mental drama.

“Lily is just over a month old.”

Dagny illuminated. “She’s so new!”

“Very. It’s . . . she’s actually my niece, but . . . I . . .” Fumbling, I finally spit out, “My sister died, and I’ve taken custody of Lily. Well, I’m trying to get custody but . . . anyway . . .”

Dagny’s expression dropped into surprise and then brimming compassion. I silently cursed myself for botching the first opportunity I had to make a friend. She hadn’t asked, so why did I have to bring it up? Surely, there would be a more natural way to tell the story in the future.

But no.

I had to shout it out now.

Dagny asked, “C-can I see her? I won’t get close because my t-toddler was home sick yesterday, but I love when they’re s-so tiny!”

“You have a toddler?”

“Yes! I’m always up for m-mom play dates if you want.”

“That sounds nice.”

Relieved at the compassion in not pointing out how awkwardly I’d handled my introduction, I pulled open the back door. Lily nestled inside, staring overhead. She startled at the brush of cool air, arms going rigid, then relaxing.

Dagny’s eyes widened. “Oh,” she breathed, hands to her face, “She’s p-perfect.”

I smiled softly. Lily was perfect. Her tiny fingers, her plump lips, the curve of her cheek. When she curled away from the cold air, I closed the door. Dagny smiled with an understanding I never expected to see.

“You doing okay, Mama?”

The gentleness in her words, the knowing smile, almost broke me. I swallowed the rising tears.

“Yeah. We’re okay now.”

She looked as if she wanted to reach out, but held off.

“I bet C-cade is ecstatic to have you at the house.”

“What do you mean?”

We flowed toward the front of the truck again. Cade appeared at the corner of the house, carrying something in his right hand. It looked heavy, but he managed with ease.

“Cade has always w-wanted a family,” Dagny said easily, sending him a thumbs-up. It must be the jackhammer.

“Oh?”

She laughed. “That’s not n-news to anyone.”