Page 71 of The Cowboy and the Baby

I nodded, relieved that he broke the tentative ice. Sarah’s theatrical voice cooed over Lily, who stared at her with the same transfixed, brow-wrinkled face she gave everyone. I gestured them into the warm living room. Snowflakes fluttered from the cloudy sky outside, creating a cozy atmosphere.

“Please, come in. It’s good to see you again, also. Let me take your coat, and have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”

Thomas waved a hand. He advanced a few steps, but hovered behind Sarah’s shoulder and peered down. A softening occurred through his stiff facial muscles, but he didn’t reach for Lily. Not that Sarah would have given him the space. She exclaimed and shuffled Lily around. Lily bore it with very little change of expression, which helped me relax.

Cade stood out of sight in the kitchen, the lights off, his outline backlit because of the window over the sink. He had his hands in his pockets, his head upright, as he waited. He promised to stay in the kitchen, but not leave the house. His reassuring presence was a boon. Knowing he’d be there, though I wanted to handle this myself, made me feel not so alone.

“How was your flight?” I asked.

“Fine,” Sarah said, her voice a little clipped. It wobbled as she nattered to Lily, saying we wub you wittle pwincess and gammy is here now while poking at Lily’s cheeks. She was gentle, yet annoying, so I looked away. If Lily began to cry, I’d step in. For now, I wanted to provide whatever space they desired.

Thomas waited patiently, keeping his thoughtful gaze on Lily.

I lowered to the edge of the couch, set my hands on my knees, and blew out a long breath. The longer Sarah chattered at Lily, the more stable I felt. Ground beneath my feet, Cade at my back.

We’re fine, I thought.

And we were.

After several minutes, Sarah lifted her attention to me. Lily rested in the crook of her elbow, hands moving as usual. Her blanket dripped over the side of Sarah’s arms.

“And how has our little princess been?”

The moniker irritated me, but I swept it aside. “Very good. She’s eating well, sleeps four to five hours at a time at night, about every other night. The other nights, she wakes up a little more often. She’s very calm in temperament, too. We have an appointment next week for her six-week wellness check-up in Pineville. Her last appointment went as expected; nothing was noteworthy.”

“Are you vaccinating?”

“I am, but we’re spreading them out so there aren’t as many at one time.”

After a pause, she gave a punctuated nod of reluctant approval.

It had been Cade’s idea to make an appointment with the doctor. Though I didn’t owe the Millers anything, I could show how Lily and I had set down roots here, and that I kept up with all aspects of her care. I hated playing this game to prove my parenting skills, mostly because the Noelle from my past wouldn’t have cared what they thought. She stood firm in her moral ground, her decisions, and everything else.

This Noelle had no idea what was going on. She wanted her twin sister back and her life to make sense.

Yes, you do know what’s going on, and you’re doing great, my internal coach stated, and I realized with a start how long it had been since I relied on her.

Another perk of life with Cade, I supposed.

“Lily seems good,” Sarah said, and only a hint of reticence lined her comment. As if she had hoped for and expected a different outcome. Thomas set his hand on the back of the recliner and gazed around.

“You said this was your grandfather’s place?” he asked, eyeing the very obnoxious water stain on the ceiling.

“Yes. He passed away a few months ago.”

Sarah didn’t hide her disdain for the room very well. All our attempts to make the room sparkle and shine had been in vain. We could only dress up a chicken and call it a pig so much before the lie was obvious.

“It’s . . . very . . .” Sarah’s attempt to say something kind, but true, failed dramatically. She ended with an exasperated, “Well, it’s very old, isn’t it? I’m a little concerned about lead in the paint, if I’m being honest. Have you had that checked? Or asbestos?”

Of course I hadn’t. Nor did I have plans to let Lily chew on the wall.

“Lead-based paint and asbestos shouldn’t be a concern here,” I said easily. “We are currently renovating, so everything you see will undergo a dramatic change. Cade has already measured the window to replace it. We’re bringing the insulation up to date, and once we donate the furniture, we’ll re-floor. At that point, I have an idea for different paint colors.”

All of that was a very professional and sterile way of saying, This house is weird, made out of doors and hope, and we have to rip the whole thing down and put it back together slowly.

Sarah’s lips pressed. “I see.”

She didn’t. If I had anything to say about it, she wouldn’t. Her blatant disapproval might have made me nervous on any other day, but I didn’t have the energy to deal with it anymore. I’d spent the morning fretting over her, and for what?