Five

J

olene paused with her hand on the doorknob and listened to the squeals and laughter coming from Chase and Rachel’s home. A bittersweet smile lit her face and she had to tap down the desire for a family of her own. These moments of wanting more were few and never lasted long. She was perfectly happy being the aunt.

She opened the door and entered. Three-year-old Paxton raced around the living room with Lala chasing, her short legs pumping fast in an attempt to keep up. They bypassed Ransom, who had just started walking a few weeks ago.

Rachel looked up from where she sat in the middle of the floor with a big goofy grin on her face. A houseful of kids had been her dream for as long as Jo had known her. “Hey, Jo. How’s Dani and the baby?”

“They’re fine. He’s a fat little booger and has red hair like his momma.”

Dani had gone into labor early that morning and four short hours later she and Wade welcomed another baby boy into their family.

Rachel’s grin grew even bigger. “I know. Ma texted me a picture, but I can’t wait to see him in person. Belva’s going to watch the boys for me tonight so Chase and I can go for a visit.”

“Want to see the ones I took?” Jo plopped down on the floor beside Rachel and handed her cellphone over with the pictures already pulled up.

Without warning, Lala came running toward Jo and jumped into her lap. Jolene’s gasp quickly turned into a smile as she wrapped her arms around the tiny girl. Rachel’s two were soon vying for position on her lap too, and Jo made room for all of them.

Rachel handed the phone back. “Looks more auburn than red.”

“Auburn is red. Add that to the name they stuck him with, and he’ll probably be single for the rest of his life.”

“Jo. Not nice. There’s nothing wrong with Newell. And you know why they named him that, so you might want to keep those thoughts to yourself.”

The kids picked up on the not nice and made a game of repeating the scolding Rachel usually reserved for them.

“Yeah, I know. I would never say it in front of Dani, but I’m not wrong about the name. Personally, I would have gone with Frank. Or better yet, Connor.”

Dani’s grandpa, Frank Newell Connor, had passed away a couple of months ago after years of dementia. The man had raised Dani, and Jo understood her desire to honor him, but surely she could’ve found a better way than saddling her newborn son with the name Newell.

Jo repositioned Lala’s hairbow, then told the kids to go play. “Speaking of weird names, what do you think Lala stands for? That has to be a nickname.”

Rachel shrugged. “No idea but she’s a dream to watch. Micah said the move made her cranky, but I haven’t seen a moment of that.”

“She’s so tiny. I never would’ve guessed she was two.”

“I said the same thing and Micah said it was because she’d had NAS when she was born. I’m not sure what that is, but it put her behind in growth. Micah feels sure she’ll catch up. She doesn’t seem to be affected in any other way. The girl’s as smart as a whip. I’ve been trying to potty train Paxton for months now and after seeing him go one time, she wanted to do it too and I let her. I didn’t expect her to do anything, but she did. I’m going to talk to Micah when he picks her up about putting some serious effort behind it.”

Jo had to put serious effort into listening to what Rachel said. Her listening skills almost came to a halt after hearing NAS. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. It meant that Lala had been born addicted to drugs because her mother had taken drugs while pregnant.

For Micah to have had a relationship with a drug user, he had probably been a user too. Did he still do them? He didn’t have the look of someone abusing drugs. And she’d seen enough to know what to look for. But he hadn’t seemed so concerned about the babysitter smoking pot either. Then again, he had moved down here quicker than expected. Hopefully, he’d put that life behind him.

Jo was known for having the best poker face in the family, which came in handy right now. Rachel had moved on to her plans of where she and Chase would eat tonight before going to see the new baby. No need to alert the family until Jo had a chance to do some snooping. One thing for certain, if Micah was still doing drugs, he’d find himself ejected from her family and friends quicker than he could say junkie.

Micah blinked a couple of times, trying to convince his body it was time to wake up. The hotel alarm clock hadn’t gone off yet, but it had to be close. He hadn’t been this tired since right after Lala came home from the hospital. A quick shower and copious amounts of coffee would probably get him up the mountain, then he’d have three days off before he returned to work.

His eyes popped open, and he took in his surroundings. The outdated wallpaper, antique four-poster bed with matching dresser, and the handmade, plaid quilt on his bed had just begun to feel familiar. This was no hotel, and he wouldn’t need to make the trip home. It would take some getting used to, but he was home.

A glance at the old clock radio next to his bed revealed that it was just past noon. Why hadn’t Lala wakened him like she did every morning when they were both home? He lifted his head from the pillow and listened. Complete quiet was all that greeted him.

Micah jumped from the bed and ran across the hall to her room. The little twin bed was made to perfection with the pink Sunbonnet Sue quilt folded neatly across the bottom. Did he have his days mixed up? It was Sunday, right? Per her insistence, Mrs. Connor had delivered Lala to Rachel’s the last two days to give him more sleep time, but he’d decided she’d stay with him after his last night of work for the week.

He went to their small living room and noticed the baby gate was open. Mrs. Connor must have taken Lala downstairs with her. That explained the made bed.

Micah’s heartrate slowed as he took the stairs. Everything was fine. He’d panicked for no reason. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and the quietness closed in on him. Nothing to be heard but the sound of low mooing from the pastures surrounding the house.

No doubt, Mrs. Connor had Lala out working in her beloved garden. He turned to head back upstairs for his shoes when a note lying on the table next to the front door caught his eye.

You were sleeping hard, and I figured you could use the extra rest. I’m taking Lala with me to church, then we will be going next door to Dani’s to eat. If you wake up by that time, you are welcome to join us. If not, I’ll bring you a plate back.

Love, Alethea

He had needed the extra sleep. All the trips up and down the mountain plus the daily commute back and forth to Charlotte, being in a strange place with a routine he wasn’t used to, not to mention working twelve hour shifts for the last three nights, had stretched him thinner than a pole dancer’s underwear.

Even now, the temptation to crawl back into bed tugged at him. But given the choice of extending his nap now or getting a full night’s sleep tonight, he’d rather sleep tonight. He trudged up the stairs for his shoes, wallet, and keys.

His steps grew lighter when he pictured himself spending time with the Spencers and enjoying the good food to come. Thanks to Miss Alethea, he had eaten better for more days strung in a row than he ever had before, but it still didn’t compare to Easter at Miss Leora’s table. Or maybe it was the fellowship he’d been missing. Either way, he was eager for what the rest of the day held in store.

“Micah seems nice enough, but I’m starting to worry about who or what Ma has introduced into the family.”

Jo glanced through the door of the mudroom into the kitchen to make sure the coast was clear before replying to Rachel’s whispered remark. “What’s got you suspicious of Micah? What makes you think something’s up with him?”

Jo had her own suspicions, but she wasn’t about to blurt them out without substantial proof.

Rachel pursed her lips and cut her eyes at Jo. “I did a search on NAS. I suspect you already know it means that sweet baby was born addicted to drugs. How could any parent do that to their unborn child?”

“People do a lot worse than that.”

“I know what you mean, but it breaks my heart. It’s one thing to know about something, but putting a face to it…” She shook her head. “I’m having a hard time not getting angry with him for letting it happen. I know most of the blame falls on the mother, but he chose to be with her, right? I doubt very seriously you can be in a relationship with someone like that unless you’re doing drugs too. Don’t you think?”

Before Jo could answer, the patter of little feet echoed through the empty kitchen. Lala ran right to her with her arms up and Jo lifted her to her hip. The little girl seemed to gravitate to her for some reason—not that Jo minded.

Rachel peeked into the kitchen before resuming their talk. “Chase talked to Ma about it. She assured him that there was nothing to worry about, that Micah has never taken drugs, but how can she be so sure? Did you see how bloodshot his eyes were?”

“She’s right.”

Both women whipped around to face Micah. Heat seared Jo’s face. She didn’t look at Rachel, but she could imagine how she felt.

How in the world had he snuck up on them so fast? He must have followed Lala here and was standing just out of sight when Rachel looked. Sneaky, but nothing compared to him catching them gossiping and making assumptions.

Micah reached for Lala. “Rachel, I’m sorry I didn’t explain. I didn’t want the past following us around and thought the less said would be better, but I see I was wrong. I’ve never done drugs, but my sister did, and Lala belonged to her. I wish like everything that I could’ve done something to stop her, but my hands were tied.”

The warmth spread from Jo’s face down to her heart as she stared into his deep blue eyes. Just the fact that he was raising his sister’s child by himself pulled him up level with her brothers. Men like that were few and far between, in her opinion. No wonder Ma had taken him in.

“Where is your sister now?” As soon as the words were out, Jo wanted to reel them back in. For one thing, it was none of her business, and for another, the first words out of her mouth should’ve been an apology.

“She passed away when Lala was four days old from a drug overdose.” He looked at Rachel who was crying buckets. “Look, if y’all want to place judgment on my head, or even my sister’s, that’s fine. But please don’t take it out on my girl. The whole reason I moved here was to give her a better life. And Rachel, if you want me to find a different babysitter, I will, but it may take a little time. I hope you’ll show me some mercy while I work it out.”

Rachel grabbed his arm, openly sobbing now. “Micah, I am so sorry. I should’ve gone straight to you with my worries instead of gossiping with others about it. Please, please forgive me.” A hiccup interrupted her plea. “And please let me continue watching Lala. She is a joy to be around, and I’ve already fallen in love with her. It would break my heart if you took her away.”

He took a deep breath and his shoulders sagged. “I gladly accept your apology, and I understand how you came to the conclusion you did. You had every right to worry, given what you thought. Don’t worry about it, and I’m glad you decided to continue watching her.” He indicated Lala by giving her a boost as he spoke. “And feel free to let the rest of your family know what I just shared with you. I have nothing to hide. My life is an open book.”

Jo believed everything he said except for that last part. Everyone had things they’d like to remain hidden.

He nodded to Rachel, who was still crying, and then looked at Jo before turning and walking away.

Jo caught up to him at the dining room door. She wasn’t the snot-slinging type like Rachel, but she still needed to apologize. “I’m sorry for drawing the wrong conclusions about you. And I think it’s commendable that you are raising your niece by yourself.”

“Thanks. Lala may have started out as my niece but she’s my daughter now. Having an uncle is fine, but I want her to experience the stability of having a parent.”

Jo looked away under the pretense of straightening Lala’s dress as she tried to swallow the baseball size lump in her throat. Lala stared but didn’t reach for Jo and her usual chatter was missing. Did she sense the tension in the air?

Jo glanced at Micah and then looked down at the hardwood floor beneath her feet. “What about the man who fathered her? Where is he now?”

The long pause that followed caused her to look up again. Anger clouded Micah’s expression. “No idea. My sister probably didn’t even know. No one stepped up to claim her and I doubt they ever will.”

“But you did. I think Lala is one lucky girl to have you as a parent.” She leaned against the doorjamb. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Is Lala short for something else?”

The bark of laughter coming from Micah raised Jo’s brows. She studied the crinkles around his eyes, trying to anticipate his reply. Maybe it was a result of her asking too many nosy questions. It wasn’t like her, but the man was an enigma she couldn’t seem to ignore.

“No. My sister named her. She doesn’t even have a middle name to fall back on.” His face sobered. “I thought about changing it when I adopted her, but I just couldn’t. Outside of life, that name was the only decent thing Faren ever gave to her daughter. I hate what my sister did, but I still loved her as much as I’m guessing you love your siblings.”

He shook his head. “If I believed in anything as fickle as luck, I’d say you were the lucky one. Girl, you have no idea how fortunate you are to have grown up with the family you have.”

Before today, she would have argued with him. She was well aware of how great it was to be a Spencer. But she now knew enough of his story to hint at how much she took for granted.

Yet, he had turned out noble, and she was homewrecking trash. Despite turning a new leaf and trying to do better, the stigma of that title would follow her for the rest of her life and there was nothing she could do about it. Her family, with the exception of Belva, may not know what she was capable of, but she could never forget.