“HE’S REALLY SWEET, TRISH.” Maya had fallen into step beside Trisha as they crossed the road to the park.
“Maya!” Trisha glanced behind her to see if Liam was anywhere near, but he was walking at the back of their group, chatting with Lillian and Kathy.
“I’m just saying that if you had to have Henry’s daddy show up unexpectedly, at least he’s handsome, kind and funny.”
Trisha drummed her fingertips on the padded handle of Henry’s stroller. “He is, right? But it’s so complicated, you know? I don’t feel like there’s any room for my personal feelings, when it really needs to be about him building a relationship with Henry. And what if he decides he doesn’t want to be involved after all? He might just lose interest.” Glancing around again, she moved closer to Maya. “He’s only twenty-six. That’s practically a baby in guy years.”
Maya let out a snort of laughter. “He’s only two years younger than you!”
“But come on. You and I got old fast, after what we went through.”
“Well, still. That should just show you that one person’s twenty-six is different than another’s. He seems like a responsible guy.”
“He’s a guy who lives in Texas. He has to go back there, you know. He’s supposed to use all the stuff he learns at Jace’s ranch to improve his family’s business.”
“Think about it this way. A couple weeks ago you thought you’d never see him again. Now he’s here and trying to be involved. A lot can change in a short time. Try to relax and have some faith. You could even try flirting with him a little. I mean, you were attracted to him at one point, right?”
“Clearly.” Trisha pointed down to Henry in the stroller. “Do you think I’m awful for the way this happened? For crashing a wedding and meeting a guy and getting pregnant like that?”
Maya shot her a wry smile. “I figured it must be something like that. Henry didn’t just appear out of nowhere.”
Now that she’d asked, Trisha needed to know the entire answer. “Do you think less of me?”
“No! I’m not judging you, Trish. We handled the car accident and Julie’s death in ways that seem different at first glance, but the truth is, we both hid. I hid out in the wilderness, doing science, and you hid out here in Shelter Creek, living a very quiet, simple life. It makes sense that eventually you’d need to break out of your shell. But how could you do it here in Shelter Creek, where everyone knows your past? Where you felt like they might be watching and judging? Being in our situation makes us feel guilty for having fun, because Julie won’t ever do those fun things.”
“It’s such a relief to know that you understand.”
Maya smiled gently. “I live with the guilt, too, remember? It makes sense to me that when you finally left town, you cut loose. It was your chance at a little freedom.”
Trisha looked at her friend with wonderment. “Our lives are tangled together, aren’t they? There aren’t many people who’ve been through something like what we’ve experienced.”
“I understand how hard it is, Trish. And I know we both get busy, and maybe me being your boss now makes it a little weird, but I am always here for you whenever you want to talk, or just hang out or anything.”
“Thanks, friend.” Trisha stopped the stroller and reached for Maya, giving her a quick hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d probably have a much more peaceful life. I wouldn’t be calling you in the middle of your weekend to go deal with bobcat kittens. How are they doing, by the way?”
“They’re so cute. I’m having a hard time not cuddling them after I feed them.”
“Is the formula working?”
“Two are thriving.” Trisha’s heart ached when she thought of the smallest baby. “One seems a little listless. Emily said she’d come look at it later today.”
Maya sighed. “I wish we could afford a full-time vet at the center. Emily already runs a busy practice. I feel guilty that she has to give up part of her Easter Sunday. It’s probably her one day off this week.”
“Yeah, but she loves it. She comes to the wildlife center on days when I’m already there, just to hang out. She’s fascinated by those coyote pups. And if we’re not careful, she’ll end up taking Peanut the rabbit home with her.”
Maya laughed. “She can’t have him! Peanut is going to be our wildlife education bunny, right?”
“That’s the plan. Vivian has started spending time with him. She’d like to bring him out to the schools with her.”
Liam caught up to them. “Maya, have you seen the coyote on your cameras?”
Maya put a hand on his shoulder and looked right at him. “Hi, Liam, how are you enjoying the Easter celebration?”
He grinned. “Sorry. That was abrupt. And yes, maybe I’m a little coyote obsessed. The celebration is really nice, thank you. How are you today?”
“I’m fine. And I caught sight of the coyote last night, but not near the den. She showed up on that other camera we set up, closer to where she was shot. She was moving pretty well, so fingers crossed that she’ll make a full recovery. Vivian and I are thinking that if she stays around the area for another week or so, we can try releasing the pups and see if she’ll bond with them again.”
“Why not now?”
“An animal’s behavior is unpredictable when they’re in pain. The last thing we want is for her to turn on the cubs, to attack them or scatter them. It’s best to wait.”
Liam nodded. They’d reached the park and he looked at Trisha, his eyes warm with enthusiasm. “Can we take Henry out of the stroller? If we park it here, we can walk him around and see if he can point out the eggs. I read that babies his age are gaining more object permanence, so they can find things that are hidden much better.”
“I think that’s more like if you take his toy and hide it under a blanket,” Trisha corrected, then noticed Maya’s chastising look. Her friend was right—she had to go easier on Liam. “But yes, let’s definitely get Henry involved.” She moved the stroller to a picnic table at the edge of the park and lifted the baby out. Henry seemed relieved to be free of the stroller. When she held him against her chest, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and looked around eagerly.
“Ouch.” Trish tried to dislodge her hair from her baby’s grasping fingers.
“I’ve got it.” Liam picked up Henry’s squeaky giraffe from the stroller. He carefully untangled the strands from Henry’s hand and replaced the hair with the giraffe. “Here you go, big guy.”
Henry gripped the giraffe and it squeaked. He laughed in delight and squeaked it again, waving the giraffe in the air.
“Thank you.” Trisha smiled at Liam. “The hazards of wearing my hair down.”
“It looks nice, though.”
His compliments threatened to seep into her heart. It didn’t feel safe, but it did feel good.
“I’m going to go find Caleb.” Maya winked at Trisha. “Have fun. That’s an order.”
“Yes, boss.”
Maya waved and wandered off in search of her husband.
A horn sounded. The mayor had one of those funny long plastic ones. She blew it two more times.
Kids started running everywhere. The Shelter Creek Business Association had hidden plastic eggs all over the park, each filled with a sweet, or a toy, or even a gift certificate for one of the shops downtown. When she was about ten years old, Trisha had found one with a gift certificate to the ice-cream store. She’d taken Julie and Becca for ice-cream sundaes the following weekend and they’d felt so grown-up, sitting at the table in the ice-cream shop all by themselves.
It was a bittersweet memory now. Just like Maya had said, every moment of happiness was tinged with guilt and sadness, because Julie would never have any more moments like that.
“You ready?” Liam pointed to a spot by the creek, close to where they’d sat when they talked last week. “I think I see an egg.”
“Would you like to carry Henry?”
There was relief in Liam’s smile. Like he’d thought she’d never offer him even this. “I’d really like that.” He took Henry and settled him carefully on his hip so the baby could easily look around. “Do you see any eggs, Henry?”
“Gah.” The baby looked up at Liam and smiled, far more interested in the big tall cowboy than in anything going on around them.
Trisha retrieved an egg hidden under a picnic table. “This is an egg, Henry.” She showed the baby the purple plastic egg. Henry took it in his free hand and shook it. It made a gratifying rattle, so he shook it again.
“I wonder what’s in there.” Liam eyed the egg. “It sure is noisy.”
“It could be jelly beans,” Trisha guessed.
“We’ll have to be careful.” Liam frowned. “It could be a choking hazard. I know babies Henry’s age like to stick things in their mouth.”
Trisha looked at him in amazement. “You’ve been reading again.”
His gaze met hers and held for a moment. “I’m behind, so I’ve been cramming.”
It was so hard to look away, when every instinct was ordering her forward, wanting to be closer to him. That chemistry that had initially brought them together was still there and getting stronger with every smile he gave her, every moment of sweetness they shared. But this wasn’t the right time for chemistry. Their situation was too complicated for that. Trisha swallowed hard and made herself take a step back instead. “I’m glad you’re taking your studies seriously. Come on. Let’s see what else we can find.”
They wandered around the park, watching kids hunting eggs, listening to the happy shouts and laughter. Henry seemed to adore watching the big kids, pointing to them and even offering them a chance to squeak his giraffe when they got close.
After a while he seemed to tire of the excitement and reached his arms out to Trisha. “Mama.”
Trisha brought her hands to her mouth to try to contain her astonishment. She looked at Liam. “Did you hear that?”
His smile was so wide it carved a dimple in his cheek. “Did I ever. Henry, is that your mama?”
Henry reached out his arms even farther. “Mama.”
His first word. Tears rose in Trisha’s eyes and she took Henry from Liam and held him close. “Oh, you sweetie.” She kissed the soft curls at the top of his head. “Here’s Mama.” He laid his cheek on her shoulder and gave a sleepy sigh.
“So he really does know the word,” she said to Liam. “I thought I was just imagining it.”
“Guess you weren’t.” Liam pulled out his phone and took a photo of her and Henry. “There. Now you have it documented. The first moment he called you Mama.”
Something welled warm and new inside her. She’d never had this. Someone who’d think about taking photos and making memories together. “Thank you,” she told him softly. “That’s really thoughtful.”
Liam was 100 percent proud daddy. “Can you believe it? He’s eleven months old.” A stricken look took the joy out of his expression. “I don’t even know the day he was born.”
“April 30.” Trisha kissed Henry’s curls again, swaying slowly back and forth to relax him further.
“I wonder what I was doing that day. Probably just fixing a fence or moving some cattle or something. It’s so strange to think that I was just going about my business the day our son was born.”
“You didn’t know,” Trisha said. “You couldn’t have known.” She put a hand on Liam’s arm. “Let’s just try to enjoy this time, and not worry about what you missed. Not right now.”
All this time she’d been so worried about herself and Henry. In a way, she’d figured that whatever Liam had missed out on was his own fault. He could have left his name and number that night. In her fear and resentment, she hadn’t thought much about what it was like for him, knowing he’d missed out on so much. Knowing he’d have missed out on everything, if he hadn’t come to work with Jace in Shelter Creek.
When she thought about it, the enormity of what he might have missed was staggering.
Henry was floppy on her shoulder, losing interest in the crowds and bustle. “I think he’s pretty sleepy.”
“Should I walk you guys home? He might sleep better in his own bed.”
Liam was too sweet. Too thoughtful. He was going to make her want to be with him, and she didn’t want that. Not when he wasn’t going to stay in Shelter Creek. But he was right. It was time to walk Henry home.
“Want me to load him in the stroller? You can go say goodbye to your friends?”
Trisha hesitated just a moment, then nodded. “That would be nice.” She passed Henry over to Liam and stood watching while he carried the drowsy baby over to the stroller. He buckled his son in, and tucked the blanket around him. He actually looked like he knew what he was doing.
She went to say goodbye to Vivian, Maya and the rest of the group.
“Tell Liam we’ll see him tomorrow,” Lillian said, giving Trisha a kiss on the cheek. “And if you need any Henry care this week, I’m your gal.”
“Or me,” said Priscilla, squeezing her hand.
“Or me.” Kathy gave Trisha a hug. “Just call us the Henry Fan Club.”
“Thank you so much. You all are so good to us.”
“And now you have someone else who wants to be good to you.” Monique tipped her head in Liam’s direction. “You should let him.”
“It’s a lot to get used to,” Trisha said.
Monique’s slow smile contained reams of mischief. “Honey, I could definitely get used to a handsome cowboy looking at me the way that boy looks at you.”
“He isn’t looking at me as anything more than the mother of his kid.” Trisha glanced toward where Liam was waiting. He smiled and tipped the brim of his hat in her direction.
“That little hat tip...” Eva sighed. “I could get used to that. Maybe he has an uncle who likes older artsy women.”
“Or an older brother,” Monique added.
“Monique!” Eva looked shocked.
“Some men like older women,” Monique countered, totally unabashed.
“Cougar,” Eva said, and she and Monique burst out laughing.
“Okay, you two cougars, knock it off.” Lillian put a hand on Trisha’s arm. “This young lady and her young cowboy have to get their baby down for a nap.”
Shaking her head, Trisha made her way back to Liam.
“What is going on over there?”
She glanced back to see Monique and Eva still laughing, leaning on each other for support.
“They’re just The Book Biddies. They’ve always got something to say about everything. They were checking you out and then calling each other cougar. Which makes them laugh because when Maya first returned to live in Shelter Creek, she was here studying mountain lions. Some of the locals weren’t supportive of her work, so The Biddies decided to become her support group. They named themselves Cougars for Cougars and went around passing out flyers about how to coexist with lions.”
Liam shook his head. “I don’t think I’m following.”
“Don’t even try. Just accept that The Biddies are always up to something. Speaking of which...” Trisha eyed Liam suspiciously. “Lillian said to tell you she’d see you tomorrow.”
“Oh, that.” Liam’s shrug was a little too casual. “She just offered to feed me some pizza. How could I say no?”
“Smart boy. It’s best to not even try to refuse when The Biddies get an idea in their head.”
They started across the busy square toward the side street that led to Trisha’s cottage.
“I had a lot of fun,” Liam told her as they approached her house.
“Me, too.” Trisha realized she was telling the truth. She’d been nervous about today, being out with Liam and all of her friends, but it had felt pretty natural, almost as if he fit right in.
Liam stopped in front of her gate. “Let me carry the stroller up the stairs?”
She could use the help. Half the time she just left it in her garden, so she didn’t have to haul it up the steep porch steps. “Thank you.” Trisha lifted sleeping Henry out and watched Liam pick up the heavy jogging stroller like it was nothing. He carried it up the steps and put it down on the porch, carefully setting the brake so it wouldn’t roll away.
She held Henry against her chest, climbing the steps slowly and carefully so as not to wake him up.
“Keys?” He kept his voice to a whisper and she answered the same way.
“The outside pocket of the diaper bag.”
The bag was in the bottom of the stroller and he pulled it out along with his jacket. “Almost forgot this.” He fished the keys out and opened her front door for her, setting the bag down in the hall.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He came back out on the porch. “Do you need any more help? Want me to come in?”
“I’ve got it from here.”
He looked like he wanted to say more, but he caught his lower lip instead, as if to stop himself. “I’ll see you soon, then.”
“When?” She hadn’t meant to ask it. Didn’t want to care when she saw him again. But suddenly, she did.
His eyes sparked with interest. “How about Tuesday evening? Any chance one of those Book Biddies can watch Henry long enough for us to get some dinner?”
“Us?” He’d taken her by surprise.
“Yeah, us.” His gaze riveted to hers, intense in its purpose. “Because this isn’t just about Henry, though he matters most. It’s also about you and me. I want to take you out. On a date.”
Her heart just about stopped. A date. Normally she’d say no. In fact, No was right there on the tip of her tongue, but then she heard Maya’s words from earlier today. Try to relax and have some faith. Why not try to get to know him? Why not see what there was between them? Maybe they were just co-parents. Maybe not even that. But maybe there was something more, and maybe she was ready to try to reach for it.
“Tuesday night would be fine. I’d like that.”
“Okay, then.” Liam reached out and brushed his fingers lightly over Henry’s curls. Then he brought his hand up to touch Trisha’s wavy locks. “I think he may have gotten those curls from my mother. She had thick curly hair.”
“No one on my side has curls. And you have a little curl in your hair, too.”
“It’s nice knowing there’s something that was handed down from my mom.”
“You must miss her.” Trisha tried to imagine the woman who’d held Liam close, just like she was holding Henry now.
“I do. I wish you could have met her. I wish she could have met Henry.” They both stood quietly, looking at the baby cuddled on Trisha’s chest. Then Liam swallowed hard and took a step back. “I’ll see you Tuesday, Trisha. And Happy Easter.”
“Happy Easter, Liam.” She watched him as he jogged lightly down the steps and headed for his truck. Easter. A holiday of renewal. Of revitalization. Maybe she was just being silly, but it seemed like something in her was rekindling, and coming alive. Trisha took a deep breath, acknowledging the excitement flickering inside her. Yup, it was true. Things were changing. She felt hopeful and awake, and she just might have a little crush on Henry’s daddy.