Bye-Bye Baby Page 21

  “Well…” Beth looked at Cole, then at Damon. “There’s only one elementary school in Willow Creek so…”

  “Oh.” She pulled out a pen from her pocket and scribbled on the back of her file. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

  “Is that a problem?” Cole asked.

  “No, not normally.” She raised her head. “But since his father has not yet been arrested and it’s clear that he’s trying to get Damon back, that maybe it would be wise to take him somewhere else.”

  “Well, I’d be taking him every morning,” Cole said. “And I’d pick him up.”

  “Or I can,” Lily chimed in. “I pick up and drop Calla off every day. It wouldn’t be a problem.”

  Ms. Barns turned to her. “It’s good that Damon has the support of such a close knit family. I think that is good for his recovery.” She fixed her gaze on Lily first. “What is it you do, Mrs. McClain?”

  This seemed to take Lily as much by surprise as it did Cole. “Oh, I’m usually at home,” she explained. “I man the phones for Sloan’s moving company. I’m also a photographer in my spare time.”

  “And you raise two children,” Ms. Barns added. “You’re quite busy.”

  Lily chuckled uncomfortably. “Not really. Sloan helps me out a lot.”

  “But not Mr. McClain … Cole?” she clarified.

  Lily frowned. “Well, of course Cole helps. He’s always there for Calla … and Willa.”

  Ms. Barns scribbled something down on the back of her folder. Complete, she raised her head and fixed those dark eyes first on Cole, then Sloan, and finally on Lily again.

  “Was there a reason things didn’t work out between you and Mr. McClain?”

  Lily squinted at her. “Do you mean me and Cole?” At the woman’s nod, Lily chuckled. “There was never anything between me and Cole. We’ve been friends since we were babies.”

  “But you have a daughter together, so at some point you must have had … relations,” She finished.

  Lily’s cheeks darkened. “Whatever Cole and I had that gave us Calla is not a topic I’m willing to discuss in front of my four year old.”

  The social worker didn’t seem fazed by the tightness in Lily’s tone. “I’m assuming your husband is aware of the circumstances? There’s no pent up hostilities?”

  “He’s my brother,” Sloan said before Cole could speak. “She’s my wife. I am perfectly aware of the events that brought us Calla. As for Calla, I may not have had a hand in her conception, but she is my girl as much as Willa is.”

  Ms. Barns nodded and scribbled on her folder. “And she calls you what?”

  “I’m sorry,” Lily interjected sharply. “How is any of this your business?”

  The woman lowered her pen. “I apologize if my questions come off nosey and insensitive, but you are Cole’s family. Given the closeness of your relationship, sharing a daughter especially, I must decide if this arrangement is a good fit for Damon. If Mr. McClain is in fact a good fit as a parent.”

  “Cole is an amazing father!” Lily hopped off her stool, her cheeks a hot, angry crimson. “He adores Calla. He changed his whole life for her and still bends over backwards to make sure she’s taken care of and happy. And you know what else, Ms. Barns—”

  Sloan stepped up behind his wife and gently encircled her middle with his arms. He drew her back and murmured gently into her ear.

  Lily was still breathing hard, her eyes flashing, but whatever Sloan said to her had her calming down a notch.

  “You’re right, Cole and Beth won’t be doing this alone. We may not be your usual family, but we are a family and we take care of each other. Damon is now a part of that for as long as he’s with us.”

  Chapter Fourteen ~ Beth

  The molten tension that wove through the otherwise frigid air beat against Beth like the blunt end of a sledgehammer. The reverberating fury wafting off Lily could have kept a small apartment warm, and truthfully, Beth couldn’t blame her. Ms. Barns’s questioning had left a sour taste in even Beth’s mouth. Even while she tried to understand, she disliked having her life and the lives of those she loved bared to a complete stranger. Nevertheless, she knew it was a necessary evil, one she had to endure if she was to keep Damon.

  Walking nearly shoulder to shoulder with her, Ms. Barns and Lily marched mutely on either side of her through the sparsely packed streets. Her gaze slid from the quietly calm Ms. Barns to a rigid and furious Lily and she sighed. It was strange that the social worker couldn’t feel the glares Lily kept shooting her, like nothing short of the woman’s death could bestow world peace. But unlike Lily’s willingness to alienate the woman, Beth couldn’t afford to piss the woman off.

  She took hold of Lily’s wrist and tugged her to a stop, letting Ms. Barns fall a few steps ahead.

  “Will you stop?” she hissed low under her breath.

  Lily’s brown eyes, still snapping from her shouting upstairs, shot to Beth’s. “I hate her!” she retorted.

  “So do I,” Beth assured her. “But Cole and I really need you to calm down. This isn’t about us, or our feelings. This is about Damon and keeping him safe.”

  The harsh lines bracketing her mouth softened and Lily closed her eyes. “You’re right.” She opened her eyes and fixed Beth with a look of absolute misery. “Damon’s what’s important here. I’m sorry, sweetie.”

  Beth pulled the other woman in for a hug. “It won’t last much longer once she gets what she needs.”

  Lily nodded as Beth drew back.

  Ms. Barns was studying the fluffy cakes in the display case of Delicate Designs, the town’s only bakery. It was also Beth’s favorite place to stand for no reason at all except to relish the delicious aroma and pray she didn’t gain weight simply from sniffing the sweet, candy scented air.

  “The clothing store is just another block up.” She moved away from Lily and started walking once more.

  Cole had suggested they take the car since he would be staying home with Damon, but being confined with Lily and Ms. Barns in an airtight compartment even for five minutes made Beth want to hyperventilate. Instead, after Cole had helped her shower and dress, she had suggested they walk. Cole’s apartment was situated more or less in the center of town, making getting around much simpler. The place they shared together was more towards the outskirts, a twenty minute walk to get to the stores. Plus, Beth had thought maybe the cool air would help her relax. It hadn’t yet.

  Danny’s Dime A Dozen was the only store that sold clothes that were reasonably priced and not second hand. The place was filled with steel tables and racks promoting everything from clothing to shoes to household items. Wall to wall windows brought in a flood of natural light to illuminate the bright plastic signs showcasing discounted wear. The vast majority of Willow Creek did their shopping there, but the store was remarkably empty for so early in the afternoon.

  Beth grabbed a cart by the door and eyed the selection.

  “I’ve never shopped for a kid before,” she told Lily.

  Lily chuckled. “Well, Damon is Calla’s age and I usually get her a size six, but he’s tall, so I would aim for a seven.”

  Nodding slowly, Beth pushed the cart forward.

  Lily selected the bulk of the items. Beth let her, occasionally nodding or shaking her head when a piece was shown to her. Everything Lily picked seemed all right, but it was hard to buy clothes for a kid she knew nothing about. What if he didn’t like green? Or he preferred race cars over normal cars? What if he was allergic to cotton, or corduroy? It didn’t help that she could feel Ms. Barns’ eyes watching her every move, silently judging her competence.

  “We should probably get him a jacket and some socks,” Lily was saying as they made their way around the store. “Oh, and underwear. Sloan prefers the boxer kind, you know? The ones that are more tight than baggy.”

  Beth blinked, jerking out of her thoughts. “I did not need that visual.”

  Lily laughed. “I’m sorry. You’ve been so quiet that I was beginning
to think you’d fallen asleep.”

  “Trust me,” she mumbled. “I wish I were sleeping.”

  “Ms. Doan?” Ms. Barns stepped up on Beth’s other side. “Can you tell me why you and Mr. McClain broke up and what brought you back?”

  Beth glanced at Lily. The other woman gave her a sympathetic smile before moving away to rifle through a t-rack of sweaters.

  Seeing no way to avoid the question, Beth turned to the social worker. “There was a fire.” She held up her unwrapped hands. “Cole’s taking care of me.”

  “That’s nice of him,” Ms. Barns remarked. “Not many exes would go through that sort of trouble, especially not after the way you two broke things off.”

  Beth frowned. “How do you know how we broke up?”

  Purple lips bowed without a trace of arrogance. “Small towns are abundant in information when asked.”

  That struck Beth square in the chest. “You’re asking around town about me?”

  The woman never batted an eyelash. “It takes months, even years before we issue a family the right to foster a child. You and Mr. McClain are bypassing a very long line and I need to be thorough in my investigation. While you might have the sheriff and the hospital supporting you, it’s my job to make sure there are no skeletons in your closet that could potentially harm Damon.”

  “We would never hurt Damon,” Beth hissed.

  “And I am inclined to believe you, however…” She folded her arms, crushing the files to her chest. “There are questions I still need answering.”

  Beth mirrored her posture, crossing her own arms and glowering hard at the other woman. “Ask them. Neither Cole, nor I have anything to hide.”

  Ms. Barns inclined her head. “Very well. Why did you break up?”

  Beth felt the sharp sting of her nails gouging half-moons into her upper arms. “Cole asked me to marry him.”

  “And that scared you?”

  Beth stiffened unconsciously. “I wasn’t ready.”

  “Would you say you’re ready now?”

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

  “It is when I need to know if you’re the sort of person that gets bored quickly, Ms. Doan. Is this just another fancy before you move on to something else?”

  Fury boiled up the pit of her stomach. “Cole was never a mere fancy, Ms. Barns. I loved him. I still love him. We were together for three years.”

  “And yet when he proposed spending the rest of your life with him, you left.” When she got nothing for that, she switched gears. “How do you feel about his daughter?”

  Beth blinked, taken aback. “I love her, just like I love Willa, Lily, and Sloan.”

  “After you left, did you stay in touch with any of them?”

  “Damn right I did!” she hissed. “I called them every weekend and video chatted every chance we got.” She took in a deep breath. “I may not have been with their uncle anymore, but I will always be their auntie and those little girls mean the world to me.”

  It took longer for Ms. Barns to ask her next question, and when she did, it took Beth even longer to answer.

  “Are you and Mr. McClain getting back together?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Damon, Cole, Sloan, and Willa sat in a circle in the middle of the living room, a board game open in front of them when Beth, Lily, and Ms. Barns returned from shopping almost two hours later, laden down with enough bags to open their own department store.

  Cole and Sloan hurried to their feet and eased the bags from Lily and Beth. Cole dumped his on the sofa and took the bags from Ms. Barns.

  “Did you buy out the store?” he teased, poking through the bag with shoes.

  “We kind of weren’t sure what Damon would like so we grabbed a few of everything in different sizes,” Lily said, slightly breathless. “Plus we got him some school things, a backpack, lunch bag, a pair of gym shoes.” She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Oh and a jacket that came with ski pants, which I thought was just great since we’re so close to winter.”

  Cole dropped down next to Damon. “I think we might need to get you a bedroom set to put all this stuff into.”

  Damon hadn’t moved since their return. He sat staring at the pile high on the sofa with eyes the size of saucers. His small fingers twisted in the hem of his shirt. His apprehension worried her.

  “Something wrong, Damon?”

  Blue eyes flicked from her back to the clothes. He shook his head.

  “You sure?” Cole ruffled his hair. “Don’t tell me you’re growing attached to my clothes.”

  A soft chuckle escaped Damon that in no way eased the uncertainty dancing behind his eyes.

  “If you don’t like something, we can take it back,” Beth assured him. “You can even come along and pick whatever you want instead.”

  That only seemed to bunch his thin shoulders higher around his ears.

  “Hey, why don’t we go try some of this on?” Lily suggested. “I know I’m dying to see you in them.”

  Damon peeked up at Cole.

  “Only if you want,” Cole told him.

  Lips pursed, Damon studied the bags again, then Lily. The war seemed to continue for a solid minute before he pushed himself up. He stepped around the game board and followed Lily into the bedroom.

  For several seconds, no one said anything. Willa seemed to be the only one unaffected by the tension in the room. She kept rolling the dice even though she had circled the board twice.

  “While I understand Damon’s needs for clothing and proper bedding, I hope you are both aware that Damon is with you on a temporary bases,” Ms. Barns broke the silence. “He could be relocated at any time.”

  Cole leaned back on his hand, raised one knee, and propped his other arm on top while studying the woman evenly.

  “That doesn’t mean he can’t take the clothes with him. Lord knows he’d probably prefer these to dragging along clothes with memories attached. As for the room, I’d been meaning to fix it up for the girls anyway, in case they ever wanted to sleepover. Damon might as well make use of it while he’s here. For however long that may be. There is nothing we’re doing for that boy that we would ever take back. He’s a McClain. This is his family, for as long as he needs us.”

  Ms. Barns said nothing, but she scrutinized Cole for several heartbeats while Beth did the same for a whole other reason.

  She wanted to jump him. She wanted to throw herself at him and kiss that gorgeous mouth of his. He’d said many things to her in the past, some sweet, some dirty, some just normal, but what he just finished telling Ms. Barns was probably the thing that made her fall in love with him all over again. Not just the toe she’d let nudge the water, but soaked to the bone wet, like she’d dove off a board, straight into the deepest part of the ocean. It was this very thing that had pushed her over from the very beginning, his absolute selflessness. Maybe he’d learned that from Sloan. Maybe he didn’t. Wherever it came from, it was as true as the color of his eyes. Damon Comb was nobody to him, just some kid he’d met a handful of days ago, yet Beth knew Cole would fight tooth and nail for him. Was there anything sexier?

  “I have a meeting in the morning,” Ms. Barns announced. “I will return later in the afternoon to finish our interview, Mr. McClain.”

  Cole inclined his head. “I look forward to it, Ms. Barns.”

  With a nod towards Sloan, Ms. Barns turned on her heels and started for the door. Beth followed her, relishing in snapping the lock behind her.

  “Damn woman,” she mumbled to herself once the door was securely in place between the social worker and the people Beth loved.

  The bedroom door creaked open as Beth was walking back to the sofa. All heads turned to watch as Lily stepped out. A moment later, Damon followed in dark jeans and a green polo shirt with white stripes. His hair had been combed out of his eyes and he wore the runners Beth had picked out.

  “Look at you!” Cole got to his feet. His biceps bulged beneath the sleeves of his t-
shirt when he folded his arms. “Looking pretty handsome there, mister.”

  “Do you like it?” Beth asked Damon.

  Still staring at the ground, Damon nodded.

  “It’s okay if you don’t,” Beth assured him.

  Damon dared a peek at her, then at Lily. He mumbled something, but it was so low that even Lily, who stood right next to him, had to lean down to hear it.

  “Oh!” she said, straightening. “Why didn’t you say so?”

  “What?” Beth asked.

  Lily chuckled. “He doesn’t like green.”

  “Oh.” Beth looked at the mountain of clothes still piled on the sofa and snorted. “I’m sure we can find something you like. What’s your favorite color?”

  The color dissolved from Damon’s face and was replaced by a green tinge. His Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly and Beth was certain he was about to get sick.

  “Are you all right?” Lily started towards him.

  “Don’t,” Cole warned quietly, freezing Lily to the spot. “Don’t go near him.”

  Eyes wide, Lily shifted back slowly.

  “Damon.” Cole edged a single step forward. “Why don’t I take your things into your room and you pick whatever you want, okay?”

  He said nothing, nor did he move when Cole grabbed the bags and hauled them into his room. Cole kept a safe distance from him the entire time, even when he led Damon to his room and walked out without him.

  “What was that?” Lily asked in a hushed whisper.

  “You can’t go near him when he’s like that,” Cole told her.

  “Daddy, look, I winned.” Willa held up the dice, both face up on six.

  Sloan peered down at his daughter and smiled. “You certainly did.”

  Pleased with herself, Willa scrambled to her feet and hurried to Damon’s room. She poked her head inside.

  “I’m winning!” she told Damon. “What are you doing?”

  She disappeared inside.

  Beth, Cole and Lily hurried to the door to see as well and found Damon sitting huddled in the corner, still clad in his new clothes. His knees were drawn up to hold his elbows as he clutched at his hair with both hands. Willa was on her hands and knees in front of him, her face inches from the gap between Damon’s forearms.