she's selfish.”
“What if he hurt her very badly?” she softly asked.
Judy shrugged her shoulders. “I guess she’d have to judge for herself which is more important—giving her child two parents, or nursing a broken heart.”
Broken heart. Had Mason broke Claire’s heart? She didn’t think so. It was humiliating, but if she were honest with herself, she wasn’t sure if it was because of the actual sex itself, or the way he had gotten up and left so quickly afterward. Or maybe it was a combination of them. She was so confused. Why had Emily Taylor felt compelled to come into Butlers that day, and why on earth did Claire listen to her?
“I bet that’s Austin and Jesse,” called Spencer from the living room. They were taking him to Finkley Fun, an indoor theme park in nearby Finkley, Indiana.
“Hello, Ms. Hadley.” The tall, red-headed left fielder for the Slammers greeted her, as she let him and his little brother, Austin, in. “How are you?”
Claire couldn’t help but return the friendly man’s easy smile. “I’m good. How are you?”
He rubbed his arms. “I’m dandy except it’s startin’ to feel like winter out there.” He patted Austin’s shoulder. “This guy didn’t think he needed to wear his winter coat. We about had to cancel our plans, didn’t we?”
Austin looked at the floor and shuffled his feet. “We’re just going to be outside long enough to get from your truck into the park. I won’t have time to get cold.”
“You’d get sick is what would happen,” Jesse sternly informed him. “I bet Spencer will be wearing his coat without his mom having to threaten him.”
Spencer proved him right by walking into the foyer with his coat already on. He carried a squirming Zoey.
“I was afraid to leave her on the floor in there, Mom. She thinks it’s fun to roll everywhere today.” He put his sister against his shoulder. “She almost pulled the end table over on herself.”
“I’ll take her.” Claire held out her hands and accepted her energetic daughter.
“You sure have a cute little girl there,” Jesse said, holding out a finger for Zoey to take. He smiled at the baby. “You’re downright adorable, missy.”
Claire smiled with pride. “We think so.”
Jesse’s smile turned to a perplexed expression as he studied Zoey’s features. “She sure reminds me of somebody.” Claire suddenly felt as though her heart might pound right out of her chest. “I just can’t put my finger on who it is.”
“They say all babies look alike,” she offered. Claire quickly turned to her son. “Did you get that money I left on the counter?”
He nodded. “I won’t spend any more than I have to. I won’t go wasting it on any of those rip-off carnival games.”
Claire felt a mixture of pride and sadness. Spencer was so responsible—almost too responsible. He should get to be a typical teenager and enjoy himself, without worrying about every penny he spent, at least once in a while.
“I didn’t give you anything we can’t afford for you to spend,” she quietly told him. “Have a good time.”
Spencer smiled. She knew he would do the same as always and drink from water fountains, rather than buy the “overpriced sodas” they sold. At least she knew Jesse would make sure he bought himself some lunch.
“We’d better get going, boys.” Jesse turned and opened the door for the young men to walk through. “Don’t worry about Spencer, Ms. Hadley. I’ll watch out for him.”
“I know you will.” She watched as he followed the boys through the door and out to his truck. She and Zoey stood at the window until they had driven away.
Jesse thought Zoey looked familiar. What if somebody figured out Zoey was Mason’s daughter? What would people think of her—to be impregnated by the man who slept with any willing woman? Or if she could believe him, used to sleep with them.
She looked at her daughter. After searching her soul and considering the situation,
“What if he hurt her very badly?” she softly asked.
Judy shrugged her shoulders. “I guess she’d have to judge for herself which is more important—giving her child two parents, or nursing a broken heart.”
Broken heart. Had Mason broke Claire’s heart? She didn’t think so. It was humiliating, but if she were honest with herself, she wasn’t sure if it was because of the actual sex itself, or the way he had gotten up and left so quickly afterward. Or maybe it was a combination of them. She was so confused. Why had Emily Taylor felt compelled to come into Butlers that day, and why on earth did Claire listen to her?
“I bet that’s Austin and Jesse,” called Spencer from the living room. They were taking him to Finkley Fun, an indoor theme park in nearby Finkley, Indiana.
“Hello, Ms. Hadley.” The tall, red-headed left fielder for the Slammers greeted her, as she let him and his little brother, Austin, in. “How are you?”
Claire couldn’t help but return the friendly man’s easy smile. “I’m good. How are you?”
He rubbed his arms. “I’m dandy except it’s startin’ to feel like winter out there.” He patted Austin’s shoulder. “This guy didn’t think he needed to wear his winter coat. We about had to cancel our plans, didn’t we?”
Austin looked at the floor and shuffled his feet. “We’re just going to be outside long enough to get from your truck into the park. I won’t have time to get cold.”
“You’d get sick is what would happen,” Jesse sternly informed him. “I bet Spencer will be wearing his coat without his mom having to threaten him.”
Spencer proved him right by walking into the foyer with his coat already on. He carried a squirming Zoey.
“I was afraid to leave her on the floor in there, Mom. She thinks it’s fun to roll everywhere today.” He put his sister against his shoulder. “She almost pulled the end table over on herself.”
“I’ll take her.” Claire held out her hands and accepted her energetic daughter.
“You sure have a cute little girl there,” Jesse said, holding out a finger for Zoey to take. He smiled at the baby. “You’re downright adorable, missy.”
Claire smiled with pride. “We think so.”
Jesse’s smile turned to a perplexed expression as he studied Zoey’s features. “She sure reminds me of somebody.” Claire suddenly felt as though her heart might pound right out of her chest. “I just can’t put my finger on who it is.”
“They say all babies look alike,” she offered. Claire quickly turned to her son. “Did you get that money I left on the counter?”
He nodded. “I won’t spend any more than I have to. I won’t go wasting it on any of those rip-off carnival games.”
Claire felt a mixture of pride and sadness. Spencer was so responsible—almost too responsible. He should get to be a typical teenager and enjoy himself, without worrying about every penny he spent, at least once in a while.
“I didn’t give you anything we can’t afford for you to spend,” she quietly told him. “Have a good time.”
Spencer smiled. She knew he would do the same as always and drink from water fountains, rather than buy the “overpriced sodas” they sold. At least she knew Jesse would make sure he bought himself some lunch.
“We’d better get going, boys.” Jesse turned and opened the door for the young men to walk through. “Don’t worry about Spencer, Ms. Hadley. I’ll watch out for him.”
“I know you will.” She watched as he followed the boys through the door and out to his truck. She and Zoey stood at the window until they had driven away.
Jesse thought Zoey looked familiar. What if somebody figured out Zoey was Mason’s daughter? What would people think of her—to be impregnated by the man who slept with any willing woman? Or if she could believe him, used to sleep with them.
She looked at her daughter. After searching her soul and considering the situation,
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