idea. Forget it.”
“Of course I’ll stay,” he said. “If you need me to.”
Charlie took a deep breath. “Let’s get drunk tonight.”
“I’ll add beer to the list after flowers and hymns.” Unfastening his seat belt, Ross got out of the car. “Take your time, I’ll handle the bags.”
Removing the luggage from the trunk, Ross opened the gate then kicked it closed as Salsa bounded over with a welcome yip. Seemed he and the dog were back on good terms.As he rang the doorbell he noticed Charlie had hunched forward in the car, shoulders shaking.
Throat tight, Ross turned to the door. Thirty seconds passed. He jabbed the buzzer again and peered through the sidelight. Finally he saw Meredith hurrying down the hall, tying her hair into a ponytail. She seemed flustered. Salsa growled.
Ross glanced down. “Quit that.”
Today, she was dressed in her customary jeans and T-shirt, no makeup. After overhearing her conversation yesterday, he no longer believed her harassed-mom act. “Hey,” she said breathlessly, as she opened the door. “I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour.”
“Not interrupting anything, I hope.”
“Of course not.” Meredith glanced toward the spare bedroom.
Ross pushed past and went to the doorway, scanning the room. No doctor scrambling through the window.
“Don’t scare me like that,” he growled, then registered the clothes sticking out of the suitcase, half-unzipped on the bed. “Going somewhere?”
“Sorting out summer clothes…” Without bothering to fasten it, she shoved the case under the bed.
“We’re barely into spring. And it seems an odd thing to be doing the day after Linda’s death.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you. Where are the others?”
“Coming.” Why was she being so furtive? Surely she wasn’t planning a runner with the kids? He’d meant to frighten Meredith into behaving through his throwaway comment on custody, but hell, not this much. Ross told himself to quit being paranoid but every instinct prickled. “Where’s Harry?” he said sharply.
“In his highchair eating a—”
Crash!
They heard a faint “Uh-oh.”
They both sprinted toward the kitchen, nearly tripping over half a dozen oranges rolling the other way. Harry was leaning over his highchair next to the kitchen counter looking at the upended fruit bowl. He had banana smeared on his chin, a crust of bread in one chubby fist and a carving knife in the other. He greeted their arrival with a two-toothed grin, then the blade glinted as he pointed it at the bread in his hand.
Meredith gasped. “Give me the knife, Harry.”
The small chin jutted. “No!” As she stepped closer the baby twisted his body away which brought the knife tip even closer to his tiny thumb.
Meredith stopped.
“Look!” Picking up three of the fallen oranges, Ross started juggling them. “Bet you want one of these.” Still juggling, he moved closer. “Go ahead, take one.” Entranced, Harry leaned forward, reaching for them. The knife clattered to the floor and Meredith dived for it. Ross handed his nephew one of the oranges and he sank his teeth into the rind. His face contorted as a shudder went through his small frame.
With a reproachful look at his uncle, he threw it. “No!”
Salsa leaped, caught it in midair and ran.
Ross dropped to eye level with his nephew. “Don’t play with knives.”
The baby offered him his soggy crust.
“Apology accepted.” Ross glanced toward Meredith. She’d dumped the knife in the sink and stood with her back to him, shoulders slumped.
“Accidents happen,” he reassured her. “Even to good mothers.”
She gave a slightly hysterical laugh. “I wish I could saythat made me feel better.” She turned suddenly. “So if you think I’m a good mother why—”
“Mum!” Tilly ran into the kitchen and wrapped her arms tightly around Meredith’s waist. “Nana Lin’s not really dead, is she?”
In her pink tracksuit with her
“Of course I’ll stay,” he said. “If you need me to.”
Charlie took a deep breath. “Let’s get drunk tonight.”
“I’ll add beer to the list after flowers and hymns.” Unfastening his seat belt, Ross got out of the car. “Take your time, I’ll handle the bags.”
Removing the luggage from the trunk, Ross opened the gate then kicked it closed as Salsa bounded over with a welcome yip. Seemed he and the dog were back on good terms.As he rang the doorbell he noticed Charlie had hunched forward in the car, shoulders shaking.
Throat tight, Ross turned to the door. Thirty seconds passed. He jabbed the buzzer again and peered through the sidelight. Finally he saw Meredith hurrying down the hall, tying her hair into a ponytail. She seemed flustered. Salsa growled.
Ross glanced down. “Quit that.”
Today, she was dressed in her customary jeans and T-shirt, no makeup. After overhearing her conversation yesterday, he no longer believed her harassed-mom act. “Hey,” she said breathlessly, as she opened the door. “I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour.”
“Not interrupting anything, I hope.”
“Of course not.” Meredith glanced toward the spare bedroom.
Ross pushed past and went to the doorway, scanning the room. No doctor scrambling through the window.
“Don’t scare me like that,” he growled, then registered the clothes sticking out of the suitcase, half-unzipped on the bed. “Going somewhere?”
“Sorting out summer clothes…” Without bothering to fasten it, she shoved the case under the bed.
“We’re barely into spring. And it seems an odd thing to be doing the day after Linda’s death.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you. Where are the others?”
“Coming.” Why was she being so furtive? Surely she wasn’t planning a runner with the kids? He’d meant to frighten Meredith into behaving through his throwaway comment on custody, but hell, not this much. Ross told himself to quit being paranoid but every instinct prickled. “Where’s Harry?” he said sharply.
“In his highchair eating a—”
Crash!
They heard a faint “Uh-oh.”
They both sprinted toward the kitchen, nearly tripping over half a dozen oranges rolling the other way. Harry was leaning over his highchair next to the kitchen counter looking at the upended fruit bowl. He had banana smeared on his chin, a crust of bread in one chubby fist and a carving knife in the other. He greeted their arrival with a two-toothed grin, then the blade glinted as he pointed it at the bread in his hand.
Meredith gasped. “Give me the knife, Harry.”
The small chin jutted. “No!” As she stepped closer the baby twisted his body away which brought the knife tip even closer to his tiny thumb.
Meredith stopped.
“Look!” Picking up three of the fallen oranges, Ross started juggling them. “Bet you want one of these.” Still juggling, he moved closer. “Go ahead, take one.” Entranced, Harry leaned forward, reaching for them. The knife clattered to the floor and Meredith dived for it. Ross handed his nephew one of the oranges and he sank his teeth into the rind. His face contorted as a shudder went through his small frame.
With a reproachful look at his uncle, he threw it. “No!”
Salsa leaped, caught it in midair and ran.
Ross dropped to eye level with his nephew. “Don’t play with knives.”
The baby offered him his soggy crust.
“Apology accepted.” Ross glanced toward Meredith. She’d dumped the knife in the sink and stood with her back to him, shoulders slumped.
“Accidents happen,” he reassured her. “Even to good mothers.”
She gave a slightly hysterical laugh. “I wish I could saythat made me feel better.” She turned suddenly. “So if you think I’m a good mother why—”
“Mum!” Tilly ran into the kitchen and wrapped her arms tightly around Meredith’s waist. “Nana Lin’s not really dead, is she?”
In her pink tracksuit with her
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