crook of her elbow. A tingling sensation started in her chest, while black spots pocked her field of vision. The faint sweet scent of Pampers, the soft cotton blanket against her forearm and the perfect little fingers tucked into a tiny fist brought the horrid memories rushing back. Her heart ached and she tamped the images back down into the deepest recesses of her mind. Gavin yawned and his eyes fluttered open. He studied her with his gray blue eyes. Lauren froze. Where is Angela? She could not keep holding this baby.
Angela reappeared with Joshua in tow. “Good grief. He is fascinated with Seth and his gold mining stuff.”
“I want to go hunting for gold, Mom. Can I? Can I? Pleeeaase?” Joshua whined, yanking on Angela’s hand.
“Did s-s-s-omebody say gold?” Seth bellowed and grabbed Joshua from behind. Joshua squealed as his uncle tossed him high in the air.
Gavin wailed and Lauren held him at arm’s length, her heart pounding. “Take him.”
Angela giggled and scooped him up. “What’s the matter, Auntie Lauren?”
“I don’t do babies.”
“Oh. Well, I was sort of hoping—”
Seth’s growls erupted from the floor as he prowled on all fours and pretended to grab each of the twins. They giggled and side stepped his beefy arms, squealing with delight as they toddled in circles around him. Joshua yelled at the top of his lungs and jumped on his uncle’s back.
Angela’s lips were moving but her voice was drowned out by Gavin’s cries.
Lauren massaged her temples and closed her eyes. “I can’t hear you, Ang. What?”
“I was hoping you could watch the twins for me,” Angela called over the ruckus.
Oh, no. No way. Lauren shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think so.”
Angela’s eyes brimmed with tears and she turned away.
Lauren followed her into the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
Angela swayed back and forth, pressing a pacifier into the little pink bow of Gavin’s lips.
“It’s nothing, really. Forget it.”
“Then why did you ask?”
Angela sighed. “I’m supposed to take Joshua to a birthday party. The girls need naps. Mike and Debbie watch the kids whenever. I thought you’d be okay.”
“I’m not my parents, Ang. I’m terrible with kids. Who is going to make the bed and clean the bathroom? I haven’t seen Dad this morning and Mom is still at the hospital.”
“The girls sleep really well here. You can do your chores while they nap.”
Lauren bristled. Your chores. She chose her words carefully. “I’ve kind of got my hands full, Ang. What if they wake up and need something? ’’
“Then turn on a show and give them a snack. They’ll be fine.”
Lauren hesitated. She wanted to help, but this request was testing her patience. “Maybe Matt could work on his sermon while the girls nap?”
“He won’t. I already asked.”
Surely Angela understood. The business came first. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you today.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.” Angela stared at Gavin and avoided eye contact with Lauren.
Lauren nodded and grabbed the bucket of cleaning supplies from the hall closet. Brushing past her young sister-in-law, she tackled the bathroom with vigor. She clenched her teeth as she scrubbed the bathtub, anger bubbling up inside like hot lava. How could her brother be so selfish? It did not take all day to write a sermon. His family needed him. The ringing telephone interrupted her thoughts. The Inn couldn’t afford to miss any potential customers, either. She dashed for the kitchen and snatched the cordless on the fourth ring.
“Thank you for calling the Inn at the Cove. How may I help you?” Huh. Funny how that greeting her mother drummed into her head as a preteen rolled right off her tongue.
“Yes, I want to make a reservation.” The woman’s voice was cool and crisp.
“Um, okay, one moment please.” Where was the reservation book? Shuffling through a stack of papers on the counter, she uncovered a
Angela reappeared with Joshua in tow. “Good grief. He is fascinated with Seth and his gold mining stuff.”
“I want to go hunting for gold, Mom. Can I? Can I? Pleeeaase?” Joshua whined, yanking on Angela’s hand.
“Did s-s-s-omebody say gold?” Seth bellowed and grabbed Joshua from behind. Joshua squealed as his uncle tossed him high in the air.
Gavin wailed and Lauren held him at arm’s length, her heart pounding. “Take him.”
Angela giggled and scooped him up. “What’s the matter, Auntie Lauren?”
“I don’t do babies.”
“Oh. Well, I was sort of hoping—”
Seth’s growls erupted from the floor as he prowled on all fours and pretended to grab each of the twins. They giggled and side stepped his beefy arms, squealing with delight as they toddled in circles around him. Joshua yelled at the top of his lungs and jumped on his uncle’s back.
Angela’s lips were moving but her voice was drowned out by Gavin’s cries.
Lauren massaged her temples and closed her eyes. “I can’t hear you, Ang. What?”
“I was hoping you could watch the twins for me,” Angela called over the ruckus.
Oh, no. No way. Lauren shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think so.”
Angela’s eyes brimmed with tears and she turned away.
Lauren followed her into the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
Angela swayed back and forth, pressing a pacifier into the little pink bow of Gavin’s lips.
“It’s nothing, really. Forget it.”
“Then why did you ask?”
Angela sighed. “I’m supposed to take Joshua to a birthday party. The girls need naps. Mike and Debbie watch the kids whenever. I thought you’d be okay.”
“I’m not my parents, Ang. I’m terrible with kids. Who is going to make the bed and clean the bathroom? I haven’t seen Dad this morning and Mom is still at the hospital.”
“The girls sleep really well here. You can do your chores while they nap.”
Lauren bristled. Your chores. She chose her words carefully. “I’ve kind of got my hands full, Ang. What if they wake up and need something? ’’
“Then turn on a show and give them a snack. They’ll be fine.”
Lauren hesitated. She wanted to help, but this request was testing her patience. “Maybe Matt could work on his sermon while the girls nap?”
“He won’t. I already asked.”
Surely Angela understood. The business came first. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you today.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.” Angela stared at Gavin and avoided eye contact with Lauren.
Lauren nodded and grabbed the bucket of cleaning supplies from the hall closet. Brushing past her young sister-in-law, she tackled the bathroom with vigor. She clenched her teeth as she scrubbed the bathtub, anger bubbling up inside like hot lava. How could her brother be so selfish? It did not take all day to write a sermon. His family needed him. The ringing telephone interrupted her thoughts. The Inn couldn’t afford to miss any potential customers, either. She dashed for the kitchen and snatched the cordless on the fourth ring.
“Thank you for calling the Inn at the Cove. How may I help you?” Huh. Funny how that greeting her mother drummed into her head as a preteen rolled right off her tongue.
“Yes, I want to make a reservation.” The woman’s voice was cool and crisp.
“Um, okay, one moment please.” Where was the reservation book? Shuffling through a stack of papers on the counter, she uncovered a
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