Stonehill series collect.., p.78
Stonehill Series Collection, page 78
“She’s eleven,” Mallory countered. “She doesn’t wear makeup yet.”
“Would Phil have taken her to that convention dressed like a pink horse if you hadn’t invited them?”
Mallory laughed. “God, no.”
“Neither would Kara or Harry. But she loved it, didn’t she?”
Oh, maternal guilt. Mallory had actually forgotten how good Annie could be at this. “Yes. She loved every moment of it.”
“And so did you, right?”
“I did.”
Annie shrugged. “So. She needs more of that in her life. She needs more of you in her life. That’s all I’m saying.”
“No, that’s not all you’re saying. You said she needs a mother figure.”
“Friend. She needs a friend.”
“I don’t mind being her friend, but don’t try to force me into a role that isn’t mine to fill. Even if I wanted to be a mother to her, I can’t just decide that. She has a parent. A father. That’s his responsibility. Not yours, not mine, and not Kara’s. No matter how well-intentioned any of us might be.”
“Phil is stubborn. He won’t see what he doesn’t want to see.”
Mallory frowned. As if her mother had any room to talk about someone being stubborn.
Annie lifted her hands. “Okay. Just consider one other thing and I’ll let it go.”
“Yeah, right.”
Annie lowered her voice in the way she did to make certain Mallory listened. “She needs someone like you needed Marcus. I couldn’t see it because I chose not to. I chose to believe what I gave you was enough because it was all I had to give. When I got hurt, even though you were an adult and you had uncles and friends who loved you, you needed someone to fill that role that was missing your entire life. You needed someone to be a father to you. Thankfully you had Marcus. He was right there, giving you that paternal love that you’d never had. Supporting you like a father would do. He’s done that for you.”
Mallory swallowed hard, remembering how many nights she’d counted on Marcus to get her through when Annie was in a coma and recovering from her injury. Even now she needed that man to make her believe things were going to be okay. “Yes, he has. He has been an amazing surrogate father to me.”
“So who’s going to do that for Jessica? If Phil isn’t interested in dating, the chances of him finding someone who will accept and help Jess grow up are slim to none, wouldn’t you say? She’s getting older, and at some point, she’s going to have questions and problems and issues that he can’t help her with. Who is going to help her, Mallory?”
Sitting back, Mallory frowned. “When the hell did you become so emotionally manipulative?”
Annie smiled as she tapped her forehead. “I have brain damage now. I can’t always control myself.”
The self-satisfied smile on her lips told Mallory she knew exactly what she was doing.
Chapter 7
Mallory watched Jessica run along the lake’s shoreline before focusing on the way-too-quiet man walking next to her. After a spontaneous lunch of sandwiches at a local sub shop, they’d decided the day was too nice to let pass by. Actually, she and Jessica had decided that. Phil had seemed distracted ever since she arrived at his house. They were supposed to start binge-watching Doctor Who, but Jessica insisted she was starving, and Phil said they hadn’t gone to the grocery store yet.
That didn’t seem to bother Jessica much at all. She was pretty eager to get out and have lunch at a restaurant. She seemed to enjoy the culinary arts…or at least the eating part…as much as Mal did. They’d made a pact to get two different sandwiches and split them. As they’d had a serious debate over their options, Phil seemed like he couldn’t care less.
As they ate, critiquing their selections like a Food Network star might, Phil had sat quietly. He was definitely rolling something around in his mind.
When Jessica was far enough ahead on the beach, Mallory gently bumped into him. “Spit it out. What’s bothering you?”
Phil shoved his hands in his pants pockets and hesitated before answering, as if considering what to say. “I stopped by to see my parents this morning. They’re going to try to adopt Mira. Her mom has realized dropping by to check in on occasion isn’t exactly being a good mother. Apparently walking away from her daughter is a better option.”
Mallory exhaled slowly. “Wow. I’ll never get these parents who just ditch their kids.”
“Yeah.” He frowned. “Me either.”
She hesitated. “I’m sorry. I know Jessica’s mom bailed, so this probably stings you a bit more than most.”
“Katrina wasn’t any more maternal than Mira’s mom. Some women simply aren’t meant to be mothers.”
Mallory looked out at the sun reflecting off the calm surface of the lake. “Then we have men like my biological father. Whoever and wherever he is. There’s a whole lot of parental dysfunction around here.” She glanced at him when he didn’t respond. She hoped she hadn’t offended him. Harry hadn’t been around for Phil, either, but that wasn’t by choice. That was because of an entirely different set of circumstances. “How do you feel about your parents adopting?” she asked, hoping to move the topic to something less personally painful for both of them.
He lifted his shoulders and let them fall casually. “It’s their choice.”
“Come on. Don’t give me that passive bullshit. You don’t look happy.”
Phil looked out over the lake. The water was flat, despite Jessica tossing rock after rock into it. She was supposed to be collecting them for a class project, but she was obviously far more interested in seeing how far she could send them.
“I’m worried that they’re taking on more than they can handle,” Phil said. “They’ve just gotten settled into a life together. Their marriage is going to be completely disrupted.”
She bit her lip for a moment, carefully considering his words. “Are your parents having problems?”
“Hmm?” He creased his brow at her, but then he must have realized how his concern had come across. “Oh, no. Nothing like that. They’re very happy from what I can tell.”
“Well, your mom is a midwife, and she’s already raised you. She knows what she’s getting into by taking on a baby.”
“But Dad doesn’t. He had a few stepkids from his first marriage, but they were older when he married their mom. Once they were divorced, he didn’t have much contact with them. He didn’t come back into the picture until I was an adult. He’s never had an infant full-time without any breaks. I’m not sure he knows what he’s getting into.”
“I doubt he’s as oblivious as you seem to think, Phil. For as long as I’ve known your parents, they’ve had infants tucked under their wings. They’ve had babies in and out of their house since they’ve been married. It’s kind of their thing. Some people foster kittens. Your parents foster struggling single mothers.”
“That’s not the same as having a kid twenty-four-seven.”
“But it’s a pretty good indicator of what’s to come. What are you really worried about?”
“It’s just…” He looked away from her, back out to the water. “All of this talk about how Mira needs a solid family structure… Mom’s right. Jessica needs someone else in her life. I listened to her talking about all the reasons she should adopt Mira, and each one hit a nerve. Every kid needs the best chance possible to grow up strong and independent and well-rounded. Maybe I am denying Jessica that chance by not having someone in her life to fill the void Katrina left.”
Mallory moaned and rolled her head back. “Oh, man. I thought it was just my mother.”
“What?”
She shook her head and started walking again, taking slightly longer strides to close some of the distance between them and Jessica. “You aren’t the only one who had an interesting parental visit this morning. My mom is all about how Jess needs a woman in her life to help her out.”
“Why would your mom… Oh, right. I’m sure Jessica has talked about this with Annie.”
Mal nodded. “She sure has. And Mom thinks that by dressing her up like a pony, I’ve proven I’m the one. Sorry. I’m not butting in on this dilemma of yours. I just didn’t realize Jessica’s lack of a mother was a universal conversation. Honestly, I thought Mom was overstepping. So this pool that our parents are tossing us into isn’t just about us, then?”
“Guess not.”
She looked up at him, and their gazes locked. Her heart did that funny little flip thing she seemed to be feeling more and more these days. Something strange was going on inside of her, and she didn’t particularly care for it. Instead of listening to instinct and moving closer to him, she looked at Jessica farther down the beach. “I’m here for Jess if she needs anything. She’s helped my mom in ways nobody else could. I know she’s just a kid, but she understood what Mom was going through when she got home from the hospital, and Mom needed that. I’m more than happy to return the favor. If she ever needs anyone to talk to about…whatever…I’m happy to listen.”
“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all. That girl’s a hoot.”
He laughed softly. “Yeah, she is.”
“Don’t feel like you need someone in your life just so Jess can have someone in hers. I’m happy to walk her through her teenage angst.”
“That’d be great.” His smile softened as he looked at her. “Thanks, Mal.”
Mallory couldn’t quite explain the level of relief she felt. Somehow, the idea of someone else being that person for Jessica didn’t sit right with her. She didn’t want to trust someone else with molding that girl’s mind. If anyone was going to teach her about boys and clothes and makeup, Mallory wanted to be the one. She felt she should be the one. After all, who else was going to go to comic book conventions with her?
“Dad!” Jessica screamed, breaking through the serenity of the moment. “Come quick!”
The conversation ended as they rushed to see what had Jessica so panicked. Mallory gasped as she came upon a dog lying on its side in the rocks, panting heavily, its eyes wide as it looked at them.
“Look at his leg. He’s hurt,” Jess pointed out.
The dog whimpered, as if to confirm her assessment. Fur from his back hip had been stripped, exposing bloody skin. The leg was lying in way that was clearly indicating the bone had been broken.
“Stay back,” Phil warned. “Jessica, keep back.”
Mallory pulled Jess against her as Phil slowly approached the dog. If the animal attacked, she was more than ready to get between it and Jessica. Her heart raced at the thought of Jessica getting hurt. Her instinct told her to leave the animal, call someone to check on it, just in case, but her heart broke as the dog whined again.
“Hey, buddy,” Phil said gently as he crouched down.
“Strange dogs might bite, Daddy,” Jess warned.
“I’m being careful, Punk.” He slowly extended his hand. The dog made a sad sound as it lifted its head. “What happened to you?” He moved his hand along the dog’s long black body until the animal yelped. Looking over his shoulder, he said, “Mal, there’s a blanket in my trunk. Go grab it.”
“What’s wrong?”
Phil returned his attention to the mutt. “I think he got hit by a car.”
Jessica gasped dramatically. “Oh, no!”
“We’ll find a vet to take a look at him.” Phil tossed his keys to Mallory.
“Then can we take him home?” Jess asked.
“No,” Phil said without thinking twice.
Mallory didn’t mean to, but she pouted right along with Jessica. “Who will look after him if we don’t take him?”
“Yeah, Daddy,” Jessica chimed in. “Who will take care of him?”
Phil frowned at both of them. “He probably has a family. We’ll take him to the vet. They’ll find out who he belongs to.”
“Look how skinny he is.” Mal pointed to his visible ribcage. “He’s a stray.”
“Daddy,” Jess said in a soft, almost pleading voice, “what would Grandma do?”
Mallory tried not to laugh, but a burst of a giggle escaped before she was able to swallow it down.
“Grandma never leaves a stray behind,” Phil mumbled. “Go get the blanket, Mal. We’ll see what the vet says.”
Mallory leaned down and looked in Jessica’s eyes. “You stay back, okay. He seems nice now, but he still might be mean. Let Daddy take care of him, okay?”
“Okay,” she said with whispered seriousness.
“Don’t move unless Daddy tells you.”
“I won’t.”
Mallory rushed off, trotting toward where Phil had parked farther down the lakeside. She was breathless by the time she reached the trunk. She had to chuckle as she moved aside a pink gymnastics bag and a glittery tutu. Nobody could ever say that he didn’t let his kiddo try everything her heart desired. Some things seemed to stick more than others, but Mallory guessed that was pretty normal for kids Jessica’s age.
The more time she spent with Phil and Jessica, the more she realized Phil had been right. Not just about Jessica not letting her disabilities get in her way but that Mallory couldn’t get in the way of Annie learning to live with her disabilities. Who would have guessed that those two would have so much to teach and show her? She would be forever grateful to them for helping her learn how to not turn into an overbearing daughter.
As she ran back to the duo, blanket in hand, she was struck by something else. Jessica stood right where Mallory had left her, and relief washed over her. Somehow, she’d feared she’d come back to some horrific scene where the dog had just been waiting for her to turn her back before attacking. He hadn’t. Jessica stood, still as could be, as Phil talked on his phone.
“He called a vet,” Jessica said in a hushed voice as Mallory rejoined them.
Phil ended the call and accepted the blanket from Mallory’s outstretched hand. He rested his elbows on his knees as he looked up at her. “All right. Here’s the plan. You take Jess to the car and park it right over there.” He pointed to the road that curved in close to the lake.
Mallory guessed the dog had been hit near that curve. Based on his extensive injuries, he couldn’t have walked far.
“You drive,” he said to Mallory then looked at Jessica. “You get in the passenger seat. I’ll sit in back with this guy. We’re going to take him to the vet and leave him. Got it?” He eyed them both. “We’re leaving him.”
Mallory swallowed the urge to argue. Taking Jessica’s hand, she pulled her along before she could argue, either.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Phil said as Jessica tucked a blanket around the dog they’d rescued.
Mallory smiled without a bit of shame for her part in convincing him to bring the mutt home. “Look how happy she is.”
He couldn’t argue that point. Jessica had hushed and cooed and whispered to the dog from the moment the vet released his patient. Much like she’d learned from her grandmother, Jessica petted and hummed to soothe the stray. “She’s wanted a pet for as long as I can remember.”
“Well, this guy needed a home, and he’s so sweet.”
“For now. What happens when his cast comes off and he can actually move around?”
Mallory eyed the dog. “I think if he were aggressive, he would have shown it by now. Even the vet said he was a good dog.” She sat on the couch next to him and watched just as closely as Jessica kissed the black head she’d been patting. She might not say it, but she was feeling protective, ready to intervene in a moment’s notice if needed. She’d been that way ever since they’d picked up the damn dog. She might be trying to convince him that the dog wasn’t mean, but she hadn’t stopped anticipating his every move.
Phil agreed with her assessment. If the dog were aggressive, it would have shown by now. He’d been put through quite a bit since they’d found him by the lake. Even when he was broken and raw, he let Phil pick him up and carry him without so much as a few whines and whimpers. The entire trip to the vet had been him looking up with thankful eyes, not a bit of hesitation or suspicion to be seen. Simple, pure gratitude.
He tried to focus on the dog and not notice how close Mallory was, but with every passing second his comfort with the stray grew and he was able to focus on something else. Like the woman sitting next to him. “I’m turning into my mother.”
“Hardly.” She laughed. “Taking in a stray dog is a far cry from adopting a baby.”
“Shh.” He glanced at Jess before whispering, “I’m not telling her about Mira until everything is finalized.”
Mallory put her fingertips to her lips. “Sorry.”
“I just don’t want her to get excited about the idea in case the adoption falls through.”
“That makes sense.” She watched Jessica for a moment before tilting her chin so she could eye him. “Do you think it will? Do you really think she’ll back out?”
“Who knows. Lynn—Mira’s mother—isn’t exactly known for her reliability. She could be feeling this way now, but the reality of giving up her baby could change her mind. That’s a big decision.”
“Did, um, did Katrina give up her rights or did she just leave?”
“Oh, no. My mom had seen that type of situation more than once. She was on top of it. We had an attorney about five minutes after Katrina left the hospital. As wonderful and sweet as my mother can be, she does not mess around when it comes to her tribe. Our attorney tracked Katrina down with paperwork in hand. Her options were to foot her share of the medical bills or sign the papers. Just like that, she gave up her rights, my name, our marriage, our life. Everything. She walked away like we never happened.”
Mallory put her hand on his and squeezed it gently. “I’m so sorry. It should never be that easy for a mother, or a wife, to walk away.” Looking at Jessica, she shook her head. “Who could give up on that sweet angel?”
Phil stared at where Mallory was touching him until she pulled away. “I think that was part of the reason we stayed in Seattle as long as we did. Part of me was hoping she’d come back. Not for me.” He nodded toward his daughter. “For her. I get why Katrina left. It was hell not knowing if Jess was going to live through her surgery. Raising her has had certain challenges that most parents probably don’t face. So I do understand why she left. I just don’t understand how she could stay away forever.”
