Hearts in motion, p.11
Hearts in Motion, page 11
sure, she pulled up the listing on her phone and scrolled
through the photos until she reached one of a large, two-
story outbuilding with cedar shingles and huge windows all
around. “See? This is it right here.”
Tyne stared at the photo without blinking, her mouth
slightly open. Finally, she swallowed and blinked. “If I
moved in, you’d be paying the rent? Because while I have the
income to cover a slightly bigger place for myself and Owen,
no way can I a ord to keep my current apartment while
paying for half of what sounds like a mansion at the same
time.”
“No worries. I’ll pay the deposit and rent, plus all the
utilities. And one thing more. I promise to agree to a
temporary co-guardianship with you.”
“Are you serious?” Tyne regarded her with suspicion. “I
thought you were planning to have your high-priced city
lawyer swoop in here and pull out all the stops to get what
you want.”
“Look, we’re both going to need legal representation, but
let’s make a deal. No dirty tricks. We’ll each get to say why
we would be best for Owen, and then we’ll let the courts
decide.”
Tyne blew out a breath. “I guess they’re the experts, after
all. And in the meantime, we’ll both get to be with Owen
without him having to go back and forth.”
“Exactly. He’ll even have his own room.” Hadley held out
her hand. “I’m willing to shake on it. Let’s agree right now
not to let this get unfriendly or out of hand.”
Tyne pressed her lips together, her eyes studying
Hadley’s hand.
Hadley held her breath and listened to her heart pound.
Tyne looked up, took Hadley’s hand, and gave it a firm
shake. “Okay. Go ahead and tell Rebecca the deal’s on.”
“You’ll do it?” A smile spread across Hadley’s lips as
Tyne nodded. She slapped her hands together, and the smile
became a grin. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”
As Hadley waited for Rebecca to answer her call, she felt
like she was floating. She and Tyne were going to live
together and take care of Owen. She was vaguely aware of
being quite a bit more pleased by this turn of events than she
had any business being, but it was a lot easier to pretend it
wasn’t the case than to sort out what it could mean. So, she
did what she always did each time she started a fresh shift in
the ER. She flipped the switch in her head, shut it down,
boxed it up, and put it aside for another time.
C H A P T E R E I G H T
Tyne felt a sense of wonderment as she stood in the living
room of her new abode, taking in the soaring cathedral
ceiling with its honey-colored exposed wood beams. It had
only been a week since she’d agreed to the move, but since
the house came furnished, relocating had been a cinch. She
could hardly believe this was really her home. Well, not
exactly. Not permanently, anyway. Given that, she planned
to appreciate the view of the woods from the wide picture
windows and the crackle of a fire in the cozy brick fireplace
every chance she could while she was here.
How long that would be, Tyne wasn’t sure. She was
guessing three months if there were no delays with the
court, and even less if her instincts about Hadley were on
target. Despite what some people had thought when she’d
agreed to this living arrangement, Tyne wasn’t a fool. If she
hadn’t believed she would benefit from it to come out on top,
she never would’ve agreed to it.
To begin with, Tyne hadn’t sat idly by in the kitchen that
day while Hadley was calling her attorney. She might not
have a lawyer of her own, but she did have the home number
of the social worker who had helped her parents with the
emergency guardianship petition. She didn’t know the going
rate for a fancy Boston lawyer, but Tyne had managed to find
out for free pretty much the same thing Hadley had. Given
the situation, a co-guardianship was the most likely
outcome in the short term.
Since there was no way around it, Tyne figured she could
at least make the best of things by getting a nice place to live
out of it and more time with Owen. And the promise of a fair
fight was huge, because Tyne knew she could never a ord a
good enough lawyer if Hadley let things get ugly. And, of
course, this arrangement gave her a front-row seat for
watching Hadley find out exactly how much was involved in
being a parent. Tyne had a sudden desire to make some
popcorn to go along with what was sure to be a hilarious
show.
“Ahhhhhh!” came a high-pitched screech from
somewhere down the hall.
Tyne held back a chuckle even as she continued at a
leisurely pace toward the bedroom she and Hadley had set up
earlier that day to be Owen’s nursery. A baby’s cry had not
followed the scream, so Tyne knew Owen was fine. Honestly,
in the case of bodily harm, he would be in much better hands
with Hadley to tend to him than Tyne. But what he actually
needed right now was a diaper change, and letting the good
doctor deal with it on her own was all part of Tyne’s master
plan.
The infuriating thing was Tyne knew Hadley meant well.
She was a decent person who truly cared about giving their
nephew the best life possible. The problem was she had a
blind spot when it came to deciding what constituted the
“best life,” not to mention her own ability to provide it.
Hadley had spent a lot of time weighing the importance of
top-notch schools and big houses, the things a doctor’s
salary put within easy reach. But as far as Tyne could tell,
she’d never actually taken care of a real human baby before.
Hadley was in for an eye-opening experience.
“Oh my God, Owen. Stop!” Hadley spluttered as Tyne
peered in through the open bedroom door.
“Problem?” She didn’t really need an answer. The arching
stream coming from the changing table, coupled with
Hadley’s dripping chin and soaked shirt, told Tyne all she
needed to know.
“I’ve got it under control,” Hadley said, clearly
determined to pretend her struggles weren’t obvious. As if to
increase the challenge, Owen let loose with a fresh spray.
“For the love of Pete!”
With a snort, Tyne lunged for a fresh diaper. Unfolding it
with a practiced hand, she slipped it into position like a pro.
“One thing you learn by growing up with brothers is boys
pee up. Never leave them uncovered.”
“Yeah, I…” Hadley shook her head rapidly, her hands
flying up toward her chest like she wanted to clean herself
o but didn’t know where to begin.
One hand still holding the diaper in place, Tyne used the
other to grab a few wipes out of the plastic container. “Here.
Start with these.”
While Hadley wiped everything she could, Tyne quickly
completed the diaper change. Fortunately, while he’d made a
total mess out of his aunt, Owen had kept himself nice and
dry. Good job, little buddy, Tyne thought, winking at her
nephew as she buttoned his onesie.
“I’m not usually squeamish about bodily fluids,” Hadley
said, her expression somewhat sheepish as she tossed the
wipes in the trash. “I guess I wasn’t expecting it like I am
when I’m at work.”
“To be fair, he got you pretty good.” Tyne allowed herself
a chuckle as she took in the usually put-together doctor’s
bedraggled appearance. Lifting Owen from the changing
table, Tyne snuggled his pudgy body against her chest. “I
can watch him if you want to jump in the shower.”
“Really?” Hadley’s tense expression melted into one of
relief. “Thank you.”
“Sure.” Tyne gave a little shrug. She didn’t mind lending
a hand. In the coming days, she was certain Hadley would
find taking care of an infant overwhelming enough on its
own that Tyne didn’t have to be cruel about it.
She bounced Owen gently in her arms as she watched
Hadley retreat toward the master bedroom suite, where an
oversized tub and luxurious walk-in shower awaited. Not
that she was jealous. Her own bedroom at this house was
bigger than her entire apartment, and the bathroom down
the hall from it was almost as amazing as Hadley’s.
“It is a delightful house,” Tyne murmured, planting a
kiss on the top of Owen’s head.
Owen made a gurgling sound that Tyne decided to
interpret as agreement.
“Look at this beautiful peace lily Uncle Mason grew. He
wanted you to have it because it’s supposed to bring good
luck.” Tyne poked Owen’s belly, eliciting that giggle that
always made her heart quadruple in size.
Her eyes moved from the dark blue pad on the changing
table to the white slats of the crib. They had brought all of
Owen’s furniture over from Ryan and Kayleigh’s old
apartment, which her dad had finished clearing out during
the past week. There was a rocking chair, too, the stu ed
gira e Owen loved, and a flu y rug that softened the
hardwood floor. Tyne had swapped out the plain curtains
that had come with the room for the ones with little moons
and stars that had hung in his old nursery, but that was the
extent of decorating she’d been able to do, not wanting to
put holes in the wall or change the paint color for their very
temporary stay.
She inhaled deeply, savoring the delicious baby scent that
clung to his mostly bald head. “We don’t need to live in a
mansion to be happy, do we?”
Saying the words out loud eased some of the tightness in
Tyne’s belly that had started the moment she thought about
setting up house with her nephew for real. Some, but by no
means all. Hadley had been right about one thing. Tyne’s
current apartment would never do. Still, once the court gave
her permanent custody of Owen, she would have access to
the insurance money his parents had left behind. It wasn’t a
lot but enough to make sure he was comfortable.
Tyne sighed, her breath moving Owen’s blond wisps like a
breeze through tall grass. He’d have his own room, but he’d
never have a barn for horses or a three-acre backyard to play
in like he would if he lived with Hadley.
Am I doing the right thing? Tyne’s insides twisted into
knots again. Yes, she assured herself, recalling the disastrous
diaper change. His other aunt might have more money, but
she didn’t have a single maternal bone in her entire body.
Not like Tyne, who for all intents and purposes had been
practicing her whole life for exactly this. She and Owen
belonged together, and this little experiment of theirs would
prove it.
As she turned to leave the room, Tyne heard the buzzing
of a phone coming from the vicinity of the changing table.
Tyne patted her pocket, feeling the rectangular outline of her
own phone inside. Hadley must have left hers there when she
went to change Owen. Tyne left it but made a mental note of
its whereabouts for when Hadley started tearing up the
house to find it, as she almost inevitably would. Tyne had
already witnessed the woman misplace her keys at least a
dozen times. It was a good thing Hadley wasn’t a surgeon, or
goodness knew what she might leave inside some
unfortunate patient.
The phone vibrated a few more times then stopped. As
Tyne stepped into the hallway, her own phone began to ring.
She swung Owen onto one hip and pulled it out. A picture of
Hadley’s mom, Nancy, appeared on the screen. Well, now
she knew who’d been calling a moment ago.
As Owen tried to reach for it, Tyne pressed the phone to
her ear. “Hello?”
“Tyne, dear, do you know where Hadley is?” There was a
quiver in Nancy’s voice that pierced Tyne’s heart with how
sad it made her sound.
“She’s in the shower,” Tyne explained. “There was a little
diaper incident. Isn’t that right, Owen?”
Owen gurgled and cooed, evidently pleased with himself
over the whole thing.
“Aw, how is my precious grand baby?”
“He’s doing just fine,” Tyne assured her, bouncing Owen
on her hip as she swayed from side to side in that way that
never failed to keep a little one calm and content. “We’re
settling in nicely, and his room is all set for his first night
here with us.”
“I don’t suppose…” Nancy hesitated. “I wonder if maybe
you could send me some pictures of your place when you get
a chance? I’d love to see it, and I’d ask Hadley to, but you
know how she can be with little details like that.”
“Yeah.” Tyne made a sound that was half laugh and half
groan. Tyne had definitely noticed that Hadley had a memory
like a steel trap for anything she found important, and a
memory like a leaky sieve for anything she did not. “I’d be
happy to send some photos, but you and Paul should plan to
swing by and see it for yourselves.”
“Really?” At the obvious elation in Nancy’s tone, Tyne bit
into her lower lip. Had her daughter not already invited the
woman? It kind of sounded like she hadn’t, in which case
Tyne was afraid she may have made a major mistake.
“Um, you know, I’ve gotta run. Owen’s starting to fuss,”
she added, even though he was busy chewing on his fist,
slobber running down his arm, without a care in the world.
“Let me have Hadley give you a call back when she’s out of
the shower, okay?”
“Thank you, dear.”
After she’d ended the call and shoved the phone back into
her pocket, Tyne looked at Owen and made a face. “Uh-oh,
buddy. I may have gotten myself into hot water with your
auntie.”
So that he wouldn’t end up eating his hand down to a tiny
nub, Tyne carried Owen downstairs and into the kitchen in
search of the container of pu y treats he loved to nibble on.
Like the other rooms in the house, the kitchen was a dream,
with top-of-the-line appliances and solid wood cabinets
that glowed in the afternoon sun that streamed in through
the windows. Tyne pulled one of the cabinet doors open and
rummaged around until she found the shelf with Owen’s
food.
“Banana pumpkin,” she read out loud to Owen as she
squinted at the picture on the label that showed a small pile
of cereal in the shape of lopsided ovals. She’d given him
strawberry flavored ones before, but this was something new
and kind of strange sounding. “Seems like a weird combo,
kiddo. Do you like this one?”
She shifted him back to her hip and popped o the lid of
the container, reflecting that it was possible to do just about
anything one-handed if you really put your mind to it. Not
quite sure where Owen’s plastic dishes had ended up, Tyne
shook out a pile of the treats directly onto the counter,
plucked one up, and held it so her nephew could see. He
responded by opening his mouth wide, like a baby bird. Tyne
placed the pu between his lips, and he chomped on it
happily.
“That answers it. You’re a huge fan.”
Tyne looked at the pile of pu s with growing curiosity.
The potent smell of banana tickled her nose. Finally, she
couldn’t resist. Tyne picked up a pu and stuck it on her
tongue.
“Huh. Not too bad.” It melted away almost instantly,
leaving Tyne with an odd craving for more. “You want
another one? Me, too.”
Spotting the high chair, Tyne set Owen down in the seat,
buckled the strap, and sprinkled about a dozen of the little
treats onto the tray. Owen slapped his hands jubilantly on
the white plastic, sending the Os bouncing around as he
chased them down and wrangled them into his mouth. Drool
drenched the front of his onesie, but he looked like he was in
heaven.
“We definitely found a winner.” Tyne dipped her fingers
into the container, plucking out several pieces and putting
them into her mouth with a shrug. “They’re kinda tasty. And
it says they’re organic, so that’s pretty good, right?”
“Oh, is that how it works?”
Tyne jumped at the sound of Hadley’s voice. She whirled
around to find the woman leaning against the doorframe,
