tomorrow, and our new day-care programs starts tomorrow, too. Anita Johnson will head it up to begin with and with any luck maybe permanently. Remember her?”
Jess arched his eyebrows. “I’m impressed. She was probably one of the best school teachers I ever knew. But I thought she was retired.”
“Retired, and bored. So I thought who better than to take care of the kids of the kids she taught?”
“You cover all the angles, don’t you?” Jess asked, chuckling.
“As many as I have to.”
“Good. I’m glad we’re moving forward. Aunt Grace put her trust in the right man when she hired you.” He stood. “Anyway, like I said, I’ve got to teach a class in two hours, and I’ve got a lot to do before that.” Jess was a part-time trauma surgeon as well as paramedic trainer and second in charge of the Lilly Lake Volunteer Fire Department, walking the line between the two careers. One of those rare individuals who could do it all.
“How’s the program coming?” Rick asked, referring to the paramedic training that was actually a hospital and fire department cross-over program.
“Got three people in it right now. Give us a few months and I think we’re going to have a good team in place and an even better training program going into our next round. I’ve got about a dozen people interested in taking the upcoming class. A few of them coming in from other towns.”
Times were changing in Lilly Lake, Rick thought as Jess headed out. Suddenly, he was excited. The times really were changing, and he was cautiously optimistic. And smiling. Although that smile had more to do with Summer than anything else.
“Oh, my,” Summer said, placing a pillow behind Edie Corbett’s back. “I think you’ve doubled in size since I saw you … when was it? Day before yesterday?”
“Not doubled. Tripled. At least, that’s what it feels like.” She sank back into the pillows on the couch and very gingerly lifted her feet. “You know I’ve been pregnant for two and a half years, don’t you?”
Laughing, Summer sat down in the chair across from her. “My last month carrying Alyssa was miserable. Everything was swollen, including my fingernails. And it felt like there were forty-eight days that month, thirty-six hours in each and every day.”
“Well, if nothing happens in the next couple of days, they’re going to induce labor.”
“But everything’s OK, isn’t it?” Summer asked.
Edie nodded, grimaced, then smiled. “Everything but my mood. I’m being grumpy. That’s why Rafe took the girls down to the stables. He told me I could use some alone time. Loosely translated to mean he needed to get out of the house and Molly needed a break from my last few days of jitters.”
“Is Alyssa going to ride?” Summer asked, growing concerned with the idea.
“Rafe promised to put her up on a pony. Molly wanted to give her a tandem saddle and the three of them go up to Hideaway Bluff, but Rafe’s pretty cautious when it comes to putting the kids on the horses. So right now they’re out in the smaller paddock, going round in circles, and Alyssa’s riding with Rafe until he thinks she’s safe to do tandem.”
Gracie House, and the whole estate, was one of the few places she actually felt safe. And knowing that Alyssa was with Rafe didn’t bother her as much as it might have at one time because Gracie House was home. Even though she didn’t live in it now, the safety she’d felt when she had still seeped in. It was always good to come back. Although, in reality, she still lived on the property, not even half a mile away. “Well, since she’s having a good time and I don’t want to take that away from her, I suppose I could come back for her later on. Or maybe Rafe could drop her by the house when they’ve finished.”
“Or, you could relax and have tea with me. And I’ll promise not to be too grumpy while we wait.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather take a nap? You’re about to give up any hope of sleeping for the next few months.”
“Except I’ve got Rafe. Half the sleep deprivation is going to be his, since this is his endeavor, too.” She patted her belly. Grimaced yet again, this time reaching around to massage the small of her back.
“You’re lucky. I spent my first few months learning to sleep anywhere, any time I could.” Because she hadn’t had a husband who would help. In fact, the couple of times when she’d asked for it, he’d either stormed out, which had been preferable, or he’d—
“You did it alone?” Edie cut in, interrupting Summer’s thoughts.
Summer nodded. Didn’t volunteer any more information.
“I guess I didn’t know that. For some reason, I thought you were still married when Alyssa was born.”
“In name,” she said, wishing the topic had never come up. She didn’t talk about it. Not to anyone. Not ever. Oh, Grace had known how bad her marriage had been, but that was different. And while she trusted Edie, silence on the topic of her marriage was still the best thing. Battered wives didn’t make for great conversation. In fact, the topic had a way of stopping the conversation cold. “Look, I’m going to go make us that pot of tea. Think happy baby thoughts or take a nap … I’ll be back in a minute.” With that, she practically jumped off the chair and sprinted to the kitchen, only too glad to get away from the subject.
Slumping against the fridge for support, with the one and only purpose of steadying her nerves, Summer shut her eyes, drew in a deep breath … New direction. New life. That’s what she had to keep telling herself.
“You OK, Summer?” Myra Murdock, the Corbett housekeeper, asked.
“Fighting off a headache,” Summer lied, pushing herself away from the fridge. “Um … what kind of tea does Edie prefer?”
“These days it’s green because it’s a little lower in caffeine. One cup a day is all she gets, though.” Myra pointed to a tin on the counter top. “She likes it with cream. Oh, and help yourself to anything you want. There’s a tea caddy in the pantry … the Ceylon is my favorite.”
“Ceylon,” Summer repeated, as her pulse finally settled down to a normal rhythm.
“Could I ask you for a favor, Summer?” Myra continued. “Since you’re going to be staying for tea, would you mind looking after Edie while I run to the post office to mail a package to my granddaughter? Her birthday’s next week. I was going to wait until Rafe came back to the house, but if I hurry, the package may still go out today.”
“Go,” Summer said. “And don’t rush. As often as you’ve watched Alyssa for me, it’s the least I can do.”
Tea made, Summer carried it back to the living room, where Edie was trying to readjust her back pillow. “Can’t get comfortable,” she said, clearly agitated. “No matter which way I turn it, I still get back spasms …”
“Back spasms?” Summer asked, setting down the tea tray. “How long have you been getting them?”
“Most of the day. They’re not bad. Just annoying, because every time I get comfortable, I have another one.” Edie flinched. “Just like that.”
“When
