An Accidental Mom (3 page)

Lily repressed a giggle; she couldn’t have Nate thinking she wasn’t taking him seriously. “I’m sure you’d make a wonderful master,” she said again, “but—”

“Who do you think you are,” a deep male voice interrupted, “making decisions regarding my son without discussing them with me first?”

Blinking, Lily sat in stunned silence for a second. “Max, I—”

“If and when Nate gets a dog,
I’ll
be the one who gives the go-ahead, not you!”

“I—I never intended to—”

“How do you expect me to deal with his disappointment, now that you’ve got his hopes up that he’ll get a dog?”

“Max, if you’ll just calm down for a minute, I can explai—”

“There’s nothing to explain. Your ‘find the mutt a home’ scheme may have worked in the past, but it isn’t going to work this time.”

It was pretty obvious by the tone of his voice, by the heat in his words, that Max had no intention of listening to reason. She didn’t understand the level of his anger. Especially with little Nate within earshot.

As Lily saw it, she had two choices: sit quietly as Max continued his tirade, or hang up.

If she hung up, Nate wouldn’t have a chance in a million of adopting Missy. But if she stayed on the line, maybe she could slip a word in edgewise…if she was patient until Max spent the last of his wrath.
Lord,
she prayed,
give me the strength to know when to speak…and what to say when I do.

“I’ve had it up to
here,
” Max was saying, “with people who think they know better than I what’s good for my boy. Especially people like you, who don’t even have kids of their own!”

That hurt, Lily admitted silently. And it was unfair, to boot. Because she might have kids of her own, if loving Max hadn’t made every man look so sad by comparison.

“Stick to what you know, Lily—animals. And let me raise my son in peace.”

He seemed to have run out of steam. In the moment of silence that followed his last stinging remark, Lily debated whether or not to stand up for Nate. The boy clearly wanted—and as Georgia had pointed out,
needed
—something to occupy his lonely hours. Seemed to Lily he needed something to love, too—
something that would love him in return, unconditionally.

“Are you finished?” she asked.

He cleared his throat. “Yes.”

“May I have a moment, then, to explain?”

“There’s nothing to explain,” he shot back. “I’m—”

“I’m sure you don’t
mean
to sound like an unreasonable bully, but…” She paused.

She listened to the silence and prayed he hadn’t hung up. Then he coughed, and she added, “If you’ll just be quiet for a minute, I’ll be happy to tell you what’s
really
going on here.”

“Go on,” Max said, his voice tight.

She sighed heavily. “Nate called just now to—”

“
He
called
you?
”

“Yes, he did, to thank me for rescuing Missy at—”

“I heard all about it on the news. ‘Lily, the hero of Texas wildlife.’”

Lily ignored his caustic tone and continued. “He called to tell me he’d overheard Georgia and me talking earlier, in the diner. I’d stopped by to ask her if she’d mind having a dog underfoot…
if
you gave Nate permission to have a dog, that is.” Not the whole truth, but not exactly a lie, either. But what was she to do, faced with his irrational ire? It didn’t seem fair for Nate to suffer because his father was a loud-mouthed know-it-all! “Mind you, I’m no expert when it comes to what’s good for kids, but it isn’t Nate’s fault that he jumped to conclusions based on the small portion of the conversation he overheard, because, af
ter all—” she narrowed her eyes and accentuated each word “—he’s
only…four…years…old!
”

This time, Lily didn’t much care if he hung up or not. Then again, if he actually was the stodgy old grouch he’d sounded like, he might make Nate pay for the scolding she’d just given him.

“Max,” she began, tempering her voice, “I know it’s been a long time since you’ve spent any time in my company.” Long time, she laughed to herself. What a joke! Max
never
had spent any time in her company, because he’d always preferred short-skirted cheerleader and prom-queen types—a far cry from what Lily had been—and from what she’d become! “But you need to know, I would never do anything so underhanded as to get Nate’s hopes up about getting a dog—not without making sure it was okay with you first.” This time, thankfully, the whole truth and nothing but.

When he didn’t respond, she added, “So here’s the lowdown. The dog is a golden retriever, one of the gentlest breeds God created. She’s smart, well-trained and quiet. She’d make an excellent companion for Nate. Georgia says there’s room for her in the apartment. I’m sorry the little guy overheard the conversation, but now that the cat’s out of the bag, the ball’s in your court.” Lily groaned inwardly at the back-to-back clichés. “Think about it for a couple of days. I’ll hold off finding a home for Missy ’til I hear from you.”

And with that, she banged the receiver into its cradle.

“Take
that,
you bossy, swaggering—!”

“My, what was
that
all about!”

Lily turned toward the sound of the friendly voice. “Hey, Cammi.” She slumped onto the nearest hay bale. Immediately, Missy curled up at her feet. “That was Max.”

“Uh-oh,” her older sister said. “I’d heard he was back in town, but I was hoping you could avoid a collision.”

Lily only shrugged.

“So tell me, how’s he look?” She wiggled her eyebrows and winked. “Handsome as ever?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Cammi ruffled Missy’s thick golden fur. “Still stuck on the big galoot, eh?”

“Yeah, I guess,” she said again.

“Didn’t sound much like it when I walked in.”

Lily filled Cammi in on what had happened, from their sister Violet’s call to her hanging up on Max.

“Wow. Somebody put some starch into your spine, I think. Never thought I’d see the day you’d stand up to him, not knowing how you’ve always felt, anyway.”

Cammi was the only person on earth who knew that Lily loved Max—that she’d loved him when she was twelve and he eighteen, that nothing had changed, not a whit, in the years since. She sighed.

“You really ought to see other guys,” Cammi suggested. “Who knows? Maybe God has put your Mr. Right out there someplace, and He’s just waiting for you two to bump into one another.” She sat beside Lily, draped an arm over her shoulder. “How you gonna find your knight on a white steed if you never leave this barn?”

“I’m content, right here, doing what I do.”

“Baloney. You were born to be a wife and mother. This—” Cammi waved a hand, indicating the cages and the critters in them “—this
stuff
you do is proof you’re filled to overflowing with natural nurturing tendencies.” She held up both hands to stall Lily’s retort. “You’re doing great work here, nobody could quibble with that. But be honest with yourself, kiddo. Wouldn’t you rather be spending all that love and care on children of your own? On a husband?”

Yes, Lily thought. But only if Max were her husband and the father of those children.

“Well, I didn’t come here to lecture you, so how ’bout we talk about the reason I
did
come?”

Lily forced a grin. “The wedding?”

“Yup. Did you get your dress yet?”

On a sigh, she said, “No. Not yet.”

Cammi frowned. “What’s the matter? You don’t like the style?”

“It’s fine. Gorgeous, in fact. We’ll all look like fashion models. It’s just…I haven’t had time.”

Her sister stood, put both hands on her hips. “You have three weeks to pick up that dress and have it altered. It isn’t like you have a choice. You’re the maid of honor, don’t forget. How can I get married without you there by my side?”

Lily got to her feet and hugged Cammi. “I know. I’m sorry. You have enough on your mind with all the last-minute plans. I’ll do it first thing tomorrow. I promise.” She brightened to add, “Did you get all the presents put away yet?”

Cammi groaned. “Not yet. There were about a hundred women crowded into the living room. Must have taken you weeks to get the shower organized.”

“Took longer to recuperate, once it was over!”

The sisters laughed, and Missy barked happily.

“Tell you what, since tomorrow’s Saturday, how ’bout when you pick up the dress, we meet for lunch,” Cammi suggested. “My treat. Least I can do for you throwing the biggest, bestest shower a bride ever had.”

“It’s a date.”

“Let’s meet at Georgia’s. I have a ton of stuff to do in town, anyway.”

Georgia’s? And risk seeing Max there?

“If he’s there,” Cammi said knowingly, “we’ll talk loud and fast about the new love of your life.” She giggled and crouched to hug Missy’s neck. “He doesn’t have to know it’s a dog!”

“Maybe I ought to borrow that sweater,” she said, grinning as she plucked a shiny dog hair from Cammi’s shoulder. “He’d think my new beau was a blond!” Lily walked her sister to the door. “On second thought, it would be a waste of perfectly good playacting. Max doesn’t care who I see. Truth is, that scolding he gave me earlier was the most attention he’s paid me, ever.”

“Then, we’ll do something better than try to make him jealous.”

“What’s that?”

“We’ll ignore him.” Cammi headed for the house. “See you at supper, kiddo?”

Smiling, Lily nodded. “Sure.”

Ignore Max Sheridan? It would take more than a wedge of lasagna to give her the strength to accomplish a feat like that!

“L
ily?”

She recognized the dee-jay-type voice immediately: Max. Just what Lily needed—a run-in with him on the telephone just before bedtime. “Yes,” she said cautiously.

“Sorry to call so late, but I wanted to wait until Nate was asleep.”

Why,
she asked silently,
so he won’t get upset when you start browbeating me again?
“What can I do for you?”

Missy padded up, circled several times, and flopped at Lily’s feet. She patted the dog’s head as Max sighed heavily into her ear.

“I don’t blame you for being mad. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I’m calling…to apologize. I had no right chewing you out the way I did this afternoon. Especially since I didn’t have all the facts. Nate and my mother explained things, and, well, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” She didn’t, but if saying so made his apology easier…

“Do you? Understand, I mean?”

“You’ve got a lot on your mind these days, what with your mom needing surgery and all.”

“Frankly, Mom’s leg was the last thing on my mind when we spoke earlier. I just…”

She could picture him, running one hand through his hair and staring at the ceiling, the way he had as a teenager, when nervousness or frustration got the better of him.

“Max, really,” she said, feeling an unexplainable need to rescue him, “it’s okay. Water under the bridge.” She frowned, wondering why she’d been speaking in clichés lately. Maybe, Lily thought, because the wisdom of each adage “fit” better than brand-new ideas?

“You don’t have to go easy on me. I can take it on the chin. Especially when I deserve it.” He hesitated. “And I deserve it.”

She heard the smile in his voice, and grinned herself. “Okay then, next time I see you, I’ll give you a good whack and we’ll call it even.”

Max chuckled. “You always were a good-natured little thing.”

Always were?
Meaning, he’d noticed something about her back then? Lily didn’t quite know what to make of that. She’d always suspected he only saw her as incidental, as someone who stood on the fringes, as a girl who was never a real part of things. To find out he’d seen her, that he’d watched and listened closely enough to know she was good-natured…

She knew her heart had better quit beating double-time or it would jump clean out of her chest. “So, how did things go with Nate? Is he terribly disappointed?”

“Why would he be disappointed?”

Lily rolled her eyes.
Oh, no reason,
she thought,
except, maybe, that Nate wants a dog, and because his dad thinks he’s master of the universe and wasn’t properly consulted, the answer is no.
“Well, you’re not going to let him have Missy, right?”

At the mention of her name, the retriever raised her head and met Lily’s eyes. Funny how quickly the pup had adapted to her new moniker. If Lily were the type to read meaning into every little thing…

“Not necessarily. I explained to him that a dog is a big responsibility, especially one like Missy, who’d need regular brushing,
especially for a kid who’s only four.
Besides, she hasn’t been lost for more than a few hours. Her owners might claim her in the next day or two and…”

Lily didn’t hear anything Max said after “owners.” She’d put a half-baked effort into finding out who Missy belonged to, tacking Lost Dog posters on a few telephone poles, mentioning during the TV interviews that she’d keep the pup until it could be reunited with its family. But there was more she could have done, like running ads in the local papers, placing announcements on the radio. Lily had done it all so many times that “getting the word out” had become second nature.

So, why not this time?

“Nate understands we’ll consider taking Missy—
and I stressed the word
consider—only
if her owners can’t be found.” He paused. “How long does that usually take?”

Lily snapped back to attention. “If she fell off a boat, as the rangers suspect, it shouldn’t take long at all. In fact, I’m surprised she hasn’t been claimed already.” It was true, after all. If Missy had been her dog, she’d have been frantic with worry. Which raised the question: If the dog
had
fallen from a boat, where was the boat?

“Well, I won’t keep you. I just wanted you to know I didn’t mean to come off sounding like—what was that you called me?—a bully.” He chuckled. “You always did have a way with words.”

And there it was again—“always.”

“If I’d used that tone on the job, maybe I wouldn’t have had so much trouble collecting fees from my clients!” he said.

Georgia had told Lily that Max had earned his CPA, then worked his way up the corporate ladder to a partnership at one of Chicago’s most prestigious accounting firms.

He laughed again. “I can be a blockhead sometimes. I’ll just thank my lucky stars you’re the forgiving sort.”

Lucky stars? This, from the boy who used to depend on the Lord’s help by praying before every game, who sang solos in the church choir, who regularly talked his peers out of smoking and drinking because it wasn’t the behavior of believers?

Georgia had said something else, too: Max had lost his faith after his wife’s suicide.

“You are the forgiving sort, aren’t you?”

“Sure,” she said, “’course I am.”

“Whew. All that silence made me think maybe you were looking through your phone book for the nearest knee cracker.”

“Knee cracker?”

“You know, guys who take baseball bats and teach people—” He cleared his throat. “Never mind. Long as you’re okay.”

For the second time, Lily felt an overpowering need to reassure him. “It’d take more than a browbeating from you to do me any lasting harm.” So far, that was the biggest whopper she’d told, because his reprimand had hurt her, far worse than it should have. “Guess it’s only natural you’d assume the ‘daddy’ role,” she added, grinning, “seeing as you’re so much older than I am.”

“You sure know how to hurt a guy. Guess I don’t have to wait to see you to ‘take it on the chin,’ do I!”

Odd. He sounded serious. But how could that be, when she’d intended her remark as a joking reminder. Since Lily always tagged along with her older sisters and their friends, she’d frequently been their I-told-you-so target. Once, when a particularly humiliating comment put tears in her eyes, Max had slung an arm over her shoulders. “Aw, don’t take ’em seriously,” he’d said. “They don’t mean anything by it. They’re just practicing for when they’re parents themselves one day.”

“But I’m almost thirteen,” she’d cried, “not
that
much younger than the rest of you!”

She remembered the peculiar look that had crossed his face. “Six years,” he’d said, his voice trembling slightly as he withdrew his arm. “More than enough to make a guy—”

A cheerleader ran up and hugged him just then, preventing him from finishing the sentence. It was such a common occurrence—girls throwing themselves at him—that Lily didn’t give it another thought. Until now.

“I’m not
that
much younger than you,” she said, returning to their present conversation. Hopefully, he’d remember the scene from their past, too, and finish his sentence this time.

“Well, guess I’ll let you go. I promised Mom I’d open the diner in the morning. Five o’clock rolls around faster than I’d like to admit.”

“You slept late when you were a corporate big shot, eh?” she teased.

“Not really. Most days, I was up by six, out of the house by seven. Until—” He cleared his throat. “Slept later once it was my job to get Nate ready for the sitter.”

Which used to be his wife’s job, Lily surmised.

“So, you’ll be on duty at lunchtime?”

“Yeah,” Max said. “Why?”

“Cammi and I are meeting at the diner at noon.” She told him about having to pick up her maid of honor dress and get it altered for Cammi’s upcoming wedding—a stall tactic, because hadn’t Max said he’d called for
two
reasons?

“Cool. Guess I’ll see you then, then.”

How long since she’d heard him say “then, then”?
Lily wondered.
Too long.
And she’d missed it. Missed everything about him, from that way he had of bobbing his head when listening to others, to the way he looked deep into a person’s eyes when he was the one doing the talking. She missed the delight he seemed to get from little things, like helping someone by picking up a dropped book or holding open a door. If schoolmates seemed down in the dumps, his antics were sure to raise their spirits. And then there were the adorable dimples that formed beside his sexy half grin.

“Yeah.”
I’ll see you then, then,
she added silently.

“If you’re lucky, I’ll pay for your dessert.”

If she was truly lucky, he’d pay her a little one-on-one attention!

“What was the other thing you called about?”

“Other thing?”

“You said…” She didn’t want to remind him of the apology; in her opinion, his discomfort had caused him to squirm long enough. “Never mind,” she said, hoping the disappointment didn’t ring too loudly in her voice. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Who was that?” her dad asked when she hung up the phone.

“Max Sheridan.” And now that she had a moment to think about it, had he been flirting with that “pay for dessert” comment?
Don’t be silly, Lily.

“Sherman Tank Sheridan?” Lamont whistled. “Man, could that boy throw a pass! If the Cowboys could get a couple guys like that on the team…” Her dad went silent and met Lily’s eyes. “What’s he doing calling you?”

The flirtation question died a quick death when she realized her dad was right; why would the handsome, former star quarterback be interested in Lily London? She bent to kiss her father good-night. Still, it sure sounded like Max had been flirting.

Lily couldn’t concentrate on an answer. Not while looking at her father’s puzzled expression. “Bacon and eggs in the morning?” she asked, heading for the stairs.

“Mmm,” he grunted, flapping his newspaper. “Girls,” he muttered. “Never could understand ’em.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d heard him say that. And with four daughters born in quick succession, he’d likely say it ’til he drew his last breath.

Maybe someday she’d tell her father what had come to mind every time he’d said it:

Boys are just as confusing!

“I understand congratulations are in order,” Max said, when Cammi joined her sister in the booth. “When’s the big day?”

“Three weeks from today. If I’d known you’d be in town, I would have sent you an invitation.”

As they chatted, Lily sat back, smiling and thinking that Cammi had been looking particularly beautiful these days. She’d always been one of the prettiest girls in town, but since Reid had come along, she practically glowed.
Thank you, Lord,
she prayed,
for sending him into her life.
What were the chances He’d send a man like that into Lily’s life?

Cammi dug around in her purse, pulled out an in
vitation. “This came in today’s mail. One of Dad’s friends can’t make it.” She handed the tiny envelope to Max. “Why don’t you come in their place, and bring your little boy!”

Lily’s heart thumped so hard, she thought surely anyone in earshot could hear it.
Don’t take it, Max,
she prayed.
Don’t take it.
She didn’t want him there. Because Cammi had hired a band to play forties music, and he’d always loved to dance. Lily didn’t want to watch him move across the floor with another woman in his arms!

“Your mom already RSVP’d,” Cammi was saying, “so I’ll rearrange the tables so the three of you can sit together.”

Max tucked the invitation into his shirt pocket. “Thanks. Maybe Nate’ll meet some kids his own age, ’cause it looks like we’ll be staying in Amarillo longer than we thought.”

Cammi frowned. “I heard about your mom’s leg. What a shame.” She brightened to add, “But she’s on every prayer list in Texas, so she’ll come out of it better than new.” As an aside, she said, “Besides, the way I hear it, her surgeon has more reason than most to succeed.”

Max’s expression darkened, and Lily wondered if it was because he didn’t approve of his mom’s relationship with her doctor, or because Cammi had mentioned prayer. The latter, probably, she decided, remembering what Georgia had said about his faith crisis.

“I didn’t pack a suit for Nate, but we have three weeks to buy—”

“He doesn’t need a suit,” Lily cut in. “He’s four years old. No one’s going to notice if he’s not dressed up like a tuxedo advertisement.”

Cammi pointed. “Oh, Max, is that li’l cutie over there Nate?”

He looked over his shoulder to where his son sat, deep in concentration as he colored on construction paper, and nodded. Lily couldn’t help but notice how his entire demeanor changed at the mere sight of the boy. He stood taller and smiled. Not that half-baked grin he’d been tossing around since he’d come home, but a genuine, full-faced, two-dimpled smile. If anyone doubted Max’s love for Nate, they need only see him now to believe how much his son meant to him.

Lily frowned. “He looks a little pale today. I hope he isn’t coming down with something.”

Max’s wide grin faded. “His appetite has been off the past week or so. And he isn’t sleeping well, either.”

“Probably just having trouble adjusting to the climate,” Cammi offered. “The Texas Panhandle is very different from Illinois.”

“Yeah, maybe.” But Max didn’t seem convinced, as evidenced by his worried expression. He faced them suddenly and whipped out his order tablet. “So, what can I get you ladies?”

“What, no waitress today?” Lily asked, grinning.

“Flat tire or something,” he said. “So I’m ‘it’ until she gets here.”

Cammi was on her feet in no time. “You handle the cash register,” she told him, tying an apron around her waist. “I remember from our high school
days what happens when someone puts a food-laden tray in
your
hands.” Closing her eyes, she looked at the ceiling. “Anyone wearing a white shirt when you walked by was in trouble!”

A quiet
thump
captured everyone’s attention.