The Loner (14 page)

Which became obvious as soon as she turned him over and he began peeing onto her shirt. She leaped back, but the damage was done. She grabbed the diaper and covered him until he was done.

Will grinned up at her.

“That wasn’t funny!” she said. And then laughed.

She should have known better. She just hadn’t realized how dangerous an undiapered little boy could be.

“All right, let’s get organized,” she said, dropping the second wet diaper beside the other one and picking Will up to keep him from running off. She looked for another dry diaper and realized there was only one left. Good thing she was doing laundry.

“Okay, kiddo, let’s see if we can get it right this time.”

She had to hold Will down with one hand while she did everything else with the other. Which worked fine until she needed to pin on the diaper. She needed one hand to hold the diaper together and the other to manipulate
the pin. “You have to hold still, Will, or I’m going to—”

She stuck him with the pin.

He screamed as though he’d been jabbed with a foot-long hypodermic.

And both Dora and Emma showed up at the door.

Summer knew they were seeing the giant wet spot on the front of her shirt, the wet spot on Billy’s bedspread, the diaper soaking into the rag rug beside Billy’s bed, and the still undiapered child wriggling and crying on the bed.

“I accidentally stuck him with the safety pin,” she explained.

“I told you she couldn’t do it,” Emma said to her mother.

“I’ll just be another minute,” Summer said.

“I’ll do it,” Emma said, shoving Summer aside.

Summer felt like shoving back, but it seemed ridiculous to fight Emma for the right to diaper Will. There would be other opportunities, and she’d learned a great deal in this first encounter.

Emma pinned one side of the diaper and said, “Where’s the other pin?”

“I stuck it in the bedspread,” Summer said.

They both searched the spread but couldn’t find it. “I’ve got some extras in the kitchen,” Emma said.

When Emma picked Will up, Summer immediately saw the missing pin. “I guess Will was lying on it.”

No wonder the poor kid had been wriggling and crying, with a safety pin digging into his back.

Emma gave her a look that made her feel like a worm,
lay Will back down, and finished pinning on the diaper. “Those diapers need to go in the pail outside,” she said, laying Will over her shoulder and marching from the room.

It sounded like an order, and Summer bristled at the thought of obeying it. But she realized she might as well get used to her position in this household. She was no longer the favored daughter of wealthy parents. She was an unwelcome addition to a struggling household.

She headed outside, wishing she could keep her distance from these two until Billy got home to play peacemaker. She got a bit of a respite because she had to hang the diapers on the line, which she found a surprisingly pleasant chore. The breeze occasionally caught a diaper and slapped it back in her face, but the wet cloth felt cool against her skin and the borax made them smell fresh.

She was sorry when the job was done, because it meant now she had to face the two dragons inside. But whatever flaws there were in her character, cowardice wasn’t one of them.

She found Dora sitting at the kitchen table cutting up potatoes to be put in a pot of boiling water on the stove, while Emma was frying pork chops. Will was sitting on the floor at Dora’s feet banging a wooden spoon on an upside-down pot.

The scene looked and smelled and sounded surprisingly homey. She felt a wistful desire to be one of them, which died a quick death when Emma turned to her and said, “Took you long enough to hang those diapers. There are green beans in the fridge that need to be snapped.”

Summer opened the refrigerator without a word and looked around for the beans. “Give me a hint,” she said.

“In the vegetable drawer,” Dora said.

Summer opened the drawer and took out the brown bag full of beans and set them on the table. “Where can I find a pot?”

“Left of the sink,” Dora said.

Summer found a cooking pot and set it on the table, then dumped the beans out of the bag. She was sitting at the table “snapping beans” when Billy finally arrived.

She was so glad to see him, she had to restrain herself from leaping up and throwing herself into his arms. Of course, that would have been a perfectly appropriate response if they were a real husband and wife. But nothing about their marriage was normal. It was a good thing she didn’t do anything so embarrassing.

Because Billy only had eyes for Will.

He opened his arms and said, “How’s my boy?”

“Daddy daddy daddy!” Will shoved himself upright, his face a picture of gladness, and tottered on baby feet into his father’s arms.

Billy lifted Will up as high as he could, causing the child to shriek with delight, then pulled him down into a ferocious hug, at which point they both laughed with joy.

Summer swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat. She wanted to be loved by someone—anyone—the way Billy loved Will. It must be wonderful to know you were the total focus of someone’s life, that his every thought concerned how to make you happy.

She wondered how Billy had learned to be so loving. Not from his mother or sister, she thought, noting that both of them had continued with their chores, although
they were both smiling now. She realized she was just like them—watching, but not participating.

Why not? She was Billy’s wife. She ought to be greeting him with some sort of affection. She stood and shoved her chair back and crossed to Billy. “Welcome home,” she said, putting her arms around his waist on the side opposite from where Will was perched and hugging him.

Billy glanced at his mother and sister before he bent and kissed her on the cheek. “You looked pretty domestic sitting there snapping beans.”

“I’ve been washing and hanging clothes, too,” Summer said.

Billy raised a brow and whistled. “You don’t say!”

“Don’t make fun of me,” she said, unaccountably hurt by his dismissal of her efforts. “I’m trying.”

Billy gave her a quick kiss in apology. “I think it’s great. Really. How have my three girls been getting along?” he said, glancing at his mother and sister.

And that’s when the fairy-tale homecoming came to an abrupt and unpleasant end.

“Not well at all,” Emma said. “I had to show her how to use a washing machine, for heaven’s sake! And she stuck Will with a safety pin.”

“It was an accident!” Summer said.

Emma turned with her hands on her hips and said, “A rich bitch like you has no business shoving her way into our family.”

“Emma, that’s enough,” Billy said.

“I don’t want her here, Billy. She’s upsetting Mom.”

“Mom?” Billy questioned. “Is that true?”

Summer stared, stupefied, at Billy. It seemed she was
going to be tried and condemned without a chance to say a word in her own defense.

Dora said, “I don’t understand why you brought her here. She’s just going to be a burden to everyone.”

“I’ll never understand why you married her,” Emma said. “You haven’t seen her in two years, so you can’t have been pining away for her. She has no talents to speak of. What were you thinking, Billy?”

“I was thinking we need help around here, and Summer’s offered to provide it, plain and simple,” Billy said.

“I can handle things without her,” Emma said.

“You’re the one who called me to come home,” Billy reminded her. “Precisely because you couldn’t handle everything on your own.”

“You and I can manage together.”

“Summer is my wife, Emma. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

“Either she goes or I go,” Emma threatened.

Summer’s heart shot to her throat and stuck there. She turned to Billy, wondering what he would do, what he would say. He couldn’t possibly choose her over his own flesh and blood, could he? But she desperately hoped he would.

In the few hours she’d spent in Billy’s home she’d realized that there was a feeling of family here she’d never found at the Castle. And she wanted to be a part of it.

She held her breath, waiting for Billy’s response.

“You can go anytime you want, Emma,” Billy said at last. “Summer stays.”

From the stricken look on Emma’s face it was clear she hadn’t expected Billy to side with his new wife.

Summer realized suddenly that Billy had issued his
ultimatum knowing full well that there were no teeth in Emma’s threat. After all, how could his sister possibly leave? Five months pregnant, who was going to hire her to work? And without money for rent, where would she live?

Emma glared at Billy. “If that’s the way you want it, fine. I’m out of here.” She took off her apron and threw it on the counter.

“Give Summer a chance, Emma,” Billy said as she headed to her room to pack. “Please.”

Summer thought Emma might relent, but then she met Emma’s gaze and realized Emma couldn’t relent and keep her pride. Apparently, Coburns possessed every bit as much of that mortal sin as Blackthornes.

“You made your choice, Billy,” Emma said. “Now you can live with it.”

Billy grabbed Emma’s arm as she tried to cross past him. “Emma, wait. Where are you going?”

“Away from here.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Not to me,” Emma said stubbornly.

Billy let go of her with a sigh. “All right. Go spend the night with one of your friends, if that’s what you think you have to do.”

“I’m not coming back till she’s gone, Billy,” Emma said. “I mean it.”

Summer had to admire Emma’s regal exit. She reminded Summer of herself when she’d had to confront her older brothers. Too bad Emma was leaving. They might have ended up becoming fast friends.

On the other hand, it was nice to know she wouldn’t have to face Emma’s animosity every morning at breakfast.

“That was badly done,” Dora said once Emma was gone.

“There was nothing else I could do,” Billy said.

Will began to whine and Billy lifted him up and said, “You’re not used to all this fuss and bother, are you, buddy? And I’ll bet you’re hungry. I sure am. I could eat a bear. How about you?”

Will pointed to his high chair. “Chair, Daddy.”

“You bet, kiddo. As soon as we wash our hands.” He carried Will over to the sink and washed Will’s hands along with his own, then set his son in the high chair.

“Supper won’t be ready for a while yet,” Dora said.

“He’ll be happy with a few Cheerios until the beans and mashed potatoes are done,” Billy said.

Dora set her palms on the table and pushed herself up out of her chair. “I’ll tend to those pork chops, if you’ll put these potatoes in the pot,” she said to Billy.

“I’ll get the potatoes and put the beans on the stove,” Summer volunteered.

Dora shrugged, winced, and said, “If you insist.”

Summer was surprised to see Billy pitching in to help with supper. He threw some bacon and diced onions into the beans, and once the potatoes boiled, he got out the mixer, added some milk and butter, and whipped them up. She made herself useful setting the table and pouring everyone a glass of iced tea.

Emma came through the kitchen with a cloth overnight bag just as they put the food on the table.

“Why don’t you stop and eat before you go,” Billy suggested.

“Not with her here,” Emma said.

“I don’t want us to be at odds because of Summer,”
Billy said. “Please, Emma. I’m asking you for a truce. We can work this out somehow. I know we can.”

“Not when you choose a Blackthorne over family,” Emma said.

“Summer is my family now,” Billy said.

Emma turned to her mother and said, “I’ll call and let you know where I am, Mom.” She crossed to Will and kissed him on the forehead. “Good-bye, Will. Be a good boy.”

“Good boy,” Will parroted.

She stopped in front of Billy and said, “Your new wife won’t last a week without all the luxuries she’s used to having. Let me know when she takes off, and I’ll come home.”

With that pronouncement, Emma shoved her way out the screen door and let it slam behind her.

Summer felt sick to her stomach. She glanced at Billy, who refused to meet her gaze. She wanted to promise him he wouldn’t regret taking her side. She wanted to tell him he’d made the right decision. She wanted to say that Emma would have to eat her words.

The truth was, she was hot and sticky and had pinpricks on her fingers where she’d stuck herself with Will’s safety pins before she’d stuck him. She’d managed to aggravate Billy’s sister and had to bite her tongue to cope with the condescension of his mother. She was hungry and she could see that if she wanted to eat around here she was going to have to learn to cook. Now that Emma was gone, it seemed the cleaning was going to fall to her, too.

And she didn’t have a clue how she and Billy were
going to be able to sleep in that iron bed of his with the sagging mattress, right beside a baby who was likely to keep them up half the night sniffling and snorting and making strange baby noises.

After supper Dora took Will to give him a bath while Billy and Summer cleaned up the kitchen together. Billy didn’t have an automatic dishwasher. It didn’t take long before Summer’s hands looked like prunes.

“I’ve got a job,” Billy told her as he dumped leftovers in Tupperware containers.

“The TSCRA is keeping you on?” she asked hopefully.

“Nope. Your father had a few words with the local supervisor. There’s no TSCRA job for me around here.”

“I’m sorry, Billy.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “I got work with one of the local ranchers.”

Summer tried to meet his eyes, but he wouldn’t look at her. She knew how disappointed he must be, back in Bitter Creek doing menial work for menial wages.

“Maybe you could do something with this place to earn money,” Summer suggested.

“Like what?” Billy said.

“I don’t know. A guide service for hunters maybe, or a bed and breakfast.”

“Where would we put company in this house?”

“Not in the house, in that old bunkhouse out by the barn. It probably needs a new roof, but it has a big cook-stove and a serviceable bathroom.”