Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Bliss struggled down the street in Darling, Sadie and Sophie in a stroller in front of her, and Nori wrapped up in a baby carrier and nestling against her chest. She’d been to five stores so far and had yet to find anything suitable to wear to her hearing. Why did everything have to be this hard?
Today was her craft day, darn it! She had all her supplies laid out on her kitchen table.
The cardstock, the paint and glitter, the gold and silver pipe cleaners, and glittery jewels, she had everything she needed.
She was about to make her Christmas cards, when Winnie had called, asking what she was wearing to her hearing.
The one to prove she wasn’t hurting her children.
She blinked back the tears that burned her eyes every time she thought about it. She had nothing suitable to wear, and Winnie was so petite. There was no way that Bliss could borrow anything from her sister.
Every piece of clothing she owned was either stretched, stained, or plain worn out. If she went before a judge wearing anything she owned, the Department of Children’s Services wouldn’t even have to argue their case. She’d make it for them.
Her stomach knotted. She could practically hear the whispers of the judge when he saw her.
“Really? That’s what she’s wearing?” It wasn’t like she needed something fancy.
She didn’t need fancy. She just needed something not covered in baby poop and baby food stains.
Anything that said capable, not desperate.
So now she was trekking around Darling, looking for a stuffy old dress instead of making handprint trees.
Her feet ached, her arms were sore, and her brain felt like it had melted into a puddle of indecision.
It was like every store mocked her failure, every hanger teasing her with clothes that weren’t right.
At least she had the time to shop, thanks to Ivy. Her boss had called her into the office when she’d gotten to work on Monday. She’d already been on pins and needles about seeing Sandra. When she’d gotten the summons from Ivy, she’d expected to be fired, even though she’d done nothing wrong.
Instead, Ivy gave her a warm, grounding hug. It felt like a small island of safety in the storm that her life had become. Ivy had said she was sorry for everything Bliss and her children were going through. She didn’t seem too happy about what Sandra had done, either.
Ivy was a wonderful person and a great boss.
She’d sent Bliss home on leave with pay so she wouldn’t have to leave the twins in Sandra’s room.
She told Bliss not to worry, that everything had a way of working out.
Bliss hoped she was right. She’d never been the praying type, but she whispered a heartfelt thank-you to whoever might be listening, willing herself to believe it.
Lost in thought, she walked down the sidewalk, trying to think of anywhere else to shop she could afford, when a shout, “Whoa there!” interrupted her thoughts. The voice was bright, cheerful, and way too loud for someone in a hurry. Bliss jumped, nearly sending the stroller into a lamppost.
A petite woman had her hands braced on the front of the stroller. She looked like a Christmas elf out of costume, complete with snow-white hair, even though she couldn’t be much older than Winnie.
The woman hopped back and threw Bliss a grin.
“Sorry about that. I stepped out of my shop, right into oncoming traffic. Ezra is always telling me to slow down and look before I leap, but where’s the fun in that?
” Sticking out her hand, she added, “I’m Rory.
And you must be Winnie’s sister. I haven’t been able to do much with the Musketiaras lately, but I’ve heard all about you. ”
Her grin was infectious. Bliss shook Rory’s outstretched hand. “Totally my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“You did seem a bit lost in thought. I heard about what you’re going through.
Gave Sandra a piece of my mind, too. Not that it will do much good.
Total bitch, that one. She thought if she put out for Conn when he was in town, he’d eventually put a ring on her finger.
My opinion? He’d be better off with a Rottweiler.
Of course, he already knew that. That’s why he cut her loose right before you moved here…
and you didn’t know any of that, did you? ”
Bliss tried to smile, but that was just the last straw. She didn’t care who Connor slept with. Her stomach twisted.
Okay, she did. A lot. But she didn’t have any right to.
Actually, Connor had been amazing the past week. He was at her house day and night now, sleeping on the sofa, taking care of her. He even watched her babies when he enforced her newly required “mommy naptime.”
She didn’t know what had changed his mind, and she didn’t care.
He told her he hadn’t meant what he said that awful night he’d ripped out her heart.
Now that she knew who Sandra was, and what she’d been to him.
It was more likely that he felt guilty his ex-girlfriend was the one trying to ruin Bliss’s life.
Had he been her Daddy, too? Had he treated her like a princess? Cuddled her every day and every night? Okay. That was enough of that. He didn’t really want Bliss that way, and that was all that mattered.
It was hard to remember, with all the things he did to make her life better.
Her cabinets and refrigerator were filled with good food.
Evidently, according to Connor, ramen noodles didn’t qualify.
Her house was tidy. She found herself doing chores, and it wasn’t bad because he did them with her.
Everything felt different with him there.
She couldn’t allow herself to get drawn in. He would only be there until the DCS charges went away. If she started believing it was real, when he left, it would ruin her.
Since the day DCS had invaded her home, Connor had made their meals. Always serving her a hot breakfast. He even made it fun by arranging the eggs and bacon to look like different faces.
That was the hardest part. Not only was he pretending to be her fiancé, but he was also pretending to be her Daddy.
She’d also found herself in the corner more than once for refusing the veggies he made for dinner.
Every meal became a hard-fought rebellion against his rules of healthy eating.
Yucky food eating, if you asked her. Which explained the corner time.
He kept telling her things like, “You have to keep up your strength, little girl. Being a mom is hard work.”
He read bedtime stories to her and the babies, complete with funny voices and everything.
When it had snowed two days before, he’d taken her outside while the girls napped, and they’d made a snowman in the front yard.
She’d laughed, and played, and for a brief moment, life felt like the normal she longed for.
“Why are you doing this, Connor?” she’d asked, needing his honesty.
“I’ve already told you, Trouble,” he’d answered. “This is who I want to be and where I want to be. I’m sorry I reacted so badly and hurt you when you told me about Nori. I don’t handle surprises well. But that’s no excuse. I want to be a part of your and the girls' lives in any way you’ll let me.”
She’d stared at him, trying to figure out how someone’s words could hurt her so badly one day and heal her the next.
But it had made zero sense. She was supposed to believe he’d done a complete turnabout?
In a day? Her chest fluttered and ached all at once.
Logic had no place when Connor Davis was involved.
Someone put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. “Hey. Earth to Bliss. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”
With a shake of her head, Bliss returned her focus to Rory. “You didn’t freak me out. Actually, it explains a lot. I should thank you.” Only she didn’t feel like thanking anyone.
She wanted to punch Connor in the nose and then eat a gallon of peppermint rocky road ice cream all by herself. Instead, she just stood there, jaw tight, cheeks warm, and heart beating faster than it had any right to. Trying to smile.
“You know he’s into you, right?”
“I wouldn’t say that. He did me a gigantic favor by getting me away from those Russians.” He’d done so much more than that. He’d given her Nori, but she wasn’t about to tell Rory that. “But he did that more for Winnie and Reid than for me.”
Rory cackled. Not laughed. Cackled. “Sister, you have got that all wrong. Didn’t anyone tell you how he’d been keeping an eye on you ever since you moved to Darling the first time?”
Um, no. She didn’t know that. Why hadn’t Winnie told her? “What do you mean?”
Rory’s face lit up. She evidently liked to be the first to share secrets with people.
“I mean, he kept tabs on you when you were here before. He and Law have all these informants in that Society group you were in. Didn’t you find it odd that, even though his job keeps him out of town a lot, he was usually in town when you were? And that made a point to see you?”
Bliss blinked, her brain doing cartwheels. So many things suddenly clicked into place. It made her stomach swoop. She couldn’t keep the shock from her face.
He hadn’t been there every time, but he found her more often than not. She’d thought he was just a coincidence… him going about his daily life. “He did that?”
“Of course he did. And he kept track of how you were being treated when you went back out west, though I think that was harder. Still, he tried.”
He’d tried to keep an eye on her?
If her brain didn’t stop spinning, she was going to have to sit down.
Too much information. It was time she got back to finding an outfit.
She filed her conversation with Rory away to pull out and think about tonight.
It wasn’t like she was sleeping a lot anyway.
Yeah, she could tell herself that, but her pulse kept thudding in her chest.