2. Chapter One
Chapter One
Six Years Later
***
“ O h my gosh, Jasper. I’m just gonna eat your little toes right up!” Sky nibbled her baby nephew’s chubby feet, and the baby squealed with delight. “Nom. Nom. Nom. Nom.”
“You’re going to get him all wound up, and he’ll never nap,” Maddie warned from the massive closet where she was getting dressed for her flight.
“Did you hear that? Mommy says I need to wind you up!” Sky tickled his belly through the soft onesie and nuzzled his cute nose. “Just like a little clock. Click. Click. Click .”
Jasper laughed, making that adorable yuck-yuck-yuc k sound that made Sky completely gaga for her nephew. He was just the sweetest baby she had ever seen, and she thanked her lucky stars Jaime and Maddie trusted her to care for him every day.
Accepting the role of live-in nanny hadn’t been part of her plans, but after finishing her job as a tour guide in Iceland, she wanted to come home and establish roots. Maybe go back to college. Maybe finally get serious about publishing one of the many cozy mystery novels she had written and stashed in her Dropbox.
Maddie and Jaime had struggled to get and stay pregnant. There had been numerous miscarriages and months of negative pregnancy tests. Sky might have been half a world away in some far-flung location, working menial jobs as part of her adventure, but she had touched base with her sister every single day. There were so many nights when Jaime had been away on business that Sky had stayed awake with Maddie, listening to her cry and confess her deepest fears that she would never be a mother or that Jaime would lose interest or blame her for their being childless.
Which was ridiculous!
Jaime practically worshipped the ground Maddie walked on, and he had made it clear from the beginning that he was perfectly happy to stop the fertility treatments and move on to adoption or surrogacy. As far as Sky knew, that had been the plan before Maddie had gotten unexpectedly pregnant during their anniversary trip to Disneyland. It really was the most magical place on earth!
But with that miracle pregnancy came the worst morning sickness. Hyperemesis gravidarum. Sky had never even heard of such a thing. One call from Jaime, and she had been on the first flight back to San Antonio from Reykjavik. She had been here ever since.
“You’re sure you don’t mind staying here with Jasper?” Maddie asked for the eleventh time in as many hours. “It’s no trouble to change our reservations and bring the two of you with us.”
“Jaime planned this special getaway for the two of you to reconnect and do sexy married people things.” Sky wrestled a sock onto Jasper’s wiggly foot. “How many times have you told me that you need this? That you need a romantic getaway so you can be a wife and a woman and not just someone’s mom?”
“I know.” Maddie helped with the second sock and then swept her son up into her arms. “But it’s hard. I love this little guy so much, and I love Jaime so much. I want to be there for both of them.”
“I know you do. That’s because you’re a great mom and a wonderful wife.” Maddie’s marriage was Sky's ultimate goal. To find a partner who supported and loved her and thought she hung the moon and stars. “You deserve a break, Maddie. You spent almost the entire pregnancy in bed or the hospital. You’ve spent the last nine months of Jasper’s life up and down all night, pumping and nursing. Changing hundreds of diapers. Going to doctor’s appointments. Taking him to play groups and the park and the zoo. And you’ve opened a second boutique location!”
“Yes, well, you were here helping me with all that,” Maddie insisted. “You were up and down just as many nights, and you changed more diapers than Jaime ever has. You’ve been with me at many of those playgroups and outings, and I wouldn’t have ever been able to expand my business without your help caring for Jasper while I work.”
“Which is exactly why I’m going on vacation as soon as you two get back,” Sky reminded her. “Just me, a stack of beach reads, and gorgeous Greek sunsets for a week.”
“But you will come back, right?” Maddie looked worried as she snuggled Jasper. “You’re not going to disappear to Timbuktu again?”
Sky rolled her eyes. “First of all, I ran off to Casablanca. Timbuktu came after my stop in Marrakesh. Second, of course I’m coming right back. I told you before—I’m done with adventure. I want roots. I want stability.”
“I know I've said it a million times, but I’m glad you came home.” Maddie nuzzled Jasper’s downy soft hair. “You belong here with us, and Jasper needs you in his life.” She frowned and bitterly muttered, “No matter what my mother says.”
As far as Sky could tell, Beverly had never revealed what happened the night of Maddie’s wedding. Sky lived in fear of Beverly telling the truth about what she had seen that night in the garden. Six years of keeping that secret wouldn’t go over well with Maddie, especially since she trusted Sky with so many fears and confidences of her own.
“Someday, I hope you’ll tell me why you ran off like that,” Maddie said, not for the first time. “I know you had your reasons, but I missed you.”
“I know you did.” Guilt twisted and ate at her stomach. “I can’t change the past, Maddie.” Sky tried not to think about all the mistakes she had made over the years. “I can only live in the now. I hope you can forgive me for running off like that and scaring everyone after the wedding. And for breaking my promise to Dad that I would go to college.”
Maddie’s gaze snapped to her face. “Forgive you? Why would I need to forgive you, Sky? You were just a kid trying to figure out life.” She gave Jasper a noisy kiss on his cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive between us—ever.”
Sky blinked furiously as tears stung her eyes. “You really are the best sister a girl could ever ask for.”
“I know.” Maddie hugged her tightly, squishing Jasper between them in a way that made him giggle.
Unable to help herself, Sky kissed all over his chubby face. Was there anything better than being an aunt?
“Is it family hug time?” Jaime teased as he entered their bedroom. With a grin the size of Texas, he wrapped his arms around all of them. Jasper found that hilarious, of course, and when Jaime ended the hug, he stole his son from Maddie and lifted him high in the air. Jasper squealed, and Maddie tutted softly about how Jasper really was never going to nap now.
Knowing her sister and brother-in-law would want some time with Jasper before they left, Sky quietly retreated downstairs to tackle the lunch cleanup. As she loaded the dishwasher and wiped down the counters, she planned the rest of the afternoon and evening. Nap. Snack. Play. Dinner. Bath. Bottle. Bedtime.
She heard Jaime and Maddie talking as they came downstairs and walked out of the kitchen to meet them. Jaime had both suitcases and carry-ons, while Maddie carried Jasper, who already had that drowsy smile on his face.
“Let me help.” Sky took one of the suitcases from Jaime and a carry-on. She followed him out to the garage and handed over the luggage.
“I emailed you a copy of the flight plan and all of our reservation details.” Jaime stowed the bags in the cargo area of his luxury SUV. “There’s extra cash in the top drawer of my desk. The second emergency credit card, Jasper’s medical insurance information, the medical POA, and all that stuff are in the same drawer.” He shot her a humorous smile. “I know you already know all this because we’ve gone over it a million times, but Maddie will worry if I don’t tell you again.”
“I’ll take a selfie holding the envelope after you leave and send it to her.”
Jaime laughed. “Please do.”
“Once you’re in the air, she’ll mellow out,” Sky promised. “You know how much she loves flying with you.”
“I miss taking her up every week,” he admitted. “It was always our thing, you know?”
“I know.” Their first date had been a flight, and Maddie had been so mesmerized that Sky had known there would never be any other man for her sister.
“Thank you, Sky. For everything.” Jaime gave her shoulder a brotherly squeeze. “I don’t say it enough, but I don’t know how we would have gotten through the last year and a half without you.”
“You would have been fine,” she objected. “You could have hired a nanny and housekeeper.”
“Maybe, but it wouldn’t have been the same. You give Jasper a level of love that no nanny ever could. You’re his tia. You’re family.”
“He makes it easy. Who couldn’t love that squishy little face?”
Jaime laughed and glanced at the doorway. Maddie had finally appeared and reluctantly handed over Jasper. “Did Jaime tell you about the cash? And the other emergency card? And the medical paperwork?”
“Yes.” She caught Jaime’s amused expression. “We were just going over it. Again.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “Okay. Okay. I get it.”
Sky carefully accepted Jasper from her sister and cradled him close. He was nearly asleep, and she hoped he would easily transition to his crib. If not, she would have an excuse to rock him a little longer.
After hugging her sister goodbye, she took Jasper back inside and carried him upstairs to the nursery. Jaime had gone overboard with Jasper’s room and spared no expense to make Maddie’s vision a reality. During Maddie’s pregnancy, Sky was overwhelmed by the catalogs and mood boards. Pottery Barn Kids. Crate and Barrel. Maisonette. Local artisans. She shuddered to think what Jaime had spent to make this magic wonderland for his son.
She gave Jasper a snuggle and placed him in his crib. His tired eyes drifted together, and she slipped out of the bedroom. She paused just long enough to switch on the monitor before pulling the door almost completely closed behind her.
Downstairs, she made a cup of tea and carried the dedicated baby monitor tablet to the library. She thought it was a little bit overkill to have an entire tablet set aside only for watching Jasper sleep, but Maddie was a bit of a worry wart so Sky went with it. Although, she had to admit it was handy to have the tablet propped up nearby while she watched TV or scrolled social media or wrote a few paragraphs.
Today, she decided to indulge in TikTok and Instagram. There were better ways to use her time, but she had five nights and four days of babysitting ahead of her. May as well cram in as much mindless fun as possible now.
Lost in the silly reels, she was only vaguely aware of the weather turning bad. It had been cloudy most of the day, but storms began to roll in, and thunder rumbled. She glanced at the monitor where Jasper napped and then to the window in time to catch a flash of lightning. Worried the storm might wake him, she turned up the volume on the iPad to ensure she would hear him even if he were only making soft sounds.
She had just turned back to her phone when the doorbell rang. She didn’t bother opening the doorbell app. She was close enough to the front door and needed a new cup of tea anyway.
But as she opened the door and met with the last person she wanted to see, she wished she had checked the app and ignored the doorbell altogether.