Chapter 12
Willow
I carry Maylee’s detachable car seat up to Lucy’s front door, which is solid wood, and so big it looks like five doors put together. Her house is a mansion, the grounds are filled with perfectly manicured trees, bushes, and flowers. I don’t feel like I am in Sugar Meadow anymore.
Snow sprinkles down from the sky and the temperature is well below freezing as I ring the doorbell and wait. It doesn’t take long for Lucy to open the door, out of breath and holding her belly.
“I’m so happy you called.” She smiles warmly, waving me and Maylee inside.
“Thanks. It was nice to see you at the market. I haven’t been out much since I’ve been home,” I explain.
“Oh, I get that. I usually have Smith in day care but I kept him home with me these last few days because I wanted to spend some one-on-one time with him before this little one makes an appearance.” She rubs her belly. “Here, let me take your coat.”
I pass her my coat and we head inside to a family room. There is a large fireplace with beautiful stone facing. The fireplace is going and the room feels warm and cozy.
“Can I get you a drink?” she asks.
“I’m good, thanks. Maybe later,” I reply.
I unbundle Maylee from her car seat. The seat has a built-in blanket so I didn’t bother with a snowsuit today. I also put a cute little skirt on Maylee with tights and a matching shirt.
“Oh, look at you, baby girl. Aren’t you a sight,” Lucy says, palming her chest. “She is just so pretty, Willow, but then I wouldn’t expect anything else because she has a beautiful mama.”
“Thanks, Lucy.” I place Maylee on a floor mat she has set up and I place a little blanket under her chin in case she spits up. Smith comes over and says hi.
“Hi there, sweet boy,” I greet him. He smiles at me and then he gets into a crawling position and starts to show Maylee his toys. Maylee is getting her tummy time and can’t really interact with Smith, but she seems quite content nonetheless.
Lucy and I take a seat on the couch.
“It’s been a long while since we hung out,” she notes. “You were just dying to get out of Sugar Meadow.”
“I was, wasn’t I?” I sigh, feeling nostalgic about the past. “When that scholarship came through, I already had one foot out the door. Now I’m a physical therapist in New York City. I have great friends there. I made myself a life,” I share. Thinking of New York reminds me how much I miss my old life. I love being a mom, but I want to have my cake and eat it too.
“So why did you come back?” she asks. “Sorry, I know I’m being nosy. I just remember how much you hated this place.”
“You aren’t wrong. I thought I hated this place but I think I just hated my house.” I snicker.
Lucy’s lips turn down. “I’m sorry, I heard about your dad passing.”
“Thanks. I had a strained relationship with him. He wasn’t the easiest man, you know?” I say because I am still having issues finding peace where he is concerned.
“I remember. We did have lots of sleepovers back in the day because you didn’t want to be home,” she reminds.
“Thank you for always being there for me, Lucy. I feel bad that I didn’t stay in touch better,” I confess. Maylee becomes fussy so I turn her on her back and place a toy that has lights and music above her.
“Don’t be sorry. I understood. The two of us had very different experiences growing up in this town,” she says.
Isn’t that the truth. Lucy’s parents got along well. There were so hospitable and kind to me.
“Yeah, we did,” I agree. “How are your parents?”
“There doing well. Mom crochets, Dad watches television most days. They are getting old but can’t complain,” she says. Smith walks up to her and climbs on the couch, then he climbs into her lap. She barely has room to hold him with her belly poking out so much, but he doesn’t care and starts to sweetly caress her face. “He’s getting tired, but I want to keep him up. We just got rid of his morning naps. How’s your mom?” she asks.
“You know how Helen is.”
I don’t need to say anything else because Lucy understands. Mom was never really the doting kind.
“How is Casper?” I ask. “You’ve got a gorgeous home, Lucy.”
She laughs. “Casper is good. He’s busy running the distillery.”
“That is very cool.”
“Yeah, we’ve opened an area to the public. We started it last year, it’s his new project. He’s thinking of expanding the concept to some locations in Nashville.”
“That’s very exciting.”
“I saw you with your baby daddy at the fair. We were on the other side and I was sitting on a bench, or else I would’ve come to say hello. These days walking puts crazy amounts of pressure on my bladder.”
“Oh, I hear that,” I reply, remembering my own ninth month of pregnancy. “Brett is good.”
“Good?” she says wide-eyed. “Willow, that man was adorable with your little girl and he’s easy on the eyes too.”
“He’s a professional hockey player. He comes from Michigan. Small-town life is new to him.”
“How long is he staying for?” she asks.
“He’s leaving soon,” I reply. “Has to get back to work. It’s the middle of the hockey season.”
“You Heatons were always about hockey,” she says.
“My dad and my brothers were, that’s true. My good friend was working for the Rangers, that’s kind of how I met Brett,” I say.
“Are you two together?” she asks. I don’t find her questions invasive because Lucy doesn’t have a bad bone in her body. She was always there for me when we were younger.
“We are not,” I say, and it sounds so choppy and wrong to my ears.
“Really? I saw that kiss, Willow Heaton,” she laughs conspiratorially.
I blush. “That was very out of character for me.”
“Oh, I know,” she agrees. “That’s why I had to ask.”
“What do you mean by you know?” I ask, not understanding.
“You were never one for public displays of affection. Even when you had a boyfriend, you kept them at arm’s length,” she reminds, and isn’t that a strange observation.
“Really? Even Seth?” I ask.
“Seth terrified you,” she remembers. “He was so head over heels for you.”
I had dated Seth senior year. He came from a nice family and he was such a gentleman. I didn’t know what to make of his kindness. He also liked to spoil me with gifts.
“I liked him too,” I admit. “But it was senior year, and I was leaving.”
Lucy frowns. “You’re still scared, aren’t you?”
I watch her as if I’m confused but I am not confused at all. I’m just surprised Lucy can see right through me.
“I wouldn’t say I’m scared. I wasn’t scared of Seth. He was a good guy. I knew that. I just figured it was better not to get too close.”
“Brett is a different story, Lucy. He’s a professional hockey player. He lives a different kind of life. We actually lost touch and had a big mix-up, which is why he only found out about Maylee recently,” I explain, and then I give her the sordid details of what happened. I’ve been in touch with my friends from New York, but it feels good to sit face-to-face with another human and interact.
“Wow, Willow, that’s quite the story,” she says. “So Brett wants to be with you and you don’t want to be with him?”
“That’s not exactly it. He’s a fuckboy. I knew it when I got mixed up with him,” I confess. “It was supposed to be one night.”
“But you have Maylee now. Things have clearly changed,” she says.
“And I love being a mom so much. I didn’t know I was capable of this kind of love,” I say and she nods in agreement, running her fingers through Smith’s hair.
“It really is rewarding,” she agrees. “Do you think there is any chance Brett wants to give up his old ways? You remember Casper in high school. That boy got around and yet today he is so loyal and loving. He’s an amazing father. I couldn’t imagine raising my children without a partner like him.”
Her words give me pause and get me thinking. These last few days have been so good because Brett is helping with Maylee and giving me time for myself. We have developed a partnership of sorts, but that’s all we can be. He has a long list of women in his life, and I can’t compete. I won’t compete.
“I get what you’re saying, but I think Brett and I are meant to be co-parents and nothing more.”
She frowns. Then she calls out to her housekeeper and tells her we are ready for lunch.
“Oh, we don’t need to stay for lunch,” I say.
“We have a lot more catching up to do,” Lucy insists.
The housekeeper makes us a beautiful lunch of different salads and mini sandwiches. We eat and then she takes Smith and puts him to sleep. I head into the other room and nurse Maylee. We somehow end up spending the entire day with Lucy, and by the time we get back to the farm the sun is setting, which happens early in the winter season. I don’t see Brett around but I hear the shower running.
I take a seat on the couch and just take a deep breath as I let my conversations with Lucy pass through my mind. Lucy was trying to say that I’ve always been on guard where guys are concerned. That isn’t news. I need to protect myself and my baby girl. I think back to the articles I read about Brett’s sexcapades this morning, and I feel more justified than ever. From here on out, I need to keep Brett at arm’s length. That’s just how it will have to be.