Page 29 of Storm's Embrace

“Don’t try to deny it. It’s as obvious as—“

“Did you fall in?” Leah’s laughing words accompanied the door squealing open. “Oh.”

Miriam glanced past Deidre, who had finally decided to take a few steps away and was making a show of washing her hands, to her sister whose grimacing gaze flashed between her and the other woman’s back.

“Is everything okay?” Leah asked, her eyes widening in concern as Miriam made her way to the door.

“Everything’s—“

“Fine,” Deidre interrupted. “We had a nice chat, didn’t we?”

Miriam turned to give the other woman one last parting shot, but she’d placed her hands under the hand dryer, with the loud, rushing air effectively drowning out Miriam’s reply of, “Nice chat, my Aunt Fanny,” before having her hand taken and body pulled through the open door by Leah. The door closed behind them as they walked hand in hand back into the main part of the restaurant, with Leah murmuring, “What the hell was going on in there?” on the way to their table.

“Girl talk.”

* * *

“I think the brownies I made are my favorite,” Zoë said from her place beside Miriam on the blanket they’d laid out near the duck pond in downtown Huntsville. “It’s because of the peanut butter pieces, ya know.”

Miriam glanced up from her book and caught her daughter eyeing the container of brownies they’d left out after putting away the rest of their mid-afternoon meal. For early October, the weather had been mild enough they’d decided to have a picnic on their last official day of vacation.

“You did a good job stirring those in.” Miriam grinned, knowing what was coming.

“So… Can I have one more? Pleeeeease?” Zoë had obviously drawn out the last word for added effect, and Miriam couldn’t help but laugh at her daughter’s pleading face and broad smile with both front top teeth now missing.

“Okay, but just one more.” She laid her book aside and opened the container, while Zoë eagerly held out her hand. Miriam passed her one of the brownies they’d baked the previous night, and then sealed the container back up and placed it in their picnic basket.

“Thanks, Mommy.”

Zoë broke off a piece of the brownie before putting it in her mouth while Miriam let out a contented sigh. It didn’t get much more perfect than this—a beautiful day, a peaceful setting, and quality time spent with her daughter.

Even the niggling worry over going into work the next morning couldn’t detract from her enjoyment of watching the families and couples walking around the pond or the ducks vying for handouts, with one of the more excited of the birds chasing after a squealing little boy about Zoë’s age. She grinned as the child’s laughing father lifted him up high before shooing the duck away with his foot, and then she laughed out loud when the bird tried to take the man’s shoe.

“He’s a funny duck,” Zoë said, giggling.

Miriam smiled over at her daughter who had finished her brownie and had her coloring book in her lap.

“Nice job, baby,” Miriam said, as Zoë picked up a purple crayon and began filling in the collar on the puppy she’d already colored.

“Thanks,” her daughter answered, not looking up from her careful work of staying in the lines.

A light breeze blew over her and she shivered as she pulled the ends of her light jacket around her. Zoë had on a sweater, but it was starting to get a littletoochilly now that the day had worn on. So, Miriam would let her finish her picture, but then they’d have to head out.

She let her gaze wander back to the pond and thought back to the week they’d had as she watched how little ripples in the water glistened in the late afternoon sun.

After she and Zoë had gotten home from their beach trip late Tuesday with her mom and Leah, she and Zoë had spent the next two days making the rounds of things to do locally, including tours of Cathedral Caverns and the Space and Rocket Center, having a proper tea at a local tea room on Friday, and then going to a double matinee the next day.

All in all it had been a good week.

But tomorrow it was back to work, and for once she wasn’t looking forward to it. It was hard to believe her time off was almost over. Her mood darkened as a sick feeling grew in the pit of her stomach knowing she’d have to face Eli.

What if Deidre had voiced her suspicions to him?

She’d been having enough trouble handling her ever-deepening feelings toward him—feelings that hadn’t lessened over the last nine days of not seeing him—but worrying if he knew of those feelings each day wasn’t something she could continue to do. That’s why she’d met with Tyler Simmons early Friday morning. Her decision to take his job offer hadn’t felt right, but it was the only thing she could think to do.

Miriam stretched and then checked her watch before noticing Zoë had her back pack beside her and had already begun putting away her art supplies.

“Are you ready to go home?”

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