Page 67 of Tempting Fate
“I don’t even know her.” Now he was raising his voice, but this argument was ridiculous. “All I know is that she’s been good to our daughter, and she’s offered her a job that will help Harper adapt to life here…to the enormous changes she’s been put through. Harper’s practically bouncing off the wall with excitement over it. And theevilRaylene won’t even be here. That’s the ludicrous part of this. You don’t want Harper around a woman who lives in Los Angles. Isn’t that the whole reason she needs Harper to feed her goddamn horse in the first place?”
Emily started to laugh.
“What the hell is so funny?”
“Just that we never argued like this when we were married.”
He grinned, then studied the woman across the table from him, the woman who used to be his wife. “You look good, Em. Happy, healthy, loved.”
She reached across the table and took his hand. “I wish I could say the same for you. What’s going on, Drew?”
He sighed. “Kristy wants to do another round of in vitro fertilization.”
“You don’t?”
Talking to his ex about his marital problems was probably all kinds of wrong, but he needed someone to confide in, and no one would understand better than Emily. They’d walked through hell together and had come out the other side. “No. The God’s honest truth: I don’t think I can handle having another child right now, not when Harper needs me. Not after all we went through to get her back.”
“I had similar fears when I first got pregnant with Paige,” Emily said. “All I could think was how do I bring another child into the world when I couldn’t keep my first one safe? And there was guilt that Paige would somehow replace the memory of Hope.” She rummaged through her purse for a tissue and wiped her eyes. “Clay was so upset that I didn’t want another child, for a while I didn’t think we’d make it.
“Then I had a scare,” she continued. “I was cramping and spotting and my OB thought I was on the verge of a miscarriage. In that instant, everything changed. I felt such unconditional love for that baby growing inside me, and every maternal instinct kicked in. Paige was my baby every bit as much as Hope was, but they were two separate individuals. And loving one didn’t mean I couldn’t still love the other.”
“I didn’t know it was a difficult pregnancy. I’m sorry you went through that. And now?” He wondered if she and Clay were back on firm ground. They seemed solid, but sometimes people only saw what they wanted to see. And Drew wanted Emily to be happy. Lord knew she deserved a lifetime full of joy after the horror they’d lived through.
“Things couldn’t be more wonderful.” Her face positively glowed, and Drew knew her well enough to know she couldn’t fake it if she tried. “And it will be for you, too. This is just a hump, Drew. What do they say about marriage? Peaks and valleys.”
He stirred his coffee. “I don’t know. This is more like Mount Everest. She didn’t even come with me to Nugget this time.”
Emily leaned across the table. “Do you want to work things out?”
“Of course I do. I love her, Em.”
“Then you’ll make it work. Hear her out on the IVF, Drew. There’s room in your heart—in your life—for two children, take it from me. The day I met Justin and Cody was the day I started healing.”
“I’m glad. You’ve made a good family, and Clay’s a good man.”
“And Kristy’s a good woman. You’ll work through this, I know you will.”
He grinned. “The question is can you and I work through this issue with Raylene’s horse? Come on, Em. It would mean a lot to Harper.”
“I don’t know.” She played with the spoon on the table. “I think the responsibility would be good for her, but why does it have to be Raylene’s horse?”
“Because she’s the one offering Harper the job. Really, what would be the harm? I’ll take her to the barn on weekends, and Justin’s volunteered to do it on the weekdays. She’ll never be without adult supervision, and…it seems petty to say no because of your personal differences with this woman.”
“You don’t know the history, Drew, but since Raylene won’t be here I’m inclined to say yes and see how it goes. If it interferes with Harper’s schoolwork or her after-school activities, then Raylene will have to find someone else.”
“Sounds fair enough. What do you say I pick her up from school and give her the good news?”
“All right.” She looked at her watch. “I promised to relieve Clay of Paige by eleven, which means I’ve got to get going. Do you want Harper to stay with you tonight?”
“If you wouldn’t mind. Since Kristy didn’t come, I’d like to get an early start on Sunday, maybe get home to the Bay Area in time to take her to dinner.”
“I don’t mind. I’ll check in around bedtime.”
Drew nodded. So far, they’d done a good job of co-parenting, though Emily spent the most time with Harper. Secretly, he’d hoped that eventually he could make Nugget a more permanent base, which would be another bone of contention with Kristy. She liked it here, adored the house in Sierra Heights, but she was a city girl at heart. If it wasn’t for Harper, he wouldn’t consider relocating to such a rural place either. But surprisingly, Nugget had begun to grow on him. He liked knowing his neighbors, being part of a close-knit community, and walking out his door to find deer on his lawn.
“Okay. I’ve got what she needs at the house. I was thinking about taking her to Glory Junction tomorrow. You think Cody would like to join us?” He was a fine kid, and he looked out for Harper.
“That’s so sweet of you. I’ll ask him, but that boy’s social calendar could rival the royals’.”
