Page 85 of Sweet on You
Tears filled my eyes, and I quickly blinked them back as I stood up from the table and crossed to them. “Hey, little one.” I held out my arms to Olivia and she practically leapt into my hug.
Across the room, I spotted Maddie watching, her eyes wide. “That’s Lex’s daughter?” I heard her ask Ronnie.
“It is,” I responded in place of Ronnie. “Do you want to meet her, Maddie?”
Maddie didn’t need to answer. She had already hopped to her feet and was running over to where I was standing.
“This is Olivia, my daughter. And Olivia’s grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy.”
Maddie grinned at the Murphys, giving their hands a speedy shake before turning to Olivia. “She’s so tiny!” Maddie said.
“This is Ronnie’s niece,” I added as an aside to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, placing my free hand on top of Maddie’s head.
Ronnie made her way over as well, smiling at the older couple.
“I’m sorry again that we can’t watch her for you next week,” Mrs. Murphy said.
I waved away her concern as though it was nothing. Sure, it made next Monday a tad trickier, but I’d make it work. There was a waiting list for the only daycare in town and even though I was top of the list, I had to wait until someone dropped out or the beginning of the school year. “Oh, we’ll be okay for a couple of days,” I said. “I can strap her to my chest and she can be my mini pastry chef until Seth starts his shift.” I bounced her on my hip and she giggled, reaching her hand to cover my lips. “Isn’t that right?”
Mr. Murphy scowled. “You’re not serious, right?”
“Honey,” Mrs. Murphy scolded.
“Well, she could get burned.”
Mrs. Murphy rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he’s notreallygoing to bake with her strapped to his chest.”
Well, shit. Iwasserious. Not that I would letthemknow that now. “No. Of course I wouldn’t do that. I was just… kidding.” Dammit, why wasn’t I a better liar? I used to be an excellent liar… when I was high. I bit my tongue.
I would figure something out with Olivia, even if I had to pay Seth double time to get him to cover for me. Although, that still wouldn’t solve the problem completely… how would I find the time to bake?
I took a deep breath, Ronnie’s words from earlier this week ringing in my ears. This was just the learning curve. “I could, uh, maybe set up her pack n’ play down here while I bake?”
Mr. Murphy’s eyes narrowed. “You can keep an eye on herandbake, all at the same time?”
I wanted to say yes, but I wasn’t sure. I’d never tried to watch a baby while baking before. This was totally new territory for me.
“Hey, I don’t have any personal training clients next Monday,” Ronnie cut in. “I could help out. Watch her for the morning.”
My eyes widened and I felt the tightness in my chest release. “Yeah?” I looked to the Murphys for confirmation. “Would that be okay?”
Mrs. Murphy smiled, tilting her head. “She’s your daughter. It’s your call.”
Mr. Murphy’s face softened as he glanced at Maddie. “Looks like she’s got experience with children.”
Ronnie wrapped her arms around Maddie. “Just a touch,” she said with a wink. “I hope you’re doing something fun on Monday,” Ronnie added.
Mr. Murphy snorted a noise that sort of sounded likeharrumph. “Hardly.”
“Sarah’s still in county jail,” Mrs. Murphy said quietly, her hand resting gently on her husband’s arm. “We’re meeting with her legal team and our bank Monday to see if we can take out a second mortgage on the house to make bail and cover her legal fees. Right now, she just has a public defender, and I think we all know how bad that can turn out.”
“A public defender is what she deserves,” Mr. Murphy said. “Maybe she could use a little more tough love.”
I suppressed the shiver that rolled down my spine. It was the first time that I saw a glimpse of my own parents’ behavior in the Murphys. Not that I didn’t understand… I did. Sarah had let them down over and over again, and he didn’t trust her.
“Her bail was set at ten thousand, right?” I asked.
Mr. Murphy sighed and nodded. “The highest bail yet,” he grumbled.
