Page 71 of Baby Blue
Blue ripped open the envelope and pulled out two pieces of cardboard. “You know what this means!” he bellowed.
“You passed!” Anne shouted. It was his third ASE certification, and the gold seal on the bottom of the certificate glittered in the sunlight. Wentworth had paid for one, but Blue had the money to take a couple more, and it had paid off. That meant he’d get a master certification, and he’d be even more valuable to them. She was smiling the biggest smile he thought he’d ever seen.
“Yes! Yes, yes, yes! We need to celebrate. How would you guys like to ride the boats at the park?” he asked the kids and they started to scream and jump up and down.
“I’m so proud of you,” Anne said while the kids shrieked and chattered. She grabbed him around the waist and gave him a huge kiss. In seconds, both kids wrapped their arms around Blue and Anne and they all laughed and hugged. The baby gurgled and laughed, and Blue picked her up and held her up in the air, laughing at her and watching her chew her fist and giggle.
They gathered everything up and headed out the door just in time to see a car pull into Blue’s driveway next door. “Who’s that?” Anne asked and pointed.
“I don’t know. Hang on. Let me go check.” Blue climbed out of the van he’d bought for all of them to use and started across the yard. When the car door opened and the woman got out, Blue’s knees went weak with fear.
It was Cindy.
His mind screamed,What the hell?He couldn’t imagine what she wanted, but it couldn’t be good. “Cindy?”
“Blue!” She started toward him, arms outstretched, and he stood stock still and let her hug him. He didn’t hug her back?he didn’t want to hug her at all, and he really didn’t want her hugging him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Blue. I’m so sorry for what I did. I really am. Where’s Indie?”
Blue pointed to the van. “We were getting ready to go out. What do you want?”
Cindy looked surprised that he’d ask her that. “I came to get her. I’m back in town now, and I’ll just take her back.”
For a split second, Blue thought he was having a heart attack. But that second was all it took for him to go from terrified to pissed off. “Take her back? What, you think she’s like a sweater you left at a friend’s house?”
Cindy cocked a hip and folded her arms across her chest. “Look, I know I shouldn’t have left her with you, but I was going to California with Derek and he doesn’t like kids. But we’re not together anymore, so I thought I’d…”
“No. You can think whatever you like, but you’re not taking her.”
She gave him a curious look. “And you’ve suddenly become a daddy?”
“Suddenly?” Blue yelled. “Suddenly? She’s been with me for six months, Cindy. She’s saying da-da and pulling up and trying to walk. She’s happy and healthy. And you think you’ll just waltz in here and take her back? I don’t think so.” Blue turned to walk away.
“I can get her back, you know. All I have to do is ask the court and they’ll give her right back.”
Blue turned to look at her, his face burning. “Oh, yeah? Well, you try it. Just go ahead. I’ll fight you for her until I draw my last breath.”
He heard a sound behind him. “Brent? What’s going on?”
Reaching for Anne’s hand, he pointed at Cindy. “This is Cindy. The woman who left a baby in a basket on my doorstep when she didn’t even know if I was home or not. She wants her baby back. And I’m thinking I’m not giving up that easily.”
“You can’t do that,” Anne yelled at Cindy. “Brent won’t let you do that. Tell her, babe.”
“You’re not getting my daughter,” Blue spat. “Over my dead body.”
“I’d hoped you wouldn’t be like this. Really? You want to raise a baby?”’
“I’vebeenraising a baby, and I love her. I love her a whole lot more than you ever did,” Blue said through gritted teeth. He turned to Anne and squeezed her hand. “Come on, honey. We’re going.” Glancing back at Cindy, he said, “Good luck, bitch. You’re not getting my child.” Then he stormed across the lawn, almost dragging Anne behind him.
“What’s going on, Blue? Who is that lady?” Polly asked, crying. “Who is she?”
“She’s nobody, sweetie. Nobody at all.” Blue started the van and slipped it into reverse as he watched Cindy standing in the yard, glaring at him.
As he drove toward the park, Anne took his hand and squeezed it, but it didn’t make him feel one bit better. After the first three months, he’d figured Cindy would never be back. And now, when his life was in order and things were going well, she showed up out of the blue to ruin everything. Could she manage to do that?
He was terrified that she could. He said nothing as he drove, and the kids were silent. One look at Anne and he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. She loved Indigo too, and she was as scared as he was. As soon as he parked the van in the park, he opened the side door and stood there, taking in the sight of thetwo frightened children and the baby who had no idea what was going on. She blew a spit bubble and yelled, “Ba-ba-ba!”
