Forever Hers by Walters, Ednah (new ebook reader .TXT) 📗

writer just like you, so I never ever leave the house.”

Amy’s heart squeezed. She hoped Raelynn would become more secure and confident, that the ugliness she’d been exposed to in her young life would be replaced by beautiful memories. Her daughter had made so much progress the last few months, but from her refusal to meet Eddie, they still had a long way to go.

“I don’t know what Mr. Eddie does for a living, sweetie, but I’m sure whatever it is, he’s very good at it. Hey, how about we make him some fresh lemonade so he can work faster on the boat? We haven’t checked on the eagles in weeks.”

“Yeah!”

They finished with the dishes and were in the middle of making lemonade when the doorbell dinged. Leaving Raelynn stirring the pitcher, Amy went to answer the door.

“Lauren.” They hugged. “Since when do you ring the doorbell?”

“Since you have a guest,” Lauren whispered, then glanced past Amy and looked around. “Where is he? Did you two work things out?”

“Oh yes. Come on in. He won’t bite. He’s actually in the back working on the boat.” Amy led the way to the kitchen.

“Aunt Lauren!” Raelynn yelled, almost tripping as she stepped down from the stool and ran to give Lauren a hug.

“Whoa, munchkin.” Lauren squatted to give the little girl a hug, a major feat in her high-heels and pencil skirt suit. “You’ve grown since I last saw you.”

“I have?”

“Of course you have. See?” She touched Raelynn’s head then hers. “You’re almost as tall as me.”

“You’re silly.” Raelynn grabbed Lauren’s hand and tugged. “We’re making lemonade for Mr. Eddie. Mom said it’s the best we’ve ever made. We added fresh mint leaves from our mint bush.”

“Mr. Eddie?” Lauren asked, glancing over her shoulder at Amy.

Amy shrugged. “Fitzgerald is a bit mouthy.”

Raelynn climbed back on the stool and the three of them looked outside. Eddie was removing his shirt, muscles moving in perfect motion. He threw the shirt on the seat and looked toward the house as though he knew he was being watched. He reached into his pocket, retrieved a pair of sunglasses, and put them on.

“Holy crap on a cracker,” Lauren murmured then she made eye contact with Amy and fanned herself.

Amy shrugged and faked indifference.

“I guess the Fitzgeralds are blessed with some amazing genes,” Lauren added in a breathless voice. “I thought Baron was something, but this…”

Amy grinned. “So are you going to introduce yourself or just stand here and ogle?”

Lauren touched her hair. “How do I look?”

The combination of her pitch black, waist-length hair, porcelain skin and gray-blue eyes was striking. Suddenly, Amy was aware her unflattering cut-offs and tank top. She tugged at the top.

“You look amazing, Lauren.”

She glanced outside and a feral smile curled her dark-red lips. “Sometimes a girl has to pack a lot more than looks, Amy. I’ll be back in a few.”

Amy watched Lauren pick her way down the stone path to the pier. The sound of her heels on the wooden surface must have alerted Eddie because he looked up. He stepped off the boat, wiped his hand on a rag and shook Lauren’s hand. Within minutes, their laughter reached the house. What were they talking about? If only she could eavesdrop on their conversation. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Amy stepped away from the window. She was being ridiculous. Their conversation was none of her business.

Amy put the pitcher of lemonade in the fridge then turned to her daughter with a broad grin. “Well, sweetie. Where do you want to visit this morning? Sand-o-ville?”

The previous owners had grandchildren and had gone a little overboard creating a sandpit by the pier. It was Raelynn’s favorite play place, but her daughter shook her head this morning, her thumb slipping into her mouth.

Amy frowned. Raelynn had stopped sucking her thumb weeks ago. Her pediatrician had said it calmed her down, but it was bad for her growing teeth. Amy gently tugged the hand away from Raelynn’s mouth.

“How about a brief visit to the Crayon-a-castle?” Her tiny coloring desk, shaped like a castle, sat a few feet away from Amy’s workstation in the living room.

Raelynn shook her head again, blonde curls whipping around her tiny ears.

Maybe they could read together. She had turned the corner of Raelynn’s room into a reading and play area with a large bean bag, stuffed animals, toys and cute racks for books. Whenever her daughter was indoors, that was where she disappeared to.

Amy placed a hand on her ear and pretended she was hearing sounds from a distance. “I think I hear the citizens of Read-a-kingdom calling for their princess?”

“No. TV-land.”

“TV-land? That’s so boring.”

A mutinous expression settled on Raelynn’s face. “I want to watch TV.”

It was going to be one of those days. “Okay. One episode of Sesame Street.”

Raelynn ran to the study, leaving Amy in the kitchen. The weather was too beautiful for her daughter to be indoors, but short of forcing her to go outside and play, there was nothing Amy could do. Somehow, she must find a way to convince her Eddie was not Nolan. Otherwise she’d be running two households, one for their guest and the other for her and her daughter. She’d tried it with Baron and Kara and it didn’t work.

Outside, Lauren and Eddie were still talking and laughing. Ignoring them, Amy finished the dishes and pans, wiped down the surfaces then went to clean the patio table. She noticed a few shards of glass she’d missed earlier when she’d swept the broken light bulbs. Raelynn and the neighbors’ kids walked around the patio in their bare feet and the last thing she wanted was a trip to the ER.

Damned burglars. They’d better not come back again.

Amy was sweeping the patio again when Lauren came up behind her and grabbed her arm. “We need to talk.”

“What’s going on?” Amy asked.

“Inside,” Lauren whispered. As soon as they closed the door behind them, she gave Amy a conspirator’s grin. “So?”

Amy cocked her brow.