“You take care, and let me know if Jess troubles you. I’ll talk to her.” Maggie hugged her.
Lena managed not to wince when her shirt was pressed against her skin. The pain was worth knowing Maggie wasn’t kicking her out.
Chapter Five
The clock on Lena’s car had given up long ago, and its perpetual five-to-twelve status was more a comment on the general state of the vehicle and maybe even Lena’s life. The urge to dig out the cell phone from her bag was strong, but Lena resisted. She couldn’t drive any faster anyway because she couldn’t risk a ticket. That wasn’t in her budget for this month. Or any month.
As she didn’t plan to stop for long, she parked in front of the driveway instead of maneuvering into her spot. She jumped out of the car, clutching her backpack in one hand and the keys in the other. Her mind was already three steps ahead. Shower and change before she hurried off to her next job.
“What do you think you’re doing?” The harsh voice interrupted her thoughts.
Lena flinched and froze.
Jess stood in front of the gate with both hands on her hips, blocking her entrance. She scowled at Lena with those bright eyes that were still beautiful despite the icy glare. In black jeans and a slate-gray sweater, she made an imposing figure next to the sleek gray-and-white stroller.
For four days she had been able to avoid Jess, but today her streak of bad luck continued. It had started with a visitor at the farmers market knocking over her display of preserves. Only two glasses had broken, but she’d been covered in sticky fruit and sugar. Then she must have given someone the wrong change, because she’d ended up ten dollars short at the end of the day. Counting everything thrice had made her late, and she didn’t have time to accommodate Jess’s mood. “Just parking for a moment.”
“You can’t park that piece of garbage here.” Jess pointed to her car.
Garbage? That was a harsh assessment. True, the car had doors in two different colors, neither matching the faded beige of the body, and rust spots that looked like a contagious disease. But it worked fine most days. But that wasn’t the point here.
“Do you need to leave now?” Lena raised her hand with the key in an apologetic gesture. “I’m sorry, but I only need twenty minutes. I’m home to change for my other job and—”
“I don’t care about the organizational deficits of your day. You can’t park there. If you leave the car there, I’ll call a tow service to have it removed.” Red blotches appeared on Jess’s cheeks, and a drop of sweat formed on her temple, but her hard gaze was unwavering.
“Tow service?” The nerve of this woman! Lena clenched her jaws to stop herself from blurting out what she really thought. Jess made it difficult for her to honor her promise to Maggie to be patient. “Okay, if you insist, I’ll park on the other side of the street.” Lena didn’t want to believe her threat was serious, but she didn’t intend to test the theory.
“I insist.” Jess’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and a muscle in her jaw twitched.
Back in her car, Lena risked a glance at the cell phone. She had lost more minutes than anticipated; there was barely enough time to shower and change. Washing her hair would be out of the question. A granola bar in the car would have to be enough to get her through the afternoon shift at the café.
She sincerely hoped her patience helped Jess on her way to recovery. The sooner she got well, the sooner she would be able to return to her own home.
“Tammy!” Lena woke and almost fell in her haste to get out of bed. In the precious seconds it took to untangle her legs from the sheets, her baby sister’s cries urged her to hurry as her heart nearly burst out of her chest.
Then reality hit her with the force of a car accident.
Tammy wasn’t here. Tammy would never be here again. Tammy didn’t need her anymore. Don’t go there!
Freed of the sheets, Lena fell back onto the bed. “Just a dream.” Her voice was hoarse. And why did she whisper? She was alone, as she had been for the last ten years.
She tossed and turned but couldn’t find a comfortable position to fall back asleep. The bed was softer and wider than the cot in Tammy’s room had been, but she would exchange all the comfort in the world to hear the soft breathing of her baby sister.
No way would she be able to sleep anytime soon with the memory of Tammy buzzing through her mind like a swarm of bees.
She glanced at the alarm on her nightstand. Three. Ugh, way too early to start the day. Maybe tea would help her relax again. She got up without bothering with the light. The smooth hardwood floor beneath her bare feet was solid and reminded her of her grandma’s house.
As she filled the kettle, another cry pierced the silence. Not a dream but a real baby’s cry had woken her. Oh, of course. Jess’s daughter. But why could Ella be heard all the way through the garden? During the last week, she had barely noticed the presence of a newborn baby in the main house.
She left the half-filled kettle in the sink and stepped closer to the kitchen window. A cool breeze had replaced the warmth of the evening and carried scents of summer flowers through the open window.
The light of a full moon cast long shadows between the trees and flowerbeds and transformed the night into a magical black-and-white world. Someone moved on the far side of the garden, the direction the cries came from.
As the bulky figure got closer, Lena could discern Jess and her daughter in a baby carrier she
