Baby On His Hollywood Doorstep. Lauri Robinson

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       Chapter Five

      Helen couldn’t move, not even breathe. Her entire life had been full of not saying a word one way or the other. And she’d been pretending Grace was her baby. Right down to her heart. Right from the beginning.

      Then her heart began to pound, her mind spun, but it wasn’t all because of her, or Grace. It was because of him. She could relate to his predicament. She didn’t know anything about making a movie, had only seen a couple in her entire life, but she could relate to being put in a situation without any control or any way out. He wasn’t seeking a way out, just some time to get things in order, so he could take care of Grace.

      “You and Grace can stay at my apartment,” he said. “I’ll pay for everything. Milk, food, clothes.”

      Could she do it? Take care of Grace for another eight weeks? That part would be easy. No different from what she had already been doing. Others had helped her during her desperation, despite the dangers that may have put them in. Especially Mr. and Mrs. Amery. They’d let her live above their grocery store, brought in a doctor for Vera.

      Maybe this was her chance. A chance to see if she had gotten far enough away. The thrill that stirred in her stomach surprised her, as did how fast she made up her mind. “That won’t be necessary. Julia said Grace and I could stay with her.”

      The look of surprise on his face made her lips tremble. They wanted to smile. She wanted to smile.

      A twinkle sparked in his eyes and a dimple formed in one of his cheeks as a grin formed. “You mean you’ll help me?”

      “Yes. I’ll stay. Take care of Grace for eight weeks.”

      He grimaced slightly. “Maybe nine? Depending on how filming goes?”

      Her smile broke free, but she was able to contain the rest of the emotions fluttering in her stomach. “We’ll see. I can’t promise how long Julia will need a dishwasher.”

      He frowned. “A dishwasher?”

      “Yes, she offered room and board in exchange for washing dishes.” Julia had said the deal still stood, and Helen sincerely hoped it would last for at least eight weeks.

      “How will you be able to take care of Grace while washing dishes?”

      “I’ll manage just fine.” Now that her mind was made up, she was anxious to get settled. An excited anxious, which hadn’t happened in some time. Securing her hold on Grace, Helen stood. “This little girl will need to eat soon.”

      “I found the can opener,” he said while walking toward his desk. “But wasn’t sure if I should open the milk or not.”

      “I’ll feed her at Julia’s and get her settled in for the night.”

      He glanced at his watch. “The diner is already closed for the night. I’ll walk you over to the house.” He picked up the bag and nodded toward the door.

      The diner was only across the street, yet she didn’t protest his offer.

      He shut off the office light and walked beside her down the long hallway. “We start filming first thing in the morning, but I’ll make time to get to the bank.”

      Money was a necessity, she’d understood that for years. It was that it was earned fairly that she was concerned about. “I won’t accept money from you for taking care of Grace, but I will accept a case of canned milk for her, and more when that’s gone. That’s all we’ll need.”

      He looked at her quizzically, but didn’t respond as they crossed the front room of the studio. At the door, he opened it, waited for her to step outside and then shut off the light. He also locked the door after closing it.

      She didn’t know what time it was, but darkness had settled, the street quiet. So quiet it echoed in her ears.

      A moment later, her steps faltered as a shiver rippled her spine. “What was that?” she asked, referring to a strange sound. Like a yip and then faint howl from a dog.

      “Haven’t you ever heard a coyote before?”