Mommy Wanted. Renee Andrews

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СКАЧАТЬ growing up that she often saw in commercials or on paintings, where the little apron-clad girl stood on a chair beside her mom and poured the chocolate chips into the cookie batter. Her stepmom hadn’t liked the kids in the kitchen, so Kate’s first attempts at cooking hadn’t occurred until she was in her first apartment. Assisting Annette Tingle in the kitchen touched her heart, and again, she found herself swallowing past tears. Wouldn’t it be something if she could help her own little girl make cookies one day?

      By the time Annette joined her with a breakfast casserole and another large bowl labeled Potato Soup, Kate had harnessed her emotions, defrosted the soup and corn bread and was moving on to the pie.

      “We’ll just defrost the pie and leave it that way for him to put in and heat up a piece at a time. But the soup and corn bread we’ll go ahead and heat so it’s ready to go,” Annette said, taking the other frozen items in her hand with her to a set of side shelves organized with plates, cups, utensils and a couple of picnic baskets. She brought the largest basket to the table, placed the potato soup and casserole in the bottom and then situated several red-and-white-checked fabric napkins over them. “We’ll put the heated things on top, and you can let him know to put the food for tomorrow in his fridge.” She smiled. “That’ll help him out a bit. He’s such a sweet man and a great daddy to his girls. I’m sure you will enjoy working for him, too.”

      Kate continued heating the food for tonight but found the courage to ask what she wanted to know most. “You said he takes care of the girls all by himself?” She attempted to sound nonchalant. She remembered meeting the pretty lady who had been Mitch’s wife three years ago, though she couldn’t recall her name. And she also remembered that the two had appeared very much in love and absolutely thrilled with their little baby. Dee.

      “Oh, yes,” Annette said, placing the pie in the basket and putting more napkins around it while making room for the soup and corn bread. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking that you wouldn’t know. I’m sure Mitch wouldn’t mind me telling you since you’ll find out soon enough working for him and all. He’s a widower, poor dear. His sweet wife, Jana, had breast cancer, and it got really bad when she was carrying little Emmie. She wouldn’t have treatments while she was pregnant because she was afraid, you know, chemo and radiation might hurt the baby.”

      “But you can be treated while you’re pregnant,” Kate said. She didn’t explain why she knew. Luckily, the lady didn’t ask.

      “Oh, I know. That’s what they told Jana and Mitch, but she was so afraid that it might hurt the baby that she didn’t want to risk it. You know, they’re always finding out new things, and she didn’t want to be treated and then find out later that they just didn’t realize it’d hurt Emmie.”

      “And the cancer got worse?” Kate guessed.

      Annette pulled the steaming soup from the microwave and put it on top of the napkins in the basket. “By the time Emmie came, there wasn’t any chance of survival. Jana lived a couple of weeks after the baby was born.”

      Kate’s stomach pitched. A year ago, she’d thought that she wouldn’t have the chance to ever see her little girl. Mitch’s wife had barely met Emmie before she died. “That had to be so hard for him.”

      “It was hard on him and on the whole town really,” she said. “Everyone loved Jana. Her family has lived in this town for as long as I can remember. And everyone loves Mitch.” She placed the corn bread in the basket and closed the lid, then winked at Kate. “We all try to take care of him and those girls. That’s the way this town is, you know. Everyone is like family.”

      Kate nodded, remembering Chad trying to sell her on the move to Claremont by saying that very thing. And remembering how she’d stayed here only a few days before leaving him, the town he loved and her baby girl behind.

      “So would you mind taking this over to him?” Annette asked. “And I’ll finish getting those other rooms ready for our guests.”

      “I’m happy to do it,” Kate said, meaning every word.

      * * *

      Mitch poured apple juice into Dee’s sippy cup and handed it to her while he looked at the bare shelves of his refrigerator. He had eggs, so he could scramble some for dinner. That should be easy enough on Emmie’s stomach. But then if he cooked those tonight, what would they have for breakfast in the morning?

      “Daddy, I’m hungry,” Dee said, echoing his problem.

      “How about an apple to hold you over until I can get something fixed for dinner?” He plucked one out of the fruit bowl.

      She frowned. “I want green this time,” she said, then added, “please.”

      Mitch returned the Red Delicious and retrieved a Granny Smith apple from the bowl. Lately he’d noticed her voicing her opinions and making more decisions on her own, displaying the independence and confidence that he’d always admired in her mom. He couldn’t be more proud. “One green apple coming up.”

      “Thanks, Daddy.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      She watched as he sliced the apple, put it on her Dora the Explorer plate and placed it in front of her at the kitchen table. Emmie had been asleep ever since they got home, but he expected her to wake soon. She’d be hungry and thirsty, and he wanted to make sure he was prepared.

      “Maybe I’ll go ahead and have some eggs ready for when Emmie wakes up,” he said to Dee.

      Dee, chomping happily on her apple, nodded. “Yep, that’ll be good. You want to play a game while she’s still asleep?”

      “Sure.” He’d kind of hoped she would forget the game promise for a while, at least until he got a few of those policies checked out, but he didn’t want to let her down, and playing while Emmie was asleep was probably the best route to take, since Emmie would undoubtedly not want to leave his arms once she woke. Which would also make it impossible for him to get his work done.

      Help me out, here, Lord. You know I need it.

      Mitch almost didn’t hear the tiny tap from the front of the house, but Dee did.

      “Someone’s here,” she said, abandoning the apple and crawling off her seat to run toward the front of the house. She was probably hoping it was one of her friends coming to play. Mandy and Daniel Brantley occasionally brought Kaden over, and Chad and Jessica Martin visited every now and then with Lainey. But the majority of Dee’s friends were out of town with their families. Mitch had considered letting the girls go along with their grandparents on the family trip, but he simply hadn’t wanted to part with them for that long. Now, with Emmie’s sickness, he was glad he’d kept them home. But somehow, he’d need to find a way to combat Dee’s boredom with their current situation. Maybe whoever was at the door would help.

      By the time he got to the foyer, Dee had already started reaching for the doorknob. Naturally, it was locked, but even so, he wanted her to remember the rule. “Wait, sweetie. Daddy needs to open the door, remember?”

      “Okay.” She’d already moved to the sidelight, pulled the skinny curtain aside and peered out. “Hey! It’s Miss Kate!”

      At the sound of Kate’s name, Mitch realized that he’d actually hoped to see her again tonight. He’d planned to call her and let her know he’d talked to her references, but telling her in person would be better. He didn’t know why he felt СКАЧАТЬ