Big Girls Don’t Cry (Dundee, Idaho #6)(75)
Author: Brenda Novak

She was tempted to be angry with him for going against her wishes. She’d been very clear that she didn’t want him in her children’s lives. But she had to admit that was pretty much a moot point now. “I guess it’s okay. Given the situation, there’s not much danger anymore,” she said.

“The situation?” he repeated.

“You’ll be gone in three weeks. I’m sure they can’t get too attached in that short a time.”

When their eyes met again, Reenie had to admit that she’d gotten pretty damn attached—and in a much shorter time than she wanted to acknowledge.

“So you’re backing off, Reenie?” he said softly. “Already?”

Isabella began to stir. Reenie moved close and pressed a hand to her cheek instead of answering. “She is warm. I’ll have to get a sub for today.”

“Do I have to get up, Mommy?” her daughter murmured, her little rosebud mouth stretching in a yawn.

“No, honey. You’re going to stay home with me until you feel better. Isaac will put you back to bed, okay?”

“I don’t want to go to bed,” she said.

“Would you like something to eat?”

“No.” She snuggled against Isaac’s chest and closed her eyes again. “I’ll just stay right here.”

Reenie couldn’t blame her. She wanted to be in Isaac’s lap herself. She wanted to cry and beg him not to leave her. But she knew better than to give in to that impulse. If Isaac didn’t know what they had, if he didn’t value their relationship, nothing she could say would make any difference.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Isaac said.

Reenie continued to stroke her daughter’s soft cheek. “What question was that?”

“Are you backing off?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

The doorbell rang.

“Who could that be?” he asked.

“This early, it has to be Keith.” She looked down the hall, out the back window, in the kitchen, wondering how she was going to hide Isaac.

“I’ll put her to bed and slip out the back,” Isaac said, making the decision for her.

Fortunately, Isabella’s eyes remained closed. Either she was too comfortable to move, or she’d fallen back asleep.

As Isaac hurried down the hall, Reenie went to the door.

Surprisingly, her visitor wasn’t Keith. It was a neighbor, Elzina Brown.

“Hi, Elzina,” she said. “What brings you by so early?”

Elzina was young for her sixty-something years. She generally wore blue jeans and boots and Southwestern jewelry, with her long gray hair pulled back into an attractive chignon. “Sorry to bother you, Reenie,” she said. “I was just hoping you could ask Isaac to move his truck.”

“What?” Reenie said.

“He parked over at my place. But Jon Small and his brother are coming to cut down the dead limbs on some trees, and I’d hate for anything to fall on his vehicle.”

“I see.” Reenie swallowed hard. “But what makes you think he’s here?”

With a wink, Elzina pulled on a pair of leather work gloves and started toward her own truck. “Where else would he be? He comes here ’most every night, doesn’t he?”

Reenie wasn’t sure how to respond, except to be completely honest. “Elzina, I’d rather no one else found out.”

“Well, your secret’s safe with me,” she said sympathetically. “Just have Isaac hurry, before they show up.”

“I will,” she said. But Isaac was already gone when she went to find him. And she had no way to reach him until he got home.

She put the eggs in the refrigerator, hoping and praying he’d slipped away in time. But her phone rang a few minutes later. It was Elzina again. She said Isaac had jogged up after Jon arrived—five minutes too late.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

REENIE PASSED THE next week and a half dodging personal questions and meaningful grins from almost everyone she saw—especially Guy, Beth, Deborah and everyone else who worked at the high school. Her own brother shook his head when he saw her on his way to football practice. Earl down at the feed store grinned knowingly when she stopped by to pick up more chicken scratch. Judy at Jerry’s Diner asked how she and Isaac were getting along. Shirley at the Gas-N-Go said they made a handsome couple and wanted to know what Liz thought of the whole thing. Even Jennifer asked if Isaac was Reenie’s boyfriend.

But Keith didn’t call and harass her as she’d anticipated. When he came to pick up the girls for the weekend, he acted smug, as if he’d been right about her and Isaac all along. But he also seemed content to bide his time. Reenie understood why. He believed he’d have another shot at a relationship with her once Isaac left—and she didn’t disabuse him of the notion. She was dealing with enough already. For the same reason, she rescheduled her brunch with Liz until the following week. Then she focused on her children and her work while waiting for the gossip to die down.

To help combat the sudden deluge of outside interest, she refused to see Isaac. Angry that she’d landed herself in another no-win situation—especially since she’d known from the start what to expect—she was determined not to let his imminent departure upset her routine or ruin her life.

When the next Sunday rolled around, Reenie still didn’t feel up to seeing Liz. But it had taken courage for Liz to call, and Reenie was afraid Isaac’s sister wouldn’t reach out to her a second time if she postponed the meeting again.

So, taking more care with her appearance than usual—she curled her hair and tried on several different outfits before settling on a pair of black pin-striped slacks and a white blouse—she got ready to meet Isaac’s sister. Then she loaded the girls in the van and drove over to the Running Y.

When he developed the resort four or five years ago, Conner Armstrong had built a beautiful, walnut-colored lodge. The inside smelled of expensive potpourri and gleamed with polish. The restaurant, located to the left of the main set of doors, next to the gift shop, branched off an expansive lobby with a rock fireplace, antler lighting fixtures and slate floors covered with Navajo rugs.

Generally, Reenie liked to come to the resort. She enjoyed the Southwestern flavor of the artwork and furniture, and the food at the restaurant was always good. Today, however, she would rather have been anywhere else. Especially when she saw Liz and her two children already seated at a table, waiting for them.