Chapter 5: Chapter 5

ANDIE

Andie pulled up to Eli’s home, but no one was there yet. She put the car in park and shook her head, remembering she needed to change the oil, spark plugs, and wires.

She shut the car off, grabbed a sticky note and pen, then began to make a list of things she needed to do. She definitely needed oil, a filter, spark plugs, and wires before going home today.

The gutters needed to be cleaned out at her house, the leaky faucet had to be replaced at the bakery, and both the lawn at home and at the bakery needed mowing.

A few of the bakery’s tables would have to be tightened to their bases, and the toilet required a new valve inside the tank.

She had to open up tomorrow because she needed to bake; it would relax her. She began to make a list of everything she would bake once the will was read and she could go home.

She glanced up and realized people were finally showing up. She got out of the car, grabbed the diaper bags, and then Lucy.

She unhooked Lily’s car seat, set it down next to the car, removed the base from the car, then picked Lily up in the carrier. She headed up to the house, then sat Lily down and opened the door.

She shut the door with her foot, juggling everything as she did. No one offered to help her, not that she expected it, nor did she expect the sexy, well-dressed cowboy to come sauntering over to her.

“Here, Andie, let me take Lucy.” Eli didn’t give her a chance to refuse. He pulled Lucy from her arm, but she was a little grateful.

She took Lily out of the carrier and moved the carrier and base out of the way.

“So, when are we doing the will?” She looked up into Eli’s eyes and wished she wouldn’t have. They were so yellow at the moment that they sent a shiver down her spine.

“After we eat,” Eli answered, putting his hand on the small of her back, a little firmer than he had at the church.

The warmth spread across her body. She wanted to lean closer to him, but she knew she couldn’t. His scent was already wafting through her nose.

He led her to the kitchen, where he got food for her, grabbed two extra plates, and took her out on the empty balcony deck.

He placed the food on one of the chairs as she sat in the other one. “Do you have that blanket still?”

She began to dig in one of the bags and pulled it out.

He took it from her and managed to spread it out. He sat Lucy down on it and grabbed the two empty plates. “Snacks for the kids?” his deep voice rumbled.

Andie sat Lily down on the blanket and pulled out the Cheerios and Puffs. “Lucy likes the Cheerios only, and I’m sure you know Lily likes the strawberry Puffs.”

He smiled at her and took the plastic baggies. He poured some Cheerios for Lucy and the Puffs for Lily.

Andie smiled, but it faded when she realized she was going to lose Lily after today. She’d never have to watch her again. Eli would take care of everything from now on.

Lucy and Lily would more than likely lose each other until they began school. She felt a nudge against her shoulder, and she looked up to see Eli handing her the plate with food. She took it but only nibbled at it.

“Come on, Andie, you’ve got to eat,” he encouraged with a stern tone.

How did he do that? she wondered. And why did it make her feel almost tingly, even though she didn’t agree with him? She wasn’t hungry, hadn’t been since she had run from the cold room and gotten sick.

She only nibbled at the food as her eyes watched Lucy and Lily carefully.

ELI

Eli sat on the deck floor beside the girls as they ate. His gaze would flick to Andie every now and then. She still hadn’t eaten much.

He heard the door slide open behind him, and he looked back to see his dad standing there.

“We were wondering where you ran off to. Everyone’s left, for the most part. The lawyer is

ready.”

“Okay, let us get the girls cleaned up, and we’ll be in in a minute.” He checked that the girls were finished with their snacks and scooped Lucy up while Andie took Lily.

Hopefully, one day he’d be able to hold his niece again. He leaned down to get the blanket, throwing it over his shoulder, and made his way to the door.

As they walked in, they threw the plates away, and he laid his hand against her back more firmly than he had the last two times.

She was warming up to him slowly, and he was pushing to find out how much warmer he could get her. He moved her toward the den where they would be having the meeting.

He had brought in an oval table with a chair at the head for the lawyer, four on the one side for his and Candice’s parents, and two on the other for Andie and himself.

He pulled one of the chairs back and gestured for Andie to sit. Once she did, he pushed her back up to the table. He sat down beside her.

ANDIE

Andie kept her gaze down at the table, looking at all the rings the wood had designed all by itself. She felt the eyes of Rose, Bruce, Maisy, and Todd all on her.

Her heart was pounding. She didn’t have the right to be here.

Lily suddenly squealed and pushed her fingers into Andie’s mouth. Andie pulled them away, turned her toward the table, and went to reach for one of her toys out of the diaper bag.

She handed the toy to Lily as the lawyer cleared his throat. Andie glanced up. The man looked so young but had a full head of pure white hair. He had pretty deep-blue eyes and was in a snazzy gray suit.

“All right, are we ready to begin?” he asked.

Everyone but Andie answered.

“Okay, well, they wanted their possessions divided between the family. Mr. and Mrs. Cameron and Elijah Joseph Cameron, you can divide Caleb’s things among you as you see fit.

“Mr. and Mrs. Howell, you get all of Candice’s personal possessions. I’ve been informed that Andrea Nicole Malone gets to decide what she wants of Candice’s things, and everyone agrees to that, correct?”

His sharp eyes darted around to look at everyone, who all nodded their heads in agreement.

Andie turned her eyes back to the little girl on her lap, who was now chewing on the toy.

This was it. She rubbed her thumb in a circular motion against Lily’s chunky thigh. She could already feel her heart breaking.

“Now, the most important part. Everyone in this room has a connection to Lillian Nicole Cameron—an uncle, grandparents, and a friend of the mother who watched her quite a bit.

“I understand she has been with Andrea Nicole Malone for the past few days due to the circumstances and trying to figure everything out.” He paused as his eyes flew over the will.

“And the arrangement will remain as is. Candice and Caleb talked to me long and hard about this. They thought it through the minute they discovered they were going to have a baby.

“In the event that something should happen to them at the same time, the custody of Lillian Nicole Cameron would go to Andrea Nicole Malone, the child’s godmother.”

Andie’s head snapped up to look at the lawyer just as Eli jerked out of the chair so hard and fast it sent the chair flying behind him, creating a hole in the drywall.

“How the fuck is that even possible? She’s not even blood to Lily!” he yelled so loud it almost shook the house.

Andie sat there for a moment in shock until Lucy began to scream and cry. She stood up. “Eli, give me Lucy, now.” Her voice was pure ice.

How dare the man scare her daughter. She was actually surprised he kept ahold of Lucy during his dramatic scene.

He seemed to ignore her. “She’s already a single mom with a ten-month-old. How the hell is she supposed to take care of an eight-month-old also?” Eli demanded, slamming his fist down on the table.

“Lily should be with family. I’m at least her uncle.”

That did it for Andie. She grabbed the diaper bags and pulled Lucy from him. “Maybe they knew you would be too hot-headed to take care of a child.”

Andie glared at him as he looked at her, his eyes flaming with anger. She tried to soothe Lucy when Lily suddenly began to cry.

“You can’t take care of two kids that close in age by yourself,” he yelled at her.

“Elijah!” Maisy tried to interject.

“At least I won’t send things flying into a wall, scaring the kids I will be taking care of. And I will do it by myself, and no hot-headed, arrogant jerk will tell me otherwise!

“You don’t know me well enough to tell me what I can and can’t do or how determined I can and will be.” She turned from the table and began to leave.

“The only thing I want of Candice’s is the framed photos of us on the days we gave birth to our daughters. Just mail it to me, asshat.”

Andie’s blood was boiling. How dare that man try to tell her what she could and couldn’t do. She would never let another man bring her down like that.

It wasn’t like she was thrilled to have two babies in her care, but by God, she would uphold her best friend and her husband’s request. She bounced both girls, trying to calm them down.

And to think she was just starting to trust Elijah Cameron after his stupid apology, which meant absolutely nothing, and when he told her he didn’t feel the same as others around there.

Never trust a man. She rushed to the living room, sat a crying Lucy by her feet, and managed to get Lily calm enough to buckle her in the carrier.

She picked up Lucy, trying to get her to calm down also. Then she picked up the carrier and turned around, freezing when she saw those russet eyes on her.

“Andie, you know this isn’t fair to you.”

“Oh well, it is what it is, and I’ll do it. Candice and Caleb wanted this, and until you get your head out of your ass and your temper under control, you won’t be around my daughter or Lily.

“Lily’s going through enough as it is.” She stormed past Eli.

He stepped in front of her as she walked past him.

She glared at him. “Move out of my way.”

“Let me help.”

“No.” She moved around him and continued down the hallway. She managed to grab the base for Lily’s carrier and opened the door, shutting it in his face as he followed her down the hallway.

She hurried to her car and placed Lucy on the seat while she tried to get the base fastened back in the car. Lucy began to pull on her hair as she tried to do it up.

Tears threatened her, but she pushed them away. No man would ever tell her what to do again.

ELI

Eli rushed out the door after Andie. He saw her struggling in the car and heard her telling Lucy to stop.

He pulled Andie out of the car along with Lucy, finished fastening the base into the car, and then put Lily’s carrier in it.

He took Lucy from Andie and placed her in her seat, surprised she didn’t cry, being in his arms after his stupid outburst.

“Eli, just stop. I can do it.” She followed him around the car, pulling out her keys.

He took those from her as well and started the car, turned on the air, waited for it to cool, and put the windows up.

He got out, shut the door, and pulled Andie up against him. Then he spun them so her back was pressed against the car.

“The minute I find out you are struggling or can’t take care of both of them, I swear I will get custody of Lily. I will go along with this for now.”

He watched her soft gray eyes harden to pure steel. “Bring it on, Eli. I’m not afraid of you. I love Lily as much as you do, and I refuse to cower before you.

“I will raise her the way Candice and Caleb would have. Even if I can’t buy the fanciest things in the world for her, she will never go without.”

As they stood there, their bodies pressed together, something stirred inside Eli. He wanted her. She was so strong-willed and wasn’t afraid of him like most were.

She stood her ground and glared back at him and even called him an asshat. Yeah, he was being one, that was for sure.

He couldn’t have thoughts like this. He had to get custody of his niece. Andie was nothing to Lily, and Lily needed to be with family.

“Now, let me go.” Andie’s voice was pure coldness in his ears, just like her body was against his.

He searched her eyes and saw nothing but cold, hard determination. He pushed himself away from her, and she wasted no time.

She turned away from him, got into her car, turned it around, and began to leave.

He stared after the car wanting to yell, throw something, or punch something. She had no claim to Lily, and he would prove she was unfit. No matter what it took.

ANDIE

Andie rushed away from the Cameron property. Never in a million years did she think Candice and Caleb would make her Lily’s godmother.

Sure, she’d made Candice Lucy’s godmother, but that had made perfect sense; Andie had no one else. They could have chosen Eli as Lily’s godfather and custody holder, but why didn’t they?

She drove, trying to keep her body from shaking from the adrenaline swimming through her veins after the fight with Eli and the way he pushed his body against hers.

She shivered a little. There was just something about the man that awoke so many feelings inside of her. Fear. Hate. Need. But she would give in to none of it.

Once he calmed down, she would let him be around Lily, but he would never get close to her or Lucy, and that was final.

She glanced at her steering wheel with the note of things she needed to be done. She let out a sigh. They still needed doing, even having two babies to care for.

She stopped at the auto store and hardware store, where she got some very distasteful looks, but it didn’t stop her.

Once home, she fed the girls, bathed them, and put them in their jammies. She would take nothing from Candice and Caleb’s home. Anything she needed for Lily, she would get on her own.

She would never step foot inside that house again. As the girls played on the floor together in perfect harmony, Andie began to think about the things she would need.

Clothes were the only things that weren’t necessary. She had most of Lucy’s old clothes, and she could use what was in good shape for Lily until things settled down and she could buy some new ones.

She placed her order for a new crib, more toys that Lily loved, bottles, and anything else she could think of, then put her phone down on the couch.

Everything would be delivered the day after tomorrow. Until then, they would make do.

As the kids started to get tired, Andie picked them up and began to make her way over to the bakery. She needed something to keep her mind off of everything.

And to think, Eli had been so sweet to her at the church, and then he’d just flipped like a light switch. His attitude may have gotten him what he wanted in the past, but this was one battle he wasn’t going to win.

She got to the bakery and headed over to the little play area—which took up one corner of the room—with the wrap-around gate and placed the girls on the four-inch thick padded floor.

She watched Lily and Lucy lie down and drift off to sleep.

She covered them each with a blanket, grabbed the video monitor, took it back with her to the kitchen, and began to bake her goodies for the next day.

She couldn’t stay closed forever, especially now that she had two babies to care for. She dove into her work, glancing at the monitor to ensure the girls were okay.

ELI

“Elijah, all of that was uncalled for,” Maisy scolded as she walked out onto the front porch a half hour after Andie left. “What did all that really gain you?”

He shot a look at his mom and just shrugged. “Why is she named guardian when she’s not even blood?”

Maisy sighed and sat on the wooden porch swing with him. “I think they were right in doing it. Your temper is out of hand, Eli.

“I know we’re all stressed, but Andie is the only one who has kept it fully together, for Lily’s sake.

“Your father and I are too old to be running after a baby like Lily, and so are Candice’s parents. Caleb and Candice went with the one who is the best fit for Lily and won’t lose her temper at the drop of a hat.”

“She can’t keep it together forever. She’s eventually going to break.”

“And wouldn’t you rather be there for her, to help pick up the pieces, instead of trying to push her further to her breaking point?” Maisy demanded.

“You were so sweet to her at the church, then poof, you don’t get what you want, and you pushed her away, scared Lucy, and made a real ass out of yourself.

“Your father and I did not raise you to be like this. Once you open your eyes and realize Lily is better off with Andrea, the less angry you will be.

“You can be sweet to her. It will not kill you. Hell, maybe you two could even end up being together. I’ve seen the way you two have looked at each other the last couple of years she has been here.”

Eli let out a snort. “Yeah, right. She doesn’t need a man. She’s said that over and over again. She doesn’t need help.”

“But that doesn’t mean that’s not what she wants. This town hasn’t been too friendly to her, so maybe she doesn’t need a man, but she does need friends.

“Candice is gone, Eli, just like Caleb, but you still have something that Andrea doesn’t. You still have family and friends.

“Andrea now has two little girls to provide for, and no one is in her corner. It’s not always going to be easy for her.”

Eli looked at his mom. Why did she always have to be right? How would he get Andie to trust him again after what he’d promised to do to her if he found out she couldn’t take care of Lily?

Not that he really thought that. He was just so angry that Caleb pushed him to the back burner. Now he had to figure out how to fix it.