for the accident.
“It was just an accident,” Kait said kindly, covering her small shoulder with her hand. “I’ll clean it up in a flash. Elizabeth? Two more glasses of milk, please.
Whole
milk,” she added on a whim, being perverse and relishing it. Lana probably only drank fat-free, or worse, soy.
Elizabeth seemed completely taken aback. She turned to leave and as she did, Kait realized Trev was standing in the doorway. And instantly she was angry—she did not want to share her precious time with Marni, not with him, not with anyone. She gave him a cool look, and went into the bathroom for some towels.
When she came out, Trev was on his knees, showing Marni how the barn should be assembled. Marni looked worriedly at Kait. “I’m sorry I spilled the milk.”
“Who cares?” Kait smiled, wondering how to kick Trev out. This wasn’t fair, especially when they only had an hour together—especially when she was only at Fox Hollow for two days. He rocked back on his haunches to study her. She gave him an angry glance and began to mop up the milk. “See? All gone, just like that.”
“I want to talk to you,” Trev said quietly, standing.
She faced him, trying to tamp down her anger. She decided to set boundaries. “I’ve been away for three days. I would appreciate some time alone with my daughter.”
His eyes widened. “Since when?”
She put her hands on her hips, and then realized how that would look, and she dropped them. “This isn’t fair,” she said evenly. “Please let us spend some time together.”
“I know what you’re up to,” he said flatly.
“I am not up to anything,” she cried. Then she stiffened and glanced at Marni. She forced a smile. “We’re not fighting, sweetie,” she said. “Really.”
Marni bit her lip. “But you fight with Daddy all the time.”
Kait stared, aghast.
Trev gave her an I-told-you-so look.
Kait breathed. “Look, we can talk later, at supper. Or whenever you want. But right now, Marni is going to help me unpack and we are going to start on her stable.” She smiled as brightly as possible at him, no easy task, given the circumstances.
“Later,” he said. He smiled at his daughter. “I’ll see you at the barn.” He walked out.
Marni looked after him, and then she looked at Kait with wide, worried eyes.
Kait sat down on the floor, pulling her into her lap. “There is nothing for you to worry about.”
Marni’s gaze was searching. “Daddy’s mad at you. Really, really mad.”
She flinched. “I know. But even mommies make mistakes.” Marni hesitated, thoughtful. “Daddy doesn’t know you are a new mommy,” she finally said.
Kait froze. Her ears thundered, her blood rushed.
“What?”
“He doesn’t know you are my new mommy,” she said with a sweet smile. “It’s my old mommy he doesn’t like.”
Kait could not move.
Marni knew.
Somehow, the child knew the truth, that she wasn’t Lana, not even close to it.
It was said that children were very perceptive and very astute. She’d even read that children could see things adults couldn’t—like ghosts. Kait hardly believed that, but somehow, Marni knew that she was not Lana.
She was at a complete loss for words. She somehow smiled. “Even mommies change.”
Marni grinned and laid her palm on Kait’s cheek. “I
love
my new mommy,” she said.
While Marni was taking her things from her garment bag and putting them in the walk-in closet, Kait rushed to her Gucci handbag, still reeling from the fact that, of all people, Marni had guessed the truth right away. She opened the purse, dumped everything out on the floor.
The first thing she saw was her sister’s cell phone and the second thing she saw was a folded scrap of paper.
She froze.
She had completely forgotten about that little scrap of paper. On it was the license plate number of Lana’s Porsche, as well as the words “
level 3, row 2, space 4
,” a note Kait had made for herself in order to find Lana’s car
“It was just an accident,” Kait said kindly, covering her small shoulder with her hand. “I’ll clean it up in a flash. Elizabeth? Two more glasses of milk, please.
Whole
milk,” she added on a whim, being perverse and relishing it. Lana probably only drank fat-free, or worse, soy.
Elizabeth seemed completely taken aback. She turned to leave and as she did, Kait realized Trev was standing in the doorway. And instantly she was angry—she did not want to share her precious time with Marni, not with him, not with anyone. She gave him a cool look, and went into the bathroom for some towels.
When she came out, Trev was on his knees, showing Marni how the barn should be assembled. Marni looked worriedly at Kait. “I’m sorry I spilled the milk.”
“Who cares?” Kait smiled, wondering how to kick Trev out. This wasn’t fair, especially when they only had an hour together—especially when she was only at Fox Hollow for two days. He rocked back on his haunches to study her. She gave him an angry glance and began to mop up the milk. “See? All gone, just like that.”
“I want to talk to you,” Trev said quietly, standing.
She faced him, trying to tamp down her anger. She decided to set boundaries. “I’ve been away for three days. I would appreciate some time alone with my daughter.”
His eyes widened. “Since when?”
She put her hands on her hips, and then realized how that would look, and she dropped them. “This isn’t fair,” she said evenly. “Please let us spend some time together.”
“I know what you’re up to,” he said flatly.
“I am not up to anything,” she cried. Then she stiffened and glanced at Marni. She forced a smile. “We’re not fighting, sweetie,” she said. “Really.”
Marni bit her lip. “But you fight with Daddy all the time.”
Kait stared, aghast.
Trev gave her an I-told-you-so look.
Kait breathed. “Look, we can talk later, at supper. Or whenever you want. But right now, Marni is going to help me unpack and we are going to start on her stable.” She smiled as brightly as possible at him, no easy task, given the circumstances.
“Later,” he said. He smiled at his daughter. “I’ll see you at the barn.” He walked out.
Marni looked after him, and then she looked at Kait with wide, worried eyes.
Kait sat down on the floor, pulling her into her lap. “There is nothing for you to worry about.”
Marni’s gaze was searching. “Daddy’s mad at you. Really, really mad.”
She flinched. “I know. But even mommies make mistakes.” Marni hesitated, thoughtful. “Daddy doesn’t know you are a new mommy,” she finally said.
Kait froze. Her ears thundered, her blood rushed.
“What?”
“He doesn’t know you are my new mommy,” she said with a sweet smile. “It’s my old mommy he doesn’t like.”
Kait could not move.
Marni knew.
Somehow, the child knew the truth, that she wasn’t Lana, not even close to it.
It was said that children were very perceptive and very astute. She’d even read that children could see things adults couldn’t—like ghosts. Kait hardly believed that, but somehow, Marni knew that she was not Lana.
She was at a complete loss for words. She somehow smiled. “Even mommies change.”
Marni grinned and laid her palm on Kait’s cheek. “I
love
my new mommy,” she said.
While Marni was taking her things from her garment bag and putting them in the walk-in closet, Kait rushed to her Gucci handbag, still reeling from the fact that, of all people, Marni had guessed the truth right away. She opened the purse, dumped everything out on the floor.
The first thing she saw was her sister’s cell phone and the second thing she saw was a folded scrap of paper.
She froze.
She had completely forgotten about that little scrap of paper. On it was the license plate number of Lana’s Porsche, as well as the words “
level 3, row 2, space 4
,” a note Kait had made for herself in order to find Lana’s car
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