The Other Mothers (Chop, Chop Series Book 5) Page 3

  I picked it up and looked at it in the darkness, remembering how Amber had come into my office a few days ago, wearing a dress, her hair in curls and ribbons.

  Look at you! I’d exclaimed. You look gorgeous!

  She’d smiled and waved her purple fingernails at me.

  Wow! You even painted your nails! Are you going to a fancy ball or something?

  She’d shaken her head, giggled silently, and motioned for me to lean down so that she could whisper into my ear.

  You’re practicing? I’d asked and she’d nodded vigorously. For what?

  She’d just grinned at me.

  Oh! For the wedding? I’d guessed. Tanner’s little brother, Jordan, and Greg’s little sister, Charlotte, were getting married in six weeks. Amber and Lily were going to be flower girls.

  She’d nodded again.

  You’re going to be a great flower girl, I’d promised her and she had beamed at me.

  Now I twirled the little bottle in my hand. If it weren’t for Tanner, that bottle wouldn’t have been sitting there on the end table. Amber wouldn’t have been sleeping in her room just down the hall. She’d be – well, I honestly don’t know where she would be, but I knew it wouldn’t be here with me.

  It was only because of Tanner that Amber had come into my office that day, waving her purple fingernails with silver sparkles at me. Only because of Tanner that I could tuck her into bed each night and listen to her whisper prayers into my ear. It was only because of Tanner that Amber was mine now. He had risked everything to get her out of that horrible foster home she’d been living in – his job, his freedom, even his life. He had done for her what I’d been unable to do.

  I put the nail polish back on the end table and wondered how I had forgotten that for even one moment. It was then that I knew without a doubt that everything wasn’t just going to be fine between me and Laci, but between me and Tanner as well. And right then I made up my mind that I was going to go over to his house in the morning and make sure of it.

  I had no way of knowing it at the time, but it was one of the most important decisions that I would ever make in my life. One that I would be thankful for until the day I died.

  ~ ~ ~

  IN THE MORNING I woke Amber up, had a talk with her, and then I showered and dressed. After we were ready to go I found Laci on the back deck, nursing a cup of coffee.

  “Amber and I’ll meet you at church,” I told her.

  She surveyed me and looked at her watch.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Out.”

  She eyed at me suspiciously. I walked over, leaned down and kissed her. She grabbed me by the front of my shirt.

  “I love you,” she said.

  “I know,” I smiled, kissing her again. “And I love you, too.”

  Amber came out onto the deck, her dress shoes clacking on the wood. She twirled around for us in her dress and I smiled at her too. Laci opened her arms and Amber walked forward for a hug.

  “Where are you two going this early in the morning?” she asked.

  Amber leaned in to Laci’s ear and whispered something.

  “Ah,” Laci nodded. Then she looked at me in a knowing way. “Good luck.”

  At Tanner’s I let Amber ring the doorbell. When he opened the door he surveyed the two of us and didn’t say anything.

  “Well, well, well,” I said, raising an eyebrow at him. “If it isn’t Casanova.”

  “If it isn’t Pinocchio,” he shot right back.

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Can we come in?” I asked.

  He held the door open a bit more and Amber slipped in under his arm. I followed. We stood there in the living room, staring at each other.

  “Here to invite me to church?” he finally asked.

  “No,” I said. “I don’t want you at church with me.”

  “Phew.” He wiped imaginary beads of sweat off his forehead.

  “Tell him what you want, Amber,” I urged her. She pointed at me. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “You tell him.”

  Reluctantly she stepped toward him and motioned for him to lean down. He squatted down next to her and put a hand on her side.

  “What do you want, young lady?”

  She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

  He glanced up at me and raised an eyebrow.

  “This was the best you could come up with?” he asked dubiously.

  “Yep.”

  He smiled at Amber. “When do you want me to take you fishing?” he asked her.

  She bent toward his ear again.

  “Now?” he laughed. “I think you’re going to church right now. Maybe we can go this afternoon. Or maybe next weekend. I’ll talk to David and we’ll figure something out, okay?”

  She nodded and then leaned in and whispered one more time.

  “In the back yard,” Tanner answered when she’d finished. “Wanna go see him?”

  Amber nodded and Tanner stood up. We headed to the back door to see TD – Tanner’s dog.

  Out on the back deck, TD wagged his tail furiously and wiggled his body as Amber giggled silently. Tanner picked up a well-chewed boat bumper and slung it to the far corner of his yard. TD took off after it like a shot and Amber went down the steps to take it from him when he came back with it.

  “Give,” Tanner ordered when Amber tried to take the bumper out of TD’s mouth. TD obediently let go of the bumper and sat on his haunches, waiting expectantly for Amber to throw it for him again. She ran further into the yard, heaving the toy with all her might. TD bounded after it again, wagging his tail delightedly. We stood against the rail for a moment, silently watching them play.

  “I didn’t mean to start a fight between you two,” Tanner finally said quietly.

  I shook my head. “You didn’t.”

  “I thought you knew,” he went on.

  “I should have.”

  “Don’t be mad at her.”

  “I’m not mad,” I said, turning my head toward him. “Don’t worry about it. Everything’s fine.”

  He shot me a doubtful glance.

  “It is,” I insisted. “Everything’s fine.”

  “Good,” he nodded.

  We turned our gaze back to the yard and watched as Amber took the bumper from TD’s mouth and threw it again.

  “Laci thinks that you loved her,” I said, glancing at him.

  “She does, huh?” he asked, not looking at me.

  “Yeah. She thinks she was different from all the other girls you’ve dated.” I swept my hand across the back yard, indicating the vast expanse of females who had once called Tanner their boyfriend.

  “Interesting,” he said, still not turning his head my way.

  “Did you?”

  “Did I what?”

  “Did you love her?” I asked, annoyed.

  “What do you think?” he asked, finally looking at me.

  I surveyed him carefully for a moment.

  “I think Laci’s different from all the other girls you’ve dated,” I finally said, “and I think if you were ever going to fall in love with someone it could easily have been her, but . . .”

  “But what?”

  “But if you really did ever love her, I don’t see how you could go back to just being friends with her after you broke up. And I don’t see how you could stand being around me when I’m the one who married her.”

  “Interesting,” he said again, turning his eyes once more to the back yard.

  “So . . . did you?”

  “Don’t let him jump on you!” Tanner called to Amber. She nodded at him and pushed the dog away from her with her hand. TD sat down and waited for another throw.

  “How’s her counseling going?” Tanner asked.

  “Don’t change the subject!”

  “Have they been able to give you any idea if she’s going to start talking again?” he asked, ignoring me.

  “Why can’t you just answer me?” I asked impatiently. “Did you love her, or not?”


  He was quiet for a long moment. “Does it really matter?” he finally asked, turning and looking at me again.

  Now I looked away from him and settled my eyes on Amber.

  Did it really make any difference?

  “I guess not,” I finally admitted.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw him nod.

  “So,” he said, turning his eyes back to the yard. “What’s the counselor say about her talking again?”

  “She said not to push it,” I answered, giving up on trying to have a meaningful conversation with him. “We’re just supposed to keep encouraging her to communicate however she’s comfortable – whispering, signing, writing, whatever.”

  “Do you think she’ll ever start talking again?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I hope so.”

  At this moment Amber reached for TD’s back and started scratching him above the base of his tail. He leaned into her, pushing his body against her. She plopped down on the ground.

  “Amber! Don’t get your dress dirty!” I called.

  She turned and nodded at me. Then she stood up again and we continued to watch her play for a few minutes.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without her,” I said finally said, glancing over at Tanner. “I want you to know that I’m never going to take her for granted.”

  “Who are you talking about?” he asked quietly, still not looking at me.

  I shrugged and returned my gaze to the back yard. “Take your pick.

  ~ ~ ~

  AFTER CHURCH AND lunch, we returned home. I went into my office and searched online until I found a page from the real estate company I’d called yesterday detailing the cabin that Tanner and I had broken into. Laci was back out on the deck, enjoying the spring weather and watching the kids play when I shoved the printout in her face and announced, “Wanna see where we’re going next weekend?”

  “I didn’t know we were going anywhere next weekend,” she said, taking the paper from me and smiling.

  “Just you and me,” I told her. “We’re leaving the kids with your mom and dad.”

  She looked at the paper for a minute and then smiled at me. “Okay,” she said. “It sounds nice.”

  Laci was still feeling guilty enough about not telling me about her and Tanner that I knew she was going to go along with just about anything I suggested. I was not above taking advantage of this fact.

  “I think I’m going to buy it,” I said.

  She looked at me, startled, and then finally said: “What?”

  “It’s for sale,” I explained, sitting down in a chair facing her. “Tanner and I looked at it yesterday and I think it’s a good price and it would make a great weekend place and I think I’m going to buy it.”

  “You can’t . . . you can’t just buy it!” Laci protested.

  “Why not?”

  “Well . . . well, because this is a huge decision and we need to think about it and talk about it first!”

  “We are talking about it,” I stated.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Why not?”

  “Well, first of all, that’s a tremendous amount of money to be throwing away just so you can have a weekend place to go play at.”

  “I’m not throwing anything away,” I said. “I could buy that place tomorrow and sell it in a year and probably make money. Mortgage rates are low right now and waterfront property is a great investment. Plus, we can rent it out when we’re not using it.”

  “It’s too risky,” Laci argued. “If you want to make an investment you should buy some CD’s or something.”

  “CD rates are low right now, too,” I said. “CD’s are a lousy investment. Right now it’s a buyer’s market, plus, that cabin has a great rental history. Besides that . . . I can’t go fishing on a certificate of deposit.”

  She looked at me, dismayed.

  “Look,” I said. “We’ll go there next weekend and you just see if you don’t love it.”

  “I’m . . . I’m sure I’ll love it, but . . .”

  “But what?”

  “I just . . . I don’t think we should be buying any more property.”

  “Any more?” I asked. “The only property we own is this house.”

  “I know,” she said. “I don’t think we should get anything else.”

  “Why not?”

  She bit her lip and looked at me hesitantly.

  “What?” I asked.

  She took a deep breath. “I guess maybe there’s something else I haven’t told you.”

  I raised my eyebrow at her.

  “Does it involve Tanner . . . or Mike? Or any other man?”

  “No,” she laughed.

  “Okay,” I said, relaxing. “What is it?”

  She hesitated for a moment before answering.

  “Ergon offered me a job.”

  “A job,” I said, flatly.

  She nodded.

  Ergon was Ergon Ministries – the organization that Laci had worked for in Mexico. They were a nonprofit that specialized in providing opportunities for youth groups in the United States and Canada to serve in the orphanage we’d adopted Dorito and Lily from and also in one of the nearby landfills. Ergon was the organization our youth group had worked with when we’d gone on our mission trip to Mexico the summer before our ninth grade year. It was on that trip that Laci had decided she wanted to spend the rest of her life working there. She’d gone on to get a bachelor’s degree in – well . . . I don’t know exactly what her degree was in – but it was in something that would qualify her to tromp around in a landfill and minister to poor children.

  We had spent the first five years of our marriage living in Mexico. Then, three years ago, thankfully, we’d returned home to Cavendish. I had absolutely zero desire to ever set foot on Mexican soil again.

  Just before Christmas, Ergon had flown Laci out to their headquarters in Texas to pick her brain and to draw from her experience and education. Or at least that’s what I thought they’d flown her out there for. Apparently they had also flown her out there to offer her a job.

  When Laci had come home from that trip it was a week before Christmas. That very evening I had broken my leg and spent the night in the hospital and the next night Amber was removed from her foster home. Then it was Christmas and right after that Charlotte had donated bone marrow to her newly-found half-brother and then suddenly Amber was placed with us and . . .

  To say that a lot had been going on at the time would be an understatement. So, when I’d asked Laci how her trip went and all she’d said was, “Fine,” I’d never really given it a second thought.

  “What kind of a job?” I asked now.

  “Pretty much the same thing,” she replied, shrugging. “A bit more responsibility, better pay . . .”

  She smiled at me and I glared back at her because she’d worked without pay for the whole four years we were there. This conversation was not about money.

  “They begged you to come back, didn’t they?” I asked.

  “Kind of,” she admitted.

  “Did you want to?”

  She nodded.

  “But you didn’t take it,” I pointed out. “You didn’t even mention it to me. You must not have wanted it too bad if you turned it down.”

  “I didn’t exactly turn it down,” she said. “It was kind of an open-ended offer. I can go back any time.”

  “And that’s what you want,” I stated, my voice flat again. She gave me the tiniest of nods.

  I sighed and turned away from her, staring out into the backyard. Dorito and Amber were pulling handfuls of grass out of the freshly mowed lawn, making a pile of it on one of the swing seats for some reason. Lily was burying a doll in the sandbox.

  Suddenly I had a thought and I turned back to Laci.

  “What do you think God wants you to do?”

  “I think He wants us to move to Mexico,” she said softly.

  I sighed again and s
tared into the backyard once more. “So why haven’t you told me before now?” I finally asked.

  “Because I know you don’t want to go,” she said.

  “Since when does that matter?” I asked, not intending to sound as unpleasant as I did.

  “It matters.”

  “When were you going to tell me?” I asked. “When the moving van pulled into the driveway?”

  She was quiet for a moment.

  “I asked God to be the One to make you realize that we needed to move,” she finally said. “You know . . . I kind of asked Him to leave me out of it.”

  “You asked Him to leave you out of it?”

  She nodded. “I asked Him that if He wants us to move to please convict you of it Himself so that it was Him telling you we needed to go, not me.”

  “He hasn’t convicted me of anything,” I informed her.

  “I know.”

  “I have no desire to move. He hasn’t told me we need to move. We, we CAN’T move! How can we be Amber’s foster parents if we move to Mexico?”

  “I don’t have all the answers,” she admitted. “I just know that I asked God to work it out if He wants it to happen.”

  “And so you’re perfectly content to stay right here until God convinces me that we need to leave?”

  “Yes.”

  I turned to watch the kids again. Dorito and Amber had recruited Lily in their quest to fill the second swing seat up with grass.

  “What are you thinking?” Laci asked after a minute.

  “I’m thinking that as soon as God convinces me He wants us back in Mexico, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “Don’t push Him, David.”

  “I’m not pushing Him!” I insisted. “I’m just telling you that He has done absolutely nothing to make me feel like we should be thinking about moving back to Mexico. As soon as He does, I’ll let you know.”

  “You need to pray about this and really try to listen to what He tells you,” Laci warned.

  “Don’t worry,” I assured her, watching Amber run beneath the maple tree for a fresh handful of grass. “If He talks to me, I promise I’ll listen.”