Ever Caring Page 6

  Tate’s heart dropped to his stomach as his gaze flicked from Addison to Renee and then back again. He saw a resemblance between them where he hadn’t before. They had the same heart-shaped features. The same slightly slanted eyebrows. The same coy half smile that could melt his heart...

  Renee’s cheeks flamed, and Tate saw she was struggling for self-control. He had to help her out.

  “So...why are you here so early, Addison?” he managed to get out, fully aware of the heightened emotions in the office. “Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

  “Nope. It’s early dismissal today. I told you yesterday. You probably forgot,” Addison said, bouncing on the tips of her toes as she often did when she was excited. Her entire attention was focused on Renee, however. “So, can you still help me with my scrapbook?” Addison asked, clearly unaware of the tension in the office that she’d walked into. “You said you had to do something today, but you’re here now.”

  Renee shot an agonized appeal for help to Tate, and his brain scrambled to find something to say to his daughter.

  “Miss Albertson still has an appointment,” Tate said vaguely. “In fact, Miss Albertson just found out she’ll be so busy she won’t be helping you with your scrapbook anymore.”

  Addison’s mouth dropped open, looking first to Renee, then to Tate. “Why not?” she whispered.

  The ball was in Renee’s court now.

  “Um. Well, I’ll be busy getting my store ready to sell,” Renee said, improvising. “And, um, we have a lot to do before we go.”

  “I won’t be in the way,” Addison said, her shoulders slumping, her head drooping. “I’ll be real quiet. I just need a bit of help.”

  “Maybe your dad could help you,” Renee said, trying to sound reasonable, but Tate heard the anguish edging her voice. “This way, just the two of you can work on it. It will be a special time.”

  “He was coming to the store because he doesn’t know nothing about making a scrapbook,” Addison protested, turning to her father.

  “Addison,” Tate warned.

  “Well, you don’t,” Addison said, her lower lip trembling. “And I wanted Miss Albertson to help us because her mother said she couldn’t help me and now nobody can. I really want to make this book for my mom. Because I miss her so much and I don’t want to forget her and I don’t want you to forget her and if you don’t help me and if Miss Albertson doesn’t help me, then everyone will forget her.” Addison stopped, her head lowered, her shoulders shaking, her face scrunched up in an expression of utter sorrow. Then the tears started up.

  “Oh, honey,” Tate said as he got up, hurried around the desk and folded her into his arms. He held her close while she sobbed against him, glancing over her head to Renee, whose own eyes glistened with tears. “We won’t forget her. We can work on it together. I promise.”

  “You won’t. You’re always so busy and you never have time and you won’t have time for this and I’ll have to stay every day after school in this stinky office and the book won’t turn out nice at all.” Her words tumbled out, broken by sniffing and hicupping.

  Okay, Lord, I’m going to need some divine guidance here, he prayed.

  He stroked her hair some more, feeling utterly helpless. He had obviously underestimated how much Addison still missed Molly.

  Molly is the only mother she knows, Tate thought. Then he looked over at Renee.

  What was he supposed to do about this?

  Chapter Five

  Don’t give in. You can’t give in.

  Renee clenched the tissue in her hands while the sound of Addison’s sobs wrenched at her heart.

  She couldn’t look at Tate, who was watching her as if wondering what she would do.

  You’re leaving. You can’t get involved with these two. Addison was her daughter, and Tate, well, Tate was another problem altogether. Now that he knew who she was, she couldn’t let herself be involved in their lives. It wasn’t fair to Addison.

  Or Tate.

  And yet, as the girl continued to cry, Renee’s heart softened. The part of her that always wondered what it would have been like to keep her. The part of her that imagined an alternate life with her daughter, wondering what kind of things they would do together rose up. Taunting her.

  She’s my daughter. My little girl. What would be so bad about spending time with her?

  The thought made her heart skip a beat, and she blamed that reaction on what she said next.

  “You know, Addison, if it’s that important to you, maybe I can find some time to help you with the book,” Renee said, the words tumbling out of her before she could stop them.

  Addison sniffed, then lifted her head away from Tate, as she swiped at her wet cheeks. “Really?”

  Renee caught her gaze as second thoughts swirled in her head. She knew this would just make everything more complicated. She tried not to look at Tate to catch his reaction to the situation.

  You gave her up. You have no right to be in her life. Especially because you’re leaving.

  The other voice, the accusing voice rose up, the words like a fist to her chest. But at the same time, she knew this was one thing she could do for Addison. For her daughter. Though her mother was her top priority, Renee could help this sad girl capture the memories of her adoptive mother.

  “Really,” Renee assured her, her voice shaky with a mixture of emotions. “But we have to make sure it doesn’t take too long because I still have to sell the store.”

  “Not right away.”

  “No. Not right away.”

  “And my daddy is going to help.”

  Tate hesitated and Addison shot him a frown.

  “Daddy, please, you promised.”

  “Yes, I’ll help,” Tate assured her.

  Renee caught Tate’s glance as he said this. She wasn’t sure how to read him, but she would be lying if she didn’t feel the tiniest thrill of anticipation at the thought of working so closely with him every day.

  “You promise?” Addison asked.

  Renee nodded, her smile growing at the sight of Addison’s beaming grin.

  “Yay! I’m so happy!” Addison turned to her father. “We’re still going to make the book!”

  Tate’s expression was reserved, and Renee sensed he wasn’t entirely sure this was a good idea. But for Addison’s sake, they had to find a way to make this work.

  “Are you still busy today?” Addison asked her. “Can we start today?”

  Tate jumped in to help. “Actually, sweetie, we got a few things sorted out for Miss Albertson, so, yes, I think she can help you today.”

  Renee gave him a grateful smile, then turned her attention back to Addison, whose grin threatened to take over her face.

  “So I guess I’ll see you both soon?” she asked.

  “Give us about half an hour?” Tate asked.

  “That should work.”

  Tate’s gaze held hers, and again she felt the connection between them. She knew she had to ignore it.

  It was just a mixture of loneliness and being around an appealing guy, she reminded herself. She would have to be careful as they worked together. She just hoped this scrapbook wouldn’t take too long to finish.

  “And this is when Mommy and Daddy and me went to Disneyland the first time.” Addison held up a picture of a beautiful blonde woman hugging Addison, who looked to be about three at the time. “Mom is so pretty in this picture.”

  Renee looked up from the Disneyland stickers she was sorting out for Addison to use in her scrapbook and couldn’t help but agree. Molly had been a stunning woman. Tall, blonde, with an easy elegance that shone through in every picture no matter what she was doing or what she wore. In a few of the pictures Molly and Tate stood side by side, and Renee had to admit they were a striking couple. A perfect family for her little girl.

  “She is very pretty,” Renee said, struggling to keep the wistful tone out of her voice. She knew it would be difficult helping Addison with her album, but she didn’t think it
would be this hard. Every time Addison and Tate talked about a trip they’d made or drives they’d taken, Renee compared what Addison’s life would have been like had she kept her.

  No trips to Disneyland. No shopping excursions where Addison would come home with enough toys to keep four girls happy.

  Every memory they shared was a reminder that Addison had ended up in a better home than any Renee could have provided as a young, single mom. It comforted her yet created an ache of melancholy.

  Though Renee felt vindicated in the choice she had made for Addison, regret still clawed at her.

  While she struggled with her own emotions, she wondered what Tate was going through as Addison laid out the pictures on the large craft table they had taken over in the back of the store. Was he missing his wife? Did seeing pictures of her make him sad?

  As if he knew she was looking at him, he raised his eyes to catch hers, but she didn’t see sorrow in them. She saw something more troublesome.

  Attraction.

  The same thing she felt every time she saw him.

  “Look, Renee, here’s me on Splash Mountain. See how scared I look,” Addison said. In the photo, Molly sat behind Addison, holding her close, laughing herself.

  “You do look scared,” Renee agreed, dragging her attention back to the pictures.

  “Screamed like a little girl,” Tate said, giving Addison a one-armed hug.

  “I was a little girl,” Addison protested.

  “And that’s why you screamed like one.”

  Addison grinned, looking down at the picture. “So, what do we do next?” she asked.

  “Now we decide how to lay out these pictures on this page. Maybe your dad can put them in order, and we can figure out what colors to use to make them stand out and how many other things to put on the page. You should also leave a space for writing a story about the pictures.”

  “There’s some red in each of these pictures,” Tate said, setting out four pictures on the page. “Why don’t we go with that color? What do you think, Addison?”

  She nodded, agreeing with her father’s choice. Tate had a good eye for color combinations, which surprised Renee. More than that, he was infinitely patient with Addison, who got distracted every time a new customer came into the shop.

  “I like red, but I like purple better. Just like Renee.”

  Renee smiled at that. “What was your mom’s favorite color?”

  “Green.”

  Tate and Addison spoke at the same time, then they chuckled and bumped fists. A little routine Renee was sure they didn’t even think about.

  “But not a dark green. More like water in a lake?” Addison looked at her dad for reassurance.

  “I think it’s called aqua, and please, no comments about how I know the name of that particular color,” he said, shooting Renee a smile.

  “When you start rhapsodizing about the difference between eggshell and cream, I’ll start wondering,” Renee returned, pulling the paper cutter toward her, thankful for his humorous comments that eased the tension between them.

  The buzzer rang and she looked over her shoulder just as the door fell shut behind Evangeline.

  “I’ll be right back,” Renee said, jumping up. She didn’t want Evangeline coming into the back room and seeing Tate or Addison here. Her friend would be curious and would start asking questions laced with innuendo.

  “So we just stick the pictures in now?” Tate asked.

  “Unless you want to mat them first.”

  “I’m sure my fellow lawyers will be impressed that I know how to mat a picture as well as what embellishing a page means.”

  “Just wait until we start with the glimmer mist,” Renee retorted, determined to keep the tone light.

  “I don’t even want to know.” He caught her grin and returned it with one of his own.

  That little curl of awareness that his smile so easily created tightened in her stomach.

  She spun around and hurried out of the room. As she came around the stickers aisle she almost collided with Evangeline.

  “Doing a card class?” Evangeline asked, looking past Renee to the back room.

  “No. Just helping a customer put a scrapbook together.” Renee took Evangeline’s arm and led her to the front of the store. Evangeline was kangaroo quick when it came to jumping to conclusions, and after their conversation at the book club about Tate, Renee was fairly sure where Evangeline would land. “What did you want today?”

  “I sold out of all those bookmarks you made me and was wondering if you could print up some more.” Evangeline trailed behind Renee, still shooting questioning glances over her shoulder. “As well, I saw the brochures you printed up for Kinsley Tye. They are gorgeous. I was thinking I might want something like that done as well.”

  “Sure, but can we talk about that another time?” Renee didn’t want to take Evangeline to the back where she had the computer she worked on to set up the graphic mockups. “As for the bookmarks, how many do you want?” Renee asked, making a note on the pad of paper she always had by the phone.

  “About a hundred.”

  “Can do,” Renee said, pulling out her order book and writing it up.

  “By the way, have you had a chance to read the book I picked for Book Club? Mia was wondering what you thought.”

  Renee shook her head. “No can do. If I tell you now, you’ll text her right away. I’m saving my comments for book club. Otherwise we won’t have anything to talk about.”

  “As if that ever happens,” Evangeline said with a wry note.

  Renee laughed, then caught a movement behind Evangeline. Oh, no. This was not good.

  “Renee, I think we’re out of glue,” Addison announced, holding up the glue container. “My daddy said he’s no mechanic, so he can’t fill it up.”

  Renee stifled a groan as Evangeline looked at Addison with a gleam in her eye. “I’m guessing your daddy is Tate?” she asked.

  “Yep. He is,” Addison answered. “Tate Truscott. Renee is helping me and my dad make a scrapbook. Of my mom.”

  “Really.” Evangeline drew out the single word, loading it with innuendo as she shot Renee an arch look. “That’s kind of her.”

  “One hundred bookmarks,” Renee said, ignoring her friend’s cheeky grin. “When did you need them?”

  “Soon as possible, though if you’re busy...” Evangeline let the sentence fade away as she added an exaggerated wink.

  “Not busy at all.” Renee tried to sound in charge and competent but her response to Tate and Addison had thrown her off kilter and she was pretty sure Evangeline noticed.

  She certainly didn’t need her friend stirring the pot.

  “I’ll be with you in a flash,” Renee told Addison as she ripped the paper off the pad and tucked it into her to-do file.

  Addison nodded, then trotted to the back of the store, leaving an intrigued Evangeline leaning against the counter, watching her go.

  “I thought her mother was dead?” Evangeline said.

  “She is, but the scrapbook is Addison’s way of remembering her.”

  “Addison is adopted, isn’t she?” Evangeline asked.

  The word sent a shot of adrenaline through Renee.

  “Yeah, she is.”

  “Interesting that Tate chose to bring her back here,” Evangeline said, looking back at Addison, then at Renee.

  Renee shot a panicked glance at Addison’s retreating back, feeling as if the fact that Addison was her biological daughter was stamped all over her face. Feeling as if the similarities between her and Addison were there for everyone to see.

  Evangeline knew every detail of Renee’s life. Knew exactly how old her baby would be. What if Evangeline put everything together? What if she took her deductions to Mia?

  Somehow she had to distract her friend from the situation. Addison could not get even a hint that Renee was her mother. It would be devastating for her so soon after her adoptive mother’s death and her move here.

  Plus, Ta
te would think she had something to do with the disclosure.

  Renee grabbed at the first idea that dropped into her head. “Well, I’m glad Tate did,” she said, adding what she hoped was a sweet smile. “And Tate has been great about helping her put the book together. In fact, I suggested that he work with her, and I’m so glad he agreed.” She blinked her eyes, hoping, praying Evangeline’s romantic heart would home in on the diversion.

  “I thought you weren’t interested in Tate?” Evangeline said, her own grin dimpling one of her cheeks as she leaped to exactly the conclusion Renee wanted her to.

  Bingo.

  “Well, you know, he is attractive, and I guess I’m just a weak woman,” Renee said, relief sluicing through her as she put on a fake, simpering smile, embroidering on the situation.

  Evangeline gave Renee a satisfied smile. “Well, you sure change your tune quickly.”

  “Not so quickly,” Renee said, suddenly wishing she hadn’t started down this road. “But I’m taking it slow,” she said, giving herself a vague out. “I still have my plans in place.”

  Evangeline nodded, her expression suddenly serious as the implications of Renee’s plans settled in her mind. “Of course, but who knows what can happen once you get back?”

  “That’s a long ways away,” was all she would say. Her mother’s therapy was such a huge time commitment she had never thought past that.

  “It’s amazing what you’re doing for your mother,” Evangeline continued, toying with the card at the till. “But sometimes I wonder if you haven’t made too many sacrifices. Given up too many dreams. I know you love this store, and you and your mother have done such great work here. But Tate seems like a great guy. I’d hate for you to lose your chance with him.”

  Even as Renee felt guilty, her eyes slipped past Evangeline to the room where Tate and Addison worked.

  Tate glanced up and caught her eye, his smile tipping up one corner of his mouth, highlighting a shadow of a dimple.

  Even from this distance he made her heart trip. For a tiny moment, possibilities hovered with tantalizing promise.