in her voice when Kelly said her brother’s name. Something had gone wrong between Tanner and Kelly when Mitch had come back. Neither of them would talk about it. But whatever the problem was, it seemed to be over now. “Give us a minute or two. We’re trying to settle her down before we go.”
“Courage.”
“Thanks. I’ll need it.” Kelly disappeared down the hall.
Dropping her purse on the low bench by the big bay window as she passed, Crystal went through the living room. In the kitchen, she found Tanner sitting at the table with a full mug of coffee in front of him.
“’Morning,” he said, his deep voice sending the inevitable thrill coursing through her.
“Hi.” She pulled out a chair.
“There’s coffee…” He frowned. “Or is that off the menu now?”
“Pretty much. Not that I mind. I was never real big on coffee, anyway. Kelly’s got some herbal teas—but maybe later.” His hair was still damp from his morning shower. She wanted to touch it, to put her hand on the side of his freshly shaved cheek—but no. Kelly or Mitch might come in any minute. And they were keeping their relationship to themselves until after the honeymoon.
Their relationship. Crystal almost smiled. Now, with the baby coming and his easy acceptance of the fact, it seemed okay to call this thing between them a relationship. True, it wasn’t your usual kind of relationship. They weren’t headed for a lifetime of love and marriage or anything. But they were committed to the baby, and they were going to work together to be good parents. Now, by any definition of the word, they had a relationship. An important one.
And she found that it pleased her, to think of the two of them as more than just matching sets of wild hormones unable to keep from jumping each other at every possible opportunity.
“What’s up with DeDe?” She kept her voice low.
“Acting out,” he spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “Big time.”
“Should we do something, you think? I’d hate to see them postpone their trip.”
“Do something like what?”
She thought about that and shrugged. “Good question.”
“Don’t worry. They’re not backing out of the trip. Or so they said a few minutes ago….”
Right then they heard a door open in the hallway, then Mitch’s voice: “Come on, Kell. We have to get going….”
A cry—from DeDe. “Oh, Dad. How can you do this? How can you just go?”
“Stop it,” said Kelly. “Stop it now.”
“But—”
“Enough.” Kelly’s voice was flat and final. “Your father and I are going on our honeymoon and your behaving badly is not going to stop us.”
DeDe muttered something that Crystal couldn’t make out.
Then Kelly spoke again, in a tone that would tolerate no argument. “Wipe your eyes and blow your nose. And come out and say goodbye to us. Now.”
Footsteps in the hallway. Kelly and Mitch came in through the dining room, looking stressed out when they should have been happy and dewy-eyed, a pair of newlyweds heading off for two weeks of romance in a tropical paradise.
Crystal rose as they entered. She went and hugged them both, Kelly first. When she got to Mitch, she said, “Please don’t worry about DeDe. As soon as you’re gone, she’ll snap out of it, I’m sure.”
Mitch’s brown eyes were full of doubts. “Hold that thought. Because we are going and that’s that. The limo’s packed up and we’re outta here.” He took Crystal’s hand and pressed a check into it.
She looked down at it and shook her head. “It’s way too much. Food is only going to be—”
“Crys.” Kelly stepped in. “We want to be sure that everything’s handled. Extra is better than not enough.”
“Yeah,” Mitch added dryly. “Take the money. For once.” He was always trying to give her money—like the honorary big brother he was to her. He had a fortune and somehow she was always just barely scraping by. He never understood that it was a point of pride with her to pay her own way.
“Thanks,” she said, accepting that now wasn’t the time to argue about it.
Tanner said, “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of DeDe. She’ll be fine.”
We? DeDe’s care, after all, was to be mostly on Crystal. Tanner would be around when he could manage it. She sent him a questioning glance and he gave her a nod. Whatever that meant.
Then again, he would want them to know he had her back. She was glad for that. Truly.
More footsteps in the hall. DeDe appeared, followed by the scruffy brown dog she’d named Cisco, a stray Mitch had found and adopted after the loss of Candy. The dog dropped to its haunches and panted in contentment.
DeDe, on the other hand, had a red nose and a look of pure misery in her puffy eyes. She wore a purple leotard and tights to match.
“Goodbye,” she said glumly and held up her cheek to be kissed.
Mitch and Kelly exchanged bleak glances. But neither wavered. They hugged their daughter and told her they loved her. DeDe bore their attention with the brave determination of a tragic heroine condemned to a horrible and hopeless fate.
Kelly pointed out the calendar she’d made of DeDe’s numerous activities. It was mounted by magnet on the fridge, a list of phone numbers beside it. “Cell phone service will be undependable. But there are landlines in the suite. And if you call the resort’s main desk, they’ll track us down. So you can always reach us,” she said. “Anytime.”
Tanner stood. “We’re on it.” There was that we again. “Don’t worry.”
Kelly grabbed him in a hug. “I just want to be sure we’ve covered everything. You both already have keys….”
“It’s going to be fine,” Crystal promised.
They all moved toward the front door—even the sulking DeDe, who trailed behind the others, still angry but unwilling to let her parents go without giving them a final, reluctant wave goodbye. The dog followed DeDe, taking up the rear.
The four of them—Crystal, Tanner, DeDe and Cisco—stood out on the sidewalk until the limo rounded the corner. DeDe turned for the house first.
Inside, the nine-year-old went straight to her room, the faithful mutt at her heels.
Crystal started to follow, but Tanner caught her hand. He shook his head and said low, “Don’t get all over her now. Let her settle down a little.”
Crystal decided he was probably right. “Good point.” She pulled her hand free. It felt much too good tucked so warmly in his.
“She’s leaving in a few minutes anyway,” he said. “Some lesson or other, I think.”
Crystal went into the kitchen to double-check the calendar. Sure enough, a lesson at eleven and an afternoon at a friend’s to follow.
Tanner stuck his head in the doorway from the living room. “Am I right?”
“Yep.”
DeDe, wearing her purple backpack, trudged back in from the hallway. “I have to go now,” she said loftily. “I have modern dance at eleven. Mrs. Lu is picking me up. Then we’ll go to Mia’s after.” Mia Lu was in several of DeDe’s dance classes as well as in her class at school. The two girls were good friends. “I’ll be back by four. If that’s okay.”
Crystal gave her a smile. “See you at four, then.”
DeDe sniffed, a sound that