Red Lily

and raise the child on her own.
    Hadn’t worked out quite that way, though, she thought with a smile as she parked. Little Rock, the bookstore, the house she’d shared with her father had no longer been her comfort zones once she’d started to show. Once the looks and the questions and the murmurs had begun.
    So, fresh start.
    She climbed out of the car, rounded it to open the back door and unhook Lily from her car seat.
    Sell everything that could be sold, pack up the rest. Positive, move forward. All she’d expected by coming here to Roz was the possibility of a job. What she’d been given was family.
    Just more proof, to her mind, that good things happenedwhen you took steps, when you worked for them—and when you were lucky enough to find people who’d give you a chance to do your best.
    “That’s what we are, Lily.” She hoisted Lily up, covered her face with kisses. “We’re a couple of lucky girls.”
    She swung the diaper bag over her shoulder, bumped the car door shut with her hip. But as she started toward the house an idea bloomed.
    Maybe it was time to try her luck again.
    Sit around waiting for things to happen and nothing much did. But act, you either failed or succeeded. Either was better than standing still.
    She strolled around the house, taking her time, just to see if she could talk herself out of it. But the idea was planted now, and she couldn’t find a good enough reason to uproot it.
    Maybe he’d be shocked or stunned or even appalled. Well, that would be his problem. At least she’d know something and stop wondering all the damn time.
    As she rounded the curve in the path, she set Lily down, and let her little girl trot toward Harper’s front door.
    Maybe he wasn’t home, out with some woman. Or worse, had some woman in his home. Okay, that would be bad, but she’d deal with it.
    It was time she dealt with it.
    Though the dark wasn’t deep yet, the path lights were glowing, those pretty soft green lanterns speared at the edges of the brick to guide the way. A few early lightning bugs blinked on and off, on and off over the heads of flowers, and out beyond to the roll of grass to lose themselves in the shadows of the woods.
    She drew in the perfume of heliotrope, sweet peas, roses, and the more pungent aroma of earth. All of those scents, along with the different tones of growing green would forever make her think of Harper, and this place.

    She caught up with Lily, knocked. On impulse she stepped back and to the side, leaving her little girl clapping her hands at Harper’s front door. Where the porch light was on, a glowing circle of yellow.
    When the door opened, she heard Lily give her greeting—something between hi and hey and a cry of pleasure.
    “Look what I found at my front door.”
    From her vantage point, Hayley could see Lily’s arms go up; and Harper’s come down. When he scooped her up, Lily was already babbling in her excited and incomprehensible language.
    “Is that right? Just thought you’d drop by to say hi? Maybe you ought to come in and have a cookie, but we’d better find your mama first.”
    “She’s right here.” Laughing, Hayley stepped over to the door. “Sorry, but it was so cute. You know she can’t walk by your place without wanting to see you, so I thought I’d knock and let her stand there on her own.”
    She reached out, but as usual when Harper was involved, Lily shook her head and wrapped herself around her favorite man.
    “I mentioned the C word. Why don’t you come in and I’ll dig one out for her.”
    “You’re not busy?”
    “No. Was just thinking about getting a beer and doing some paperwork. Just as soon postpone the paperwork part of it.”
    “I always like coming in here.” She glanced around the living room as he carried Lily back toward the kitchen. “You’re pretty tidy, too, for a single straight guy.”
    “Comes from living with Mama, I guess.” With Lily on his hip, he reached in a cupboard and got out the box ofanimal crackers he kept on hand for her. “Now how’d these get here?”
    He opened the box, let her dig one out. “Want a beer?”
    “I wouldn’t mind. I stopped off at Stella’s after work. Ended up having burgers on the grill, but I passed on the wine. I don’t like sipping when I’m driving, even just a little when I’ve got Lily in the car.”
    He offered her a beer, got one for himself. “How you doing?” When she only angled her head, he shrugged. “Word spreads. I heard about