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“Ciara,” Misha said reprovingly. She reached up with her hand to wipe away the spot of slobber on his cheek. Jay froze atthe feel of her fingertips on his skin. “She’s teething right now, so her hands are always slobbery.”
“A little slobber never hurt anyone,” Jay said with a laugh. “Right, C?”
Ciara laughed too, and Jay felt badly that her daddy would never see the happiness of his little girl. It was clear that she was well-loved by her mom and grandmother, regardless of the trauma that had preceded her birth.
“You’re so good with kids, Jay dear,” Eva said.
“I should be. I’ve been around enough of them.”
Eva laughed at that. “Your folks certainly helped increase the population in Serenity.”
“And they’re responsible for these three ending up here too,” Jay said.
“Yep. If it weren’t for the clinic, we wouldn’t have ended up here,” Misha agreed.
“Well, I, for one, am very glad you did,” Eva said as she touched Misha’s arm. “You’re a definite asset to the community. And I can’t wait for your mom to join our group of crafters.”
“I just hope I’m not too old to learn something new,” Denise said.
“You arenevertoo old,” Eva said. “I decided to learn some needlepoint before Christmas to give as a gift to my granddaughter. She said it was beautiful, but I think it looked like a bit of a mess. Not my finest effort, but I think I will improve with practice.”
“I’ll give it a try,” Denise said. “But no promises.”
“You can come and just hang out with us if you decide that the crafting side of things isn’t for you,” Eva told her. “I needto go now, but I’ll call you tomorrow to remind you about the group.”
Jay had a feeling that Eva was going to make sure that Denise made some connections within the church. He wouldn’t be surprised if his mom had reached out to the older woman and asked her to take Denise under her wing since she’d had to return to Haiti. They wouldn’t be gone for too long though, since Cole’s graduation was coming up soon.
After Eva left them, Jay told her what time he’d pick her up for the hike. “We’ll have a few people joining us. Will is going through a breakup, so he could probably use the distraction. Janessa is coming too, as are Gareth and Aria.”
“A party hike,” Misha said with a laugh. “Sounds like fun.”
“As long as Will and Janessa don’t start whining that they’re tired, it will be.”
“Maybe I should bring some of Mom’s cookies,” Misha suggested. “That should make them happy.”
“I just made some fresh chocolate chip cookies yesterday,” Denise said. “You’re welcome to take them.”
“Sold,” Jay announced.
Denise smiled. “And since you’re getting some exercise, you can eat them without feeling guilty.”
“Okay. So I’ll bring cookies to the party.”
“I’ll bring the water.”
“Hopefully that will keep everyone happy,” Misha said.
When Ciara started to wiggle, Misha took the baby back. After they’d talked for a few minutes, Ciara made it known she was ready to go, so Misha and Denise said goodbye and left the church with the fussing baby.
Will texted him back that he’d be at the parking lot, so with all the plans in place, Jay headed home. Once there, he mulled over what to eat. He didn’t want anything too heavy, with a hike in his future, plus there would be cookies.
Jay finally settled on a couple of slices of avocado toast. It was a favorite to eat when he wanted something tasty and filling without being too heavy. Once he was done eating, he changed into a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved T-shirt. The day was mild, which would be great if they were in the sun, but the trail went through forested areas that would make it feel cooler.
A little before two, Jay left his apartment and drove to Misha’s. After she answered the door, she grabbed a small backpack and stepped out of the townhouse.
“Mom and Ciara are napping,” she said as she locked the door.
“Do you usually nap on Sunday afternoons?” Jay asked, hoping he hadn’t disrupted her normal plans.
