Page 3 of Starting Anew

Lynn gave her friend a good-natured glare. She wanted to argue with Sharon, but she had little ammunition. Sharon was right.

What had been necessary had transformed into a comfortable habit for Lynn. That wasn’t a good thing. Over the years, the mess surrounding her group had faded into the background, their album fell off the charts, and interest in Lynn had fizzled to nothing. After everything that happened, it’s what she wanted. To go back to being just another normal person.

It seemed the only people who hadn’t forgotten were her parents.

Sharon’s expression softened. “You know I’m just worried about you. What you need is to take a class or two somewhere. You should seriously consider some form of martial arts. Then next time, you don’t have to resort to using the rolling pin.” She chuckled to herself. “Of course, since it’s not being used for anything else…”

“Funny. Real funny.” Lynn made a face at her friend. “You know those posts that go around where you say the one thing that would help friends and family know you’ve been replaced by aliens?” She paused for effect. “For me, that would be cooking. If I post or say I’m trying a new recipe or baking something, you know the real me has been abducted.”

That had Sharon laughing hard. “Isn’t that the truth?” She fanned herself as she continued to rock the infant in her arms. “You know, Walt has a younger brother. Maybe we could all go out for dinner one night.”

Lynn shot her an exasperated look. “I’m not interested, Sharon. No matter who it is.”

“Most guys would understand where you’re coming from if you just told them what was going on.”

Lynn wasn’t so sure that was true, and it wasn’t as easy as Sharon made it out to be. If Lynn introduced herself by her given name, she’d risk that person knowing who she was and making assumptions based on the past. It’d be easier to get to know the guy first, except she’d have to explain the whole situation later.

She sighed with the complexity of it all.

A deep voice carried from the front of the building and sent Lynn’s heart into a full gallop. She glanced at Sharon and found her friend grinning, a knowing look on her face.

“You should ask him out,” Sharon whispered as Lynn walked by.

It was a good thing Lynn loved her friend so much. She squared her shoulders as she made her way to the front. There’s no way she could ask Nathan Kirkpatrick on a date. He was a single dad, and Lynn took care of his daughter while he worked. That was complicated enough without throwing her mess of a past into the blender.

She rounded the corner and swallowed hard. Nathan was signing in at the front counter while balancing his daughter in the other arm. Mia cried in earnest as she clung to her daddy’s shoulder. The shirt he wore had dark stains where the eleven-month-old’s tears had soaked the fabric.

Nathan was one of the nicest, most attractive men she’d ever met. Not that it mattered, because Lynn wasn’t about to ask him out on a date.

He put the pen on the counter, spotted Lynn, and immediately gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. We had a rough morning.” He wrinkled his nose. “And I promise she had a clean diaper when we left the house. I can change her before I go…”

Between the way he glanced at the clock on the wall and then at his daughter’s face, it was obvious he was running late. Lynn shook her head. “It’s okay. I can take care of it.” She held her hands out for Mia, but the girl continued to wail in her dad’s arms. “I’ll be right back.”

There was a particular stuffed dog that Mia carried around with her nearly every day. Lynn found it and brought it to the front. “Mia, are you ready to come play with Woof-Woof? He’s been waiting to see you all morning.”

Mia hiccupped as she lifted her head and looked at the stuffed dog, her bright blue eyes still swimming with tears. They were the exact same color as her dad’s, not that Lynn had noticed. Much.

Between her eyes, that tousled blonde hair, and those slightly-pointed ears, she looked like a little pixie. Lynn’s heart melted just like it did every time she saw the girl.

Mia finally released her hold on Nathan’s arm and reached for Lynn. When Lynn took the baby, her hands brushed against Nathan’s, sending tingles dancing along her arms. For just a moment, she caught a whiff of his woodsy scent. She always wondered if it was his deodorant or the aftershave he used.

She got to enjoy it for a moment before Mia’s dirty diaper enveloped Lynn in an entirely different aroma. Lynn did her best to maintain a straight face and not wrinkle her nose.

Nathan grabbed the diaper bag at his feet and handed it over. “Again, I’m sorry to drop her off like this. The morning got away from us.”

“It really is okay. We’ve got this, don’t we, Mia?” She looked at the little girl who hugged Woof-Woof tightly in her arms. “Can you wave bye to Daddy?”

Mia sniffed and waved with one hand.

“Goodbye, baby. I’ll see you this evening. Be good for Miss Lynn.”

With one last look, he ran his hand through his short-cropped, dark blond hair, turned, and left.

Lynn was still trying to ignore the way her insides turned to jelly every time Nathan said her name when Mia started to cry again. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the door.

“Oh, Mia. It’s alright. Come on, let’s go get you cleaned up.” Lynn carried her into the nursery to find Sharon watching her with amusement. “Don’t even start.”

Sharon waited long enough to be certain no one would overhear her. “You should think about it. I’ll bet he’s not a whole lot older than you. Mia adores you, which is a huge plus in your favor.”

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