Page 33 of The Baby
“And if it’s a girl we could name herPetuniaJr.”
I snorted. “You are not naming our daughter after yourhorse.”
She lifted her head and smiled at me. “I think this is a ten day,” she saidquietly.
Yeah, this was definitely atenday.
I heard something behind me and realized it was the front door opening. I would have thought everyone we knew was in the house already, but then I remembered both Cody and Rich and had been MIA. Rich because he was supposedly sick, and Cody because he’d gone to fetch more wine. A task that shouldn’t have taken as long asithad.
So it was at first with a sense of relief that I saw Cody open the door, until I saw the girl behind him. I didn’t recognize her and it seemed strange to me that Cody would bring a date to dinner without having mentioned itfirst.
Not that I cared, but I wasn’t certain how it was possible he even found time to date given his work week schedule. I sized up the girl behind him. It was funny, she didn’t look like she was from around here, but there was something oddly familiarabouther.
“Oh Cody, you made it!” Ellie called out, peeking around my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I left some turkey and stuffing for you… oh. And I hope enough for yourfriendtoo.”
He looked confused. Then he glanced over his shoulder. “She’s not my friend. She said she knew you guys. Her car broke down along Old Oak Road and I gave heralift.”
I couldn’t speak for Ellie, but I had never met this girl in my life. I glanced at Ellie and she shookherhead.
“How do we know you exactly?” Iaskedher.
She seemed to shrink a bit behind Cody, but then he seemed to glare at her as if upset he’d been caught up in whatever game she wasplaying.
“Okay, you don’t know me exactly,” she admitted. Then she pulled something out of the beat-up leather purse she was clutching to her chest, and I could hearElliegasp.
“Oh Jake,” she whispered, clearly recognizing her handwriting on the front of the letter. “I’m sosorry.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, as the pieces weren’t quite lining up. Finally I spititout.
“Whoareyou?”
“My name is Ruby Smithson. Adele Smithson…uh, Adele Talley is my mom. Which makes you my halfbrother.”
Her half brother. My half sister. None of that was processing, because I was focused on the anger that erupted from hearing that woman’s name. A name I never wanted to hearagain.
“She’s gone,” Ruby continued. “Left me a year back to head to Mexico with her new boyfriend. My dad left her years before that. No clue where he is. I don’t have a job or any money left, and then your letter came and Ithought…”
“God, Jake,” Ellie said again. “This is myfault.”
I ignored that and tried to focus on what this girl was saying. This girl who I now understood why she looked vaguely familiar. Because she looked a little bit like a feminine versionofme.
“Youthoughtwhat?”
She shrugged. And something about the gesture caught my attention. It didn’t say,I don’t know.Or,youtellme.
It said,Idon’tcare.
This girl, who looked to be in her early twenties, shouldn’t not carelikethat.
“We can figure this out later, I think,” Ellie said, stepping around me. “Ruby,right?”
The girlnodded.
“It’s late, your car is broken down so you’re not going anywhere tonight. You can stay in our guest room. Are youhungry?”
She hesitated as if she couldn’t believe someone was being so nice to her. She was tall, not as tall as Ellie, but rail thin. Like she hadn’t had a decent meal inyears.
Finally, shenodded.
