A Ready-Made Family

She sounded weary, maybe a little wistful. Jake’s antennae went up, before he reminded himself that she was a mom who’d been on a road trip with a broken-down car and three children who weren’t shy about their opinions.

She looked the worse for the wear. Her pale blond hair was caught up at the back of her head with straggly wisps hanging loose. A wayward bra strap peeked out from the sleeveless pink blouse that was wrinkled and untucked from a pair of baggy shorts. Nice legs. But no tan. White socks sagged at her ankles. Her five-dollar-bin tennis shoes were scuffed and fraying at the pinkie toes. Around one wrist was a rubber band, a grimy braided string knotted into place and a stretchy bracelet made of pink sparkly frills and doodads.

Jake’s eyes went back up. Lia’s face was pretty enough when she wasn’t looking hassled or worried, but she wasn’t his type. Not that he actually had a type except for knowing from the age of sixteen what he didn’t need: women who clung, women who whined, women with great expectations.

Since he’d been back in Alouette and seen tough little Wild Rose so happy and content with her fiancé, there’d grown a few doubts in Jake’s mind that maybe the Robbin siblings weren’t destined to be loners after all. He’d even experienced a rare loneliness, on his own, without his squadron, without orders, without a firm plan for the future. Rose had been thrilled to have him back—hell, she’d hugged him so hard he’d had bruises the next day—but she’d also been busy with her new family and wedding plans. When the twittering bridesmaids had descended, Jake had made himself scarce.

He ran a hand through his damp hair, already grown out some from its Army-issue zip cut. Rose would read him the riot act if he didn’t offer her friend a place to stay. But she was on her honeymoon for a week or so, which would leave him with too many days of goggle-eyed attitude, worship and questions from the Howard children. What he’d get from Lia was anyone’s guess.

Jake kept his mouth shut, not so sure he wanted to find out.

Lia had taken another sniff of Howie. “It’s not that bad. You should come along so we don’t impose on Mr. Robbin more than we already have.”

Howie’s face fell. “But I stink.”

She gave him a stern look. “Not that bad. You’re mostly smelling Mr. Robbin.”

Howie looked at Jake, hoping for help.

He shrugged. If Lia was going to be stubborn, he wouldn’t insist.

Now she was looking doubtfully at his heavy-duty pickup truck, a GMC Sierra, parked in front of the main house. “You know how to drive a stick?” he asked and tossed her the keys that had been in his pocket when he’d gotten skunked.

She caught them, her expression remaining hesitant even when she nodded. “I can drive a stick. But I need— I need—” Now she was pained. “Money,” she finally blurted. Her face went red. “For the tomato juice. I’ll have to get a lot of the large-size cans to make a bath for…” Her gaze skipped across his chest before pinning itself on his left ear while she said in a rush, “A big man like you.”

“No problem. My wallet’s inside. In fact, if you don’t mind, you can pick up a few groceries for me while you’re at it.” The thought at the back of his mind was that the food was actually for them, but if she was broke, he didn’t want her to feel like a charity case. “Milk, bread, eggs, fruit, hamburger—that kind of stuff. Okay?”

“Okay.” She let out a breath of relief. “I’m happy to help. I owe you for taking one for my son.”

“Forget it.” Jake suppressed the urge to give her one more lingering look. He went inside instead. If he stomped more than usual, it was only because that with all of her darting glances, she’d made him aware of how odd he must look wearing a towel and combat boots.

“I dON’T WANT TO STAY there.” Sam crossed her arms and glowered at the rows of garishly colored boxes of breakfast cereal. “He’s a big grump.”

“Takes one to know one.” Lia put a box of corn flakes into the cart. “Besides, he hasn’t invited us and I doubt that he will.” She worried her lip, reading over the list she’d made of the items that Jake had reeled off while he’d handed her a wad of twenties, more than enough for groceries. The thick lump of cash in her pocket only reminded her how much she’d come to count on Rose’s hospitality as her meager savings had dwindled on the trip north.

“Then where will we go?”

Lia sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Do you have any money left?”

While Lia had tried as best she could to shield the children from their circumstances, Sam was aware. In the past year, she’d heard “I don’t have the money for that” so often from Lia that she no longer asked for luxuries. She’d taken babysitting jobs and saved for months to buy the iPod.

“What if he does? Will you say yes?”

“Sam, please. I don’t know.”

“Well, you’d better decide,” Sam said snottily.

Lia meant to scold her daughter’s tone, but when their eyes met, she read Sam’s distress despite her daughter’s attempt to keep up the tough front. Another piece of Lia’s heart chipped away.

“We’ll be okay,” she soothed. “Rose said rent is cheap in Alouette. If I can find a job, we’ll manage.”

“I can get a job and give you the money.”

“I appreciate the offer, but you’re only fourteen.”

“So? I can work.” Sam unzipped her backpack. “I have thirty-six dollars saved from babysitting. You can have it—to pay for a motel.”

Lia wanted to refuse. She’d promised herself that she’d make it on her own from here on out.

Get real. The only way you’ll make it is with Rose’s help—now Jake’s—and maybe Sam’s babysitting money, too. Her pride hurt, but she’d been humbled before and she could do it again to give the kids the basics of food, shelter, safety. And eventually, she hoped, a better life.

“Thanks, honey,” Lia said. “I may need a loan, but you hold on to your money for now.”

Sam clutched the backpack. “I don’t want to stay in those stinky cabins.” Her voice was shrill.

“We’ll see.” Fighting to stay on an even keel despite her daughter’s pushing, Lia rolled the cart into the next aisle. She met up with Howie and Kristen, who’d gone to get milk and eggs.

Howie put the cartons in the wire buggy. “I got two percent—is that okay, Mom?”

Kristen had glimpsed the cereal boxes around the corner. “Mommy, Mommy, Mom.” She grabbed at Lia’s shirt, untucking it again. “Can we have Honey-bear Crunch? Pleeese?”

Something a little like hysteria crawled up Lia’s throat. At four ninety-five a box? she wanted to screech. She pried her hand off the cart handle and took her daughter’s shoulder to aim her at the toothpaste-and-soap aisle. Nothing there she’d want. “No cereal. We’re not shopping for ourselves this time.”

“Mr. Bubble!” Kristen took off like a shot.

“Howie?”

“I’ll get her, Mom.” He trudged after his sister.

Sam was staring at the floor. “Can we go now?”

Lia consulted the list. “Just a few more things.”

“Mo-om. Come on, already.” Sam stamped a clog. “I hate this stupid town. Why did you bring us here?” When Lia didn’t answer, she flung herself into the next aisle.

“Get paper plates,” Lia said matter-of-factly.

A roundly pregnant woman with a heaped cart gave Lia a wry look as she wheeled by. “Ah, the joys of motherhood. I can’t wait.”

“Your first?”

“Yes.” The woman rubbed her belly, her face serene. “Due in a few more months.”

Lia felt a pang. She remembered touching her ex’s hand over her belly that way, with Samantha, when they were young and still in love. “Good luck,” she said, moving on.

The woman looked past her shoulder. She was tall and queenly, with a burnished brunette bob and a wide smile. “You’re new in town.”