The Snow Leopard's Baby (Glacier Leopards 2)

“It is amazing,” said Jeff. “But most of my knowledge is centered around plants that can be dangerous, or used for some practical purpose, or anything that’s endangered. You know so much about this, I had no idea.” He remembered the gardening books he’d seen in her bags in the car.

“I used to do some gardening on the side for my neighbors,” she said. “I always l

oved it. Do you think there’d be any call for that sort of thing here, once Emily gets a little older?”

“Absolutely.” Jeff thought of all the rangers who were happy to roam around in the wild, but didn’t know the first thing about growing flowers in their own lawns. “You could get a lot of business doing that, I’m pretty sure. And I’ve got a lawn with a garden patch, not that you can tell at this time of year, and not that I ever do anything with it. So if you just want to do it as a hobby for a while, the space is there.”

Leah smiled. “That sounds perfect.”

You’re perfect. Watching her talk about gardening, about flowers, about eating the vegetables she’d grown herself—it was like seeing the whole person of Leah, rather than just the parts she let through on purpose. She wasn’t just practical, careful, and loving, she was also passionate, excited, and joyful. Jeff could tell that everything that made Leah a wonderful mother would make her a fantastic gardener as well. He couldn’t wait to get her some seeds, and gardening tools, and whatever she needed.

He couldn’t wait for spring.

“It’s this next exit,” Leah said suddenly.

Jeff glanced over at her as he took the exit, and was disturbed by the transformation he saw as they entered town.

It was as though all of that excitement and passion was slowly getting squished down again, covered over by the grim, determined practicality that Leah had been wearing when he’d first met her.

He didn’t like this town already.

Leah gave him directions in a toneless voice, and he turned through town until he got to an anonymous, slightly broken-down building near its outskirts. Leah got out, turned to the backseat, and then stopped.

“Can you get Emily?” she asked him.

Jeff nodded and went to grab the baby, who’d been loudly bored for much of the ride, and was very happy to be out of her car seat. He bounced her in his arms and followed Leah up to the building’s door.

She went right in and knocked on the first door to the right. “George!” she called. “It’s Leah! Are you home?”

There was a scuffling sound on the other side of the door, and after a couple of minutes, it opened. “Leah!” said the short, heavyset man on the other side of the door. “What are you doing back?” He eyed Jeff nervously. Jeff drew himself up to his full height.

Being intimidating while holding a baby wasn’t the easiest task, but going by the look on George’s face, he was succeeding.

“I came to get the rest of my stuff,” Leah said. “You haven’t gotten rid of it yet, have you?”

“Well....” George drew out the word. “No, not exactly...”

Leah narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, not exactly?”

A door down the hall opened. “What the hell are you—Leah?”

Leah stared. “Rob?”

Rob. Jeff knew that name.

Leah took a step forward. “What are you doing here?”

Rob was staring at her like she was a ghost. “You...you left town. George said you were going to live with your mom.”

Leah took another step forward. “I was. Because I didn’t have any money. Because you abandoned me and your daughter.” Her voice got angrier and angrier with every word. “Have you just been waiting all this time for me to give up and leave so you could come home?”

Rob scowled at her. “I didn’t want that kid and it’s probably not even mine, anyway.”

“How dare you.” Leah stalked up to him and slapped him across the face.

His face turned ugly. “Who the hell do you think you are, you little—”

“Hey.” Jeff came forward fast. He handed Emily to Leah, who clutched her close, and got up in Rob’s face.