That Night in Texas

Cam turned away from her, muttered something that sounded like “I have no damned idea” before tapping a button on his dashboard. The massive garage door opened and he drove his SUV into the garage. Vivi looked at the expensive super-bike, the powerful boat and a German-engineered, imported sports car and shook her head.

She’d come a long way in three years—from broke and pregnant to stable and successful—but Cam’s success had been meteoric. Vivi looked behind her and smiled at her daughter’s peaceful, beautiful face. Cam had the money but she had Clem.

She’d got the better deal, no doubt about it.

* * *

“Shh, Clem, Mommy might still be sleeping.”

“I is hungry.”

Vivi, half asleep, wanted to tell Cam that nobody came between Clem and her food, but her eyelids felt heavy and the words stuck in her throat. She sighed and pushed her head into the soft down pillow, allowing her body to sink into the super comfortable bed.

Vivi felt the tiny hand patting her face. “Mommeee! I’s hungry!”

“I’m sure I have cereal, Clem. Let’s leave Mom to sleep and see what we have.”

Clem asked if he had a particularly sugary cereal that wasn’t standard fare in their household, and Vivi realized that sometime between yesterday and this morning, Clem had lost her shyness and was her normal chatty self.

“Your teeth will fall out, Clementine, if you eat that rubbish,” Vivi mumbled, still unable to lift her heavy lids.

Clem rested her lips on hers and Vivi smiled. Early-morning kisses from Clem were just the best thing ever. She opened her eyes and smiled. “Hey, baby girl. Did you have a good sleep?”

Clem nodded enthusiastically. “I trieded to wake you.”

Bad Mommy. Vivi pushed away the surge of guilt and stroked Clem’s cheek. “Sorry, baby. Give me ten minutes and we’ll make a plan for breakfast.”

“Am going to Charlie?”

Vivi forced herself to think. What was today? Friday? No, it was Saturday and that meant no day care. And because she had Clem with her, that also meant she couldn’t go down to The Rollin’ Smoke to help clean up the restaurant. But maybe they could take a drive down there and see if any progress had been made.

Then she remembered that she didn’t have a vehicle. Or a phone to arrange for one. Or identification.

“No, Clem, you’re going to stay with me today.”

Clem smiled and Vivi saw her dimple, the flash of mischief in her smile. Her daughter was going to be a handful when she was older and Vivi was going to have to become a lot smarter. But not today. Today she just wanted to go back to sleep. But she couldn’t. She was a single mom and single moms couldn’t take the day off.

“I heard there was a little girl in the house. I wonder if she likes pancakes.”

Vivi frowned at the lilting Irish brogue and her eyes darted to Cam’s, silently asking for an explanation. Having Cam see her sleepy, mussed and rumpled was one thing. Meeting a total stranger in one of Cam’s T-shirts and with messy hair was not going to happen. She turned over to sit up and released a sharp hiss as her muscles protested, volubly reminding her that she’d tangled with a ravine and water and nearly lost.

“That’s my housekeeper, Sally. She loves kids and she makes the best pancakes ever.” Cam held out his hand to Clem and Clem immediately ran to him, sliding her hand into his, apparently without a second thought. They stepped into the hallway and Vivi listened as Cam introduced Clem to his housekeeper.

“You don’t look like a girl who likes pancakes.” Sally said.

“I does, I like them lots!” Clem immediately responded.

“How many can you eat?” Sally asked and Vivi liked the way she spoke to Clem.

“A hundred!” Clem proclaimed. Vivi rolled her eyes at her daughter’s pronouncement. A hundred seemed like a good number to a two-year-old.

“Well, I’ve never made a hundred before but I’ll be willing to give it a try. But I might need some help.”

“I’s can help!” Clem piped up.

“I’m sure you can. Let’s go, then.”

Clem ran back into the room and up to Vivi’s bed, repeating the entire conversation word for word and ending with a rushed request for permission to go with Sally. Vivi looked toward Cam, who stood with his shoulder pressed into the door frame. He nodded his head, mouthing that Clem would be fine, and Vivi gave her consent. Clem ran out of the room again and Vivi heard her peppering Sally with questions as they moved down the hallway. Vivi fought the urge to call her back. Sally was a stranger. How could she let Clem go off with someone she hadn’t vetted?