Small-Town Midwife. Jean Gordon C.

the week. She really doesn’t want to go back to her father’s in Buffalo.”

      Autumn looked up from tying her shoes.

      “They get along great. But Uncle Steve recently remarried, and Lexi, short for Alexandra, thinks her father and stepmother have enough with her new teenage stepbrothers there.”

      “I can relate to that.” Autumn stood.

      “I thought you could.” Jamie grinned.

      “Do you think Lexi would be interested in the singles group at church? Our ranks have thinned since all of you newlyweds morphed the singles-plus group into a couples group and we remaining singles split off into our own group.”

      While the larger singles-plus group had been fun, Autumn had found it kind of weird belonging to the group with her father and Anne. She swallowed hard. And with her friends Jack and Suzy Hill after the problems delivering their daughter.

      “Maybe. I’ll ask her. Is that a prerequisite for the job?”

      “Of course not. I was just thinking we need to get the group pumped up. We don’t have nearly as many members as the couples group.”

      “It’s not a competition,” Jamie said. “And you all are welcome to join us again.”

      “Your guys are all taken, and I need some kind of social life again. One that doesn’t include my father.”

      “I can understand that.” Jamie cocked her head to the side. “So, does Lexi have the job?”

      Autumn thought about the hours she’d spent yesterday evening entering all of the billing into the computer. “I’ll have to talk with Kelly, but I think she’ll trust your recommendation.”

      “She’d better be able to. Seriously, I think you’ll like Lexi a lot. And back to the singles group. What about your new neighbor?”

      “What about him?” Autumn asked, even though she knew exactly what Jamie was asking.

      “Would he be interested in joining your group? You’re down one on the male members since Rod left.”

      Autumn shrugged. “As I said, I don’t know him that well.” Besides, when had it become her group? And, even if the singles group did need members, particularly male members, she had enough qualms about her and Jon getting along working together and as neighbors without adding him to the only regular social life she had.

      * * *

      Jon shook his head and put his helmet back on. No one had been home at either of the Hazard family houses. He’d even swallowed his pride and tried Autumn’s. How could he have locked his house key in the duplex? He didn’t do things like that. But the movers had been trying right from the start, getting there early. And his grandmother’s call and Autumn’s questions about his family had unsettled him. He understood that she was only making conversation. But he didn’t talk about his family. Didn’t think about them if he could avoid it, except for Nana.

      He settled himself on his Sportster and revved it up to drive down to the lake. Hopefully, he could search out Autumn’s grandfather or stepmother for a key and not have to share his stupidity with her. Although why should it matter? It wasn’t like he was out to impress her or anything. Jon gunned the engine and gravel flew out from the rear tire, causing the bike to fishtail. He slowed down and reached the camp at a more sedate pace.

      As he drove under the sign welcoming him to Camp Sonrise, a group of high-school and college-age kids crossing the parking lot with mops, buckets and other cleaning items stopped and stared. He rolled to a stop and kicked down the stand. By the time he’d pulled off his helmet, a couple of the boys were beside him.

      “Nice ride,” the dark-haired one said.

      “Yeah,” his companion echoed.

      “I’m Myles Glasser, one of the camp counselors. You need directions or something?”

      “I’m looking for Anne Hazard or her father-in-law.”

      “Mr. Hazard just left for the store. He probably passed you on the road.”

      Jon nodded. A pickup had gone by him.

      “I’m not sure where Anne is, but I’ll get Autumn, her stepdaughter. She can probably help you.”

      “That’s okay.” He lifted his helmet to put it back on. He didn’t have Mr. Hazard’s phone number, but he could leave Anne a message at the number he’d called this morning. Then he could kill some time at his office in the birthing center preparing for the staff meeting next week. “I’ll catch up with Mr. or Mrs. Hazard later.”

      “It’s no problem. Autumn’s right over there on the lodge porch.”

      He followed Myles’s outstretched arm to the large log building next to the parking lot, where Autumn was walking down the stairs. Jon weighed which was more asinine, his insisting on not talking to Autumn or his reluctance to tell her he’d locked himself out.

      Myles relieved him of the decision. “Hey, Autumn, this guy needs to talk to you.”

      Autumn turned quickly, causing her almost-waist-length ponytail to swing over her shoulder. She waved an acknowledgment.

      A feeling of protectiveness waved over him as she walked over. He turned to the boys. “I know you’re trying to help, but you don’t know who I am.”

      They looked at him blankly. “Should we?” Myles’s friend asked.

      Was he that clueless when he was a teen? Probably. “I could be anyone. You don’t know that Autumn knows me.”

      “Hi, Jon.”

      The teen looked from him to Autumn. “But she does.”

      “Never mind, and thanks for the help.”

      “What was that about?” Autumn asked.

      “I was looking for your grandfather or stepmother, and the dark-haired one, Myles, immediately volunteered to get you, without asking who I was or what I wanted.”

      “They’re fifteen. They were probably too interested in your bike to remember their elementary school stranger-danger training.”

      Jon didn’t know why her blithely dismissing his concern irritated him. What did it matter?

      “You were looking for Grandpa or Anne. Is there a problem at the house?”

      “Kind of.” He dropped his gaze and tapped his helmet against his thigh. “I seem to have locked myself out.”

      Autumn made a soft choking sound and he looked up to see her lips twitch as she tried to contain her smile.

      “I don’t suppose you have a key to my side of the house.”

      Her smile broke through. “No, I don’t. Anne probably does at the house. Come on, I’ll take you to her. You can leave your helmet. It’ll be fine. I’ll tell Myles to keep an eye on it and your bike. They’re done cleaning the campers’ cabins.”

      He surveyed the forest surrounding the parking lot and the kids milling around the camp and held on to the helmet.

      A towheaded boy of about three charged at them when they entered the lodge. “Aunt Autumn. You came back.”

      She scooped him up before he collided with Jon. “Silly Sam.” She rubbed noses with the toddler. “Of course I came back. I said I would.”

      “Your nephew?” He didn’t know Autumn had any brothers or sisters. Then, why should he?

      “No, Sam is my cousin. He belongs to my aunt Jinx and uncle Drew. Drew is the camp director. But Sam decided that, if Anne is Aunt Anne, I should be Aunt Autumn.”

      The little boy nodded and pointed to a group of women talking on the other side of the room. “Aunt Anne.”

      One of them looked like a slightly