The Twin Bargain. Lisa Carter

you think he’s just not responsible enough to be entrusted with their care?”

      “No offense, Miss ErmaJean, but your grandson isn’t exactly the poster boy for stick-to-it-iveness.”

      “I’m praying he’ll rise as the occasion demands. I’ve always believed there were unplumbed depths to him.” ErmaJean squared her shoulders. “But I would never hazard Lucy’s and Stella’s well-being if you’re opposed to Ethan twin-sitting them. A mother’s instincts must always be heeded.”

      Problem was—it wasn’t so much Amber’s motherly instincts that gave her pause as it was the younger Amber who lived somewhere still inside her heart. The one who’d followed her brother and Ethan everywhere. The girl who believed Ethan hung the moon and then some.

      Though after his father deserted him, the sweet boy she’d known had morphed into a cocky heartbreaker. In high school, he’d gone through a string of girlfriends. Then Mr. Love ’Em and Leave ’Em had walked away from Truelove as soon as he’d turned eighteen.

      She sighed. “It’s not Ethan I distrust.”

      ErmaJean’s eyes flickered. “What was that, Amber dear?”

      “Nothing.” Amber raised her chin. “I don’t object to Ethan looking after my girls. But Ethan told me you would be finishing your convalescence in Wilmington.”

      “I prevailed upon Ethan to reconsider. That I would recover best at home. He agreed to stay in Truelove for a while.”

      Ethan staying in Truelove? The idea sent a funny little pang into her heart. Biting her lip, she reminded herself Miss ErmaJean had said “a while.” A while meant only a temporary stay.

      “So you won’t be moving to the beach?”

      ErmaJean’s gaze dropped. “If my recovery goes as well as I hope, I’m believing relocating won’t be necessary.”

      Amber exhaled. “You have no idea how thrilled I am to hear you’re not leaving.” She clasped the woman’s hand. “I’d feel so lost without you—I mean, the girls would miss having you in their lives.”

      “It’s okay to need people, honey.”

      She looked away. “That hasn’t worked out so well for me, Miss ErmaJean.”

      “You and Ethan are more alike than you know.”

      “I never understood what Ethan has against Truelove. Sure, it’s a sleepy, laid-back kind of town. But that’s part of its charm.”

      ErmaJean brushed her hand across the shiny grain of the velour jacket. “He connects Truelove with his father’s abandonment. A place of broken endings. He and my daughter are still in touch, but after her remarriage, he never felt welcome in her new life. He associates Truelove with his feelings of being cast aside.”

      Perhaps she and Ethan were more alike than she’d realized. She was still working through the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt Tony’s casting aside triggered within her.

      “Why, then, would Ethan even consider staying on and twin-sitting?”

      ErmaJean pursed her lips. “Perhaps in his heart, he’s looking for a second chance.”

      “At what?”

      “Redemption. For a new beginning.” ErmaJean folded her hands. “There’s another advantage to this arrangement. For the girls.”

      “What possible advantage to Ethan’s care could there be for Lucy and Stella?”

      ErmaJean fixed her gaze on Amber. “The girls don’t spend much time with men, Amber.”

      She stiffened. “They spend time with Maisie’s dad, Jake.”

      “Not that much. The girls need a strong male role model.” ErmaJean’s eyes softened. “Unless you think your dad might—”

      “My father isn’t likely to ever be in their lives.”

      Amber tucked a stray tendril behind her ear. She was aware of the statistics. Girls who grew up without a father were far more likely to experiment with a host of unhealthy life choices.

      “Ethan is hardly father material, Miss ErmaJean.”

      “How about we let him try? Who knows? He might surprise you.” ErmaJean’s too-observant gaze probed Amber’s features. “Or is that what you’re really afraid of?”

      Was she afraid of Ethan? Or just afraid of herself? This arrangement would mean the girls wouldn’t be the only ones spending time with him over the next two months. She’d see him, talk to him—every time she dropped off the twins and picked them up.

      Panic bubbled inside her chest. “Suppose the girls get too attached. When he leaves, they could be devastated.”

      “Why don’t we cross that bridge when we come to it?” ErmaJean rested her shoulder blades against the chair. “Don’t borrow trouble. Get through school, and let the good Lord work out the rest of the details.”

      “What if the girls don’t like him?”

      ErmaJean laughed. “When have girls ever not liked my grandson?”

      Ain’t that the truth. As in, never. Amber gnashed her teeth.

      ErmaJean waved her hand. “Lucy already likes Ethan. And Stella doesn’t dislike him.”

      Her slower-to-warm child had trust issues. Amber winced. Just like Stella’s mother.

      “I have no doubt, in her own time, Stella will be no more able to resist Ethan’s charm than the rest of us.”

      Amber had a sinking feeling ErmaJean was right. Seeing him in the hospital lobby yesterday had brought back so many feelings. Feelings she believed she’d forever buried in the graveyard of her heart.

      “What do you say?” ErmaJean opened her hands. “Shall we give it a go, Amber dear?”

      Spent of objections, Amber took a deep breath. “We have a deal. But if either of the girls are unhappy... Or their presence hampers your recovery... Or—”

      “Or pigs fly.” ErmaJean smiled.

      Amber didn’t smile. “Or Ethan decides to bail.”

      ErmaJean inclined her head. “Then we’ll reevaluate the terms of our arrangement. Agreed?”

      “Agreed.” Amber swallowed. “For now.”

      What choice did she have? None, if she truly wanted to finish school and make a better life for her children.

      ErmaJean plucked her cell phone out of her pocket. “I’ll give Ethan the good news. And you two can work out the details.”

      Would this be good news to Ethan?

      Soon after, the physical therapist bustled into the room, and Amber said goodbye. Heading down the corridor, she had the disquieting thought she’d just agreed to something irrevocable. Had she set up not only herself but her children, too, for more pain?

      This would not turn out well. This could not turn out well at all. Where she and Ethan were concerned, it never had.