She’d at least dust it tonight when she got home. Pretending that made her feel better, Lynn turned her back on what used to be an extension of herself, left the house, and locked the door behind her.
Not long later, she pulled into the parking lot of the Little Lambs Christian Daycare and Preschool where she’d been working for the last two years. She liked this part of Fort Worth because it felt more like a small town rather than part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in Texas.
Before getting out of her pale blue Volkswagen Beetle, she automatically did a quick scan of the parking lot and street. It took several moments before she realized what she’d done. Lynn released a heavy sigh. She’d finally stopped scoping out parking lots six months ago. The cat scaring her had also reawakened her anxiety. And here Lynn thought she’d moved past it.
“Apparently not.”
Annoyed and muttering to herself, she finished a visual perusal of the parking lot. Convinced all was well, she got out and walked to the building.
It’d been over two years since she’d left her old life as an artist in the music business. Singing as lead in a pop group had her in frequent spotlights, and her parents hated it. They hated everything about the career path Lynn had chosen.
Music was everything, but there’d been a variety of reasons why she’d left it all in the past. When their lead guitarist was busted for drug possession, the rest of the group fell apart, and it only confirmed her decision.
Unfortunately, it also solidified the opinion of Lynn’s parents when it came to her career. By the time things settled down, they still wanted nothing to do with her, and certainly didn’t want Lynn’s influence on her little sister’s life.
It’d been over two years since she’d assumed a new name. Two years of life out of the spotlight and away from reporters trying to dig up more dirt on her. She missed music—missed her family—but a slower lifestyle was a huge relief.
Thankfully, her boss and friend, Sharon, had understood Lynn’s situation when she hired her. Background checks were run on Lynn’s real name, Bethany Truitt, but she went by Lynn Crosby otherwise. The only other person who knew was her landlord.
It always took Lynn a moment to adjust when going from the too-quiet house she rented to the bustling activity of Little Lambs. The large building attached to Fort Worth Christian Church was home to multiple classrooms as well as the nursery where Lynn worked. While she enjoyed interacting with children of any age, she’d always been drawn to the little ones.
She’d chosen childcare for a variety of reasons, but ultimately found spending her day cuddling babies and making them smile was just plain fun. Besides, it was about as different from her previous career as she could get. Not only that, but parents were tired and hurried when they dropped their children off, making it less likely any of them would recognize Lynn from her time in the spotlight. It was the perfect job.
Sharon saw Lynn enter and waved. Lynn returned the greeting and spotted Trina waiting to check her young son in at the front counter. Lynn stowed her belongings and headed that direction.
Trina held eight-week-old Brian in one arm while she finished signing in. When she turned to Lynn, Trina appeared hesitant as she held her baby close and kept looking down at him.
Lynn took the baby and cradled him in her arms. He slept soundly, a peaceful look on his face. Trina ran a finger over his chubby cheek.
“I hate leaving him.” She frowned, regret filling her voice. “It’s been two weeks since I went back to work. I thought I’d be getting used to it by now.”
Lynn might’ve given Trina a hug if she didn’t already have her arms full. Parents used Little Lambs for many different reasons. Lynn could imagine how hard it would be to leave her baby for the day. Usually it was more difficult for the parents than it was for the child. “I promise I’ll call you if anything comes up. We have your cell and work numbers. We’ll get a hold of you if we need to.”
Trina nodded. “I know. I appreciate it.” She finally looked up from her son to meet Lynn’s eyes. “I’m sorry I’m always such a mess.”
“You’re not a mess. Brian is lucky to have a mom who loves him so much.”
That seemed to make Trina feel better. She finally placed a last kiss to her son’s cheek. “Love you, buddy. See you soon.” After a lingering look, she turned and left the building.
Lynn yawned into her shoulder so she wouldn’t disturb her tiny charge. There were several cribs set up in the nursery to provide comfortable places for the babies to sleep. She transferred Brian and waited long enough to see he continued to sleep. She knew he would awaken in the next half hour or so for a diaper change and a bottle.
She yawned again, and this time Sharon noticed. “Someone might think you were the one with an infant at home keeping you up at all hours of the night.”
“Right?” Lynn used to think she’d settle down and get married one day. Except nothing about her life had gone the way she’d planned when she was young. “I was up at two-thirty in the morning protecting my house from an intruding kitten with nothing but courage and a rolling pin.”
Oh, if only Sharon could see the incredulous look on her face right now. Lynn chuckled at her friend.
Sharon set a bottle onto the table next to the rocking chair she was in and situated the infant she held onto her shoulder. “Okay, you’re going to have to start from the beginning.” She gently patted the baby’s back.
Lynn related her middle-of-the-night adventures. “Then I had to get up early to go to the store and buy a litter box and cat food before work. I just hope he’s not tearing my place up right now.” She groaned. At least he hadn’t gone to the bathroom anywhere she could find. Hopefully this kitten came litter-box trained.
Sharon was laughing now. “And here I hoped you were tired because you were out on a hot date last night. Instead, you’re on the fast track to becoming the neighborhood cat lady. You’ve got to get out more.”
“Gee, thanks for that.” One kitten did not a cat lady make. “It might be nice to have the little purr box to come home to.” Lynn was perfectly content with her life. Sure, she left work at the day care center and spent most evenings alone. She had her exercise routine, her favorite TV shows streaming, and a stack of books on her nightstand to read. Okay, maybe she was forcing herself to feel content. But wasn’t that better than being miserable?
Sharon gave Lynn a knowing look. “I’m serious, Lynn. People aren’t meant to be alone. I get why you were lying low for a while. But everything has blown over. No offense, but I doubt anyone would recognize you now. You need to start living your life again instead of letting the past dictate it for you.”
Ouch.
