CHAPTER 3
Jed
“Let me introduce you to Mandy Sue,” I say, handing Laura a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.
I know they’re going to get along like peas in a pod, but still I’m a little bit nervous. Mandy Sue is just a baby and I don’t want her to cry when she sees Laura for the first time. I really want them to get off on the right foot, and this has nothing to do with me.
Sure, I had a very strong reaction to Laura the minute I laid eyes on her, but I remind myself this isn’t about me. This is about my girl. I’m a gentleman always, and being a gentleman means putting ladies first, and right now the number one lady in my life is Mandy Sue.
One day will that change?
If the erection I’m trying my hardest to hide in my blue jeans is any indication that’s a strong possibility, but right now I need to stay focused no matter what. I can’t let her blond hair, baby blue eyes, and the smell of wild roses that seems to be filling each room she walks into distract me. If that really is her natural scent? I don’t know much about perfumes, but I swear that smell is really hers, not something from a bottle.
And apparently Mandy Sue smells it too.
She slowly opens her eyes as Laura and I look into her crib.
“She’s so beautiful,” Laura whispers.
“Thank you, but I can’t say I had anything to do with her looks. Can’t take any credit there.”
Laura forces a smile like she’s not sure what I mean. Like my comments don’t quite make sense. Then it hits me. I never actually explained the story of how Mandy Sue and I came together. Then again that’s not something I want to post on the Internet, not to mention it took me a good hour just to figure out how to use Craigslist and post the ad. I’m not exactly savvy when it comes to computers and electronics. When it comes to plugging things into the wall I’m more used to table saws and drills, and even then I prefer a good old handsaw and a screwdriver backed by some old fashioned elbow grease.
“You can pick her up if you want,”
Laura’s confused look immediately turns into a smile and she grabs the top horizontal bar of the crib.
“Hey there, Mandy Sue. Can I pick you up and see how cute you are face to face?”
I look at Laura in awe. It seems so obvious when I watch her. She talks in that baby voice that my vocal cords just won’t seem to let me find and she asks her first before picking her up. It sounds crazy and I know Mandy Sue’s not going to reply, but I like that Laura asked. It shows respect and I know if she shows this kind of respect now especially in this type of situation it’s just going to carry on over into other areas of her life and I really like that.
But just as I was sure Mandy Sue wasn’t going to respond, she up and does. She wiggles her little feet and hands and smiles.
“Well, I’ll be,” I say. “It’s like she understands you. Like the two of you are having your own little conversation going on.”
Laura looks at me and then brings her hands to her heart to show just how precious my words are to her. I can’t believe the word precious is even entering my mind. I’ve only ever heard women say that word. Are these two ladies making me soft? Not a chance.
“Did you eat already?” I ask but Laura doesn’t even reply.
She’s already got her focus back on Mandy Sue as she reaches in and carefully lifts her from the crib, making sure to support her, especially her head, and brings her up to her chest.
Mandy Sue fits there like a glove, an absolute perfect fit. She leans right into her and paws at her shirt with her tiny little hands.
I’m sold. Completely sold. Mandy Sue’s telling me this is what she wants. She’s telling me she approves of Laura without saying a word. The smile, the grasps, the way she clutches at her…it’s like she’s saying, “I’m yours and your mine and please don’t ever let go.”
And I look back at Laura and her body language seems to be saying the same.
The idea to look for a babysitter online seemed crazy at the time, and even crazier that some stranger was going to wander into town like Clint Eastwood in some old movie and save the day. Now it seems like perfect sense.
I may not have the highest level of formal education, but I sure do know a thing or two learned over the years of acquiring my working man’s PhD, as the Aaron Tippin song goes. And I know a few things about people, and the reason this is working is because of the person who showed up at the top of my driveway today.
Her. My Laura Lee.
And yes she is mine. She’s mine now whether she knows it or not.
And she’s Mandy Sue’s too.
She’s ours and now it’s up to the two of us to make her feel right at home, because this is exactly where we want her home to be. Mandy Sue’s shown it and now I’m going to roll out the red carpet too.
I’m gonna show this girl what it’s like to be the apple of this cowboy’s eye and when I do we will start a tree of our own, but it won’t be an apple tree.
It’ll be a family tree.