Chapter Twelve
Greenlee hadn't been kidding. She and Ryan had furnished a designer nursery fit for a unisex royal offspring. Tucked into her pale yellow crib beneath the perfectly coordinated moss, daffodil, and white patchwork quilt, Miranda slept as contentedly as a tiny queen.
Greenlee led Kendall back to the living room, where a violin sonata was playing very softly. "See? I told you Miranda was out like a light."
"Big deal. Babies do spend most of their time sleeping. It's not like she's doing something special just for you," Kendall sniffed.
"And before I put her down for her nap, she ate a whole serving of Baby Bunny Luscious Carrot Custard," Greenlee went on proudly. "Every crumb, or maybe I should say drop, because it was pureed so it didn't have any crumbs, but the main thing is, she loved it."
Kendall knew she was revealing her ignorance. "What is that, designer baby food?"
Greenlee seemed to just be waiting for that question. "Nope! It's a recipe from my new copy of the Baby Bunny Cookbook. I made it from scratch. None of that mass-produced, commercial disgusting baby glop for my little cousin—I'm starting her out with the best to help her develop a discriminating palate. Sit down, Kendall, and I'll go get the book from the kitchen. You can help me pick out Miranda's next menu."
"Well, carrot custard sounds just delicious, Greenlee, and you could probably serve it at your own next dinner party and pass it off as carrot soufflé, but Bianca didn't—doesn't make her own baby food, so I don't think she'd expect you to do it just because you're babysitting Miranda." Kendall took a seat on Greenlee's sofa, but she didn't plan to stay very long. Greenlee was even wearing an apron—a ruffled apron, for god's sake. The background music began to sound like the Twilight Zone theme instead of Mozart.
"Miranda needs to be exposed to the finer things in life before her tastes have a chance to cheapen like y—, I mean, before she comes under too much well-meaning but lax influence." Interrupting Kendall's incipient eruption with a hasty, "I'll go get the book," Greenlee left the room. "I'll get some wine for us, too," she called over her shoulder.
Of course, Zach Slater would choose that very moment to arrive, forcing her to be the one to admit him lest he bang on the door and wake up Miranda. Kendall had lost sight of him on the drive over, hoping against hope that meant that either he'd changed his mind about visiting Miranda himself, or that he'd never really intended to in the first place. Wrong on both counts, for there Zach stood, holding a sheaf of red tulips and yellow roses in one hand and a plush, floppy stuffed lamb in the other.
"I see you hit the mall on your way over," Kendall said acidly.
In response Zach thrust the flowers toward her and when she instinctively grabbed at them, he thrust the teddy bear at her too, as if she were the hired help. "Thanks," he smirked. "The flowers are for Mrs. Lavery and the lamb is for my niece."
Greenlee rushed back into the room before Kendall could complete her eruption. "Flowers," she smiled. "Zach, how lovely. Kendall, will you take them into the kitchen and lay them on the counter until I can figure out which vase to put them in? And as long as you're already in there, could you add another glass to the tray I was fixing for us, and bring it in? The wineglasses are in the cabinet above the dishwasher."
"Very good, madam. Shall I wax the floor while I'm there, or start dinner?" Kendall asked between her teeth.
"Ha, ha, Kendall. Oh, wait, take the flowers, but don't walk off with this darling little lamb! Oh, look, it's a Steiff. Thanks, Zach, Miranda will love it. She's probably not awake yet, but we can tiptoe in for a minute so you can see how comfy she is in her new little digs." Plucking the stuffed animal from Kendall's arms, Greenlee began to steer Zach in the direction of the nursery.
"I forgot to ask. Where's Ryan, Greenlee?" Kendall asked pointedly.
"Ryan's holding down the fort at Fusion. We thought it would be less overwhelming for Miranda if we each have separate down time with her. Then when she's gotten more used to us, Ryan and Miranda and I can all spend time together."
From behind Greenlee, Zach caught Kendall's eye and gave just the tiniest shrug of his broad shoulders. Only for the sake of Miranda's peaceful slumber did Kendall once refrain from hurling her armful of flowers at him. Gritting her teeth even harder, she went to the kitchen and dumped the flowers on the nearest surface that was higher than the floor. He knew you were going to be here, she tried to calm herself down. He's just trying to piss you off.
Where oh where was one of Dr. David Hayward's magic potions when you needed one? Pouring another glass from the bottle of vintage Chardonnay Greenlee had chosen from her multi-tiered wine rack, Kendall fantasized Zach clutching his abdomen after taking a sip from it, and crashing to the floor. It would serve both him and Greenlee right, and then while Zach was writhing in agony and Greenlee was screaming into the phone for help, she would waltz into the nursery, liberate Miranda from the eternally spring-like bower and the gourmet mashed carrots, and head for the nearest border.
"White? I was rather hoping for a lusty red."
Kendall nearly jumped a foot in the air when Zach's deep voice spoke behind her. "Greenlee is your hostess, not I. Where is she, anyway? I'm surprised you could tear yourself away."
"Jealous?"
"No. Just curious."
"Miranda needed changing. My assistance wasn't required."
"Greenlee's had lessons. Look, I don't need your assistance either, Zach. So why don't you buzz off," Kendall grumbled.
Zach reached around her. "Which of these glasses is mine?"
"Take your pick. I didn't have time to add rat poison to any of them, if that's what you mean."
"Then I'll throw caution to the wind. This makes up for the Scotch I wasted on you today."
As befitting Greenlee, the glasses were small and dainty. Zach swallowed his wine in two gulps and replaced the glass on the counter. Kendall was still trapped between them, she still hadn't erupted, but she could feel her temperature rising.
"Scotch? I don't even know what you're talking about, Zach," she said impatiently. "Now get out of my way. Maybe Greenlee is willing to accommodate your boorishness, but I'm not."
"If you hurry, Kendall, you'll be just in time to watch Greenlee tuck Miranda in for the night," he gibed. "I've taken my leave of them, now I'm doing the same with you. I'm going on to the casino from here."
"Zach, you don't need to check in or out with me. I don't keep track of your comings and goings."
The kitchen door swung open and Greenlee appeared with her hands on her hips. "There you two are! Kendall, what's taking so long with the wine? Zach, are you sure we can't talk you into staying? Although Ryan will probably be calling soon to say he's on his way home so it's probably for the best if you don't stay for a long visit, although I can't wait to show him Miranda's new little lamb."
"Boy, Greenlee, you sure can be bought off easy," Kendall said, shaking her head. "I think I'll leave too. But I'll call you tomorrow about Miranda. Maybe we can work out a system, that is if we have to, at least for now. Last night Miranda spent with Myrtle, tonight with you…I'll get some things in the house tomorrow to get ready for her, then tomorrow night will be my turn to have her."
"Sure, Kendall," Greenlee agreed in such an artificial tone of voice that Kendall hoped she was misreading its cause. "But why is that necessary? You can see how happy Miranda is being here with Ryan and me, and our little nursery is just tailor-made for her. I haven't even had a chance to set her play den up in the living room—oh, I'll bet you don't even know what a play den is, do you?—well, it's just a big playpen that gives her plenty of room to move around without being able to get into things she shouldn't, especially when a place isn't all childproofed, although ours is, of course—but I'm sure yours isn't, Kendall." Greenlee's hands clamped down harder on her hips. "But we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Greenlee's last statement was so dismissive that Kendall knew she wasn't misreading her. Before she could protest, Zach put in suddenly, causing both girls to turn and stare at him, "What about my turn?" Their horrified expressions weakened his control further over the most vociferous of his perverse demons, the one that had been screaming loudest during the past twenty minutes to get out.
"Your turn!" Greenlee laughed in the same artificial tone, while Kendall was too nonplussed to speak "Really, Zach, do I need to remind you you're a foot-loose and fancy-free bachelor, not part of an old married couple like I am? What do you know about taking care of babies?"
He shrugged. "I spent a lot of time overseeing the design and construction of the employee daycare centers in my casinos. More to the point, very little fazes me, including changing a diaper or feeding and bathing a little one and keeping it out of trouble."
Greenlee gave another insincere giggle. "Yes, and I can just see you up to your elbows in baby powder and teething rings. That would certainly turn on all the ladies, but do you really expect me to think you're even one step ahead of Kendall here?"
"Gee, thanks a lot, Greenlee," Kendall interrupted sarcastically. "Or do we start calling you Dr. Spock now?"
"Funny, Kendall—not. Sorry, Zach, you talk a good game but you're a man and men always pretend they know more about everything than they really do."
"Being married for a year makes you the expert on men, too, Greenlee?" Surreptitiously, Kendall glanced at Zach to gauge his reaction to Greenlee's grandstanding. He remained silent, his head slightly cocked, listening to her with a faintly indulgent smile on his face.
"Shut up, Kendall. Now, Zach, I love the way you show up with presents, so I hate to be brutal, but let's get real here, okay? Kendall probably knows more about babies than you do and trust me, that is not saying much. So I guess this needs to be said—if I'm not about to let her have Miranda, I'm certainly not about to let you have her, and Ryan will back me up in this."
So Zach was right, Kendall thought in shock as Greenlee's announcement sunk in, Greenlee actually confirmed it! She does intend to keep Miranda. And Zach—what happened to him wanting me to have Miranda? Liar! I should have known he was up to something! Opening her mouth to strenuously object to both of them, Kendall closed it again when another quick glance at Zach revealed that while his lips still smiled, his gaze upon Greenlee had slightly narrowed. Oh, man, Greenlee. As upset with you as I am right now, I don't wish Zach on you either and you're an amateur compared with him.
Zach said only, "I see."
"Let's—let's talk about this tomorrow," Kendall heard herself gulp, "like you said in the first place, Greenlee. I think emotions—emotions are just running too high right now and you're not thinking too clearly. You and Ryan have wanted a baby; you already had that nursery set up, and now all of a sudden you have a baby to fill it. The only problem is you're forgetting it's a baby we all share. You're making a unilateral decision that affects all of us without making sure it's okay with all of us first." Jessica H. Christ, Kendall said to herself. How bad is it when I'm the voice of reason? But somebody has to placate Greenlee. I'll set Zach straight when it's just him and me.
"Everything could change tomorrow—or in the next minute—and make this discussion moot," Zach said in the same quiet voice, "so I will merely echo Kendall's suggestion that you not be too hasty, Greenlee."
It was Greenlee's turn to open her mouth and then close it without speaking. Watching her, Kendall sensed Greenlee hadn't a clue how to respond to a man who so politely but emphatically brooked no arguments. Abruptly, Greenlee shifted gears and reversed her stance a little—if only, Kendall suspected, to end the tense scene and get rid of them—with a frosty, "All right, maybe I went a little overboard but I only want what's best for Miranda."
"As do we all," Zach agreed smoothly. Inclining his upper body in a subtle bow, he said, "Ladies. I'll see myself out."