12- Confidence

“So, I wastelling Mommy that I think we should live here forever and ever,”
Caitlyn told Hazel, her eyes shining. “Grandpa has already gotten me my own
horse.”
“Grandpa ought to know better,” Emma grumbled under her breath, then
smiled at her daughter. “Darling, we live in Denver. You’d miss all your friends
if we moved here.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Caitlyn insisted. “I already have a lot of friends here.” Her
expression brightened. “And I have cousins here. I don’t have any cousins in
Denver.”
“She’s got you there,” Hazel said, grinning.
“Oh, stay out of it,” Emma snapped. “I don’t see you moving back to
Winding River.”
“You never know,” Hazel said. Of course, if Mr. Lee was successful in his
attempts to make her part of Bobby’s scam, she might be in jail instead, but it
was seeming more and more likely that she was going to have to leave New
York once this mess was straightened out. Customers could be fickle. If Café
Tuscany’s reputation was tarnished, they would stay away in droves. Any chance
she might have of paying off the old debts would vanish.
She sighed, then realized that Emma was staring at her with a shocked
expression. “What?” she asked.
“You aren’t seriously considering coming back here to live, are you?” Emma
asked. “I thought you had your dream job in your dream city.”
“I do, but things could change.”
“Doesthis have something to do with Mr. Lee?”
Hazel nodded. “Let it alone, though, Emma. You have enough on your plate
without me dumping my worries on you.”
“Hey, we’re friends. Friends can always share their troubles with each
other.”
“Then why don’t you tell me why you’re wound tighter than a string on Pete
Sampras’s tennis racket?”
“Too much work, too little time,” Emma said succinctly.
“Mommy is never, ever home,” Caitlyn said. “She worksreally, really hard.”
Emma winced at the matter-of-fact assessment by her six-year-old. “It’s
going to get better, baby. I promise.”
Hazel studied her worriedly. “When? I know you’re thinking about taking
ona big case here with Sue Ellen. How much time will you have if you’re
commuting between here and Denver?”
“I’ll manage,” Emma said tightly.
“And Caitlyn?” Hazel persisted gently. “Will she manage, too?”
“Look, I’m doing the best I can, Hazel, okay?” Emma stood up. “I have to get
over to the jail. Will you take Caitlyn back to my mom’s?”
“Of course,” Hazel said at once. She winked at the little girl. “But only if
she’ll go to the toy store with me first. What do you think, Caitlyn? Want to help
me pick out some toys?”
Caitlyn bounced up and down on the vinyl seat of the booth excitedly.
“Who’re you buying toys for, Aunt Hazel? Do you have kids at home?”
“Nope.” She grinned. “I guessif we find something really, really special, I’ll
have to give it to you.”
Caitlyn’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Emma shook her head, looking amused. “You’re going to spoil her.”
“That’s what an honorary aunt is supposed to do, right, Caitlyn?”
“Uh-huh,” the little girl said solemnly.
“Okay then, have fun, you two.” Emma kissed Caitlyn on the forehead. “See
you later, sweet pea.”
“Bye, Mommy,” Caitlyn replied distractedly. “Aunt Hazel, I was thinking.
There’sthisreally, really neat Barbie I’ve been wanting. Do you think maybe the
toy store has it?”
“If it doesn’t, we’ll go find ourselves a computer and look for it online.”
Caitlyn bounded out of her seat. “I’m ready. Are you?”
Hazel drank her last sip of coffee, then joined the eager child. Truthfully, she
was almost as enthusiastic as Caitlyn. Henderson Toys had been one of her
favorite places as a child. She would save up her allowance for a whole month,
then go into the store with her mother and walk up and down the crowded aisles
studying the dolls and the trains and the board games before making her
selection.
Hazel studied her worriedly. “When? I know you’re thinking about taking
ona big case here with Sue Ellen. How much time will you have if you’re
commuting between here and Denver?”
“I’ll manage,” Emma said tightly.
“And Caitlyn?” Hazel persisted gently. “Will she manage, too?”
“Look, I’m doing the best I can, Hazel, okay?” Emma stood up. “I have to get
over to the jail. Will you take Caitlyn back to my mom’s?”
“Of course,” Hazel said at once. She winked at the little girl. “But only if
she’ll go to the toy store with me first. What do you think, Caitlyn? Want to help
me pick out some toys?”
Caitlyn bounced up and down on the vinyl seat of the booth excitedly.
“Who’re you buying toys for, Aunt Hazel? Do you have kids at home?”
“Nope.” She grinned. “I guessif we find something really, really special, I’ll
have to give it to you.”
Caitlyn’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Emma shook her head, looking amused. “You’re going to spoil her.”
“That’s what an honorary aunt is supposed to do, right, Caitlyn?”
“Uh-huh,” the little girl said solemnly.
“Okay then, have fun, you two.” Emma kissed Caitlyn on the forehead. “See
you later, sweet pea.”
“Bye, Mommy,” Caitlyn replied distractedly. “Aunt Hazel, I was thinking.
There’sthisreally, really neat Barbie I’ve been wanting. Do you think maybe the
toy store has it?”
“If it doesn’t, we’ll go find ourselves a computer and look for it online.”
Caitlyn bounded out of her seat. “I’m ready. Are you?”
Hazel drank her last sip of coffee, then joined the eager child. Truthfully, she
was almost as enthusiastic as Caitlyn. Henderson Toys had been one of her
favorite places as a child. She would save up her allowance for a whole month,
then go into the store with her mother and walk up and down the crowded aisles
studying the dolls and the trains and the board games before making her
selection