Having Tanner Bravo's Baby

We? DeDe’s care, after all, was to be mostly on Crystal. Tanner would be around when he could manage it. She sent him a questioning glance and he gave her a nod. Whatever that meant.

Then again, he would want them to know he had her back. She was glad for that. Truly.

More footsteps in the hall. DeDe appeared, followed by the scruffy brown dog she’d named Cisco, a stray Mitch had found and adopted after the loss of Candy. The dog dropped to its haunches and panted in contentment.

DeDe, on the other hand, had a red nose and a look of pure misery in her puffy eyes. She wore a purple leotard and tights to match.

“Goodbye,” she said glumly and held up her cheek to be kissed.

Mitch and Kelly exchanged bleak glances. But neither wavered. They hugged their daughter and told her they loved her. DeDe bore their attention with the brave determination of a tragic heroine condemned to a horrible and hopeless fate.

Kelly pointed out the calendar she’d made of DeDe’s numerous activities. It was mounted by magnet on the fridge, a list of phone numbers beside it. “Cell phone service will be undependable. But there are landlines in the suite. And if you call the resort’s main desk, they’ll track us down. So you can always reach us,” she said. “Anytime.”

Tanner stood. “We’re on it.” There was that we again. “Don’t worry.”

Kelly grabbed him in a hug. “I just want to be sure we’ve covered everything. You both already have keys….”

“It’s going to be fine,” Crystal promised.

They all moved toward the front door—even the sulking DeDe, who trailed behind the others, still angry but unwilling to let her parents go without giving them a final, reluctant wave goodbye. The dog followed DeDe, taking up the rear.

The four of them—Crystal, Tanner, DeDe and Cisco—stood out on the sidewalk until the limo rounded the corner. DeDe turned for the house first.

Inside, the nine-year-old went straight to her room, the faithful mutt at her heels.

Crystal started to follow, but Tanner caught her hand. He shook his head and said low, “Don’t get all over her now. Let her settle down a little.”

Crystal decided he was probably right. “Good point.” She pulled her hand free. It felt much too good tucked so warmly in his.

“She’s leaving in a few minutes anyway,” he said. “Some lesson or other, I think.”

Crystal went into the kitchen to double-check the calendar. Sure enough, a lesson at eleven and an afternoon at a friend’s to follow.

Tanner stuck his head in the doorway from the living room. “Am I right?”

“Yep.”

DeDe, wearing her purple backpack, trudged back in from the hallway. “I have to go now,” she said loftily. “I have modern dance at eleven. Mrs. Lu is picking me up. Then we’ll go to Mia’s after.” Mia Lu was in several of DeDe’s dance classes as well as in her class at school. The two girls were good friends. “I’ll be back by four. If that’s okay.”

Crystal gave her a smile. “See you at four, then.”

DeDe sniffed, a sound that was followed by a heavy sigh. “Well. Okay, then. Bye…”

Tanner nodded. “Later.”

“Cisco. Stay,” DeDe commanded. The dog gave a low whine and sat. DeDe went out the front door. By silent agreement, Crystal and Tanner moved to the bay window in the living room. They watched as Mrs. Lu drove up in her white van. DeDe got in and the van drove away.

Tanner grunted. “That kid. She used to be so reasonable.” He nudged her gently with his elbow. “Maybe you should chant to make her change her attitude.”

“Ha-ha.”

“Or maybe she needs a hot rock massage….”

She granted him a glance of cool superiority. “How many times do I have to explain to you that enlightenment is a personal journey? She has to want to change. That’s the first, all-important step.”

“Woo-woo,” he said.

“Tease me all you want, but deep down, you know what I’m saying is true.”

He put his arm around her, a fond sort of gesture, as they stood there gazing out the window together. She didn’t pull away. It felt good—companionable.

And he said in a musing tone, “Even as a baby, she would lie there making happy, cooing sounds. Hardly ever cried. I gotta say, the way she’s been behaving lately, I almost wish she was a baby again. I’ll take the loaded diapers and the feedings every four hours, any day.”

That’s right, Crystal thought. Kelly was still in high school when she had DeDe—and living with her big brother at the time. Tanner would know all about DeDe as a baby. The idea pleased her. He might be a tough, private eye type, but he did have experience with babies. More experience than she had, when you came right down to it.

She predicted, “I’m sure DeDe’ll get used to the changes having her dad around has made in her life. She’ll be her old self again in time, just watch.”

Tanner grunted. “I only hope it’s soon. Think. She’s almost ten. She’ll be a teenager before you know it. When that happens, all bets are off.”

Crystal’s thoughts strayed back to the baby—their baby. “It’s not easy, is it, raising a child?”

He put on a dark look. “Hell, no.” And then he grinned. “Haven’t you heard? Only crazy people have kids.”

She laughed. “Crazy. Right.”

“That’s us,” he said low. “Out of our minds in a big, big way.” And they shared a long look of what could only be called mutual understanding. Bizarre. Crystal and Tanner, all bondy together. But then he said, “Well, I guess we ought to bring our stuff in, get settled, all that….” He dropped his arm from around her shoulders and started for the door.

Our stuff? The good feeling fled. He was up to something.

“Wait a minute.”

He turned back to her. “Yeah?”

“You just said our stuff?”

“That’s right.” His expression was way too innocuous—and Tanner Bravo was never innocuous. The vague sense of alarm she felt ratcheted up a notch. Then he said, “I gave it some thought last night after I left your place, and I realized that this was a great opportunity and we shouldn’t let it pass us by.”

She stared at him, not following. “A great opportunity?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“For what?”

“To live together.”

She still didn’t understand. “But…why would we want to live together?”

“Oh, come on, Crys. You know it’s a good idea.”