Free Blackbird Lake by Jill Gregory Page A

wagging its tail in the doorway, he just stared at it, his mouth wide open.
    “Whose dog is that? Did M-Mommy and Daddy get him for me?”
    “No, honey. It’s Mr. Tanner’s dog. Mr. Tanner is…um, a friend of your daddy’s. How about this—you stay with him for just a minute and you can pet the dog. I need to check on your sister.”
    Emma’s sobs had finally subsided and she leaned her head against Carly’s shoulder as Carly whirled, dodging right past Jake Tanner and his dog without a word, bolting toward Ashley’s bedroom. The little girl was just tumbling out the door of her pink and purple bedroom, dressed in Hello Kitty pajamas.
    “I want Mommy!” she gasped, followed by a hiccup. Tears slid down her cheeks.
    “Your mommy will be home real soon, angel. Everything is fine.” Still holding Emma close, Carly knelt and hugged Ashley with her free hand. Then she gently stroked the littlegirl’s damp hair back from her face. “Ashley, do you…do you want to see a doggie?”
    “I heard a doggie…it woke me up. It was crying!” Ashley leaned against her, snuggling. “Why was it crying? Why is Emma here?” she asked suddenly, and a smile broke across her face. She sniffled and stopped crying, then leaned toward Emma and kissed her cheek.
    Emma peered at Ashley. Reaching out, she poked one tiny finger against the side of the little girl’s nose. Ashley laughed, and so did Emma.
    “Okay, how about everyone goes back to sleep?” Carly suggested, surging to her feet.
    “I’m thirsty.” Ashley gazed pleadingly up at Carly with huge teary eyes.
    “Okay. One glass of water coming right up. You climb back into bed now, honey, and I’ll bring it to you.”
    The next few moments rushed by in a blur as she brought Ashley water, then tucked her into bed, holding Emma all the while. Emma thankfully was falling back asleep, her head on Carly’s shoulder, her eyelids fluttering.
    Carly took deep calming breaths as she carried her daughter back to the sofa, laid her gently down on the makeshift bed, and pushed the protective cushions into place once more. She covered Emma with the blanket, stared at her a moment as her own heartbeat finally slowed, and then spun back toward Austin’s room.
    But she froze on the spot because Jake was standing in the hall watching her, and the big, now-silent mutt sat quietly, innocently, by his side.
That dog’s just pretending innocence,
she thought.
    “Sorry about all the commotion.” His eyes alight with both apology and amusement, Jake came toward her.
    Toward Emma.
    Carly felt her blood turn as cold as river ice. She knew she had to try to appear casual. Normal. Calm. But she didn’t feel any of those things.
    Jake was here in the same room with his daughter,breathing the same air, less than ten feet away from his own child, and he had no clue.
All because of me,
she thought grimly.
Because I never told him.
    She’d made the decision two years before that she wasn’t going to tell him anything about the baby, not ever. For his own good, as much for him as for Emma, she reminded herself now as she met those steady blue eyes.
    What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. And it wouldn’t hurt Emma, either—not the way it would if she knew she had a father who didn’t want to be a real part of her life.
    “Is Austin okay?” she asked quickly, praying she didn’t look as freaked out as she felt.
    “Probably sound asleep again by now.” Jake’s voice was quiet, even. “I let him pet Bronco—” He nodded toward the skinny mutt, who now looked as docile and well behaved as a prize-winning poodle at a dog show. “Then I promised him we’d come back tomorrow so the two of them could play fetch in the backyard.” He gave his head a shake. “Whew, you sure had your hands full. That was my fault. Sorry.”
    It took every drop of willpower she possessed to keep from stepping instinctively between him and Emma as he advanced toward the sofa.
    Toward their daughter.
    An