Cherise and Owen laugh and the girls’ father joins in. Even the youngest smiles, though she tries to hide it.
Family? Hell, no. This is a pit of vipers.
“Are we done with this bullshit?” Cypher says. “These two need to get back to Rockton, and we have trading to do. First, though, I think Casey was hoping to see the baby.”
My gaze shoots to him. He pretends not to notice.
“Baby?” Cherise says.
“The new family addition. I heard one of you girls is a momma, and Casey was hoping for the chance to bounce a baby on her knee.” He looks around. “You hiding the little tyke?”
The family’s expressions … I hesitate, worried that I’m seeing what I want to see. But there isn’t a single look of comprehension among them. The youngest sister frowns, as if she’s misheard. The father scowls, as if Cypher is making some kind of joke. Cherise peers at Cypher, as if there’s some hidden meaning to his words. Owen and Leila just look confused.
“Baby…” Cherise says carefully.
“Right. You know, miniature human. Demanding little critters that expect everyone to wait on them hand and foot. Are you the proud new momma?”
Cherise looks nothing short of horrified, and I restrain a shuddering sigh of relief.
“There’s no baby here,” the father snaps. “You think we’re fool enough to have one in winter?”
“Or fool enough to have one at all,” Leila says.
“I’d like a baby someday,” the youngest says, her voice soft. “But not now.”
I want to drop the matter here. See? There’s been a terrible mistake, and these are not the parents. Yet I hear the father’s words and wonder what would happen if one of the girls did give birth in winter. Edwin mentioned abandonment. That’s what people used to do, whether it was a baby or an infirm relative, when winter came with no extra rations to sustain the weak.
If that is the case, then I need to know that I can stop searching. Fine, you abandoned your baby, and now we have it and may proceed with whatever option we choose. However, if Abby’s mother is still out there, I need to keep looking.
I’m struggling for a way to get a definitive answer when Cypher says, “See, that’s what I was wondering. I told Casey and Eric that if you folks did have a winter baby, you might be willing to part with it. But since you don’t…”
When I realize what he’s saying, I flinch. The words have barely left his mouth before Cherise pounces.
“You want a baby?” she says to me.
“We’re not—” I begin.
“If you had one, she might be willing to pay,” Cypher says. “But since you don’t—”
“We can fix that,” she says. “Make us an offer, and me and Owen will consider giving you a baby.”
“Unless the problem is the cowboy,” Owen says. “Which I’m sure it is. In that case, I can fix it for you.” He winks at me, and I tense, my gaze shooting to Cherise. But she only says, “For a price he will. I’m not giving you free access to my man.”
“Unless the problem’s yours,” Leila says, “in which case, I’ll help. For the right price, of course.”
“Jesus,” Cypher mutters. “You want to get in here, Missy? Offer to rent out your baby-making body parts, too?”
The youngest shakes her head, her gaze lowered, and I shoot Cypher a look to back off her. He frowns, as if genuinely baffled.
“We aren’t in the market for a baby,” I say. “Ty’s beating around the bush here, and I appreciate his discretion, but it’s leading to a serious misunderstanding. We found a baby. A little boy, left in the woods. He seems to have been abandoned, but we want to be absolutely certain there isn’t a family frantically looking for him before we send him down south for adoption.”
Leila’s mouth opens, and I know she’s about to claim that, whoops, yes, she totally forgot about that baby she left in the forest. Cherise beats her to it with a more measured, “All right. It is … possible that we had a winter-born child. If we didn’t say so, it’s because we don’t need your judgment. You have no concept of a life where horrible choices must be made.”
“Like leaving a baby to die of cold?” Dalton says. “Or be ripped apart by predators? Instead of just suffocating him mercifully? Also…” A pointed glance around their well-stocked camp, complete with storage facilities. “I can tell you folks are hard up for supplies. I have no idea how you’ll get through the winter.”
Cherise glares at him. “Don’t presume to understand our choices. I thought I had suffocated the child, but clearly, I was too distraught to do it properly.”
Dalton’s mouth opens, and I know he’s going to tell her to cut the crap, but a look from me stops him. I must admit, I’m impressed by Cherise’s performance. But dragging this out isn’t going to help anyone.