A Family of Their Own - By Gail Gaymer Martin Page 0,15

and fastened it around her neck. “It’s a heart for Valentine’s day.”

Lucy peered at it. “It’s pretty.” She eyed Kelsey. “I’d like a birthstone, too.”

“Yours would be different, though.”

Peyton’s comment surprised Kelsey. “She’s right, Lucy. Your birthstone is sapphire.”

Lucy looked puzzled.

“That’s a bright blue.” Kelsey looked around the room for something that color.

“Sapphire like your eyes.” Ross tilted Lucy’s chin and grinned. “The same as your mom’s.”

Kelsey’s pulse fluttered.

“Sapphire.” Lucy peered into her mother’s eyes. “I love blue.”

Peyton fingered her necklace. “I like purple.”

Ross jumped in. “Well, I like purple and blue.”

Kelsey gave him a poke, hearing sarcasm in his voice. She feared that he had had enough. “What did your daddy give you for your birthday?” A new topic was in order.

“Three books to add to my Nancy Drew collection and a gift card for Macy’s for some new clothes.”

Lucy leaned against Kelsey. “Mom, I need some new clothes.”

Her expression disappointed Kelsey. Lucy rarely showed envy as she did tonight. Instead of a comment, she gazed at her watch.

“We’d better get in line or we’ll miss the show,” Ross said.

She followed Ross, but her mind stayed with her worry—the girls’ competition. Purple. Blue. Maybe rivalry was natural. Lucy sometimes butted heads with Cooper, but two girls the same age should have a few things in common. These two seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Ross would do anything for Peyton. She would do anything for Lucy. So where did that leave her and Ross? At opposite ends, too?

Chapter Four

Kelsey’s spine knotted with anticipation, waiting to open the MOSK meeting. She pushed back her shoulders and pulled them forward, hoping to relieve the stress. Despite reservations, she’d settled her mind to her mission. She had to, now that she’d met Ross and understood his need.

Her gaze drifted over the women, recalculating a way to approach the topic without laying too much out in the open. She’d almost hoped Lexie wouldn’t attend, because she knew too much about the situation, and Kelsey knew she’d feel guilty if she didn’t put everything on the table. Facts, feelings and familiarity. Maybe that was the problem. Being too close to Ross and her roiling emotions may have undermined her wisdom and skewed her ability to see all sides of the issue.

The clock hand ticked past the hour, and a couple of women eyed their watches. She had to begin. The agenda gave her time to think through her points, and she hoped by the end of their sharing time, she would have the right words.

Kelsey clapped her hands together and managed a grin. “I’m glad to see so many of you here today. We have some things to talk about, but first, we begin by sharing.” She shifted her gaze to the back of the room. “I see a couple of visitors with us. Welcome. If you have questions, please ask. We’re here to support each other in any way we can. Now—” she gestured toward the seating arrangement “—let’s scoot our chairs around to form a circle today. It’s nice when we can see everyone.”

The women shifted—some standing and moving their seats and others wiggling their chairs into position. When they’d formed a ragged circle, she turned to Ava.

“Ava, why don’t you start? Tell us about your week, and introduce yourself to our guests.”

Ava raised her hand with a wave, as if wanting to make sure everyone knew who she was, and began. “I’m Ava Darnell, a single mom. My son, Brandon, has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He’s fourteen.” She gazed at the women in the back of the room as muffled sounds of compassion rippled toward her. “We had good news this week. This round, we had an excellent report. His blood tests showed a little improvement, and he has more energy than he’s had in a long time.”

Words of assurance echoed through the room before the next mom began her news, but Kelsey’s attention slipped into her thoughts and the voices faded. Though she tried to focus, she was concentrating on her goal for the meeting.

Ross’s image had rattled through her mind since Peyton’s birthday. He wanted so much for his daughter, but until Peyton was willing to give and take a chance, Ross’s hopes would never come to fruition. Ideas kept coming, but how could she step in and influence changes? Her actions would result in resentment from Peyton and Ross. She would make Ross feel like a failure as a dad, and he wasn’t. Ross gave so much. She