elephant at his head. Huh. Maybe her gift would be a smashing success.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Wednesday, March 15
Embry pushed her jogging stroller along the winding path that led into the neighborhood park. Carson was strapped to her body in the baby carrier. Before she knew it, the new baby would take his place, and he’d move to the jogger while Kylie would have to walk.
The sun was gentle, casting a hazy glow through the filmy clouds. Spring was just around the corner. She smiled to herself. Not that it mattered much. Southern California didn’t seem to recognize seasons. The rain they’d had over the weekend was the most weather she’d seen all year. “Okay, Kylie bear. We’re here. Hop out.”
“You bring my scooter, Mama?”
Embry clicked the brake into place and stepped around to help Kylie unbuckle. “Not today. You didn’t want to bring it. Remember?” As she said the words, she chastised herself for not packing it anyway. One of the wonderful things about this park was the meandering path that looped up and around the perimeter. “Let’s go play on the slide,” she said with an enthusiasm she didn’t feel.
Kylie pressed her hands to the seat and stiffened. “No, Mama! I want my scooter.”
Touching a hand to Carson’s little body so he didn’t topple as she leaned over, she reached an arm to help Kylie out. “Come on, sweetie.”
Kylie kicked her feet. “No! I no go!”
Carson wailed as though his sister had kicked him, not the air, and Embry took a breath. Kylie burst into tears. I’ll look back and laugh at this, she reminded herself. This is just a tiny moment in time. But goodness! Another mom rolled up with an infant stroller, and Embry wheeled to the side of the path to allow her some room. Of course, her baby was sleeping peacefully.
The woman offered an understanding look and smiled at Kylie. “Those are very pretty shoes you have on.”
Kylie froze, clearly surprised that this stranger had spoken to her, but she quickly resumed her crying.
“Toddler fun!” Embry whispered, punctuating her words with a tight-lipped smile. She gave the woman a conspiratorial glance and said in a loud voice, “It’s such a nice morning that I thought a trip to the park would be fun! But it looks like we’ll have to head back and get ready for a nap,” she added with exaggerated remorse for Kylie’s benefit. Some days it felt like she was fighting an uphill battle in psychological warfare. This toddler business was exhausting.
“Oh yes,” the woman said, moving her stroller back and forth with one hand. “I understand about the napping. I’ve recently started coming here every morning to walk the pathway. My son loves to nap in the stroller,” she said, nodding at her little bundle of blue, “and he gets very crabby if he doesn’t get a good nap.”
“No nap!” Kylie said, throwing her arms across her chest.
“Well, if you don’t want a nap just yet, I suppose we can stay and play for a little while,” Embry said with false hesitation.
“Playing at the park is a lot more fun than napping,” the woman added, her eyes shining.
How sweet of her to play along so easily, Embry thought. “It sure is.” She glanced down at Kylie, who had her lips pursed in a frown.
“Do you live nearby?” the woman asked.
“As a matter of fact, we do. Just a few blocks away on Mockingbird Lane, which, come to think of it, is a strange name, being that I’ve never once seen a mockingbird in the area. Only crows, pigeons, and seagulls. Nuisances. Anyway, how about you?”
“We’re about a mile away. I drove here,” she said, almost apologetically, as she continued to gently move her stroller back and forth. “This is the closest park to us. But you live on Mockingbird Lane,” she said with interest. She took a card from her pocket and read it. “Any chance you’re near 1054?”
Embry stiffened. How would she know that? What if this woman were part of a crime ring, luring unsuspecting moms to trust her? She’d seen plenty of strange things on the local news. But then again, there wasn’t much to steal from her place. A thief would scoff at their archaic TV. Well, just in case, she would ask the questions. “Why?” she said with a sweet smile. “What is that?” She motioned to the card in the woman’s hand.
The woman flipped it to show her. “It’s a driver’s license. Do you know Sylvia Webb?”