Staying with Monica would solve the problem of hiding Savannah, at least in the short term.
“Are you sure?”
“No. I think this is crazy. But I can’t walk away now. Besides, I doubt you know a whole lot about babies and at least I know what Jessie went through with Danny.” Monica placed a thumb into Savannah’s hand and kissed her tiny fingers. “She may look small, but she’s a full-time job.”
“So you’ll help me take care of her?”
Monica leveled her eyes with Katie. “I’ll help you get situated. If you plan to work on Jack’s hotel and find out who Savannah’s mommy really is…plus take care of her, you’re going to need six hands and three heads. Actually,” Monica moved off the bed. “This is a crazy idea. I work full-time and finally landed the day shift. Plus I pick up overtime whenever I can get it to pay off my college loans.”
Katie felt her ally fading fast. “I’ll hire a nanny.” Just until she found a rhythm that worked. The last thing Katie wanted was for Savannah to be raised by strangers.
“In my neighborhood they’re called babysitters.”
“Babysitter then.” That sounded better anyway. More temporary.
Monica clasped her hands together, doubt filled her gaze.
“Please.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Monica shook her head. “I’ll shower and be ready to leave in thirty minutes. You need to turn on some of that Texan charm and wiggle your way into some last-minute flights or I have a feeling Dean will rat us out before dinner.”
All the Texan charm and daddy’s money didn’t get them on a flight fast enough to suit Katie. First class was sold out but they managed a flight in economy with Monica seated several rows behind her and Savannah. It had been so long since she’d crammed into a commercial flight that she’d forgotten how cramped it was. Not to mention the baggage restrictions. She checked two bags under her name, and two under Savannah Morrison. The elderly lady in the window seat cooed over Savannah the moment the flight attendant finished helping Katie buckle the car seat in.
“Oh, isn’t she precious.”
She juggled the diaper bag under one seat and her oversized purse under another. “Thank you,” Katie managed to say before taking her seat.
“How old is she? One month?”
“Two weeks.” The answer was instant, and after the words escaped Katie’s mouth, she cautioned herself to keep quiet.
“Isn’t that a little young to fly?”
Katie’s right eye twitched. “The, ah, doctor said it was fine.”
“I have three grandbabies. Well, they’re not babies any longer. Two in high school and one finishing up college now, but they will always be my grandbabies.” The happily plump woman talked about her grandchildren, two boys and one girl, and made kissing noises to Savannah whenever she turned her head toward the woman’s voice.
Katie clicked her seat belt and rested her hand on Savannah’s tiny leg.
“They grow so fast,” the woman went on.
“Yes, they do.” Or so she’d heard.
The older woman paused and took in Katelyn’s frame. Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t look like you just had a baby.”
Her heart leapt. The woman’s observation wasn’t something she’d seen coming. “I adopted.” She said the first thing that popped in her head. Sticking close to the truth would probably be best anyway. Thinly veiled truth was better than a flat out lie. Many years of skirting the truth would come in handy to keep Savannah’s identity hidden.
Katie glanced over her shoulder and found Monica peeking over her seat. After sending a reassuring smile, Katie swiveled forward and tilted her face away from the people surrounding her. She wore little makeup and dark sunglasses in hopes of avoiding anyone recognizing her on the plane. If someone did notice her, they’d probably second guess who she was based on the sole fact that Katie never flew anywhere but on her daddy’s plane. Not to mention she was wearing sweatpants…workout clothes in public for God’s sake. Even the T-shirt she was wearing belonged to Monica and sported some of Savannah’s lunch.
Before boarding the plane, Monica and Katie had taken turns walking Savannah around, hoping that, when buckled in a car seat, she wouldn’t grow restless and call more attention to herself than necessary. A baby, especially one as tiny as Savannah, drew attention and more than one neck craned to get a glimpse.
The last of the passengers took their seats.
Grandma kept talking about her grandchildren, the soothing voice seemed to be putting Savannah to sleep.
Maybe the flight won’t be so bad.
The words no sooner fled her mind before the captain’s voice swam over the PA to welcome them aboard. Sadly, the intercom squeaked at a high pitch and jarred Savannah to a full-on wakeful scream.
Passengers turned toward her as Katie attempted to coax a pacifier into Savannah’s mouth. She wanted nothing to do with it. The plane taxied from the terminal and the noise of the engine helped cut some of the noise coming from such a small person.
The coy smiles and oohs and aahs over “such a tiny thing” swiftly turned to ugly looks and rolling eyes.
“Shh, it’s OK…” Katie couldn’t stop the pitiful wails any more than stopping the tide.
Grandma offered some encouragement. “Don’t worry. Babies cry. Everyone knows that.”
Still, every passenger within four rows honed their ugly stares on her.