Lie, Lie Again(99)
Kylie pointed toward her. “No, you colored your tummy, silly!”
“Oh, this!” Sylvia smiled as she motioned to her tattoo. “Yes, I suppose I did draw on myself.”
“Use lots of soap in the bath to scrub real good,” she said, nodding affirmatively.
“Thanks. I’ll do that.” Turning to Embry and Lily, she said, “Good to see both of you. Here’s to hoping my yoga class is all it’s cracked up to be. I could use some calm in my life.”
“Amen to that. Thanks for stopping by. We’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” She wiggled her fingers and headed for the door. She wanted to hug Kylie for drawing attention to her tattoo. Kids were so delightfully observant! And she had planted just enough hints about stress to make Lily question Embry about it. They would talk about her in hushed voices, and Embry would reveal that Sylvia’s ex was a horrible person. Someone to fear. And when Lily discovered Hugh was the ex in question, she would have piles of evidence proving he was a very bad man.
Outside, she paused by the stroller, bending down to tie her shoe. At least, that’s what anyone would assume she was doing. She took the burner phone from the pocket of her hoodie and shook it from the small Ziploc into the diaper bag, followed by Hugh’s camera. She jostled the bag, making sure the evidence swam its way to the bottom. How long before it was discovered? Well, it didn’t really matter in the end. Lily would learn of his deception, and that would serve as a final blow to Hugh.
What would timid little Lily do with the knowledge? Sylvia envisioned her bursting into tears and pounding her birdlike arms to Hugh’s body as he stood there, unable to defend himself because the truth would be right there in vivid color. He would know it was Sylvia who had gathered all the evidence, but he wouldn’t be able to prove it. And that would drive him crazy. She chuckled to herself and pictured him among a herd of mad cows. No laughing matter indeed, Hugh.
Embry smiled at Lily from across the table and kissed the top of Carson’s head. “I don’t know how she does it. That ex of hers is plain scary if you ask me, but she just keeps on going.”
“Scary? What do you mean?” Lily asked, setting her teacup on the saucer.
Embry looked to Kylie, who was busy scribbling a blue crayon across her page. “Hey, Ky. It’s been a while. Why don’t you try to go potty?”
She slid from her chair. “I go potty right now, Mama!” She skittered to the bathroom.
Embry placed a hand on her chin as she looked at Lily. “I don’t like gossiping, but her ex has sent threatening texts. I feel so bad. She had no idea the guy was married, and now it seems he’s blaming her anyway.”
Lily lifted her teacup and set it back down again. “How awful.”
“I know.” Shaking her head, she said, “It makes me wonder who you can trust.”
Kylie bounded back into the room and resumed her spot at the table. “All done, Mama! I wash my hands,” she said, holding them up for inspection.
“Great job. Do you want to build a super-tall tower with your blocks now?”
She clapped and dashed across the room to the basket of blocks.
Embry made sure she was out of earshot and said, “It’s easier to talk without an audience, if you know what I mean.”
Lily smiled, and Embry wondered what she was thinking.
“So how did you meet your husband? Have you been married long?”
“Almost three years. We only dated for a month before we married.”
“Wow! That’s fast. How is he with the baby? It’s an adjustment, isn’t it?”
Lily looked away, her focus on the kitchen counter, the window, the linoleum floor, before returning her gaze to Embry. “Well, um . . . You know how it is. Was your husband—I don’t know—a little off at times after the baby?”
“In what way?” Embry asked, bouncing Carson gently on her knee.
“I don’t know.” She laughed uncomfortably. “It seems like Hugh has the pregnancy hormones now. He’s up one minute and down the next. And angry,” she said quietly, more to herself than to Embry. “He’s angry about the house not being as clean as before and how tired I am. He thinks I sit around doing nothing all day, but—”
“For goodness’ sake! Having a new baby is a full-time job. It’s feeding and changing and rocking and trying desperately to get them to sleep. And, I might add, doing all of that on minimal sleep ourselves.” She could picture all the women in her family stepping forward, arms crossed and determined looks on their faces. Hart women didn’t stand for ignorant men. “You’re not giving yourself any credit here.”
“I’ve tried to explain that, but he doesn’t get it.” She attempted a smile, but it crumbled from her face.
Embry studied her, taking in her fragile hands and cracked expression. One harsh word could knock such a sweet woman over. “I can imagine that’s a cause of tension.” She couldn’t say she knew exactly, because as stressed as Brandon had been, he’d never once said that Embry did nothing all day. A comment like that would’ve gotten him a tongue-lashing like he’d never seen.
Lily nodded. “It is. Sometimes I feel like I’m walking on eggshells.” She shook her head. “But he’s great most of the time. I shouldn’t complain. I have so much to be thankful for.”