Leave the Pieces (Strawberry Inn Book #5)

Chapter 1

EMORY

“Shh, it’s okay, Callum. Shh, calm down my sweet boy.” I do my best to gently bounce my son up and down to calm him once again. I swear this is all my life has become and my body just paces and bounces without much thought these days. Don’t get me wrong, I love Callum more than anything in this world, but since the day he was born, all he does is cry. Of course, I expected him to cry, as all babies do, but nobody could have prepared me for this.

For months now, I’ve been looking for some solution, but nothing has worked. The only help I’ve gotten from the pediatrician is that he probably has colic. I may be new to this mom life, but my gut feeling tells me that it is so much more. I just wish somebody would listen to me. I’m pretty sure I just come off as an overly exhausted new mom and I’m being irrational. Nobody has ever said that to me, but it’s how I feel. 

Today was supposed to be a fun day. My good friends Kelsey and Chaz got married this afternoon and right now is their reception, but I’m stuck in this bedroom with a crying baby, again. My life is starting to feel like Groundhog Day. He was sleeping during the ceremony and I was thanking the gods that he was quiet, but they just laughed at me right before they started to say their vows. I watched the rest of the ceremony from Chaz’s mom’s bedroom window. 

All of my friends love Callum, but I can’t let him ruin these special moments with his wailing. Rather than enjoy my night, every hour or so I find myself back in this room, pacing the floor, while the night moves on without me. I look down at Callum and wish for just one moment that he was like other babies, but even thinking that makes me feel like shit and I find my eyes tearing up. What kind of horrible mother am I?

“Hey, Ems.” My sister-in-law’s cheery voice interrupted my pity fest. Blair was dressed in a bright blue cocktail dress that showed off her perfect curves. She didn’t have a hair out of place and her makeup was impeccable. I loved Blair, but she looked so put together, that I felt frumpy in my five-year-old yellow dress that was a bit too tight after giving birth not that long ago. Between Callum’s crying and my busy work schedule, getting back to my pre-baby weight hasn’t been a priority. Neither was buying a new dress for this wedding.

“Blair, hey how’s it going?” I look down at Callum and panic as he wails again, “he isn’t too loud, is he?”

“Oh no,” she waves me off. “You know we don’t mind his crying. It wasn’t that long ago that Angela and I both had crying babies ourselves.”

Blair was referring to our friend Angela and their babies Esme and Indie. The two toddlers were almost born on the same day, so we had two little ones running around and hitting their milestones at the same time. Blair was just being kind though, sure the girls cried, but they didn’t cry like Callum did.

“It’s not the same, Blair. I know you’re trying to be sweet and relate, but neither of the girls was like this and Hayes wasn’t either.” Hayes being Blair’s oldest son who is now a grown man.

“You’re being too hard on yourself, Emory. Let me watch my nephew so you can enjoy the wedding a little bit.”

I shake my head, “I can’t ask you to do that, Blair. You should be enjoying the night with Cody since Hayes took Esme home.”

Blair rolls her eyes, “I’ve enjoyed the entire day with your stinking brother, Em. And you didn’t ask me to do anything, I offered. I need auntie time, please.”

She was so insistent and I knew I would give in, but the guilt was overwhelming. She didn’t come in here to get auntie time, she came in here because they all feel bad for me that I’d spent the majority of the wedding and reception in this room. I was tired of everybody feeling bad for me. It was bad enough that I was raising Callum on my own after a one-night-stand left a little more behind than he was supposed to. To add to Callum’s colic and constant crying, I was the pity of everybody. 

“Ten minutes,” I finally give in, handing her Callum, “I’m just going to have a glass of wine and maybe see if there is any cake left.”

Blair cradled Callum against her chest, resuming the same bouncing motion that I had been doing, “Make it fifteen, go have a spin around the dance floor too.”

“Oh please,” I scoffed, “Nobody out there wants to have a dance with me.”

“Live a little, Emory!” She got in the last word as I walked out the door. I don’t know what she’s expecting. I know everybody at this wedding and none of them are single or if they are single, none of them would be somebody I’d consider a potential partner. Also, I wasn’t looking for anybody. Between my job at the vineyard, my music festival right around the corner, and Callum, I was busy. Too busy to even consider the possibility of dating.

The open bar that Kelsey and Chaz hired was still open, so I said a little prayer. They were serving Strawberry Vineyards wine tonight, the kind made right here in Strawberry by my parents. The bartender handed me my class and I swiped a piece of cake before finding an open spot to sit. I just finished my final sip of wine when my brother came into my side peripheral version, “Sis.”

“Hey, Cody. Are you the one that sent your wife in to relieve me?”

“Nah, that was her idea. This is mine though,” he holds out his hand, “Dance with me.”

“I’m fine, Cody. You don’t need to babysit me or embarrass yourself by dancing with your sister.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” he grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet, “Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”

“No,” I scoff.”

“Then dance with me. It’ll be fine.” I was still unsure of his intentions, but I followed him onto the makeshift dance floor and allowed him to take the lead. As far as big brothers go, Cody was alright. We weren’t that close when we were younger and he moved away from Strawberry right after he graduated high school. It wasn’t until he moved back home a couple of years ago that we really bonded. That’s probably why I took it so hard when he was mad at me for hiding my pregnancy from everybody. I’m still not sure he’s over that, but we’ve been working through it. 

“Are you ready for Strawberry Fest to begin?” Cody asked.

I shook my head, “Not even closer. My to-do lists all have their own to-do lists. I still can’t believe Kelsey decided to squeeze in a wedding when she knew how much we had going on. The things love makes you do, right?”

Cody laughed, “You’re talking to the guy who married a woman on her due date…for the second time.”

“See, people in love are crazy,” I grinned.

“Maybe just a little. Tell you what, why don’t you let Blair and I watch Callum overnight tomorrow so you can have some free time to get items checked off AND maybe get at least one good night’s sleep this week.”

“Oh no, It’s already too much that she’s watching him right now. He’ll keep you both up all night.”

“That just means more bonding time with my nephew. I know what I’m getting into, Emory. Blair doesn’t have to work the day after tomorrow and I can rearrange my schedule as needed.”

“Cody…”

“Emory…” he mocks.

“I don’t want to be known as the mom who can’t handle her kid,” I admit to my brother.

“You’re doing the job of two people on your own. Not just that, but you also have a full-time job and it is your busiest time of the year. This isn’t about your capabilities as a mom, Emory. It is about helping out my sister and taking a small bit of work off her plate.”

“Why are you so damn nice after everything?”

Cody laughs and kisses my forehead, “Because I was a huge jerk a few months ago and I’m still trying to make up for that. Say yes, Em. Let us take Callum for the night.”

“Okay,” I finally concede, “but only because I really need the extra time to finish things up.”

“I’ll take it. Thank you for letting me help, Emory.”