Max stopped in the doorway. He’d stripped off his overalls outside. In contrast to his gentle nature his sweat-stained t-shirt and faded jeans showing off his tanned muscular frame gave him a rough look. A look that Abby had taken a liking to when she was a teenager. Nearing forty, he had a head of dark brown hair that refused to go grey, unlike hers which she had to dye to keep it blonde. Yes, Max still had the ability to make her thoughts run hot, even after all these years.
Unfortunately, thinking about Max in this way was a damn sight easier than putting it into practice. Obviously Max felt the same about her because they hardly got close enough to touch anymore, let alone do anything else. It felt like there was a barrier between them. A barrier that it had been there for so long, she wasn’t sure there was a way through it.
He stopped in the middle of his next sentence to stare at the boy sitting at the kitchen counter.
“I didn’t realize we had visitors.”
“Max, this is Liam. Liam this is my husband, Max.”
As Max came into the room, Liam slid off the kitchen stool where he’d been wolfing down a fresh brownie, and washing it down with a large glass of milk. He got as close to Abby as he could, without touching her.
“How’s it going, Liam? I see you’ve found out about the brownies. Seems like there isn’t a person in town who doesn’t like them.”
Abby put a hand on his shoulder. “This batch is special. We made it together, didn’t we?”
Solemnly, the boy nodded as he watched Max get himself a glass of milk and sit on another stool.
“Guess I’d better try one.” Max bit into one and nodded enthusiastically. “Mmmm. These really are special. Had enough, Liam? Shall I clean away your plate?” Max asked while he winked at Abby.
Liam looked at his half-finished brownie and back at Max, unaware that Max was teasing him and scared of losing his food he jumped back onto his stool. “No, sir, not yet.”
Max smiled, then looked at her curiously. “Are we having company for dinner?”
“Liam’s staying for dinner. Then Jeanne and Allan are going to pop in to have coffee.” Abby gave him a pleading look, willing him to give her the leeway she needed until she could explain things. The short hand of a long marriage appeared to kick in, and Max nodded his acquiescence. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Coffee, you say. I bet it’s more about the brownies, aye, Liam?” He nudged the boy and gave him a wink.
Liam looked shocked at the familiarity, but nodded once more.
They ate in silence, but Max wrinkled his nose at Abby and looked pointedly at the boy. She shrugged her shoulders. Yes, she’d noticed that Liam was a bit smelly, but she’d no idea how long he’d been on his own, and as everyone knew if you didn’t remind a boy to shower, he wouldn’t think to do so. At least that’s what her friends told her.
Max, was a natural with kids, which was why she knew he’d be a wonderful father. Such a shame he wouldn’t get to use those talents on a regular basis, but it was fun to watch him in action.
“Well, we’d better get cleaned up before dinner. Shall I run you a bath, Liam, or are you a shower man like me?”
“I like showers, sir.”
Liam was staring at Max in fascination.
“Great. Do you want to go first?”
“I don’t have any other clothes here, sir.”
“Tell you what. You take a shower and put on one of my t-shirts. Abby can wash and dry your clothes, then you can get back into them in a little bit. Would that be okay?”
To Abby’s relief, Liam nodded, and went with Max. She cleaned up the kitchen and started dinner, steeling herself for Max’s reappearance. He would have questions and she’d better have some good answers. Right that minute, a reasonable one eluded her.
Too soon, he was back at the kitchen bench, approaching her warily. That alone suggested he thought she’d lost touch with reality.
“Alright. I’m picking the way he smells should mean he’ll be in there for a while. Which gives us a few minutes of privacy before he’s finished. Spit it out, Abby. Why do we have a child in our house? A child I don’t know, who seems to be staying for longer than a visit, and has no clothes?”
“I found him.” Lame, lame, lame, she mentally berated herself, even though it was the truth. “I was cleaning over at the Munroe’s house and there he was, hiding under the bed. He won’t tell me why he was there, or where he came from. He’s got a mom, and that’s all I know.”
“Okay, but what are you doing with him here?”
His voice was gentle, but she knew he was worried. Max had every right to suspect her motives, and her sanity, after what she’d put him through with her break-down.
As her husband, his support for her had been something people expected but she knew that not all people were capable of such things. She’d seen, eventually, the toll it had taken on him. It had made her fight to be the person who was stronger than she’d wanted to be for so long. Neither she, nor Max, ever wanted that nightmare to begin again.
So, here he was looking at her like she might have gone crazy again, and maybe she had a little, in that moment, when she’d decided to bring Liam home.
“I’m not sure.”
“Abby, what were you thinking? That might work for a dog or a cat, but this is a boy we’re talking about.”
Abby twisted the dish cloth. Hard. “I know that. But you’ve seen him. He’s scared and mistrustful. That doesn’t happen without a reason.”
Max sighed. “We’re not professionals. We don’t know how to do this right. Just by having him here, we’re breaking a law or two.”
She loved this man. She should have known he’d be calm and reasonable. Another husband might have had a fit. Not Max.
“That’s why I’ve invited Allan and Jeanne over. They’re registered foster parents and they’ll know what to do.”
“And the police?”
“What about them?” She asked as she rubbed her hands together.
“Did you contact them?”
“Not yet. Liam begged me not to.”
He raised his eyebrow. “I’ll make you a deal. He stays until we talk to Jeanne and Allan, and if they say to contact the police then we do just that. Okay?”
“Well, I…”
“No, Abby. That is what’s going to happen. He may very well have a mom out there looking for him and, if that’s the case, then this is very wrong.”
“What if she’s not looking for him? He has nothing except a toy car, and he was starving when I found him. Surely any mother wouldn’t abandon her child like that.”
“You have no idea what happened to her. If something’s prevented her from getting back to him, then is it fair to keep them apart? How would you feel?”
He turned away, but not before she’d seen that look of sadness at the knowledge that this scenario could never be. Abby hated that he would always be hurt and wary around her about this topic. Especially when it wasn’t his fault that they would never have children. That blame was entirely hers. An inhospitable womb, the final specialist had said before advising them not to try again.
“No. You’re right. It wouldn’t be fair for either of them. Whatever Jeanne and Allan say, I’ll go along with.”
A noise from the doorway alerted them to Liam’s presence and she hoped that he hadn’t heard their discussion.
“Come and watch TV while dinner’s cooking. I’ll take those clothes and give them a wash. They’ll be dry by the time we finish.”
Liam handed her his clothes reluctantly, but he did follow Max, at a distance, into the living room. He climbed onto the couch and waited expectantly for Max to turn the television on.
Chapter Three
By the time Abby had finished cooking, Liam was curled up beside Max, nearly asleep. Max had his arm along the back of the couch, not quite touching the boy. It was a perfect picture, and one that she’d imagined many times, except in her mind they would have experienced it with a child of their
own. A lump caught in her throat as she fought down a wave of emotion.
“Come on, you two, before dinner gets cold.”
They sat at the table like a real family and the kick it gave her to watch Liam attack his meal with such gusto was amazing. When he finished, he sat back and gave a soft belch. He gave them both a wary look as a soft blush caressed his cheeks.
“’scuse me.”
Max raised his eyebrows at her, but smiled at Liam. “Glad you enjoyed it. Abby’s a great cook, don’t you think?”
“Yes, sir. It’s the best food I’ve ever had,” he said sincerely.
Abby couldn’t help feeling pleased, but she was also worried for the boy. If that were true - and, after all, it was a simple meal of vegetables and chicken with baked potatoes, certainly nothing to rave about—what had his mother been feeding him? Plus, considering the amount of food he’d eaten today it must have been a while since he’d had a proper meal of any description.
A lump caught in her throat. Liam wasn’t being treated right, that much was clear. She got up quickly and could see the questions in Max’s eyes, but she turned away.
“I’ll get your clothes. They should be dry by now.”
Abby collected them from the laundry. They were old and had a few rips, but Liam seemed pleased to have them back as he went straight to the bathroom to put them on.
As if on cue, once he was back in the living room, the doorbell rang and Max went to let their guests in while Abby put the kettle on. Liam followed her and stood by her side, almost hiding behind her while introductions were made.
Jeanne was a motherly, middle-aged woman with four children and she would know a child in trouble when she saw one. She’d been a foster mom for many years and had adopted her two daughters. Lisa was one of them and had begun working for Abby as a favor to Jeanne during the holidays and sometimes on weekends. Running the local holiday park which had a few cabins and a lot of camping ground, while living on the site, was a good way to live, but not hugely profitable, so if Lisa and the two boys, who were at college, could contribute a little, then it helped ease their finances.
Allan adored Jeanne and the children. He loved the girls as if they were his own and, by this time, that’s how the town saw them. They were the sort of people who loved to help everyone and counting them as close friends was one of the best things about living in Prossers Bay.
Now that everyone was here Abby realized that it was going to be tricky to discuss things with Liam in the room, but Max, as thoughtful as ever, orchestrated a reason to leave.
“How about us boys head out to the garage? I’ve got something you might like to see, Liam, and I know Allan would.”
Liam looked at Abby. It was clear he would rather stay with her, but she smiled at him for encouragement, and Allan helped sway him.
“I sure would. It’s pretty cool, Liam.”
Allan headed back out the door with Max, with a very uncertain little boy following them.
“Men,” said Jeanne. “I guess they’re going to show Liam that engine that Max is tinkering around on for Allan.”
Max was souping up Allan’s ride-on mower and both men were like kids around it.
“They sure do love their toys,” Abby agreed, as they took their coffee to the living room and sat next to each other on the couch.
During the ensuing awkward silence, Jeanne took one of Abby’s hands.
“What’s the deal, Abby? I gathered that you couldn’t say much on the phone, but we’re alone now, and I can’t help if I don’t know the full story. You have a child here that’s not yours, and you need advice, that’s all I know.”
Abby took a deep breath and told her friend everything that had happened since she found Liam. Jeanne listened without interruption, until she’d finished, then she sat back and let rip an out-of-character expletive.
“I understand where you’re coming from with wanting to help this poor boy but, seriously, Abby, what the hell were you thinking?”
Abby shouldn’t have been surprised by her straight talking friends reaction but the language gave her a jolt.
“I guess the truth is, I wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t help myself, and now everyone’s going to think I’m a mad woman.” Her voice wobbled, but Abby stopped herself from wallowing in the self-pity that threatened to engulf her. She’d had enough of that to last a lifetime.
“Don’t say that. You felt something for a defenceless child and you acted with your heart. Nothing more. Now we need to call the police and let them figure out the best way to help him.” Jeanne pulled her pink cardigan around her decisively, her mind made up.
Abby stalled. “I’m getting worried about how the police will see this.”
Jeanne got the phone and dialled the station, then handed it back to Abby. “There’s nothing to be worried about. We live in a small town. The police are our friends, literally. I’m here, and we’ll get through this.”
As luck would have it, Sergeant Dan Beadle, who’d been a friend of her dad’s, answered the phone. The conversation didn’t take too long and as she ended the call, Abby sat back in relief.
“What did he say?”
“He said that they’ve had no calls about a lost boy and there’s an urgent case he has to deal with. Knowing that Liam’s safely with us, we should hang on to him until someone comes by a bit later.”
Her friend smiled with satisfaction. “There you go. No need to worry.”
“But I am worried, for Liam. Why would his mother leave him in a stranger’s house for an indefinite time and no food?”
“There’s no way of knowing until we ask him a few questions. Or perhaps we should wait for the police?”
Abby thought of how closed Liam got when she asked him anything too personal. “I think that’s best.”
“While we’re waiting, I thought Liam might need these.”
Jeanne handed Abby a bag with some clothing, including a pair of pyjamas.
“Thanks so much. I never even gave this a thought. I washed and dried what he was wearing but like I told you on the phone, he came with nothing else.”
“I’ve been in a similar situation, a few times. You don’t know what you need until you have a child that isn’t yours turn up, especially having two boys. When I got the girls, I was in a right state. Especially Lisa; she only had the clothes on her back, like Liam. Luckily my boys weren’t too much older, so she could wear their clothes until we sorted things out. And even better, she was young enough not to care. Clothes are always getting left behind at the camping grounds so I wash them up and, if they don’t get collected, I give them to a local charity.”
Mollified, Abby made fresh coffee and took some out to the men, with a hot chocolate for Liam.
“Look, Abby,” he pointed to a shiny engine stuck up on blocks. “This is going into a lawnmower which you can sit on. If I’m still around when they put it in, Allan said I can have a turn on it.”
If he was still around? She hoped he would be, but really, what were the odds?
“That sounds like fun. Now, how about you close up the garage and all come inside before you wake the neighbors.”
“If we have to.” Max pouted.
Liam giggled, a lovely sound that made Abby smile. If nothing else they’d made him laugh, and all children needed that.
They waited for quite a while and, when there was no sign of the police, Abby got the poor boy, who was exhausted, into a pair of pyjamas and put him to bed in the spare room. He went without a fuss, allowing her to kiss his forehead.
“Sleep well, Liam.”
He yawned, mumbled something, and was asleep before the light was out.
Half an hour later, the police arrived. Officer Shannon Langley, who was in her early twenties and had gone to school with Jeanne’s boys, apologized for the delay.
“We have a major issue, which the Sergeant’s dealing with. I hope you don’t mind talking to me?”
“Of course not.”
Abby invi
ted her into the living room and, after the pleasantries, they went over everything again. Shannon began asking questions that Abby couldn’t answer, and hadn’t thought to ask Liam. Had that been deliberate, while she held out for a short time of pretence? If so, did that make her a bad person?
“So, Liam is how old?”
“He says he’s seven, but tall for his age.” Abby smiled at the way Liam had told her that – like it was very important.
“And he has a mother but no father?”
“He only mentioned a mother.”
“I’m going to need to talk to Liam. Can you wake him up?”
“He’s so exhausted, can’t you wait until morning?”
“I wish I could, Abby. I’m supposed to call the services and see if they can pick him up. I’m not authorized to leave him with anyone.”
Jeanne, in her reasonable voice, one that the community as a whole listened to, intervened.
“You know me, Shannon, perhaps a lot better than you know Abby and Max. Allan and I are registered foster parents and we can vouch for them. They may not have any children of their own, but they have a wealth of experience with my children and others in the town. It’s late, and the boy’s comfortable here. Let’s not upset him any more than necessary.”
Shannon thought about it while chewing on her pen. “I guess it can’t hurt, if you’re willing to back them. We’ve got no reports of a missing child that matches his description, but I’d like to see him for myself. Then we’ll need to have a look at the house where you found him.”
Abby, surprised and delighted, showed her where Liam slept. He was snuggled down into the comforter, his angelic face relaxed and shadow-free from today’s distress. His curly, caramel-colored hair hadn’t been cut for some time, and long eyelashes lay on his pink cheeks. She could have stood there forever, but Shannon beckoned her to come outside the room.
Prossers Bay Series Page 3