Keeping Katie (A Mother's Heart Book 1)

by Patricia Keelyn

  She approached the school slowly, wondering if Tommy was old enough to be in middle school. Her mind had been so occupied with Alan, it had been days since she’d thought about the shy little boy and his wounded animal. In fact, she’d almost forgotten her resolve to go out and check on him and his deer. When she saw him, she felt a renewed determination to get closer to him.

  “Hi, Tommy,” she called.

  Surprise registered on Tommy’s face as he caught sight of her. Glancing anxiously over his shoulder, he moved to intercept her. “Miss Adams. What are you doing here?”

  “I was just passing by.” She shrugged and smiled, trying to put him at ease. “So this is your school.”

  “Yeah.” He followed the direction of her gaze toward the one-story, featureless building. “Not much, is it?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. It looks nice to me.”

  Tommy shoved his hands into his pockets. “I guess it’s okay.” Then, nodding toward Katie, he asked, “Is that your little girl?”

  “Yes. This is Katie.”

  “Uh … hi, Katie.”

  Katie smiled sweetly, shyly resting her head against her mother’s shoulder.

  “She’s a little bashful,” Maureen said. “So, how are you doing?”

  “Fine.” He smiled but threw another quick glance over his shoulder.

  She realized that he might be embarrassed to be caught talking to an adult—especially a woman and child—in front of his friends. She decided to make their conversation quick. “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk at the festival.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “How’s your friend?” She didn’t want to ask outright about the injured deer since he’d sworn her to secrecy.

  “My friend?” He looked puzzled at first, then smiled. “He ain’t walking yet, but I think he’s better.”

  “Would you like me to come out and check on him again?”

  Tommy’s face lit up. “Could you?”

  “Sure.”

  “That would be great.” Suddenly, his smile faded. “But, I don’t know … my daddy don’t take kindly to strangers.”

  “Maybe I could come when your father’s not home.” She felt guilty even suggesting it, but something about this boy pulled at her and she wanted to help him. If she had to do it without his father’s knowledge, then so be it.

  “Okay.” Tommy nodded and smiled again. “Can you come on Sunday? He ain’t never home on Sunday.”

  “Hey, Simmons,” a boy called from across the yard. “Come on. The bus is gonna leave without you.”

  Tommy glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to Maureen. “I gotta go.”

  “Go on,” she said. “I don’t want to cause you to miss your bus. I’ll see you Sunday.”

  Tommy grinned and nodded, then took off in the direction of the waiting school buses.

  Maureen watched him go and realized she hadn’t felt this good in days. She’d let herself get too tied up over Alan. He’d made her forget her priorities. Sure, she was attracted to him, maybe even cared for him, but that was no excuse to lose sight of what was important. Katie was important. And this boy, Tommy Simmons, was important. And she couldn’t do anything to jeopardize either of them.

  Turning away from the school, she headed home. She needed to borrow Rita’s car on Sunday. She planned on keeping her promise to Tommy.

  Convincing Rita, however, turned out to be more difficult than she had expected.

  “Please, Rita, I have no other way to get out there.” It was later that same day. Katie was asleep, and Maureen and Rita sat in the kitchen drinking coffee.

  Rita shook her head. “You know I don’t mind you borrowing the car. And I’d do anything for you and Katie …”

  “But?”

  “I don’t think going out to the Simmons place is a good idea.”

  “Why?”

  “Bud doesn’t take kindly to strangers. And he can be … difficult.”

  Maureen leaned forward in her chair. “But I’d be going to see Tommy, not his father.”

  “I don’t think that would matter to Bud. In fact, that would probably make matters worse.”

  “But he won’t even know I’m there.”

  Picking up her empty cup, Rita rose from the table and moved to the counter with the coffeepot. “How can you be sure?”

  “He had no idea I was there the day Alan and I went to Seattle. At least, not until Alan got him all riled up.”

  “Finding you out there won’t exactly make him happy.” Rita refilled her cup and returned to the table.

  “He won’t know I’m there, I promise. Besides, Tommy said he’s never home on Sunday.”

  “I don’t know.” Rita shook her head again. “I think you’re asking for trouble. What did Alan say about this?”

  Maureen hesitated for a moment. “I didn’t tell him.” She met Rita’s gaze and added, “We both know he wouldn’t approve.”

  The other woman looked away, her face clouded with indecision. “Those boys need someone,” Maureen added. “Please, let me borrow your car.”

  Eventually, Maureen succeeded in enlisting Rita’s help. Rita agreed to let Maureen borrow her car and also offered to watch Katie for the afternoon. The following Sunday, Maureen was off to see Tommy Simmons and his deer.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  It was a risk borrowing Rita’s car to go see Tommy.

  Maureen possessed a legal Florida driver’s license, so she was within her rights. But if she was stopped for any reason, she’d be in trouble. She couldn’t show anyone her license because she couldn’t allow them to see her real name. So she’d be arrested for driving illegally.

  It was a chance she had to take.

  Following Rita’s directions, she recognized landmarks from the day she had driven this way with Alan. She remembered seeing the small church sitting on the side of a hill, boarded up, needing paint and nearly hidden by the surrounding woods. It looked desolate and alone, doomed to lose its struggle to remain standing. In a flash, she thought of her own situation. Although she was determined to retain custody of Katie, circumstances seemed to conspire against her. She too might lose her battle for survival, just like the little white church on the hill.

  Shaking away the depressing thoughts, she turned her attention back to the surrounding countryside. Spring had become summer since she’d last been this way. The mountains, which had just started to awaken a month ago, were now alive with their summer growth. Everywhere she looked she saw new life, whether it was the broad green leaves of deciduous trees sprinkled among the evergreens, a patch of wildflowers caught in a stretch of sunlight, or a baby rabbit darting among rocks at the edge of a stream.

  These mountains, once again, soothed her soul.

  Her thoughts drifted back to the day she and Alan had driven to Seattle. So much had changed since that day, yet so much had remained the same.

  To those around them, it appeared as though Alan and she were developing a relationship. They spent a lot of time together. They had even shared a night of passion. On the surface, they’d come to know each other well.

  Yet Maureen knew they’d never been further apart.

  She was on her way to visit Tommy Simmons and she’d purposely hidden the fact from Alan. She knew he wouldn’t understand or approve. Just as she feared he would never understand about Katie. When it came to important things, they knew very little about each other.

  Nothing had really changed.

  A half hour later, she pulled slowly into the Simmons yard and parked under a copse of trees near the barn. The ranch was as she remembered, a rundown shambles of a place set against the stark beauty of the Cascades. She wondered how it would look, how it might have looked at one time, the yard clear of debris, the house and barn repaired and painted. It would be a peaceful place to live. Somewhere you wouldn’t mind calling home.

  Once again she shook her melancholy thoughts and made a more practical survey of the yard. Bud’s truck was nowh
ere in sight. That meant Tommy had been right and Bud was off somewhere.

  Or maybe Joey had the truck.

  She didn’t want to think about that possibility. Memories of a big man wielding a rifle rippled through her thoughts. She didn’t want to encounter Bud Simmons. It occurred to her that maybe she shouldn’t have come. Maybe she should have listened to Rita and minded her own business. But everything was quiet, and no one—not even Tommy—was in sight.

  Getting out of the car, she closed the door soundlessly. If Bud was in the house, he might not even know she was here. She glanced around again and started slowly across the yard.

  “Tommy? Are you here?” She kept her voice low, not wanting to call out and possibly attract any unwanted attention. When she reached the open barn door, she stopped, taking a minute to peer into the dim interior.

  “Tommy?” she called a little louder.

  Suddenly, someone stepped out of the shadows directly in her path. Maureen’s hand flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp as she stumbled backward. Then she realized who it was and she shook her head. “You startled me.”

  “Sorry.” Tommy dropped his hands into his pockets and grinned sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to.”

  Maureen stood there another minute, giving her heartbeat a chance to return to its normal rate. “It’s okay,” she said. “I guess I’ll live.” Then, after another momentary pause, she added, “Is anyone else here?”

  “Nah. Pa and Joey are …” He let his voice trail off and shrugged. “They’re out. Won’t be back till dark.” Maureen nodded and glanced around, feeling suddenly awkward, wondering what she was doing here. She’d purposely come out when this boy’s father was away. What was she trying to accomplish?

  “I wasn’t sure you were coming.”

  Tommy’s words brought her back to the moment. She met his gaze and saw the uncertainty there. “I told you I would come,” she said, responding to the unspoken plea in his eyes.

  With a shrug, he started to turn away.

  Maureen stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “I keep my promises, Tommy.”

  He studied her for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to believe her. Then he smiled. The dim light of the barn didn’t have a chance against the brilliance of that smile. Maureen’s heart tightened within her chest, and her doubts about being here dissolved. Somehow, this shy boy had crept into her heart and taken hold.

  Slipping out from under her hand, Tommy moved deeper into the barn. “Come on. Pesky’s waiting.”

  “Pesky?” Maureen followed, steeling herself for the smell of the unkempt barn. To her surprise, the air was clear.

  “I named the deer Pesky ‘cause he can’t seem to stay still.”

  “Very appropriate.” Maureen glanced around and noticed the other differences in the barn. “Looks like someone’s been doing some barn cleaning.”

  “Yeah. I thought Pesky might want a clean place to live.” He stopped at the last stall. “Here he is. What do you think?”

  Maureen was surprised at the changes in the animal. He stood in the middle of the stall—formerly two stalls—gazing at her with big brown eyes.

  “He started walking yesterday,” Tommy said.

  Maureen’s gaze wandered to where the wooden railing between this stall and the next had been removed.

  “He needed more room,” Tommy said, as if reading her thoughts. “I just took down some of the boards.”

  “By yourself?”

  Tommy nodded and slipped his hands back into his pockets. “It wasn’t any big deal.” Opening the stall door, he moved inside to the deer. Pulling a handful of small granules from his pocket, he held out his hand to the animal. Pesky immediately took the boy’s offering. “If you’re quiet, he’ll let you touch him. Come on in slow and close the door behind you.”

  Maureen did as he directed, approaching the deer with caution while the boy crooned soothing words. “He’s so soft,” she said, running her hands down the animal’s sleek sides. “How you doing, Pesky?” She met Tommy’s gaze and smiled. “What are you feeding him?”

  The deer nuzzled the boy’s pocket, looking for more treats. Laughing, Tommy drew a few thinly sliced apples from his other pocket. “Here you go. I should have named you Greedy.” Then, glancing at Maureen, he grinned. “Most of the time I just give him sweet feed—you know, the stuff they feed horses. But he likes apples better.”

  Maureen took the opportunity to squat down and take a look at Pesky’s leg. Tommy had removed the bandage and makeshift splint. It looked as though the animal’s leg was healing nicely. “How’s he walking?” she asked.

  “He doesn’t look too steady yet. But he seems to get around the stall all right.”

  “Let’s see.”

  Tommy got the deer to follow him by holding out another handful of sliced apples. Maureen watched as the animal limped behind him.

  “Well, it doesn’t look like he’s going to win any races real soon,” she said.

  “I can’t let him go …”

  “You’re right. Not yet, anyway.” Maureen didn’t know much about deer, but she could guess what would happen to any animal in the wild that couldn’t run. “Give him some more time. He’ll heal. But sooner or later, Tommy …”

  The boy nodded and continued stroking the animal. “Yeah, I know. I’ll have to set him free.”

  “Yes. You will.” Maureen watched Tommy and his deer for a moment in silence and then sat on an overturned bucket in the corner of the stall. “Does your father or Joey know about Pesky?”

  A flicker of apprehension crossed Tommy’s face, and she wished she hadn’t asked the question. “Don’t know about Joey,” he answered. “He hasn’t said anything.”

  She thought about letting the subject drop, but she wanted to know more about what was going on out here. “What about your father?”

  He shook his head. “Pa don’t know.”

  “I see.”

  “Pa don’t like animals much,” Tommy offered.

  “But surely he wouldn’t object to your helping a wounded deer.”

  He shrugged, and the gesture told her more than words ever could. Bud Simmons would definitely not care for his youngest son harboring a stray deer. She couldn’t for the life of her understand why, but it was one more thing about Bud Simmons that made her want to shake the man.

  “So how have you been able to keep Pesky a secret?”

  Tommy finally met her gaze. “Pa never comes out here.”

  “And Joey?”

  “If he’s seen him, he ain’t said nothing.”

  This time, she let the subject alone. Tommy obviously was uncomfortable talking about it, and she’d pushed far enough for one day. However, the whole situation bothered her. It didn’t make sense—unless Bud was a lot harder on his boys than anyone was admitting. Yet both Rita and Alan had been adamant that there was no sign of abuse.

  “So why’d you come?” Tommy asked, breaking the silence.

  Maureen looked at him, surprised at the question. “I told you I would.”

  “But why?”

  Maureen met his gaze. In some ways, this boy was old beyond his years. He felt too deeply, and he saw things most ten-year-olds would never notice. He reminded her of someone, and suddenly she realized why she had risked so much to come see him again.

  “I guess,” she said, picking up a piece of straw from the floor, “it’s because you remind me of someone else I know.”

  Tommy looked curious. “Who?”

  “Me.” Maureen shrugged and smiled. “Actually, you and I are a lot alike. I didn’t know my mother, either.”

  “Really?” Tommy left the deer and came over to sit next to her on the floor. “Did your ma run off, too?”

  “Sort of.” Maureen twirled the bit of straw between her fingers. “She and my father got divorced when I was seven. My father got custody.”

  Tommy didn’t say anything for a moment, and Maureen wondered what his young mind was making of her revelation. When h
e spoke again, she saw the effort the question took him. “Did you ever see her again?”

  Maureen shrugged. “Once or twice.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I’m not sure. I think she didn’t like being around my father. They fought a lot.”

  Tommy nodded knowingly. “Yeah. That’s what Joey says about our ma. He says Pa was always yelling and she was always crying …”

  Maureen felt a momentary twinge of empathy for the woman she’d never met. She could understand how Bud could strike fear in his wife. “That’s too bad,” she said aloud.

  “I don’t remember her.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Joey tells me about her, though.” There was a wistfulness in his eyes that tore at Maureen’s heart. “He says she was real pretty.”

  “I’m sure she was.” Maureen reached over and brushed a stray lock of blond hair from his forehead. She wished there was some way to comfort this boy. “I’m sure she loved both you and Joey very much.”

  “Then why did she leave us behind?”

  Maureen shook her head. She didn’t have an answer for him. Not really. How could she know what his mother had been through, what had made her leave without her children? She’d asked the question a million times herself about her own mother. Why hadn’t she at least come back to see her own daughter?

  “I don’t really know, Tommy. Sometimes adults do things …” Maureen hesitated, searching for the words to ease this boy’s pain, words she’d never found herself. “I just don’t know.”

  Silence fell between them. They both sat, lost in their own thoughts. Then he asked, “What about your pa?”

  “He was a bit of a tyrant.”

  “Yeah. Mine, too.” Tommy shook his head. “Man, if we don’t toe the line, there’s hell—heck to pay.”

  “Mine, too.” Maureen paused, weighing her next words carefully. “He never hit me or yelled, though. He’d just fix me with this icy stare that meant he was really disappointed in me.”

  “You’re lucky. Pa can bring down the roof when he’s mad enough, and his belt smarts on the backside …” Tommy blushed and fell silent. Then, after a few moments, he stood and made his way back over to his deer. “Will you come out again?” he asked. “To check on Pesky?”