Ready-Made Family

by Cheryl Wyatt

  Help me help her without hindering what You’re trying to teach her. Prove You love her and care about what’s happening in her life. Be the strong tower she runs to, Safe Harbor.

  Ben stepped closer. “Hey listen, I’ll take you to your appointment tomorrow if you want.”

  She lifted her face and studied him.

  Maybe humor would make charity easier to receive. He waggled his brows. “Just think, you could be escorted by the cutest chauffeur in Refuge.” He splayed fingers on his chest and adopted a French accent. “Moi.”

  That caused her to laugh. She rolled red-rimmed eyes at him. “You’re something else.”

  He grinned, waiting for her to answer.

  She nibbled her lip. “Okay, if you’re sure it’s no trouble.” She tucked long, loose curls behind her ear. Her hair boasted a golden-brown luster and shine not present yesterday. Having a thing about ladies with long hair, his fingers itched to touch the silky coils. Her face held more vitality today, too.

  When she caught him staring, her head tilted down, causing a thicket of curls to fall over her lazy eye. “I might need to use your phone again to check when the bus leaves Friday evening.”

  “No trouble on both counts. Though I don’t relish the idea of you and Reece riding alone on a bus, not especially after dark.” He handed her his phone.

  When she took it, her hand brushed his. Tingles traveled up his arm. She froze with an enemy-in-the-grenade-path expression. Evidence she felt it, too. He bit his lip to contain his smile.

  The door swished open. “Miss North? I’m here to remove your IV.” A woman in teal scrubs appeared through a crack somewhere in the curtain. “We’ll see if you can stay hydrated without it.”

  Another woman trailed in, carrying two breakfast trays. “Thought the little one might be hungry, too. We had an extra tray. I’ll leave it for your daughter for when she wakes up.”

  “Thank you. But she went to breakfast with the social worker.” Amelia lifted the lid. Steam wafted up from oatmeal. The smell rumbled Ben’s tummy.

  It also reminded him he’d promised to take Hutton to Refuge Bed and Breakfast for pancakes and chocolate gravy.

  The food-service lady left both trays. “We brought it in, so someone might as well eat it. Otherwise, infection control requires us to pitch the meal.” She smiled and scuttled out.

  Amelia eyed Ben. “Would you like to eat breakfast with me?”

  “I’d like to, but I have other plans.”

  He hated disappointing her. But he’d promised Hutton his favorite breakfast and a fishing session at Bradley’s grandparents’ pond outside Refuge. Hutton had seemed excited to have made a friend, and in fact he seemed more comfortable already around Bradley than he did Ben. Maybe this time at the pond would endear Hutton to Refuge. And to Ben.

  “Probably wouldn’t hurt you to eat both of those.” Ben motioned toward the trays.

  Her face fell, full of frustration.

  “I didn’t mean to sound bossy. Or judgmental.”

  She nodded, but didn’t meet his gaze again.

  Ben moved toward the door hoping she’d look up. Stupid move, Dillinger. He’d hurt her feelings. Why couldn’t he learn to be sensitive and say the right things? He foiled that with Hutton, too. “I’ll be back, Amelia.”

  She never looked up.

  Near the exit, he passed Harker. Reece slept soundly in her arms. “Nap time?” Ben said, grinning.

  Harker nodded. “Long overdue, too.”

  His heart melted like butter in the steaming oatmeal at the sight of Reece embraced by slumber yet clutching Bearby like a fuzzy buoy.

  “No secret to anyone who knows you how increasingly marriage and family-minded you’ve grown,” Harker observed.

  “Seeing how vibrant and happy my newlywed teammates are doesn’t help matters.”

  “How’re things with Hutton coming?”

  “In a matter of weeks, I’ll have charge over him.”

  “Though you’re brothers, because of Hutton’s special needs it’ll be like taking in an older child, huh?”

  “Unless I make great strides earning Hutton’s trust, I may let my entire family down.” No matter what the cost, he couldn’t let that happen. His heritage taught him to respect his elders.

  “Might help if you’d spend every spare minute you can with him so he’ll feel comfortable living with you when the time comes. Bring him to our Sunday-school class.”

  “Great idea. You need help carrying her to Amelia’s room?”

  Harker paused at the nurses’ station for a pillow. “No thanks. Proceed. You look like a man on a mission.”

  Ben smiled. “I am. A mission to prove to my brother he’s worthy of time and friendship.”

  Harker’s stern gaze made a direct hit. “Then I’m curious why you haven’t mentioned him to Amelia or Amelia to him.”

  Conviction dropped Ben’s stare to the floor. “I know.” He met her gaze. “I need to.”

  “Even if it’s not easy?”

  “Especially then.”

  She tilted her head at him.

  “Anything worth having is worth sweating over, and nothing that truly matters comes easy.”

  “See? That wasn’t so hard.” Nurse Bailey held pressure on the spot where Amelia’s IV line used to be.

  “Speak for yourself.” Amelia glared at the wound.

  “Yippee!” Harker whispered from the doorway. “The IV’s out?”

  “Yes.” Amelia moved her sketch pad off the recliner so Miss Harker could lay Reece down. “I get evicted soon.”

  Nurse Bailey snickered. “Released.”

  Amelia grinned. “You know you’ll miss me.”

  Bailey’s smile straightened. “I really will. You come back through or call and let us know how you’re faring. Okay?”

  She nodded. Bailey scurried to answer a call light.

  “This child can sleep through anything. What a blessing.” Miss Harker tucked a blanket over Reece and Bearby.

  Blessing.

  That sounded like a churchy word. Amelia studied Glorietta Harker. She seemed to be a woman of faith. Is that why she went worlds beyond duty to reach out in kindness to her and Reece?

  “Glorietta, you’re a far shout from what I’ve known of people who were close to God. Or maybe those people weren’t as close to God as I thought.”

  “Maybe not as close as they thought, either. And I’m glad you finally decided to call me Glorietta. Progress.” She smiled.

  Later, Reece wobbled to sitting up in the recliner. She blinked herself awake and looked around.

  “Mommy? Where am I?” She rubbed her eyes, slid off the recliner and scampered onto the bed beside her mom.

  “Back at the hospital.” Amelia rubbed her daughter’s bed-head. “I need to run a brush through this.”

  “Is Reece’s brush still in your car?” Glorietta, wrapping up her daily visit with Amelia, asked.

  “Yes. In the trunk.” A surge of emotion hit Amelia from nowhere. She blinked back tears.

  “Well, whatever is wrong?” Glorietta asked.

  “It means a lot that you and Ben visit every day. When I was in the hospital on bed rest and pregnant with Reece, no one came.”

  Glorietta leaned in and hugged Amelia. No words. Just a hug, which spoke volumes.

  Amelia battled barely corked emotion she’d bottled up for five years. “So you see how much your visits have meant. My mother snuck into the hospital to see me but I was sleeping. She left the kit. Said it was from Dad to the baby. It had a baby brush and a big kid brush. At least that’s what Reece calls it. It would be a hard thing to lose.”

  “I’ll bring it back when I come. Need anything else?”

  “No. Ben went to the garage and brought our drawings. That was the only other thing of value there. Well, I don’t have anything of value, moneywise. But when a person puts their time and heart into something, that’s important.”

  “That’s the true meaning of real value,
huh?”

  Amelia nodded. “Reece draws to entertain us and to express herself. I have a year’s worth of drawings and don’t want to lose them, since they’re irreplaceably sentimental.”

  “I’ll bet it’s wonderful to see her art grow over the years.” Glorietta’s eyes sparkled with emotion, reminding Amelia what she’d said about having to give up a baby. Her heart tugged. Maybe she should change the subject. She didn’t want to open hard wounds when Glorietta had been so loving and kind.

  “Though I can’t depend on art as my main source of income, I draw and sell caricatures for decent money. I also draw them as gifts. I made one for you.” Amelia thumbed through her pad and tore a page out. “I’m thankful for everything you’ve done.”

  Moisture glittered Glorietta’s eyes as she studied the caricature of a life-sized Bearby and Reece wrapping a heart-shaped French fry around a laughing Miss Harker.

  “My pleasure. We all get stuck in places of need sometimes. It’s not fun. It hopefully teaches sensitivity to others in their season of need when we have plenty. Which reminds me, I have something for you, too.” She presented a book-shaped package, wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper. “Wait to open it until after I leave.” She winked and hugged them goodbye.

  After Glorietta left, Amelia tickled Reece. “They’re getting ready to let me out. Isn’t that great?”

  Sudden tears welled in Reece’s eyes. She stared at Bearby with an instantly downcast expression.

  Having returned to do discharge vitals, the nurse gathered her medical paraphernalia but left two pages of typed sheets. “Everything is within normal limits. Here are some instructions.” She started to step out. Panic grabbed Amelia. “Wait. Nurse? May I borrow a Refuge phone book? I might need a cab.”

  “I’m sorry. Refuge doesn’t have a cab service right now.”

  “City transportation?”

  “Afraid not. This is a very small town.”

  Amelia walked her to the door. “How does the billing cycle work in the hospital from day to day? Is it like hotels where there is a noon checkout?”

  “No. Once past midnight, you get charged for the next day.”

  “So, if we need to, we can stay here up to eleven-fifty-five tonight?”

  The nurse looked at her oddly. “Of course. Why, is there no one available to pick you up?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Because you don’t need to be out walking in this heat.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m sure a ride will come through,” the nurse said as she walked out.

  But Glorietta was on her way out of town. And Ben…she supposed she could call him. But something in her needed to know he’d come back on his own. If she waited until tonight, Reece’s bedtime would be messed up. Amelia would give Ben until this afternoon before trying to find a ride to the bed and breakfast. Should she have the nurse lock up his phone in the hospital safe? Or chance catching him at the B and B?

  Despising feeling helpless and not being able to decide what to do, Amelia picked up her drawing pad.

  Minutes later, sniffling sounded.

  Amelia gathered Reece in her arms. “Sweetie? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t want to leave here.” She plucked at Bearby’s hair. No wonder he looked mangy these days. Stress always caused Reece to pick at his dwindling fur. In the same way, guilt tore strips from Amelia’s conscience. She had to make things better for her daughter, no matter what it meant giving up.

  “Honey, it’s a hospital. We can’t stay here.” Amelia adapted a jovial tone. “Besides, there’s nothing fun to do.” That Reece looked sad and troubled made her feel like a failure. No child should be this forlorn looking, depressed even.

  You’re not ready to be a mom. You’ll fail her like you did us. The audio memory of her father’s words stung like a slap in the face of her honest effort.

  Amelia twirled Reece’s bangs into a side ringlet, moving them out of her eyes. She pulled a butterfly barrette from her purse and secured the hair. Much better. “We get to finish our road trip. Hospitals are sorta boring, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t mean the hospital. I mean I don’t want to leave this town. I like it here and they have curly fries as long as your leg and everybody is nice to us and, and Bearby misses Mr. Ben.” She unleashed luminous eyes on Amelia. “Why did he leave, Mommy? I thought he liked us.”

  So that’s what this was about. She drew Reece close for a hug. “Oh, honey. He’ll be back and you’ll get to say goodbye to him.” But…would he? She hoped he’d return before they discharged her. She also needed to give his gift to him. And she still had his phone. And he’d mentioned the B and B and helping with a room. She’d need it tonight.

  Surely he’d be back.

  Unless, like Reggie, he was filled with empty promises. Or, like her dad, forgetful of his word, yet never forgetting her mistakes. But Ben was different.

  Right?

  The wall clock beckoned her gaze. Quarter to ten. Fifteen minutes until her scheduled discharge. Would Ben remember?

  If he really was a man of honor, he’d show or else call.

  Amelia eyed the clock above the bed.

  Ten on the nose.

  Ben had said he’d be back. A sudden thought struck her. He didn’t owe her a thing.

  Believe.

  “Let’s draw.” Amelia pulled her pad out and patted the bed. Reece scrambled up and took the blank paper.

  Noon came.

  Noon went.

  How would she explain this to Reece if Ben didn’t return? I was wrong about him?

  For once, she hoped she wasn’t. And that little bit of hope scared her more than almost anything.

  Twelve-thirty. Time for plan B. Amelia resigned herself to renting a car.

  She hated to spend money, but she couldn’t subject Reece to walking twenty miles. Not happening. Even if Amanda carried her. Too risky with the heat.

  After dressing, Amelia called to check on her car, in hopes the mechanic had worked a mighty miracle with his hillbilly wrench.

  She’d have been better off not to call. The parts he’d had to order—backordered. Which meant another week for sure. Time ticked by, taking Amelia’s hope of Ben showing with it. The phone alarm she’d set bleeped, signaling time up.

  Amelia glared at the wall clock.

  One.

  Reece tracked her gaze. Tears filled her eyes.

  “Mommy, Bearby and me don’t think he’s coming.”

  Chapter Seven

  I’m sure Mr. Ben has a good reason. Mommy has plan B, baby.

  Ben stood outside Amelia’s room while the conversation he’d inadvertently walked up on sunk in. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. But hospital-room acoustics ricocheted voices into the hall. Even though he’d backed away from the door when Reece mentioned his name.

  He should have called. But he’d wanted to give Hutton his undivided attention. After breakfast, they’d gone fishing. Then Bradley’d invited Hutton to Cone Zone for pizza and ice cream. And Ben had made another special stop.

  Then Joel had called him in for a team briefing, putting them on alert to be sent to a Gulf Coast area in the path of a hurricane. ’Twas the season.

  Now, returned to Amelia’s room, he’d inadvertently picked up phrases exchanged between Amelia and Reece. He hadn’t realized they’d discharge Amelia that early.

  Now, he was convinced even more he wasn’t imagining this draw to Amelia and Reece. He had to find a way to woo Amelia’s trust and keep in touch.

  He looked heavenward again. “Make a way. They desperately need security and someone to care about them,” he whispered, while raising his hand to knock. “Hello, it’s Ben. Everyone decent?”

  Shuffling sounded. “Yes. Come in.”

  Ben rounded the corner and pushed aside the curtain.

  Surprise then relief flashed in Amelia’s eyes at the sight of him. As though she’d doubted his return. The very thought disturbed him. Her eyes lit on the va
se, voluminous with burgundy roses, in his right hand. Confusion skipped across her face before Reece stood on the bed, prohibiting him from seeing her reaction further.

  “Mr. Ben! I thought you left us for good!” Reece launched at him like Superman in flight.

  He thrust the floral crystal torch vase out a safe distance and caught Reece with his other arm. He grunted on impact and laughed. Little daredevil nearly knocked the wind out of him. “Hey, short stuff.”

  He placed the expensive arrangement on the table in front of Amelia, who blinked rapidly at them. You’d think the girl had never been given flowers before. Well, maybe she hadn’t. Her face reflected cautious hope that they were hers yet rampant unbelief they could be.

  Reece grabbed his nose and gave it little pinches. “‘Short stuff’? I like when you call me princess better, silly man.”

  Ben laughed then wiggled his nose at her, mimicking her expression. “Then princess it is.”

  Reece’s fists pressed into her hips and her nose pressed into his. “And why are you late?”

  “Because I braved the stores for two damsels.” Still armed with Reece, Ben sat in the chair and pulled out a paper sack from the gift center downstairs. He pulled out a jeweled princess tiara and handed it to Reece. “This is for you.” He handed her a tiny camouflage jacket. “This is for Bearby. And the flowers are for your mom. Hope she’s not allergic.” He peeked at Amelia, who still stared at the vase, then at him. A curiously confused gleam entered her eyes. Like she couldn’t comprehend what the flowers were all about.

  She brushed fingers along a velvety rose petal. “I’m not allergic, that I know of. I’ve never received flowers before.”

  “Not even when you were in the hospital to have Reece?”

  She shook her head. “Can I hold them?”

  Ben locked gazes with her. “Of course. They’re yours. It’s okay to embrace what belongs to you, Amelia,” he offered softly, hoping she’d get the double meaning that God had so much more in store for her if she’d just stop running and receive instead of letting doubt and fear propel her in the wrong direction.