“Can you rip these out for me?” Kevin asked, proffering several bent pages of stickers.
“Sure, bud. While I do, I’m going to call your grandma, so we can go visit her. I keep forgetting to do it.”
Kevin scowled. “I don’t have to go back there, do I? It’s soooo booooring. I like being with you.”
With him, Blake, not with his mother. He tousled the boy’s too-long hair. “No, you don’t have to go back there. At least not now.”
“Whew! That’s good.” Kevin smiled, and Blake felt a tightening in his chest.
From his pocket Blake took out the small checkbook-sized calendar where he kept all his important information. He dialed his aunt’s number before beginning to rip out Kevin’s stickers. Darn schoolteacher, he thought. She probably planned this torture for me on purpose. But it wasn’t as bad as it looked. He had two ripped out before his ring was answered, and the contentment on Kevin’s face was worth the effort.
“Hello?” came a frail voice.
“Aunt Bonny? It’s me, Blake.”
“Oh, Blakey, I’m so glad you called. I need to talk to you.”
“I need to talk to you, too. I’m at work, though, so I may have to put you on hold or hang up, but for right now I have a minute. What’s up?”
“I did it. I finally did it.” For a moment his aunt’s voice lost it’s frail quality.
“What did you do?” Blake envisioned all the trouble an old woman in her seventies could cause, and he couldn’t come up with any scenarios that worried him. Even a new marriage sounded more positive than not.
“I called the Division of Child and Family Services.”
Blake’s heart seemed to drop to his feet. “When?”
“Today. I woke up and knew I couldn’t take it anymore.” She sniffed hard and took a shuddering breath. “I don’t care that Paula’s my daughter. I just have to know my grandchildren are okay. I know I can’t keep them with my health being so poor, but I’ll be darned if I’ll let Paula destroy their lives. I talked to Tracey and Hal about it this morning. Hal and his wife can take the kids, if need be. Mind you, they’re not exactly happy to, since their kids are in high school already, but they’re willing. Of course, if you want to have custody, Blakey, we’d all support you. You and Paula were like twins growing up, and Kevin adores you. The important thing is that they’re safe and with family. None of this hiding and taking-off stuff—and dressing those kids like they were orphans. Doing drugs right in my own house.”
Blake finally overcame his shock enough to start speaking. “Aunt Bonny, that’s why I called. I have the kids.”
“You have them?” Aunt Bonny’s voice broke, and she began to sob. “Oh, thank heaven! Oh, thank you, Lord!” There were a few mumbled words Blake didn’t catch and then, “I’ve been so worried since you called the last time, wanting to come see Kevin. I prayed real hard about what to do—I’ve been praying for them every night. Are they okay, Blakey? Tell me they’re okay.”
“They’re fine, Aunt Bonny. Mara has a bit of diarrhea, that’s all. I thought you knew they were with me. Didn’t Paula call you?”
“She called me all right—on Monday—wanting money. I told her to bring me the kids, and I’d give her some. I also threatened to call Social Services. She hung up on me.”
“She was calling from jail,” Blake said, “so she couldn’t have brought them over. But she did call me—it was on Monday, too—and I went and picked the kids up at her friend’s house in Salt Lake. I’m really sorry, Aunt Bonny. I would have called sooner if I’d known you were still worrying about them. I had no idea.”
“This morning I called the authorities on her.” His aunt’s voice was scarcely a whisper. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. They’re going to interview you about Paula. They’ve even contacted the police. Oh, Blakey, have I done the right thing?”
“I’ve been about to do it myself.” Blake could hardly speak through his emotions. “You should have seen where she left them . . . and the guy they were with. It can’t continue, Aunt Bonny. It just can’t. They’re in real danger. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I wasn’t going to let her take Kevin from me again. Or Mara, either.”
“Then I’ve done the right thing.” Aunt Bonny’s voice was calmer now. “She won’t have you to blame for it, and if she finds out it was me, then that’s how it has to be.”
“You did right. It was the strong thing to do,” Blake assured her. “We have to think of the children now.”
“Will you bring them to see me? I miss them.”
“In few days, okay? On Saturday.”
“Thank you, Blakey. You’re such a good boy. I’ll have their things ready for you—clothes and toys and stuff. Paula didn’t take much when she left. It’s only been a month, so I bet Mara hasn’t grown that much.”
“She hasn’t.” Blake didn’t want to remind her that with Paula in charge of their food, they’d likely received scant and irregular portions. Paula herself was thin and for the past nine years had thought more of her next high than making dinner. Over the past few days whenever he’d seen other babies, he’d taken to asking their mothers how old they were. By comparison Mara seemed to be a little on the small side for her age. “I could use the outfits,” he added. “I bought her some, but a few seem almost too small already. Maybe they shrank in the dryer.”
“They grow so fast,” Aunt Bonny said wistfully. Blake wondered if she was remembering Paula when she was born.
The bells above the door jingled, and Blake looked up to see his sister-in-law, Rhonda, enter the shop. “Hey, I have to go now, Aunt Bonny, but I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Let me know what the social worker says. I’m sure they’ll contact you soon. I’ll call them right now and let them know you have the children. They can stop the police search for them.”
A moment of fear overcame Blake. What if the social worker wouldn’t allow him to keep Kevin and Mara? He was single, worked full time, and between Tuesday and Thursday night classes, his Friday morning class, and the Internet class, he also went to school full time. He could cut back next semester, but he was stuck now through mid-December. Not exactly great foster parent material. Yet where else could they go? He knew Paula would fight any attempt to move the children to Hal’s or Tracey’s. She hadn’t spoken to her siblings for years because she knew they were disgusted with her. With good reason, but their attitude had pushed her further away. Only Blake still bothered to try catching a glimpse of the girl they had all once adored.
If the children weren’t left with Blake, they’d go to strangers. Strangers who would be paid to house them, strangers who might not love them like Blake did. No, he wouldn’t let that happen! He would fight for them. He would make it work.
He said a subdued good-bye to his aunt and hung up the phone, turning to face Rhonda. She glanced at the mound of stickers he had ripped out for Kevin during his conversation with his aunt, though he didn’t remember having done it. Pushing them over to the boy, he stooped for the diaper bag.
Rhonda came around the counter. “Sorry I’m so late.”
“How’d it go?” he asked.
Rhonda smiled, her narrow face almost lost in the voluminous frizz of her brown hair. “How do you think it went? You know Doug.”
“I guess that means he got a new contract.” His brother was nothing if not a good salesman.
“Yep, sales and service for fifty machines—and that’s just to begin with.” Rhonda put her purse under the desk. “He’s very content.”
“Where is he?” With all of Doug’s sales appointments and Blake’s repair visits and school schedule, he hardly saw much of his brother anymore.
“He dropped me off and then went to the post office. Had some letters to pop in the mail. Any excitement here? You look a little tired.”
“Nope, nothing.” Depression like a dark cloud settled over Blake. If he lost Kevin and Mara, would the foster family let him visit?
“Nothi
ng?” Rhonda studied him doubtfully. Her hazel eyes swept over the store and, finding nothing amiss, shrugged.
“I have the feeling today is one of the calm days,” he said.
“The calm before the storm,” she quoted.
He knew neither of them could guess how prophetic those words might become.
“Well, thanks for staying,” Rhonda said. “You’d better get going. You have class tonight, don’t you? I’ll stay a few more minutes and then lock up when Doug gets back. I assume Ernest is still out on a repair?”
“Yeah. He called to say he was heading straight home after his last job.”
Rhonda nodded and reached for the repair log.
Blake walked across the room to where Mara lay in the playpen. Sleeping, she looked even more like an angel than usual. Tucking the blankets around her small body, he cuddled her close. A feeling of peace spread through him. The bottom line was that the situation was out of his hands. He would put his trust in the Lord.
Chapter Six
Amanda didn’t know why she’d invited Blake and Kevin to see the insects. To her mind, the invitation made her appear to be chasing after Blake, when in reality, she only wanted to help Kevin. Well, maybe not only to help Kevin. Yes, Blake was a handsome man, but she wasn’t ready for a relationship. She didn’t need another failure. Besides, a man with the responsibility of two children—two children not even his own—would not fit smoothly into her life.
She checked her watch and realized that because she had spent so much time at the shop, she was going to be late getting the casserole to Kerrianne’s. Her sister would understand, of course, when she told her about Kevin and Mara, but Amanda wasn’t sure she wanted to bring them into the conversation. Kerrianne was bound to note her interest in Blake and that attraction was something she couldn’t explain. He wasn’t even her type. She bet he didn’t like to read and had no interest in current events. Probably his idea of a dream vacation was visiting a state fair featuring appliances of the future—if such a thing existed. So why did her heart bang in her chest every time he got within two feet of her?
Wait a minute! What was she thinking? She’d have to tell Kerrianne about Blake. She’d given her sister’s number to him, and she would have to warn her about his call. If he called. Of course, her sister was ill right now, a fact that had totally deserted her mind earlier, like every other sane thought.
Amanda sighed and pulled into her driveway. She had to hurry if she was going to make the fastest casserole in history.
At ten to six, Amanda was on her sister’s front doorstep. Her four-year-old niece met her at the door, wearing a white princess dress and a tiara. “Hello, Misty.” Amanda smiled at her. “You look so gorgeous!” With her curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and chubby cheeks, Misty always reminded Amanda of a porcelain doll.
“I’m a princess.” Misty followed her into the kitchen. “I dressed Benjamin up as a prince, but he keeps taking off his crown.”
“Boys!” Amanda commiserated, setting down the casserole and sweeping Misty into her arms.
“It’s only ’cause he’s so little,” Misty said. Amanda hugged her more tightly. Misty was certainly her mother’s daughter; there wasn’t a mean bone in her body.
“Where is your mom?”
“Upstairs with the boys. She heard the dingdong and told me to open the door.”
“And your daddy?”
“He’s not home.” The sound of the garage opening made Misty giggle. “I think he just got home. Are we going to eat now?”
“Yep. Let’s go get Benjamin first.”
Misty led the way upstairs to the second floor where the three bedrooms were located. They found Kerrianne sitting in her bed, propped up by several pillows, her long blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She wore gray jeans and a sweater, but no makeup. “Oh, Amanda, I would have come down, but I was nursing Caleb.”
“That’s okay. You should be resting.”
“I’m feeling much better, thank you. It’s amazing how much better.” Kerrianne lifted Caleb to her shoulder and began patting his back. “My head still hurts, but the pressure in my sinuses is nearly gone. I can even blow my nose now.” She pointed to a short wastebasket by the bed which was filled with crumpled tissues.
Amanda laughed. “What a relief!”
Kerrianne grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. Her face looked more like Misty’s round one than her own since she had gained so much weight during her last pregnancy, but Amanda knew Kerrianne would eventually get the weight off. Not only had she been blessed with good genes but Kerrianne was addicted to fresh vegetables.
“So how’s the baby?” Amanda sat on the edge of the bed.
Kerrianne passed baby Caleb to her. “Perfect. Thank heavens he hasn’t gotten my cold—yet.”
Amanda cuddled the two-month-old baby, looking so tiny and comfortable in his dark blue sleeper. Caleb’s eyes were a milky dark but would likely turn blue before long. The brown hair he’d been born with was already making way for a covering of very fine blond.
A giggle erupted from under the bed. “Is someone hiding here?” Kerrianne asked, winking at Amanda.
“Yes, it’s Prince Benjamin,” said Misty. She was kneeling by the bed, her head pressed to the carpet. “Come and see.” More giggles came from under the bed.
Amanda handed back the baby, smiling as Kerrianne kissed him on the forehead and laid him on her chest. Dropping to her knees next to Misty, Amanda peered under the bed. “I see a boy wearing a purple shirt and a golden robe. Hmm, he has a sword and a shield there on the floor beside him but no crown. Nope, Misty, I don’t see a prince. If he were a prince, he’d have a crown.”
Benjamin crawled out from under the bed and hurled himself into Amanda’s arms. He didn’t seem to have understood much of Amanda’s speech, but he was happy to see her. Misty plopped a plastic gold crown on the two-year-old’s head. He giggled harder as it fell over his eyes.
“Little big, huh?” Amanda asked. “No wonder he doesn’t want to wear it. Well, no matter. It’s time to eat. Come along, Prince Benjamin, Princess Misty.”
“Thanks so much,” Kerrianne said from the bed. “I really appreciate you.”
Amanda wondered if she would be so appreciative after she told her about Blake and his need for a baby-sitter. She hadn’t lied about Kerrianne’s love of children, but she seemed to have her hands pretty full at the moment.
Carrying little Benjamin, Amanda left the room. She met her brother-in-law, Adam, just outside the bedroom in the hall. He was a nice-looking man of average height, with a roundish baby face, very short blond hair, and blue eyes. He worked as a school district administrator, and treated Kerrianne like a princess. For this Amanda loved him almost as much as she loved her two brothers.
Benjamin held out his chubby arms to his father, while Misty clung to his legs. He kissed and hugged both children. “I think I’m the luckiest guy in the whole world,” he said, winking at Amanda.
“I think so too,” she answered. “I’ve got dinner ready, if you have time before your meeting.”
He nodded. “For your casserole, I’ll make time. First, I have to see how Kerrianne is doing.”
“I’m fine,” Kerrianne called from the bedroom.
Adam grinned at Amanda. “She always says that. In fact, the only time in her life she didn’t say that was after she’d been in labor for five hours with Benjamin and they couldn’t find the anesthesiologist to give her an epidural.”
“Sounds like Kerrianne.” Amanda took Benjamin from Adam, and he hurried into the bedroom.
“I need a kiss from my beautiful wife!” he exclaimed.
“No, Adam. You’ll get sick.”
“Then a hug at least.”
Amanda caught a brief glimpse of Adam picking up the baby, kissing him gently, and laying him to the side before gathering his wife in his arms for a hug. A longing sprang up inside her, one that had nothing to do with hormones but everything to do with real love.
“Are you okay?” Misty stared at Amanda from the top of the stairs.
“I’m great,” Amanda said lightly. “I’m just wondering who is going to eat the most, you or me.”
Misty giggled. “Daddy, of course. He’s bigger.”
Amanda spent the next two hours feeding the family, bathing the children, and finding just the right pajamas. “Okay, go kiss your mom and then it’s straight to bed.” But it was only after four bedtime stories, three drinks of water, and eight kisses, that Amanda left the bedroom the children shared.
“All tucked in and eyes nearly shut,” she reported to Kerrianne with a long sigh. “I don’t know how you do it every day. I’m exhausted already.” She smiled to show she had enjoyed every minute.
“Oh, come on. You’re the one with the hard job. I can’t imagine all those fourth-graders. I’d go home in tears every day.”
Amanda sat on the bed, not believing it for a minute. “That reminds me. I had a repairman in the other day, and he’s apparently become responsible for his cousin’s children. I’m not sure if it’s temporary or what. Anyway, he mentioned that he needs a sitter quite urgently. He’s been taking the children to work.” Briefly, she outlined how Blake had left Mara in the truck and how she’d gone to the shop to check on the children and ended up watching them while he went to stop the widow’s washing machine from flooding her house. “I thought maybe you’d be interested in earning some extra money—when you get better, of course. They seem like nice children.”
“So let me get this straight,” Kerrianne said, seeming intrigued with the story. “What exactly did this guy come and fix at your house? And why did you go to his shop?”
Amanda flushed, having purposely left the fiasco of her oven fire out of her story. “Actually, my oven had a problem—gas wouldn’t light—but it’s all taken care of now. Not a big deal. And I went by the repair shop to find out about a part to stop the timer on my stove from beeping whenever it decides to.”
Huntington Family Series Page 7