As Leah rested her head on his shoulder, one word reverberated through her mind. Family. She and Gabe would be more than a couple, they would be a family. They’d experience all the joys and trials that came with that. She only hoped she’d be worthy of the task.
Suddenly she pulled away. “Oh, my gosh. We have so much to do to get ready for them. Our house will be stuffed to the rafters.”
“You always said the place was too big,” he teased. “Now you’re saying it’s too small?”
Love shone out of her eyes. “No, our home is going to be just right.”
“How is she?” Leah asked Gabe as he came out of Carlotta’s room later that evening.
Gabe tugged her out of the children’s earshot. “She’s slipped into a coma.”
She hated to hear that. She still had so many questions and knew the woman hadn’t finished telling her stories. Leah hoped Carlotta had shared her most treasured memories and she took comfort in the notes she’d recorded. Those were definitely precious pages.
“How long?”
“It’s hard to say. Could be hours, or days. Not more than that, I would think.”
“I’m glad we were able to talk to her for a few minutes this afternoon.” A lump formed in Leah’s throat as she thought about the emotional scene when she and Gabe had whispered their thanks to the dying woman. Carlotta hadn’t answered; she’d simply smiled and wiggled her fingers in their hands.
“I am, too.”
“I don’t want her to die, but I know she’s suffering,” Leah admitted. “And I feel selfish for wanting to take the children with us when we leave in a few days. I’d like to stay, and yet I know we can’t.”
“I wish we could,” he said, “but we’ll have to leave as soon as they unload the plane.”
She didn’t like the idea very much and told him so.
“Our mission goes on, Leah,” he reminded her. “A long goodbye won’t be possible.”
“But—” She thought of disappearing from the children’s lives without warning or explanation, but Anna was the only one old enough to understand, and even then, she wouldn’t. As much as she hated what her attitude said about her, she hoped she could take the children when she left.
“What if Miguel isn’t back?” she asked.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” His grim tone suggested he’d already considered the possibility and wasn’t looking forward to making the decision.
“On the bright side, the number of new cases seems to be dropping,” she offered.
“Let’s hope it stays on the downhill slope.”
Leah agreed. While over half of the children in the orphanage had exhibited symptoms in the last two days, none of the cases were severe enough to require hospitalization. She and the staff had been able to push enough oral fluids to keep them from becoming dehydrated and with antibiotics readily available for those who’d developed bacterial complications, a lot of problems had been nipped in the bud. So far, Rosa, Anna and José—her three children, as she now thought of them—only had a minor case of sniffles.
He flexed his shoulders then threaded his arm around her waist.
“It’s getting late, Mrs. Montgomery,” he said with the heated look in his eyes she recognized. “Shall we put our hooligans to bed?”
“Yeah, but after that, what will we do for the rest of the evening?” she asked innocently.
“Don’t worry,” he answered with a boyish charm. “I’ll think of something.”
Carlotta slipped away in the predawn hours two days later. Leah could only mourn the loss and marvel in the woman’s foresight at requesting Leah write down her family history. At least the three Salazar children would know a little about their roots.
Twenty-four hours after that, Hector had improved to the point where he was working again, although Gabe refused to let him take up his duties for more than a few hours at a time. However, Hector’s recovery came as a relief to everyone because their plane was due and Miguel still hadn’t returned. Hector might not be functioning at one hundred percent, but if he limited himself to the seriously ill patients, he could manage.
Oddly enough, she’d hated to leave but with these new developments she was impatient for the MMF plane to arrive. First, though, she had to wait for David to return from court with the children’s signed and sealed paperwork.
“Would you quit watching the road?” Gabe teased. “David will get back as soon as he can. He won’t make you wait a minute longer than necessary.”
She bounced José on one hip. “I know. I’m being silly, but we’re so close to having everything official. You don’t suppose the judge will go against Carlotta’s wishes, do you? I mean, David’s not an attorney and the document isn’t typed up nice and neat.”
“I don’t know how the Mexican court system works in family cases,” Gabe said honestly, “but if anyone can maneuver his way through the system, it’s David. Let’s not worry until he gets back, shall we?”
Unfortunately, that was the problem. Leah was ready to make plans and until she could do so with the Mexican government’s blessing, she would fret.
When the unmistakable roar of the twin-engined Cessna sounded overhead, Leah’s heart sank. She’d privately hoped the plane would be a day or two, or even three, late, but it obviously wasn’t meant to be.
By the time they’d greeted Sheldon, unloaded the plane and restocked Hector’s supply room, Leah saw David’s truck parked near the orphanage. “Oh, Gabe,” she breathed. “He’s back. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say, can you?”
Unfortunately, David’s expression was grim, and she didn’t like his report.
“The judge went on his circuit this week,” David announced.
“Which means?” she demanded.
“He wasn’t there to rule on the transfer of guardianship.”
“Then when—?”
“The clerk in his office said it will take him at least a month to review the case.”
“A month?” She swallowed hard. She’d wanted so badly to take the children home with her now.
“Four weeks won’t be so bad, will it?” Gabe asked. “The delay will give us plenty of time to get ready.”
“Four weeks is forever to a child,” she pointed out. “A veritable lifetime. They won’t remember.” Her voice died.
“Yes, they will,” Gabe assured her. “They remembered me and they hadn’t seen me for several months. A few weeks will pass quickly. This is only a minor inconvenience.”
She didn’t agree, but arguing with Gabe and David wouldn’t change the facts. They couldn’t stay and the children couldn’t leave. She had to deal with it.
“You’re right. We’ll need every day of that to get ready,” she said, determined to be positive when she felt the opposite.
Gabe hugged her. “That’s my girl,” he said softly.
David’s face remained grave. “Unfortunately, there’s more.”
Leah’s heart sank as she watched Gabe’s eyes narrow. “More what?” he asked.
“Carlotta’s son Jorge is here.” David paused. “He wants the children.”
“But—but he can’t have them,” Leah protested. “Carlotta wanted us to—”
David held up his hands. “I know that. You know that, and Jorge knows that. He believes his mother wasn’t in her right mind when she made her decision, especially since she went into a coma a few hours later.”
“Is he suggesting she was coerced?”
“He isn’t making that accusation directly, but he believes the children belong with the only family they have left. As he’s the one in particular.” David shrugged.
Righteous indignation rose up inside her. “Where has he been all this time?” she demanded. “Can he care for three young children?” Her voice wobbled. “Provide for them. Love them?”
“That’s for the judge to decide, Leah,” David said gently. “I’m not happy with this development, either, but what can I do?”
A
horrible thought came to her. “Will he … will he take them away? From Ciuflores?” If he did, she was certain she’d never see the children again.
“I’ve insisted they remain here at the orphanage until the matter is settled. As far as the children are concerned, he’s a stranger and they don’t need the upheaval right now.” He patted her shoulder awkwardly. “I’ll keep a close eye on them. I promise.”
Leah bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Thankful for Gabe’s steadying arm around her, she nodded. “Thanks.”
“Should we talk to this clerk to plead our case?” Gabe asked.
“The only one who needs to hear your side is the judge and he’s not available. All you can do—and I know this sounds trite—is to go about your usual business while you’re waiting.”
Inside, she was screaming, Been there, done that, but David’s advice was sound, even if she didn’t like it. As she glanced at Gabe, she saw the same resignation in his eyes.
She managed a tremulous smile. “Then that’s what we’ll do. If you two will excuse me, I have a bag to finish packing and a few goodbyes to say.”
As soon as she’d disappeared, Gabe spoke to David. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
David exhaled slowly as he ran his finger around his clerical collar. “Yes, and no. I don’t have any new information, but I’ve got to admit, my friend, that this particular judge isn’t one I’ve dealt with before. Rumor has it that he’s a tough cookie when it comes to placing children, especially placing them outside the country.”
“Then we don’t have a chance?” Gabe asked.
“Oh, there’s a chance. You have a lot in your favor. Carlotta’s blessing will carry a lot of weight.”
“Then what’s the problem? The judge should understand that if she wanted her son involved, she would have arranged for it.”
“According to our attorney, a lot will hinge on Carlotta’s health and state of mind at the time she dictated her wishes. Medical testimony will be crucial. Unfortunately—”
“I was the attending physician,” Gabe supplied, recognizing the dilemma he was in.
“If Hector had been treating her at the time she faded,” David went on, “his opinion would carry more weight than yours because he doesn’t have a vested interest in the outcome. You, on the other hand, do.”
“It might look that way, but if Jorge wants to reconnect with family, where has he been all this time?” Gabe demanded, incensed on Carlotta’s behalf. Perhaps if good old Jorge had been around, Carlotta wouldn’t have worked so hard the last several years. Perhaps she would have sought treatment sooner.
“According to him, he travels a lot.” As Gabe opened his mouth to argue, David held up his hands. “I know, I know. Mail goes both ways, but that’s a question he’ll have to explain to the judge’s satisfaction. Personally, I’m hoping Carlotta’s wishes will carry the most weight because she knew her son better than anyone. If Jorge argues that he’s not the irresponsible man he once was, then the court’s decision could rest on who has the most eloquent lawyer.”
He cast a meaningful glance at Gabe. “Unless …”
Gabe understood immediately. “Unless we can prove that Jorge isn’t the upstanding citizen he claims to be?”
David grinned. “I’ve met lots of people in my line of work and I can safely say that clothes don’t make the man.”
Grasping at the hope David had provided, Gabe asked, “What can I do?”
“Nothing. It’s easier for me to snoop around because as the orphanage director, I oversee the home placement study.” He smiled. “You’d be surprised what sort of connections I have.”
“In high places, I hope?”
“To low ones, too.” He rose. “I hope you don’t mind if I don’t see you off. I need to start making phone calls.”
“Let me know if I can do anything to help.”
“I will. In the meantime, expect the best but prepare for the worst.”
Leah fought the tears as she hugged Anna, Rosa and José. “I’ll come back,” she promised hoarsely. “Be good while I’m gone. When I see you again, we’ll have all sorts of fun. We’ll read stories and play games …”
“Adiós?” Anna asked, her forehead wrinkled in thought.
“Yes, but not for long,” Leah told her. “This is just temporary.” She tried to think of the right word to use and came up blank. “It’s only temporary,” she repeated.
Those three words had become her mantra, but it was cold comfort. She had the feeling that once she left Ciuflores, the tenuous tie between her and the children would be cut.
“Adiós mi abuelita?” Anna asked.
“No. Not goodbye like your grandmother. I’ll see you again, soon.” Knowing the three had seen plenty of weepy people since their grandmother’s death, Leah was determined to put on a bright face. Yet as she wrapped her arms around each little wiggly body and received a sloppy kiss, her breath burned in her chest.
Overcome, she glanced at Eva, one of the orphanage’s staff, who immediately spoke to the children in a lilting voice that didn’t quite match her red-rimmed eyes. Herding the children in front of her, the girl left the room wearing an apologetic expression, leaving Leah alone.
She sat quietly and tried to regain her composure, but the memory of those precious hugs and their baby-clean scent, as well as the moisture remaining on her cheek from Rosa’s open-mouthed smooch, made it impossible.
She couldn’t leave them. She just couldn’t.
Acting on instinct, she dumped her clothes out of her travel case before heading toward the children’s room. She began stuffing their things inside with little regard for neatness.
“Leah?”
Ignoring her husband, she doggedly continued her self-appointed task.
He stepped inside. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” She brushed past him to retrieve the two small picture frames on their dresser—pictures which she knew were of their parents. “I’m packing their things. I’d buy everything new, but having a few familiar pieces—”
“Leah,” he said firmly, as she stuffed the frames in the suitcase underneath a pile of clothes for protection. “What are you doing?” he repeated firmly.
“I only need a few more minutes, Gabe, and then we can leave.”
“If you’re doing what I think you’re doing—”
She paused, clutching Rosa’s doll to her chest. “I’m taking my children home, Gabe. They’re mine. Carlotta passed their guardianship to us. She asked me.” Her voice caught.
Gabe gently tugged the doll out of her arms and pulled her against him. “She asked you what?” he coaxed.
The knot of emotion seemed to grow in her throat and she swallowed hard. “Before I knew what she had planned, she asked if I’d watch over them and I promised I would. I can’t do that if they’re here and I’m not.” She met his gaze defiantly. “I won’t break my promise.”
“Leah,” he said kindly. “I understand about promises, but we can’t take them with us. Without the proper legal papers, we’d be accused of kidnapping.”
The sane part of her brain agreed with him, but her heart didn’t want to listen. “We have Carlotta’s blessing,” she argued. “David has it in writing. Duly witnessed. What more do the authorities need?”
“Okay,” he said, sounding quite calm, as if they were discussing a grocery delivery. “Say we do it your way. Do you really want to risk the law showing up on our doorstep to haul them away and send us to jail? Or did you plan to live on the lam?”
She wanted to deny the scenario he’d painted would ever happen, but she couldn’t. And yet.
“Oh, Gabe, we’re so close,” she breathed. “I have this feeling that if they don’t come with me now, they never will.”
His dark-eyed gaze met hers. “It’s because we are so close that we can’t do this. We can’t afford to make an impulsive mistake and screw this up.”
Logic once again warred with her emotions. “Bu
t—”
“If we do everything by the book, we stand a far better chance with the court than if we do something stupid.”
“But—”
“Leah,” he urged. “Think about this.”
“I have, and—”
“Leah.” The pity in his eyes was her undoing. Suddenly, facing the fact she would soon be leaving the children behind, she collapsed against him and wept until his shirt was wet and wrinkled. Once the pain finally subsided, she realized Gabe’s strength and support had never wavered in spite of his own heartfelt anguish.
“I thought what we went through before was terrible,” she said when she could finally speak, “but that was nothing compared to this. It’s worse because I’ve gotten to know these three—their likes, dislikes, the way Rosa sucks her thumb when she’s tired, how Anna talks with her hands—”
“How José wrinkles his nose when he smiles,” he finished as he continued to rub comforting circles on her back. “You’re right. This time is much more difficult.”
As she stole a glance at his face, his red-rimmed eyes proved he was as torn up about the change in circumstances as she was.
“The good news is,” he continued, “our absence is only temporary.”
“Only temporary,” she echoed as she pulled away.
He rubbed away the tear tracks on her cheeks. “Better?”
“Not really.” She managed a weak smile.
“Come on,” he said tenderly. “Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
EXPECT the best but prepare for the worst.
Over the next week, Gabe tried his best to follow David’s advice, but he hadn’t been able to share the same counsel with Leah. If he suggested there was a chance the court wouldn’t decide in their favor, he didn’t know how she’d react. During the time they’d been home she’d jumped between chatting about what toy each child would like to fretting if they were eating properly, getting enough hug time and staying healthy.
Sitting on the sidelines, as David had also suggested, was impossible. Although he had plenty of faith in his friend, David wasn’t the only man with connections and Gabe didn’t hesitate to use them. Discreetly, of course.
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