Dandelions for Dinner (A Farm Fresh Romance Book 4)

by Valerie Comer

  Allison looked at Marge. “Can I meet him now?”

  The nurse nodded in understanding and opened the door. The three of them walked through. Several children looked up, and Marge had a big smile and a pat on the shoulder for them.

  Marge managed to get her bulk onto the polished floor beside Finnley.

  The little guy didn’t look up.

  “Down, Rover. Stop growling. I’m here to see Finnley, not hurt him.”

  Say what? Allison stared at the nurse. There was no dog.

  “That’s a good boy, Rover. I’m glad you’re taking care of Finnley. He needs you.”

  The car swished back and forth.

  “Finnley’s Auntie Allison is here to see him. May she see him? I won’t let her hurt Finnley. She’s nice.”

  Imaginary friends were one thing, but an imaginary guard dog that had to be placated? And she was expected to play along?

  Yet the little boy’s solitude tore at her heart. How long had he imagined a protector? Why did he still believe, even when Rover obviously hadn’t kept John from hurting him?

  She’d never been one for drama, for acting out. Except with her father. She shoved the thought into the recesses of her mind and covered it up with pleasant thoughts, like imaginary guard dogs. She could do this.

  Allison crouched down beside Marge and pretended to stroke a dog she couldn’t see. “Hi, Rover. I brought you a bone. We have a really nice dog on the farm where I live. His name is Domino because he’s all black and white.”

  Marge shot her a nod of approval.

  Where to go from here? “Domino loves to run and play on the farm. He likes to herd the sheep and the cows. And he takes care of a little girl who lives there. Her name is Madelynn, and she’s only two years old, so she needs a dog to take care of her.”

  The car stilled. Progress? She’d take it.

  “Have you ever had a whole farm to play on, Rover? There are mountains nearby, and a river, and a lake.” Not that she’d spent all that much time looking at the scenery. Who had time for stuff like that? “There is a big garden where we’ll soon plant vegetables, but I have to tell you that dogs aren’t allowed in the garden. That’s because Domino likes to dig holes. I bet you wouldn’t do that, Rover. They probably wouldn’t mind if you went in the garden. If Finnley wanted to, that is.”

  In her peripheral, Jason Wong settled into a chair across the room. The adult reading the story deepened her voice. A wheelchair squeaked against the linoleum.

  Allison wracked her brain. What else could she say? She’d expected this conversation to go more like, “Hi, I’m your Aunt Allison and I’m here to rescue you.” And he’d be happy.

  “There are kittens on the farm, Rover. Domino gets into trouble sometimes for chasing them. And sometimes they hiss and smack his nose. They don’t care he’s so much bigger than they are. They keep themselves safe from him. You wouldn’t chase kittens, would you, Rover?”

  Finnley’s head shook slightly.

  Was it time to talk about what little boys might do, not imaginary dogs? “I have a house just the right size for an auntie and a little boy and, uh, a dog.” Well, she’d always intended to get a dog when she was settled, right? So it was true. “It’s a place where children and animals can play outside and be safe. It’s a place where the grownups are nice. They work together and make good food together and go fishing together.”

  Why anyone would want to go fishing, she had no clue. Though the trout had made a tasty addition to Sunday dinner. Was that only last week?

  Marge cleared her throat. “That sounds like a very nice place. Would you like to see it, Rover?”

  The little boy’s head just barely nodded.

  Allison’s heart swam with longing to gather this kid up and give him a hug he so badly needed. Even though he didn’t know it. Weird. She’d never thought about needing hugs. Like Finnley, she’d built a wall. But never with a pretend dog.

  Marge laid her hand, palm up, on the carpet in front of Finnley. “Rover, can Finnley come and meet his Aunt Allison? Would that be okay?”

  The boy nodded and he looked up. Not to meet Allison’s gaze, but somewhere in her midsection.

  “I’m so pleased to see you, Finnley.” The words choked in her throat. “Maybe you don’t remember me, but I remember you. I’ve always loved you and prayed for you.”

  His gaze lifted a bit more. His sweet little round face. No smile. No hint of animation. Dark eyes focused on nothing.

  “Are you safe?” The words were so faint, Allison wasn’t sure she’d heard them.

  Her heart swelled. “I promise you, I’m safe.”

  And somehow, she’d make sure she was, for his sake. For always.

  * * *

  “You don’t need to do this, Brent.” Sierra stood in the doorway of what would soon be Finnley’s bedroom.

  He shrugged and dipped his artist brush in the brown paint. Sampler sizes of many colors lay arrayed behind him. “She’s doing a good thing. I want to help.” Why, he didn’t know. This whole crew had welcomed him in. He felt more like family here at Green Acres Farm than at any Callahan or Lee gathering. Yeah, no one had abused him or disowned him, but only Patrick had any time for him.

  And Patrick had wondered why Brent hadn’t come home for the weekend. Was a bare apartment with cheap furniture even a home? It had no life, no soul. No family.

  He would never have a family. Didn’t look like Allison had expected one, either. But she was stepping up to the plate, and he could help make things easier for the boy. Make him feel cared about.

  When Rosemary had brought a length of fabric from next door with red barns, black-and-white cows, and white fences on it, Jo, Claire, and Sierra had got to work making a curtain and blanket cover.

  Which had given Brent the idea to paint a farm scene on one wall. He was a fair hand with a brush, having dabbled in art before realizing he couldn’t make a living at it.

  Sierra edged closer. “You do know this is just a temporary room for him.” Translation: “You’re crazy to put this much time and effort onto a wall.”

  “I know. But don’t you think this is the most important time for him to feel welcomed?”

  She sighed. “Yes. And thank you. It’s just, I don’t get why you’re doing this. You barely know any of us, and none of us knows Finnley. He might hate dogs.” She pointed at the mutt he was painting in the corner. “He might hate cows.”

  “He might. That’s a risk I had to take. Can’t you see? I think it’s better to try and fail than not do anything at all.”

  Wait, had those words really come out of his mouth? A great sentiment, but not one he lived by. He pushed the thought aside. He had tried. He had failed. What he didn’t need was to air his failures and try again. Vulnerability brought pain. Period.

  He flexed both shoulders to loosen the knots. “If you’re worried about the house and school construction falling behind because of this, it won’t. I’m on my lunch break. I’ll come back when the guys head back to the hotel at five.”

  “Allison is bringing him home tomorrow.”

  “I know. I’ll have it done. Nearly there.”

  She sighed. “If you’re bound and determined to finish this tonight, I’ll run a plate of supper over for you.”

  “You don’t have to. I’ll find something.”

  “It’s Thursday. Even The Sizzling Skillet closes at nine. I’ll bring you food.” She chuckled. “Claire’s cooking, not me, so don’t worry. It’ll be good.”

  “Well, thanks, then. I accept.” He rocked back on his heels and looked over the wall. He wished he had time to add more detail. But it just didn’t exist.

  The child was not quite four. He didn’t need a Grandma Moses painting in his room. Just something to offset all the white and pale gray paint in the rest of the duplex. It looked great. The girls had worked hard. But the space seemed too chilly for him and for the little boy he’d once been.

  Suited Allison, the ice princess. But there
might be a crack or two in her facade. Big question, how much did he care if there was?

  Chapter 11

  Finnley stood beside her — close, but not too close — as she loaded her luggage and the Superman pack she’d bought him into the trunk of her Camry. She hadn’t picked up a lot of clothes yet. There had been little time in Tucson. She’d snagged a few outfits, a warm jacket, and a pair of shoes that turned out to be too large from a Target near the hospital. And tossed in a teddy bear at the last minute.

  He clutched the bear. That was a good sign, right?

  One last thing. She lifted the car seat and locked it into place in the middle of the back seat. The device came with good directions, and her car was a new enough model to make the seat secure. She’d have to adjust the harness once he was in it.

  Allison slid out backward and nudged Finnley’s shoulder. “Up you get, and I’ll buckle you in.”

  His little face froze in fear and he backed up, shaking his head. He had the teddy bear in a death grip around the neck.

  It was only a car seat. Surely he’d seen one before. “It’s okay.”

  “Rover.”

  He wanted her to pretend to buckle in the dog? They’d been traveling all day with three hours to go, and she didn’t want to get in late. She bit back the terse command that nearly exploded from her mouth. Both Mr. Wong and Marge had emphasized how she had to build Finnley’s trust. She had to go slow. But how slow? Walking all the way to Galena Landing slow?

  She crouched down at eye level and patted the air beside Finnley’s hip. “Hi, Rover. Good dog.” Seriously? This was crazy. Hopefully no one would come right now and claim the car next to hers. They’d report her for sure.

  “See that seat, Rover? It’s so Finnley will be safe in my car. Nothing bad will happen to him while he’s in that seat, even if there’s an accident.” Maybe she shouldn’t have said that last part. “There’s a law in Idaho that says kids his size need to be buckled into seats like that one if they’re in a car. And we can’t get to the farm without driving in the car. See, Rover? Finnley’s Superman bag with his new pajamas and his jeans and Toothless T-shirt are in the back already. They’re coming along.”

  Why couldn’t a woman find cute clothes for a kid that didn’t have some trademark label on them? She hadn’t had time to look through all the racks, though.

  “Can you tell Finnley it’s okay to get into the car seat, Rover? Can you tell him it is a safe place?”

  Finnley shook his head.

  Most of the bruises had faded into his darker skin, but that didn’t mean they’d faded from his mind. Had someone tied him in a car seat and abused him there?

  If Allison ever got a hold of Lori or John, she had a thing or two to say. Jason Wong had offered her the opportunity to talk to Lori, but she’d refused. She didn’t trust herself not to pour out all the anger she felt after seeing the battered boy.

  She reached for Finnley’s shoulder, but somehow it shifted slightly out of reach. “Remember what I told you about the farm? We have to get in this car to drive there. You’ll be sitting right here where you can see out the front window and both sides. I’ll be up there—” she pointed at the driver’s seat “—wearing my own seat belt and driving. Rover can sit on the seat beside you and take care of you. Does that sound okay?”

  He glanced around as though seeking a place to hide. Surely a parking lot couldn’t be appealing to a little guy not quite four. A tear trickled from his eye before he nodded. His lower lip trembled as he climbed into the car awkwardly with his left arm in the cast. By the time she touched his shoulder to adjust the harness, he’d closed his eyes. That didn’t stop tears from dribbling down his little cheeks.

  Allison talked to him while she buckled him in, telling him how the straps worked and asking him to move the teddy bear to his other hand so she could finish.

  He obeyed silently, his body stiff against her touch.

  Her tears matched his as she slid into the driver’s seat and clicked her own belt into place. Was she really up for this challenge? Did the gang at the farm have any idea what she was bringing home?

  One thing was sure, she was hitting the drive-through for supper, much as she hated to. There was no way she was unbuckling her nephew before they got to the safety of the farm.

  * * *

  “Hey, buddy, here we are. It’s home.” Allison pulled up in front of the duplex. Home? Not hardly. Not when someone else had painted it, cleaned it, and moved her things in.

  Sierra’d texted Finnley had a bed and a dresser. That’s all she said when Allison asked about his room. Oh, well. Whatever it was, it had to be better than what he’d had in Tucson.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror as she shut off the car. Dusk settled around her like a cloak. “You awake, Finnley?” Not that she’d seen his eyelids droop once when she checked on him throughout the trip.

  He gave a bare nod.

  Domino bounded up as Allison opened the back door to release her nephew from his car seat.

  Wonderful! She’d forgotten all about Rover. Finnley would love Domino if he already had an imaginary canine protector. Went well with her own plans to get a puppy once the house was move-in ready.

  She set Finnley’s stiff body on the ground and Domino licked the boy’s face. Finnley screamed and flung himself back into the car.

  Whoa. “Hey, buddy, this is Domino. He’s a nice dog, just like Rover.”

  Finnley scrambled over the car seat clear to the other side of the backseat.

  Okay, so Domino wasn’t exactly like Rover. Allison took a deep breath. “Come on, Finnley. Domino is just being friendly. He’s excited to have a little boy here to play with.” Inspiration struck. “See, he and Rover are touching noses. That’s what dogs do when they like each other. If Rover likes him, Domino must be safe, right?”

  The boy pressed against the far door, staring at Domino, holding his cast arm like a shield.

  That single scream was nearly the only sound Allison had heard from him. Anger at her sister clawed up Allison’s throat. Had Finnley been beaten for making a sound? What had his short life been like? She blinked back tears and patted the real dog at her knee. “Domino, go home.”

  The dog looked up at her.

  “Go home.” She pointed up the hill toward Jo and Zach’s log cabin.

  He trotted off with frequent glances back over his shoulder.

  Time to try this again. She turned back to the child. “The dog is gone, buddy. Come on, let’s go in our house, okay?”

  He shuddered. After a few more seconds, he navigated the backseat to the open door. Ignoring her outstretched hand, he slid to the ground, his eyes still fixed on the spot in the distance where Domino’s black tail had last been seen.

  Allison popped the trunk, gathered their luggage, and headed for the door. She shouldered her way in and flipped on the light with trepidation. The sight of a sparkling clean apartment with white and two shades of gray on the walls met her eyes. A bundle of brightly colored balloons drifted from the doorknob of one bedroom.

  “Hey, buddy, have a look at that!” She stepped aside to allow Finnley entrance.

  He stood in the doorway staring out. Her gaze swept the area as she wondered what it looked like to him. The garden area across the driveway still lay dormant. In the dusk, the buds of leaves and blossoms on the fruit trees were invisible.

  She inhaled deeply. It had rained recently, and the daffodils beside Sierra’s door were especially fragrant this evening. A rooster croaked in the distance. A lamb bleated.

  It was all going to be okay. Away from the smog and clamor of the city, away from skyscrapers and crowds, away from syringes and addicts sleeping on cardboard. This was a good place to raise a child. To give him a fresh start.

  Her, too. The peace of Green Acres Farm soaked into her soul. Thank You, Lord. Please bless Finnley.

  She turned back to the apartment. The little boy had reversed direction and now eyed the interior. If she wasn’t m
istaken, he’d spotted the balloons.

  Allison set down her bag and closed the door, shutting the quiet farm out. She slung the Superman pack over a shoulder, walked over to the balloon-clad door, and bumped it open.

  A different world met her eyes when the light came on. A brightly patterned farmyard quilt lay on the bed, its white frame pushed up against pale green walls. A small shelving unit beside the bed held several books and a Fisher Price barn. But the wall at the end. Oh my goodness. The pack slid to the floor as she stared at the farmyard scene spread out along the wall. Where on earth had this come from? Who’d done it? She’d never seen anything like it. No one had even hinted they had mural-painting skills.

  “Finnley, come see!”

  No movement behind her when she glanced back. Ah, right. “Rover, come see your new room.” Her gaze landed on a black and brown and white mutt painted in the corner, lying in front of a little blue doghouse. “There’s a special place just for you, Rover. See? Is that you?”

  Allison walked in and sat down on the bed. Maybe Finnley would follow her in if she weren’t blocking his way.

  Indeed, there he stood, paused in the doorway, taking it all in with solemn dark eyes.

  She held her breath as his gaze roved over the entire mural from barn to a garden with kittens prancing across it to the doghouse in the far corner.

  He took a step closer.

  The lack of screaming or fleeing had to be a good sign. “Does that look like Rover?”

  He gave a bare headshake as he sidled within touching distance of the wall. After a moment he turned and took in the whole space again.

  “Doesn’t this room look nice and cozy, Finnley?” Allison still couldn’t believe they’d pulled this off in five short days. “It’s for you. This is your new home, here with me. Tomorrow you’ll meet Maddie. She’s littler than you, and I think you’ll like her.” If the loud, busy toddler didn’t intimidate him first. “And my other friends, the ones who helped get your room ready for you.”