Authors: Kathryn Springer
Wait a second, had she even
set
the alarm?
Logan, a miniature sentinel in pajamas that were two sizes too small, hovered at the end of the sofa, his gaze darting from her to…
Alex.
Suddenly, Kate wanted to dive under the blanket and scream, too.
His presence could only mean one thing. She should have been at work. Kate peeked at the clock…
Two hours ago
.
But she couldn’t deal with Alex at the moment, not when Tori continued to emit an earsplitting sound that rivaled a smoke detector. Any minute now, the volunteer fire department would be pounding on her door.
“Shhh.” Kate gathered the little girl against her. “It’s all right. I’ve got you. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Alex strode over to the row of windows and the shades snapped up, one at a time. Drenching the room in sunlight.
Amazingly enough, the screaming stopped.
Tori drew a long, shuddering breath and peered at Alex over Kate’s shoulder.
Kate’s initial relief dissolved as the sun shone like a spotlight on the fallout from the telephone call she’d received at midnight.
She’d made the kids something to eat before putting them to bed and the cleanup had had to wait while she ran a bath for Tori and found a clean T-shirt in the drawer to double as a nightgown.
Logan had trudged to the bedroom, half-asleep following a quick shower, but his sister had been so distraught, Kate had let her stay up a little longer. She’d pulled out some of her old picture books and read to Tori until she fell into an exhausted slumber.
At some point, Kate must have done the same thing.
Alex stepped in front of her and she tried not to squirm under his steady gaze.
No doubt she looked even worse than the apartment. She’d fallen asleep wearing the sweatpants and T-shirt she’d thrown on when Jake Sutton and Grace Eversea had shown up at her door. Her curls sprang out from her head like rusty bedsprings and she was pretty sure the button on the sofa pillow had left a permanent indentation in her cheek.
Why, God? Why does Alex always have to see me looking like…me?
“Logan said you promised to make blueberry pancakes.” The quiet timbre of Alex’s voice swept the rest of the cobwebs away.
“That’s right.” Kate scraped a smile for Logan’s sake, even as guilt poked at her.
What had Irene and Charlie and the rest of the guests done for breakfast in her absence?
“Would you like some pancakes, too, sweetheart?” she murmured in Tori’s ear.
The blond head bobbed once.
“Great.” Kate pushed to her feet, Tori still clinging to her.
Alex took a step forward and the anger banked in his eyes made her flinch.
“I have to get back to the inn,” he said tightly.
Kate tried to straighten her shoulders but found it difficult with Tori attached to her like a barnacle.
“I’ll be there in an hour,” she promised.
His chin dipped. “Fine. I’ll see you then.”
Oh, he’d see her—but Kate had serious doubts that everything would be fine.
Chapter Fourteen
“T
here’s the lake.”
For the first time, Kate saw a flicker of interest in Logan’s eyes, quickly extinguished when Tori whimpered and buried her face in her blanket. He patted her shoulder and whispered something in her ear that brought out a tremulous smile again.
It was heartbreaking, the way the boy looked out for his younger sibling.
While he and Tori had devoured a platter of blueberry pancakes and sausage, Kate had straightened up the apartment. As the sixty-minute countdown ticked by, she’d sacrificed her morning shower to throw a load of the children’s laundry in the washing machine. It had also taken her a few precious minutes to coax Lucy and Ethel out from under the bed. The cats had taken cover under Kate’s bed when Tori started screaming and only a can of tuna had convinced them that all was right with the world once more.
Even though Thor’s engine had fired up, they were still pulling into the driveway fifteen minutes late.
Kate’s heart sank when she saw an unfamiliar SUV parked next to one of the cabins. While she’d been sleeping, more of the guests had arrived.
She unbuckled Tori from the booster seat Grace had supplied and anchored her against one hip.
“That guy’s fishing.” Logan spotted to a portly figure standing on the end of the dock.
Charlie Gibson lifted his arm in a friendly wave.
“We can walk down there and see if he caught anything in a little while,” Kate promised.
If Alex didn’t banish her from the property.
Logan stuck close as they walked up the cobblestone path to the front door. Kate noticed that he never ventured far from his little sister.
Lady and Mulligan streaked toward them and Tori froze.
“They won’t hurt you.” Kate stopped to pet the dogs but Tori melted against her and even Logan shied away from the dogs’ attention.
There was no sign of Alex so she took a short detour on her way to the kitchen. Unlike most bed-and-breakfasts that catered to adults, Abby’s inn was family-friendly. Kate found several puzzles stashed away in an antique trunk in the gathering room and brought them to the kitchen.
Thankfully, Tori didn’t protest as Kate gently deposited her on a chair at the table.
She poured two glasses of milk and set out a plate of cinnamon rolls.
“Do you see that door across the hall? That’s where I’ll be and you can call if you need me, okay?”
The siblings remained silent, as if they were used to being left to fend for themselves.
Kate pulled in a breath and released it slowly but her pulse kept jumping like a pogo stick. The office door was open so she didn’t bother knocking.
Not when Alex was expecting her.
He turned from the window, his expression remote. “Irene Gibson made scones this morning.”
Kate latched onto the back of a chair as a wave of fatigue crashed over her.
Something flickered in his eyes. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
Would it do any good? Kate wanted to ask. But there was no getting around the fact that she had dropped the ball that morning, the very thing Alex had warned her would happen.
Kate licked her lips. “My friend, Grace Eversea, called around midnight. She had an emergency.”
“So you agreed to babysit,” Alex guessed. “Knowing you had to be here at five to make breakfast.”
“Grace isn’t just a friend, she’s a social worker.” Kate expelled a ragged breath. “And I’m not babysitting. I’m…licensed for emergency foster care. Tori and Logan didn’t have anywhere else to go so she brought them to me.”
Foster care.
The two words—and all the implications—hit Alex with the force of a front line wind.
He’d assumed that Kate had blown off her responsibilities at the inn because she couldn’t tell people “no.”
He’d also assumed she would be alone when she came back.
“But you’re single.”
“Single people can become foster parents.” Kate sank into the chair she’d been clinging to. “Grace and I went to high school together. A few years ago, she mentioned there was a shortage of foster care parents in the county. I agreed to take in kids on a short-term emergency basis. It was all I could do, because of the café. I haven’t had anyone for a long time, but last night Grace called and…” Her voice trailed off, leaving him to fill in the blank.
And Kate couldn’t say no.
“How long will they be staying with you?”
“I’m not sure. Their mother is addicted to pain pills. Yesterday, she left a cigarette burning while she was passed out and almost burned the house down.
“Grace said that she agreed to check herself into an inpatient treatment center, but she’s been estranged from her family for years and the children’s father has never been part of their lives. Right now, DHS is trying to locate an aunt to find out if she’ll agree to take care of them.”
“That could take a while.”
Kate didn’t answer.
Alex sat down in the chair across from her and leaned forward.
“So, what you’re telling me,” he said softly, “is that you plan to run the café, work here part-time and take care of two traumatized children.”
Kate leaned forward, too, and a glimmer of humor cut through the weariness.
“See, I knew there was more to you than just a pretty face,” she said.
Kate couldn’t believe she had had the audacity to tease him. She was punchy from lack of sleep, that was the only explanation.
For a moment, it looked as if Alex were battling a smile. Did sleep deprivation cause hallucinations?
“Do you know how difficult it’s going to be to haul those two children back and forth every day?”
Leave it to Alex to zero in on her number one concern.
“Yes.”
“And your apartment is…small.”
That was number two.
“If I had to make a guess, I’d say Tori and Logan are going to need a lot of attention, considering what they’ve been through recently.”
Yup, that was the third one. But acknowledging those things didn’t outweigh the truth. Tori and Logan needed her. But more importantly, they needed to stay together and Grace had brought them to her door because Kate had been the only one willing to take both of them.
A small part of her had hoped that Alex would understand. That he would feel sorry for two kids who’d gone through a traumatic experience and needed someone to care about them.
But with Alex Porter, it was all about business.
If he hired someone else to take her place for the remainder of the two weeks, Concern Number One would disappear. But Kate didn’t want to let Abby down.
Should she call her friend and explain the situation? No, that would seem too much like tattling. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe in this instance, she
had
taken on more than she could handle.
“Kate—”
A crash came from the direction of the kitchen, followed by a wail that brought both of them to their feet.
Kate sprinted past Alex and skidded through an expanding puddle of liquid on the floor. Tori was cowering under the table and Logan, his face as white as the milk pooling at his feet, had positioned himself between his sister and the adults who had responded to the commotion.
“She didn’t mean to do it!” Logan had to pitch his voice above Tori’s muffled sobs.
Alex grabbed a roll of paper towel as Kate knelt down in front of the boy.
“It’s not your fault, Logan. Accidents happen.”
For all his apparent bravery, Logan’s lower lip trembled. “We didn’t want to bother you.”
Kate sized up the situation immediately and understood. Even though she’d encouraged the children to let her know if they needed anything, they hadn’t believed her.
She rocked back on her heels. “Tori,” she coaxed softly. “Come out from under the table and I’ll pour you some more milk.”
Tears continued to stream down the pudgy cheeks. “Is there more?” she whispered.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Alex stiffen.
Hiding her emotions, she put out her hand. “There’s more.”
The girl regarded her warily and then flicked an uncertain look at her older brother.
Logan nodded and Tori crawled out from under the table, dragging her ragged blanket.
Kate resisted the urge to sweep Tori into her arms and hug the stuffing out of her.
Give me wisdom, Lord. This kids have been through so much. I pray they will begin to trust me…and learn to trust You.
In the midst of the silent prayer, Kate remembered that none of this had taken God by surprise. Tori and Logan had been placed in her care for a reason and God would give her the strength she needed to handle it.
He always did.
She turned toward the refrigerator to retrieve the gallon of milk, but Alex had beat her to it.
“Here you go.”
Kate’s throat swelled as Alex set another glass of milk on the table.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He inclined his head, his expression shuttered.
Kate could only imagine what he was thinking. If a simple accident like a glass of spilled milk wrenched a reaction like this from the five-year-old, what would trigger the next one? And where would they be when it occurred?
“We can finish our conversation in the hall,” Kate said, reluctant to leave the children again.
Besides that, how long could it take for Alex to say “This isn’t going to work”?
They stepped out of the kitchen and Kate braced herself.
“As far as I can see, there’s only one solution,” Alex said without preamble.
He was going to hire someone to take her place
…
“The three of you will have to stay here.”
“Here?”
Kate’s eyes widened, as if she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.
But, yes, Alex realized he had said the words out loud.
“Abby’s suite on the third floor has two bedrooms, a private bath and a living room,” Alex pointed out.
Kate’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t that where you’re staying?”
“Abby hasn’t opened up any of the rooms in the lodge for guests yet, so I can move into one on the second floor.”
Kate didn’t look surprised by the admission and Alex realized that, at some point, his sister had shared the details of her past.
Although Abby had come a long way from the shy young woman uncomfortable in social situations, she had decided that it would be best if she rented out the cabins and lived in the main lodge alone until Quinn moved in with her after the honeymoon.
Abby had confided that she wasn’t where she wanted to be as far as trusting people, but opening the rooms in the inn was a step in the right direction.
Over Kate’s shoulder, Alex saw Logan awkwardly pat his little sister’s shoulder and felt an unexpected tightening in his chest.
Logan’s protective stance reminded him of another boy who had been given the responsibility of protecting his little sister. Tori was close to the age Abby had been when she’d been abducted and he recognized some of the same symptoms of emotional trauma. Not only in the tears and emotional outbursts, but in the mixture of confusion and betrayal that clouded the innocence in her eyes.
“Aren’t you worried they’ll disturb the guests?”
Kate’s question tugged Alex back to the present.
Was she
trying
to change his mind?
“The only thing that might disturb the guests is having to eat Irene Gibson’s scones again,” he countered. “If you stay at the lodge, you won’t have to wake Tori and Logan up at five in the morning. And you’ll be able keep an eye on them out the kitchen window if they want to play outside.”
Kate didn’t look convinced. “Won’t they disturb
you?
”
“Probably,” Alex admitted. “But I’m getting used to being disturbed.” He gave her a meaningful look; but, for once, Kate didn’t rise to the bait.
“It would be nice if they had some more space,” she said slowly.
“I’ll have my things moved out of Abby’s rooms by the time you come back this afternoon.”
Kate stared up at him, a dazed look on her face. “I can’t believe it. You’re supposed to talk me out of this. Tell me that I’m crazy.”
Alex was beginning to think that word described
him
.
Kate had no boundaries. Everyone, it seemed, was given access to her life.
Alex
should
be telling her that it wasn’t smart. It wasn’t even safe. But then an image of Kate, her arms wrapped protectively around Tori, had flashed through his mind. And made Alex want to protect
her.
Something he didn’t want to analyze too closely.
“I doubt I could talk you out of it,” Alex said. “And just for the record, I do think you’re crazy.”
Kate smiled.
“You do realize that you’re giving up the perfect opportunity to fire me?”