“Maybe this parenting thing isn’t so hard.”

Cara laughed. “Yeah, you keep thinking that, Noah.”

“I believe my new housekeeper is making fun of me.”

Arching an eyebrow, Cara asked, “You think?”

Amusement dimpled Noah’s cheeks. “I bow before your expertise in child rearing. Believe me, I’m in over my head and still wondering why I agreed to take in three kids.”

“Because you saw a need and wanted to help.”

“So you think you’ve got me figured out,” Noah said.

“No, I would never say that.” Cara blushed. “Now I need to get busy cleaning. If you stay, I’ll put you to work.”

“I’m all yours till I have to pick up the kids from school.”

I’m all yours. Cara couldn’t get past those words. But she had to remember that Noah was a self-proclaimed bachelor for life. And all she wanted was a family. She shouldn’t have taken this job. Noah wasn’t going to be an easy man to ignore.

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun.

Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for over twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and has participated in many sports with her students.

Family Ever After
Margaret Daley

But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

— Psalms 37:39

To my new granddaughter

I love you.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Questions For Discussion

Chapter One

A clap of thunder vibrated the air. Cara Winters jumped at the sudden sound. Staring out the windshield of her blue Chevy, she could barely see the front door of the restaurant ten yards away. Sheets of gray rain hammered the packed parking lot. With a glance at the clock, noting it was twenty minutes after noon, she grabbed her umbrella from the seat next to her.

She hated being late. Again she studied the distance to the restaurant and noted a lessening in the intensity of the storm. If she hurried, she shouldn’t get too wet.

Clasping the handle, she readied herself for the mad dash. She shot out of the car, opening the umbrella as she slammed the door closed with her foot. Then she rushed toward The Ultimate Pizzeria, her total attention on the entrance.

Halfway across the parking lot, a blaring horn froze her. She pivoted toward the noise, her eyes growing round. A red sports car swerved to avoid her and splashed a puddle of water down her front. The wind caught on her umbrella, and turned it inside out. What the puddle of water didn’t get wet, the pouring rain did.

She sidestepped another small lake and continued her sprint to the restaurant. Maybe they had a towel—or several—she could use. Being drenched was a fitting end to her horrible morning.

As she reached to open the door, out of the corner of her eye she noticed the red sports car park in the back. She thought about waiting to give the driver a piece of her mind, but that would take time and energy she didn’t have.

Shivering from being cold and wet, she welcomed the warmth in the pizzeria as she scanned the tables for her son and Laura Stone. Her friend waved from the other side of the restaurant, and Cara quickly made her way to the table beside one of the large picture windows that faced the street.

“I’m sorry I’m late. The second interview ran over, but I didn’t get the job. Either one.” Cara slipped into the chair across from Laura and smiled at Timothy, whose mouth was full of a bread stick.

Her friend’s gaze widened. “I’m sorry about the jobs, but what happened to you? Did you go swimming? I know you’re new to town, but it’s only March and still cold in Cimarron City.”

“Funny. I’m laughing on the inside.”

“Seriously, what happened?” Laura dumped a packet of sugar into her iced tea and stirred it.

“I almost got run over in the parking lot, and the guy didn’t even bother to check and see if I was all right. What has happened to chivalry in this century?”

Timothy swallowed his food. “What’s chiv-alry?”

“Hon, it’s about courage, honor and protecting the weak.”

“You aren’t weak, Mom.”

Cara chuckled. “No, but I am wet.”

She noticed her friend’s gaze shift to something behind Cara. Before she had a chance to peer over her shoulder to see what had captured Laura’s attention, a thick terry cloth towel was dropped onto the table in front of her. She must really look bad if a stranger was giving her something to dry off with.

Cara twisted around in her chair to thank her rescuer. A tall, lean man with shaggy dark brown hair filled her vision. Her gaze traveled up his torso and came to light on the somber expression of the man who had nearly hit her. All words fled from her mind as she stared into his hazel eyes.

“Noah, when did you arrive? When I came in, they said you had a business meeting and had gone to your office.”

Cara heard her friend speaking to the man, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away. From the distance in the parking lot and the heavy rain, she hadn’t really gotten a good, up-close look at him. Now she did, and he was probably the handsomest man she’d ever seen. Bar none!

Averting his gaze from her, Noah grinned at Timothy and then Laura as he sat in an empty chair. “I just got here. I see you’re with the woman I nearly ran down.” He gave Cara an apologetic look, the corners of his mouth curving up while dimples appeared in his cheeks. “I’m very sorry. I didn’t see you between the parked cars. I would have stopped, but I didn’t want you to get wetter than you already were.”

Heat seared her face. She lowered her gaze and fastened it upon the towel. “Thanks for this.” She lifted it and wiped her damp hair and face.

“This is my friend Cara Winters, and her son, Timothy, from St. Louis. She finally decided to take me up on my suggestion to move here.”

After greeting her son, the man held his hand out for Cara to shake. “Nice to meet you. I’m Noah Maxwell, the proprietor of this fine establishment. I know my armor is a bit tarnished, but I hope the towel and apology restore some faith in chivalry.”

Timothy giggled.

She paused in an attempt to make herself more presentable and draped the towel over the arm of the chair. She clasped his hand and shook it once before releasing it. Her fingers tingled from the warmth radiating from his hand. “You’re a friend of Laura’s husband, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other for years. Peter, Jacob and I were foster brothers.”

“Ah, yes. I met Jacob and his wife yesterday.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Just a few days.”

Noah transferred his attention to Laura. “Why didn’t you say your friend was moving here? I know how long you’ve been wanting her to come.”

Cara folded her hands in her lap—tightly—to erase the warmth of his fingers about hers a moment ago, but she still felt the touch. “Not her fault. She didn’t know until the last minute. I finally sold my house and had been planning to move into an apartment in St. Louis.” She glanced at her son. “Both Timothy and I decided since we had to move why not come to Oklahoma. He missed Laura’s boys. They were buddies. And I missed Laura.”

“Cara is a free spirit. When I asked her to come to Cimarron City, I extended an open-ended invitation, which I’m thrilled she accepted. I’d about given up on her moving here.” Laura leaned forward. “We want to keep her here, so she needs a job and a place to stay. Any suggestions?”

Noah scanned his restaurant. “Have you ever been a waitress? One of mine will be going on maternity leave at the end of this week.”

Cara shook her head. Like Laura, she had been a wife, mother and homemaker with no skills beyond that. Not very marketable, she’d realized after the fifth interview with no hope of a job. “Unless you count waiting on my family at mealtime.”

“Close enough. You’re hired.”

Her mouth fell open. “Just like that?” She snapped her fingers and her lips closed.

Noah’s laughter spiced the air. “I need a temporary waitress. You need a job.”

“Don’t you have to check my references?” Despite her lack of experience in the workforce, even she knew that much.

Noah turned to Laura. “Will you vouch for your friend?”

“One hundred percent. You won’t get a better worker than her.”

Noah then shifted his attention to Timothy. “What do you say about your mom? Is she a good worker?”

“She’s the best!” Timothy scooped up another bread stick and took a bite.

Noah’s sharp, assessing gaze swiveled back to Cara. “There. I’ve checked your references. Do you want the job? I know it probably isn’t what you’re looking for, but it’s temporary until my waitress comes back in six weeks. The tips aren’t bad here, and it’ll give you some time to look for a different job.”

Two warm patches continued to flame her cheeks. She wasn’t used to a man looking at her with such intensity. Married right out of high school, she’d basically led a sheltered life where men were involved. “As long as you know I’ve never done anything like this.”

Noah rose. “I’m a risk taker. I think I can handle it. Can you start on Friday? The weekends are very busy around here. You might as well plunge right in.”

Three days. “Sure.” Thoughts flew through her mind. She had so much to do before she started the job. Enroll her son in school. Start looking for a place to live. She didn’t want to live off Laura’s—or anyone’s—charity for long.

“I’ll see you at eleven then on Friday.”

The quick smile that graced his mouth made Cara’s heart palpitate. After he left, she said, “Once I get past the fact he almost ran me down with his car, he’s a charmer.”

“Noah is a dear friend. He’s very charming and kind, but he’s left a string of broken hearts in Cimarron City,” Laura said.

Cara straightened, lining up her fork and knife next to her plate. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Mom, I need to go to the bathroom.”

Cara began to rise.

“I’m eight. I can go by myself.”

“Sure, hon. You see where it is?”

He nodded and left.

When he disappeared inside the restroom, Cara swung back to her friend. “Just because I said Noah Maxwell was charming, doesn’t mean I’m interested, Laura. Being married once was enough for me. My son and I are happy the way things are.” If she said it enough, surely she would begin to believe it.

“It seems the last year I was in St. Louis all we talked about were my problems. You haven’t talked much about your marriage to Tim.”

Although the sentence wasn’t really a query, Cara glimpsed the question in her friend’s eyes. “It’s not a secret we were talking about divorcing before he became sick. I couldn’t leave him when that happened. I’m not even sure I could have if he’d remained healthy.” Her husband’s long illness had wiped out their savings and what little life insurance he had went to finish paying off his medical bills and to give her some time to figure out what to do with her life. But she still didn’t know what that was.

A waitress brought a large Canadian bacon pizza and placed it in the middle of the table. After she left with Cara’s drink order, Laura said, “I took the liberty of ordering. Timothy seemed to think you wouldn’t mind.”

The aroma wafting to Cara made her mouth water. “Not one bit. I’m starved. I got out of your house this morning so fast I didn’t even get a cup of coffee. Thankfully I didn’t yawn through the interviews.”

“Noah’s pizzas are fabulous even if I’m a little partial.”

Cara surveyed the busy restaurant, noticing Timothy weaving his way back to them. “It’s a good thing I like pizza since I’ll be working here at least for the time being. Now all I have to do is find a place to live with my son.”

“You’ve got one for the time being. My house.”

“I can’t impose for long. You already have too many people under one roof.”

“The more the merrier, I say. Remember I chose to have four children, so I’m accustomed to a lot of people around.” Laura grinned. “Besides, soon our new addition will be finished and we’ll have two more bedrooms.”

“No, this is important. I have to make it on my own. I hope you understand.” She couldn’t make the same mistake again of depending on someone else to rescue her.

Laura fixed her with a kind look. “I understand perfectly. You remind me of myself this time two years ago when I first came to Cimarron City.” She took a slice of pizza. “But remember you aren’t alone. The Lord is with you and so are your friends.”

If only it were that simple . Cara picked up her own piece to eat while Timothy reseated himself. Her son had to be her main focus now.

Two days later, Cara stretched as far as she could on the second to the top rung of an eight-foot ladder, leaning against the trunk of an oak. “Kitty. Here, kitty. You’ve got to take this. You won’t get well if you don’t take it.” Although, by the way this tomcat scampered up the tree, it appeared as though he was healthier than everyone thought.

Cara held a treat between her forefinger and thumb and waved it toward him. The overweight cat, sitting on the branch above her, let out a protesting whine. Obviously this feline was too smart to fall for the hidden pill inside the moist delicacy.

She glanced at the top rung and decided there was no way she would go that extra step for the tomcat. She was high enough off the ground as it was. When she looked back at the animal, entrenched in his safe spot, the cat launched himself at her. She flung up her arm to protect her face. The action caused the ladder to rock back. For a second it teetered in midair, and then suddenly Cara plunged toward the hard ground.

Masculine arms caged her against the wooden rungs but the ladder’s backward momentum was too much. She continued to fall, taking her rescuer with her. His body cushioned her impact. A grunt exploded from his lips, blasting hot air near her ear; at the same time, muddy water splashed up, drenching her and the person under her.

One of the slats hit her forehead as the traitorous ladder came to rest on top of her and her mysterious protector.

“Okay?”

The deep timbre of his voice washed over her much like the puddle. She gripped the ladder and shoved it off her, embarrassment making her unusually strong, it seemed.

“Yes. How about you?”

He lifted her up a few inches and sucked in several deep breaths. “Now I am.”

She scrambled to the side and rotated toward her rescuer. The color in her cheeks had to have deepened to a scarlet red, if the warmth suffusing her face was any indication, and she was glad that the muddy water covered her mortification.

“I guess you attract puddles,” Noah said as he scooted back out of the muddy water, which drenched both of them now.

She pushed her wet hair back from her face and wiped her hands across her cheeks. “One of my finer abilities.”

His chuckles echoed through Laura’s backyard. “I’m not sure I want to know about any others.” He rose in one smooth motion and presented his hand to help her stand.

On her feet she saw how totally soaked she was. Far worse than a few days ago when she had first met Noah Maxwell. “I don’t think a towel will help this time.”

He glanced down his body. “You think?” When he reestablished eye contact with her, amusement glittered in his hazel depths. “Where is everyone?”

“Peter is at the barn. Laura and the children are at the cottages, making plans for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“The last day of freedom, as Laura’s son told me, before they have to go back to school.”

Puzzlement wrinkled his brow.

“Last day of spring break and the first day of my new job.”

“Ah, I see. I would think Sean would be looking forward to going back. He only has a few more months and he will graduate.”

“Top of his class as Laura is eager to point out.”

“Yeah, he’s come a long way from two years ago.”

“A lot can happen in two years.” As she well knew. Her life had fallen apart and everything familiar was gone.

“Can I help you?”

“Why were you on the ladder?”

Cara glanced up into the branches of the oak and found the fat feline perched on another limb, watching her like the Cheshire cat. “I told Peter I would give Moose his antibiotic. One of the animals was having babies, I think, and he needed to be there.”

“And the poor momma probably doesn’t want him anywhere near her, but Peter likes to make sure everything is all right. He lost a dog and a litter of puppies because there was a complication last year. So now he personally oversees any birthing that he knows about.” Noah walked toward the hose near the deck and turned the tap.

“That could be exhausting, especially during the spring.”

“That’s Peter. All or nothing. Actually that pretty well describes Jacob and me, too. Paul, our foster father, taught us well.” He cleaned himself as best as he could under the circumstances, then offered Cara the water.

“Thanks, but I’m thinking a shower is more in line.”

“If only.”

“The least I can do is bring you a towel.”

“Tit for tat?”

She smiled and mounted the steps of the deck. “It’s dangerous to be around me. I’ll get one and be right back.”

Noah watched Cara disappear inside. Where in the world had that comment about being an all-or-nothing kind of guy come from? Along with knocking the breath from him, she must have rattled his brain when she landed on him. He tried to think what it was about her that—

“Here you go.”

She appeared in front of him while he obviously had been in a stupor since he hadn’t heard her approach. “Oh, yes, thanks.”

“See you tomorrow,” she said as she went back into the house.

He began drying his hair and immediately the image of her doing that a few days before popped into his head. She’d definitely rattled him. She wasn’t at all like the women he dated casually. There was nothing memorable in her features—certainly nothing that normally attracted him. Especially because he never was interested in single mothers. Children and he did not mix.

One week on the job and Cara’s feet still ached from standing so much. And tonight would be extra long because she would help close the restaurant for the first time. In the bathroom she slapped some water on her face, then washed her hands before heading back into the dining area to finish the last hour of her shift.

At least the tips were good. Pulling her pad out of her apron pocket to take an order, she again approached the table of three college-aged men. She pasted a smile on her face although it was an effort to keep it in place after her last encounter with them.

“You all ready to order?” She positioned herself a little farther away than usual to avoid the roaming hands of one of the customers.

“What did you say?” The massively built young man with rippling biceps who had been extra friendly slurred his words, making them run together. He bent toward her and nearly fell out of his chair.

Blasted with the scent of alcohol, she stepped back. “Are you ready to order?”

“You don’t have to shout.” He straightened, tossing back his head so hard his blond curls bounced.

Lord, patience is usually one of my strong suits, but this Friday night must have brought out the worst customers, and they all sat in my area of the restaurant.

Cara moved closer to the table, sidling toward the tall, thin young man sitting opposite the blond giant. “Do you all need more time to look over the menu?”

The young man brushed back a curl that fell onto his forehead. “What do you think, Brent? Jeremy? This li’l lady isn’t being too friendly. Do we order or leave?”

“I ain’t all that hungry. Let’s go find a bar that’s open,” the one called Jeremy said, his words garbled as though he had a mouth full of pebbles.

“Bring us our bill.” The blond waved his hand in the air. “We’re leaving. We need to do some celebrating and you’re putting a damper on our festivities.” His voice rose with each sentence spoken.

Since all she had done was bring them water, she said, “There is no bill.” She started to walk away, not sorry they were going, even if that meant the restaurant lost some business.

Fingers clamped about her wrist, halting her progress. She glared at the blond. “Take your hand off me.”

Chapter Two

“O r what?” The blond college student shoved to his feet, swaying into her as his chair toppled over.

The sound echoed through the dining area, and several customers nearby stopped talking and stared. All three young men were standing now. The blond’s huge presence dwarfed her. The odor of the alcohol they must have drunk earlier assailed her from all angles, roiling her stomach. Her heart increased its pounding against her rib cage.

The blond thrust his face close to hers, the smell intensifying. “I said, ‘Or what,’ li’l lady?” He mangled the words.

Speechless with fear, she tried to yank her arm away. The numbness she felt in her fingertips began to extend throughout her.

“Let go of her.” The owner’s deep baritone voice cut through the sudden silence.

The fingers at her wrist dug into her skin. “Whatcha gonna do about it?” The blond slowly turned his head toward Noah Maxwell, but not before Cara saw his bloodshot eyes narrow in fury.

Trying to ignore the pain his hold produced, she looked at Noah, only a few feet away. An ice-cold expression greeted her, directed at the young man gripping her. The dead calm in his eyes helped quiet her rapid heartbeat. He knew how to take care of himself. That thought eased her rising panic.

“As I thought, nothing.” The blond started to turn back toward her.

“Jake—” One of his friends inched closer.

Noah settled a hand on the drunk’s shoulder. “Let me show you the door, Jake.”

The steel thread woven through that one sentence chilled Cara and would have made most men pause—if they hadn’t been drinking and had an ounce of sense left. Jake wrenched away from Noah, still grasping her wrist, which pulled her toward the blond giant.

Cara jerked her arm toward her, hoping to throw the young man off his precarious balance. For a second he teetered, then righted himself and released his hold on her as he concentrated on Noah, who had inched even closer. His two friends came to Jake’s side.

Freed, Cara hurried toward Noah, thankful it was so late that any families who usually frequented the restaurant were gone. Most of the customers had backed away, and a couple of men stayed near. She prayed they would help Noah. Jake was huge and his two friends weren’t much smaller. Noah’s odds didn’t look good at the moment.

“We’ll leave when we want. And I don’t think there’s too much you can do about it, old man.” He glanced at his buddies, a smirk tilting his mouth. “You’re outnumbered.”

Noah chuckled. “Don’t be too sure about that.” Again that lethal quiet sounded in his voice.

Jake threw back his head and laughed. The action shifted his large body enough that he fell against one of his friends.

“I think you need to take him home,” Noah said to the young man helping Jake stand upright. “Believe me when I tell you, I have been in worse situations than this and have come out unscathed.”

The one called Brent took one of Jake’s arms. “Let’s go. Someone’s probably called the police by now.”

As the two dragged Jake toward the entrance, Noah quickly moved toward the trio. “I’m calling a cab to take you all home.”

Brent faced him. “I’m not drunk. I can drive.”

Noah assessed him. “Fine. If you don’t want to end up in jail, I suggest you all go home.”

Brent turned back to his friends and hooked his arm around Jake. When the door closed behind the trio, Cara sagged against a table. She couldn’t stop the trembling spreading through her body.

Noah’s arm went around her shoulder, supporting her against him. “Let’s go back to my office.”

Suddenly voices began chattering around her. She glimpsed the customers and staff staring at her and nodded. Almost in a daze, she allowed him to lead her back to his office and seat her across from him.

Thank You, Lord, for sending Noah . She folded her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking and lifted her head to look him in the eye. “Are you going to fire me?”

He looked puzzled. “Fire you? Why would I do that?”

Over the past week she’d heard wonderful things from the staff about Noah Maxwell, but she hadn’t seen him enough to know him firsthand. “They’ll probably never come back here to eat,” she finally said when she realized he was waiting for an answer.

“Good. I don’t need customers like that. I don’t want drunks eating here. This is a family restaurant and I don’t serve alcohol. If someone comes in again that is intoxicated, get me or the manager. You shouldn’t deal with problems like that.” He smiled. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you before, but I hadn’t had to take care of something like that in a while. Most people know I don’t tolerate drunks.”

“Believe me, I’ll have no problem doing that the next time. I appreciate your help earlier.”

“My staff should never have to put up with someone like that young man.” Noah relaxed in his chair. “How was your first week on the job?”

“Fine.” Cara rubbed her thumb into her palm. From all accounts Noah Maxwell was a very wealthy man who still kept a personal interest in his business even though he didn’t need to. He hired competent managers and most of his staff had been with him a long time.

“Are you attending the barbecue at Stone’s Refuge on Sunday?” Noah asked.

“Yes, I’m helping Laura and Hannah set it up.”

“Why don’t you go on home?” He checked his watch.

“We’ll be closing up in a few minutes.”

“I’m supposed to learn how to close up with Kalvin tonight.”

He waved his hand. “Don’t worry. You can another night. I’ll help Kalvin this evening.”

“But—”

“Listen, Cara—” he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees “—I know how upsetting a scene like that can be. Go home.” He sat back. “Besides, I’m the boss. What I say goes.”

“How can I argue with that?”

“You can’t.”

The smile on his face totally altered the tough-guy facade he’d presented earlier to the three men. His hazel eyes sparkled, and his dimples drew attention to the curve of his mouth. He rose slowly, pulling her gaze down his length. Dressed in a gray, long-sleeved shirt and black slacks, he commanded the space around him, as though there wasn’t any situation he couldn’t handle.

“Are you working tomorrow?” he asked as he opened the door for her.

“Yes, I come in at ten.”

“Then you’d better go. Get some rest and put this evening behind you.”

After gathering her purse, she gave him a smile over her shoulder and walked toward the exit. “Thanks. I’m still adjusting to the job. My feet are killing me.”

“Try soaking them in warm saltwater.”

She placed her hand on the knob and looked back at Noah. Adam, one of the high school workers, said something, and Noah turned toward him.

Weariness blanketed her. Even though the idea of warm saltwater appealed to her, she was too tired even to take the time to do that. All she wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for hours.

She opened the back door, noticing a few other staff members gathering their belongings to leave. As she stepped outside, she relished the night air cooling her cheeks. A pool of brightness shone down from the security light. She saw Maddy, another waitress, climb into her vehicle and back out. She waved to Cara as she drove past. Cara walked toward her car, thoughts of the comfortable bed waiting for her at Laura’s running through her mind.

“Boss, a toilet in the men’s bathroom overflowed,” one of Noah’s employees said, coming from the restroom.

“Will you clean it up before you leave?”

“Sure,” Kalvin muttered, quickly trying to cover his frown.

Pounding at the back door drew Noah’s attention. He peered through the peephole and saw Adam and Cara. Quickly he opened the door.

The ashen look on Cara’s face sent alarm bells ringing in Noah’s mind. “I thought both of you left. What’s wrong?”

Adam gestured toward the parking lot. “Those three guys that caused problems earlier in the restaurant were waiting for Cara. They tried to drag her to their car.”

Hands shaking, Cara crossed her arms over her chest. “They ran when Adam shouted at them. Or rather they staggered away. They had a liquor bottle and were passing it around. I—I didn’t know—”

“I’m calling the police. Adam, did you see what they were driving? We need to report this before they kill someone.”

“I want to file charges against them.” Cara lifted her chin a notch. “If they had gotten me into the car…” She shuddered, closing her eyes for a few seconds.

“I’ll take care of everything, Cara.”

As the teen gave Noah the description of the white car, Adam shot a concerned look at Cara. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Noah was glad Adam had been at the right place at the right time, but he felt as though he had let down one of his workers. No one hurts his employees, not if he could do anything about it. He would push for those three to face the stiffest charges.

“You two can sit in my office while we wait.” Noah walked to the wall phone and punched in the police department. After making his report, he said to Kalvin, “Let the officer in when he comes.”

“Can we do anything to help?”

“Yeah, please finish closing up for me. I need to drive Cara home after she reports the incident.”

“Okay, boss.” Kalvin began to turn away, stopped and peered back at Noah. “I know Jake, Jeremy and Brent from school. They go to the University of Cimarron. They’re the star players on the baseball team. Without them I doubt we’ll win the conference.” Kalvin headed to the kitchen.

Great! Another added bonus. Noah thought of the publicity this would trigger when the press discovered the charges the three star players would face. He didn’t see any way this could be kept quiet.

He walked through the kitchen and found Cara and Adam seated in his office. While Adam peered at his hands in his lap, she stared off into space. An urge to eliminate that lost look in her eyes overwhelmed Noah. He settled in the last chair in front of his desk and faced Cara.

“The police should be here shortly. Can I get you anything until then?”

“No—yes, some water.”

Adam bolted to his feet. “I’ll get it.”

When the teen left, Noah took Cara’s trembling hands.

“I’m sorry this happened. This is usually a safe place to work. I—”

“You didn’t do anything. You can’t control what drunks will do.”

Her words plunged him back into the past. A picture of his father striding toward him with his fist raised struck him. Those were memories he made a point of never reliving. Shoving them away, he said, “That doesn’t mean I can’t try.”

Adam reentered the room with a law officer trailing. The teen gave Cara a glass of water and sat again in the chair next to her.

Noah stood. “Have y’all found them?”

“Right before I came in here, I got a report the three young men were pulled over not far from here. They’re being taken down to headquarters to be charged with public intoxication. They’ll be spending the night in jail.”

Noah sighed. “Good.”

“I want to file charges against them.” Cara clasped the arms of her chair.

The officer removed a pad and pen. “What happened, ma’am?”

After Cara told him what had happened in the parking lot, Noah recounted the incident in the restaurant.

The police officer peered up from writing. “I’ll need you all to come down and file these charges.”

The exhaustion carved into Cara’s face prompted Noah to ask, “Can I bring her tomorrow morning? This has been a long day for her.”

“Sure, Mr. Maxwell. They won’t be going anywhere.” The policeman looked at Adam. “I’ll need your statement, too.”

“I’ll bring him also,” Noah said.

“You did a good thing this evening, young man.” The officer said as he left.

“Since you missed your bus,” Noah asked Adam, “do you need a ride home?”

Adam shook his head. “I’ll get Kalvin to drive me.”

“Okay. How about tomorrow to the police station?”

“No, I can take the bus. What time should I be there?”

“Nine.”

Adam rose. “I’ll go help Kalvin close up.”

“Thanks again,” Cara said as the teen hurried from the office.

“Are you ready to leave?” Noah asked.

She pushed herself to her feet, tension in every line of her body. “I have my car here.”

“Since we need to go to the police station in the morning to give a statement, I’ll pick you up and then bring you here so you can get your car. I’ll find someone to take your shift tomorrow.”

“I can come in to work tomorrow. I need the money.” Anger slashed across her face. “I’m not gonna let those guys do any more to me than they already have.”

Noah sensed the fear beneath the declaration. Any moment he expected her to fall apart. “I don’t think you should drive yourself home. Your hands are shaking.”

The urge to draw her against him and hold her until her fear subsided set off alarms in Noah’s mind. He would take her home and to the police tomorrow because he was her employer. Even a temporary employee deserved his support. But after that, he would go his way and she hers. He made it a practice never to get involved with a single mother, and he intended to keep his life uncomplicated.

“Let’s go. It’s been a long day.” Noah withdrew his car keys from his pocket. When she started to protest, he cut her off. “Humor me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I sent you to Laura’s by yourself.”

Cara took a deep breath, then released it slowly. “Fine, but I’m coming into work tomorrow.” Her shoulders sagged as though suddenly she couldn’t keep the exhaustion at bay.

“If that’s the way you want it.” Maybe nothing would come of charging the star baseball players. Although he hadn’t known what the three guys looked like, he’d heard their names. For the first time in years, the team had a chance to win big because of these players. Who was he kidding? It was going to be a mess. This town was sports crazy when it came to supporting the University of Cimarron City Tigers. And Cara would be in the middle of it. He needed to warn her.

They settled in his Corvette, and for ten minutes, Noah negotiated the streets in silence. He didn’t know how to tell her who the young men were and just how popular they were in town.

Hesitant to make matters worse, he settled on something he remembered Laura saying about Cara. “Why does Laura call you a free spirit?”

Her laughter was forced. “She was being sarcastic. I’m anything but that.”

“But you left St. Louis on the spur of the moment?”

“Yeah, that was out of character. I normally plan everything down to the tiniest detail.”

“We all do things out of character from time to time.” Like what I’m doing now. I don’t get involved with women like Cara, women who want commitment. Ever .

“I guess it really wasn’t on the spur of the moment. Laura had been working on getting me here for the last eighteen months. So when Timothy said he missed Matthew and Joshua and playing with them, I decided it was time to move.” She leaned her head back on the soft leather cushion and closed her eyes. “I don’t want to return to St. Louis.”

Her comment out of the blue took him by surprise. “Why not?” he asked, before his internal censor could stop him from delving into her personal life.

“There’s nothing there for me. It was never my home.”

“How long did you live there?”

“Four years. Almost two after my husband died.”

“Where did you live before that?” He increased his speed once they left the city. Only five more minutes to the farm. Obviously his censor was defective this evening.

“I grew up in Flagstaff.” She straightened as he turned onto the road that led to Peter and Laura’s. “I was actually thinking of going there when I got in the car, but came here instead.”

“Why did you change your mind?” One minute away. He never got this personal with a woman, even the superficial ones he usually dated who never threatened his marital status. Too risky.

“I didn’t want to admit I couldn’t make it on my own. When Tim died, my parents wanted me to come home so they could take care of me. I haven’t even told them yet I’m in Cimarron City.”

He pulled to a stop in front of Peter’s house. A sigh escaped his lips. “I’ll pick you up a little before nine. It shouldn’t take too long at the police station.”

“I hope not. I don’t want to spend any more time than I have to on those three.”

The urge to drive away quickly assailed him. But he couldn’t leave yet. He had to tell her who those three were. When she opened the door and the light came on, Noah twisted to face her. Fatigue dulled the green in her eyes while her forehead wrinkled in question.

“You should know who Jake, Jeremy and Brent are before we go down to the station tomorrow.”

Her mouth pinched into a frown. “I know they’re boys parading around as men. They need to be held accountable for their actions.”

“I agree. But they’re the three star baseball players at the university here. Many of the townspeople have lived vicariously through their accomplishments.”

She smoothed a wisp of blond hair back from her plain-looking face. “Are you saying they should get special treatment?” Fury invaded her voice.

“No, I’m saying that the press may be all over this, and I want you to be prepared.”

She slid from the front seat and leaned down to look at him. “Consider me prepared. Thanks for the ride and the help tonight.”

The stiff way she carried herself toward the house spoke of her aggravation, some of it probably directed at him. He was afraid the justice she wanted wouldn’t happen, that she was going to be hurt further.

He waited while she slipped inside the house, wishing he could take care of the situation without involving her. His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he pictured Cara, vulnerable, trying to act brave. Most of his adult life he had avoided commitment. What was it about Cara Winters that made him think twice about his decision years ago to go it alone in this world?

Saturday afternoon after reconciling his receipts from the night before, Noah came to the conclusion one of his employees was stealing from him—to the tune of forty dollars for the second time this week. That knowledge made his stomach clench. He had thought it was an honest mistake. After all, he treated his employees fairly. Now it was obvious that was wishful thinking on his part.

In his youth he’d been tempted to steal in order to have money to eat. Instead, he’d gotten a job and, when that wasn’t enough, he’d gone out for a second one. When he got his hands on the thief, he would bring charges against that person.

He made his way to the dining room, trying to decide what to do to catch the thief. His gaze lit upon Cara near the waitress station. The circles under her eyes stood out against her pale cheeks. For a split second he had an urge to smooth them away. Instead he walked over and took two of her drinks. “Isn’t it time for your break?”

“As soon as I take care of table twenty.”

He held up the water. “I’ll help you. Are these for them?”

Her mouth formed a hard line. “I can do it.”

“I know you can.” He grinned. “Indulge me. I’d feel better if I helped.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s been a long day, especially with having to go to the police station this morning. You shouldn’t be here at work and I let you come anyway.”

She stepped close, her scent of vanilla wafting to him. “I’m not fragile. I won’t break.” She plucked the glasses from his grasp and put then on a tray. She scooted around him and walked toward the front of the restaurant.

I guess she put me in my place . He watched her interact with the family at table twenty. A little girl about six said something to Cara. When Cara smiled, her whole face radiated joy. Her green eyes even twinkled. The child laughed and all traces of fatigue momentarily disappeared from Cara’s expression. Her plain features transformed in a beautiful countenance.

What am I doing? I have no business standing here eyeing Cara when I have a thief to catch . Noah scanned the pizzeria, studying each employee who had worked the night before. Kalvin was cleaning off a table in the corner. Adam was ringing up an order. And Cara had finished with table twenty and was heading toward the kitchen. One of them was a thief.

He couldn’t see it being Cara. She was a friend of Laura’s. Besides, she hadn’t worked the first time money was missing. If it wasn’t her, it had to be Kalvin or Adam. They were hard workers and had been with him for almost a year. He hated thinking the thief was either one of them. He pivoted toward the kitchen. All he could do was keep an eye on both teens. He would be there waiting when the thief made a mistake.

Noah planted himself in the corner by the soft drink dispenser. He had a clear view of the cash register, but couldn’t be seen.

Not twenty minutes passed when a commotion in the main dining room drew him out.

“Watch where you’re going, lady.”

Lisa, one of his waitresses, hovered over a dropped tray, shards of broken dishes strewn across the floor. “I’m sorry.”

Grumbling under his breath, the man walked toward the entrance.

Cara paused with two iced teas next to Noah. “He ran into Lisa. It wasn’t her fault.”

He smiled at the woman who had haunted his thoughts way too much lately. “Thanks.”

Cara placed the drinks in front of a couple, then made her way to Lisa and bent down to help the young woman clean up the mess.

Satisfied everything was all right, Noah turned away. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Adam quickly stuffing some money into his pocket while he stood in front of the cash register. The teen looked up and their gazes collided. Adam’s nostrils flared, his expression guilt-ridden.

He slammed the drawer close and spun around, hurrying toward the back. Noah followed. Halfway across the kitchen, the teen broke into a run and shoved out the door.

Noah gave chase. Outside he checked the area and saw the teen sprinting across the side parking lot, toward the street. Noah rushed after him, thankful he kept in good shape with jogging.

“Adam! Stop!”

Throwing a glance over his shoulder, Adam changed course and darted to the left. Noah mirrored the teen’s action.

Suddenly the boy altered his direction again, swinging to the right. He dashed across the street toward the park. Noah thought of all the hiding places in the wooded area and pushed himself even faster.

In the park, Adam headed toward a grove of trees along an access road. He chanced a look back at Noah. Quickly turning forward again, the teen veered right into the path of an oncoming car speeding around a curve.

The screech of the tires on the pavement reverberated through Noah as he witnessed Adam being clipped by the car and thrown forward into the dirt along the side of the road. For a second, shock slowed his pace. Adam lay sprawled half in the grass and half in the graveled shoulder. Not moving. Staring up at the sky.

All thoughts of what happened at his restaurant fled Noah’s mind as he raced toward the youth, his heart pounding as fast as his feet on the ground. The car slowed for a few seconds while the vehicle’s occupants were probably checking out what had happened. Noah couldn’t tell for certain because dark tinted glass hid the car’s interior.

As Noah neared Adam, the tan sedan gunned forward. Noah noted the first three letters of the license plate before the vehicle disappeared, nearly hitting a truck parked at the curb.

Noah scanned the area for help. Empty paths and a deserted road greeted his inspection. Not sure what to do, he knelt next to Adam. The boy gasped for air, his eyes wide with fear. He peered at Noah, blinked, then tried to move. A cry pierced the quiet.

Noah laid his hands on Adam’s shoulders. “Stay still. I’m getting you help.”

“No! I can’t…” The boy shifted, his eyes fluttering closed before popping open again.

Noah dug into his pocket for his cell. He called 9-1-1 and quickly told the dispatcher where to find them. “Adam?”

The teen sucked in a shallow breath, a moan escaping from his lips.

“Where do you hurt?”

“My leg.” He clenched his teeth and struggled to prop himself up on his elbows to take a look.

“Stay still. An ambulance is on its way.”

“I need to get home.” Adam collapsed back to the ground, his features pale, his teeth chattering. “I can’t go to the hospital.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” In the distance Noah heard a siren.

Reassured help was on the way, he glanced around again to see if anyone else was nearby. He spied Cara jogging toward them about thirty yards away. Relief went through him.

When Noah looked back at Adam, the teen had rolled over and shoved himself to his feet. The boy tried to hobble away, but fell after taking only two steps and screamed when both knees hit the dirt. Noah scrambled forward to ease him down onto the ground.

“I told you not to worry about anything.” Although he was concerned about the teen’s injuries, Noah schooled his voice into a soothing cadence.

Adam lifted a tear-streaked face to Noah. “I can’t go to the hospital. I have to get home. I have—”

“I’ll call your dad and let him know what happened. He’ll need to meet us at the hospital.”

The teen’s eyes grew even rounder, panic replacing the apprehension in them. “No!”

“I won’t tell your dad about you stealing money from me. Let’s just forget that. What’s your number?” Noah could feel Cara’s comforting presence behind him; he could hear her panting as she caught her breath.

Pain twisted Adam’s face. “He’s not home.”

“Where does he work? I’ll call him there then.” Noah raised his voice to be heard over the siren blaring from the ambulance that came to a stop nearby.

Adam clamped his lips together, tears continuing to run down his cheeks.

“Adam?” Now kneeling beside them, Cara placed her hand on the boy’s arm. “We need to let your family know what’s happened.”

The gentle tone of her voice erased some of the tension in the teen’s expression. Adam looked toward her. He started to say something, but instead snapped his mouth closed and averted his head.

Two paramedics approached with the stretcher, stooped and began examining Adam. Noah and Cara rose and stepped back to give them room.

A police officer approached. “Can you tell me what happened here?”

Noah relayed the events to the man while keeping his gaze on Adam. This was his fault. He shouldn’t have chased the teen. He should have let it go.

“I’ll report your description of the car and see if we can find it.” The officer walked back to his vehicle to call it in.

The paramedics lifted Adam onto the stretcher and secured him. They started wheeling him toward the ambulance.

“Wait! Mr. Maxwell,” Adam called out.

Noah hurried toward the stretcher. “Yes? What’s your dad’s number?”

“He’s gone. My brother and sister will be by themselves. They’ll get scared. Please…” He shifted as though he needed to sit up. He winced and groaned.

“I’ll take care of them. Don’t worry about them. Where’s your dad?”

The teen closed his eyes. The paramedics hefted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance.

Noah heard the teen say, “Out of town.” Then the door shut.

With dusk descending, Cara stared down at the address written on the paper then back up at the number on the mailbox that leaned against the curb, propped up by several large rocks. “This is it.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Noah stared at the house that easily could be described as a shack. What paint remained on the wooden structure had turned a dull gray, and two of the windows were missing a pane while one of the steps up to the sagging porch was broken.

Sweat coated his forehead and beaded his upper lip. Transported back twenty years ago, Noah remembered, that last time he’d come home as though it had transpired yesterday. He would never be rid of the memory. It would haunt him to his dying day.

“This place doesn’t even look safe.” Cara pushed her door open.

“We’ll get his brother and sister and take them to the hospital. We can leave a note for his dad. Adam said he was out of town. Hopefully just for the day.”

“Have you met either of them?”

“His younger brother. He’s come by the restaurant several times while I’ve been there. I let Rusty help out in the back until Adam was ready to leave.”

“Good. Then he’ll know you.” Cara mounted the stairs, stepping over the one that lay in two pieces.

Noah knocked. Sounds of a television competed with a dog’s barking. A minute crawled by. Then another. He started to pound on the wood again when the door swung open. A little girl, with big blue eyes and long blond hair, stared up at Noah. She held a stuffed bear with a missing button eye and part of his brown fur rubbed off in several places.

Not knowing the girl’s name, Noah said, “Hi. Is your brother home?”

She slammed the door in his face.

Chapter Three

C ara stepped in front of Noah. “Let me try. You can be pretty intimidating.” She raised her hand to knock when the door opened again. This time a taller boy, maybe nine years old, with red hair and freckles stood in the entrance. “Rusty?”

The child frowned at Cara. “We don’t want—”

Noah stepped into view. “Rusty, do you remember me? I’m Adam’s boss at the restaurant.”

The boy swept his gaze to Noah and nodded.

“Adam has been taken to the hospital. He was hurt. We told him we’d take you and your sister to see him,” Noah explained.

“He’s hurt? How?” Rusty asked, wide-eyed.

“He was hit by a car,” Noah said.

The boy blinked, all color draining from his face.

Cara came between the two. “I’m Cara, Rusty. I work with Adam. He’ll be all right once he’s patched up at the hospital. Why don’t you get your sister, and you two will be able to see for yourselves.”

“We’ll just write your dad a note in case he comes back,” Noah said over Cara’s shoulder.

Rusty’s mouth twisted. “He ain’t coming back.”

“What do you mean?” Cara asked, drawing the boy’s attention back to her.

Noah moved into the house and surveyed the place. The inside was as bad as the outside. Off to the side in the living room, the little girl lounged on a brown couch with its stuffing spilling out of various tears. The only other furniture was two wooden cartons stacked together as a table, on which the television sat.

Noah looked back at the boy in time to see him shrug.

“Ain’t supposed to say,” Rusty said.

Cara came into the house. “We’ll write him a note anyway. Can you get me some paper?” She rummaged in her purse and withdrew a pen.

Rusty stared at Cara for a long moment, as though trying to decide what to do. Finally he dug into a backpack by the front door. He ripped a sheet from a notebook then gave it to her.

While Cara scribbled a message to the children’s father, Noah walked into the kitchen and inspected the refrigerator. A quart of chocolate milk and a pizza carton from his restaurant were the only items on the bottom shelf. The top one held a few slices of American cheese and several pint-size boxes of apple juice.

When he shut the door and turned, he found Rusty staring at him with wariness in his eyes. “Not much in the fridge.”

“Nope.” The boy dropped his gaze.

Something was definitely wrong here. Noah opened a cupboard and discovered bare shelves. Some dishes were stacked in the next one. In the third cabinet one cereal box, a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread sent off alarms in his mind. Were the children living here by themselves? Was that why Adam had been in such a panic to get home? Why Rusty wasn’t supposed to talk about where his father was?

Cara entered the kitchen; the concern in her gaze reflected his own. “I left the note on top of the TV.”

Noah nodded. “Are you all ready to go, Rusty?”

“Are you sure Adam is gonna be okay?” the boy asked, his teeth biting into his lower lip.

“Yes, the doctor will take good care of Adam.” Noah strode to the child and clasped his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Rusty didn’t move, a serious expression on his face. “We ain’t got any money for a doctor.”

Noah smiled reassuringly. “Don’t you worry about that. I’m taking care of the doctor. I told the paramedics that.” He felt a tug and peered behind him.

Adam’s little sister tilted her head, her eyes huge, and asked, “Can I bring Molly?”

“Molly?”

“Our puppy,” the little girl said.

Noah looked around. “Where’s Molly?”

“Rusty put her in the back room when you knocked. We don’t want no one to take her from us.”

“Can you show me where Molly is?” Cara asked, holding out her hand for the little girl to take.

She fitted her small fingers in Cara’s grasp and pulled Cara toward a door to the left. “Molly’s in there.” A scratching sound came from the other side of the wood. “She’ll want out. She doesn’t like staying in there.” The girl paused, her hand on the knob.

“What’s your name?” Cara stood behind the child.

“Lindsay.”

“That’s such a pretty name.”

“My mama gave it to me.”

“Where’s your mama?” Cara asked.

“In heaven. That’s what Papa told me.” Lindsay slowly turned the knob. “I have to be real careful when I open the door. Molly likes to bolt.”

“You’d better keep it closed, Lindsay. She likes to jump up on strangers.” Rusty covered the distance between them and drew away his sister’s hand. “Molly will be okay till we get back. Let’s go bring Adam home.”

Lindsay’s stomach growled. “Yeah, I’m gettin’ hungry.”

Noah followed the trio out to Cara’s car. After the kids were settled in the back, he slid into the front passenger seat. “Buckle up.”

Cara pulled away from the curb. “Let’s go to a fast-food-drive-through and pick up something for you two to eat.” She glanced back at the children. “Okay?”

“Can I have a hamburger and fries?” Rusty asked.

“I’m crushed. Not a pizza?” Noah said.

Lindsay leaned toward Noah. “I’ll tell ya a secret. I’m kinda sick of pizza. We have that almost every night. Adam brings it home when he works.”

“Then burgers and fries it is.” Noah caught Cara’s look. “Thanks for driving. My sports car isn’t kid friendly.”

She chuckled. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I imagine there are some big kids who would love to drive a Corvette around.”

“As your boss I’m gonna ignore that barb. I’m not going through a second childhood. I’ve always had a Corvette since I could afford it.”

“Ah, so you never outgrew your first one.”

“Ouch,” Noah said, studying the way her smile changed her face. Her green eyes glittered as though sun rays kissed the new spring grass. But it wasn’t her eyes that he was attracted to when she smiled. Her full lips, curving upward, lured him away from them and kept him transfixed.

After picking up food for the children, Noah listened to sounds from the back. The rustling of the paper bags. The slurping of their drinks. The quiet while they ate.

When the two finished, Rusty and Lindsay began whispering between themselves. Noah glimpsed the fear in their expressions. He imagined he’d had that same look on his face many times while he’d been growing up. Rusty tried to mask his worry with a brave, tough front, but it was there in the way he bit into his lower lip or nibbled on his thumb.

At the hospital Rusty held his little sister’s hand as they all walked toward the emergency entrance. Noah hung back and gestured toward Cara to do likewise.

“I don’t think there’s a father around anymore. I met him once, but that was a while back.”

“That could explain why all of a sudden Adam is stealing money. There wasn’t much at the house.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. I know their father worked at a place where there was health insurance.” Noah slanted a look toward the two children at the glass doors, waiting for them. “But if he’s left them, that insurance may no longer be in effect. They’ll need help. Thankfully I have some connections.”

“The authorities will have to be notified.”

“I know.” He made a gesture with his head toward the kids. “They won’t like it.”

Cara strode toward the children with a smile on her face. “Let’s go see Adam.”

Chewing on his thumbnail, Rusty hesitated. “Adam will be okay?”

Noah advanced toward the trio. “Of course. Nothing can get your brother down for long.”

Lindsay went inside, standing on the other side of the sliding glass doors. “C’mon, Rusty. I wanna see Adam.” She clutched her teddy bear to her, her eyes round, all her anxiety apparent.

Noah gritted his teeth. He’d caused that fear. Somehow he had to right this wrong.

“Don’t cry, Lindy,” Adam murmured in a weak voice, his eyelids drooping.

“I don’t wanna leave ya.” Lindsay’s sobs permeated the hospital room.

The sound tightened Cara’s chest, as if she couldn’t get a decent breath. Children’s Protective Services would be here shortly to pick up both Lindsay and Rusty to go to the shelter. Noah was in the hall, making one call after another about their situation. But it looked as though, even with his connections, the two kids would be leaving soon while Adam lay in the hospital bed, drowsy from the surgery to repair his broken leg.

Lindsay clung to Adam while Rusty stood behind her protectively, scowling as though he was too angry to talk. The second he’d realized where he and his sister would be staying the night he’d clammed up. Her heart went out to him. Rusty was only a year older than her own son, Timothy. Every time she looked at the boy, she wondered how her son would deal with this kind of situation. He’d always been shielded, even when her life had started falling apart.

The door swished open, and she turned, expecting to see someone from Children’s Protective Services. Instead, thankfully, Noah entered the room, but his expression didn’t bode well for Rusty and Lindsay.

Noah came to Cara’s side, observing the three siblings talking in lowered voices. When he turned his back on them, he cleared his throat and said, “I got them to let me take them to Stone’s Refuge for the night at Hannah and Jacob’s house.”

“Good.”

“But it’s only temporary. All three cottages are full. As it is, they’ll be sleeping on cots.”

“So the refuge isn’t an option for them?” Cara glanced at the children, Lindsay’s face buried in the crook of Adam’s arm while Rusty glared at Noah and her.

“Not at this time. Even if it became available, I can’t see three places opening at the same time. And they wouldn’t be able to stay in the same cottage.”

“What are the chances of them being sent to the same foster home?” Cara lowered her voice even more, feeling the heat of Rusty’s anger from across the room.

“The supervisor I know at Children’s Protective Services didn’t give me much hope of keeping them together.”

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, the weariness she’d fought for the past few hours starting to catch up with her.

“Can you drive me back to the restaurant to pick up my car and then take them to the farm? I’ll follow you.”

“Yes, of course.” Another quick glance toward the three siblings cemented her determination to do what she could for them. They had been through so much. And she owed Adam for what he had done the night before. “How do you suggest we get them to leave?”

“I was gonna ask you that. You’re the expert.”

“Expert! Whatever made you think that?”

“You have a child. I don’t.”

“Well, for your information, nothing has quite prepared me for this kind of situation.”

His grin, with his two dimples emerging, encompassed his whole face. “I know for a fact you’re a quick study. You picked up waitressing in no time.”

She planted her hand on her waist. “Just in case you haven’t figured it out, this is entirely different. I—”

“We aren’t leaving.” Rusty cut into their conversation.

Cara faced the children, Lindsay holding Adam’s hand and Rusty gripping hers. A united front.

The nine-year-old pointed toward the couch. “We can sleep there.”

Lindsay drew herself up as tall as possible. “Yeah!”

“They need to stay with me.” Adam’s eyelids drifted closed. Then as if he realized he was falling asleep, he opened them wide. “Dad will…be back. I’m to take care…of them until…he returns which…” His voice faded as his head sagged to the side, his eyes shut again.

“He needs to get his rest if he’s going to get better.” Cara quickly covered the distance to the kids and placed her hand on Rusty’s shoulder.

He jerked away. “No, we’re staying!”

Lindsay backed up against the bed, gripping her stuffed animal so tightly her knuckles whitened. “I don’t wanna leave! I don’t wanna leave!” Tears coursed down her cheeks.

Cara knelt in front of the little girl, her own tears close to the surface at the heart-wrenching sounds. “Adam needs rest to get better. I promise you two I’ll bring you back tomorrow to see him.” She smoothed the child’s dirty hair back from her face. “I never break a promise. You will see Adam tomorrow.”

“In the morning?” Lindsay asked between sobs. “First thing?”

“Yes.” Cara looked over at Rusty watching them.

“He’ll need to know you two are being taken care of while he has to stay here and get well.”

Pouting, Rusty gnawed on his thumbnail.

Cara straightened and presented her hand to Lindsay. “Ready to go?”

The little girl nodded, grasping Cara’s forefinger.

On the drive to the farm, in the rearview mirror, Cara saw Lindsay slump against her brother and fall asleep. But the whole way to Stone’s Refuge, Rusty kept his gaze trained out the side window, staring into the darkness, his jaw set in a firm line.

The closer she came to Laura and Peter’s farm where Stone’s Refuge was, the wearier Cara became. She tightened her hands about the steering wheel to keep her arms from dropping to her lap as though they were deadweight. Noah’s headlights following behind her car comforted her as they left the brightness of the city.

She pulled onto the gravel road that led to the three cottages that housed the foster children and Hannah and Jacob’s home. The lights up ahead beckoned her with the promise of hope.

Father, please find a home for Lindsay, Rusty and Adam to live together. I have a feeling they have gone through a lot in their short lives. They need stability. A place to call home. A place to put down roots. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.

Cara parked in front of a two-story house, which was ablaze with lights even though it was well after two in the morning. The minute she climbed from her car, the door opened and both Hannah and Jacob came outside.

Noah lifted Lindsay into his arms and carried her up the steps to the porch with Rusty reluctantly trailing behind the pair. Cara took up the rear, watching as Hannah and Jacob welcomed Noah and the children.

I want a home. I want stability, too, Father. Is this the place for me or should I move on? Show me Your will.

Hannah stayed behind the others and welcomed Cara. “It’s good to see you again. Laura made me promise to call her the second y’all arrived. She’s been worried with everything that has happened lately.”

The mention of the past thirty-six hours caused Cara to falter. She grasped the doorjamb and steadied herself.

“Go on home. I can take it from here. You look beat.” Hannah practically blocked Cara’s entry into the cottage.

“That’s not a suggestion,” she added in a no-nonsense voice.

When Cara entered Laura’s house at the other end of the farm a few minutes later, thankfully her friend didn’t meet her at the door, wanting to know what had occurred with Adam. She wasn’t up to any explanations. Tomorrow would come soon enough.

In the den Cara pulled the hide-away bed out of the couch and collapsed onto the covers without removing her clothes. Sleep immediately whisked her away, and the next thing she knew someone was shaking her awake.

“Mom, you need to get ready for church.”

Cara opened her eyes to a room bright with sunlight and stared up at her eight-year-old son, who loomed over her. Tiny frown lines creased his forehead.

“What time is it, honey?”

“Almost eight.”

She held her groan inside, but she wanted to roll over and pull the covers over her head. Five hours sleep wasn’t enough.

“Why are you dressed to go to work? I thought you were off today,” Timothy asked, pointing to her wrinkled shirt and pants.

Cara forced a smile to her lips, cutting off the yawn building in her. “I’m off. I’ve got to help Laura this afternoon with the barbecue at Stone’s Refuge. Before that, honey, I promised a little girl I would take her to see her brother in the hospital.”

“Is that the person who got hurt at work?”

“How did you know about that?”

“I overheard Laura talking to Peter about an accident at work.” Anxiety that Cara hadn’t seen in the past few months darkened her son’s brown eyes. “I was scared it was you, but Laura told me it was one of the teenagers working at the restaurant.”

Cara hugged Timothy to her, kissing the top of his head. “Don’t you know, nothing could take me away from you? You’re stuck with me.” For the first year after her husband died from a long, painful illness, her son would awaken every night drenched in sweat, crying out for her. Slowly the nightmares disappeared when he realized she wasn’t going to leave him, but every once in a while she saw the fear in his eyes.

Timothy leaned back and grinned. “I don’t mind. You’re a pretty good mom.”

“Just pretty good?” She tackled him to the bed and began tickling his sides. His laughter chased away the problems of the past few days—until a knock interrupted their horseplay.

“Come in,” she called out as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Laura poked her head in. “Hannah just called. Rusty and Lindsay are gone.”

Chapter Four

O nce out of the city limits, Noah pressed down on the accelerator. He should have realized Rusty and Lindsay would try something like running away. He’d done his share of that while in foster homes and would have while living with his father if it hadn’t been for his kid sister. He couldn’t leave her there alone with their dad, and there wasn’t any way he would have risked taking her out on the streets.

A picture of the last time he’d seen Whitney, crying, waving goodbye, popped into his mind. He gritted his teeth.

Where are you? Why can’t I find you? The last report from the private investigator he’d hired to search for Whitney hadn’t been promising. The man only had a couple of more leads to follow before he would call it quits.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, Noah had to look twice to realize two kids had darted behind some bushes alongside the highway. He saw a glimpse of pink among the foliage. He hoped it was Lindsay and Rusty.

He parked a few yards from the large shrubbery and climbed from his Corvette. A squeak erupted from behind the bush, then a redheaded boy, dragging a little girl with blond hair, dashed out and ran in the opposite direction. Not again!

“Stop, Rusty and Lindsay!”

They kept going. Noah took after them, his long legs chewing up the distance between them.

When he was a few feet from them, he noticed Rusty glancing across the highway. “Don’t do anything dangerous, Rusty.”

At that moment a pickup came over a rise and whizzed by them. The boy slowed, his chest rising and falling rapidly. When he stopped, he bent over and pulled air into his lungs.

Lindsay did likewise, tears streaking down her face. “My side hurts.” She held it and plopped down on the gravel shoulder.

Another vehicle sped past them. Noah picked up Lindsay and moved her back from the road. Rusty collapsed next to his sister, looking daggers at Noah. He ignored them and sat on the other side of Lindsay, propping himself up on his elbows.

Noah waited until their breathing returned to normal, then asked, “Where were you all going?”

Rusty stuck his lower lip out. “Home. I’m sure Dad will be home by now.”

“He’s not coming home. Adam told me he’d left for good.”

“No! Daddy wouldn’t do that!” Lindsay began crying.

Noah looked at the little girl, not sure what to do. He’d always thought the truth was the best way to go, but listening to the child’s sobs tore his heart. He started to reach for Lindsay to comfort her when Rusty shoved his hand away.

“See what you did! You upset my sister!” The boy wrapped his arm around Lindsay and brought her to him.

Okay, he’d always known he wasn’t good with small children. Teenagers worked for him so he could deal with them, but this was way out of the realm of his expertise. What should he do?

Call Cara. She would know. He remembered how she had managed to calm them yesterday on a number of occasions. She was a natural. He dug his cell out of his pocket and called Peter’s house. When no one answered, he tried Jacob’s. Hannah answered on the third ring.

“Is Cara there?” Noah slid a glance toward the two beside him. He wouldn’t put it past them to try escaping again.

When Cara came on the phone, Noah sighed. “I’m sitting here with Rusty and Lindsay on the side of the highway about five minutes away from the farm. Can you pick them up? I don’t have room in my car.”

“Sure. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Noah snapped his cell closed, then suddenly wondered why he hadn’t just asked Hannah to come get the kids. Why had he asked Cara? She had a history with them. That was it! Certainly not because he wanted to see her.

“We’ll run away again. We ain’t going back there. We’re going home.” Rusty’s angry words cut into Noah’s rationalization.

Noah knew the next and last time they would go to that house was to pick up their belongings. It should be torn down or at the very least declared a disaster zone.

Lindsay jerked her head up, wet tracks on her thin cheeks. “Molly! She’s alone at the house.”

The puppy. He’d forgotten about her. “The farm will be a great place for her to live. There are a lot of animals and a lot of children to love them.”

Terror widened the little girl’s eyes. “She’s mine! I love her!”

He was batting zero. “I promise I will go get her and bring her to see you.”

Lindsay’s had a determined expression. “To keep.”

Again Noah kept his mouth shut. Thankfully he usually learned pretty quickly.

“Adam gave her to me.” The little girl’s eyes drilled into him.

Noah shifted under the children’s glares. Although it was in the fifties, sweat broke out on his forehead. At that moment the sound of a car pulling up sent such a bolt of relief through him he nearly collapsed to the ground.

He jumped up, dusting off his khaki pants, and swung around. Cara hurried toward them.

“Are you guys all right?” She directed the question at the children, kneeling down in front of them.

Lindsay stabbed a finger toward Noah. “ He says we can’t go home, that Daddy is gone for good. He won’t let me have Molly, either.” Tears glistened in the little girl’s blue eyes.

He felt like a heel, and he really hadn’t done anything wrong. Is this how having children makes a person feel? No wonder he didn’t want to have anything to do with having a family.

Cara brushed the child’s blond hair behind her ears. “I was coming over to take you to see Adam like I promised.”

“We got tired of waiting for you.” Rusty’s pout returned in full force.

“It’s only eight-thirty.”

“We’ve been up for hours, dressed and ready to go.” The boy gnawed on the end of his thumb.

“Did you get any sleep?” Cara peered from Lindsay to Rusty, such kindness in her eyes that Noah wished she would look at him like that.

No! Strike that! I have no business thinking that.

Rusty’s mutinous expression spoke volumes—that and the weary look in his eyes. Obviously they hadn’t slept at all. He could certainly have used a few more hours himself. After returning home last night, he’d been so keyed up that it had taken him several hours finally to fall asleep.

Cara rose. “Let’s go see Adam. I’m sure he will be feeling a lot better this morning and will want to see you two.”

Lindsay leaped to her feet and took Cara’s hand. Rusty stood reluctantly. He trudged behind Cara and Lindsay as they headed for her Chevy.

After the children were secured in the car, Cara turned toward Noah and smiled. “Are you coming with us?”

He was ninety percent sure he heard Rusty mutter no, but he took it as a challenge. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do if he put his mind to it. “Yes. I’ll follow you to the hospital.”

“See you there.” Cara slipped behind the steering wheel and pulled out onto the highway.

Now why had he done that? He was committed to going to the hospital with two—no, make that three—children who weren’t too happy with him right at the moment.

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