He shot a glance at her. Was she serious? These kids’ own parents hadn’t wanted them because of the physical and mental challenges they faced. Getting a stranger to agree to adopt them would be all but impossible. Was that why Thea wasn’t impressed by Ms. Aurora? Because she had no idea the condition of the children the older woman cared for? “Sarah will be the first.”
“Sarah will be the first?” she repeated.
Mack nodded. “Most of these kids were left on the streets to fend for themselves, or given to Aurora to avoid being admitted to an institution.”
“I just thought...”
“What?”
Instead of giving him an answer, she went quiet, as if mulling over this new information. Was she measuring it against everything she’d seen in her years as a pediatric nurse and finding it hard to swallow? “People are cruel, aren’t they,” she said at last. “Abandoning their own kids like that.”
The need to comfort her, to wrap her in his arms and whisper soothing words, to ease the desolation in her voice, slammed through him. Thea had never had it easy, not with her sister always in trouble, or a mother who didn’t have a kind thought toward either of her children. Words would have to do for now. “I use to think of it that way, but now I look at the situation as a blessing.”
He felt her staring at him and could imagine she probably thought he’d lost his mind. “How’s that?”
“Maybe these kids had a rough start, but now they’ve got a home with someone who loves them as her very own, not to mention a family of aunts and uncles from the community.” Mack maneuvered the turn into Ms. Aurora’s driveway. “What someone thought of as a curse, God turned into a blessing.”
“I guess that’s the only way to look at it, isn’t it?”
Mack frowned. Thea didn’t sound convinced. Of course, she didn’t know Ms. Aurora, didn’t know what a Godly woman she was. Once Thea got to know her, she’d see that these children couldn’t have been left in more capable hands.
“Maybe if I’d known Ms. Aurora before I left here,” Thea whispered just loud enough for Mack to hear as he pulled the car to a stop near the front porch. “She might have known how to help us.”
Mack’s stomach lunged. What did Thea mean? What trouble could Thea have gotten into that she thought the older woman would have known how to handle?
A knock at his window surprised him out of his thoughts. Mack rolled down the glass to find Billy Warner staring at him. “Are you going to get out or were you planning to sit in the car all day?”
A smile tickled Mack’s lips. The boy might have limitations but his character—and his penchant for mischief—was like that of any other kid his age. Billy glanced beyond Mack to where Thea sat. “Did you finally get a girl to go out with you, Sheriff Mack?”
Mack tried to temper the heat rising up the back of his neck. His problems with the female population of Marietta must have been the topic of one of Merrilee and Ms. Aurora’s hen talks. What would Thea think? When she’d left Marietta, Mack had still been the big man on campus, still had a future ahead of him.
Mack found out soon enough. “Then I must be a lucky woman indeed that those other girls didn’t take him up on a date.”
“That’s what Ms. Aurora said—when the right girl came along, she’d snatch Mack up in a heartbeat.” Billy grinned back at them as if he’d discovered penicillin or something.
Thea snorted softly, and the heat in Mack’s cheeks flamed higher. Someone needed to have a long talk with the boy about using some tact, especially around women. He stole a glance at Thea but found no sign of pity in her expression, just a teasing warmth that melted away some of the residual anger he’d felt toward her.
Might as well face his embarrassment head-on. “As you can tell, things have changed since high school.”
She gave him an understanding smile. “Truer words have never been spoken.”
Mack nodded. Yes, the accident that had made him partially deaf had molded him into the man he’d become, but what of Thea? What experiences had shaped her since she had left Marietta?
And why was it suddenly so important that he know? Because he was trusting her with Sarah, that had to be it. Or, at least, that’s what he told himself as he opened the car door and stepped outside.
Thea was already out of the car by the time he walked around to open her door. She studied the house, almost as if it was a specimen she was looking at under a microscope. Mack took a long look at the two-story frame. It might not be much, with the paint peeling and the torn screens, but it was the only home these kids had ever known. “It’s not much to look at, but Aurora has made it into a home.”
She glanced back at him. “Does a blind child live here?”
Her question surprised Mack. “How did you know that?”
Thea pointed to the clothesline that connected the front porch to the barn and various parts of the front yard. “Rather ingenious, really. Gives the child a feeling of independence when they can get from place to place in their own home. And the ramps.” She motioned to the angled boards that covered every step coming off the porch. “She’s made it easier for Billy and the others to move around. From what I can see, Ms. Adair has converted her house to accommodate children with special needs.”
“So the peeling paint doesn’t bother you?”
Her brows furrowed. “Why would it?”
He’d been prepared to defend Ms. Aurora and how much she put into making this a refuge and haven for her children. It was a little jarring to realize he didn’t need to. Why had he assumed that Thea wouldn’t understand? Was Beau right? Did he still blame her for the accident that night? Was that why he defaulted to assuming the worst of her? He wanted to move past it, had thought he had to a degree but could he possibly still hold her responsible for everything he had lost—and for the friendship she had abandoned on top of it all? An “I’m sorry” would go a long way to healing this gap between them, yet Thea held back. Why couldn’t she at least give him that?
“Is something wrong, Sheriff Mack?”
Mack glanced down at the young boy balancing on his crutch beside him. “Why would you say that?”
“It’s just you look...” Billy’s gray eyes narrowed, a swatch of brownish blond falling carelessly across his forehead. “Pensive.”
Pensive? Mack felt a smile form on his lips. “That’s a mighty big word there, Billy.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “I told Claire I’d sound like a sissy if I went around saying stuff like that, but she says if I want to go to college someday, I’d better start learning big words.”
Ah, Mack should have known a woman would be involved, even if she was barely twelve and still wore pigtails. He settled his arm across the boy’s lanky shoulders. “It won’t do you any harm to learn a new word or two.”
“Well, I think Claire is a very wise young lady.”
Both he and Billy turned to look at Thea. Planting the tip of his crutch on the ground, Billy took a step toward her. “You do?”
Thea tilted her head to the side and nodded. “It’s never too soon to start planning for your future. Why, I started reading biology books from the minute I realized I wanted to be a nurse, and it helped me when I entered college.”
“You went to college?” The admiration in the boy’s voice was undeniable.
Thea’s cheeks warmed to a delightful shade of pink. “Well, nursing school.”
“But that’s almost the same thing,” Billy argued. The boy turned slightly and glanced back at Mack. “Did you go to college, too, Sheriff Mack?”
The question still caused a band to tighten around his heart, even after all these years.
Mack stepped forward and ruffled the boy’s hair. “No, Billy, college wasn’t in the cards for me.”
“But I thought...”
Mack glanc
ed over at Thea. Confusion and questions clouded her blue eyes. A whole lifetime of questions. But he didn’t have the time or patience to give her any answers at the moment. “We ought to get up to the house or Ms. Aurora is going to be wondering where Billy took off to.”
“I wouldn’t want that.” Billy hobbled off at a fast pace. “Last time I took off without telling her, Ms. Aurora put me in charge of Ellie all day long. Don’t want to do that again.”
“Is this the Ellie who took your bribe, Sheriff?” Thea tucked her purse under her arm as Mack took her elbow.
The feel of her soft skin beneath his fingertips sent a trail of warmth up his arm. “The very same. You’ll meet her soon enough.”
They followed Billy across the yard, onto the front porch and into the foyer, the water-stained walls hidden behind sheet after sheet of the children’s artwork. At the door, a box held wooden blocks, Tinkertoys and baby dolls with their hair matted, their clothes dirty to show how often they’d joined the children outside to play. He picked up one rat-haired doll that looked ready for the garbage can. What kind of toys were these for Sarah to play with?
“Sheriff Mack!” A small warm body crashed into his legs, throwing him slightly off balance. He reached down to steady himself, his hand landing in a bed of soft curls.
“Ellie!” Billy scolded. “You almost knocked him over!”
The girl loosened her grasp and tilted her head back to look at him, her eyes wide with concern. “I sorry.”
“The infamous Ellie, I take it.”
The playful grin Thea gave him made his heart tumble around in his chest. Mack crouched down in front of the child, and touched the tip of Ellie’s flat nose. “It’s okay, gumdrop. I’m happy to see you, too.”
The girl nodded, her curls bouncing against her shoulders. “Swing?”
“Mack?”
He glanced up to see all good-natured teasing in Thea’s expression replaced by a growing look of concern. “What is it?”
Thea tossed her purse on a nearby bench and bent down beside him. “Do you mind if I look at your arms, sweet pea?”
As if to answer, the child lifted her hands into the air, displaying a cluster of angry red bumps gathered under her arms spreading down to her elbows. Mack took a good look at Ellie’s face, surprised to find the same red spots along her hairline and across her nose. “Did you get in a batch of poison ivy?”
Blond curls bounced when Ellie shook her head.
He pressed a hand against her forehead, then glanced up at Thea. “She’s burning up.”
“I thought as much.” She tugged at the fingers of her gloves and pulled them off, then tossed them alongside her purse. “We need to get her upstairs and in a cool bath to get her fever down.”
But Ellie had other ideas. The girl crossed her chubby arms over her chest, her expression one of mulish determination. “I want to swing.”
“But you’re burning up, sweetheart, and a bath will make you feel better,” Mack pleaded.
“No!”
Thea kneeled down in front of the stubborn little mite. If she thought she’d convince Ellie to change her mind, she was about to get schooled in the ways of a certain six-year-old. “So you don’t want to go for a swim?”
Ellie’s body relaxed slightly. “But you said you were going to give me a bath.”
“That’s just what us big people call it.” Thea leaned in closer, as if sharing a great secret with the child. “The truth is we’re not small enough to go swimming in the bathtub when it gets too cold outside. But you! You can make do by swimming around in the bathtub, instead.”
The small girl didn’t seem convinced. “I like to jump in the water.”
“I know. I do, too. And you can’t jump into a bathtub in the same way. But you can float on your back and splash around just as if you’re pretending it’s a hot summer day.” Thea nodded her head toward the toy box. “I bet one of your baby dolls would like to go swimming with you, too.”
“Really?” Ellie’s bright blue eyes widened with excitement. “Grandma Aurora won’t mind?”
Thea gifted her with a bright smile that Mack wished was aimed his way. “I’ll tell her what a big girl you’re being and ask.”
“I’ll be right back.” Ellie started for the stairs.
Mack started after the child, but Thea’s delicate hand on his shoulder locked him in place. “Where are you going, gumdrop?”
“I go put on my bathing suit!” Ellie crested the top of the stairs then disappeared down the hall.
Mack would have laughed at Miss Ellie’s antics, but he was too worried. Praise the Lord, Thea had a certain way with kids, though Ms. Aurora might not appreciate the soaked floors and wet towels Ellie’s “swim” was sure to generate. Right now, he’d mop the floors himself. The child’s fever had scorched his hand. Between that and the bumps, what could be wrong with her?
He glanced back at Thea to find her rummaging through her purse before pulling out a stubby pencil and a pad of paper. “What are you doing?”
She didn’t bother to lift her head to look at him. “Making a list. We’re going to need supplies.”
Riddles made more sense to Mack right now than this woman. He needed to get a handle on the situation before alarming Ms. Aurora, and the best way to do that was figure out what the little girl had gotten into. “What’s wrong with her?”
Thea stopped writing and looked at him then, her expression calm yet tender, her eyes the most incredible shade of pale blue. She stepped toward him then stopped, as if she’d wanted to give him comfort, maybe even hold him in her embrace, then thought better of it. Instead, she settled for a gentle smile. “Ellie’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“But...” He couldn’t stand thinking that Ellie might be in pain or uncomfortable. And what about Sarah and the other children? Were they in danger of catching what Ellie had?
Thea’s warm hand in his scattered his thoughts, her delicate fingers strong and dependable as she gently squeezed his. She’d done this once before, when he’d missed his receiver downfield and lost the state playoff game. That was the first time he’d wondered if Thea might be part of his future.
As if she’d read his thoughts, Thea released his hand and stepped back, leaving him with a faint sense of loss. “Don’t worry, Mack. We may have a minor epidemic on our hands but it’s only chicken pox.”
Chicken pox?
“Mack, I thought that was you.” Ms. Aurora hurried down the hallway toward them, Sarah fussing on her shoulder. The tiny pink spots that dotted the baby’s chubby legs sent Mack’s stomach tumbling into his shoes. “I’m gonna need some help. The children have come down with chicken pox.”
He hoped that didn’t mean what he thought it did. “What kind of help do you need?”
The older woman thought for a moment. “I think I have enough oatmeal, but I could use a bottle of aspirin.”
Thea stepped forward with her pencil and paper. “I thought I’d get the pharmacist to make up a couple of bottles of calamine lotion to help soothe the itching.”
Mack nodded to Thea. “You remember Thea Miller? From Merrilee and John’s wedding?”
“The young lady who’s been spying on us for the last week.” Ms. Aurora glared at him as if he’d brought a war criminal into the house.
“And I’m sorry about that. It was never my intention to worry you.” Thea’s expression softened as her gaze drifted to the child in Aurora’s arms. “I wanted to see Sarah so very much. She looks so much like my sister.” She reached out to touch the child, then pulled her hand back. “How could Eileen give such a precious little girl up?”
Ms. Aurora glanced at Mack, confusion deepening the lines around her eyes and mouth. “Your sister? I don’t understand.”
“It’s a long story,” Mack answered. One that he’d
eventually have to share with the older lady. But at the moment they had more pressing matters. “How many of the kids do you think are sick?”
“Five so far. But Billy’s never had it so it’s just a matter of time.”
Not necessarily. Mack had been exposed to the chicken pox a number of times and never got it. Maybe Billy was immune, too. Still, five sick kids were a lot, even if Billy wasn’t added to the list. Ms. Aurora couldn’t handle such a load on her own. She needed help, but who? Usually, Merrilee and John would be here, but they still had a few days left on their honeymoon, and the other Daniels women who would normally pitch in were expecting and couldn’t be put at risk.
He was stumped. “Got any ideas who might be able to come and give you a hand over the next few days?”
“I can.”
Thea. She’d be the logical choice with her nursing background, and he’d seen for himself she had a way of dealing with children. But was it asking too much of her to care for five, maybe even six sick kids?
Seven, if Mack came down with the virus, too.
But he wouldn’t.
Would he?
Chapter Seven
Mack closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, rubbing his arms to generate some heat in his extremities, his stomach and back itching as if a nest of mosquitoes had camped out under his shirt. Though the day was warm for October, a cold chill ran up his spine as he stood in the shade of Thea’s front porch.
What could be taking Mrs. Miller so long? Mack rubbed the back of his neck where a headache had settled in. Packing an overnight case for her daughter couldn’t be that difficult. Toothbrush, comb, a change of clothes. But then ladies needed more than the bare basics, didn’t they? Though what Thea would need, he couldn’t say. She had a natural beauty about her, eyes that sparked with humor and compassion, lips the perfect shade of pink to tempt a man beyond reason.
Sucking in another breath, Mack lifted his hand to his forehead, his palm wet with moisture. Fever. No wonder his mind had wandered into this dangerous attraction he felt for Thea.
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