Cole waved Angie forward. “You go next, and I’ll follow with Honey.”
The kids still looked frightened, and he worried about them. Would they be traumatized by this experience? Would they develop a fear of riding into the high country, a place he loved more than any other on earth and wanted to share with them?
He thought about his own reaction during their flight through the forest. By drawing his handgun, had he frightened them even more?
Probably. But he couldn’t help it. He’d do anything to protect his children. Even so, as he descended the trail he couldn’t help but feel responsible—for the whole darn mess.
FOUR
Stiff and sore from the brawl at the bar, Mattie jogged slowly toward her foster mother’s house. Since Mama T’s home was only a few blocks from hers, it seemed silly to drive her car the short distance.
Despite it being her day off, she’d risen at daybreak to take Robo for a run. He didn’t recognize opportunities to sleep in, but he did enjoy morning naps in a spot of sunshine, which is what she’d left him at home to do now.
Later, Rainbow, the sheriff’s department dispatcher and a woman who had—against all odds—become her friend, would stop by Mattie’s home to give her a weekly yoga lesson, something she’d come to enjoy. At first, the still poses had driven her batty, but she liked the moving poses and was beginning to catch on to what it meant to feel “centered.” They planned to fix a light lunch together at Mattie’s house.
Later still, there would be dinner at the Walker home, and she planned to go early to help the family housekeeper, Mrs. Gibbs, cook the meal. Mattie had never been handy in the kitchen, but she enjoyed conversation with Mrs. Gibbs, and she was picking up tips on how to prepare simple things.
She arrived at Mama T’s tidy yard, its flower beds splashed with the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of spring tulips and dots of deep-purple hyacinths. Plaster-of-Paris chipmunks and squirrels scampered about in frozen poses that reminded Mattie of the game Freeze Tag that she’d once played with her brother Willie. She hadn’t thought of that in years.
She skirted around the side of the house and let herself into the kitchen. Mama T, a stout woman with graying black hair drawn back in a bun, greeted her with a warm hug, and soon Mattie found herself seated at the table with a bright red mug of steaming coffee in front of her. Mama stood at the stove, adding seasonings to a large pot of chili con carne, its spicy aroma teasing Mattie’s taste buds.
“Where are the kids today, Mama?” she asked, referring to the bunch currently in residence for foster care.
Mama T had lived in Timber Creek for decades, but she still spoke with a thick Spanish accent. “They went for ice cream. That new place on Main Street. I forget what it’s called.”
“Oh yeah. I think it’s called Happy Shack or something like that.”
“Si.” Mama T bobbed her head in agreement. “Silly name for an ice cream shop.”
“I heard they have old fashioned video games and stuff. They want to provide an after school hangout for the kids. Timber Creek really needs something like that.”
“The games are free today.” Mama T put down her spoon and closed the pot with a lid. “Get those kids hooked and then boom!” She threw both hands in the air. “Prices will go up!”
Mattie chuckled. “You’re probably right about that.”
“At least my little ones can enjoy the day today. They shook out their piggy banks for ice cream money before they left.”
Mattie remembered back in the day. No one received allowance without working in Mama T’s house. They earned their pennies by doing chores, and with a houseful of kids, there were always plenty of those to go around.
Mama T poured herself a cup of coffee and came to sit beside Mattie, pressing her arm with loving fingers. “So tell me. What do you hear from your brother?”
Mattie told her about her plans to meet Willie in Vegas.
“Las Vegas,” Mama breathed. Mattie could tell the city heralded something magical for her foster mom. Not so much for Mattie.
“I’m not thrilled about going there, but I want to take Robo with me, and it’s a lot closer than driving clear to L.A. I’ll have to find a pet-friendly motel to stay in.”
“When do you leave?” It was no secret how Mama T felt. The sooner Mattie and Willie could reconnect, the better.
“I have to ask for some time off, but we’re talking about a month from now.”
“Then sign up for the time off tomorrow. Don’t you wait, or you’ll miss out.”
“Yes, Mama.” Mattie smiled as she lifted her mug to her lips. Some things never changed. “What have you been up to lately?”
“Did I tell you Doreen is coming to see me?”
“I don’t think so. Now remind me, who is Doreen?”
“She once lived at my house, like you. Only before you came here.”
Another foster child.
“Now she’s all grown up.” Mama T grinned, showing the gap where she was missing a tooth. “Also like you.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met her.”
“You must come over when she’s here. She’ll be here on Tuesday, and I think she will stay for two days,” Mama said, holding up two fingers for emphasis.
“I’ll try for Tuesday or Wednesday evening then.”
Mama T beamed. “That’s real nice. Come for dinner.”
“Thank you. I hope I can work it out.” Mattie changed the subject. “I have a new friend, Mama. She’s a kid I met in one of my antidrug classes at the high school, and her name’s Riley. She seems to be at loose ends after school. Her father works two jobs, and he isn’t home in the evenings. She stopped by my house last night and waited for me until I got home. I think she’s lonely and needs something to do after school.”
“Where’s her mother?”
“She died about six months ago. Riley and her dad just moved to town last month. Kind of starting over.”
“Poor girl.”
Mattie nodded agreement. “So I was wondering—could you use her help with the kids a couple days a week? Maybe she could be like a mother’s helper for you.” When Mattie had lived here, Mama T had assigned a youngster to each teen, making the older ones help the younger ones get ready for school in the morning and bed at night. Though it caused resentment at times in the older group, it also helped build responsibility. “I remember you saying that your house was filled with young ones right now, and no teenagers.”
Concern etched Mama’s brow. “I don’t have money to pay her.”
“Oh, I would pay her. I always wish I could help you more, and this is one way I could do it. Besides, I think it would be good for her to be around you and the kids.”
Mama T continued to frown as she thought about it.
Mattie offered further reassurance. “I’ll stay in touch with you about her. If it’s not working out, I’ll take care of it and find something else for her to do. But she does seem like a nice kid, so I think you’d enjoy having her around.”
“Can you bring her by the house tomorrow after school? Then we’ll see.”
“I’ll try, Mama. If I can’t do it tomorrow, we’ll wait until Doreen leaves, so we won’t disturb your visit.”
“But come by to meet her.”
“I will.”
Mattie’s cell phone beeped, signaling an incoming text. She removed it from her pocket and checked the screen. It read: Emergency Alert—Call the Sheriff’s office.
“I have to call the office, and most likely I’ll need to go into work.” Groaning as she stood up from the table, she drained the last of her coffee, and carried the mug to the sink. “I’d better say goodbye now, but I’ll call you tomorrow about bringing Riley by.”