Kitabı oxu: «A Family for Tory and A Mother for Cindy: A Family for Tory / A Mother for Cindy»

Praise for Margaret Daley and her novels

“Margaret Daley combines humor and likeable characters for a pleasantly satisfying romance.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on A Mother for Cindy

“This terrific family story does a fantastic job of dealing with serious issues facing children.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Once Upon a Family

“Margaret Daley writes an entertaining story with believable characters in The Power of Love.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“Heart of the Family, by Margaret Daley, is a wonderful story on many levels and will have readers shedding tears of happiness.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

A Family for Tory
&
A Mother for Cindy
Margaret Daley

Contents

A FAMILY FOR TORY

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

A MOTHER FOR CINDY

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

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 participated in many sports with her students.

A Family for Tory

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper,

and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

—Hebrews 13:6

To the people I work with,

especially Terri, Rene, Katie, Becky, Anne, Laurie,

Naomai, Mike, Lila, Stacie, Debbie, Lisa—

you all make coming to work each day special.

Chapter One

Slade Donaldson switched off the engine and glanced toward his eight-year-old daughter. “Ready, Mindy? Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll be gone for about an hour.”

Mindy nodded, her face brightening with a huge grin. “Tor-ee needs—my—uh—help, Dad-dy.”

Every time he heard his daughter struggle to say something, his heart twisted into a knot that he feared would never unravel. “Then I’d better meet this Tory Alexander.” Since his housekeeper had taken Mindy to her physical therapy for the past few months, he’d never met the woman who had brought her pony into the hospital to cheer up the children and captured his daughter’s interest.

Mindy pointed toward a petite woman emerging from a barn, leading a horse on a rein. “Th—ere.” Her grin widened, her brown eyes sparkling.

“Then let’s go. I need to be at the bank in twenty minutes for my meeting.” He thrust open his car door, then hurried around to help his daughter.

“I can—do—this.” Mindy pulled herself to a standing position using the door.

The tightness in his chest made his breathing difficult. He offered his daughter his arm. She clasped it to steady herself, then began to make her way toward the woman by the opening into the barn. Two weeks ago his daughter had declared she didn’t want to use her walker anymore. Each day since, Mindy had leaned less and less on him as she’d walked. Progress, Slade thought, due partly to this woman before him. She and her pony, Mirabelle, have been the reasons Mindy tolerated her physical therapy at the hospital over the past few months. He was in Tory Alexander’s debt.

Tory saw Mindy approaching and tied the reins to the fence of the riding ring. Then she strode toward the girl with a smile of greeting. Slade was surprised by how small the woman was. The horse she’d been leading was at least seventeen hands tall, towering over her. Her long auburn hair was swept back in a ponytail with a few stray strands curling around her oval face. Freckles sprinkled her turned-up nose and her large brown eyes drew a person to her. Fringed in dark lashes, Slade felt their pull as she came to a stop only a few feet from Mindy and him.

Tory looked at his daughter. “I’m so glad you didn’t have to cancel, Mindy.” Then she turned those large brown eyes on him. “I’m sorry to hear about Mrs. Watson’s emergency. Will her niece be okay?”

“She just went into labor a little early. My housekeeper assures me everything will be all right and she’ll be back in a week or so.”

“That’s good to hear. I know she was excited about her niece’s pregnancy. First in the family.” Tory lifted her arm toward Mindy to take over being her support if she needed. “Come on, Mindy. Let’s show your father the barn.”

“I have a meeting I need to go to.”

“Dad-dy, just—” Mindy swallowed several times “—see Bel-le.”

Slade stared at his daughter’s face, lit with hope and eagerness, and he couldn’t refuse the invitation even though it would make him late. After all, she was the reason he worked fourteen-hour days. He wanted only the best care for Mindy, and that cost money. “Lead the way.” Sweeping his arm toward the barn, he followed the pair.

As he entered, surprisingly the only scents to assail him were hay and leather. Scanning the darker interior, he noticed how clean the barn was. A few stalls had horses in them but most were empty. “Where are your horses?”

“In the pastures.”

“How many do you have?”

“Fifteen and one pony, Mirabelle, or, as Mindy loves to call her, Belle.”

“Th-ere,” Mindy said, gesturing toward the last stall. She hurried her pace, her left foot dragging in the dirt.

Mindy stumbled. Slade lurched forward to catch her, but Tory had already steadied her. Mindy continued her fast pace toward Mirabelle, towing Tory behind her.

Tory quickened her step to keep up. “Whoa. Mirabelle isn’t going anywhere.”

“Haven’t seen—her in—lo-ong time.”

Slade scooped Mindy up in his arms and continued toward the stall at the very end of the barn. “It’s only been five days, sweetie.”

“Too lo-ong.”

While Tory swung the stall door open, he went inside with Mindy. She squirmed.

“Dad-dy, put me down.”

He settled his daughter in front of Mirabelle and kept his hands on her shoulders so she wouldn’t fall as she found her balance. Even though her surgery had been eight months before, it was still hard for her to keep her equilibrium at times.

She bent forward and threw her arms around the pony’s neck. Nuzzling the animal, Mindy giggled. “Isn’t she ugly? No—” she shook her head “—pret-ty?”

Slade inspected the pony’s golden brown coat and big brown eyes that suddenly reminded him of Mirabelle’s owner. “Very pretty.”

“You know Mirabelle has been waiting just for you so you could give her a good brushing. No one does it better.” Tory produced a curry comb and passed it to Mindy.

Tory helped Mindy position herself so she could start on the pony’s left side. With one hand clutching the mane, Mindy began her task. Tory stepped back toward the entrance, motioning for Slade to follow. Outside the stall she paused. Reluctantly Mindy’s dad joined her.

“Do you think we should leave her alone like that?” he asked, a frown creasing his brow.

“She’ll be fine. She’s done that half a dozen times now and loves to. It’s her private time with Mirabelle.” A giggle drifted to her, and Tory smiled. “See. I think she tells Belle her secrets.”

“What secrets?” Panic laced his question.

“All little girls have them. Who’s her favorite movie star? What songs does she like? Who’s her best friend at school?”

“She didn’t go to school this year. She’s being tutored at home.”

“Is she going to attend in the fall?”

Slade opened his mouth to answer, then clamped it shut. He glanced away. “I don’t know. It depends on her therapy and how fast she recovers.”

“Mindy’s so good with the other children who come for riding lessons. She misses her friends.”

Slade straightened, his jaw clenched. “I won’t have her go to school and be teased because she talks too slow and walks funny.”

“Kids can be very accepting.”

“And kids can be very cruel. Mindy’s gone through so much this past year because of the car accident that took her mother and caused her epilepsy.”

“But didn’t the surgery make the epilepsy better?”

“She hasn’t had a seizure, but at what cost?” Slade waved his hand toward the stall where his daughter was talking to the pony, frustration in every taut line of his body.

“Do you regret agreeing to the surgery?”

Slade plowed his fingers through his hair. “Yes—no. The doctors told me this was best for Mindy, that given time she would recover most of her speech and physical abilities. A few years from now we’ll hardly know she had part of her brain removed.”

“But it doesn’t make it any easier right now?”

“No,” he clipped out.

“I didn’t mean to intrude, but Mindy has become very important to me. I was hoping she could come more often to the stables to help out. She asked me to talk to you about it.”

“She did? When?”

“She called me this morning and asked.”

“So that’s who she was talking to on the phone. I thought it was one of her girlfriends. When I made that assumption, she didn’t correct me.”

“She wants to be my assistant and go with me to the hospital when I take Mirabelle next time.”

Slade relaxed the tensed set to his shoulders. “It’s hard for me to say no when Mirabelle is the reason my daughter would cheerfully go to the hospital for her physical therapy. Before Mirabelle, Mrs. Watson and I had a horrible time getting Mindy to go. Now with the promise of seeing the pony, she’ll do just about anything.”

“Animals can be great therapy for people. That’s why I started my riding stable for people in need, especially children. So what do you say about Mindy helping me out?”

“Let me think about it. That’s asking you to do a lot for Mindy.”

“I don’t mind. If I didn’t want her to be my helper, I wouldn’t have asked.”

“Still…” Slade checked his watch. “I’d better get going. I’m already late as it is. I’ll be back in an hour.”

“We’ll be in the riding ring.”

Slade strode toward his car, feeling the touch of Tory’s gaze on his back. It took a supreme effort not to turn around and look at her. She was an attractive lady who obviously loved animals and children. Very appealing qualities in a woman, he thought, then shook his head. What in the world was he thinking? After this past twenty-two months piecing his life back together, he didn’t think he could deal with anything that required his emotions be involved. He had all he could handle with Mindy and her recovery. But first, he had to secure the loan for the second phase of the expansion of his company.

“You’re doing great, Mindy. Sit up straight. Take command.” Tory watched the young girl walk her horse around the riding ring. The child’s face glowed, her proud expression attesting to one of the reasons Tory spent so much time and money on her Bright Star Stables—the looks on her riders’ faces when they were successful. “Okay, Mindy, that’s it for today. You need to cool Paint down now.”

“Dad-dy say yes?”

Tory assisted Mindy in dismounting, then handed the child the reins. “He’s going to think about you helping me at the hospital with Mirabelle.”

The girl’s lower lip stuck out in a pout. “Why?”

“Because your day is full as it is. With your schooling and therapies, Mindy, you don’t have a lot of extra time.”

The sudden sound of Slade’s voice made Tory stiffen. The erratic beat of her heart crashed against her chest. With her attention totally focused on Mindy, Tory hadn’t heard him approaching. She didn’t like being caught unaware. It emphasized her vulnerability. Swinging around toward him, she took in his tall height, over six feet, and muscular frame that even his suit couldn’t conceal. She stamped down her alarm. This was Mindy’s father.

The little girl gripped Tory’s arm and twisted about to face her father who stopped a few feet from her. “Summer—is al-most—here. No sch-ool then.”

One of Slade’s dark brows arched. “Who said that?”

“No va-va-ca-tion?”

“You’ll have one, a short one. But you have some catching up to do, young lady.”

Mindy sighed heavily. “I can’t—” The young girl paused and swallowed several times “—help Tor-ee?”

“No, I didn’t say that.”

A bright gleam shone in Mindy’s eyes. “I can!”

“I didn’t say that, either. I’m still thinking about it.”

Instantly the child’s expression crumbled and her shoulders sagged.

“Take care of your horse and let me talk with Tory for a minute. I won’t be long.”

Mindy led Paint toward the barn, her left foot leaving a drag mark in the dirt. The little girl’s head was lifted. Tory had been working the past month on instilling confidence into the child, something that had suffered after her operation.

The second Mindy disappeared into the barn, Tory swung around, prepared to defend her reasons for wanting the girl to work with her. Slade cut her off with “Mindy won’t make her next lesson.”

His words took the steam out of her. Surprised, she grappled for something to say. “Why?” was all she could manage to think of.

“With Mrs. Watson gone I don’t have the time to bring her out here next Tuesday. As it is, I’m having a hard time getting help to take care of Mindy while my housekeeper’s away. I thought today I had everything arranged, but my arrangements fell through.”

“I can help,” Tory said without really thinking through the consequences. But she adored the child and didn’t want her to miss her twice-weekly riding lessons.

“I couldn’t ask you—”

“You didn’t. I volunteered to help. Mindy wants to spend more time here. I could use her help and watch her at the same time. It’s perfect for everyone.”

Slade shook his head, deep lines in his forehead. “But—”

Tory held up her hand to stop his flow of words. “Who are you going to get to sit with Mindy? Someone from a baby-sitting organization? Mindy and I are buddies. I would love to help her out. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”

“I don’t know how long Mrs. Watson is going to be gone. Everything happened so suddenly. She said a week or maybe longer.”

“One thing I’ve learned taking care of animals is to go with the flow. One day at a time. Don’t worry. The future will take care of itself.” At least that was what she was counting on. Because right now she wasn’t sure how long she could keep Bright Star Stables operational.

“Not without a lot of help from me.” He took a deep breath and blew it out between pursed lips. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Then I’ll bring her first thing Monday morning.”

“What time?”

Slade peered toward the barn, his eyes narrowing as though he were trying to see into the dark shadows. “I’m afraid seven. I have an eight o’clock meeting I need to attend.”

“That’s fine by me. I’m usually up by five. I’ll have the stalls clean by that time.” Mindy’s presence reinforced all the reasons she worked long hours to keep Bright Star Stables going.

“That’s mighty ambitious.”

“There’s nothing ambitious about it. I’m usually the only one to do it. I depend on volunteers to help. Otherwise, this is a one man—or rather, woman—show.”

“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” Slade stuck his hand out.

Tory stared at it for a brief moment, then fit her hand within his and quickly shook it before pulling back, taking a step away as she did.

“Hopefully Mrs. Watson will only be gone for a week.”

“Don’t worry about how long it will be.”

The tense set to his shoulders relaxed. “Now that only leaves rearranging her speech and physical therapies next week.”

“When are they?”

“Mindy has speech Monday afternoon at four and physical therapy Tuesday and Friday mornings.”

“I need to come into town Monday. I can take her and you can pick her up there.”

“I can’t—”

“Didn’t we just go through this? I know how important her therapies are for her and how hard it can be to rearrange. It’s no big deal.”

“Tor-ee, I’m fin-ished.”

Tory swung around to watch as Mindy made her way toward them. Dirt dusted her cheeks with some bits of hay sticking out of her hair. “Are you all right?” she asked while Slade rushed toward Mindy.

The little girl waved her father away. “I’m o-kay. Just—fell, that’s—all.”

Slade looped his arm about Mindy’s shoulders. “Are you hurt?”

Mindy shook her head, dislodging a piece of hay that floated to the ground.

“We should have brought your walker. This uneven surface—”

“No! I—I—hate it!”

“Your dad agreed to you helping me. In fact, you’re going to be my assistant all next week while Mrs. Watson is gone.”

“I am!” Mindy brushed the rest of the hay from her hair, a huge grin revealing a missing tooth. “Thanks, Dad-dy.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.”

“I get—to—miss—sch-ool?” The child’s eagerness peppered the air with her enthusiasm.

“No way. I’ll have your homebound teacher come out here for the week.”

Some of Mindy’s enthusiasm evaporated, a slump to her stance. “I hate—sch-ool—too.”

“Mindy, we’ve had this discussion. School and your lessons are important.” Slade held his arm out for his daughter to take, then he led her toward his car.

Tory followed, wishing she had the right to step in. She remembered when she was struggling to learn to read in elementary school. She’d hated school, too, until she had mastered her problem. Mindy had to fight hard to regain everything she’d once taken for granted, such as walking, talking, taking care of herself. It would be normal for her to feel that way about her lessons when she was still trying to recoup what she’d lost after the operation.

After securing Mindy into the front seat and closing the door, Slade moved toward the back of the car where Tory stood. “We’ve had this argument every week since the homebound teacher started. She remembers what she used to be able to do with ease. Now those things are so hard for her that she often becomes very frustrated.”

There was a part of Tory that wanted to reach out and touch this man in pain, but there was a part that held her frozen in place. “She’s come a long way in a short time.”

Dark shadows clouded his blue eyes. “If I could trade places with Mindy, I would in a heartbeat. The worse thing for me is to have to stand by and watch her suffer.”

His whispered words held anguish in them. Tory lifted her hand toward him, her fingers trembling as they lay on his arm for a brief moment before slipping away. “Prayer has always helped me through the difficult times.”

“Mindy was innocent. This should never have happened to her in the first place. She was perfectly normal until the car wreck. Why would God do this to her?”

The pain in his voice robbed Tory of her breath. The heaviness in her chest threatened to squeeze the air completely from her lungs.

He started to turn away, then swung back toward her. “It’s been a long week. I didn’t mean to burden you with this. I’ll bring Mindy out Monday morning.” He offered her a fleeting smile, said, “Thanks for all your help,” then strode to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel.

As his car pulled out, Tory fought the tears quickly filling her eyes. Lord, help this man find his path back to You. He is hurting and needs Your comfort.

“Wh-ere’s—Dad-dy?” Mindy asked, worry furrowing her brow.

Tory glanced at her watch for the third time in ten minutes. “His meeting probably ran over. That’s all. We’d better wait here for him.”

“Ba-th-ro-oom.” Mindy labored over the word, the lines in her face deepening.

“I’ll wait out here in the reception area for your dad while you’re gone.”

“Be back.” Mindy made her way across the room and disappeared through the door where clients went for their speech therapy.

Picking up a magazine, Tory began flipping through it, not really seeing the words on the page. Slade was fifteen minutes late. Why hadn’t he called? What was wrong? She chewed on her lower lip, her own worry coming to the foreground. Finally she gave up trying to read the magazine and tossed it back on the table in front of her.

The outside door swung open, and Slade entered. He was all right, Tory thought, her gaze skimming down his length. Relief shimmered through her.

When he caught sight of her in the corner, he hurried to her and sat next to her. For just a second Tory’s heart sped. She pressed her lips together to still her usual reaction to someone invading her space.

“I’m so sorry I was late. My cell phone is dead so I couldn’t call you to tell you that I was sitting in traffic waiting for them to clear up an accident.”

“Anyone hurt?”

He frowned, his blue eyes dark. “Yes. It was a mess. They’re still working on it.”

“Dad-dy!”

Slade looked toward Mindy who stood a few feet away. The little girl launched herself at her father, throwing her arms around him.

“You oo-kay?” Mindy plastered herself against her father. “What—” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Tears shone in her eyes and one slipped down her cheeks.

Slade smoothed his daughter’s hair back from her face and kissed the top of her head. “I’m fine. Just delayed. I couldn’t call. Sorry about that. I know how you are when I’m late.”

“Su-re—okay?” Mindy sniffed.

He squeezed her to him. “Yes, sweetie.”

“He just got stuck in traffic,” Tory said as she rose and gathered up her purse.

“What—was—a mess?” Mindy leaned back to peer at her father.

Slade paled. “Nothing important.”

“Dad-dy, what?”

He forced a laugh. “My day, sweetie, but not now. How about us taking Tory out to dinner? I think she deserves our thanks for helping us out.”

“Yes!”

Mindy’s excitement touched Tory. She’d always wanted children—lots of them—but didn’t see how that goal was possible now. Slade was so lucky to have a daughter like Mindy. “How can I refuse?”

“You—can’t.” Mindy scooted off her father’s lap and took Tory’s hand, pulling her toward the door.

“I guess my daughter is hungry, even though it’s not much after five. Do you mind an early dinner?”

Laughing at Mindy’s eagerness to leave, Tory tossed back over her shoulder while the child was dragging her through the opened door, “I’m always hungry, so I can eat early or late or both. Where are we going? I can follow you in my truck.”

“Leave your truck here and I’ll bring you back for it afterward.”

“I can follow—”

“Plee-ze,” Mindy said, stopping in the middle of the parking lot.

“You make it hard to say no, young lady.” Tory forced a scolding tone to her voice, but she was sure the smile that accompanied her words wiped out any threat.

“You—will?”

Tory looked toward Slade for help. He shrugged and shook his head. She was on her own. “I guess so. But wouldn’t it be easier if I—”

At Slade’s car while opening the back door, Mindy announced, “You—can—sit—” she paused, searching for her words “—in the front.”

“No, that’s—” Tory watched as the little girl hopped into the back seat faster than she had seen her move since she had known her.

Over the top of the car Tory spied Slade looking at her. “I guess I’ll sit in front.”

“Please. I draw the line at being a chauffeur.”

When Slade started the engine and pulled out of the parking space, he asked, “Any favorite place you would like to go?”

“I’m not picky. Wherever you two like.”

The second he maneuvered the car into the flow of traffic Mindy said, “Music—plee-ze.”

Tory switched on the radio. She’d found Mindy loved to listen to it even while working in the barn.

The end of a popular song sounded over the radio, then the announcer came on. “Now for a traffic update. There has been a multicar wreck on—”

Slade switched the dial to Off. Surprised, Tory glanced at him. Then she heard the scream from the back seat.

Chapter Two

“Nooo!” Mindy screamed over and over.

Slade crossed two lanes of traffic to pull into an almost-deserted office parking lot. Before Tory had time to react to the situation, he was out of the car and thrusting open the back door.

He hauled his daughter into his arms and held her tightly to him, whispering, “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re all right. I’m here. Nothing’s going to hurt you ever again. I promise.”

Tory twisted around, desperately wanting to help Mindy. She had come to love the child in the short time she’d known her. The child’s sobs filled the air with her pain, a pain Tory wished she could wipe away.

“Mom-my,” Mindy cried, her voice muffled by the blue cotton of Slade’s shirt.

But Tory heard the pitiful wail and knew the announcer had triggered a memory of Mindy’s own wreck that had changed the little girl’s life forever. Tory’s heart pounded against her chest in slow, anguish-filled throbs, mirroring the distress in Mindy. Tory knew more than most how quickly life could change; one split second could make all the difference. If only she hadn’t gone out…. Tory pushed the memory away, refusing to allow it into her mind. She couldn’t alter the past, but with God’s guidance, she could protect herself.

She caught Slade’s attention and mouthed, “Can I help?”

He shook his head, stroking his daughter’s back. “Sweetie, Mommy’s gone. But I’m here for you.”

“It—it—” Mindy struggled for her words. “It—hurt.”

“I know, baby. But you’re safe now.”

Slade’s eyes slid closed, but not before Tory saw their glistening sheen. Tears clogged Tory’s throat and misted her own eyes. She blinked, trying to get a grip on her emotions that careened out of control.

Mindy shuddered and Slade clutched her tighter. “Mommy’s watching over you, baby. Taking care of you. She’ll always be with you in here.” He laid his hand over his daughter’s heart.

Helpless, Tory drew in deep breaths after deep breaths but still she ached for the pair. She felt as if she had intruded on a private family moment and should disappear. She would give anything to take the child’s pain away, but from experience knew that was something another couldn’t do.

Mindy pulled back, sniffing and wiping her nose. “I—” she sucked in a huge gulp of air “—know, Dad-dy.”

He cupped his daughter’s face in his large hands. “I love you, sweetie.”

She sniffled again. “I know.”

Slade brushed the pads of his thumbs across Mindy’s cheeks, erasing all evidence of her tears. “Are you ready to show Tory a good time?” Tenderness marked his expression as he peered at his daughter with eyes a soft azure. “I thought we would go to your favorite restaurant.”

“Goldie’s?”

“Of course. Is there another?”

“No!” A grin split Mindy’s face.

Slade kissed his daughter, then slipped from the back seat. When he settled behind the steering wheel and started the engine, he threw Tory a glance that caused her heart to flip over. Sadness mixed with a look of appeal for understanding. She slid her hand across the console, almost touching Slade in reassurance. At the last second she pulled back and smiled at him instead.

“I love Goldie’s hamburgers and onion rings,” Tory said to Mindy, trying to ignore the heat of a blush she felt creep up her face at Slade’s intense regard.

“Me, too.” Mindy clapped, her left hand curled so that her palms didn’t meet.

“With everything on it, even onions.”

Tory caught Slade’s look. The smile that glinted in his eyes warmed her. Her blush deepened. Aware his gaze was still riveted to her, she shifted in the leather seat, crossing and uncrossing her ankles. Uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny, she searched for something to say. Silence dominated the small confines of the car. Nothing she thought seemed appropriate so she let the quiet reign.

Fifteen minutes later Slade drove into the parking lot next to Goldie’s. After he assisted Mindy from the back seat, they all headed into the restaurant, decorated in homespun décor, reminiscent of a farmhouse, with the scent of baking bread and coffee saturating the air.

Tory sat across from Mindy and Slade in the booth along the large front window that overlooked a pond. Geese and ducks swam in the water, which drew the little girl’s attention.

“Look—” Mindy frowned, her brow wrinkled in thought “—bab-ies.”

The fluency of the little girl’s speech had improved over the months since Tory had known her, but still the child labored to put her words together, to find the correct word to say. Tory wanted to hug her for her perseverance.

“The last time Mindy and I were here, the geese were sitting on their nests. They’re three couples and it looks like they have all had their babies. Now she’ll want to come back every week to keep track of them.”

“I have a pond, Mindy, on my property. We’ll have to ride there one day and have a picnic.”

“Dad-dy, too?”

Tory’s gaze slid to Slade’s. “Do you ride?”

He laughed. “Sort of.”

Tory arched one brow in question.

“The last time was in high school, so it’s been years since I’ve been on a horse. Is it like riding a bicycle?”

“Sort of.” Tory downed a large swallow of ice water, her throat suddenly parched.

“Well, then, yes, I do ride—or let’s just say I know how to fall gracefully when the horse bolts.”

“Now you’ve piqued my curiosity. What happened the last time you rode?”

“I had leaned over to open the gate into the pasture when my horse got spooked by a rabbit darting in front of him. He decided to take off, leaving me dangling from the gate.”

Mindy giggled. “Oh, Dad-dy.”

“I’ve fallen a few times, too, and I can’t always say they were graceful falls.” Tory took another long sip of her water, relishing the cool liquid.

Slade started to say something when the waitress approached to take their orders. After she left, he grinned. “When I fell, I landed in a mud puddle and was covered from head to toe. It was a big mud puddle.”

“When can—we—do it?” Mindy asked, eagerness giving her face a radiant glow.

“How about this weekend? I’m free after church on Sunday.” Tory glanced from the little girl to Slade.

“Only if you allow me to bring the picnic.”

“This is my treat. I invited you.”

“Then let me bring the dessert.” Determination marked his expression.

Tory shrugged. “Fine.”

“What do you like?”

“Oh, just about anything with chocolate. Surprise me.”

“I’ve gotten the impression you weren’t someone who liked to be surprised.”

“Not usually.” Tory clasped her hands in her lap to still their trembling. Control and order were so important in her life, the threads that held it together. “I don’t like to take risks, either, but I think I’ll be safe with you bringing the dessert.”

“Isn’t your Bright Star Stables a financial risk?”

“Yes, but then some things are important enough to risk. I saw a need and wanted to do something about it.”

“And this parent is grateful. If I can help you with anything, please let me know.”

Tory thought about her low bank account, but pride kept her from saying anything. For many years she had done everything on her own. She was used to that and would somehow make the therapeutic riding program a success. When her aunt’s inheritance had allowed her to fulfill a dream, she’d known in her heart this was what God had wanted her to do with her life. God would provide the means to keep Bright Star Stables going.

Slade’s gaze bore into her as if he could reach into her mind and read it. “It’s okay to ask for help when you need it.”

“Look—Dad-dy.” Mindy jostled her father’s arm, then pointed out the window at the baby geese swimming in a line behind one of their parents with the other bringing up the rear.

If it wouldn’t have raised more questions at Mindy’s timely interruption, Tory would have gladly hugged and kissed the child. The conversation was getting too personal for her. Keeping people at a distance had become such a habit for her that any probing into her feelings or past proved highly uncomfortable. She swiped the film of perspiration from her upper lip, then finished off her cold water.

After watching the geese with his daughter for a few minutes, Slade returned his attention to Tory. “I’ll drop the subject for now, but it’s in my best interest to see Bright Star Stables continue.”

Mindy swung her gaze to her father, a deep line across her forehead. “What’s—wrong?”

With his regard trained on Tory, Slade answered, “Nothing, sweetheart. I just wanted Tory to know how much we both appreciate the work she does.”

Mindy bounced up and down. “Yeah!”

Heat scorched her cheeks. She noticed a few patrons looking their way. Breaking eye contact with Slade, she studied her place mat. “Thank you,” she whispered, relieved that the waitress brought them their food, taking the focus off her. She preferred being in the background, having had more than her share of the limelight in the past—something she never wanted to relive again.

Tory bit into her thick, juicy hamburger and sighed. “I’d forgotten how great this tasted.” She popped a small onion ring into her mouth. “And this. Of course, this will go straight to my hips.”

“I don’t think that’ll hurt you.” Slade dumped several sugar packets into his iced tea.

“It will if I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. About all I can afford is a flour sack.” The second she’d said it, she regretted the reference to her financial state.

Slade’s eyes gleamed, but his lips remained pressed together.

Tory blew out a breath of air, thankful he wasn’t going to pursue the topic. “Have you lived in Cimarron City long?”

“All my life. How about you?”

“Just a few years. I moved here from Dallas.”

“What made you leave Dallas for Oklahoma?”

She should have expected the question, but still it took her by surprise. “The weather.”

“We have the same beastly heat in the summer as Dallas.”

“Actually, my aunt died and left me her small ranch. I came to sell it and decided to stay.”

“You don’t miss the big city.”

“Cimarron City is big enough for me. Besides, I’m a country gal at heart, and even though there are eighty thousand living here, it doesn’t seem that way when I’m out on my ranch.”

“But it’s still a far cry from Dallas.”

And for that Tory was thankful, but didn’t say it out loud. Her memories of her hometown of Dallas were laden with sorrow, which had nothing to do with the city itself. But if she never went back, that would suit her just fine. “Do you have any other family here?” She wanted to take the focus off her and Dallas.

“I have an uncle in a retirement home in Tulsa. His son moved away when he went to college and hasn’t returned except to visit a few times. My younger brother lives in Chicago and loves the big city. My father died ten years ago and Mom decided to live in the southernmost tip of Florida where it’s warm all the time. So I’m the last Donaldson here in Cimarron City.”

Mindy tugged on his arm. “Me—too.”

“How right you are. Mindy and I are the last Donaldsons here. How about your family?”

Tory finished another huge onion ring, then washed it down with a swallow of raspberry-flavored tea. “All my family lives in Texas.”

“Do you see them much?”

“They visit the ranch every summer for the Fourth of July.”

“You don’t go home?”

“It’s hard for me to get away because of the horses. Someone has to look after them and I can’t afford help. I’m stuck, but I don’t mind.”

“Are all the horses at the ranch yours?” Slade took a bite of his hamburger.

“No, I stable some. That brings me some needed income to do what I love.”

“The therapeutic riding program?”

Tory nodded. “I’ll need to get back to the ranch before dark. I still have some chores to do.”

“Are you through, Mindy?” Slade tossed his napkin on the table.

The little girl gulped down the rest of her chocolate milk.

“Yep,” she said, displaying a creamy brown mustache.

Slade took her napkin and wiped her mouth. “We’d better go. You have a big day tomorrow. You’ve got physical therapy in the morning.”

Mindy pouted. “Do—I—have to?”

“It won’t be long, sweetie, before you won’t have to. But for now, yes.”

After paying for the dinner, Slade escorted Mindy and Tory to his car. Twenty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot at the speech therapist’s office.

He glanced at Mindy in the back seat and smiled. “She still falls asleep riding in the car when she’s exhausted.”

“She worked hard today at the barn. She also rode.” Tory pushed her door open and was surprised when she saw Slade get out of the car, too. “I’m only parked a few feet away.”

“I know,” he said, coming around the front of his car. “But I felt I owed you an explanation about what happened earlier with Mindy. And I don’t want her waking up and overhearing.”

The spring air cooled Tory’s cheeks and the soft wind blew stray strands of her hair about her face. She brushed them behind her ears, the scent of freshly mowed grass lacing the breeze. “You don’t need to explain anything.” She moved the few feet to her truck door, aware of Slade’s presence in every fiber of her being. She clutched the handle.

“After the accident, I couldn’t get Mindy to ride in a car for months. Finally she does, now, but any mention of a car wreck and she falls apart. I try to shelter her from hearing about any accidents, but sometimes I can’t.”

“Like today when she was listening to the radio.”

“She loves to listen to music. She usually listens to CDs.”

“But I turned the radio on before you could put a CD in. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I was just trying to help since you were focused on driving.”

He took a step toward her. Her heart skipped a beat. She plastered her back against her door, her hands tightening into fists.

“We’ve always listened to the radio while doing the chores in the barn,” she said, needing to talk to take her mind off his nearness.

“I’m not telling you to make you upset. I just wanted you to know some of the things that Mindy is still coping with.”

“Is there anything else? I don’t want to be the cause of any more anxiety.”

“She still wakes up from nightmares. Thankfully not lately. I’m hoping those are behind her.” He raked both hands through his hair, a look of anguish on his face. “Because frankly I have a hard time coping with seeing my daughter like that.”

“From what I saw back there, you did a wonderful job of reassuring her. That’s all you can do.” The hammering of her heart eased as the conversation centered on Mindy.

“Is it? There should be something else I can do to make things better for Mindy.” Rubbing one hand along the back of his neck, he rolled his shoulders to relax the tension gripping him.

But Tory saw its continual grasp on him in his taut stance and the grim lines craving his expression. “Being there for Mindy is the most important thing you can do.”

“The wreck should never have happened. If only—”

Instantly, without thought, Tory started to lay her fingers over his mouth to still his words. She froze in midaction, her eyes widening. His gaze riveted to hers. For a few seconds everything came to a standstill.

Dropping her arm to her side, she said in a strained voice, “It doesn’t do us any good to think about the what-ifs. We can’t change the past. We can only influence the present.”

“Live for today? Forget about the past?”

“Right.” If only she could heed her own advice. She was trying, but there were times it was so difficult.

“Have you been successful doing that?”

She forced a smile. “I’m working on it.”

“In other words, no.”

Tory yanked open her truck door. “I’d better be going. I still have a lot of things to do before dark.” She escaped into the quiet of her pickup, determined to keep her eyes trained forward. But even though she didn’t look at Slade, she felt his probing observation delve deep inside, seeking answers about her past, something she guarded closely and never wanted to relive. And above all, certainly didn’t want to share with anyone.

Quickly she backed out of the parking space, and as she pulled out into traffic, she chanced a glance at Slade. He stood where she had left him, a bewildered look on his face. After that evasive move, she wondered if he would bring Mindy tomorrow to the ranch.

Out on her front porch Tory eased herself into the old rocker and raised her glass of iced tea to press it against her heated face. The coldness felt wonderful after Tory had spent most of the day doing the work of two people. She needed to hire someone to help her, but that just wasn’t possible at the moment, especially after the notice she’d received from the bank today.

Resting her head, she closed her eyes and continued to roll the glass over her flushed skin. At least Slade brought Mindy out late this morning. The child’s cheerful attitude was a balm that soothed those long hours of work and her fretting over where the money for the loan was going to come from. With Mindy next to her, she repaired the fence in one pasture and even had time for the child to ride this afternoon after the three o’clock lesson. Every day Mindy was improving, self-confident when she handled the new mare.

When Tory thought about the little girl eagerly handing her the nails for the fence, Tory’s heart swelled. She wanted children so badly—her niece and nephew weren’t enough. Even the children she taught didn’t fulfill the void in her heart. It was that simple and that complex. She released a long sigh and finally took a sip of her drink.

A scream rent the air. Tory bolted to her feet, the glass crashing to the wooden planks of the porch. Leaping over the mess, she rushed for the door and wrenched it open as another scream vibrated down her length.

In the living room Mindy sat ramrod straight on the couch with her eyes so huge that was all Tory could focus on. She was at the child’s side in an instant that seemed to take forever.

Hugging Mindy to her, she murmured, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“I—I—” The child tried to drag air into her lungs, but she couldn’t seem to get a decent breath.

“Take it easy. Relax. One breath at a time, Mindy.” Tory willed her voice to stay calm while inside she quaked, the beat of her pulse roaring in her ears.

Finally Mindy managed to inhale and exhale a deep breath, then another. But the fright remained in her eyes as the little girl looked at Tory.

“I—I—heard—” Mindy started to hyperventilate.

“Nice and easy, baby. Heard what?”

“Mom-my—cry.”

Tory wanted to say the right thing. Her mind went blank. Oh, Lord, please give me the strength to help her, to soothe her pain. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Tears welled in Mindy’s eyes as she nodded. Tory framed the child’s face and tugged her toward her, laying her head on her chest and pressing her close.

“It was only a dream, baby. Not real.”

“I—know.” Mindy hiccuped. “Still—” A shudder rippled down the child’s length.

“It seemed real to you?”

Mindy nodded, her breath catching. “I didn’t—” Again the child fought for her next words. “Say—bye.”

Tory wrapped her arms tighter about the little girl, wanting to hold her and never let her go. “Did you go to the funeral?”

Mindy shook her head. “In hosp-it—” She didn’t finish the word.

“I’m sorry, baby. Have you talked to your dad about this?”

“No.” Her muffled reply came out on the end of a sob.

“He should know. Do you want me to talk to him for you?”

Mindy pulled back, tears still shining in her eyes. “Plee-ze.”

“Are you sure?”

“I—can’t make—him sad.”

Mindy’s own sadness tore at Tory’s composure, leaving it shredded. In that moment she would do anything for the child. Was this how mothers felt about their children? “Then I’ll talk to him.”

Mindy’s stomach rumbled.

“I think a certain little girl is hungry. You did a lot today. Why don’t you help me with dinner? When your father comes to pick you up, I’ll see if he would like to stay and eat.”

Mindy labored to her feet with her good hand reaching out to grasp Tory’s. “Good. Dad-dy—doesn’t—uh—cook.”

“What have you two been eating since Mrs. Watson left?”

“Piz-za—take—” frustration pinched Mindy’s features into a frown “—out.”

“Well, then tonight you two will have a home-cooked dinner. I pride myself on my cooking skills.”

Tory rose and walked with Mindy into the kitchen, a large, cheerful room with plenty of sunlight and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the pasture behind the house. Blue, yellow and orange wildflowers littered the meadow as though a painter’s palette had been dumped there. A huge oak tree with a tire swing stood sentinel over the backyard.

“Do you like spaghetti?” Tory asked, going to the sink to wash her hands.

“Yes!” Mindy followed suit and used a paper towel to dry them.

“Then that’s what we’ll have. I’ll chop up the onions while you man the skillet and brown the ground beef.”

“I’m—the cook? I’ve—never.”

“You’re eight. It’s about time you started. I can teach you.” The second Tory said the last sentence she realized she might not be able to carry through with her promise. She was assuming more than she should and wished that were different. Since Mindy came into her life, she’d found an added purpose that had been lacking before.

“Wait—till—Dad-dy sees—this.” Wearing an apron, Mindy stood on a stool to brown the meat using a wooden spoon and a gloved hot pad.

An hour later the doorbell rang. Tory left Mindy to finish setting the table while she hurried into the entry hall. She opened the screen door to admit Slade, looking tired but with a smile of greeting on his face. Stepping into the house, he drew in a lungful of air, peppered with the scents of onion, ground beef and baking bread, and licked his lips.

“What do I have to do to wrangle an invitation to dinner out of you?” he asked as he made his way back to the kitchen where Mindy was seated at the large oak table in front of the bay window.

“I—picked—these.” Mindy pointed to a glass vase full of multicolored wildflowers from the meadow behind the house.

“Does this mean we are staying?” Slade asked, eagerness replacing the lines of exhaustion on his face.

“Unless you have somewhere else you need to be.” Tory removed the loaf of French bread from the oven and placed it in the center of the table. “Mindy didn’t think you would mind since you’re probably sick of take-out.”

Slade walked to the stove and peered into the large pot of simmering spaghetti sauce. “I must have done something right today. This smells divine.”

“You’d probably say that about anything you didn’t have to fix or order at a fast-food place.”

“True. But this exceeds anything I could have imagined.”

Heat scored her cheeks. She was always uncomfortable with compliments. “Have a seat next to Mindy,” Tory said, and dished up the food.

After placing the bowls on the table, she sat across from Slade and said, “Mindy, do you want to say the prayer?”

The little girl clasped her hands and bowed her head. “Thank—you, Lord, for—” Mindy lifted her head, her brow wrinkled in thought “—for this.”

The simple but effective prayer brought a lump to Tory’s throat. Every day, Mindy’s bravery was a wonderful example to her. The child had to relearn so many things, but not much got her down. Tory was sure the girl’s frame of mind was part of the reason for her fast recovery.

After dishing up his food, Slade slid his forkful of spaghetti covered in the thick meat sauce into his mouth. He closed his eyes, a look of contentment on his face. “I can’t believe it, but it tastes even better than it smells.”

“Mindy was the best little helper I could have.”

The eight-year-old straightened her shoulders and announced, “I put—spa—this—in the water.” Mindy gestured toward the spaghetti. “Salt—too.”

“I didn’t realize you could cook, sweetheart. I’ll have to get you to fix something for me.”

“Real-ly?” Mindy’s eyes grew big and round.

“Yeah. Maybe Mrs. Watson will let you help her in the kitchen and teach you some dishes.”

“Have you heard from Mrs. Watson?” Tory asked while breaking off a slice of buttered bread from the warm loaf.

“She called last night to tell me her niece and baby boy are doing fine. She’ll probably be back by the first of next week. She’s going to stay a few days longer than planned.”

“Well, if you need me to watch Mindy at the first of next week, that’ll be fine with me.”

“Yip-pee!” Mindy clapped and bounced in her chair. “We—could—cook—again.”

“That would be great,” Tory said, her regard resting on Slade, waiting for his answer to her offer.

“How can I say no, especially if I can get another dinner out of it?”

“Are you wrangling for another invitation to dinner?” Tory grinned, responding to the teasing light in his blue eyes.

“You’re a sharp lady.”

“I have my moments. What do you like to eat?”

“Anything that doesn’t move.”

“My, that leaves the door wide-open. Are you sure you don’t want to narrow it down some?”

“I’ll put myself in you two ladies’ hands. After all, you’re doing me a favor so I can’t be too demanding.”

The word demanding sent a chill down Tory’s spine. She clenched her fork and dropped her gaze to her half-empty plate. “Mindy and I will come up with something.”

“Our—uh—secret,” Mindy said with a giggle.

For the next few minutes while everyone finished their dinner, silence dominated the large kitchen except for the ticking of the clock over the desk by the phone. Mindy finished first, dragging the napkin across her face.

“Can I—swing—on the—tire?” the little girl asked Tory.

“Sure, if it’s okay with your father.”

“I’ll walk you out there.” Slade rose.

“No, Dad-dy—I can—do it—by my-self.” Mindy pushed to her feet and started for the back door.

Slade took a step toward his daughter.

“She’ll be all right. She went by herself to pick the flowers for the table. She wanted to surprise you with them.”

Slade peered at Tory, worry in his gaze. The door opened and closed, its sound emphasizing Mindy’s need for independence.

“I’m letting her do some things alone. It’s important to her.”

“But she still falls sometimes.”

“All children fall. In fact, earlier today she fell in the barn, but she picked herself up and continued with what she was doing.”

Slade stared out the large window that afforded him a good view of the oak tree with the tire hanging from it. He watched his daughter wiggle her body through the hole and lie on her stomach. He scrubbed his hands down his face and forced his attention away from Mindy. “Can I help you clean up?”

“I’ll get—” Tory saw Slade’s need to keep busy and said instead, “Sure. I’ll rinse. You put the dishes in the dishwasher.”

“I think I can manage that.”

While Tory put the leftover food in the refrigerator, Slade cleared the dirty dishes from the table and stacked them beside the sink. A couple of times his gaze strayed toward the window, his mouth pinched in a frown.

“It’s hard letting go.” Tory turned the water on to rinse off the worst of the food before handing the dish to Slade.

“Yes. Mindy’s been through her share of pain and then some. I don’t want her to have to suffer anymore.”

“All parents feel that way, but suffering is part of life. In fact, it probably makes us stronger people.” At least, that’s what I keep telling myself while going through my own ordeal, Tory thought.

“She’s eight years old. Enough is enough.”

“She’s done a wonderful job of bouncing back.”

“She still has a ways to go.”

“But she will make it. I predict this time next year you won’t be able to keep up with her and she’ll talk your ear off.”

“I look forward to that prediction coming true.” Slade closed the door to the dishwasher and leaned back on the counter, his arms folded over his chest. “You really think she’s doing okay?”

Tory smiled. “Yes. You should see her with the young riders. I have a class of three-, four-and five-year-olds and she’s great with them. Like a pro.”

“Speaking of classes, Mindy tells me about how hard you work to keep this operation up and running. You could use some help around here.”

“Don’t I know it. But that costs money, money I don’t have.”

“After Mrs. Watson returns and things settle down, I could take a look at your books and see if I can help in any way. Even though I’m not an accountant, I’ve taken a few classes in order to help me with my business.”

Tory lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Sure. With the stable, I’ve learned to accept help where given.” She wiped down the sink, then draped the washcloth over the edge. “I told Mindy I would talk to you about something that happened earlier today.”

“This doesn’t sound good.”

“She had a bad dream this afternoon while she was taking a nap. She told me she remembers her mother crying the last time she saw her.”

Tension whipped down Slade’s length, his expression unreadable.

“She said she didn’t get to go to the funeral for her mother.”

“She was still in the hospital.” The defensive tone in Slade’s voice spoke of the emotions he was holding in check.

“She didn’t get to say goodbye to her mother and I think that’s bothering her.”

His eyes became diamond hard and his jaw clenched.

Tory cleared her throat, its dryness making it difficult to speak. “I thought I would take her to her mother’s grave site and let her say goodbye, unless you would like to. I think she needs to for closure.”

A nerve in his cheek twitched. He walked toward the window that overlooked the backyard. “No. I will when everything settles down with Mrs. Watson.”