Guardian of Justice by Carol Steward Page A

me?”
    Her mother hesitated, obviously caught off guard by Kira’s direct question. “Well, he didn’t say so….”
    Kira finished the sentence. “But he thinks it was intentional. It wasn’t. I had a bad experience the other night on a call, and I’m not dealing with it very well.” She hoped that was enough to keep her mom from asking any questions. “I’ll call him and explain.”
    The concern on her mother’s face deepened. “What happened? Why didn’t you phone and tell us?”
    Kira hesitated. She didn’t need to worry her parents, and if her dad heard about what had happened, he’d become her constant bodyguard. That wouldn’t help. She should have been prepared, and that bothered her. “I responded to a call, and the boyfriend showed up and got upset.”
    “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” her mom said as she pushed the ottoman closer.
    Kira shook her head.
    “I wish you’d have chosen any profession but social work. It’s so dangerous for you to go into homes alone….” her mom said as she sat down.
    Kira felt the temptation to let herself relax and tell her mom everything. “I wasn’t alone,” she said, unable to go on. She was about to cry. But she didn’t want her family to know how foolish she’d been. “The police were there, too. I’m fine. A little wobbly, but I’m going to be okay. I’m just tired.”
    Kira had spent a lot of time lately thinking about the struggles she’d gone through when Ted and Grace Matthews adopted her. She hadn’t wanted their comfort. Hadn’t trusted them. It had taken months for her to believe this family was hers for good. She didn’t want three bossy big brothers. She wanted her own little brother. And in those days, the Matthews trio sure didn’t act like they wanted a little sister. She’d even thought it was their fault that her brother, Jimmie, had been taken away from her. For years she’d blamed them. In her five-year-old mind, they didn’t want a sister, but they didn’t needanother brother. They already had three boys; why would they want a fourth?
    “Why didn’t you call us? That’s what family is for, Kira.” Mom brushed the unruly curls from Kira’s face.
    She simply shrugged, not trusting herself to speak. Why, after all these years, was she still afraid of doing something wrong and being sent away? It was ridiculous. She wasn’t a five-year-old anymore.
    She glanced over to the letter from Family Finders. It had been years since she’d first told her mother that she wanted to find Jimmie. Though Grace claimed to understand, she couldn’t hide her disappointment. Kira tried to reassure her mother that it had nothing to do with her love for her family. She had always felt guilty that she had let Jimmie down.
    Kira pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, her mind drifting back to Betsy and Cody and what they were likely feeling tonight.
    Her mom watched silently, then perked up. “It’s been a long time since you’ve slept over at home. Maybe this would be a good time. Let us pamper you for a few days. Catch up on your sleep, enjoy that new jetted tub your dad put in for me. It just melts those aches away,” she cooed, as if the tub were filled with chocolate.
    A chuckle escaped, and Kira felt the idea taking hold. After a few days of sleep, I’ll be back to myself,she thought. Her mom always seemed to know when Kira needed a safety net to fall into. She didn’t want to slink back home, but it felt like this might be just what she needed. Even though her parents lived less than five miles away, there was nothing quite as comforting as being home.
    Kira nodded. “Maybe it would.” It would be a lot more challenging to keep the truth quiet there, but she wasn’t sleeping at all here. Every noise startled her awake. Knowing that her dad would be there to ward off Mickey, should he appear, would be a huge comfort. If that didn’t allow her to rest, nothing would.
    “Why don’t we pack a bag