course we’ll find them. This is a great start. When we get home, I’ll hop on the Internet and see what I can find out about your aunt.”
“Your future?”
Was that alarm in her voice? He nodded. “I can’t be unemployed forever. I have enough money to last a few months, but I need to be looking for a job.”
“Where will you look?” She bit her lip and turned to look at the passing landscape. “I’d hoped you’d join us for Thanksgiving.”
“I’m not talking about leaving this week. But once the holiday is over, I really should start sending out some résumés. I doubt there are any jobs around here for someone with my background. I’ll probably have to go to Texas.”
She barely nodded, and Josh’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. For a crazy moment he wanted to put his arms around her and tell her he’d never leave her and the children. What had gotten into him? His aching heart seemed to find solace and comfort in Eden’s presence, and it had to stop. He answered to no one, and he liked it that way. This woman would tie him in one place, and he’d never see the world again.
I’ve seen all the world I need to see. He shrugged the thought away and concentrated on the road. He liked his life just fine the way it was. There was no reason to let a woman’s green eyes tempt him from the life he’d chosen years ago. With just Katie, he could still pack up and move whenever he pleased. Eden would just complicate matters.
They stopped for supper at a truck stop near Indianapolis. The parking lot was full, so Josh knew the food must be good, though the place looked like it would have been right at home along Route 66 forty years ago.
Their table and every other one in the place had a small jukebox on it, back against the wall. The waitress, her jaw working as she popped her gum, took their order, then brought a high chair for Katie.
When their food was brought, Katie threw her green beans on the tile floor and refused to eat more than a few bites. Eden cleaned her up and shrugged. “She’s not a good traveler. She likes her own bed and the other children.”
“She’ll learn to travel better,” Josh said. He nearly winced when he realized what he’d said.
Eden looked at him strangely, a question in her eyes. “I don’t travel much,” she said. “She has no reason to get used to it.”
“Do you want her to just see the four corners of Wabash? Don’t you want her to experience the world and not spend her whole life in a little backwater town?”
“You’re still planning to take her, aren’t you?”
Eden’s voice was soft, and Josh dared a glance at her. The steely glint in her eye was at odds with her gentle voice, and he knew she would never let Katie go without a fight. He didn’t want to fight with her.
Josh’s shoulders tightened. “Yes,” he admitted. “I love her. She’s all I have left of Mandy; she’s the only family I have.”
“I’m sorry, Josh.” Eden laid a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry you lost your sister. But Katie belongs with me. I’ll never give her up. Never.”
The finality in her words struck Josh like a blow. He’d only been deceiving himself. There was no way to convince her to give Katie up without a fight. And he didn’t want to fight with Eden. He was beginning to care way too much about her. His thoughts shied away from that direction again.
He forced a smile. “You’ve said your piece. Are you ready to head for home?”
Eden plucked Katie from the high chair. “Let me take her to the rest room and change her diaper first.”
They were silent on the trip home. Josh mulled over his options. He could find a lawyer and take it to court. He thought he might have a good chance if the jury realized he had no family left except for Katie. But the thought of doing that to Eden hurt. No, his best bet was still to find her family. If she had her own kin, maybe she would realize just how important it was for Katie to be with him.
Light
“Your future?”
Was that alarm in her voice? He nodded. “I can’t be unemployed forever. I have enough money to last a few months, but I need to be looking for a job.”
“Where will you look?” She bit her lip and turned to look at the passing landscape. “I’d hoped you’d join us for Thanksgiving.”
“I’m not talking about leaving this week. But once the holiday is over, I really should start sending out some résumés. I doubt there are any jobs around here for someone with my background. I’ll probably have to go to Texas.”
She barely nodded, and Josh’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. For a crazy moment he wanted to put his arms around her and tell her he’d never leave her and the children. What had gotten into him? His aching heart seemed to find solace and comfort in Eden’s presence, and it had to stop. He answered to no one, and he liked it that way. This woman would tie him in one place, and he’d never see the world again.
I’ve seen all the world I need to see. He shrugged the thought away and concentrated on the road. He liked his life just fine the way it was. There was no reason to let a woman’s green eyes tempt him from the life he’d chosen years ago. With just Katie, he could still pack up and move whenever he pleased. Eden would just complicate matters.
They stopped for supper at a truck stop near Indianapolis. The parking lot was full, so Josh knew the food must be good, though the place looked like it would have been right at home along Route 66 forty years ago.
Their table and every other one in the place had a small jukebox on it, back against the wall. The waitress, her jaw working as she popped her gum, took their order, then brought a high chair for Katie.
When their food was brought, Katie threw her green beans on the tile floor and refused to eat more than a few bites. Eden cleaned her up and shrugged. “She’s not a good traveler. She likes her own bed and the other children.”
“She’ll learn to travel better,” Josh said. He nearly winced when he realized what he’d said.
Eden looked at him strangely, a question in her eyes. “I don’t travel much,” she said. “She has no reason to get used to it.”
“Do you want her to just see the four corners of Wabash? Don’t you want her to experience the world and not spend her whole life in a little backwater town?”
“You’re still planning to take her, aren’t you?”
Eden’s voice was soft, and Josh dared a glance at her. The steely glint in her eye was at odds with her gentle voice, and he knew she would never let Katie go without a fight. He didn’t want to fight with her.
Josh’s shoulders tightened. “Yes,” he admitted. “I love her. She’s all I have left of Mandy; she’s the only family I have.”
“I’m sorry, Josh.” Eden laid a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry you lost your sister. But Katie belongs with me. I’ll never give her up. Never.”
The finality in her words struck Josh like a blow. He’d only been deceiving himself. There was no way to convince her to give Katie up without a fight. And he didn’t want to fight with Eden. He was beginning to care way too much about her. His thoughts shied away from that direction again.
He forced a smile. “You’ve said your piece. Are you ready to head for home?”
Eden plucked Katie from the high chair. “Let me take her to the rest room and change her diaper first.”
They were silent on the trip home. Josh mulled over his options. He could find a lawyer and take it to court. He thought he might have a good chance if the jury realized he had no family left except for Katie. But the thought of doing that to Eden hurt. No, his best bet was still to find her family. If she had her own kin, maybe she would realize just how important it was for Katie to be with him.
Light
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