sandspurs. He chose several and ringed the top of the hole making a thick fence of the prickly burrs. "There. They'll be safe now."
"Will they?"
"Course."
Sarah knew the anonymous "they" wouldn't be safe, but she envied Nicholas's certainty. "Who's after them?"
He avoided her eyes. "Oh, nobody." He leaped to his feet. "Want to swing?"
He darted before, this way and that, mapping out his route. Sarah gave in. The warm air chased away fatigue.
Well, Nicholas was a treasure and she let him beguile her into forgetting that he'd be gone soon, pretending for a time that the past had never happened.
She knew she was foolish. She'd been foolish when she'd opened the door to Nicholas and the disreputable-looking Jake, but maybe God wouldn't begrudge her this moment that warmed her frozen heart with might-have-beens.
Sarah swung Nicholas until her arms were ready to drop. They walked down to the lake when an airboat roared in and captivated him. She couldn't ignore his wiggling eagerness, either, and begged a ride from the Seminole guide. Nicholas sat in the boat, his smile ear-to-ear.
When they returned, they ate tuna fish sandwiches out on the porch. Nicholas picked out the pickles and wadded them in his napkin. Downing the last of his iced tea—she wished she had milk—he flopped on the floor and focused on the revolving blades of the ceiling fan. Sarah had switched on the fan as the afternoon had become warmer. She leaned her head back on the chair, her feet near Nicholas. It was turning out to be a warm winter and the afternoons were downright hot. Not the best weather for fishing, but she'd make out. She wasn't solely dependent on income from guiding and boat rentals.
Nicholas interrupted her reverie. He was wiggling his legs in the air. "You like me, don't you, Sarah?" He rolled over on his belly and propped his chin on his hands as he waited for her answer.
Sarah couldn't give him a straight answer. "How could I not, Nicholas?" She evaded his gaze. Oh, she liked him. She did. And she'd like to roast the mother who'd let Jake take Nicholas off on this harebrained trip. Yet Sarah envied her.
He nodded. "Last night I thought you didn't like me, but it was just the dirt, huh?" At her startled look, he shrugged magnanimously. "I'm glad you like me. Jake's okay about stuff like dirt, but my dad didn't like me messing around much." His voice was obstinate. "He loved me a lot, so I didn't care."
"Of course he loved you, Nicholas." The pain was unbearable.
"My mom didn't." He rolled on the floor.
"Excuse me?" Sarah's thoughts scattered like sand in the wind.
"My mom didn't love me." He rolled from side to side, not concerned with the impact his words were having on her.
"Of course she does, Nicholas. Moms love their boys." Sarah's nails snagged on the wicker chair.
"Mine didn't love me," he insisted. He walked over to her chair, his knees bumping against her, those sharp-pointed little knobby knees.
"Oh, Nicholas, she must." As Sarah lifted him onto her lap, his bony body knocking and jabbing against her, she laid her chin on his head. Rocking him, rocking him, easing her own hurt and silencing her questions.
Nicholas looked up at her. "Are you crying, Sarah?" He rubbed his thumb under her eye.
"No."
"Looks like it." Inquisitive, he sat up straighter.
"No, must be my allergies." She let him go as he pulled off her lap, leaving her lap and arms empty. Sarah rubbed the wicker chair arm hard.
"That's too bad. I'm glad I don't have 'lergies." He opened the screen door and leaned out. "When's Jake coming back, Sarah?"
She wished she knew. She couldn't endure much more. Her mind was weaving fantasies.
When Jake rattled up the driveway, his headlights picked out Sarah down by the dock. She was hunched over her knees, looking out at the lake. A full moon shimmered in the dark of the night. Good. She'd put Nicholas to bed. She wouldn't kick them out tonight. He'd bought some time.
All afternoon Jake had driven
"Will they?"
"Course."
Sarah knew the anonymous "they" wouldn't be safe, but she envied Nicholas's certainty. "Who's after them?"
He avoided her eyes. "Oh, nobody." He leaped to his feet. "Want to swing?"
He darted before, this way and that, mapping out his route. Sarah gave in. The warm air chased away fatigue.
Well, Nicholas was a treasure and she let him beguile her into forgetting that he'd be gone soon, pretending for a time that the past had never happened.
She knew she was foolish. She'd been foolish when she'd opened the door to Nicholas and the disreputable-looking Jake, but maybe God wouldn't begrudge her this moment that warmed her frozen heart with might-have-beens.
Sarah swung Nicholas until her arms were ready to drop. They walked down to the lake when an airboat roared in and captivated him. She couldn't ignore his wiggling eagerness, either, and begged a ride from the Seminole guide. Nicholas sat in the boat, his smile ear-to-ear.
When they returned, they ate tuna fish sandwiches out on the porch. Nicholas picked out the pickles and wadded them in his napkin. Downing the last of his iced tea—she wished she had milk—he flopped on the floor and focused on the revolving blades of the ceiling fan. Sarah had switched on the fan as the afternoon had become warmer. She leaned her head back on the chair, her feet near Nicholas. It was turning out to be a warm winter and the afternoons were downright hot. Not the best weather for fishing, but she'd make out. She wasn't solely dependent on income from guiding and boat rentals.
Nicholas interrupted her reverie. He was wiggling his legs in the air. "You like me, don't you, Sarah?" He rolled over on his belly and propped his chin on his hands as he waited for her answer.
Sarah couldn't give him a straight answer. "How could I not, Nicholas?" She evaded his gaze. Oh, she liked him. She did. And she'd like to roast the mother who'd let Jake take Nicholas off on this harebrained trip. Yet Sarah envied her.
He nodded. "Last night I thought you didn't like me, but it was just the dirt, huh?" At her startled look, he shrugged magnanimously. "I'm glad you like me. Jake's okay about stuff like dirt, but my dad didn't like me messing around much." His voice was obstinate. "He loved me a lot, so I didn't care."
"Of course he loved you, Nicholas." The pain was unbearable.
"My mom didn't." He rolled on the floor.
"Excuse me?" Sarah's thoughts scattered like sand in the wind.
"My mom didn't love me." He rolled from side to side, not concerned with the impact his words were having on her.
"Of course she does, Nicholas. Moms love their boys." Sarah's nails snagged on the wicker chair.
"Mine didn't love me," he insisted. He walked over to her chair, his knees bumping against her, those sharp-pointed little knobby knees.
"Oh, Nicholas, she must." As Sarah lifted him onto her lap, his bony body knocking and jabbing against her, she laid her chin on his head. Rocking him, rocking him, easing her own hurt and silencing her questions.
Nicholas looked up at her. "Are you crying, Sarah?" He rubbed his thumb under her eye.
"No."
"Looks like it." Inquisitive, he sat up straighter.
"No, must be my allergies." She let him go as he pulled off her lap, leaving her lap and arms empty. Sarah rubbed the wicker chair arm hard.
"That's too bad. I'm glad I don't have 'lergies." He opened the screen door and leaned out. "When's Jake coming back, Sarah?"
She wished she knew. She couldn't endure much more. Her mind was weaving fantasies.
When Jake rattled up the driveway, his headlights picked out Sarah down by the dock. She was hunched over her knees, looking out at the lake. A full moon shimmered in the dark of the night. Good. She'd put Nicholas to bed. She wouldn't kick them out tonight. He'd bought some time.
All afternoon Jake had driven
Similar Books
