would he feed four more?
But she was ready for a fight if it came to it.
“Kay, I know what you’re trying to do, but we’re not equipped — ”
“Doug, we have to take them. Just until the sheriff finds a home for them.”
“We got a home, lady,” Aaron said. “We don’t need anybody else messin’ things up.”
Kay sighed. “Aaron, you don’t have much choice right now. The only way you’ve been surviving is by stealing, and now that the sheriff knows, that has to stop. We’ll help you until your mother is found. Or a grandmother or another relative who can take care of you.”
Doug’s tension was growing. “Kay, that could be a long time.”
Her eyes flashed. “Doug, we are not leaving these children!”
He swallowed hard, then looked from one to the other of the urchins lined up before him, his struggle plain on his face.
But when he turned back to her, the struggle had turned to resolve. “All right. Let’s get them packed.”
Kay knew he wasn’t happy about it, but she didn’t care. She would convince him later that it was the right thing. “Okay, come on, kids, I’ll help you get packed, and the sheriff can drive us home.”
“In a car?” Sarah asked.
“A van,” she said, smiling. “It’s one of the only ones in town that runs. How about that?”
Sarah jumped up and down, delighted at the interesting turn of events. But the three boys brooded. And when the sheriff found and confiscated their empty revolver, they looked even more distraught. Kay could see this was going to be a challenge.
She hoped her marriage was up to it.
ten
D ENI ’ S PARENTS HAD BEEN GONE WAY LONGER THAN SHE ’ D expected, so the task of preparing dinner on their outside grill fell to her. The choices were slim, and the food Jeff had salvaged from the thieves would have to last. She had just started boiling six potatoes, one for each of them, when Brad next door brought several fish he’d caught that day. Her unbelieving neighbor didn’t even realize he’d been used by God today. She had quickly cleaned the fish and put them on the grill.
Three months ago, she hadn’t known how to boil water. Now she could bake bread, can vegetables, clean fish — and her father threatened that she’d soon be skinning animals, a talent she’d rather not foster. But a lot of good all those domestic skills did her, since she’d probably be fifty before she saw Craig again. By then, he’d probably be married to some cute intern. Deni hated her already.
“Smells good.” Jeff came out of the house, still filthy from working at the well. “I wonder if I should go looking for Mom and Dad. I’m getting worried about them.”
“Maybe you should. They may have gotten conked on the head in that neighborhood.”
The words were no sooner out of her mouth than they heard an engine turning onto the street. Since it was such a rare sound, one that usually meant bad news, she scooped the fish off of the grill and ran to see who it was.
It was the sheriff’s clunker van, pulling into her driveway. Her chest tightened. Was he coming with bad news about her parents?
She breathed in relief when she saw her dad in the passenger seat. “It’s about time,” she said as he got out. “Where have you been?”
Her dad opened the back door, and her mother got out. Behind her, a scrungy-looking boy filed out, followed by three other filthy children.
Her jaw dropped. “Dad, don’t tell me …”
Her mother flashed her an overbright smile. “Deni, this is Aaron, Joey, Luke, and Sarah. They’re going to be staying with us for a while.”
Deni wanted to scream. This couldn’t be happening. How had the burglary of their house turned into an opportunity to feed four more? “Mom, you’ve got to be kidding!”
Doug shot her a stern look, then turned to the children. “Are you guys hungry? Looks like Deni’s got fish.”
The four nodded, but Deni quenched the urge to remind them that they couldn’t be hungry since
But she was ready for a fight if it came to it.
“Kay, I know what you’re trying to do, but we’re not equipped — ”
“Doug, we have to take them. Just until the sheriff finds a home for them.”
“We got a home, lady,” Aaron said. “We don’t need anybody else messin’ things up.”
Kay sighed. “Aaron, you don’t have much choice right now. The only way you’ve been surviving is by stealing, and now that the sheriff knows, that has to stop. We’ll help you until your mother is found. Or a grandmother or another relative who can take care of you.”
Doug’s tension was growing. “Kay, that could be a long time.”
Her eyes flashed. “Doug, we are not leaving these children!”
He swallowed hard, then looked from one to the other of the urchins lined up before him, his struggle plain on his face.
But when he turned back to her, the struggle had turned to resolve. “All right. Let’s get them packed.”
Kay knew he wasn’t happy about it, but she didn’t care. She would convince him later that it was the right thing. “Okay, come on, kids, I’ll help you get packed, and the sheriff can drive us home.”
“In a car?” Sarah asked.
“A van,” she said, smiling. “It’s one of the only ones in town that runs. How about that?”
Sarah jumped up and down, delighted at the interesting turn of events. But the three boys brooded. And when the sheriff found and confiscated their empty revolver, they looked even more distraught. Kay could see this was going to be a challenge.
She hoped her marriage was up to it.
ten
D ENI ’ S PARENTS HAD BEEN GONE WAY LONGER THAN SHE ’ D expected, so the task of preparing dinner on their outside grill fell to her. The choices were slim, and the food Jeff had salvaged from the thieves would have to last. She had just started boiling six potatoes, one for each of them, when Brad next door brought several fish he’d caught that day. Her unbelieving neighbor didn’t even realize he’d been used by God today. She had quickly cleaned the fish and put them on the grill.
Three months ago, she hadn’t known how to boil water. Now she could bake bread, can vegetables, clean fish — and her father threatened that she’d soon be skinning animals, a talent she’d rather not foster. But a lot of good all those domestic skills did her, since she’d probably be fifty before she saw Craig again. By then, he’d probably be married to some cute intern. Deni hated her already.
“Smells good.” Jeff came out of the house, still filthy from working at the well. “I wonder if I should go looking for Mom and Dad. I’m getting worried about them.”
“Maybe you should. They may have gotten conked on the head in that neighborhood.”
The words were no sooner out of her mouth than they heard an engine turning onto the street. Since it was such a rare sound, one that usually meant bad news, she scooped the fish off of the grill and ran to see who it was.
It was the sheriff’s clunker van, pulling into her driveway. Her chest tightened. Was he coming with bad news about her parents?
She breathed in relief when she saw her dad in the passenger seat. “It’s about time,” she said as he got out. “Where have you been?”
Her dad opened the back door, and her mother got out. Behind her, a scrungy-looking boy filed out, followed by three other filthy children.
Her jaw dropped. “Dad, don’t tell me …”
Her mother flashed her an overbright smile. “Deni, this is Aaron, Joey, Luke, and Sarah. They’re going to be staying with us for a while.”
Deni wanted to scream. This couldn’t be happening. How had the burglary of their house turned into an opportunity to feed four more? “Mom, you’ve got to be kidding!”
Doug shot her a stern look, then turned to the children. “Are you guys hungry? Looks like Deni’s got fish.”
The four nodded, but Deni quenched the urge to remind them that they couldn’t be hungry since
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