Page 18 of Fighting for Family

“We love you, too, June Bug,” Saint murmured.

“Who needs a chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven?” Carol called.

The kids took off, and Melody waved goodbye.

Patch dabbed at his eye and Taco cleared his throat. Saint hung his head. Sparky wiped her eyes with her shirt.

“Listen, you’re doing the best you can,” Doc said. “You can’t feel guilty when you’ve turned over every rock and stone.”

Saint leaned in. “Tell it to Catherine and Melody. I can’t figure it out. We’ve searched everywhere. Yesterday, we went back to the site and walked it. There’s nothing.”

“You’ll find him,” Kassie assured him. “Leo will lead you to him. I have no doubt.”

Bear cleared his throat. “It’s time.”

“We’ll contact you as soon as we know something,” Saint said, gazing at Bryanna.

The group said their goodbyes. The meeting seemed bleaker than before. Doc glanced at Kassie hugging Catherine as she entered the bedroom. She peered at him with damp eyes and a worried expression. This heartache wasn’t something medicine could mend.

CHAPTER 7

Catherine ushered Melody and Grace into their home while she carried Derrick.

“Melody, pick a book while I get these two asleep, and then we’ll read together. Grace can barely keep her eyes open, and Derrick fell asleep in the truck.”

“Won’t Aunt Kassie be here?” Melody asked as she put the diaper bag on the coat bench.

“I forgot Grace’s blankie, and she went to fetch it. Then, she planned to call Victoria. You know how Grace gets when she can’t find it,” she explained, taking Derrick to his room.

“Oh, brother,” she heard Melody murmur under her breath. “Come on, Grace. I’ll put your jammies on.”

Catherine smiled. Melody seemed to age before her eyes since Leo’s death. As grateful as she felt for her daughter’s help, she wished it didn’t have to happen this way.

By the time she returned from getting Derrick settled, Grace sat in her toddler bed, holding her picture book of tanks, one of Leo’s last gifts to her.

“Shall we pick your favorite?” she asked, kissing Melody’s head.

“Me want tank. Daddy make me one?” Grace asked.

“I’m sure your uncles will handle it when they return,” Catherine said, feeling the lump in her throat getting bigger. “Melody, since you took a shower and already changed for bed at Aunt Kassie’s, why don’t you climb in my bed, and we can cuddle together for a bit?”

“’ Kay,” her daughter said as she rushed to her room to grab her book.

Catherine flipped the pages until Grace yawned and picked her favorite tank. “What color do you want to paint it?”

“Owange,” Grace said sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

“Oh, I love it,” Catherine said softly. “Everyone will want to ride with you. Goodnight, Gracie. Daddy and I love you.”

“Night, Mama,” Grace said as her voice drifted off to sleep. Catherine brushed back her riotous red curls from her face, thinking of how much she resembled Leo.

Pushing herself up, she went into her bedroom, washed off her makeup, and put on her pajamas. She crawled into bed, where Melody held something in her lap.

“Didn’t you want to read?” Catherine asked, curiously.

“I decided to go through our photo album,” Melody said softly. “All the kids got to see their dads tonight. I didn’t get to see mine.”

Catherine pulled her close and opened the photo album. An image of Leo hanging upside down on the monkey bars with Melody made them laugh.