Page 95 of Anchored to the Storm

Seb scooped more ice cream on to his spoon. “Didn’t I promise it would be delicious?”

With chocolate on the little one’s lips, she almost smiled at him, but Harmony’s kitchen timer went off. This sweet child jumped out of her skin.

Seb stepped closer to her. “We won’t let anything hurt you.”

Sarah quickly showed her the item. “See? You twist this, and then it dings when time is up.”

Harmony passed out hot cups of cocoa to us new arrivals.

Kristen softly ran fingers through the little girl’s damp white hair, identical to Blue’s. “Boys, this precious angel doesn’t like her name, Hephzibah, but she looooves ice cream.” Sarah pointed to the open container reading Blue Bell. “She has chosen the name Bluebell.” With raw emotion eating her alive, she looked up at us.

Now that I knew about that hidden room, I understood why Blue hated her religious name. Nonetheless, what were the chances of these sisters having such similar self-picked names?

With water stars in her eyes, Sarah touched Bluebell’s cheek. “It’s perfect.” Then she went to Ethan and pulled his hand to her chest. “Thank you for getting to me so fast tonight. You saved me.”

His long dark hair covered one of his vivid blue eyes, but the other looked at me. Did he not want to tell her the truth? Was he even allowed to tell her the truth? Was I supposed to have not told who I did?

Just then, the sound of a loud motorcycle rumbled down the street.

Kristen lifted her hand. “That’s for me. I’ll be right back.” She left the kitchen.

Dale watched as Harmony approached with a damp cloth. He told her, “I’m sorry all this happened. You okay?”

“I’m not sorry.” Harmony dabbed his busted knuckles. “I hope you got a strike in for me.”

Dale paled and shook his head as if reliving the whole night. “When I heard a gun fire off, I ran to find our kids.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “I begged God to not take one more.”

Still tending to his wounds, Harmony nodded. “They’re all right. Home safe. And with an added surprise, telling me this was all meant to be.”

“But Sarah was on the ground.” He growled, “And that man—” He looked to Bluebell, then only said, “I blacked out.”

Harmony gazed up at him and took hold of his chin. “You did what a wonderful father does. Hear me?”

She was right. Every punch Dale landed stood for nothing but pure love for his unconventional, blended family.

I was too choked up to say it out loud, but I thought to myself, I love you, too, Dale.

Ice cream and hot chocolates were finished by the time Kristen came back into the kitchen. “Sorry about that. Had to talk to Avenger about what my contact at the precinct advised.” When she noticed Finn grinning, she asked, “What?”

He shrugged. “I happen to be familiar with beard burns.” He gestured to his mouth.

Oh shit!

Except for Bluebell, all heads snapped to Kristen, who, indeed, had red lips and freshly blushed skin due to the rub of coarse facial hair.

A bunch of chuckles and giggles filled the kitchen.

Covering her mouth with the back of her hand, Kristen asked Sarah, “Do you think Bluebell would like to watch some TV?”

Once the girls were in the other room, Kristen playfully flipped off Finn, then told us, “My contact can help falsify reports, as he has in the past to help us, but he advised that no one knows of Bluebell. This little girl has no Social Security number, so she has to be kept out of the system.”

“Ah, shit.” Dale’s eyes drifted shut. “So, the hidden room is truly where she’s been.”

Harmony began to tremble.

Dale wrapped his arms around her, then asked, “Kristen, we’ve leaned on you for so much as of late. What is your advice now?”

After a moment, she answered, “I love my job, and I hate my job. The people I work with are devoted to children but also understand how kids are falling through the cracks because we don’t have enough help. Our budget is limited, and some higher-ups with no field experience make horrible decisions.” She exhaled. “One less kid in the system, when having such a home to care for her, I say use our connections. Get her legal-illegal paperwork and save her life.”