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“No.”
“No?”
“You will drive over to the McCray ranch and see him face-to-face, Sydney. That’s the only way. He deserves that much.”
“Okay.”
There was only one problem.
Sam would not want to see her, let alone listen to her. But she’d cross that bridge when she got there. She looked around for her purse as her father opened the door to leave.
Standing in the doorway was Carrie, holding a listless Duke.
“Roy, there’s something very wrong.” Tears welled in her eyes. “He’s burning up, and look at him! He’s hardly moving.”
“Now, Carrie, don’t fret. He’s probably just tired.”
“Feel his forehead, damnit.”
Sydney ran toward them while her father kissed the little boy’s forehead.
“Hmm, he is pretty hot,” Roy said. “Did you bring a thermometer with you?”
“No, I didn’t. I don’t usually travel with one. My God, what kind of mother am I?”
“You’re a great mother, Mama,” Sydney said. “We’ll just go on down to the pharmacy and get a thermometer and some children’s ibuprofen, okay? He’ll be fine.”
“You two don’t understand. This isn’t a normal fever. He’s had fevers before. A mother knows her child.”
Sydney’s heart jumped. She should be the one knowing when Duke was sick. She was his mother.
No. She was his sister. The woman holding him, crying over him, was his mother.
What was she going to do? If her parents lost Duke to Sam, they’d be devastated. It would be all her fault. Either her parents would hate her or Sam would.
No matter. Duke was the important thing right now.
“Okay, Mama. There’s a doctor’s office on Main Street. Let’s just go on over there and see if he can take a look.”
Carrie nodded. “I’d feel much better if we could have a doc look at him, Roy.”
“All righty then, let’s do it. Here, give him to me.” Roy took the floppy little boy and the three of them drove the five blocks to Main Street.
They went in. “It’s nearly six o’clock,” the nurse said. “We’re closing soon.”
“Please,” Carrie begged, “could he look at my son? He’s burning up, and he’s not acting right.”
The nurse smiled. “Of course. Doc Larson never turns away a child in need. Wait here and I’ll let him know you’re here.”
In a few moments, a bespectacled gray-haired man appeared. “Hello there. Bring the tyke on back and let’s have a look.”
“You stay here, Syd,” Roy said.
“Please, let me,” she begged. “He’s—”
“All right. I understand.” The three of them accompanied the doctor to an examining room.
“Hello, little fella,” Doc said. “What’s your name?”
