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The Sweetest Chocolate Drop
PIPER HUGULEY
Chapter One
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AUGUST 1952
Cat Bennett looked damn good.
Even better than when he last saw her nearly ten years ago at the train station bidding him farewell on his way to bootcamp.
A frozen feeling haunted Mike in his fingers and he gripped the handle of the bucket he was holding and the sweat slicked up his hands. That was the time he had promised her, over and over he would be back for her.
He had never shown up again.
He had his reasons.
Now, Cat’s beautiful beige features contorted with worry and pain. What a change from the love that shone through her as he boarded the train, leaving her behind for good.
“We came all the way across town,” she said in her melodious voice, “And you don’t have room?”
The nurse across from Cat said not a word but shook her head.
Then Mike noticed, away from Cat’s barely aged face, untouched by time, the small person lying on a stretcher next to her. A little child. The feeling moved from his fingers to target the middle of his chest. She found someone else after he left her.
Well, what did he expect? Cat was a catch. Beautiful, dignified, a sharp dresser, even now in her difficulty, every inch the brown queen. Right out of Jet. Why should she wait for him, especially after what had happened? He gathered the few crumbs of courage the war had left to him.
“That room on the fourth floor just got empty.” Mike stepped out from the pillar he had been hiding behind. Cat, so dignified, didn’t betray anything. A flicker of recognition showed up in her eyes though, those Cat’s eyes, the very reason he called her that name and not Cathy, as all of her brothers and sisters did. “Child went on to rehab, as I recall.”
“Myron James.” The receptionist said. “You have no business in this affair.”
“Well, now. That might be and that might not be, Sarah. You see, I know these,” and he turned to look at the small figure with two pigtails sticking out on either side of her head, hunched down in the bed, her large brown eyes shining over the covers. He knew well the call of the small, skinny twisted limbs reaching for help.
Something tugged at his heart. He knew the policy of the Crippled Children’s home. He knew the customs.
He also knew the director. Who owed him a favor. And he owed Cat.
“These ladies. I might have to call on Mr. O to come on and let them in.” He set the pail down.
“I could lose my job,” Sarah bit out at him.
“Me too. But you lose me, you just have to clean up, lift, carry and all the rest around here.”
Sarah bit her lips, and Mike saw Cat’s back straighten. Good. No time to give up now for your…child.
He looked back at the little girl again, who in in all of this time, hadn’t taken her eyes off of him.
“I’m going to get Mr. O.” Sarah stood up and Mike could tell she really didn’t want to, since her orthopedic shoes she was always complaining about, hurt her. And so what?
“You go on ahead and do that Sarah. I’ll wait right here for both of ya’ll.”
They both watched Sarah hobble off toward the elevator. Mr. O’Brien’s office was on the top floor four flights up.
The door of the lift opened and Sarah pushed back the inside grid of elevator doors, clanging them shut, as she got on the lift and, without a word between them, watched it go up.
Until Cat’s child spoke.
“Mama. He’s about the blackest man I ever saw.”
