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“Offense. Do you think he’ll come after them?” She’d heard of parents losing custody for taking their kids out of state without the other parent’s permission.
Emma scoffed at the notion. “Why would Carl do that? He never wanted to see them when they were right up the road.”
“Right.” Grace didn’t bother to suggest that Carl might go to his lawyer simply out of spite. Emma had enough on her plate as it was. Grace accelerated to the end of Amos’s street.
“You think the boys have burned down the houseboat yet?”
“They might,” Emma allowed. “Colton has a thing for matches.”
Her dry retort drew a laugh out of Grace. She really did like the younger woman.
They were both relieved to find the houseboat still intact. As they hurried down the hill toward the pier, Grace touched Emma’s free arm.
“Thank you. Really, if you weren’t here, I don’t know what I would have done. When this is over, I don’t want to hear a word of protest when I go to thank you. That’s how much this means to me.”
Emma regarded her like she dreaded what she was being sucked into. She didn’t say,You’re welcome, Grace noted with a grimace
As they neared the boat, she could hear the boys giggling inside. If only she could stay here with all of them—with Amos—tonight and for as long as Simon needed her. But a little orphan on the other side of the ocean was missing his mother, and she possessed a birth certificate declaring that shewashis mother. As such, it was her job to go collect him and bring him safely home.
But if Amos couldn’t understand that, then “home” would never be here onCamelot.
CHAPTER14
Faith rubbed her tender belly as she watched her last client of the day, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, get driven away by his doting wife. Late-afternoon sunlight glinted off the van’s rear windshield. Faith waved until the van disappeared under the shadow of the trees, then marched back through the empty barn toward her office.
Every individual who’d come to see her on the first two days of the week had returned for their second appointment, suggesting her business was going to thrive. Despite the hardships she had lived through, God clearly had plans to prosper her.
“Thank You, good Lord.”
At the back of the barn, she peered through the back door and across the riding ring at the horses in the pasture. For once, Otis wasn’t bullying the gelding. He seemed to have selected Blossom as his favorite mare, as he grazed right next to her.
Assured that her animals were content, Faith headed into her office to handle a bit of bookkeeping. This job which combined the two things she loved most—horses and helping others—was clearly her life’s purpose. If only Jerry were here to enjoy it with her. She heaved a sad sigh. Still, she could picture him growing bored and ultimately discontent as there wasn’t much danger involved, apart from the occasional nip or kick from a horse.
Sinking into the chair at her desk, her thoughts flitted to Fitz, whom she’d not heard from since the day she’d received her therapy horses almost a week ago. Regret pinched her. Ah, well. It was probably too soon for her to fall in love again, anyway.
Faith logged onto her laptop and went to work balancing the books. She only had to work four days a week to make ends meet, leaving her a three-day weekend, every weekend, to spend with her kids. As she billed a couple of insurance companies, she spared a thought for them. Grace had called the previous day to say she was needed at Amos’s place as an unexpected guest had arrived with no less than three children. Apparently, she was still needed again today because she hadn’t shown up to entertain her niece and nephew. Grayson was probably beyond annoyed with his little sister, though he’d shown remarkable patience lately.
As if conjured by her thoughts, her son gave a knock while pushing into the office. “Hey, Mom, can I talk to you?”
“Sure.” Faith hit the Save key and logged out of the program. “Where’s Olivia?”
“Watching another Disney princess movie.”
Given his tone, he’d seenallof them a dozen times.
“You’ve been a really good brother, honey. I’m going to pay you an allowance for that.”
“Mom.”
He loomed over the table, making her realize he must have grown at least two inches this summer. His grave expression finally caught her attention and she braced herself.
“What is it?”
“Grace told me something I’m not supposed to tell you until tomorrow.”
“What’d she say?” Faith glanced away just long enough to power down her laptop and close it.
“She’s gone back to Venezuela for Mateo. She left today.”
