After quickly unloading her equipment on the foyer’s side table, July turned toward the kitchen and her hungry son. She’d only taken a couple of steps when Caleb appeared. The smile that normally lit the little boy’s face was nowhere to be found.
“You promised to take us to the movies,” he said, his blue eyes flashing.
For a second July was struck speechless. She’d assumed Mary Karen had told the boys why she was delayed. From the belligerent look on Caleb’s face that obviously hadn’t happened.
“I got stuck in the park taking pictures of a momma bear and her cubs.” July gestured to her camera. “Later, after I feed Adam, I can show you the photos of—”
“I don’t want to see your stupid pictures.” Caleb lifted his chin and took a step forward. “You promised to take us to the movies.”
The venom in his voice took her by surprise. July stumbled back as if she’d been struck.
He took another step. “You lied.”
Was it only her imagination or was the boy growing larger and more menacing with each step?
Tell him you’re sorry.
July opened her mouth. For a second nothing came out. But somehow the words made their way past her dry throat and she was able to shove them past her lips. “I’m sorry, Caleb. I promised and I should have been here.”#p#分页标题#e#
Her triumph at being able to apologize was short-lived.
“I hate you.” Caleb leaned forward, his hands now clenched into fists at his side. “I thought you were my friend but you’re just a big fat liar. I—”
“Enough.” David clamped a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
July stared in surprise. She hadn’t realized David was even in the house.
“But she—” Caleb protested.
“Not one more word.” David clenched his jaw and held on to his temper with two hands. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so disappointed in one of his nephews.
He’d been in the kitchen with Mary Karen, trying to soothe a very fussy Adam when he’d heard the front door open. He’d handed the baby to his sister and hurried from the kitchen to greet July. He’d only caught the last part of her conversation with Caleb. But he’d definitely heard enough.
While he understood the boy’s frustration—after all this had been the second time in less than a week that a movie had been promised but not delivered—there was no excuse for the way the boy had spoken to July.
David shot July a reassuring smile before turning his attention to Caleb. “Son, you need to apologize.”
“I won’t.” The boy squirmed beneath his firm hold. “Me an’ Connor wanted to go to the movies real bad. She cared more about her stupid bears than she did about us.”
A couple of tears slipped down July’s cheeks and David cursed the insensitivity of four-year-old boys. From the other room, the baby wailed. July’s anxious gaze slid in the direction of the kitchen.
“Why don’t you go feed Adam?” he said in a soft voice. “Caleb and I, well, we have a couple things to discuss.”
July didn’t argue. With a look of relief on her face, she rushed past him.
Once she was gone, David scooped his nephew up in his arms and took him into the living room where he placed him on his knee. “You and I need to have a talk, man-to-man.”
“What about?” the boy mumbled, his gaze focused on his shoes, his lip jutting out.
“Look at me, Caleb.” David waited until the boy’s eyes met his before continuing. “The way you talked to July was totally unacceptable. I know you’re upset, but she apologized. Would you like it if you said you were sorry and I talked to you that way?”
Caleb paused for a long moment then shook his head.
“Would you like it if I told you I hated you?”
“But she—”
“Would you like it if I said that to you?” David asked again, this time in a firm tone.
“No.”
“How do you think it made her feel?”
Caleb shrugged.
“I can tell it made her feel pretty bad. It’d make me feel awful if you said it to me.”
“But she—”
“There is no excuse for that kind of behavior,” David said.
“But—”
“No excuse,” David repeated. “Do we understand each other?”
Caleb hung his head and nodded.
David gave his nephew a hug. “You’re a good boy, Caleb. You have a very loving heart. I know you can do better.”
Unexpectedly, Caleb flung his arms around David’s neck and laid his head against his chest. “I’m sorry.”