Home>>read When A Man Loves A Woman free online

When A Man Loves A Woman(3)

By:Belle Calhoune


“Not exactly, but close,” she said in an amused voice. “Is that such a bad thing?”

“All I want is to be with my sister! Doesn’t that count for anything?” he asked in a raised voice.

Mrs. Worther frowned. “I didn’t see anything about a sister in your records.”

Mac let out a groan and pounded the desk with his fist. “Everyone keeps saying that, as if she wasn’t real. She was as real as we are. And I want to be with her. She’s my family.”

“Take care, young man with your temper. You’ve been with four foster families. In each home you were destructive and violent. That is not a good path to be walking down.”

“I don’t care,” Mac snarled. “I hated them all. All I want is Callie.”

“Callie? Your sister?”

“Yes,” he said in a muffled voice. Sometimes all he wanted to do was cry. He had lost Callie the day they had been rescued from their home. And nobody would tell him where she was or how she was doing. Didn’t they know it was killing him? It was his job to protect her from harm. It always had been. But how could he protect her when he didn’t even know where she was or how to find her?

“Mac. I know you’ve had a tough time of it. Between the abuse you suffered at home and being moved around from foster home to foster home—it’s no small wonder you’re angry and defiant and lashing out at everyone.”

“You don’t know. Nobody knows. Except Callie.”

“So, Callie was a friend to you during all the bad times. She must have been a lifeline during unbearable times of sadness and stress.”

“My best friend,” he spit out. “My little sister.”

Mrs. Worther sighed. “Mac. I’m confused about your sister. Where would she be?”

“I don’t know!” Mac cried. “I haven’t seen her since the day we called for help. She was taken in a separate car and I haven’t seen her…not even once.”

She flipped through some papers. Then she swung her gaze toward him. “You’ve been in a lot of trouble these past six months.”

“Yeah, so,” Mac mumbled. He crossed his arms across his chest and stuck his lip out.

“I know it must have been a shock to hear about your mother and step-father,” Mrs. Worther said in a low voice. “Finding out that they died—.”

“You mean that my stepfather killed my mother and then himself?” Mac interrupted. He bowed his head down. A long time ago, well before Frank had entered their lives, his mother had been a good Mom. Sweet. Loving. But that had all changed when Frank had entered the picture. He had been abusive and cruel. And she had allowed him to do whatever he wanted to her children. And he had always known that one day Frank would do something terrible.

“I’m sorry, Mac. That’s a terrible thing for you to have to try and understand.” Mrs. Worther’s eyes looked misty.

Mac hated when people cried, especially girls. It made him uncomfortable. And he hated feeling as if there was nothing he could do to stem the tide of tears.

Mrs. Worther splayed her hands on the table. “Here’s the deal. There’s a family. A very special, loving family who might be an excellent fit for you. They live in Cape Cod and they have other boys they have taken in from the system. Problem is, I’m not sure you’re a good fit for them.”

“Why not?”

“Because of what this file says. Anger issues. Fights. Sullen behavior. Mistrustful.”

Mac crossed his arms over his chest. What could he say? It was the truth.

“Maggie and Alec Donahue are the best of the best. Trust me, Mac. If you’re going to a foster home, this is the one you want to be in. They are loving, warm, decent and kind. And they live right near the beach in Cape Cod where you can smell the ocean, fly kites on the beach and go crabbing any day of the week in summertime.” She lowered her tone. “And guess what? They really love children. They have a house full of boys.”

Was Mrs. Worther telling the truth? If she was, this Donahue family sounded amazing. Almost too good to be true. But wasn’t that what he needed? Perhaps this Donahue family could help him find out what had happened to Callie?

“If you promise to put your best foot forward, I’ll make the call and you’ll be sent to live with the Donahues. But you have to make a solemn vow, Mac. With so many other children in the house I just can’t allow for disruptions or foul tempers.” Mrs. Worther peered down at him from behind her glasses.

“I promise to try my best,” Mac vowed. “That’s all anyone can ever do.”

Mrs. Worther chuckled. “That’s right, Mac. That’s all one can ever do. I hope you find nothing but bliss with your new family.”