When We Found Home(47)

She considered his words. “You’re saying Dad doesn’t like change.”

“I’m saying change is usually difficult and a little scary. At least at first.”

There was no way he was going to talk about how Paulo felt threatened by his wife’s change in circumstance. Santiago would guess his brother was feeling left behind. Yes, the extra money would be nice, but at what price? What if Hanna started expecting more of her husband?

They continued walking through the displays and finally reached the open area. A crowd had started to collect for the demonstration. Emma grabbed his arm to keep him from joining Noah.

“Are my mom and dad going to get a divorce?”

Santiago stared into her beautiful eyes. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine, that of course her parents would stay together. Only he didn’t know for sure and this was one problem he couldn’t fix for them. They were going to have to do that themselves.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t think so, but it’s not up to me. What I am sure of is they both love you and your brother. No matter what, they’ll take care of you, as I will and your grandmother, too.”

“That doesn’t make me feel a lot better,” she admitted. “But I get it. I hope they can work things out. A couple of my friends went through a divorce and it sucks.”

“I know, kid. I know.”

* * *

Malcolm waited for his sister in her room. Keira was due home from her friend’s house by four and as far as he knew, she was always on time. He sat on the floor with Lizzy. The cat was growing fast—she’d nearly doubled in size since she’d been rescued. She was a friendly, playful bundle of fur. When she started to climb his shirt, he pulled her free, then held her against his chest. She curled up in his hands and purred, rubbing her head against his chin.

This was nice, he thought in some surprise. He’d never had pets growing up and hadn’t ever seen the point to have one as an adult. But Lizzy was a good kitten. Maybe he should think about getting a dog or something.

Before the thought fully formed, he pushed it away. Right—when would he take care of a dog? The last thing he needed was to be responsible for one more life.

He continued to pet Lizzy. The kitten eventually fell asleep clearly oblivious to his very uncomfortable position supporting her. He lowered her to the carpet where she mewed a protest before giving his hand a quick lick, then falling back asleep.

“What are you doing here?”

He looked up and saw Keira in the doorway to her room. “Waiting for you. Lizzy was keeping me company.” He stayed where he was. “I almost never see you these days and I wanted to see how you were doing.”

Her expression stayed wary as she walked into her room. She wore jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and colorful tennis shoes. When she’d first arrived, she’d been underweight, but today she looked less gaunt and more relaxed.

Keira tossed her jacket on her bed, then sank down on the carpet a few feet away. “What did you want to talk about?” she asked cautiously. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Not that I know about. Did you?”

She flashed him a smile. “No. I’m actually a really good kid. You should be grateful. I could be acting out in all kinds of ways. Stealing, breaking things, hoarding food.”

All things he’d never thought about. “We are lucky. Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome. By the way, I should have chores. I’m nearly thirteen and you need to be teaching me responsibility.”

Something else he’d never thought of. “You’re right. Do you want to come up with a list of chores or should I?”

“I can do it. I already take care of Lizzy. Carmen checks on me, but I do the work.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “You know, there are a lot of books on parenting. You might want to read one or two of them so you know what you’re supposed to do. When I’m a teenager, things are going to be really rough. I’ll be talking back and borrowing the car and staying out late.”

“I can’t wait,” he murmured, thinking he probably should read up on what it was like to raise a teenage girl, although whatever any expert had to say was likely to scare the crap out of him.

“I’ll have the chore list to you by the end of the week,” she said. “Then we’ll talk about my allowance.”

“You already get an allowance.”

“For doing nothing. I’m going to be doing a lot more. You should pay for that.”

“I thought you were learning about responsibility. Isn’t your payment a life lesson?”

She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? I don’t think so. I’m a kid. I don’t want life lessons. I want cash.”

“Maybe we can work out a deal where you have both.”

She grinned. “Maybe, but I won’t like it.”

“Fair enough. How’s school?”

“Fine. I’m caught up with my assignments, I’m making friends.” She looked at him. “All things you already know because you have to be talking to my school counselor and I know you saw my therapist.”

She was an unexpected combination of child and adult, he thought. “I want to know what you think.”

She stroked the sleeping kitten. “I think you should be nicer to Callie.”

That surprised him. “What do you mean?”

“I hear you guys fighting sometimes. You should try to get along with her better. She’s really nice and fun and she spends a lot of time with me, unlike some people.”

Not a comparison he wanted. “Callie and I have different views of things.”

“Maybe, but hers are right.”

“You don’t know what we were talking about.” Although if she was referring to Callie’s suggestions about adding to the company’s catalog, he might have been too quick rejecting her ideas.

“I know Callie,” Keira told him. “I know she works hard and that she’s honest and does what she says she’s going to do, although I guess that’s kind of the same thing. I trust her.”

The last comment seemed more pointed than the others. Had Callie told Keira about her past? He didn’t know how to ask without betraying a confidence. He would have to speak to Callie about it directly.

“I don’t distrust her,” he said.

“That’s not the same thing.” Keira’s eyes narrowed. “You need to be nicer.”

“I’m trying.”

“Try harder. You can be mean to me if you want, but not to her.”

His sister’s words slammed into him like a sledgehammer as the truth revealed itself. Keira trusted Callie. She wanted to spend time with her. He had no doubt that on Keira’s phone, Callie would be listed under her name. The word asshole would never be mentioned when it came to her.

How had Callie done it? How had she cracked the code when Malcolm couldn’t come close? For the first time in a long time, he felt lost, alone and inadequate. He’d always assumed he was just like everyone else—that he would get married and have a family. That he would be a decent father one day. Only being around Keira was making him think there was something wrong with him.

He cleared his throat. “How about if I’m not mean to either of you?” he said, trying to keep his voice casual so she wouldn’t know how her words had hurt him. “And we’ll keep working on being a family.”

For a second he thought she was going to say that she and Callie already were a family—that he was the only outlier. Instead she nodded.

“I’d like that,” she told him.

“Me, too.”

The only problem was he had no idea how to make that all happen.





chapter twenty-one

Callie had just stepped off the line for her afternoon break when her phone rang. She reached for it only to frown at the unfamiliar number. Keira and Santiago were pretty much the only people who called her. Grandfather Alberto had recently decided he needed to join “you young people today” and had bought a phone that allowed him to text, which meant that was all he did, multiple times a day.

“Hello?”

“Callie? It’s Hanna, Santiago’s sister-in-law. Do you have a second?” Hanna sounded frantic.

“Of course. What’s wrong?”

“It’s Noah. The school just called and he’s sick. He’s throwing up and they think he has a fever.” Her voice thickened with tears. “I’m in Olympia with Emma’s class on a field trip. I don’t have any way to get back for at least a couple of hours. I can’t get anyone on the phone. Not Paulo, or my brother-in-law, or my mother-in-law. I know it’s a lot to ask but is there any way you could go pick him up and take him home? Just until my mom or Paulo can get there to be with him, then I’ll get home as fast as I can.”

Callie’s stomach knotted and she felt like she was going to throw up, as well. Of course she wanted to get Noah—she was happy to help out. But what she didn’t know was what Hanna would think if she knew the truth about her past. If she did, would she be willing to have Callie pick up her son?

“Callie, I’m desperate.”

“Of course I’ll do it. Tell me where his school is and I’ll be right there.”