Lamont tucked a stray blond curl behind her ear. “I don’t think so, darlin’. She got a little smoke in her lungs, but the doctors at the hospital are going to fix her right up.”
She put one tiny hand on either side of her father’s face, exactly as Nadine had with Lamont earlier. “Will she die, Daddy?”
Adam’s brow furrowed for a fleeing moment. “’Course not,” he said, forcing a grin. “You know Grandmom. Nothing can keep her down!”
When Amy looked to Lamont for confirmation, he nodded. “She’ll be good as new and home again in no time.”
“Can we go to the hop-sital, Daddy?” Amy asked. “I want to see her.”
Adam swallowed, hard. “Well,” he began, “I—”
“Tell you what,” Lamont said. “It’s late, and your grandmom had quite a night. She needs her rest. So how ’bout you and your mom and dad come on over to my house and try to get some shut-eye while your daddy checks up on Grandmom. And after a nice big breakfast tomorrow morning, we’ll all go to the hospital together.”
Her face brightened a bit. “Can we spend the night at Mr. London’s house, Daddy? Can we?”
Adam exhaled a deep sigh. “Thanks, Lamont. That’s mighty generous of you.”
He waved the comment away. “Hey, what’re friends for?” And, laughing, he added, “Besides, it’ll be nice having y’all there. That place is way too big for one man.”
Shoulders sagging, Adam heaved a heavy sigh and stared at what had been his childhood home. “Well, I guess there’s nothing more we can do here.”
“Meet you at River Valley,” Lamont said. “If you should get there before I do, the back door’s unlocked.” To Amy, he added, “Obnoxious is probably outside. He’s gonna be one happy pup to have a little girl around to play with!”
Resting her head on her father’s chest, she smiled sadly and nodded.
All the way back to the ranch, Adam’s headlights danced in Lamont’s rearview mirror. It dawned on him that Nadine, her son and his family had nowhere else to go. Would they accept his offer to stay at the ranch house until her own could be rebuilt? He wasn’t at all sure, because Nadine could be mighty proud and stubborn when she put her mind to it.
Times had been hard for her these past few years, what with the drought and all. Now her house andeverything in it was gone. The few pieces of furniture or clothing that hadn’t burned to a crisp were too water-logged from the fire hoses to be of any use. Maybe he could scare up something from one of his girls’ boxes in the attic for her and Julie and Amy. His own clothes would be a tad big for Adam, but they’d do for the time being.
The welcoming golden glow of his ranch house came into view and, despite the horrible night, he managed a half grin, imagining Amy’s tiny sneakered feet thumping up and down the hardwood stairs, giggling as Obnoxious ran close on her heels.
Sure would be nice having a little girl in the house again.
And in a few days, Nadine, big-eyed and gorgeous, would be smiling across the kitchen table at him. It would be even nicer having a big girl in the house again.
“I’m glad Adam decided to stay home and rest,” Nadine said. “He was here all night.”
Lamont nodded. “Julie is getting them settled in. Making breakfast. Unpacking the boxes of my girls’ old clothes to see what might fit her.” He chuckled. “She asked me to show her how to use the washing machine.”
“I can’t wait to get out of this place and plop myself into a chair at Kaye’s salon. I guess that doesn’t make much sense to you, though, does it?”
“No need to explain yourself to me,” Lamont said, hands up like a robbery victim. “I understand. Completely.”
Nadine shook a finger under his nose. “Don’t give me that, cowboy. You don’t understand diddly.” She watched his dark brows move closer together.
He crossed both arms over his chest and, boots shoulder-width apart, cocked his head. “You’re
She put one tiny hand on either side of her father’s face, exactly as Nadine had with Lamont earlier. “Will she die, Daddy?”
Adam’s brow furrowed for a fleeing moment. “’Course not,” he said, forcing a grin. “You know Grandmom. Nothing can keep her down!”
When Amy looked to Lamont for confirmation, he nodded. “She’ll be good as new and home again in no time.”
“Can we go to the hop-sital, Daddy?” Amy asked. “I want to see her.”
Adam swallowed, hard. “Well,” he began, “I—”
“Tell you what,” Lamont said. “It’s late, and your grandmom had quite a night. She needs her rest. So how ’bout you and your mom and dad come on over to my house and try to get some shut-eye while your daddy checks up on Grandmom. And after a nice big breakfast tomorrow morning, we’ll all go to the hospital together.”
Her face brightened a bit. “Can we spend the night at Mr. London’s house, Daddy? Can we?”
Adam exhaled a deep sigh. “Thanks, Lamont. That’s mighty generous of you.”
He waved the comment away. “Hey, what’re friends for?” And, laughing, he added, “Besides, it’ll be nice having y’all there. That place is way too big for one man.”
Shoulders sagging, Adam heaved a heavy sigh and stared at what had been his childhood home. “Well, I guess there’s nothing more we can do here.”
“Meet you at River Valley,” Lamont said. “If you should get there before I do, the back door’s unlocked.” To Amy, he added, “Obnoxious is probably outside. He’s gonna be one happy pup to have a little girl around to play with!”
Resting her head on her father’s chest, she smiled sadly and nodded.
All the way back to the ranch, Adam’s headlights danced in Lamont’s rearview mirror. It dawned on him that Nadine, her son and his family had nowhere else to go. Would they accept his offer to stay at the ranch house until her own could be rebuilt? He wasn’t at all sure, because Nadine could be mighty proud and stubborn when she put her mind to it.
Times had been hard for her these past few years, what with the drought and all. Now her house andeverything in it was gone. The few pieces of furniture or clothing that hadn’t burned to a crisp were too water-logged from the fire hoses to be of any use. Maybe he could scare up something from one of his girls’ boxes in the attic for her and Julie and Amy. His own clothes would be a tad big for Adam, but they’d do for the time being.
The welcoming golden glow of his ranch house came into view and, despite the horrible night, he managed a half grin, imagining Amy’s tiny sneakered feet thumping up and down the hardwood stairs, giggling as Obnoxious ran close on her heels.
Sure would be nice having a little girl in the house again.
And in a few days, Nadine, big-eyed and gorgeous, would be smiling across the kitchen table at him. It would be even nicer having a big girl in the house again.
“I’m glad Adam decided to stay home and rest,” Nadine said. “He was here all night.”
Lamont nodded. “Julie is getting them settled in. Making breakfast. Unpacking the boxes of my girls’ old clothes to see what might fit her.” He chuckled. “She asked me to show her how to use the washing machine.”
“I can’t wait to get out of this place and plop myself into a chair at Kaye’s salon. I guess that doesn’t make much sense to you, though, does it?”
“No need to explain yourself to me,” Lamont said, hands up like a robbery victim. “I understand. Completely.”
Nadine shook a finger under his nose. “Don’t give me that, cowboy. You don’t understand diddly.” She watched his dark brows move closer together.
He crossed both arms over his chest and, boots shoulder-width apart, cocked his head. “You’re
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