in your room, and you'll have to stay there for half an hour." Evan pointed to the kitchen clock. "Until the big hand on the clock points straight up. Do you understand me?"
Jenny didn't answer, nor did she take her eyes from Evan's face. Instead, she slowly slid from her chair and walked to the TV in the adjoining family room. She switched it on.
Evan hesitated. Damn it! This was not her problem. Why not let Jenny watch TV? She was too tired to deal with a defiant child. Linc had told her to back off. All she had to do was what he'd asked her to do. Let Jenny have her way. She'd raised her son, disciplined him, loved him; she didn't need this frustration. But when a gloating smile creased Jenny's pretty face, Evan stepped briskly forward. Jenny's smile vanished as quickly as it had come. She looked frightened now.
Evan's tense, tired expression softened as she switched off the television. "I'm not going to hurt you, Jen. I will never hurt you. I'm going to do what I said I'd do. Put you in your room. In half an hour"—Evan nodded again at the kitchen clock—"you can come downstairs again and wait for Cal."
When Jenny refused to take her hand, Evan picked the child up and carried her.
* * *
Maud's headache was a harbinger of a miserable cold, and Evan insisted she spend the next few days in bed. Evan spent the weekend looking after Jenny. When Evan went to work on Monday, Cal covered for her. Fortunately it was his scheduled day off from his job at the local supermarket. It had been a hectic time, and they were both grateful to see Maud feeling better and slowly getting back on her feet—even though Evan insisted she leave tonight's dishes with her and again go early to bed.
With the last dish in the dishwasher and the counters clear, Evan snuggled into the big chair near the window, planning some quiet time with her book.
She stretched and rolled her head to loosen her shoulders. So far so good; she'd managed, with Cal's help, to do her job here and at work. The bank account was getting fatter by the month. Everything was working out fine. Almost everything. There was still Linc, due home tomorrow, and... there was still Jenny.
Jenny and Evan had settled into an uneasy truce. In the past few days, Jenny had tested her a dozen times and lost. Evan had remained firm and consistent. And while she believed the child was beginning to respect her, she wasn't certain she liked her much. That saddened her, because she was developing a genuine affection for the feisty four-year-old. She smiled to herself.
She might not like you, Evan North, but she's crazy about your son.
Right now the three of them were in the family area off the kitchen; the kids sprawled across the deep carpet, engrossed in a game, Evan, curled in the big chair, her book in her lap, looking down at them. Cal was teaching Jenny how to play checkers—and it didn't look to be going in Cal's favor.
Evan yawned and stretched. Her muscles were tight, and she thought longingly about a hot bath.
"It's late, you two," she said. "Time for Jenny to go to bed."
"Ten minutes, Mom. This is major serious here," Cal said. "If I'm not careful, half-pint is going to beat me."
"I guess it helps when you can play either color at whim." She looked at Jenny who was stacking a red checker on a black and shoving it two squares forward.
Cal smiled. "Yeah."
"Ten minutes and that's it."
"Right." Cal's attention turned back to the game.
It was near ten when Evan woke up in a now darkened room. A soft blanket was tucked around her chin, and the children were gone. She sat up with a start, and a piece of paper fell to the floor. She switched on a lamp.
Mom. Don't panic. I put the kidlet to bed.
See you in the morning. Cal.
"Looks like the baby-sitter needed more taking care of than the baby."
Evan nearly leaped out of her skin. It was Linc.
"What are you doing sitting there in the dark. You nearly scared me to death." Evan could still hear the hard thumping of her
Jenny didn't answer, nor did she take her eyes from Evan's face. Instead, she slowly slid from her chair and walked to the TV in the adjoining family room. She switched it on.
Evan hesitated. Damn it! This was not her problem. Why not let Jenny watch TV? She was too tired to deal with a defiant child. Linc had told her to back off. All she had to do was what he'd asked her to do. Let Jenny have her way. She'd raised her son, disciplined him, loved him; she didn't need this frustration. But when a gloating smile creased Jenny's pretty face, Evan stepped briskly forward. Jenny's smile vanished as quickly as it had come. She looked frightened now.
Evan's tense, tired expression softened as she switched off the television. "I'm not going to hurt you, Jen. I will never hurt you. I'm going to do what I said I'd do. Put you in your room. In half an hour"—Evan nodded again at the kitchen clock—"you can come downstairs again and wait for Cal."
When Jenny refused to take her hand, Evan picked the child up and carried her.
* * *
Maud's headache was a harbinger of a miserable cold, and Evan insisted she spend the next few days in bed. Evan spent the weekend looking after Jenny. When Evan went to work on Monday, Cal covered for her. Fortunately it was his scheduled day off from his job at the local supermarket. It had been a hectic time, and they were both grateful to see Maud feeling better and slowly getting back on her feet—even though Evan insisted she leave tonight's dishes with her and again go early to bed.
With the last dish in the dishwasher and the counters clear, Evan snuggled into the big chair near the window, planning some quiet time with her book.
She stretched and rolled her head to loosen her shoulders. So far so good; she'd managed, with Cal's help, to do her job here and at work. The bank account was getting fatter by the month. Everything was working out fine. Almost everything. There was still Linc, due home tomorrow, and... there was still Jenny.
Jenny and Evan had settled into an uneasy truce. In the past few days, Jenny had tested her a dozen times and lost. Evan had remained firm and consistent. And while she believed the child was beginning to respect her, she wasn't certain she liked her much. That saddened her, because she was developing a genuine affection for the feisty four-year-old. She smiled to herself.
She might not like you, Evan North, but she's crazy about your son.
Right now the three of them were in the family area off the kitchen; the kids sprawled across the deep carpet, engrossed in a game, Evan, curled in the big chair, her book in her lap, looking down at them. Cal was teaching Jenny how to play checkers—and it didn't look to be going in Cal's favor.
Evan yawned and stretched. Her muscles were tight, and she thought longingly about a hot bath.
"It's late, you two," she said. "Time for Jenny to go to bed."
"Ten minutes, Mom. This is major serious here," Cal said. "If I'm not careful, half-pint is going to beat me."
"I guess it helps when you can play either color at whim." She looked at Jenny who was stacking a red checker on a black and shoving it two squares forward.
Cal smiled. "Yeah."
"Ten minutes and that's it."
"Right." Cal's attention turned back to the game.
It was near ten when Evan woke up in a now darkened room. A soft blanket was tucked around her chin, and the children were gone. She sat up with a start, and a piece of paper fell to the floor. She switched on a lamp.
Mom. Don't panic. I put the kidlet to bed.
See you in the morning. Cal.
"Looks like the baby-sitter needed more taking care of than the baby."
Evan nearly leaped out of her skin. It was Linc.
"What are you doing sitting there in the dark. You nearly scared me to death." Evan could still hear the hard thumping of her
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