Stevie’s lower lip wobbled. “I’m stuck.”
“So you are.” Leon turned his head to look at Flora. “I have no idea how he managed to do this. It must have taken some force to jam his arm under this bar.”
“That was what I thought.” When she stopped biting it, her own lower lip trembled slightly. “Daisy said no one saw what happened. The only thing I can think is that he must have slipped and pushed his hand under as he fell.”
Leon turned back to Stevie. “However you did it, I don’t think you’ve broken anything.” Fire chief Andy Mellor and his colleague Rick Morris approached at that moment and he spoke directly to them. “I’m going to need you to cut through the bar on either side of his arm so we can release him.”
He made a move to shift out of the way to allow the firefighters to get in close with their hydraulic cutting equipment, but the fingers of Stevie’s free hand clutched the front of his shirt.
“Dr. Leon, stay here.” His protective instincts were roused by the boy’s pale, determined features, which made him think of Flora and the way she’d dealt with Joy’s death. The boy had clearly inherited his fighting spirit from his mother.
“Is that okay?” Leon asked.
Andy nodded. “We can work around you.”
Stevie was regarding the huge cutting shears nervously, so Leon decided to distract him. “Do you like ice cream?”
The blue eyes swiveled away from the firefighters and fixed hopefully on Leon’s face. “I like choclit best. Frankie likes ’anilla.” The contemptuous tone told its own story of his regard for Frankie’s preference.
“How about we get some ice cream once your arm is free?” He had to raise his voice above the noise of the cutters.
“Frankie too?” Leon nodded. “And Mommy?”
“We’ll all go.” He wasn’t sure how Flora would feel about that plan, but it was taking Stevie’s mind off the cutting operation and that was all that mattered.
The giant shears cut through the bar like a hot knife through butter and Stevie was scrambling free a minute later. Flora caught him up into a hug, ruffling his curls, and the boy made a protesting noise as he squirmed in her embrace. Andy and Rick departed, having assured Leon they would tell Daisy to get the equipment checked before the kids used it again.
“I’m going to need to get another look at that arm.” Leon didn’t think there was any real damage, but he wanted to be sure.
Stevie stood still, watching Leon with interest as he checked the arm for signs of a break. Although the tender skin was red, there was no sign of swelling or severe bruising and Stevie could bend his arm and grasp Leon’s fingers without pain.
“We’ll get a cold compress from Daisy, but I don’t think there’s any other treatment he needs.”
“Thank you.” Flora’s sigh of relief seemed to reverberate right through her slender body. “When I saw him lying there...”
“It must have been a shock, but he’s fine.”
“Ice cream.”
Leon looked down at Stevie as the little boy pulled on the knee of his pants. It was a bittersweet reminder of the family he’d lost. The twins were nearly three and the child he and Karen had been expecting would have been about a year older.
“Oh, hey, you really don’t have to—” Flora’s bright curls tumbled as she shook her head “—I can take them to the Ice Creamery.”
“Dr. Leon come, too.” The grip on Leon’s leg tightened.
“I did make him a promise. And I’d like it...if you don’t mind?”
I don’t do closeness. I don’t do caring. How’s that working out for you?
Leon was aware he was coming across more like a shy teenager on a first date than a professional doing his job. Or a man who kept a lock on his heart.
“You may have no choice. They can be pretty determined.” Flora looked from her toddler’s upturned face to Leon’s with a smile. “It’s a family trait.”
He’d told himself her smile couldn’t have the sort of impact he remembered. He was wrong. It wasn’t just the way it lit up her face. It was the message it gave. Flora’s smile inspired happiness and, once she got started, she was generous with it. That expression was the most beautiful thing Leon had seen in quite some time.
He wanted to see more of it. As Stevie wrapped plump arms around his knee, it looked like he was going to get his wish...with a side order of ice cream.
Chapter 3
Since the Ice Creamery was just a block away, Leon left his car at the daycare center and they walked. Frankie, once he had been assured that his twin was okay, became jealous of the attention his brother was getting from this interesting new acquaintance. He was determined to make up for lost time. As a result, Leon had a twin clamped to each hand.
“Call me later and let me know how he is.” Flora had thought Daisy’s pale face and worried manner had been out of proportion to the incident.
“He’s really fine. Look at him.” Flora had attempted to reassure her as they’d left.
“Just call me. Please?”
“I’m surprised at the way it affected her. Little kids have accidents all the time,” Flora commented to Leon as they walked along the sidewalk.
“They do, and Daisy usually deals with them calmly. She may be worrying about repercussions, even a possible lawsuit.”
“Really?” She gave the matter some thought. “It was just a typical kid thing. No one was to blame.”
“Since we both commented on the effort Stevie must have put into getting stuck, I expect Daisy will be relieved to hear you say that.” They reached the ice-cream parlor and Flora held the door open so Leon could walk through sideways without letting go of the twins. “Some parents might suggest there was
