Quin raced up the porch and into the house. As Cal reached the house, the door burst open and Josh and Quin tumbled outside, shouting and running to meet him. Quin took Snookums and they raced back into the house.
Looking drained, Juliana stood on the porch. “I thought we might have to send out a search party for all of you.”
“Turn on all the lights so Stoddard and Chris will come back.”
“They’re back. Chris came back shortly before you did and so did Stoddard.”
As she mentioned his name, Stoddard emerged from the house with a broad smile on his face. “I’ll bid you good- night now. Quin seems to be better for the evening’s event. And that cat never has known how good he has it.”
Cal smiled. “Thanks, Stoddard, for helping.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you, Stoddard,” Juliana added.
“Yes, ma’am. I promised Gladys I would stop and tell her when we found Quinton. And the cat. None of us was too worried about the cat.” He left them and disappeared into the darkness in the direction of his house.
“I don’t know how those two escaped Elnora’s match- making,” Cal remarked absently.
“Gladys was married before she came to work here and her husband was killed in a mine explosion. Elnora said Gladys would never marry again. I don’t know about Stod- dard. I know they’re very close friends.”
Shouts came from the house and Juliana turned around. “It’s time to get the boys into bed. Thanks, Cal. I was get- ting really worried about Quin.”
“He’s fine.”
They went inside and Josh and Quin were lying on the floor, rolling a ball back and forth that Snookums was ca- sually batting if it came close enough to him.
“Up to bed, guys,” she announced firmly.
Josh stood and ran to her to kiss her. He glanced at Cal and came over to hold out his arms and give him a hug.
“’Night,” Cal said, swinging Josh up and squeezing him, carrying him on his shoulders to the stairs to set him down. The boy was scrubbed, his hair curling damply on his neck and he smelled soapy and clean. “You grow another inch and you’ll be too big for me to carry you on my shoul- ders,” Cal said.
As Quin headed toward the stairs with Snookums in his arms, he set down the cat and looked up at Cal. On im- pulse, Cal knelt and reached for Quin to pull him close and hug him. To Juliana’s amazement, Quin’s thin arms wrapped around Cal’s neck as Quin hugged him back.
“Thank you for looking for Snookums and me,” Quin said. Scooping up Snookums, he turned to run to catch up with Josh on the stairs, and they disappeared into their rooms.
“What brought that about?” she said, staring at Cal.
“We talked a little when I found him. You’re giving me one of those looks again, like I just turned into a fire- breathing dragon.”
She ran her hand across her head. “It’s been a long night.” Juliana felt frazzled from her worries about Quin. And then to see him throw his arms around Cal and hug him, she realized how important Cal had become to the boys in such a short time. When the year was up and they parted, it was going to hurt her nephews so badly. Was it going to be worth all she had gained in Elnora’s inheritance?
“Come here,” Cal said, taking her arm, switching off lights and leading her to the kitchen. Outside, thunder rumbled and a flash of lightning gave a silvery brilliance to the windows. Juliana went with Cal and watched while he poured a small glass of red wine and handed it to her. He crossed to the refrigerator to get a cold beer.
“You need to unwind,” he said, pulling out a chair.
“I just remembered you have a case tomorrow that you were working on when all this started.”
“I’ll go back to it in a little while. Have a seat.”
She took a long sip of the wine, set the glass on the table and shook her head. “I don’t feel like chatting.”
He narrowed his eyes to study her. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed and was gone, leaving only the dim light over the sink. “You can relax, Juliana. The boys are safe.”
“I hope so.”
“Now, what does that mean?”
“I’m going to bed. It’s been a long, exhausting day. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She turned to go and Cal closed the distance between them swiftly. He set the beer on the table and held her arm, turning her to face him.
“I’m going,” she said.
“Want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
She shook her head. “I was so worried about Quin. Es- pecially when I heard Chris say he last saw him down by the creek.”
“Remember, the boys all know how to swim. Unless the water level is up, he could get himself out.”
“I don’t worry about Chris, but Quin seems so little and Josh is little.”
“I think there’s something else bothering you,” he said quietly. “C’mon, babe, what is it?”
She was torn, wanting his strong arms and reassurance, yet feeling more than ever that they would all be hurt when the year was up. She shook her head. “You’re going too fast for me.”
“I’m barely touching you.”
“I’m not talking about this moment. You’ve done more than barely touch today. You’ve won Quin’s heart. I saw him hug you.”
“Don’t tell me you’re angry with me because the child gave me a hug.”
“You know what’s worrying me! At the end of the year—”
He placed his fingers over her mouth. “Stop fretting about a year from now. Just think about tomorrow. To- morrow can be so good for all of us.”
“I have to think about the end of the year because the boys are going to get hurt.”
“So what do you want me to do?” he asked, sounding tough and cold.
“Stay away from them.”
“That’s a good way to treat them,” he snapped in a cyn- ical voice. “All right, Juliana. I’ll try to stay away.”
Hurting, she turned
