chin. Feeling as if he’d just got punched in the gut, he turned and left the room, soundlessly pulling the door shut behind him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep, uneven breath. He had let himself get far too close. But it wasn’t nearly close enough.
Chapter 3
It was a little after two in the afternoon when the small yellow school bus pulled up in the Calhoun driveway, a private school logo on the side. Conner, who had been sitting on the wide steps waiting for its arrival, stood up as the bus pulled to a halt. The door opened and a dark-haired boy shot out, throwing his backpack in the air. “Uncle Conner! Hey!”
Cody launched himself at his uncle, and Conner laughed and swept him up, having just enough time to give him a hug before catching the angel-eyed little girl who practically jumped into his arms. “Uncle Conner! Uncle Conner! Thith is a big thurprith!”
Laughing at their antics and Sarah’s lisp, Conner managed to wave to the bus driver, the tangle of arms around his neck nearly strangling him. “Hey, buckaroos. How are you doing?”
Sarah gave him a huge hug. “We’re doing fine, Uncle Conner. How are you doing?”
“Well I’m doing fine, too, angel.” He went over to where Cody had dumped his backpack and bent over, the two kids still clinging to him. “How about snagging that bag, Tiger.”
Leaning over in his uncle’s arm, the boy did as he was asked, then straightened and looked at his uncle, his deep blue eyes dark with anxiety. Conner did what he could to reassure his nephew. He winked and smiled at him. “We’ll talk later, okay, Chucker?”
The boy managed a smile. “Okay.”
Grasping Conner’s face, Sarah turned him to look at her. “Where ith my mom?” she demanded.
Amused by his niece’s imperious tone, he hitched her higher. As Jake would say, there were no flies on this one—nope, Little Miss Calhoun was a handful of the first order. He gave her a solemn look. “I sold her to a bunch of trolls.”
Sarah narrowed her eyes at him. “What trolls?”
“He’s pulling your leg, Sarah,” interjected her brother, sounding disgusted. “Dontcha know anything?”
Sarah lifted her chin and gave her brother a haughty look. “I know loths of things.”
Deciding that with these two it was no wonder Abby was worn out, Conner tried not to smile as he climbed the steps. He reached the door. “Let’s try to be quiet, okay. Just in case your mom is still asleep.”
They entered quietly, closing the door without making a sound; then Conner packed them both through the big foyer to the kitchen. He set them down on the big work island. Sarah gave him a fierce hug, then squirmed toward the edge. “I hafta go to the bathroom, Uncle Conner.”
He swung her down and watched her leave the room, then he turned back to his nephew. His gaze was solemn when he spoke. “You did the right thing calling me, Cody,” he said, his tone quiet. “And I’m going to stick around and help your mom get things straightened away.”
Cody looked up at his uncle, his gaze still anxious. “Did you tell her I called you?”
Conner smoothed down the boy’s tousled curly hair. “Yeah, I did. But she’s not upset about it. So don’t you worry, okay?” Lifting the boy’s chin so he could look him square in the eye, Conner gave his nephew a reassuring smile. “I don’t want you worrying about anything from now on—I’m going to do that. And everything will be fine. I promise.”
Cody looked up at his uncle, and Conner knew the little boy was doing his best not to cry. “Come here,” he said gruffly, gathering the boy up and giving him a big hug. “That was a very grown-up thing you did, Cody. To call me.”
The boy wrapped his arms and legs around Conner, then whispered unevenly against his uncle’s neck, “I was kinda scared.”
“It’s okay to be scared, Tiger. But you don’t have to be scared anymore, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Mom ith up!” announced Miss Sarah as she skipped into the room. Abby followed her in, looking dazed and almost drunk. And she was trembling. His insides bunching up, Conner realized that she was in far worse shape than he’d originally thought. This was a woman who was literally running on empty. Setting his nephew down, he fixed a neutral expression on his face and crossed the room. Breaking his hard-and-fast rule for the third time that day, he took her by the shoulders, turned her around and aimed her toward the stairs. “You’re going back to bed, Abby,” he said, using a tone that no one in his right mind would ever mess with.
She looked at him, her eyes dazed. “I can’t. The kids are home. And I’ll have to fix dinner.”
He shook his head. “You’re going back to bed. I’ll look after the kids and I’ll fix dinner.” She opened her mouth to respond, and he shook his head again. “Don’t argue with me, Abby.”
She closed her eyes and clasped her head, and he had to fight back the urge to pick her up and carry her up the stairs. That kind of touching was definitely out of bounds. Cody seemed to pick up on his uncle’s mood. Taking his mom by the hand, he led her toward the front hall. “Come on, Mom.”
Conner watched them leave the room, then he went outside on the deck, bracing both hands on the rail and bending his head, his jaw rigid. For the first time in his life, he experienced a bitter rage toward his brother. He should have had his ass kicked for leaving Abby in such a bloody mess.
“Are you mad at my mom?” came a small voice at his elbow. Giving himself a minute to get his anger under control, Conner turned his head and looked at Abby’s daughter. He wasn’t going to try any kind of dodge with this kid. His expression unsmiling, he shook his head. “No angel. I’m not mad at your mom. I’m mad at the person who upset your mom.”
Her head tipped to one side, Sarah watched him, considering his answer, and whether it was on the level.
Conner almost smiled. Both she and her brother had the Calhoun dark blue eyes and dark curly hair, but there was a whole lot of Abby in this one, especially in that pointed, determined little chin. As if deciding his answer was on the up-and-up, she announced, “Mom thaid we could have macaroni and cheese for dinner. Do you know how to make macaroni and cheese?” His mood lightening, Conner swung his niece into his arms, flipped her over and carried her into the house. He was rewarded with a squeal and a giggle.
“Of course I know how to make macaroni and cheese.”
Still giggling, Sarah grasped his pant legs. “You got your boots on, Uncle Conner. Mommy ith going to give you heck for having your boots on in the houth.”
He laughed and swung her over his shoulder. “And I suppose you’re going to tell her.”
She managed to get her arms around his neck. “Nope,” she said, squirming around to look him square in the eye, letting him know exactly what side his bread was buttered on. “Becauth you’re going to make me macaroni and cheese.”
Conner laughed and tipped her upside down again, letting her slide onto the kitchen table. This kid was going to pull out all the stops, that was for sure. He had to admit that his independent, strong-willed niece amused the hell out of him. But he didn’t kid himself either. Anyone taking on this kid was going to have to be quick off the mark to keep ahead of her. No doubt about it.
He fixed an early dinner for them and debated about waking Abby up, but decided against it. It was as if having someone there had allowed her to pull the plug on everything she’d been frantically juggling, and her body had simply shut down on her. She was still asleep when he put the kids to bed. And she was still out cold when he decided to turn in. He heard her get up in the middle of the night, and he forced himself to stay right where he was. He reminded himself that he had come here to help her, not make things worse.
In spite of the jumble of thoughts racing around in his