working together for his or her best interest. Family. People who love each other.”
Daniel couldn’t offer all of that, not when it came to him and Mandy, but they did both care about Kaden. He glanced up to see Maura, Mandy and Kaden exit the store. Kaden had a chocolate chip cookie in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. Mandy’s hands were filled with the same, and so were Maura’s.
“You didn’t bring us any?” Bo teased.
“Our hands were full,” Kaden said, using his tongue to grab a bit of stray chocolate from his lip, “but yours are waiting for you on the counter.”
Mandy grinned and licked the chocolate from her fingers. She looked so different when she smiled, actually sweet, like someone Daniel could actually connect with. And Daniel suddenly noticed that he’d just seen that same smile on Kaden. He looked to his nephew, then back to Mandy. Kaden had Mandy’s smile.
“You okay, Uncle Daniel?” Kaden asked, and Daniel wondered if his thoughts were that obvious.
Kaden had his eyes and Mandy’s smile. That was so noticeable now, and Daniel wondered why. God, what are you telling me?
“Uncle Daniel?” Kaden repeated.
Daniel cleared his throat. “I’m fine,” he answered.
“He’s wanting some of those cookies,” Bo said to Kaden.
Daniel grinned. “I sure do. Here you go,” he handed over several bills to Bo, “for the gas, the milk and the cookies.”
“I’ll bring your change for the gas. The milk and cookies are on the house. We’ll consider it your welcome home treat. And I’ll grab your cookies when I come back out with your change,” Bo said, walking toward the station.
“Can I have another cookie please?” Kaden asked.
“Sure,” Maura said. “Come on, I’ll take you to get one.”
She and Kaden followed Bo, and Daniel found himself alone with Mandy. She’d finished her cookie and held tightly to her small carton of milk while she leaned against the truck and avoided looking in Daniel’s direction. He took a deep breath and decided he might as well get everything out in the open while he had the chance.
“I want you to give me custody,” he said. “After the funerals, it seemed like a good idea for you to raise Kaden, but I didn’t consider the fact that you want to see the world. And I’m good with that. I’ve had my chance to travel. Now I want to work here with the church, and I want to raise Kaden.”
She shifted, turned dark eyes toward Daniel. “Listen, I wish you’d believe me. I didn’t mean what I said in that email. Kaden had been throwing up for three days straight and was burning up with fever. I was tired from puke patrol and was catching that wretched bug myself.” She sighed heavily. “When I sent the email, I already had a fever and had gotten sick twice myself. It was a weak moment, and I sent you a second email the next morning to let you know I didn’t mean it.”
“But I’d already emailed Brother Henry asking for a job.”
“So you could have told him you changed your mind.”
“But I didn’t.” He put the gas can in the back of the truck. “Mandy, I’m the same guy who heard you say nearly those exact words seven years ago, that you would do anything to leave this horrid little town.”
“I can’t believe you’d bring that up now. Do you really think I meant it? That I would have married you just to get away from here?”
“Yes, Mandy, I do.”
She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut when Kaden ran out of the store in front of Bo and Maura.
“Here’s yours,” he said, handing Daniel a carton of milk and a small brown bag. “Mrs. Maura gave you three cookies, ‘cause she said men eat more than boys. But then she gave me another one, so I got three, too.”
“Guess you’re a man,” Daniel said, patting Kaden’s back.
“Yep,” Kaden said, shimmying into the backseat. “Guess so.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll see you again in a few minutes,” Bo said to Mandy. “You’ll need gas in your car, right?”
“That’s right,” she said. “Thank you for the cookies and milk.”
“You’re welcome.” He grinned. “And Mandy, we’d love to have you back at church, you know.”
She returned the smile, but this time it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know. Thank you.” Then she got in the passenger seat and buckled up.
“Aunt Mandy?”
“Yes?”
“Can I stay in this truck till we get home?”
Daniel paused climbing in to see what she’d say.
Mandy swallowed then turned warm eyes toward Kaden. “If you want to, that’s fine. You haven’t seen Uncle Daniel in a while. You probably want to visit and ask him about those elephants, don’t you?”
Kaden took a sip of milk from his carton, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah, maybe. But I mainly want to stay in this truck because it was Daddy’s. We always went riding in this truck, before Mommy and Daddy went to heaven.”
Chapter Three
After getting Mandy’s truck running again, Daniel followed her back to the gas station. Bo saw them and walked out of the station looking glad. Daniel had planned to wait until she filled up and then follow her home, but Mandy got out of her truck and walked back to his with a keychain dangling from her hand. Daniel noticed a rectangular photo suspended from the silver ring, and as she got closer the image came into focus and displayed Mandy and Mia on Mia’s wedding day.
She neared his open window and handed him the keychain. The close proximity sent another sweet fragrance of peaches teasing Daniel’s senses, and he swallowed past the urge to inhale deeper.
“Here’s the key to the shop. You can go on ahead and spend a little time with Kaden until I get there.” She peeked toward the backseat and displayed another beautiful smile that wasn’t at all intended for Daniel’s enjoyment.
But he enjoyed it, anyway.
“Kaden, maybe you can show Uncle Daniel that house we built last night. That sound good to you?”
“Sure!”
“Lincoln Logs,” she said to Daniel. Her words were still short toward him, but he was growing used to it. She’d been perfecting her stoicism around him for seven years, after all.
“Those were mine and Jacob’s favorite toys growing up,” Daniel said quietly.
A look passed over her face, and he figured she was trying to decide whether to respond or simply walk away. Then her mouth slid to the side, and she blinked a couple of times before whispering softly enough for Kaden not to hear, “I remembered Mia had planned to get him some for Christmas so I asked Mr. Tolleson at Nelson’s if he could order a set. They came in yesterday.” She swallowed. “We played with them last night until we were both ready for bed, but I’m guessing he would probably like a guy to help with the building. I do my best, but I’m still learning.”
Daniel noticed that her eyes glistened. Undoubtedly she’d been crying during the short drive from where they’d picked up her car to the station. And Daniel understood. Kaden’s comment about “before Mommy and Daddy went to heaven,” was a sharp reminder that his nephew’s life had been forever altered by a distinctive barrier. In fact, all three of their lives had been altered by that same barrier. The time before Mia and Jacob died, and the time after.
Mandy