the front door. Every step she took was a betrayal to Toby. She could feel him protesting. The presents under the tree would be something he needed, not for what was in them, but for the memories associated with them.
“When will their belongings arrive in Dallas?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to make arrangements tonight.”
He sounded irritated.
Molly mentally shrugged. She’d done her best for Toby. She couldn’t do any more because the man behind her didn’t want her to.
She’d thought perhaps he was sad and exhausted at the hospital. Now he seemed surly and difficult. And she was going to live with him for a month? She must be crazy. At least he would be at work most of the time.
Poor Toby, in a house with a grandmother who needed to be protected from him, and an uncle who was never there. He’d gone from a loving home to what? A museum? She would only be there a month, but she’d do everything she could to make a warm home for Toby.
She squared her shoulders as she marched out to her car. She wasn’t going to worry about the man behind her, carrying most of the luggage. That was his choice.
After putting the small case in her car, she turned to look at Richard Anderson, who was loading the rest of the luggage in the trunk of his car.
“I’ll see you at the hospital in the morning,” she called.
“At nine o’clock. Please be on time. We don’t want to run late getting to the airport.”
With disdain, she replied, “I’m always on time, Richard.”
Then she went back to her car, got in and drove away, leaving him standing there. So what if he didn’t like her abrupt withdrawal. He shouldn’t have been so snippy.
Immediately she felt remorse for her attitude. The evening had to have been difficult for him, even if he hadn’t seen his sister in a while. And it must’ve been a long day, as she’d guessed at the hospital. She chastised herself for not showing more patience.
But Toby was a little boy. The man and his mother hadn’t shown much compassion to him. Richard’s concern had been for his mother.
The next few days would be difficult for Toby. But at least he would have her so he wouldn’t feel alone. Richard might regret his invitation, but he wasn’t going to get rid of her now, even if he wanted to.
She was going to be there for Toby.
For just a little while, and regardless of the heartache when she had to leave, she and Toby would be a family.
Molly was used to getting up early, but apparently her patient was not. She had to practically dress Toby without any assistance from him. “Toby, you’re not helping me, you know.”
“But I don’t want to go,” he said in a low voice. “Mommy and Daddy are—” He cut off on a sob.
Molly put her arms around him. “Sweetie, your mommy and daddy’s bodies are buried here, but they will always be with you, in your heart. You just have to think about them and they’ll come to you in your heart and in your memory.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and one day, when you’re older, you can come back to visit their graves. But they won’t be there, because they’ll be with you, in your heart.”
Toby patted his heart. “Do you think they’re here now?”
“Yes, I do. And they want the best for you.”
“So you think they want me to go with my uncle?”
“Yes, because he’ll take care of you. That’s important.”
“Okay,” Toby agreed with a sigh.
“Good. Let’s get your shirt on. I like it. It matches your eyes.”
“That’s what Mommy said, but I like it because it’s easy to wear.”
Molly smiled. “I see.”
Once she got his shoes on him, she helped Toby get down from his bed. He had a cast on his left collarbone that ended on the upper part of his arm and the cast on his lower arm started just below his elbow. At least he was mobile.
She managed to get him discharged from the hospital and down at the front door five minutes early. She already knew Richard would be irritated if they were late.
Her bags were down by the door. She’d left them with one of the greeters so she wouldn’t have to drag them upstairs and down. She sat Toby down in one of the chairs for visitors and hurried over to get her bags.
“Molly!” Toby cried urgently.
Molly whirled around.
Toby was pointing to his uncle coming through the door.
“I’m coming, Toby,” she called. Gathering her two bags, she rushed across the lobby to meet Richard at Toby’s side. “We’re ready,” she announced.
“Good. Toby, can you walk?”
“Yes,” the little boy said, his eyes big.
“Okay. I’ll get your bag. May I take one of yours, Molly?”
“No, thank you. I can manage.” She followed the two males out the door, keeping an eye on Toby. The boy kept looking over his shoulder at Molly, to be sure she was following.
Toby’s grandmother was sitting in the front seat. Elizabeth Anderson smoothed back her graying hair and turned her blue eyes to Molly. The woman looked rested, Molly thought. She was glad someone was. She had just come off the night shift for the last six months and was still adjusting to working in the daylight.
She got in the back seat with Toby, wondering if his uncle was still irritated with her. Judging by his silence as he loaded the trunk, he probably was. Richard Anderson didn’t appear to be the forgiving kind.
Toby sat very still as Molly put his seat belt on him. “Can she speak?” he whispered, nodding toward his grandmother.
“I don’t know,” Molly returned. After all, she hadn’t heard the woman utter a sound, either.
“Is everything all right?” Richard asked, looking at them in the rearview mirror.
“Yes, Richard.”
Before Molly could stop him, Toby leaned forward and said, “Are you my grandma?”
The woman seemed to freeze.
Richard answered for her. “Yes,” he said in clipped tones.
Molly put a hand on Toby’s good arm, warning him not to speak again. She didn’t believe the woman was as frail as Richard believed, but she was certainly suffering grief at her daughter’s death. That was enough for Molly to cut her some slack. For a while.
There was no conversation in the car. All the way to the airport, Molly held Toby’s hand and squeezed it when he sent her a panicky look.
When they got out at the airport, Richard got a skycap to take care of their luggage. Then he turned to Molly. “Here are the tickets for the three of you. Please take care of my mother and Toby while I return the rental car. I’ll meet you at the gate.”
“All right.” She nodded to the skycap who led them to the check-in line. She discovered they were flying first class, which made it possible to bypass the long line. In no time, she had checked them in.
“My son—” Mrs. Anderson said, looking as panicky as Toby.
“He’ll be joining us at the gate, ma’am. He has to present his own ID, you know. Airport security.”
“Oh, yes. Do you—do you know where our gate is?”
“Yes, ma’am. If you’ll come with Toby and me, I have our tickets and I can find