looped his arm about Mindy’s shoulders. “Are you hurt?”
Mindy shook her head, dislodging a piece of hay that floated to the ground.
“We should have brought your walker. This uneven surface—”
“No! I—I—hate it!”
“Your dad agreed to you helping me. In fact, you’re going to be my assistant all next week while Mrs. Watson is gone.”
“I am!” Mindy brushed the rest of the hay from her hair, a huge grin revealing a missing tooth. “Thanks, Dad-dy.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie.”
“I get—to—miss—sch-ool?” The child’s eagerness peppered the air with her enthusiasm.
“No way. I’ll have your homebound teacher come out here for the week.”
Some of Mindy’s enthusiasm evaporated, a slump to her stance. “I hate—sch-ool—too.”
“Mindy, we’ve had this discussion. School and your lessons are important.” Slade held his arm out for his daughter to take, then he led her toward his car.
Tory followed, wishing she had the right to step in. She remembered when she was struggling to learn to read in elementary school. She’d hated school, too, until she had mastered her problem. Mindy had to fight hard to regain everything she’d once taken for granted, such as walking, talking, taking care of herself. It would be normal for her to feel that way about her lessons when she was still trying to recoup what she’d lost after the operation.
After securing Mindy into the front seat and closing the door, Slade moved toward the back of the car where Tory stood. “We’ve had this argument every week since the homebound teacher started. She remembers what she used to be able to do with ease. Now those things are so hard for her that she often becomes very frustrated.”
There was a part of Tory that wanted to reach out and touch this man in pain, but there was a part that held her frozen in place. “She’s come a long way in a short time.”
Dark shadows clouded his blue eyes. “If I could trade places with Mindy, I would in a heartbeat. The worse thing for me is to have to stand by and watch her suffer.”
His whispered words held anguish in them. Tory lifted her hand toward him, her fingers trembling as they lay on his arm for a brief moment before slipping away. “Prayer has always helped me through the difficult times.”
“Mindy was innocent. This should never have happened to her in the first place. She was perfectly normal until the car wreck. Why would God do this to her?”
The pain in his voice robbed Tory of her breath. The heaviness in her chest threatened to squeeze the air completely from her lungs.
He started to turn away, then swung back toward her. “It’s been a long week. I didn’t mean to burden you with this. I’ll bring Mindy out Monday morning.” He offered her a fleeting smile, said, “Thanks for all your help,” then strode to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel.
As his car pulled out, Tory fought the tears quickly filling her eyes. Lord, help this man find his path back to You. He is hurting and needs Your comfort.
“Wh-ere’s—Dad-dy?” Mindy asked, worry furrowing her brow.
Tory glanced at her watch for the third time in ten minutes. “His meeting probably ran over. That’s all. We’d better wait here for him.”
“Ba-th-ro-oom.” Mindy labored over the word, the lines in her face deepening.
“I’ll wait out here in the reception area for your dad while you’re gone.”
“Be back.” Mindy made her way across the room and disappeared through the door where clients went for their speech therapy.
Picking up a magazine, Tory began flipping through it, not really seeing the words on the page. Slade was fifteen minutes late. Why hadn’t he called? What was wrong? She chewed on her lower lip, her own worry coming to the foreground. Finally she gave up trying to read the magazine and tossed it back on the table in front of her.
The outside door swung open, and Slade entered. He was all right, Tory thought, her gaze skimming down his length. Relief shimmered through her.
When he caught sight of her in the corner, he hurried to her and sat next to her. For just a second Tory’s heart sped. She pressed her lips together to still her usual reaction to someone invading her space.
“I’m so sorry I was late. My cell phone is dead so I couldn’t call you to tell you that I was sitting in traffic waiting for them to clear up an accident.”
“Anyone hurt?”
He frowned, his blue eyes dark. “Yes. It was a mess. They’re still working on it.”
“Dad-dy!”
Slade looked toward Mindy who stood a few feet away. The little girl launched herself at her father, throwing her arms around him.
“You oo-kay?” Mindy plastered herself against her father. “What—” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Tears shone in her eyes and one slipped down her cheeks.
Slade smoothed his daughter’s hair back from her face and kissed the top of her head. “I’m fine. Just delayed. I couldn’t call. Sorry about that. I know how you are when I’m late.”
“Su-re—okay?” Mindy sniffed.
He squeezed her to him. “Yes, sweetie.”
“He just got stuck in traffic,” Tory said as she rose and gathered up her purse.
“What—was—a mess?” Mindy leaned back to peer at her father.
Slade paled. “Nothing important.”
“Dad-dy, what?”
He forced a laugh. “My day, sweetie, but not now. How about us taking Tory out to dinner? I think she deserves our thanks for helping us out.”
“Yes!”
Mindy’s excitement touched Tory. She’d always wanted children—lots of them—but didn’t see how that goal was possible now. Slade was so lucky to have a daughter like Mindy. “How can I refuse?”
“You—can’t.” Mindy scooted off her father’s lap and took Tory’s hand, pulling her toward the door.
“I guess my daughter is hungry, even though it’s not much after five. Do you mind an early dinner?”
Laughing at Mindy’s eagerness to leave, Tory tossed back over her shoulder while the child was dragging her through the opened door, “I’m always hungry, so I can eat early or late or both. Where are we going? I can follow you in my truck.”
“Leave your truck here and I’ll bring you back for it afterward.”
“I can follow—”
“Plee-ze,”
