man flicked dark eyes toward the boy. “Are you hurt, Chris?”
“Mmm-hmm.” The boy wiped his face on his sleeve, using the uninjured arm. “I hurt my shoulder.”
The man stepped inside, crowding the area, making Addy’s heart race...and not in a good way. More in the way large male strangers had been doing for over fifteen years. The fear never went away. She merely had to control it.
Breathing deeply, she stretched out a hand, shifting some of the power. “I’m Addy Toussant. This is my aunt Flora’s house, but I live with her.”
The man the kid had called Lucas didn’t tear his eyes from the boy as he placed a humongous hand on the boy’s shoulder. “And I’m Chris’s uncle Lucas. I’m taking care of him for a while.”
“And Charlotte. And Michael,” Chris said, his brown eyes meeting hers as he allowed his uncle to move his arm.
“Yeah, them, too,” Lucas muttered, his eyes screwed up in concentration as he poked and prodded the boy. “Stand up so I can get a better look at your shoulder.”
Chris allowed Lucas to lift him to his feet. Addy watched for signs of pain in the boy’s face, but didn’t see anything alarming.
Chris hobbled a little. “My ankle hurts, too.”
Lucas stepped back so his shoulder brushed hers. Addy dropped the hand he hadn’t shaken and scooted away, ignoring the piece of splintered shelf jabbing into her thigh. “Are you surprised? You drove your bike through this nice lady’s, um, house thing.”
Chris peered over at her. “Sorry, Miss Abby. Really. I forgot you put this on my trail.”
Addy didn’t say anything. She probably should say something inane like “It’s okay” or “My name’s Miss Addy,” but she didn’t. Mostly because the child had destroyed part of her newly built greenhouse...and plenty of poor, helpless orchids.
“I’m glad you’re sorry because you’re going to help her rebuild it.” This from the tall, dark and somewhat handsome man.
“What? No.” Addy turned to the giant glowering at the boy. “It’s really not necessary.”
“The hell it isn’t. I told him to stay off that damn bike while I went in to help his sister. He disobeyed, nearly killed himself and destroyed property in the process. He’s helping fix this.”
“You’re cussing,” Chris whined, making a god-awful face. “I don’t know nothin’ about fixin’ stuff.”
“Well, that’s the way you learn.” The man picked up the motorbike as if it were a small toy and rolled it toward the split in the plastic as the older boy arrived on scene.
“Holy shit, Chris, what did you do? Mom’s going to freak.”
“Watch your mouth,” Lucas said, shooting the older boy a stern look, blatantly ignoring his own naughty word moments before.
Michael crossed his arms and gave his uncle a go-to-hell look. “Whatever. Like you don’t cuss.”
The man ignored him and shoved the bike toward Michael. “Take this to your house.”
Michael caught the bike and glowered. “Why do I have to clean up his messes? I always have to—”
“Do what I said,” Lucas said, his tone brooking no further argument. “Where’s your sister? I left her in the bathroom.”
And that was when Charlotte showed up sans pants.
“I’m through,” she trilled with a smile, thrusting a wad of toilet paper in the air toward Lucas.
For a moment, all were stunned silent.
“Where are your pants?” Lucas asked as the two older boys started laughing.
“I couldn’t put them on. You hadda wipe me.” She looked about three or four years old. Old enough to know better than to go outside with a bare behind. Young enough not to care.
The man lifted his eyes heavenward and took in a deep breath. Addy wasn’t sure if he was praying or trying his best not to bolt toward the huge truck he’d parked in the narrow drive the day before. She didn’t know why he’d gotten saddled with the Finlays’ three kids, dog, cat and whatever else they sustained in the rambling shotgun house next door, but he was more of a champ than she.
Or was that chump?
“For crying out loud, Lottie. You’re not supposed to leave the bathroom without clothes on. And you can wipe yourself. You know it and I know it,” Chris said looking like a small parent. “Wipe yourself.”
“But not when I go poop,” Charlotte said, twisting cherub lips beneath bright blue eyes, corkscrew blond curls and a bow askew on her snarled ponytail. Tears filled her eyes and that bottom lip trembled.
The man’s mouth moved.
Definitely praying.
“Uh, hi, Charlotte. Remember me? I’m Miss Addy,” she said, darting a look toward Chris so he got the message about what her name actually was. “Why don’t you go with your brother Michael to your house and let him help you find your pants.”
She heard Michael’s bark of protest and shot him a look that said “Shut it” before turning to the darling pantless girl. “When you’re done, you can come back and I’ll give you a homemade chocolate chip cookie Aunt Flora made for her bridge club.”
Charlotte made a little smile adorable enough to melt the sternest of hearts.
Lucas sighed. “Please, Charlotte, go with your brother.”
The little girl looked up, up, up at the big man above her and her body literally shook. “Mmm’kay.”
Michael rolled his eyes, shifted the dirt bike to Chris and took his sister’s hand—not before carefully inspecting it—and tugged her out the hole in the greenhouse. Toilet paper trailed behind the barefoot child.
Lucas gave Addy his full attention for the first time. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Think I’ll just go, too,” Chris said, slinking past his uncle, rolling his bike toward the entrance.
“Wait,” Lucas said.
The boy stopped and looked at his uncle with frightened eyes. Addy watched as the man forced himself to relax.
“You need to help Miss—” He struggled for her name.
“Toussant,” Addy said.
“—Toussant clean up. And then we’ll arrange a time for you to help repair the damage you’ve done.”
“A boy can’t fix this.” Addy’s gaze roved over the rubble. “I have to replace some beams and most of the sheeting. Plus several of the shelves are broken. And pots. And several plants will need replacing...”
