for the children. He wasn’t sure the woman would awaken that quickly. With the concussion, that couldn’t be guaranteed.
“Have you introduced yourselves to Miss Peters?” he asked, in an attempt to distract them.
Both children looked confused.
Diane hurriedly said, “That’s me. I told them my name is Diane,” she explained to him. “And this is Toby and Janie Duncan.”
He greeted the two children by name and watched them relax a little. “Do you live here in Cactus?”
The boy opened his mouth to answer, but a familiar voice behind Jeff responded instead.
“No, they live in Lubbock,” Cal said. He came into the room and stopped at the end of the boy’s bed. “I’ve called their number but there’s no answer.”
Diane quietly said, “Toby said their daddy died a few months ago. He doesn’t remember any more family.”
“Toby, is it?” Cal repeated in a kind voice. “You don’t have any grandparents or aunts or uncles, Toby?”
The boy shook his head, his bottom lip trembling.
“Okay,” Cal said easily. “Do you remember what happened, Toby? Today, I mean.”
The boy paled and Jeff reached for his hand, hoping to offer reassurance. Diane, from the other side of the bed, reached out to touch him also.
Toby opened his mouth but no words came out. Finally, he managed, “A car, a red car, hit us.”
Cal nodded and smiled again, as if Toby had given him just what he needed to hear. “Good boy. How are you feeling?”
“I think Toby’s had a tough day,” Jeff said, hoping Cal would understand that the children didn’t need any more questioning.
“So, they’re going to stay here?” Cal asked.
“For tonight,” Jeff said. “The nurse is going to come with their trays. After they eat, they’ll each get a sedative to help them sleep tonight. Then tomorrow, Toby, and Janie, of course, will probably be released.”
“But their mother…” Diane began, then trailed off, her gaze on the little boy’s face.
“Right,” Cal agreed, seeming to recognize her dilemma. “We’ll need to find someone to care for them until we can consider our options.”
“I can take care of them,” Diane offered.
Jeff looked away from her. A compassionate woman was always attractive to him. His own mother had been ill most of his life. He’d gone into medicine because of her. But she’d been unable to be the mother of storybooks or television shows.
The problem with Diane was that he was already attracted to her. When he’d seen her holding the toddler, her gaze filled with worry and not a little fear, he’d recognized that compassion, along with her natural beauty. Her strength and determination had compounded his interest and curiosity. Which explained why he’d overreacted to Samantha’s teasing.
For the first time since his wife died, he was attracted to another woman.
“Um, it’s a big responsibility. I can’t tell you how long…if Cal doesn’t find any relatives, we could be talking weeks.”
As he’d expected from his experience with her at the wreck, her chin rose and she glared at him. “I’m not an idiot. I understand that. But I’m not going to work full-time at the law firm until after I take the bar exam.” She turned to Cal. “Can I take charge of the kids, Cal?”
“Do you have room in your mother’s house, Diane? I know Joe got his own place when he moved back, but there’s still Paul and Susan at home. And you.”
“If I share with Susan, the two little ones can sleep in my bedroom,” she said. “It will be crowded, but I think they need to be together anyway.”
“Works for me,” Cal agreed.
“Is that okay with you, Toby?” Jeff asked. “Would you mind going with Diane tomorrow? That way you’ll be close to the hospital so you can see your mom.”
The little boy nodded, turning to look at Diane. “Yes, sir,” he whispered.
Diane smiled tenderly at him. “Good. You’ll like my home, Toby. My mom makes great cookies.”
The little girl sat upright, speaking for the first time without tears. “Cookie?”
Diane hugged her with a smile. “Ah, I found something you like, didn’t I, Janie?”
“I’d better have their dinners brought in. Do you mind helping feed them, Diane?” Jeff asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course not.”
He and Cal left the room together. As soon as Jeff had given instructions to a nurse, he turned to the sheriff. “Do you think she’ll be able to handle the job?”
“Diane? Oh, yeah. The Peters kids are responsible. While Katie took the brunt of the burden when their dad died, they all pitched in and worked hard. Only Susan, the baby, who’s a senior this year, has shown any tendencies for teenage rebellion. If Diane says she can handle the job, you can be sure she can.”
Jeff sighed. “Okay.”
“How long before the kids settle down for the night?”
Raising his eyebrow, Jeff said, “About half an hour. Why?”
“I thought I’d go to The Last Roundup for dinner. I know Diane hasn’t eaten since Janie hasn’t left her arms. And you couldn’t have had a chance, after doing the operation. I thought both of you might join me.”
Jeff searched for a reason to turn down the invitation. But he was no masochist. He had nothing at the house ready to eat, and it had been a tough day.
“I don’t know about Diane, but I’ll take you up on your offer.”
“Good. And I’ll count on you to persuade Diane. She deserves a treat after all she did today.”
Jeff agreed that she deserved more than a steak, but he wasn’t looking forward to spending more time with her. On the other hand, without the toddler in her arms, maybe he’d find her less attractive.
Right.
DIANE QUIETLY WATCHED the two children subside into sleep, grateful that for a few hours they could forget the miserable day they’d just experienced. Janie had eaten more readily than Toby. Unless she or the nurse encouraged him, he’d been reluctant to eat. Diane could see the worry in his eyes.
Janie had eaten a good meal, her young mind unable to concentrate as well as her older brother’s. Fortunately, the sedative they’d given her had been in the form of a pill this evening, not a needle. She never even realized she’d been given medicine and was easily tucked into the second bed in the room.
Toby, too, took
