wrong?” he asked.
“Just wondering why Marina never hung anything in here.” She shrugged. “The walls are all blank. I remember she always used to like to hang her pictures everywhere.”
“They were full of Marina’s pictures. She’d become an excellent photographer.” Sam chose his words carefully. “Your mother’s had a hard time dealing with her death. I came back one day to find she’d taken everything down. She said she couldn’t bear to look at the wasted potential of her talent. That’s partly why I suggested they move upstairs. No memories there because Jake and Marina just had it renovated.”
“But Mom removed other stuff, didn’t she?” Kelly’s pointed look made Sam realize there was no point in prevaricating. Her next words confirmed that. “I noticed the living room has discolored paint where I’m guessing a family or wedding picture used to hang.” Her lips tightened. “She shouldn’t have touched them. I’ll ask her not to do it anymore.”
“I’ve already told her not to,” he admitted.
“Really?” Kelly stared at him. “You told my mother—” She stopped, a dazed look stretching her eyes wide.
“I had to. I want her to feel comfortable here, but I also want this to remain the kids’ home,” Sam explained. “Too many changes all at once aren’t good for them. Your mother disagrees. She thinks they should forget as fast as they can.”
“It’s what she did with her own parents’ deaths when we were little. We couldn’t talk about our grandparents at all, though we had some very good memories.” Kelly’s sad face made Sam want to reassure her just as she’d reassured the twins. “That’s how she deals with life’s problems. Or at least it was when I lived at home.”
“Maybe she’ll get better,” he soothed, doubting it.
“Thank you for understanding.” Kelly’s smile made it clear she knew he was soft-pedaling her mother’s indignant reaction. “I’m sure she hasn’t made it easy for you. I’m surprised she didn’t push to have the funerals before I arrived.”
“We need your input,” was all he would admit. He smiled. “I was hoping you’d agree we should have them at their church, the one I showed you in town, and fairly soon. We all need the chance to say goodbye.” He touched her arm, hating to cause her pain, but knowing it was inevitable. “I’d like to have one funeral for both of them on Saturday. Is that okay with you?”
“That’s only two days away.” He saw the tears well, but Kelly gulped, lifted her chin and nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
“Exactly what you just did, which is to take care of the kids. Listen to them when they want to talk. Comfort them, reassure them that they are loved and cared for.” He had to say it. “I don’t want Sadie and Emma to hear one word from anyone about not staying here on the ranch.”
“Why aren’t me and Emma stayin’ here, Uncle Sam? Don’t you want us no more?”
Sam wheeled around with a silent groan. Sadie stood in the doorway, her face drawn up in a frown.
“You’re gonna send us away, aren’t you, Uncle Sam?” she asked and then began to howl as if she was seriously injured.
Sam looked at Kelly and silently begged, Help me!
* * *
Kelly recognized grief, weariness and sadness in Sam’s silent appeal. Poor guy was swamped with trying to keep the world going for everyone, including her. Kelly had to act. She scooped Sadie into her arms, set her on the bed then sat down beside her.
“Hush now. I want to ask you something, Sadie.”
“’Kay,” was the hiccupped response.
“Do you know Uncle Sam very well?” Kelly asked.
“O’ course. He’s Daddy’s brother.” Sadie frowned at the obviousness of that, but at least she’d stopped crying, and now her blue eyes widened with curiosity.
“Yes, but is Uncle Sam mean?” Kelly waited for Sadie to shake her head. “Does he do bad things?” Again the shake. “But I guess he sometimes yells at you.”
“No. Uncle Sam loves me and Emma,” Sadie insisted.
“Then why would he send you away from your home?” Kelly waited for her to puzzle it out. “Uncle Sam wouldn’t do that, right?” Sadie shook her head. “Of course not. But you heard us talking and wondered why he said what he did.”
“Uh-huh.” Sadie’s pigtails bobbed with her nod.
“Well, honey, it’s like this. People are curious and sometimes they say silly things. I think Uncle Sam must have heard some of those folks talking, wondering about you and Emma.”
“’Bout our mommy and daddy going away, you mean?” she said calmly, leaving Kelly to marvel at the quickness of this child’s brain. “I think they said it ’cause Uncle Sam hasn’t got a mommy.”
“But—oh, you mean he doesn’t have a wife who could care for you?” Kelly clarified.
“Uh-huh.” Sadie frowned. “Who’s gonna look after Emma ’n me?”
“Uncle Sam’s going to look after you, honey. And I’m going to help him. If anyone asks you, you tell them that.” She hugged Sadie close, somewhat surprised by how quickly love for these precious children had swept into her heart, a determined and protective love that refused to let Marina’s beloved kids suffer unnecessarily.
“Okay now, darlin’?” Sam drawled as he crouched in front of Sadie.
“I guess.” Her freckled nose wrinkled. “But who’s my fam’ly?”
“Darlin’, you got family coming out your ears.” Sam tickled her earlobe then began listing people. “You have two grandmas, two grandpas, Uncle Sam, Auntie Kelly, Emma, Jacob Samuel and Oscar—”
“Oscar’s my fam’ly?” Sadie’s eyes peered at him in surprise.
“Oscar’s our right-hand man,” Sam explained to Kelly. He handed her the baby before turning back to Sadie to cup her cheeks in his palms. “He lives on the Triple D, doesn’t he?” He grinned when she nodded. “Well then, Oscar must be family. Right, Kel?” he asked, holding her gaze with his own.
Kel. The nickname he’d given her the night of the wedding. Sam was the only one who’d ever called her that. Kelly couldn’t help a thrill of pleasure at the familiarity. It made her feel part of the group, as though she belonged. Not even the memory of her mother’s frosty reception could ruin the burst of warmth that sprang up inside.
Dear Sam. How kind of him to make her feel so welcome. Of course she was going to stay and help him, for as long as she could.
“Kel?” He was still watching her with that intent stare that saw too much.
“Right, Sam,” she agreed, snapping out of her reverie. “Oscar must be family.”
“See, Sadie Lady? What did I say?” He chuckled
