you come anyway? Right away? There are a couple of children here who need someone to play with. They need Tori. I’ll explain when you arrive.”
Despite how little Honey was actually telling her, Rachel responded with an immediate, “Okay, we’ll be right over. I’ll have to wake Beth, so she might be grumpy.”
Honey considered baby Beth’s discomfort a small price to pay for providing Evan and Madeline with small-fry company.
“See you soon.”
Next, Honey called Violet Summer, who owned the Summertime Diner.
After a few rings, Vy answered. “Hey, Honey. To what do I owe the annoyance of this call interrupting a perfectly fine Sunday afternoon with my man?”
Honey laughed. God, she loved Vy’s irreverent sense of humor. On the other hand, Vy might be serious considering how recently her relationship with newcomer Sam Carmichael had begun.
Honey explained that she had children and a couple of adults who needed to be fed, and that it was an emergency. She could almost feel Vy coming alert like a bird dog sensing prey.
“I’ll head over to the diner and see what Will has left over from yesterday. It might not be much. We were busy. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
Once Vy arrived with food, Honey would assess what was needed and call in her cook, Chet, to make up burgers and fries if necessary. Honey didn’t have enough food in the apartment for everyone. She didn’t think Madeline would let go of her long enough for Honey to buy food, let alone cook it. A good guy who liked children, Chet wouldn’t mind cooking for them.
Honey had forgotten to ask Cole whether she could share his story, but it would be naive of him to think he could hold on to this forever. The second he’d brought the children home with him to Rodeo, they’d become part of the community.
Hold up, Honey. You don’t even know if this is permanent. But Cole mentioned guardianship and a will, so probably?
She would just have to get the full story at some point.
Back in the living room, she replaced the phone in its cradle. Cole sat staring at his cell, but at least there’d been some progress. He’d made a list of the women with their contact information.
Honey picked up the sheet of paper. “You know their phone numbers?”
Cole’s eyebrows shot up. “I contacted the office. The deputy on duty accessed the town’s database.”
“Oh. Of course.” She pointed to Tanya’s name and said, “Call her first. Tell her to be here in an hour if she can.”
“Not right away?”
“No. You’re going to eat first.”
She tried to put Madeline down on the sofa again, but the little girl still clung.
Honey hitched her a bit higher. Good thing she was strong from running her bar and hauling around cases of liquor and beer.
One-handed, she put on a pot of coffee to brew and got out mugs, cream and sugar.
She poured a cup of coffee for Cole and brought it to him.
“You look numb,” she said.
Cole stared at her.
Frowning, she returned to the kitchen to pour a mug for herself.
The front doorbell tinkled. Company. Honey ran down the stairs to let in Rachel, Beth and Tori.
Thank God. The cavalry had arrived.
Four-year-old Tori threw herself against Honey’s legs. “Mommy said you gots kids here. Who’s that girl you’re holding? Can I meet her?”
“You sure can.” This, Tori’s boundless excitement, was exactly what these two waifs needed, but Madeline burrowed into Honey’s hair. “You can meet her upstairs.”
In the living room, Tori ran to the sofa and stared at Evan. “I’m Tori. I live in Rodeo. Who are you?”
“I’m Evan. That’s my sister, Madeline.”
“I like your names.” She pointed to the sofa. “Can I sit here?”
From behind the curtain of Honey’s hair, Madeline studied Tori, not emitting a sound.
Tori wasn’t bossy by nature, but she was friendly and exuberant. As far as Honey could tell, she had decided to take control.
“You look nice,” she said to Madeline. “Sit here.” She curled up beside Evan and patted the sofa beside herself.
Madeline merely stared.
“We be friends,” Tori said. “I brought games. We can play.”
The tiniest of smiles hovered on Evan’s lips. Madeline rested her head on Honey’s shoulder and stayed where she was.
Tori frowned, not used to resistance.
Honey frowned, too. If Tori couldn’t break through Madeline’s shell, who could?
Numb.
Honey thought Cole was numb.
If only.
Cole wished to hell he was truly numb all the way through to his core. He wished he never had to feel another emotion in his life again. Then he wouldn’t have to be this raw, pain-ravaged creature.
This aching, furious, grief-stricken man with every nerve exposed and crawling.
His reactions might be slow, but numb? No.
Sandy. His baby sister was gone. Her bright-burning presence would no longer illuminate this world. A shining star of a woman had been snuffed out too early.
He couldn’t wrap his head it. He couldn’t accept that he would never see her again.
Never.
Dennis Engle, her husband, had been a good guy. Cole had liked and respected the man. Gone too young, too.
Cole’s parents were still alive, but he hoped never to see them again in his lifetime.
His family had been reduced to those two orphans on the sofa.
He wasn’t up to this. He’d faced every challenge life had ever thrown at him and had survived. But this?
God.
How—?
God.
There were no words.
Numb?
A
