of the girls all by yourself," Adele repeated.
"I have," Wyatt said. "Except for two days ago. That was a major parenting fail." He shuddered, thinking how close things could have come to a true disaster. The girls on their own in the kitchen with a stove.
"You couldn't help being sick," Adele assured him.
"I'm just thankful you showed up when you did," Wyatt said with a small smile. "I don't know what the girls would have gotten up to if they’d been unsupervised any longer."
Adele set her empty mug aside, crossing her arms. "I'm also glad I showed up then, even though I wasn't coming with the best news."
Her comment created another heavy beat of silence.
And what was he supposed to do about that?
"What’s your plan for today?" Wyatt asked.
"Dean is asleep, and once he wakes up, he and I are heading back to Millar's Crossing. I need to get some clean clothes and have a shower."
"Sure. Of course." He glanced at the clock. "I’m hoping the girls sleep longer." He would manage with them around. Somehow.
"Oh, right. The girls." She bit her lip, as if thinking. "I can take the girls with me and then come back with them and stick around for the day. To help out. Unless you'd rather I don't come back for a while to give you a chance to rest some more."
He wanted to protest, but he was still feeling shaky despite the breakfast. He had to be realistic and do what Reuben had often accused him of not doing. Accept help when it was offered. "No. That'd be great. I don't know if I can take care of the girls myself yet." The tension in Wyatt's shoulders eased just a little bit at the thought of her help. "I know I wasn't the most welcoming when you first came, but I sure appreciate you lending a hand."
"I'll be coming every day, so if you need any more assistance with the girls, I don't mind sticking around during the day."
He paused, then released a laugh. "Again, that would help. The nanny said she would be back in a couple of weeks, max. She told me she would let me know if it was any earlier."
"I can help you out for a little bit," Adele said. "But I need to be in Edmonton in a week and a half."
"What for?" He wondered if she would take Dean with her. Or would she leave him behind?
"I'm going to an auction," Adele answered, breaking into his thoughts. "It's for bakery equipment."
"You have a bakery?"
"Not yet. I am hoping to start one in Whitehorse. Sally was going to be a partner..." She paused, biting her lip again. Once again Wyatt felt a surge of sympathy for her. Despite the fact that she had literally dropped on his doorstep with a little boy he knew nothing about, none of this could be easy for her either. Losing her friend then having to hike all the way down here. Something else occurred to him.
"Just putting this out there, and please don't take any offense," he said, leaning a bit closer. "But you never thought to take care of Dean yourself?"
She turned away from him, her expression growing sorrowful.
"You seem to care about him," he pressed, curious now. "He seems attached to you."
"He's your son," Adele said. "He needs to be with you. That's how family works."
She got up, grabbed his plates and utensils, and strode back into the kitchen, leaving him with more questions than answers.
Chapter Five
Adele stood by the sink, breathing in and out, stifling the guilt that Wyatt's comment created. The thought of taking care of Dean herself had often floated through her mind. But after Sally had told Dean about his father, after she had begged Adele to bring him to Wyatt, she knew she had to respect Sally's wishes.
But she didn't have to like it.
"I'm sorry," she heard Wyatt say as he came into the kitchen. "I shouldn't have said anything. Your relationship with Dean is none of my business."
"It's okay. It's a legitimate question, and you have a right to ask," Adele said, turning the tap on. She started washing up the mugs and plate, keeping her back to him. "Especially since I'm thinking you should take care of him..." She let the sentence drift away, realizing she needed to talk to him and explain.
She heard Wyatt sit down at the kitchen table and knew he was waiting.
When she had put the mugs away, she turned