Face the Fire Page 0,44

'Take her,' she said to me. 'She needs love and care, and a firm hand. They won't give it to her, they can't. And when I'm gone, she'll only have you.' I told her I didn't know how to take care of a baby, and she smiled at me, and just kept holding Mia out. Mia started to squirm and fuss, shake her fists, and before I knew it, I was taking her. Mrs. Devlin stepped back. 'She's yours now.' I'll never forget that.

'She's yours now, and you're hers.' And she left me to rock Mia to sleep." Lulu sniffled. "Wine's making me sloppy."

Touched, Mac leaned over, closed a hand over hers. "Me, too."

Sheriff Zachariah Todd emptied the dishwasher - one of the few tasks he was allowed to attempt in his own kitchen. "Okay, let me see if I got this straight. Mia told Sam what happened out on the coast road this morning. Ripley, who didn't know what happened, found Sam up at Mia's house and he told her, Ripley - but she promised she wouldn't tell Mia he'd been there, so she told Mia - when Mia was going to tell her - Jesus - about what happened; that she, and that would be Ripley, ran into Sam on the road when he was cleansing the area."

"You're doing great," Nell encouraged as Zack took a breath and she checked on the progress of her lasagna.

"Don't throw me off the track. Then Mac told Sam what Ripley had told Mia while Mia was telling you what happened this morning. Then Ripley told you the rest of it, which you told me. For reasons that escape me."

"Because I love you, Zack."

"Right." He pressed a fingertip dead center of his forehead. "I think I'll just keep my mouth shut altogether. No way to wedge my foot in there that way."

"Never a bad choice." She heard Lucy's sudden and joyful barking. "Someone's here. You go, take the tray on the third shelf. I'm experimenting with canapes for the Rodgers's wedding I'm catering next month. Put them up where Lucy can't get them," she called as he started out, then glanced down at Diego. "Men and dogs," she said, and clucked her tongue. "You have to watch them every minute."

And because she did, Nell took the time to shift all the utensils Zack had put away into their proper slots before she grabbed a bottle of wine and went out to greet her guests. Mac and Ripley had brought the puppy along, which sent Lucy into spasms of delight and terror, and had a miffed Diego stalking upstairs to sulk.

Mia arrived with a bouquet of freshly clipped daffodils, and helped herself relax by sitting on the floor playing tug-the-rope with Mulder.

"I think of getting a dog now and then." She laughed as Mulder lost his toothy grip on the rope and went tumbling ears over tail. "Then I think about my gardens." She snatched the puppy up, holding him high.

"You'd just love digging up all my flowers, wouldn't you?"

"Not to mention chewing on your shoes," Ripley said sourly. "Of course, you've got a hundred pair to spare."

"Shoes are a form of self-expression."

"Shoes are to walk in."

Mia drew the puppy down, rubbed noses. "What does she know?"

That's how Sam saw her when he came to the door, sitting on the floor, laughing while a fat yellow puppy licked her cheeks. His gut clenched, and his throat snapped shut. She looked so carelessly happy with her skirts spread out on the rug, her hair tumbling down her back, and her eyes bright with pleasure.

There, in that outrageously beautiful woman, was the shimmer of the girl he'd left behind. Then Lucy barked, Mulder leaped, and Mia stopped laughing as her gaze snapped to the doorway.

"Lucy!" Zack called to the dog, then grabbed her collar as he opened the screen door for Sam. "No jumping," he ordered as Lucy's muscles bunched for a joyful leap. "Either of you." He said it under his breath. A blind man could have seen that hungry look on Sam's face.

"She's all right." Sam skimmed a hand over Lucy's head and she collapsed onto her back. He passed the wine he'd brought to Zack before crouching down to rub her exposed belly. The puppy gamboled over, wanting his share.

"What are you doing here?" Mia demanded.

Sam lifted his eyebrows at her tone, but before he could respond, Mac stepped in. "I asked him to come." Mac nearly flinched at Mia's quick,