Second Chance Family - Cindy Kirk Page 0,2

from his face. “Do you remember me, Charlie? I’m Margaret. I was a friend of your mom.”

The boy turned to face her, his eyes a deep, dark blue. “Pastor says my mommy and daddy are with Jesus in heaven.”

Margaret took a deep breath and blinked back tears. The sermon at the funeral had been comforting, but it was still hard to accept that it had been her childhood friend lying in one of the two caskets at the front of the church. Heartbreaking to realize she and Janae would never laugh over the phone or Tweet pithy one-liners to each other.

Still, she believed the pastor when he’d said Janae and Ty were in a better place. Her friend had such a quirky sense of humor that Margaret had no doubt at this very moment she was livening up the heavenly throng with Ty cheering her on.

“Do you think they’re coming back for me?” he asked in a small voice.

“I’m afraid not,” Margaret said softly. She cursed her honesty when his eyes filled with tears and his bottom lip began to tremble. “But I know they’re still watching over you. And that they love you very much.”

“I want my mommy.” The boy’s arms stiffened at his sides and his hands clenched into tiny fists. “Bring her here. Now.”

Her heart rose to her throat. If only I could bring her back. And Ty, too.

Like a whirlwind sweeping across the plains, as quickly as Charlie’s anger flared, it disappeared and he began to cry.

Margaret wrapped her arms around him, murmuring soothing words and holding him tight. After several heartbeats he quit struggling. After several more she felt him relax in her arms.

From her own experience, she knew a little about what he’d be going through in the weeks and months ahead. She vowed to make this transition as easy as possible for him.

With his soft curls still pressed against her cheek, Margaret heard the attorney’s office door open. But she couldn’t move a muscle. The child had his arms around her, holding her as tight as a drowning sailor would grasp a life preserver.

“Margaret.” Ryan moved to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Lexi will take good care of him while we talk.”

“Charlie, I have something really cool to show you.” The social worker peeled the boy from Margaret’s arms. “The office down the hall has several gigantic fish.”

“Bigger than those?” Charlie pointed to the aquarium, his tears like little crystals on his long lashes.

“Oh, my goodness, yes. Way bigger.” Lexi held out her hand. “Come with me and we’ll go see them.”

The little boy hesitated, glancing at Margaret.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Margaret assured him. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

After a long moment, Charlie put his fingers in the social worker’s hand. “I wanna see the fishes.”

Lexi smiled at Margaret and gave the attorney a wink. “We won’t be long.”

Margaret watched them leave. Her heart warmed when Charlie returned her wave.

“I’m glad you could make it.” Ryan gestured toward his office then stepped aside to let her pass. “We’re waiting for one more but there’s some preliminary stuff we can get started on.”

Margaret smiled, finding it strangely refreshing to hear an attorney use the word stuff. She took a seat in front of his desk, wondering who it was Ryan was expecting. It hadn’t crossed her mind that anyone else would show up for the reading. “Did Janae’s parents change their minds and decide to stay in town a little while longer?”

“Nothing like that.” The attorney took a seat in the cowhide-and-leather swivel desk chair and offered her an easy smile.

Despite being thrown to the ground and stomped on by bulls weighing close to two thousand pounds, Ryan looked no worse for wear. His face was unscarred and his hair as dark and thick as it had been in school. He was a cute guy but Ryan had never made her heart skip a beat.

Back then, people who didn’t know him well had always confused him with Cole. Both had dark hair and slender, athletic builds. But Ryan’s eyes were a silvery-gray while Cole’s eyes were as blue as the ocean.

In her young, stupid days, Margaret had been convinced she could drown in Cole’s eyes. She resisted the urge to gag.

Ryan shifted in his seat and glanced at his watch. Tiny lines furrowed his brow.

If Margaret didn’t know better, she’d say he was worried. But that didn’t make sense. What did he have to be concerned about? Unless