Left Behind, page 13
Aaron came back with a disgusted look on his face and carrying a black garbage bag. “These are her worldly belongings.”
Wiley sighed. One hurdle down. A million more to go. He glanced at Sonny. “Chief, I’m gonna need a few days off.”
Sonny was still flushed with rage. “The way I feel, so do I. I have never encountered anyone like her. Take the time you need to get situated, find yourself a good babysitter, and get her enrolled in school, and without asking, I’m telling you now you are officially on the day shift and weekends off unless there are dire emergencies.”
“This is definitely not what I expected when I woke up this morning, and I don’t know how to thank you, but it is much appreciated,” Wiley said.
Aaron was still reeling from the initial accusation and in shock at Wiley’s reaction. He’d never seen this side of Wiley, and he was a little bit in awe.
“You’re not in this alone, little brother. We have to tell Mom and—”
“I already told Mom I was going to fight for her, and she told me to go for it.”
Aaron sighed. “I should have known. Then we’ll have a family meeting at Mom’s when you’re ready. Your little girl needs to know who her brothers are, the sisters who will have her back, and a grandma who will rock her world.”
***
Corina Dalton was beside herself with glee. The trip hadn’t quite turned out how she’d planned, but was ending better than expected. She wasn’t getting the payoff money she’d planned on, but she’d gotten rid of the unwanted burden of motherhood. She was tired of driving, but the need to get as far away as possible before they changed their minds was uppermost, so she grabbed breakfast to go and ate on the road. She was still surprised Wiley knew who she was and, if she’d known, would never have had the guts to try this, which proved sometimes a wrong thing can turn out right.
***
Wiley’s thoughts were in free fall as he took Ava and her things to his car. He wasn’t one bit sorry for the decision he’d just made, but he was scared as to how he was going to make it work. He didn’t know squat about kids, but he’d been one. He knew what it felt like to be afraid of who was coming in the door. And he knew what it was like to be ridiculed. He wanted to carry her, but she was very protective of her personal space, and he was afraid to find out why. As soon as they got to the car, he put the sack with her clothes in the seat beside her, then buckled her into the back seat.
“Are you okay, here? It’s not too tight across your chest?” he asked.
“Not too tight,” she whispered, and pulled the sack with her things into her lap.
Watching her clutch at the only things in the world that were hers hurt his heart. “Okay then, I guess we’re ready to go.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Home, sugar. We’re going home.”
She looked up. “Your apartment?”
“No, it’s a house,” Wiley said.
Ava blinked. “You have an all-by-yourself house?”
He smiled. “I do, and it has two bedrooms. One will be all yours.”
She hugged the bag with her clothes a little tighter. “Is it far?”
He lifted a lock of hair from the corner of her eye and pushed it back into place. “No. You’ll see.”
He got into the car and drove out of the parking lot, wondering if she had even grasped the reality of what had just happened. If she was always getting dumped wherever, did she know Corina wasn’t coming back? One thing was for damn sure about his new arrangement. The only girl who fit into his world now was the little sister sitting in the back seat with that frozen look on her face.
When he pulled up to the little house, he paused to open the garage door, then drove inside.
“We’re here,” he said, as the door rolled down behind them.
He helped her out, grabbed her belongings, and opened the door, turning on lights as they went. The house still smelled like breakfast, but the kitchen was clean. He didn’t like clutter on the counters and kept stuff put away when it wasn’t in use. A holdover from lessons his mother had taught all of them.
Ava was standing in the middle of the floor, eyeing the white cabinets with gold knobs, the big island with the tall chairs, and the shiny stainless-steel appliances.
“This way, Ava. I’ll show you the house as we go. This is our living room. It has a gas fireplace for when winter comes.” As they started up the hall, he pointed into the bedroom on the right. “This is my bedroom, and there’s a big bathroom in it with a tub and a shower. Do you like bubble baths?”
“What’s that?” she asked.
He stopped. “You never played in a bathtub that had soap bubbles in it?”
She shook her head.
He grinned and held out his hand. “Oh, Sister, you are in for a treat,” he said. “Come with me and I’ll show you your bedroom. It’s right across the hall.”
This time, when he held out his hand, she took it. Wiley opened the door and turned on the light. From the look on her face, the pink bedroom might as well have been a palace. They walked inside, and then he opened the door beside her bed. “This is your bathroom, but it has two doors so someone can get to it from the hall, or you can use it from your room.”
She nodded, looking in at the tub and the shiny faucet and the white bath towel hanging on the towel rack, and then back at him.
“So, what do you think?” he asked.
“I can take a whole bath?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “Now let’s go back to your room.”
“This is all mine?” she whispered.
“All yours,” Wiley said.
“Pink is my favorite color,” she whispered.
He picked her up and sat her down on the pink quilted bedspread.
“You don’t have to whisper. You don’t have to be afraid. You are safe here, honey. This is your room, in your home, with a bed and a pillow, and soft sheets and warm blankets. You have a closet and a dresser for your clothes. You can put your toys wherever you—”
She shook her head.
Wiley’s heart sank. “What? You don’t like—”
“I don’t have toys.”
He couldn’t take it. He picked her up and sat her in his lap and just held her until he could talk without cursing.
“Well, you will have some before bedtime tonight. A plushie to sleep with. A dolly to play with. And anything else that catches your fancy. Okay?”
She looked up at him, this giant of a man who said he was her brother. She wasn’t even sure what all that meant, and what her role would be in this place, but for the moment, she didn’t care. Nobody was screaming at her. Nobody was throwing things at her. And she had a bed and a pillow.
“Is that okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Now tell me,” Wiley said. “Who am I?”
“My Bubba?”
“Yes! I’m your Bubba. That’s me. Say my name.”
“Bubba,” she whispered.
“Nope, can’t hear you,” he said. “Say it louder.”
Her eyes suddenly lit from within. “Bubba.”
He winked. “That’s better. Now…how about we put up your clothes and then go shopping?”
“Corina shops, but she’s gone. Is she coming back to take me away?”
Wiley’s eyes narrowed. “No. Are you going to be sad?”
Ava shook her head. “No. I’m a mistake.”
“No, you’re not, baby. You’re a gift. A teeny-tiny gift we never saw coming. We’re sorry we didn’t know about you before, or we would never have left you behind. Okay?”
She nodded.
“Now, show me what’s in this bag. We might need to buy some new clothes, too. Who knows?”
Her eyes widened, and for the first time since he laid eyes on her, she smiled, and he was done for.
He dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed and then stared.
“Are these the only clothes you own?”
She nodded.
Wiley took a deep breath. “Then let’s get them folded up and put away,” he said, then opened the lowest dresser drawer. “I’ll fold. You can put them in the drawer, okay?”
“Corina just throws everything in together,” she said.
“Well, Corina isn’t the boss of us anymore, is she?” Wiley muttered. “We’re doing stuff our way now.”
Ava leaned against Wiley’s leg. “Our way,” she whispered.
Wiley folded clothes with a knot in his gut. He had to let go of the rage he was feeling on Ava’s behalf and just be grateful that she was finally safe.
It didn’t take long to fold and put away her clothes because she only had three complete outfits, counting what she was wearing, three changes of underwear, and a couple of extra T-shirts. No jacket. No pajamas or nightgown. No other shoes but the little sandals on her feet. No hairbrush. No toothbrush. Not even a remnant of anything that a child might cuddle to sleep with. He could easily take her shopping, but he didn’t know if she was up to it. He sat down in the chair beside her bed and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.
“Okay, everything is put away. When you go to bed, what do you sleep in?” he asked.
“What I wear,” she said.
He frowned. “That’s not gonna happen here. You get clothes for sleeping, and playing, and school and church.”
“What’s church?”
Wiley stifled a curse. “A place where we go on Sunday to hear Bible stories and sing songs. You’ll like it.”
Ava had no clue as to what Bubba was talking about, but she wasn’t going to make waves. “I will like it,” she echoed.
Wiley picked her up and hugged her. “I hope so, but it’s okay if you don’t. Nobody will be mad at you. There are things I don’t like, and that’s fair. People aren’t alike. Now we’re going to town to buy you stuff you need.” He slid her off his lap and patted the back of her head. “Go wash, and use the bathroom before we go, and scoot! I’ll be in the kitchen.”
She giggled. The word scoot was a new one, but she knew what it meant and hustled herself into the bathroom.
Wiley scrubbed his hands across his face, then stood. Resolve was etched on his face as he headed for the kitchen to make a grocery list. But the first thing he did was send Linette a text, along with the same picture of Ava that he’d sent to his mom.
Family crisis. Big shock. This is Ava. She’s seven years old and she’s our half sister. Her mother called her a mistake and just dumped her. Something inside of me broke when I saw her. She’s scared of everything. She’s been neglected and mistreated, and I’m keeping her. I plan to become her legal guardian, and if this isn’t in your wheelhouse, now’s the time to bail. Otherwise, she’s just been added to our plans. I won’t hold anything against you for how you feel. This came out of left field and I’m still in a bit of shock myself. But I know this is the right thing to do. Love you forever. Me.
He hit Send and then started checking out the contents of his refrigerator. He had plenty of beer and cold cuts, but no milk and no real food in sight. Life was about to get real in this house. Then his phone signaled a text. It was from Linette, and he was almost afraid to read it.
Bless her heart. As for you, I’ll pretend I’m not pissed that you doubted me. This is just part of what “for better or for worse” means, even if we aren’t really married. You already know I love children. I will help you every step of the way and hope she learns to love and trust me more than you do… You’re an ass, but you’re mine, and I will keep you anyway. Love, L.
Wiley grimaced. “Thank God,” he muttered, and a few minutes later, they were back in his car and headed uptown. First stop was for clothes. There wasn’t a real department store in Jubilee, but there were enough kids’ clothes in the tourist shops to cover immediate needs, and he’d talk to Linette about online ordering. As soon as they reached the tourist strip, he parked, then turned to look at her. She was big-eyed and staring out the window at all of the sights.
“Ava, honey, are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Will you promise to tell me if you need to go to the bathroom, or if you get hungry?”
She nodded.
“Will you promise to tell me if you get tired and want to go home?”
She nodded again.
He grinned. “Is that a yes, because I can’t hear you.”
“Yes,” she said, and then almost smiled.
“Good. Thought for a minute my ears had quit working,” he said.
She giggled, and startled herself when the sound came out of her mouth and clapped her hands over it.
“Don’t you hide that pretty smile,” Wiley said. “You’re my girl, remember? We’re making new rules, and the first one is how to be happy.” When he got her out of the car and turned to face the throng of tourists in the plaza, he frowned. “How about I carry you through the crowd, and then we’ll walk when we get into a store?”
She eyed the people all around them and nodded, then slid her arm around his neck as he picked her up.
Wiley winked at her, and then they were off.
There were people everywhere, walking in all different directions, going into different shops around the plaza, and coming out of others. She saw kids like her with families, and they were laughing and squealing and carrying stuffed toys or eating as they walked.
At first, Ava was nervous. Her Bubba was tall, and she was really high off the ground, but then it dawned on her that she’d never seen the world like this before. She had no memories of being carried, and Bubba made her feel safe, and he smelled good, and she had a pink room with a bed and a pillow, and they were shopping. She wasn’t sure what shopping meant, but Corina liked doing it, and she was about to find out if she did, too.
Chapter 9
Wiley had no idea what was going through Ava’s head, but he was on a mission and headed straight for one of the shops that sold souvenir tees and shorts. It was called Something Extra, and Georgia McKay, who was related to the Cauley family, ran it. She’d know what little girls needed better than he did, and hopefully she’d have some of it in stock.
The store was crowded when they entered, but it was cool, and it smelled like the cotton candy that was being sold from the kiosk just outside the entrance.
Georgia spotted Wiley almost instantly, and two things went through her mind. Not once had she ever seen Wiley Pope inside this store, nor had she ever seen the little girl in his arms. He looked a little out of his element, so she headed straight toward him.
Wiley saw her coming across the room and breathed a sigh of relief. Help had arrived.
“Hey, Wiley! Good to see you,” Georgia said.
“And you,” Wiley said, and then gave Ava a quick hug. “Ava, honey, this is Miss Georgia. Georgia, this is my little sister, Ava.” He saw the shock on Georgia’s face and quickly added, “We have the same daddy. And…Ava’s gonna be living with me now. It was a bit sudden, and Ava needs some clothes. Right, baby?”
Ava held on a little tighter to Wiley’s neck and nodded.
Georgia could tell the child needed way more than clothes. She looked like she’d been mistreated and starved, and she was more than uneasy.
“We can sure help with some immediate needs, and then you can either make a trip to a department store in Bowling Green or do some online ordering later.” But when she reached out to pat Ava’s arm and saw the child flinch, her heart broke. She could tell the child had been abused as well.
“What’s your favorite color, Ava?”
Ava looked at Wiley.
He winked. “Remember. You have to speak up to be heard.”
“Pink. I like pink,” Ava said. “And yellow, and blue.”
“Follow me,” Georgia said, and led the way to the children’s corner. She eyed Ava’s size and then picked up a size small T-shirt. “How old are you, honey?”
“Seven,” Ava said.
Georgia hid her shock. She would have guessed five.
Wiley put her down and watched as Ava and Georgia searched the T-shirts folded on the tables and the shorts shelved in little cubbies according to size.
Georgia looked up at Wiley. “How many outfits do you want?”
“At least eight. She has two plus the one she’s wearing. Do you have underwear for kids?” he asked.
Georgia nodded. “Not a huge selection, but yes.”
“A dozen pair to start with, in her size,” Wiley said.
Ava kept looking back at Wiley, afraid to lose contact, and finally, Wiley just picked her back up.
“You showed Miss Georgia what you like. Now we’ll let her gather it all up, okay?”
Ava nodded and hid her face against Wiley’s neck.
Poor baby, Georgia mouthed.
“You have no idea,” Wiley muttered, and then saw a shelf of stuffed toys. “Go ahead and take those to the register,” he said. “We’re going to the stuffed toys.”
Ava heard the word toys, and when she saw where they were going, she couldn’t imagine one being for her.
Wiley heard the catch in her breath and swallowed past the lump in his throat. She wasn’t begging or whining for anything, but the disbelief and desire in her eyes were there for the world to see.
“Look at all the stuffed animals,” Wiley said. “Teddy bears, rabbits, little squirrels, puppies, kittens, and all these colors. Oh…and there are rag dolls. Those are the old-fashioned kind of dolls that my mother would have had when she was little. They’re soft, too, and good sleeping buddies. Let’s look, okay?”
He set her back down in front of the shelves. “You pick out whatever you want, honey.”
Ava’s eyes widened. “I can have one?”
Wiley squatted down beside her. “You pick out a dolly and as many stuffed toys as you want, and I’ll buy them for you.”
Tears rolled.
Wiley was lost. “Don’t cry, baby,” he whispered.
“I don’t know how to choose,” she said.
“What color of teddy bear do you like best?” he asked.
