Rekindling the Flame
Chapter 9
A Mother's Love
Kitty sat upright when she heard Calleigh call from the foyer. The curly redhead peeked around the open doorway of the study. "What brings you out today? I thought you were taking that friend of yours out for a ride."
"You know very well that his name is Carter." Calleigh's weary tone matched her pouting expression. "I have to talk to Poppy and—I need a favor."
Kitty closed the ledger she had been working on and tossed her pencil onto the blotter. She looked past her daughter, spying the rather nervous man still standing in the hall. "You need someone to babysit him."
Calleigh glanced back over her shoulder, then returned her gaze to Kitty. Words weren't necessary when a demoralized nod would suffice.
Kitty wheeled the mahogany and leather bound chair away from the desk. "Sure. I'll watch him."
"Be nice to him. Please."
Kitty walked around the massive piece of furniture, placing a hand on each shoulder. "I know how special he is to you, so that makes him special to me. How about I take him to the kitchen for some coffee? Just made a fresh pot."
The sparkle returned to the young lady's eyes. "Carter, Kitty made coffee. Why don't you go with her? I won't be, long I promise."
Kitty carefully slipped her hand around the man's arm to lead him down the hall. She pointed to the empty chairs at the table and invited him to pick one. "Are you getting on all right at Calleigh's?" She opened the cabinet, retrieving two cups. "Do you take cream or sugar, Carter?"
Her question broke his trance. "Just sugar."
Kitty reached for the sugar tin. "How many spoonfuls?"
"Seven or eight." He gazed around the kitchen, enjoying the way the morning sun covered the room in a crisp light.
His answer caused Kitty to stop, hand in midair, still gripping a spoonful of sugar. "Seven…or …eight?" Incredulous defined her tone perfectly. Stunned described her face when he confirmed his answer with a simple nod. She swallowed, accepting his request and dumped the first spoonful into the cup.
Kitty sat the sweet caffeined concoction in front of her guest. "Can I get you something to eat?"
"No ma'am." Carter stirred the steaming liquid and slurped a bit to test the temperature. "Ooh, not too hot. You make good coffee."
"Thank you." She accepted the compliment gracefully, although she had ruled him out as a connoisseur after the third spoonful of sugar. Kitty took a seat opposite Carter. "Calleigh tells me you stuck around years ago until Matt came home."
"Yup. Just wanted to make sure she was gonna be okay. Boy, was she a smart one. Always reading them books. I knew she would be pretty when she grew up and she sure is." Carter took a long drink, as he studied the redhead across from him. Confusion seized him once more. "Cal looks just like you. Why does she look like you? Did I forget something again?"
"No, Carter, you didn't forget." Kitty was quick to assure him. "It's just a fortunate stroke of luck." She watched him swish the last of the brew in his cup and polish it off. "Can I get you another cup?" His acceptance came with a smile, as he handed her the empty cup.
"I owe you a debt for caring for her those three years." Kitty shoveled the sugar per his previous instructions. "It's a miracle she survived." She noticed something different about Carter when she returned to the table.
He stared at his hostess, but his cloudy eyes failed to see what was right in front of him. Carter began to speak of the past. "She survived it all right. I shoulda protected her."
"Protected her from what?" At this point, Kitty was more curious than concerned.
"From him. He hurt her bad." He stared, sadly now, into the black liquid.
Kitty could feel a layer of goose bumps erupt, rippling down her spine, causing the tiny hairs on the back of her neck to stand erect. Something down deep in her heart, in that place a mother does not want to go, warned her not to ask—but she had no choice. "How did he hurt her, Carter?"
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"Calleigh, you already know what I've got to tell you. I wish it was better news, but..." Doc let the thought simply fade away. They were empty words that didn't need to be said. "I'm so sorry, Sweet Pea."
She rose from the chair beside his desk and turned to the window. The kids were out by the cottonwood tree, playing in the swing. Cooper was doing all the pushing of course. "I was hoping that it was just the effects of the alcohol. That maybe, if I got him to quit, we could fix the rest."
Doc peeled the wire-rimmed glasses from his face and tossed them onto the blotter. "You're too good a doctor to think that. All the signs are there. The foggy memory. The shortness of breath. Dizziness. Do I need to go on?"
"I guess I knew it was his heart; I was just hoping I was wrong." Calleigh turned back to face her mentor, as she leaned against the window sill. "How much time do you think he has?"
Doc swiped at his mustache, wishing she hadn't asked him. "That's hard to say."
Calleigh let her lids fall, to give her blue eyes partial cover. "Now, who's being evasive?"
"A couple of weeks. A month—if he gets real good care."
Calleigh stepped closer to the old man, wrapping her arms around him. "He'll get his month. I promise you that." She pulled back and kissed the old man's cheek. "Thank you. I love you, Poppy."
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Kitty stood at the back door watching her children play. She could no longer face Carter, as he described the horrific attack on her oldest child. Lincoln Forbes. The man in the restaurant. He had done those terrible things to her little girl. Ugly images plagued her mind. Bile rose in her throat and she fought to push it back down. Her mind was racing. Calleigh would be coming into the room at any time. Should she tell her that she knew? No, if Calleigh wanted her to know, she would have told her. Kitty desperately needed to talk to Matt.
Matt.
No. No, telling Matt would not be a good idea. Badge or no badge, Kitty didn't trust that his dedication to his job would be strong enough to control his rage. Who, then—Newly? Doc? Festus? Again, Kitty turned her attention to the youngest Dillons playing in the yard. The longer she observed the two little ones, the more the answer began to reveal itself.
A warm calm settled over Kitty as the solution presented itself. These men played an intricate part in her children's lives. Her role was important as well, but one thing separated her from the men—Calleigh loved Cooper and Hadley as if they were her own. She would be able to provide them with a mother's love.
Voices warned her that Doc and Calleigh were approaching. She quickly wiped the tears away and with a deep breath braced herself for their arrival. Kitty was amazed at the way she suddenly felt at peace, once her decision was made.
Carter had become silent. Heavy lids blinked slowly, trying to remember what it was they were talking about. Kitty was standing at the door, but he didn't remember her leaving the table. It didn't matter. Cal had come back for him and they were going to take that ride now.
Doc wandered over to the counter to fix himself a cup of coffee. He motioned for Kitty to come closer. "He's dying. She wanted me to run tests but…she knew."
Kitty's heart went out to her girl, but there might still be something helpful to come out of this situation. Carter was going to be the only thing on Calleigh's mind, which would make it easier to hide the old man's revelation.
TBC
