Family Ties by Bonnie K. Winn

Author:Bonnie K. Winn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2002-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Cindy finished snapping the last overall strap in place. She grinned, just looking at the triplets, thinking surely they were the most lovable children on earth.

Alice, the child who clung the closest and had bonded inseparably with her, reached for her hand.

“You all look great,” Cindy complimented them, glad she’d picked different color T-shirts for each one. Purple, kelly green and bright yellow.

All of the clothes Flynn had brought with him were things Cindy considered more appropriate for dress-up occasions.

“Daddy!” Beth hollered, seeing Flynn in the hall.

He turned into the room with a smile that faded faster than ice cream on a hot summer sidewalk.

“Me pretty?” Mandy asked again, this time directing the question to Flynn.

Seeing the displeasure on his face, Cindy motioned with a shake of her head for him not to say what was obviously on his mind. “I’m sure Daddy always thinks you’re pretty.”

“Sure, punkin,” Flynn replied. “Why don’t you and your sisters head downstairs? You can get the granola out. But no running.”

They took off with typical toddler speed, but the sound of their sneakers slowed down as they reached the stairs, having been properly impressed by the danger of falling down the wide, wooden steps.

“What’s with the overalls?” Flynn asked as soon as they heard the girls successfully navigate the stairs.

Taken aback, Cindy stared at him. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I don’t consider overalls proper attire for my daughters.”

Cindy hesitated, remembering all too well the frilly dresses Julia always put them in. “How do you expect them to run and play if they’re dressed like porcelain dolls?”

He waved away the concern. “It’s never been a problem.”

Cindy wouldn’t criticize her late sister if it meant biting her tongue until it sliced clear through. Yet, she couldn’t relent on this point. “They’re not fragile dolls meant to be put on a shelf. They’re real children who need to run and get dirty, and maybe scrape a knee.” A new thought prodded her. “Is that what you’re worried about? That they’ll get hurt if they play like other children?”

His mouth tightened and Cindy wondered what past demon still possessed him.

“I’m not blasé about my children’s safety. And I don’t understand your attitude. Why are you so willing to assume they’ll be all right?”

Cindy blinked, nearly taking a step backward from the wrath she saw in his eyes. “Flynn, I care terribly about their welfare. I, too, have lost everyone in my family. I don’t want to lose anyone else. Especially the girls. But you can’t lock them away, either.” Taking a chance, she continued. “I know that’s what Julia tried to do. She never got over the fact that if Dad hadn’t insisted on so much adventure, he and Mom would be alive. But they had to live as they did, including that last boat ride. There was something in Dad that pushed him to carve every bit out of every minute. And Mom loved him enough to understand that. It was an accident, a dreadful, sad, unfortunate accident, but it wasn’t some sort of morbid legacy.

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