Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury

Author:Karen Kingsbury
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Inspirational, Fiction
ISBN: 9781599953328
Publisher: Center Street
Published: 2005-01-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The visit wasn’t going all that well.

Wendy and Rip had everything all set when Allyson and Joey walked through the door that afternoon. She’d gotten the day off work, and even though Rip was scheduled to start work at the theater, they were letting him wait until Monday.

Ever since the day of the home study, she and Rip had gotten along fine. He was a little uptight now and then, but who wouldn’t be? The changes in their lives were huge. He was out of prison, and now they were getting their son back. Neither of them had ever been a parent before, so sure, they were anxious.

Rip fixed the hole in the wall, like he’d promised, and for the most part he’d been a dream to be around. Even today. They baked chocolate-chip cookies, and Rip stayed with her the whole time.

“So they don’t burn,” he’d told her. But he wasn’t mad; he winked at her and the job was actually fun. Something they could do together.

Joey’s room was all made up, too. Rip had come home the day before with a stuffed bear. “Think he’ll like it?” Rip arranged it just so, right at the center of Joey’s pillow.

“Of course.” She loved this side of Rip, the side that wanted to be a good father. “Do you like his new bed?”

“How much did it set us back?” Rip raised a wary eye.

“Not much. It was on sale.”

“Three hundred?”

“Three-twenty.” She winced. “But I charged it. Twenty dollars a month. We can afford that, right?”

He smiled and took her in his arms. “With my new job, we can.” The pride in his face was contagious. “Everything’s looking up for us, Wendy. I always knew it would happen this way one day. I just never thought we’d have a son so soon.” He chuckled. “It’s like all my dreams are coming true.”

The trouble started when Joey arrived.

Mrs. Bower almost dragged him through the door. He looked tired and weepy, and Wendy’s heart went out to him. This was her little baby, all grown up. The one she’d held in her arms all those years ago in that hospital bed. This was the boy who seemed to whisper to her, Mommy . . . don’t let me go. Don’t give me up. He was beautiful, all golden hair and pale blue eyes. She could see herself in the shape of his face, and Rip in the child’s athletic build.

But the joy of seeing him for the first time was short-lived.

“No!” He turned and cried the word into the social worker’s leg. “I wanna go home.”

Allyson stopped and bent down. She said something they couldn’t hear, but Joey shook his head. His tone wasn’t rude, just very, very sad. Sad enough to break the hearts of everyone in the room. Allyson whispered something else to him. Joey sniffed a few times. “No . . . I want my mommy and daddy!”

Next to her, Wendy heard Rip chuckle. He sounded nervous, the way he got right before his anger took over.

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