Sassy Cinderella by Kara Lennox

Author:Kara Lennox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Chuck, do you have a social worker?” Sherry asked.

He nodded slowly.

“Do you know his or her name?”

“Carla somebody. I’m telling you, she’ll want to come get me.”

Jonathan took Chuck into the den to show him the TV so Sherry could talk privately on the phone. After a wild-goose chase through three automated phone systems, she finally got a live person who was able to put her in touch with Chuck’s caseworker.

Carla was less than enthusiastic about Sherry’s temporary custody of Chuck. “You can’t just pass a kid around like he’s a deck of cards!”

“That’s why I’m calling. As soon as I realized Chuck was on his own, I contacted his foster mother. She gave me permission to keep Chuck overnight—”

“Does she know you? Personally, I mean?”

“Well, no. I offered to give her references, but—”

“For God’s sake, what is Oleta thinking? Hell, I know what she was thinking. One less can of beanie-weenies to open tonight.”

“I was a bit taken aback by Oleta’s lack of concern,” Sherry agreed.

“It’s a good thing you called. I’ll have to come get him, you know.”

“Can’t I keep him just one night? I sort of promised him.”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Please, you can’t just send him back to Oleta.”

“I wasn’t going to do that. This isn’t the first time we’ve had to question Oleta’s parenting techniques.”

“Then where would Chuck go?”

“Probably to the children’s home, till we can find him another placement.”

“You mean, like, an orphanage?” Over her dead body.

“Well, it’s not like Oliver Twist. It’s a nice place.”

Sherry tried not to cry, but she couldn’t help it. “O-okay. Could he at least stay for dinner?”

Carla softened. “I guess that would be okay.”

With a sense of foreboding, Sherry gave Carla directions to the ranch. She had all but promised Chuck he could spend the night. He would never trust her again. She felt this tremendous urge to grab her son and flee. But that would only be a short-term solution, and in the end she would get herself hauled off to jail with no chance of ever having a relationship with Chuck.

Or Jonathan.

She had to wonder what he thought of all this. He’d been kind to Chuck, but still rather reserved to her. Was he appalled that she’d had a kid out of wedlock? She believed he was a fair-minded man once he understood the facts. It was getting him to listen to the facts before he jumped to conclusions that was the hard part.

She found Jonathan and the two children watching an animated video. Chuck looked bored and impatient. He glanced up when Sherry entered the room, his face reflecting both hope and another emotion, something like skepticism or doubt.

“Do I get to stay?” he asked, then almost cringed as he waited for her answer.

She shook her head, swallowing tears. “Carla is driving to Cottonwood to check things out. She said you don’t have to go back to Oleta’s, but she may not let you stay. I did my best. Jonathan, maybe when she gets here, you can talk to her and reassure her Chuck will be safe here.

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