Heart's Haven by Lois Richer

Author:Lois Richer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2008-04-09T04:00:00+00:00

Cassidy studied Jack’s face as he caught his first glimpse of the guitar-shaped cake she’d baked and decorated. She began singing “Happy Birthday.” The kids remained mute. Thankfully, Ty’s smooth tenor quickly joined in.

“It’s awesome.” Jack couldn’t quite smother his grin. “Thanks, Cassidy.”

“You’re welcome. You’d better blow out all those candles before they light the place up.”

He did, missed one and blushed in the shamed embarrassment of youth, daring a sideways glance at Red before quickly looking away.

Cassidy set down a stack of plates at his elbow.

“Cut away,” she said with a smile.

“Is it the same cake you made before?” Red eyed the big knife Jack wielded.

“A little different. More fudgey. You let me know what you think.”

While Jack passed around slices of his birthday cake, Cassidy poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Ty, relishing the shared moment.

“Thanks.” He sipped. “Who’s the giant with the red cap?”

“Walter Something. He’s Jack’s latest friend.” She smiled her thanks when Red set two pieces of cake before them. “Why?”

“Just wondered if he’s going to cause problems.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Someone used a pick on the fire door in the gym last night.” He studied each face as if searching for the culprit.

“It happens.” She didn’t want anything spoiling Jack’s birthday. “You can’t stop everything. We do the best we can. If something goes wrong, we pick up the pieces.”

“I do not need to pick up any more pieces, thank you.”

Cassidy knew him well enough to interpret the darkness in his glare as anger.

“Your sister didn’t die because you didn’t stop it.” What could she say to help him?

“My brother did.”

He’d talked about Donnie before. Cassidy hoped he would tell her more.

“I told you he ran away from home?”

She nodded.

“He got in with the wrong crowd, started using drugs. Eventually he was living on the streets, even under an abandoned cement bridge.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose as if to ease his stress. “On Donnie’s birthday, at Christmas, Easter, Gail would ask around till she found him. She’d make sure he was all right, buy him a meal, give him warm clothes, that kind of thing. She’d beg him to come back, but he never would.”

“He died around here?”

Ty nodded.

“New Year’s Eve. Gail had taken him some gifts from us. He hawked them all for drug money, all but a sweater I sent. Donnie loved the color blue and that sweater was a vivid electric-blue. Somebody wanted it, there was fight and he was stabbed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Ty.” Her heart ached for the misery flickering through his eyes. “But it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”

“Maybe not then. I was just a kid. But I know more now. Jack is the spitting image of Donnie. I take precautions with Jack because I won’t lose him, too.”

His rules. That’s why. Cassidy’s heart ached for him. She wanted to tell him that rules couldn’t stop tragedy, that it happened in spite of the best-laid plans. But Jack’s birthday wasn’t the time to get into it.

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