Chapter 8

Aaron was standing at the door to keep Corina from bolting. She'd already figured out she was in trouble, and Chief Warren had taken Ava's DNA report and walked out. She didn't know what was going on.

A half hour passed before Sonny came back, and when he did, he was frowning. Corina saw the look and, as always, chose offense before defense and became indignant all over again.

"I'd like to know what the hell is going on here, and where's my kid?"

"You know where your daughter is. You gave Wiley Pope permission to get her some food and specifically said you didn't care where she went. As for where I've been, I took Aaron Pope's DNA report and your daughter's DNA report to one of the doctors at the hospital, who verified that they are definitely related, but on the level of siblings, not parent and child, which you already knew, didn't you? Because I had one of the officers look up your daughter's birth certificate and it specifically names Clyde Wallace as the father. This constitutes fraud. You, lady, are in big trouble here. I don't take kindly to anyone accusing my officers."

Before she could answer, Wiley and Ava walked in. Aaron saw the look on Wiley's face and knew he was about to blow the lid off somebody's pot, most likely one belonging to Corina Dalton.

"Have you charged her yet, Chief?" Wiley asked.

Sonny blinked. "Uh…"

"I have a proposition. Aaron won't file charges if she's willing to terminate her parental rights. Ava tells me Corina calls her a mistake, and Ava is covered in bruises, which points to child abuse. Ava also informed me that she does not, nor has she ever, had a bed or a pillow of her own. That she just sleeps where she's left. So, there's that."

Corina's heart was hammering so hard she couldn't breathe. If she got in trouble now, she'd never make that cruise.

"How do I know you won't hurt her?" Corina asked. "I mean, you're a man alone and—"

Aaron snapped. "Shut your mouth now, lady, before you say something you're going to regret. You didn't give a shit where you left her before, and since she's part of our family, she'll be treated as such, which means loved, cared for, and protected with our lives."

Corina didn't even look at the child. She was just looking at the door.

"Yes, hell yes, I'll sign anything it takes to be rid of her. But you don't charge me with anything, right?"

Sonny had seen some hard women in his life, but this one might just be the worst.

"Sit down, Miss Dalton. I will take your statement to this effect. You will sign it, and I will have it notarized before you leave the building. You will state the name of your child's doctor so medical records can be retrieved. You will state the name of the school she's been attending, so those records can be requested. Before you leave for your cruise, you will be served with official papers to this effect and have to appear before a judge. Make damn sure you are available for that, or I will make it my personal responsibility to have you pulled off that ship at its first port of call and hauled back to the States for child abandonment. Do you understand me?"

Now Corina was whining. "Yes, gladly, but what if it takes longer to get the paperwork done? I leave in a couple of months."

"I know people," Sonny said.

"And so do we," Aaron added.

"Where's her suitcase?" Wiley asked.

"Her things are in my car. You can get them when I leave. I'll be glad to be done with her," Corina said, and glared at the little girl all but hidden behind Wiley Pope's legs.

Suddenly, Ava stepped out from behind Wiley's legs and stared Corina straight in the face. "Somebody wants me."

Corina blinked.

Wiley knew the courage it took for Ava to even speak, and reached down and picked her up.

"A whole bunch of somebodies want you," he said.

Ava was startled at being touched, and then it dawned on her how high off the floor she was, and she gasped.

"We're high up," she whispered.

"Too high?" he asked.

Her eyes were huge. "Maybe."

"Then we'll sit," Wiley said, and carried her to the back of the room to the sofa and sat down with her in his lap.

At first, she was stiff, almost uncertain how to relax, but for the first time in days, her tummy was full, and her Bubba's arms were so strong that she knew he wouldn't drop her. Finally, she leaned her head against his chest and watched the grown-ups across the room and, as always, made herself as small as she could be. And closed her eyes.

She was asleep when Corina signed her declaration and still asleep as the notary notarized it.

"Am I free to go?" Corina asked.

"Yes," Sonny said.

"I'll follow you out to get Ava's suitcase," Aaron said.

She headed for the door without even looking at the child asleep in Wiley Pope's arms.

"Don't you want to tell her goodbye?" Wiley asked.

Corina felt the dig for what it was, lifted her chin, and kept walking.

It was just as Wiley expected. Ava had no bond with that woman. In time the bruises she'd given her would fade, but it remained to be seen what had been done to the little girl's fragile ego.

Wiley looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms, marking the tilt of her nose, her white-blond hair and the reddish cast to her brows and lashes. She was malnourished and emotionally frozen. What was it going to take to find the child hidden within?

Aaron came back with a disgusted look on his face and carrying a black garbage bag. "These are her worldly belongings."

Wiley sighed. One hurdle down. A million more to go. He glanced at Sonny. "Chief, I'm gonna need a few days off."

Sonny was still flushed with rage. "The way I feel, so do I. I have never encountered anyone like her. Take the time you need to get situated, find yourself a good babysitter, and get her enrolled in school, and without asking, I'm telling you now you are officially on the day shift and weekends off unless there are dire emergencies."

"This is definitely not what I expected when I woke up this morning, and I don't know how to thank you, but it is much appreciated," Wiley said.

Aaron was still reeling from the initial accusation and in shock at Wiley's reaction. He'd never seen this side of Wiley, and he was a little bit in awe.

"You're not in this alone, little brother. We have to tell Mom and—"

"I already told Mom I was going to fight for her, and she told me to go for it."

Aaron sighed. "I should have known. Then we'll have a family meeting at Mom's when you're ready. Your little girl needs to know who her brothers are, the sisters who will have her back, and a grandma who will rock her world."

***

Corina Dalton was beside herself with glee. The trip hadn't quite turned out how she'd planned, but was ending better than expected. She wasn't getting the payoff money she'd planned on, but she'd gotten rid of the unwanted burden of motherhood. She was tired of driving, but the need to get as far away as possible before they changed their minds was uppermost, so she grabbed breakfast to go and ate on the road. She was still surprised Wiley knew who she was and, if she'd known, would never have had the guts to try this, which proved sometimes a wrong thing can turn out right.

***

Wiley's thoughts were in free fall as he took Ava and her things to his car. He wasn't one bit sorry for the decision he'd just made, but he was scared as to how he was going to make it work. He didn't know squat about kids, but he'd been one. He knew what it felt like to be afraid of who was coming in the door. And he knew what it was like to be ridiculed. He wanted to carry her, but she was very protective of her personal space, and he was afraid to find out why. As soon as they got to the car, he put the sack with her clothes in the seat beside her, then buckled her into the back seat.

"Are you okay, here? It's not too tight across your chest?" he asked.

"Not too tight," she whispered, and pulled the sack with her things into her lap.

Watching her clutch at the only things in the world that were hers hurt his heart. "Okay then, I guess we're ready to go."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Home, sugar. We're going home."

She looked up. "Your apartment?"

"No, it's a house," Wiley said.

Ava blinked. "You have an all-by-yourself house?"

He smiled. "I do, and it has two bedrooms. One will be all yours."

She hugged the bag with her clothes a little tighter. "Is it far?"

He lifted a lock of hair from the corner of her eye and pushed it back into place. "No. You'll see."

He got into the car and drove out of the parking lot, wondering if she had even grasped the reality of what had just happened. If she was always getting dumped wherever, did she know Corina wasn't coming back? One thing was for damn sure about his new arrangement. The only girl who fit into his world now was the little sister sitting in the back seat with that frozen look on her face.

When he pulled up to the little house, he paused to open the garage door, then drove inside.

"We're here," he said, as the door rolled down behind them.

He helped her out, grabbed her belongings, and opened the door, turning on lights as they went. The house still smelled like breakfast, but the kitchen was clean. He didn't like clutter on the counters and kept stuff put away when it wasn't in use. A holdover from lessons his mother had taught all of them.

Ava was standing in the middle of the floor, eyeing the white cabinets with gold knobs, the big island with the tall chairs, and the shiny stainless-steel appliances.

"This way, Ava. I'll show you the house as we go. This is our living room. It has a gas fireplace for when winter comes." As they started up the hall, he pointed into the bedroom on the right. "This is my bedroom, and there's a big bathroom in it with a tub and a shower. Do you like bubble baths?"

"What's that?" she asked.

He stopped. "You never played in a bathtub that had soap bubbles in it?"

She shook her head.

He grinned and held out his hand. "Oh, Sister, you are in for a treat," he said. "Come with me and I'll show you your bedroom. It's right across the hall."

This time, when he held out his hand, she took it. Wiley opened the door and turned on the light. From the look on her face, the pink bedroom might as well have been a palace. They walked inside, and then he opened the door beside her bed. "This is your bathroom, but it has two doors so someone can get to it from the hall, or you can use it from your room."

She nodded, looking in at the tub and the shiny faucet and the white bath towel hanging on the towel rack, and then back at him.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

"I can take a whole bath?"

"Absolutely," he said. "Now let's go back to your room."

"This is all mine?" she whispered.

"All yours," Wiley said.

"Pink is my favorite color," she whispered.

He picked her up and sat her down on the pink quilted bedspread.

"You don't have to whisper. You don't have to be afraid. You are safe here, honey. This is your room, in your home, with a bed and a pillow, and soft sheets and warm blankets. You have a closet and a dresser for your clothes. You can put your toys wherever you—"

She shook her head.

Wiley's heart sank. "What? You don't like—"

"I don't have toys."

He couldn't take it. He picked her up and sat her in his lap and just held her until he could talk without cursing.

"Well, you will have some before bedtime tonight. A plushie to sleep with. A dolly to play with. And anything else that catches your fancy. Okay?"

She looked up at him, this giant of a man who said he was her brother. She wasn't even sure what all that meant, and what her role would be in this place, but for the moment, she didn't care. Nobody was screaming at her. Nobody was throwing things at her. And she had a bed and a pillow.

"Is that okay?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Now tell me," Wiley said. "Who am I?"

"My Bubba?"

"Yes! I'm your Bubba. That's me. Say my name."

"Bubba," she whispered.

"Nope, can't hear you," he said. "Say it louder."

Her eyes suddenly lit from within. "Bubba."

He winked. "That's better. Now…how about we put up your clothes and then go shopping?"

"Corina shops, but she's gone. Is she coming back to take me away?"

Wiley's eyes narrowed. "No. Are you going to be sad?"

Ava shook her head. "No. I'm a mistake."

"No, you're not, baby. You're a gift. A teeny-tiny gift we never saw coming. We're sorry we didn't know about you before, or we would never have left you behind. Okay?"

She nodded.

"Now, show me what's in this bag. We might need to buy some new clothes, too. Who knows?"

Her eyes widened, and for the first time since he laid eyes on her, she smiled, and he was done for.

He dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed and then stared.

"Are these the only clothes you own?"

She nodded.

Wiley took a deep breath. "Then let's get them folded up and put away," he said, then opened the lowest dresser drawer. "I'll fold. You can put them in the drawer, okay?"

"Corina just throws everything in together," she said.

"Well, Corina isn't the boss of us anymore, is she?" Wiley muttered. "We're doing stuff our way now."

Ava leaned against Wiley's leg. "Our way," she whispered.

Wiley folded clothes with a knot in his gut. He had to let go of the rage he was feeling on Ava's behalf and just be grateful that she was finally safe.

It didn't take long to fold and put away her clothes because she only had three complete outfits, counting what she was wearing, three changes of underwear, and a couple of extra T-shirts. No jacket. No pajamas or nightgown. No other shoes but the little sandals on her feet. No hairbrush. No toothbrush. Not even a remnant of anything that a child might cuddle to sleep with. He could easily take her shopping, but he didn't know if she was up to it. He sat down in the chair beside her bed and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

"Okay, everything is put away. When you go to bed, what do you sleep in?" he asked.

"What I wear," she said.

He frowned. "That's not gonna happen here. You get clothes for sleeping, and playing, and school and church."

"What's church?"

Wiley stifled a curse. "A place where we go on Sunday to hear Bible stories and sing songs. You'll like it."

Ava had no clue as to what Bubba was talking about, but she wasn't going to make waves. "I will like it," she echoed.

Wiley picked her up and hugged her. "I hope so, but it's okay if you don't. Nobody will be mad at you. There are things I don't like, and that's fair. People aren't alike. Now we're going to town to buy you stuff you need." He slid her off his lap and patted the back of her head. "Go wash, and use the bathroom before we go, and scoot! I'll be in the kitchen."

She giggled. The word scoot was a new one, but she knew what it meant and hustled herself into the bathroom.

Wiley scrubbed his hands across his face, then stood. Resolve was etched on his face as he headed for the kitchen to make a grocery list. But the first thing he did was send Linette a text, along with the same picture of Ava that he'd sent to his mom.

Family crisis. Big shock. This is Ava. She's seven years old and she's our half sister. Her mother called her a mistake and just dumped her. Something inside of me broke when I saw her. She's scared of everything. She's been neglected and mistreated, and I'm keeping her. I plan to become her legal guardian, and if this isn't in your wheelhouse, now's the time to bail. Otherwise, she's just been added to our plans. I won't hold anything against you for how you feel. This came out of left field and I'm still in a bit of shock myself. But I know this is the right thing to do. Love you forever. Me.

He hit Send and then started checking out the contents of his refrigerator. He had plenty of beer and cold cuts, but no milk and no real food in sight. Life was about to get real in this house. Then his phone signaled a text. It was from Linette, and he was almost afraid to read it.

Bless her heart. As for you, I'll pretend I'm not pissed that you doubted me. This is just part of what "for better or for worse" means, even if we aren't really married. You already know I love children. I will help you every step of the way and hope she learns to love and trust me more than you do… You're an ass, but you're mine, and I will keep you anyway. Love, L.

Wiley grimaced. "Thank God," he muttered, and a few minutes later, they were back in his car and headed uptown. First stop was for clothes. There wasn't a real department store in Jubilee, but there were enough kids' clothes in the tourist shops to cover immediate needs, and he'd talk to Linette about online ordering. As soon as they reached the tourist strip, he parked, then turned to look at her. She was big-eyed and staring out the window at all of the sights.

"Ava, honey, are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Will you promise to tell me if you need to go to the bathroom, or if you get hungry?"

She nodded.

"Will you promise to tell me if you get tired and want to go home?"

She nodded again.

He grinned. "Is that a yes, because I can't hear you."

"Yes," she said, and then almost smiled.

"Good. Thought for a minute my ears had quit working," he said.

She giggled, and startled herself when the sound came out of her mouth and clapped her hands over it.

"Don't you hide that pretty smile," Wiley said. "You're my girl, remember? We're making new rules, and the first one is how to be happy." When he got her out of the car and turned to face the throng of tourists in the plaza, he frowned. "How about I carry you through the crowd, and then we'll walk when we get into a store?"

She eyed the people all around them and nodded, then slid her arm around his neck as he picked her up.

Wiley winked at her, and then they were off.

There were people everywhere, walking in all different directions, going into different shops around the plaza, and coming out of others. She saw kids like her with families, and they were laughing and squealing and carrying stuffed toys or eating as they walked.

At first, Ava was nervous. Her Bubba was tall, and she was really high off the ground, but then it dawned on her that she'd never seen the world like this before. She had no memories of being carried, and Bubba made her feel safe, and he smelled good, and she had a pink room with a bed and a pillow, and they were shopping. She wasn't sure what shopping meant, but Corina liked doing it, and she was about to find out if she did, too.