LITMIR.BIZ

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more trouble. She seemed very angry at her daughter, and Sam wasn’t sure exactly why that was.

      Fortunately, Kelly and his mom, Verna, had hit it off immediately when his parents had arrived a few hours earlier. While Arabella, claiming a migraine, stayed in her room, leaving Kelly’s father, Neil, with Sam and the kids, Kelly and his mom had prepared a meal with the twins’ pudding for dessert. They all worked hard to keep the atmosphere light when Kelly’s mother finally came to the table. Jock Denver was a born peacemaker, and Sam could have hugged his dad when he drew Neil and Arabella into a conversation about downsizing.

      While the men cleaned the dishes, Kelly helped Verna bathe the children under her mother’s disapproving stare. Then Kelly snuggled in a chair with the twins for a bedtime tale about a princess who traveled on a big boat to faraway places. Enthralled by her soft voice and her descriptions of the same sights Sam had longed for years to see, the twins begged Kelly to keep going when she said it was bedtime. She assured them that installments would follow each night if they didn’t fuss about going to bed.

      Sam guessed Kelly was making the tale up as she went, drawing from her own travels to bring the story to life, and he was at least as curious about the next chapter as Sadie and Emma.

      “Auntie Kel said bedtime,” he reminded softly when Sadie began to argue. He wanted to scoop her in his arms and assure her they’d have tomorrow, and tomorrow after that. But he couldn’t do that because he wasn’t sure how long Kelly would stay. Sadie gave him a mutinous look, but Sam didn’t budge. “Bedtime.”

      “Okay.” With a huge sigh Sadie slid off the sofa, grabbed Emma’s hand and walked with her down the hall to their room. After a glance at him, Kelly followed.

      Sam went, too, his heart tight in his chest at what was to come. Emma and Sadie knelt by their beds. Since Sam had already put Jacob Samuel down, he had no excuse when Sadie patted the top of her bed, indicating he should sit there. He felt Kelly watching, waiting for his lead. Swallowing his discomfort at this brush with God, Sam sat down on Sadie’s bed while Kelly sat on Emma’s.

      “We gotta pray now,” Emma told her aunt in her whisper-quiet voice.

      Kelly obediently bowed her head and closed her eyes. A swath of dark hair flopped down to caress each molded cheekbone. When his bossy niece cleared her throat, Sam reluctantly stopped staring at his beautiful sister-in-law, bowed his own head and closed his eyes.

      “Hi, God. It’s me, Sadie. Thanks for bringing our aunt Kelly here. We like her lots. And Uncle Sam is the bestest.” Sadie sighed. Surprised by her silence, Sam opened his eyes. Sadie’s face was scrunched up in thought. “I sure do wish You didn’t take my mommy and daddy away, though. Will You tell them I’m trying to be good? It’s hard.” She paused as if she wasn’t sure how to continue.

      Sam was about to intervene when Emma urged, “Say the God-blesses, Sadie.”

      “I know how to pray.” Sadie glared at her sister then caught Sam with his eyes open, watching Kelly. She frowned, waited till he’d closed them again then continued. “God bless Gran and Grandpa, Grannybell and Grandpa Neil, Jacob Samuel and Uncle Sam and Auntie Kelly. And Emma,” she added as if it was an afterthought. “And God bless me. Amen.”

      Emma’s prayer was much shorter but just as heartfelt, though barely audible. Sam wasn’t even certain she’d said amen until Kelly rose.

      “I love you, Sadie Lady.” He bent and hugged the little girl, inhaling the soft fragrance of her shampoo. His heart stopped for a minute when she squeezed her arms around his neck and held on tight, as if she was afraid to let go in case he disappeared. “Sleep tight, darlin’.” He kissed her forehead.

      “Love you, Uncle Sam,” she murmured on the back side of a yawn and let go.

      “Good night, Emma, my gem.” The child’s frequent silences worried him, but for now Sam stuffed that away to give her an extralong hug. “I love you, sweetheart. Sleep well.”

      “G’night, Uncle Sam,” she breathed.

      He waited at the door while Kelly said her good-nights, noting the affection in her voice and how her brown eyes softened as she touched each girl’s cheek with her lips. His heart breathed a sigh of relief that the three had bonded so quickly. If only he could persuade Kelly to stick around...

      With one last good-night, Sam flicked on a night-light, ushered Kelly into the hallway and eased the door almost closed. He followed Kelly to the empty living room and sat opposite her in his brother’s recliner, glad that both their parents had gone elsewhere. He was too tired to play mediator tonight.

      “You’re worried about something, Sam.” Kelly studied him with a grave look marring her lovely face. “Can I help?”

      “I’m concerned about Emma,” he confessed, liking that she cared enough to ask.

      “She’s a very quiet child,” Kelly agreed thoughtfully.

      “Too quiet. She wasn’t always, though. It’s only since Marina and Jake died that she’s started this—I don’t know what to call it. Whispering?” He rubbed the cord in his neck that was painfully tight. “I have a hunch it has to do with something she’s worried about but since—well, lately she hasn’t been confiding like she used to.” He had a sudden thought. “You’ve already built a rapport with the girls. Maybe you could find out.”

      “You think Emma will confide in me, a stranger, when she doesn’t tell you or her grandparents what’s bothering her?” Kelly’s face revealed her skepticism.

      “You and Marina were twins. Jake and I were, too.” Sam remembered times when Jake had dashed into something when Sam himself would have thought about it more carefully before acting. “You and I know there’s usually one twin who’s more dominant.”

      “And that’s Sadie, obviously.” Kelly frowned. “Are you suggesting that if I spent some time with Emma away from Sadie, she might talk?” He nodded. “I can give it a try.”

      “Thanks.” Sam couldn’t shake the question hanging in the air so he faced it head-on. “What’s the deal between you and your mother?” From the way Kelly flushed and avoided his gaze, he knew she didn’t want to discuss it.

      “I’m so sorry you had to witness that.” Shame colored her voice, showed in the slump of her shoulders. “I guess she’s still angry with me.”

      “Why?” Sam waited, wondering at the myriad emotions that stormed across Kelly’s face. “You can tell me, Kelly. I won’t judge. But I won’t pry, either.”

      “Actually, I don’t want to talk about it,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze. “Suffice it to say I was never the daughter she wanted.”

      “What’s that mean?” Confused by her words, Sam wanted to know more, but the pain on Kelly’s face told him that whatever had happened so long ago still hurt her.

      “My mother has some strict beliefs about parenting and especially obedience.” Kelly summoned a smile but there was no mirth in it. “Marina managed to heed her orders, but I always wanted to know why.” She made a face. “I guess I’m a late bloomer, because it’s only lately that I’ve begun to accept that I can’t always know the why of things.”

      “Actually, you and Marina sound a lot like Sadie and Emma.” Sam smiled at her surprise.

      “I guess we were.” Kelly sighed. “You have to know that I loved my sister very much. She was everything I wanted to be. Only I couldn’t be her, and that caused problems so I stayed away.”

      Sam heard a finality in that response, so he didn’t press for answers. There would be time for that later. Instead, he asked a question he’d carried for almost ten years. “How did you happen to fall for my brother?”

      Kelly’s head jerked up. She gaped at him. “You knew?”

      “Those puppy-dog looks you shot his way when you thought I wasn’t looking sort of gave it

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