For the Sake of His Child

Andrea shook her head in denial. “It’s real! I’m here!” Through the words, she gasped for breath.

It hit Brynn what she meant. Apparently feeling abandoned by her father, Andrea thought the nightmare was her life. Brynn couldn’t let the child believe her father would desert her as her mother had. “Annie, do you want me to call your dad?”

The girl’s quivering head finally bobbed up and down.

“I’ll go phone. Shamus and Virgil will stay with you.” Directing Virgil to stay, Brynn hurried downstairs to locate Jake’s number. She didn’t want to explain the nightmare in front of Andrea, yet she worried about leaving her alone for long. Luckily, Jake grasped the situation quickly and agreed to come at once.

Back upstairs, Brynn did her best to comfort Andrea, but the girl’s sobbing continued. Brynn knew how it felt to have her heart broken. But it was worse, far worse, seeing it happen to a child.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE BEDROOM WAS QUIET when Jake entered. Andrea was curled in the fetal position, her face red and puffy. The dog that had taken a liking to his daughter stood beside the bed, watching him carefully.

As Jake sat down on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipped under his weight, alerting Andrea. As soon as she saw him, she broke into tears, the sobs wrenching her thin body.

Instinctively he drew her close to his chest. “Annie, it’s me. You’re safe now.”

But her sobbing continued.

“I told you I was only a phone call away.”

She pulled back, staring at him doubtfully.

Jake searched her eyes, remembering Brynn’s words. She thinks you’ve abandoned her. Could Brynn be right? Did Andrea really believe that? “Annie, you’re here only because you need help that I don’t know how to give.”

“Will you stay with me?” she pleaded.

“Why don’t I sit with you until you fall asleep?”

Her eyes clouded and Jake wondered what he’d said that was wrong. Since Val had left it seemed nothing he did was right. After several minutes passed, he patted her shoulder. “I need to talk to Mrs. Alder, then I’ll be right back.”

He could hear Andrea’s continued sniffling as he left the room and headed downstairs to the den. Wordlessly, Brynn handed him a mug of steaming coffee.

“Thanks,” he murmured gratefully.

“I thought you might need it. How’s Andrea?”

“A little better. I told her I’d stay with her until she falls asleep. Actually, I’d like to stay with her the night. Will that wreak havoc with your house rules?”

“No. Andrea needs you tonight.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Al—”

“Call me Brynn, please. You’ll find an extra blanket in the bedroom closet.”

“That’s kind of you.”

“It’s going to take time with Andrea, Mr.—”

“Jake,” he interrupted.

“Jake,” she repeated, her soft voice giving his name a lilt he’d never heard before. “But, however long it takes, I won’t give up on her.”

Gratified, Jake nodded. “I’d better get back to Andrea.”

“I’ll leave the lights on in the den, and if you need me, my room is at the end of the upstairs hall.”

Once back in Andrea’s room, he moved the desk chair next to the bed. She watched him, her eyes anxious.

“Try to sleep, Annie.”

“You won’t leave, Daddy?”

His heart clenched. It had been a long time since she’d called him “Daddy.” He thought that had gone the way of Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. “No, I won’t leave.” At least not tonight. Surely her reaction was simply first-night jitters.

Watching as Annie’s eyes began to droop, he hoped Brynn had a touch of magic in her arsenal.

AFTER A NEARLY SLEEPLESS night, Brynn gave up the battle and rose early, deciding they would all need a substantial breakfast. She’d checked on Andrea twice during the night. Both times she was asleep, but her father wasn’t. It didn’t look as though Jake had moved. He’d lifted his gaze long enough to acknowledge Brynn’s presence each time, but neither of them had spoken, not wanting to waken Andrea.

Reaching the kitchen, Brynn opened the door for the dogs. All of them, except Shamus, who hadn’t left Andrea’s room, loped outside. Ignoring the frisky animals, Bert and Ernie strolled behind them, delicately stretching until the path was clear.

Measuring the coffee, Brynn decided to make it strong. For a moment she stared out through the kitchen window, thinking of her daughter. Why hadn’t she seen the symptoms? So caught up in her grief over Kirk, had she simply not seen what was right in front of her?

Remembering how Sarah had loved French toast, Brynn whisked the egg mixture, hoping it might appeal to Andrea, too. Although she hadn’t seen Andrea when she was well, Brynn suspected that rather than going through an abrupt change, the child had slowly faded, emotionally and physically. Faded away until her state of mind was painfully obvious. Thinking again of Sarah, Brynn bit down on her bottom lip as a stray tear escaped. How could she have blinded herself to the most important thing in her life?

Hearing Jake clear his throat from across the room, she hastily swiped at the tear, composing her face. “Is Andrea awake?”

He looked at her curiously but didn’t pry. “Yes. She’s getting dressed. Coffee smells good.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Brynn managed a small smile. “The mugs are in the cabinet on your right.”

Pouring his own coffee, he glanced at the food she was preparing. “Looks good.”

“After a rough night, I thought we could all use the reinforcement.”

“I remember when Andrea used to consume a stack of pancakes, a bowl of cereal, and then be ready for more within an hour. These days…”

Hearing the wistful note in his voice, Brynn wanted to offer him some encouragement. “Yesterday she drank a milkshake. I’d added vitamin-infused protein powder, disguised by ice cream. I think it was a step in the right direction.”

He looked at her gratefully. “Your reputation is well earned.”

“There’s still a long way to go, I’m afraid. A lot of depressed kids lose their appetite. That’s why I keep the protein powder and ice cream on hand. It’s hard to resist a milkshake.”

“By the time I realized Andrea had a problem, I couldn’t tempt her with anything.”

Brynn thought of her own failure to recognize Sarah’s pain. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re doing something now.”

Nodding, he sipped the steaming coffee.