Her Texas Rebel

Nick nodded toward Tony. “This guy wants to know where the home is. Says he’s supposed to start work there tomorrow.”

Kyle turned his head to spit on the ground. “Just follow the road around the mountain and follow the signs out of town. Can’t miss it.”

Tony frowned. Well, that had backfired. Now he had no choice but to leave. Unless he wanted to look suspicious. He fell back on his training. Keep ’em talking. “What’s there to do around here?”

“Not much. Where you from?” Kyle stepped between the truck and Nick.

Something about the way Kyle stood put Tony on edge. He hovered around the truck, his eyes darting back and forth from the dark alley next to the basketball courts to Nick.

“San Antonio.”

Kyle grinned. “No way. I’m from San Marcos.”

“I’ve been there. My buddies and I like to tube the Guadalupe River down to New Braunfels.”

“Yeah? We did that a few times, too.”

Nick slapped Kyle on the shoulder. “The guys are ready. You coming?”

“Yeah. I’ll be right there.” Kyle leaned against the truck, clearly in no hurry.

“I take it you’re from the home. What about him?” Tony nodded toward the retreating kid.

“Nah.” Kyle glanced over his shoulder. “His grandpa donated the building the state turned into the home, and his dad’s some big shot who inspects all the group homes in the area.”

“Sounds like the kid’s got it made.”

“Yeah.”

“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” Tony watched the teen head back to the others.

Kyle took his time getting to Nick’s group. He stopped and talked to a girl watching the game and another boy coming off the court. Tony smiled. Nick liked to run the show and Kyle was making it known that he wasn’t going to jump through the kid’s hoops.

Tony looked around the area. How many of the teens were from the home? He was pretty sure they were supposed to have adult supervision at all times. Wherever the chaperone was, they weren’t paying much attention to the boys on the courts. Kyle got in a truck with Nick and a few others and left without saying a word to anyone else. Was Nick one of the long-time residents of Salt Creek? Was he a transfer from the city?

Most people who grew up in the small town couldn’t wait to get out. Then, as they got older, they tired of the hustle and bustle of city life and recalled an idealistic childhood. When their teenage children became belligerent, the parents’ solution was to ship them to the grandparents, convinced life in small-town America would cure them. Sometimes it worked, like with him. Sometimes it didn’t. Too bad those parents didn’t realize it was the first decade of their life that counted the most. Was Nick one of those kids?

* * *

SABRINA SCRAMBLED EGGS while listening for Marissa’s car. She rolled her shoulders. Lack of sleep over the past week had given her a dull headache and an aching back.

She had no reason to be so worried. Marissa had promised to keep her secret but if Marissa had guessed that Levi was Tony’s son, how long would it take for others to figure it out? After almost an hour of questions, she’d managed to convince Marissa that she didn’t intentionally lie to Tony. She doubted others would be as forgiving. Especially Tony.

Her own sense of morality was the cause of most of her uneasiness. Would things be different today if he’d opened the last letter she’d sent? More than once he’d declared that he never wanted a family but deep down she knew he’d never abandon his child the way his father had abandoned him. And that was the crux of her dilemma.

Aunt Patty told her not to feel guilty because every effort had been made to notify Tony about Levi’s birth. After hearing her story, even Marissa agreed that Sabrina had done everything she could. Back then. But what about now?

Her son was finally returning to the happy, carefree boy she knew. If she told the truth, would it help her son or make him worse?

“Levi,” she called, scooping the eggs onto a plate. “Breakfast is ready.”

“Is Bradley here?” He came out of his room, already dressed.

“Not yet, but any minute now.” She poured him a glass of milk.

“I hear them.” Levi shoved the scrambled eggs into his mouth and jumped up from the table.

By the time Sabrina met Marissa at the door, the two boys had taken off to the barn in search of her father.

Marissa watched the boys from the porch. “I take it that Levi’s as excited about this fishing trip as Bradley.”

Sabrina laughed and held the door open for her. “I don’t think either of them are as excited as Dad. He’s been packing things all week.”

Marissa’s easy laugh put Sabrina at ease. It was clear Marissa wasn’t going to judge her for the sins of her past. As soon as she signed the paperwork in Marissa’s briefcase, she’d officially have a job. And better yet, Levi would get the counseling required to get him back into school. Little Mountain even promised a bonus after six months of employment. A bonus that was large enough to pay the first semester’s tuition for the nursing program.

By the time she’d poured Marissa a cup of coffee, Marissa had papers scattered across the dining table.

She handed the cup to her friend and sat down to look over the forms. “Thanks for bringing these over. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

Marissa sipped her coffee. “No sense in you having to drive to Lampasas to sign papers and turn around and come back. Especially if you want to start today. Besides, it gave me an excuse to go into the office late this morning. And Bradley was going nuts waiting for Levi. This was the fastest way to get him out of my hair.”

A thrill ran through her as she signed the last form. “How are you involved with Little Mountain? I’m going to be working for them, not Crestview, correct?”

Marissa stacked the papers together. “Yes. We’re a contracting company and just assist with the hiring process. They tell us what they need, we find them the best applicants for the job. Once hired, you’re all theirs.”

Sabrina nodded. Her dad was less than thrilled to hear she’d be working at the children’s home. Maybe they were rougher than what she’d been led to believe. “Any advice on working with these kids?”

Marissa nodded. “I understand your concern, but we’ve never had any major problems with them. They’re troubled, yes, but most of them are just kids who need someone to care about them. The state puts those who have a violent history in a different facility. This one only takes fifteen to thirty children at a time, and the ages range from seven to eighteen.

“A couple of the kids have diabetes and need glucose monitoring and shots occasionally. And several of them have asthma. The entire staff is CPR certified, but the state requires someone with more medical training during the day. At least while the kids are out of school for the summer.”

She relaxed. That didn’t sound too bad.

“The home is in the old Johnson house, outside of town. Do you remember where that is?”

Sabrina nodded. She knew the house where the home was located well. Once considered a model home in the county, years of neglect had taken its toll. Sabrina and Tony had gone into the abandoned house one night. Not one ghost jumped out to scare them, much to their disappointment.

It was a large home, but not large enough for thirty children plus all the adults it took to supervise them. “Where do they fit that many kids?”

“The younger children stay in the main home, but they built cabins on the ten-acre property for the teens. The boys and girls are separated, of course, and each cabin has a married couple who lives with them.”

Thirty minutes later, Sabrina stood in front of the double wooden doors of the main house. It looked like the property had been a good investment. The State of Texas had probably bought it for next to nothing, which made the obvious repairs on the home that much more affordable.

The door was unlocked, so she stepped inside. Chimes echoed, alerting anyone in the building someone had entered. Where was everyone? A small girl ran across her path and stopped short when she saw Sabrina. Her dark brown eyes opened wide. “Are you a wobber?”

“A what?” Sabrina squatted down so she could understand her better.

“A wobber,” the girl said slowly, then smiled, revealing her missing front teeth.