A Family for Tory and A Mother for Cindy: A Family for Tory / A Mother for Cindy

Silence surrounded her. Usually she liked the quiet that reminded her she was alone. But not this evening. She wanted the silence to be filled with the laughter of children, with the voices of daughters and sons. Slade had dangled a dream in front of her—to be a mother. And she couldn’t think of a more beautiful child to be her daughter than Mindy.

Pushing herself to her feet, Tory navigated around the coffee table and headed for the kitchen. She flipped on the overhead light and brightness flooded the room, causing her to blink. She put a pot of water on to boil, then sat at the table and waited.

Should she risk marriage to Slade to fulfill her dream? She folded her hands together and bowed her head. Dear Heavenly Father, please help me make the right decision. There’s a part of me that thinks this is the right thing to do. But then my fear takes over and I don’t know what to do anymore. I care for Slade. He’s a good man. And I love Mindy like she is my own child. Please give me a sign showing me the way.

A high-pitch whistle disturbed the quiet, startling Tory. She leaped to her feet and hurried to the stove to remove the kettle. After fixing herself a cup of herbal tea, she sat again at the table, her elbows resting on its wooden top.

What to do? The second hand on the wall clock sounded—tick, tick, tick. Seconds merged into minutes and still no answer.

Nibbling at the back of her mind was the one thing that was stopping her. Being a true wife in every sense for Slade. Could she do that? They hadn’t discussed that part of a marriage, but she wasn’t naive. She knew he was a man in every sense of the word and would want more from her than she might ever be able to give.

With her eyes closed, she sipped at her tea and tried to imagine life as Slade’s wife, as Mindy’s mother. The child’s laughter, her smile, filled Tory’s mind. Mindy’s need for a mother sliced through her defenses, urging her to take the risk and deal with the consequences later. If only she could—

Slade prowled his dimly lit den, too restless even to sit. Beyond the picture window he saw that night had lightened to a dark gray. Soon dawn would color the eastern sky with oranges and pinks. Soon his daughter would be up and ready to go to Tory’s for the day, eager to spend time with the woman she had grown to love like a mother over the past few months. Soon he would see Tory again.

What would she tell him today?

That question had plagued him all night to the point he hadn’t been able to sleep. One part of him was so stunned he had asked Tory to marry him, but the other felt as though it was the answer to all his problems and the best thing for his daughter. And he would do anything for his daughter. The most important was righting what his child had gone through these past couple of years, giving her back as normal a life as possible.

He could still see the flash of red out of the corner of his eye as the truck ran the light. He could still hear the crunch of metal as the pickup plowed into the passenger’s side of his car where his wife sat. And he could still hear his daughter’s screams and his wife’s moans—the last sounds she made before slipping away. There were times when he imagined the scent of blood and gasoline still hung in the air and the wail of sirens shrieked closer.

If only—He buried his face in his hands and tried to block the images from his mind. He wanted to leave the past in the past as Tory had. But every time he looked at Mindy he was reminded that he had survived with only a few bruises and cuts while his family had suffered.

What had Mindy done to deserve this kind of punishment? What had he done? All he had ever wanted was to love and protect his family. He had failed his daughter once. He wasn’t going to again. Tory was the best thing for Mindy, and he was determined to persuade her to marry him and give his daughter the family she deserved.

Standing at the fence watching a mother and colt frolicking in the pasture left of the barn, Tory heard the sound of a car approaching on the gravel road that led to her house. She didn’t have to glance over her shoulder to know it was Mindy and Slade. She cradled the cup of tea and brought it to her lips, taking several sips of the now-lukewarm brew. Coldness cloaked her even though the temperature was quickly rising into the mid-seventies. Her eyes stung from lack of sleep, but her jittery nerves kept her moving.

A car door slammed shut, then another one. Mindy called out to her. Tory turned and leaned back against the wooden fence, waving at the little girl as she headed into the barn to see Mirabelle. Dressed in dark blue dress slacks, Slade strode toward her, tired lines marking his features. He hadn’t slept much the night before, either. Good, she thought, since his surprise proposal certainly had robbed her of any rest.

Finishing her tea, she placed the mug on the post, more brown than the white it was supposed to be. “When will you be picking Mindy up?”

“I have a late-afternoon meeting with a contractor about the additions to the plant. When I’m through with him, I’ll come straight here. It should be by six.”

“Mindy and I can have dinner ready for you.”

A smile curved his mouth. “I’d like that.” He started to say something else but stopped before the first word was out.

“I don’t have an answer, if that’s what you want to know.”

“I figured as much. Did you get any sleep last night?”

She gestured toward her face, sure the circles under her eyes were still evident. “What do you think?”

“No. Neither did I.”

“So, I should probably have an answer soon if either one of us wants to get any sleep?”

“Yep, that about sums it up.”

His crooked grin melted any defenses she had automatically erected. She pushed away from the post and rolled her shoulders. “I’m not as young as I used to be. There was a time I could stay up all night and keep going strong the next day. That’s not the case anymore. I’m hoping Mindy will want to take a nap later this afternoon.”

“Since she was up bright and early this morning, I’d say she probably will. She was so excited to be coming out here and not having to stay with Mrs. Davies.”

“I’m glad.” She started past Slade, making her way toward the barn. “Why don’t you let her spend the night? Bring some clothes for her this evening, and when she goes to sleep, you and I can have a talk.” She hadn’t realized until the words were out of her mouth that she would give Slade an answer that evening. But she would. Now she just had to figure out what that answer would be.

“Then I’ll swing by the house and pick up some of Mindy’s clothes.” Slade stopped at his car and opened the door, throwing Tory a heart-stopping look.

From the entrance into the barn Tory watched Mindy’s father drive away, her time running out. Twelve hours to go.

“Tor-ee, can—I ride?”

She turned toward the little girl standing in the middle of the barn. “Sure, just as soon as I finish mucking out two stalls.”

“I’ll—help.”

“I was counting on that.” Tory approached Mindy and clasped her on the shoulder.

The little girl threw her arms around Tory’s waist. “I’m—so glad—no—Mrs. Davies. Thank—you.”

“You’re welcome.” Tory leaned back, staring down at Mindy. This child was the reason the answer wasn’t a simple no.

“I’m—a good—uh—helper.” Mindy puffed out her chest. “You—need—help.”

“I tell you what. I need to feed the cat and her kittens. Can you do that for me while I take care of the last two stalls?”

“Sure.” Mindy’s blue eyes gleamed, big and round.

“You know where their food is?”

The girl nodded.

“I’ll come get you then when I’m through.”

Mindy started for the tack room while Tory hurried toward the last stall on the left. Twenty minutes later, her muscles shaking with fatigue, Tory went in search of Mindy. She heard the child before she saw her. Mindy was outside the back entrance, talking to the kittens.

She held one in her lap, stroking it and saying, “Maybe—I’ll—get to—stay—here. I see—you—every—day. Wouldn’t—that be—nice?” The child buried her face in the kitten’s fur, rubbing it back and forth across her cheek. “Tor-ee—needs—me.”

Tory’s throat jammed with emotions of love. She did need Mindy. More than she realized. Tory closed her eyes for a few seconds. Thank you, Lord, for showing me the answer.

Swallowing several times, Tory stepped from the shadows into the light. “Are you ready to ride, Mindy?”

Dusk blanketed the farm, cooling the air slightly. The dark clouds to the south hinted at a chance of rain. Crickets trilled and frogs croaked. Tory brushed a stray strand of hair, fallen from her ponytail, behind her ear. Taking a deep breath, she relished the scents of grass and earth that mingled with the fragrance of the honeysuckle she’d planted along the fence to the west.

She needed to paint the fences, the barn and the house. Each year more of the white flaked off and yet she neither had the time nor the money to do that. There weren’t enough hours in the day.

The screen door banged closed behind her. The sound of even footsteps approached her. She remained by the porch railing, her fingers grasping it a little tighter.

“I finally got Mindy to go to sleep. All she wanted to talk about was the kittens and Belle. She told me when she grows up she wants to work with animals like you, Tory.” Next to her Slade settled himself back against the railing, his arms folded over his chest, and faced her. “See what kind of influence you have on Mindy?”