Heart of Glass (Fostering Love 3)

“Maybe next time,” Morgan said kindly.

“Sure,” my mom replied, her lips wobbling a little as she smiled back. “I’ll call tomorrow and see if we can work something out then.”

She stiffly handed Koda to me, and kissed my cheek when I leaned down to offer it. Then she climbed back into her car and drove away.

“Morgan,” I called, trying to catch her as she went back inside the house.

“I’m going to bed,” she said over her shoulder, not slowing down for a second.

“Let me put the dog in his room and then—”

The quiet sound of a bedroom door closing interrupted my words.

* * *

Early the next morning I woke up to the sounds of people walking around my house. It was a scenario that had never happened before, and I lay there for a while enjoying the sound before I got up. I liked having people in the house. Every once in a while Shane and Kate came to visit, but they’d never stayed overnight at my place. It was just easier for them to stay with the oldies so the grandparents could have as much time as possible with the kids.

“’Morning, Trevor,” Miranda said as I made my way toward the coffeepot. “Thanks for letting us stay last night.”

“Of course,” I replied, giving her a smile.

Morgan’s little sister was still looking pale, and she held herself in a way I’d seen a lot of foster kids hold themselves when they’d come to stay with my parents, but she looked better rested than she had the day before. I couldn’t imagine the pain she must be in, both physical and emotional, but I hoped she’d gotten some sleep.

“You guys want to do anything today?” I asked, taking a sip of weak-as-hell coffee and trying not to grimace at how disgusting it was. “I’ve got all the movie channels if you just want to hang on the couch, but there’s also a lot of trails on the property if you feel like taking a walk.”

Miranda lifted her hand to stop my chatter. “I think we’re actually heading home soon,” she said apologetically.

“Oh.” My mouth snapped shut and I looked down the hallway toward where I knew Morgan and Etta were.

“It’s probably time I went to see my dad,” Miranda said. “He must be wondering why Morgan hauled ass to Oregon and if we don’t tell him something soon, he’ll be on his way here.”

“You could call him,” I replied, pouring my coffee down the sink.

“I think he’d probably rather have that conversation in person,” she said quietly. “Don’t you?”

I paused with my hands on top of the coffeepot. “Yeah.” I turned and nodded my understanding. “You’re right.”

“But thank you,” Miranda said again. “For everything you did yesterday and for letting us crash at your house.”

“You’re welcome here anytime,” I told her, completely serious. “You ever want to come visit, hang out in the woods or go fishing or just escape for a while—you’ve got a place here.”

“You’re good people,” she replied, cocking her head to the side. “You know that?”

“I try.”

Morgan came down the hallway carrying Etta and their bag, and my conversation with Miranda was suddenly over.

“Twevo!” Etta said happily, kicking her legs to get down. As soon as she was standing on her own two feet, she ran to me and wrapped her little arms around my leg. “Koda?”

“He’s out in his dog run,” I replied, running my hand over her silky hair. “You want to go see him?”

“We need to go pretty soon,” Morgan said, readjusting the bag hanging on her shoulder. When our eyes met, though, she relented. “But you can go see him for a few minutes,” she told Etta. “Only a few minutes.”

I nodded in understanding and led Etta out the back door to where Koda’s temporary setup was. At night he slept in the mud room on a huge dog bed that I figured he’d eventually grow into, but during the day he had a fenced-in area with a house and some toys to play with. At some point he’d be old enough to roam as he pleased, but while he was young I wasn’t taking any chances that he’d get lost or killed by a predator in the woods.

Etta rambled on and on in her little gibberish as soon as I let Koda out to play with her, however, my attention was quickly divided between her and the open kitchen window when I heard the women inside start to speak. They must not have known the window was right by Koda’s pen. I was the subject of their conversation, so I didn’t feel an ounce of remorse for eavesdropping.

“Why are we leaving now?” Miranda asked.

“Because Dad’s going to lose his mind—”

“He has no idea what’s going on, Mor. I’m pretty sure he could wait a couple more days to find out.”