Deep in the Heart (37 page)

Slow understanding sunk into Keith. “That day Tanner found you walking.”

She nodded as despair crumpled over her. “I didn’t want to make things bad for you. I didn’t want to get you into trouble.” Her tears overflowed their banks as she ducked her head. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve told someone. I should’ve done something…”

“
Oh, no. Maggie.” He knelt down in front of her and reached his hand to just under her ear. “No. Listen, I’m the one that’s sorry.” He pulled her to him as the tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.” His own grief pulled to the surface as he held her there sobbing. “Ike didn’t know. He couldn’t have.”

She nodded but pulled back. There, she wiped the tears from her eyes even as new ones took their place. “I think he thought we were… That I was…” Maggie’s gaze fell between them laden with embarrassment. She corralled the tears, but the effort was obvious. “I figured the less we bothered you the better.”

Keith closed his eyes, willing himself to stay calm. When he opened them again, his determination to protect them all was steel hard. “Now you listen to me.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “If you ever, ever need anything, all you have to do is call. I am right here.” His gaze burrowed through hers. “Got it?”

Slowly she nodded, and the tentative trust was clear.

“
Good.” His gaze fell to Isabella. “Now, do you think we need to take her in or what?”

It was midnight before they got back from the emergency room. Thankfully the bump was just that—a bump with a very slight concussion that would not be a problem. Because of lack of sleep and the emotional day, Maggie was completely exhausted by the time they laid the kids down and made it out into the hallway. She didn’t even have the sanity to make a fast get-away.

“
Maggie,” Keith said softly when they were standing at her door, “I wanted to tell you thanks.”

She turned to him incredulously. “Thanks? For what?”

“
For trusting me enough to tell me. For coming to tell me the first time it happened. I just wish I had been there.” Gently he pulled her to him, and his arms were the best place she’d ever been. He felt so safe and so indescribably stable. “I meant what I said about calling me if you ever need anything.” His embrace fell away, but his hands found her arms. He lowered his gaze to hers. “Okay?”

She nodded but couldn’t be fully certain this wasn’t just some nice dream she had somehow fallen into.

“
Now get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

“
Yeah.” She tried to laugh it off. “After not getting back until like three in the morning last night, I feel like I’ve lived six days in one today.”

Concern slashed through Keith. “Why didn’t you get back until three?” In the next second he knew he shouldn’t have asked as why smacked into him.

“
Oh, you know. Those cab drivers have a racket going,” she said, laughing again.

But Keith wasn’t laughing. “Cab drivers? What happened to Greg?”

She shrugged and let her gaze find the darkness at her feet. “He was drinking.”

If she was trying to make him crazy, it was definitely working. “Maggie, why didn’t you call me?”

“
Because it was three in the morning.” She laughed softly even as her hand came up to her other arm. “Besides what was I going to say, ‘Hi, Keith. It’s me. My date is over. Come get me.’”

Irritation scratched through him. “Well, that would’ve been better than you riding alone in some cab all over the countryside in the middle of the night.” The overpowering need to protect her jammed into his chest. “Now, you listen to me. I do not want you calling cabs to take you home in the middle of the night ever again.”

Annoyance flashed through her eyes as her gaze jerked up to his. “You’re not my father. Besides, how else was I supposed to get home? Walk?”

“
No. You were supposed to call me.”

She sighed, and it was obvious she was tired. “Look, Keith. I don’t want to argue… especially about this.”

He corralled his own emotions. “Yeah, okay. We can talk about this tomorrow. Go get some sleep, and don’t set your alarm for in the morning. I’ll cover for you.”

Panic slid through her face. “For breakfast?”

He smiled. “And lunch and dinner the way you look.” He lifted his chin. “Now go get some sleep.”

Saturday Maggie slept in, and it was like the best vacation ever. They spent most of the rest of the day together except for the time Keith had to run to the stables to check on things. Isabella was feeling better. At least she was playing now. At dinner they talked about everything and nothing in particular. It was strange to Maggie how easy Keith was to be with, so unlike Greg who seemed to be more show than substance.

By the time they tucked Peter in and said their prayers, Maggie found herself wishing this never had to end.

“
So, are we going to church tomorrow?” Keith asked as she made it to her door.

“
Bright and early.” She opened her door.

“
You know Dad and Vivian will be back tomorrow.” Something in his voice stopped her. “We have to tell them. You know that, right?”

Dread slid through her. He was right, and she knew it. However, nothing in her wanted to face them with this information.

“
I think we should do it together,” he said slowly. “If you want me there.”

Maggie turned. His presence filled the space between them. He was there, gazing into her eyes with concern and hope. “I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

“
And you don’t deserve to be in trouble. So if we both go…”

“
Are you sure?”

“
Very.”

Church flew by, and in no time they were out at the stables so Keith could check on things. There was no reason for them to be there really, other than neither Maggie nor the kids wanted to see him go. At the stables they got out of the pickup and walked to the barn, Maggie holding Izzy in one arm and Peter’s hand with her other hand.

“
This won’t take long,” Keith said.

A young woman dressed in faded jeans and a T-shirt strode out of the barn. She had long blonde hair, and she was shorter even than Maggie by several inches.

“
Oh, Mr. Ayer,” she said, putting her hand up to block out the sun. “I didn’t know you were coming. Tanner said I was supposed to feed them.”

“
I just wanted to make sure you remembered,” Keith said with a smile. Then his glance chanced to Maggie. “Oh, Jamie. This is Maggie.” He put his hand on Maggie’s back, and her pulse jumped into a higher gear.

“
Hi, Maggie.” Jamie stuck out her hand, and Maggie shook it.

“
Hi.”

“
And this is Isabella and Peter,” Keith said proudly.

“
It’s nice to meet you.” Jamie stepped up and stuck her hand out to Peter. “You’re a cutie.”

He smiled slightly. Jamie ruffled his hair. Then she stood and looked at Isabella who was curled on Maggie’s chest sucking her thumb.

“
And you are adorable.” Jamie ran her hand gently over Isabella’s curls. “It looks like somebody could use a nap.”

Keith nodded. “Maybe we should head on back to the house since Jamie’s got this under control.”

“
No problem,” Jamie said, stepping away from them. “Y’all take care.”

“
We will.”

They walked to the pickup.

“
She’s nice,” Maggie said.

“
Tanner’s girlfriend. She’s helping out a little to make some gas money.”

Maggie nodded. “Well, Tanner has good taste. I’m glad to see him with someone so nice. He deserves it.”

The rest of the afternoon they stayed in the air conditioning of the mansion. Isabella didn’t need to be out in the heat, and neither of them really wanted to be either. So they spent the afternoon in the kids’ rooms, playing, wrestling, reading, and resting with the kids. It was nice to have a day to just do nothing.

However, the reprieve couldn’t last. When the Ayers announced their return downstairs, Keith looked at Maggie, and she knew it was time for the inquisition.

“
You ready?” he asked.

Had there been a way to say no, she would have. Instead she nodded, and with him holding Izzy and Maggie’s hand in Peter’s they walked out. Down the stairs they went, trooping one behind the other as if marching into enemy territory.

“
Welcome home,” Keith said, far too happy and normal sounding for Maggie to match.

“
Well, it looks like it’s still standing. That’s something,” Mr. Ayer said, gazing at them as they made their descent. “We won. Q-Main ran a great race.”

“
That’s great, Dad,” Keith said. “Really great.”

Mr. Ayer nodded and smiled happily. “I think I’ll give Ike a raise. He deserves it after that one.”

“
Hello, Peter.” Vivian reached down and gave her son the obligatory hug. “Did you have a good time?”

“
Uh-huh. We went to see the horses today.”

“
Horsies,” Isabella said, but there wasn’t much of a squeal.

Maggie looked down at her. No, the bouncy child of a week ago still hadn’t returned.

For an awkward moment no one said anything. Then Keith exhaled ever-so-slightly. “Dad, Vivian, we need to talk.”

Mr. Ayer’s face went ashen with the tone in Keith’s voice, and suddenly Maggie knew why.

“
Umm, it’s about the children, Sir,” she said before he could misconstrue Keith’s intentions any further.

“
Can’t this wait?” Vivian whined. “We just got home.”

“
No, I’m afraid not,” Keith said. “It’s pretty serious, and we wanted you to know what’s been going on as soon as you got home.”

Mr. Ayer looked more confused than displeased.

“
Could we go into your office?” Keith asked, and his father nodded.

“
I’ll let the kids with Inez for a minute,” Maggie said, grateful that she didn’t have to follow them all down the hallway. She took the kids to the kitchen and told Inez she would be back. It took everything she had to walk down that hall. When she slipped into the room, Keith was waiting for her at the door. He guided her to one of the mahogany-wood chairs covered in expensive black leather.

He sat next to her, his parents on the other side of the desk. Keith cleared his throat. “We wanted you all to know that we found a bump on Isabella’s head on Friday night. It was pretty good sized, and we took her to the emergency room.”

“
A bump?” Vivian asked incredulously. “What from?”

Keith glanced at Maggie and then leveled his gaze on his father. “We managed to get the story out of Peter. It seems that the fill-in babysitter, yanked Isabella and made her slip. She fell and hit her head on the tub, causing the bump. We filled out a report on her at the hospital. It’s standard.”

“
But she’s been our fill-in for years,” Vivian said. “She wouldn’t…”

“
It wasn’t the first time.” Maggie pulled in a breath and let out her fear. “She hurt Peter the last time she was here. I saw the bruises on his arms. He told me she shook him really hard. He’s terrified of her.”

“
But…” Vivian started.

Mr. Ayer folded his hands on the desk. “Are you sure about this?”

Keith never flinched. “There’s no doubt.”

They walked out together so his parents could discuss the situation. With her arms wrapped at her chest, Maggie walked slightly in front of him, not saying a word.

“
Are you okay?” he asked with concern.

“
I just hope they don’t think I did it.”

Peace flowed through Keith. “Dad’s smart enough to know we were telling the truth.”

They got to the front door, and Keith stopped. “Well, I guess this is where I get off.”

She spun toward him. “You’re leaving?”

He grinned and winked at her. “What? Did you think I was going to stay forever?”

Sadness went through her. “A girl can hope, can’t she?”

“
Mrs. Haga has been notified that her services are no longer needed,” Patty Ann said stridently. “So until further notice, you are on duty.”

“
I understand,” Maggie said, nodding. The secretary’s office seemed even colder today.

“
That means you are not to even consider asking off until we have cleared someone new.”

“
Yes, Ma’am.”

“
And just so you know, that may not be any time soon.”

Why did this feel like a sentencing session? “Don’t worry about it. I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon anyway.”

Monday night Keith drove into Houston. There were some things that needed to be said face-to-face. He climbed the steps to the second floor apartment and knocked. Putting his hand on his hip, he waited, rehearsing what he had come to say just as he had been for all of 24 hours.

“
Keith!” Greg sounded happy to see him when he opened the door. “Come in, buddy. This is a surprise. I thought you must’ve forgotten where I live.”

“
No, just haven’t had much time to make the trip recently.”