Deep in the Heart (8 page)

Smoothie-splatters streaked down her blue blouse, across her hair, and down her face. In fact, it was everywhere.

Things happened. Keith knew that as well as anybody. However, he also knew there were people on this place who wouldn’t take that for a reason. “Okay. Why don’t you take the kids upstairs? Hose them off. Get them into clean clothes. Whatever it takes. Jeffrey and I will get this mess cleaned up.”

He heard Jeffrey’s grunt of disapproval, but with one glance backward, he silenced any protest.

Twisting, Maggie picked Isabella up even as she kept her gaze on Keith. “Are you sure? I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

“
Let me worry about that. You take care of them.”

A wary nod, and Maggie herded the children out and up the stairs. Keith turned to Jeffrey who looked positively mortified. “Come on. We’d better get this place cleaned up before the she-wolves get back.”

Upstairs Maggie did her best to calm the children down. Isabella was the easiest. With a quick slide through the bathtub, clean clothes, and her bed coupled with the intense crying of earlier, the little girl was asleep in no time. Peter, on the other hand, was a different story. He watched her carefully. Every move she made, he seemed to cringe back from her in fear.

In the bath when she went to put the soap on him, he backed away a full inch before she caught hold of him. “Hey, hey, Peter-boy. Where’re you going? It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. See, we’re just going to wash all this icky old yogurt off so you’re all nice and clean.” She kept talking in that singsong voice that kids melted into. It didn’t help him, but it sure helped her.

When Peter made it out of the tub and dressed, Maggie took him in the rocking chair, wondering about what was going on downstairs. However, as deadly to her job as that sounded, she had to trust that they would do the best they could. Whatever happened after that would happen.

“
What in the wide world?” Inez stopped cold in the doorway to the kitchen.

Keith held up his hand that sported the little rope around his wrist as he stood on the chair, wiping yogurt from the ceiling. “I can explain.”

Inez swung the bags onto the counter. “Well, somebody better. Look at this mess.”

He surveyed his options, took a breath, and plunged ahead. “I didn’t have lunch. I was just going to grab something quick. I didn’t realize the blender was on when I plugged it in.” He felt Jeffrey’s gaze on him, but he kept going. “We were hoping to have it cleaned up before you got here.”

She didn’t look at all pleased. “Well, that worked.”

“
Don’t worry about it. We’ll get it.”

It was clear she wanted to yell at him, but the hierarchy of the situation dawned on her, and she backed off. “Fine. But this mess had better be clean before dinner.”

“
It will be. No problem.”

Maggie was still rocking Peter in the chair an hour later. Her cheek rested on his head, and she knew he was asleep. Poor kid. She’d about scared him to death. The soft creak of the door brought her thoughts up from the sleeping child. Keith stuck his head in, and she gasped softly.

“
Keith, how’s…?”

He put his finger to his lips, glanced back out into the hallway, and then stepped in before closing the door quietly behind him. Making no noise at all, he tiptoed over to where she sat. She surveyed him seriously. “How’s downstairs?”

“
Clean. Finally. We’ve got the curtains in the wash right now. Everything else is done.”

She sighed in relief, and the chair started rocking again. But he didn’t leave. Instead, he sat on his heel next to the rocking chair and brushed his thumb under his nose. “Listen. Inez came home and about had a conniption.”

Maggie’s eyes widened in fear and then closed as she shook her head. “I’m dead.”

“
No. No. That’s what I came up here to tell you. I took the rap for you.”

Her gaze smashed into his as she tried to understand what he was telling her. “You what? Why?”

Gentle and compassionate, he gazed at her, his deep brown eyes setting her spirit on solid ground. “She can be a little harsh if things aren’t just right, so I told her I did it. So as long as you don’t say anything, she’ll never know.”

Gratefulness for his chivalry traced through her, but still he’d put himself out there to get yell at… or worse. “But why? Why would you do that? It was my fault.”

“
Hey, things happen.” He shrugged, then reached over and ran his hand over Peter’s head. “Besides these two need you more than I need my skin.” With a tight smile, he stood, and her gaze followed him up.

“
Will you be back for dinner tonight?”

He nodded ever-so-slightly. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“
Is she asleep?” Keith stepped up behind Maggie as she closed Isabella’s door.

In the first second Maggie jumped. In the second she nodded, feeling the security his presence brought her all the way to her core. “Too much excitement today.”

“
I hear you there.” He followed her across the hall, and she felt his every move. “You going to tuck Peter in?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Mind if I come along?” He was leaning against the wall, shoulder to wrist. The hat and bandana were gone again, which wasn’t helping her breathing any.

“
If you want.” She pushed the door to Peter’s room open and without waiting for him to follow, she walked over to the bed. However, when she got there, the first thing she noticed was the tears on the little face, and concern poured over her. “Peter-boy, what’s wrong?”

Sad, heart-wrenching eyes gazed up at her. “You’re not leaving are you?”

“
Leaving?” She knelt down next to the bed and took his hand in hers, forgetting anyone else was in the room with them. “Why would I be leaving?”

“
Because of what we did.” His little lip quivered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know Isabella was going to touch that button.”

“
Oh, baby.” Compassion for him slid through her. “Baby, baby. Come here.”

He sat up and fell into her arms, hugging her like she’d never been hugged before. “I don’t want you to go.”

“
Hey. Hey.” She stroked his head as his desperation pulled her closer to him. “Shh. It’s okay. It’s not your fault, remember?”

“
But I don’t want you to leave.”

“
Hey, slugger.” Keith knelt down on the other side of the bed, and Maggie looked at him through the darkness. He reached across the bed and ran his hand over Peter’s back. “Maggie’s not going anywhere. I’m going to make sure of that.”

How he could sound so sure, she didn’t know. But Peter sniffed and backed up from her. Still leaning on her, he looked at Keith. “Really?”

“
Really. Now you get on to sleep. Tomorrow’s another day, and maybe we’ll go horseback riding again if you want.”

A breath of excitement punched through the sadness. “Really?”

“
Yeah, but only if you get some sleep now.”

Peter scooted back down under the covers, and Maggie helped him pull them up around him. However, when he was settled, she wasn’t sure what to do next.

“
You want to say it?” Keith asked her when she didn’t start immediately.

Although it was more than her brain could handle, she nodded. She reached down and took Peter’s hand in hers and then from across the bed, Keith offered her his. Her heart slammed into her chest as she looked at it for one second and then forced herself to remember his generosity earlier in the afternoon. She laid her hand in his. Rough but strong just like him, it supported hers effortlessly. Trying not to think about it, she bent her head.

“
Dear Lord, we thank You tonight for all the good things You did for us today. We ask You to send Your saints and angels to be with us tonight. Keep us safe, hold us in Your love, and be with us always. Amen.”

“
Amen.” The deep voice and the soft one blended together, sending her heart into fits.

“
Good night, sweet prince.” She pulled her hand back, bent forward, and kissed Peter’s forehead. “You get some sleep. Let Jesus take care of everything else.”

On the other side of the bed, Keith stood. He reached one hand down to the little shoulder. “’Night, slugger.”

Maggie pushed to her feet and turned for the door. Three steps and she felt his presence right behind her. It was comforting and anxiety-producing at the same time. At the door Keith opened it for her, and they stepped into the hallway. Once there, he slid the door into the jamb and turned to her.

“
I think you’ve got a fan,” he whispered.

“
Yeah, well. Lotta good that’s going to do me.” If the day had convinced her of anything, it was that she could never be perfect enough for this place. Some day, some way, she would do something just wrong enough to be fired, and it wouldn’t even have to be as major as yogurt on the ceiling. Her heart ripped in half at the thought of leaving these kids, of breaking their hearts by walking away. It would kill her as surely as it would kill them. “I gotta go. ‘Night.”

“
Hey.” His hand coming around her wrist stopped her from escaping into her room. “What’s wrong?”

Sniffing the misery down, she turned to him, but her gaze was on the carpet. “Let’s face it. I’m not cut out for this place. It’s obvious. I’m not used to schedules and dressing fancy and soccer lessons and piano lessons. Mrs. Malowinski’s was nothing like this. I don’t know how to do any of this right.”

Beaten down by the need to appear perfect in a too-perfect world, she looked ready to admit defeat. Keith knew exactly where she was coming from. He’d been there. “Well, it looks to me like you’re doing something right. Those kids love you, Maggie, and you’ve only been here… what? A week.”

“
Yeah.” She laughed sarcastically. “And I’ll only be here what? Four more days.” She wrapped her arms over her middle, and one hand drifted up to wipe the tears from under her glasses. “Face it. I’m not good enough to be here. I couldn’t be if I tried.”

“
Okay. Now you stop right there.” He picked his hand up and held up his index finger. “First of all, you have done more for those two kids than anyone has since they’ve been on the planet. Second of all, you are perfect just the way you are.”

She actually laughed at him that time. “Yeah, right. Look at me. I’ve worn the same shirt for three days now because I don’t have the guts to ask if I can use the washer nor do I even know where it is. I got reamed out the other day because we were only two minutes early to dinner, and with today’s stunt, well, let’s just say it’s only a matter of time.”

Keith shook his head at the list. “Wait a minute. Back up. They didn’t show you the house? You don’t know where the washer is?”

Embarrassment tramped across her face. It took her more than a few seconds, but finally she sighed. “They warned me not to go snooping around, so I didn’t want to go looking on my own.”

“
Oh, well, that one’s easy enough.” He reached over and took hold of her wrist. “Come with me.” With her trailing him like a bike with the kickstand down, they took the kitchen stairs to the bottom level. In the kitchen he turned to the right instead of to the left and opened a small door. He flipped the light on, and there in gleaming white was the washer and dryer. “Ta-da! Now was that really so hard?”

She fought the smile as long as she could, but finally it broke through.

“
Good. Problem number one, solved.” He turned to her. “Now, my next question is, how you got to the end of your clothing supply in less than a week.”

Leaning against the open door and making circles on the floor with her toe that he realized was sticking out the front of her white sock, she kept her gaze on the floor. “Because I brought everything I owned. It was all in that suitcase. The one we carried from the barn.”

Incredulousness dropped over him. “Everything you owned was in there?” How that could possibly be, he didn’t know because that suitcase weighed next to nothing.

“
I was headed back to Mrs. Malowinski’s when the dean called me about this job, and Mrs. Ayer didn’t really give me the chance to get anything new once I got here. Not that I could have, I had two dollars to my name the day I showed up… still do.”

Processing all that she was telling him was getting harder by the minute. “Okay. Wait a minute. Time out. One thing at a time. Who is Mrs. Malowinski?”

Maggie fought the humiliation rising in her chest. Sure, there was nothing to be embarrassed about, but still… People always reacted so strangely when they knew.

The forcefulness of his voice was gone, and he softened. “Maggie? Hey. It’s okay. You can tell me.”

She glanced up at him, and his face held nothing but compassion and concern. She took a breath, closed her eyes, and willed the wall to hold her up. “She’s my foster mom, or she was until I turned 18.”

“
Foster mom?” He shook his head a half-shake. “I don’t understand.”

Willing the tears to stay in her heart, Maggie detached herself from the story as she had learned to do so long before. “My parents were killed in a car accident when I was eight.” She set her jaw and lifted her chin to show him she was over that tragedy. “There weren’t any relatives to take me, and they hadn’t named any guardians in the will, so… I went into the foster care system.”