“What about me?” Larry asked. “I didn’t get sick.”
“Then you may have one piece of Caleb’s pizza,” Amanda conceded. “If he says it’s okay.”
Caleb grinned. “Hey, I’m all about sharing.” He handed a piece to Larry, then looked at Susie. “You having plain, young lady?”
She nodded. “That other stuff’s yucky. Only boys would eat that.”
“You’re just a baby,” Jimmy taunted.
Amanda scowled at him.
“Sorry, Susie,” Jimmy said meekly.
Caleb bit back a grin. Despite all they’d gone through, all the things they’d lost and continued to be deprived of, these three kids were as normal as any he’d ever met. They squabbled among themselves, but if any outsider threatened any one of them, they united. Amanda had done a fantastic job with them. Caleb admired the strength it must have required for her to do that, especially on days when a lesser woman would have caved in under all the pressure.
“Hey, Mom,” Larry said. “Me and Jimmy have this really cool idea.”
“Jimmy and I,” Amanda corrected.
Larry stared at her blankly.
She sighed. “Never mind.”
“Anyway, that tree out back is really, really big, so we were thinking it would be just right for a tree house,” he said enthusiastically, his pizza momentarily forgotten. “So, can we build one?”
“I don’t know,” Amanda began, casting a worried look in Caleb’s direction.
“Maybe we could take a look after dinner,” he said, treading cautiously. He knew the kids turned to him when they sensed their mother’s disapproval. They hoped that as a guy he’d be an ally. His gaze on Amanda, he said, “There might be some sturdy branches not too high off the ground that would hold one. I think that would put your mom’s anxiety to rest.”
Larry regarded him gratefully. “Then would you help us build it? Not just some platform, but a real house with walls and everything,” he said excitedly. “Maybe Mr. Josh would help, too. He did a great job on our house. And I’ll bet he has some extra wood and stuff he could give us.”
Caleb caught Amanda’s frown, so he took a step back. “Let’s see what the tree looks like before we get too carried away. Remember, when it comes down to it, it’s your mom’s call.”
“She’ll say yes,” Larry said confidently, giving her a huge smile. “I know she will.” He put down his barely touched slice of pizza. “I’m done. Can we go look now?”
“Other people haven’t finished eating,” Amanda said at once. “And neither have you from the looks of that pizza slice.”
“I’ve finished mine,” Jimmy said loyally, stuffing the last bite in his mouth.
“I’m not finished, but I’m all filled up,” Susie added, clearly determined not to be left behind.
Amanda sighed. “Then you three can go outside. Caleb and I will be out later,” she told them. “And do not, under any circumstances, climb that tree. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jimmy said dutifully. Larry reluctantly echoed the promise.
As soon as they’d raced outside with a slam of the screen door, Amanda turned to Caleb. “What are the odds we’ll find them up in the tree?”
He grinned. “If I know those two, it depends on how long it takes us to get out there. Maybe we ought to go now. We can warm up the pizza later.”
She looked relieved. “Do you mind?”
“Not if it’s in the interest of preventing broken bones,” he said.
Sure enough, they found Jimmy and Larry at the foot of the tree studying it in a way that suggested they were plotting which way would give them the best access to the lower branches. At their first glimpse of Amanda and Caleb, they stepped back guiltily.
“What do you think, Mr. Caleb? Can we build one?” Larry asked.
Caleb glanced at Amanda, then turned his attention to the old pin oak. There were some branches that appeared solid enough to hold a tree house big enough to accommodate these two without putting them at too much risk.
“It could be done,” he said carefully, his gaze on Amanda. “What do you think? A tree house would be pretty cool. I had one when I was their age. There was nothing better than going up there to read a book or hang out with my friends. I thought I could see the whole world from up there.”
Amanda winced, probably at the reminder of the tree house’s height off the ground.
“It wasn’t that high,” he told her. “I had a vivid imagination.” He grinned. “And I never fell out.”
“Never?” she asked.
“Not even once. Not even a scratch on me from climbing up there.”
“And you’d help them build it?” she said.
He knew what lay at the heart of her concern—not just the prospect of the little daredevils tumbling out of the tree, but helping themselves to dangerous tools in their eagerness to get the tree house constructed. “Absolutely,” he assured her. “They’d never touch a tool without me around, right, boys?”
Both of them nodded solemnly.
“And you wouldn’t go up in it without an adult around?” she asked.
They looked a little more hesitant over that one, but Caleb gave them a surreptitious nod.
“Sure, Mom,” Jimmy said.
Amanda clearly caught the lack of enthusiasm for that particular rule. “That one’s a deal breaker,” she said adamantly.
“Okay, okay,” Larry grumbled. “We’d never go up there without a grown-up around, right, Jimmy?”
“Right,” he said.
Susie had listened intently to the whole exchange. “What about me?” she asked. “I wanna go up, too.”
“No girls,” Jimmy said fiercely. “It’s only for boys.”
“That’s not fair,” Susie protested, near tears.
Amanda picked her up. “Trust me on this one, you don’t want to go up there, anyway. Trees are all full of bugs and stuff.”
Susie didn’t look convinced. “I’m not scared of bugs.”
“Snakes can climb up there, too,” Jimmy exaggerated. “And big ole birds can swoop in and carry little kids away.”
Susie’s eyes widened. “You’re not that much bigger than me. How come they won’t get you?”
“’Cause we’re tough,” Larry said.
“And we’re boys,” Jimmy added. “They only come after girls.”
Caleb listened to the exchange with amusement, then waited to see what Susie’s response would be.
She hugged Amanda a little tighter, then announced imperiously, “I don’t want to be in your ole tree house. Mr. Caleb and me are gonna build a playhouse down here and I’m gonna have tea parties and cookies and you can’t come in, so there.” She gazed into Caleb’s eyes. “Is that okay?”
“Absolutely, short stuff. It’ll be the best playhouse in all of Charleston,” he promised.
“And only me and you and Mommy can come inside,” she added emphatically.
“Seems fair to me,” Caleb said.