“Really?”
“Yes, and one day, when you’re older, you can come back to visit their graves. But they won’t be there, because they’ll be with you, in your heart.”
Toby patted his heart. “Do you think they’re here now?”
“Yes, I do. And they want the best for you.”
“So you think they want me to go with my uncle?”
“Yes, because he’ll take care of you. That’s important.”
“Okay,” Toby agreed with a sigh.
“Good. Let’s get your shirt on. I like it. It matches your eyes.”
“That’s what Mommy said, but I like it because it’s easy to wear.”
Molly smiled. “I see.”
Once she got his shoes on him, she helped Toby get down from his bed. He had a cast on his left collarbone that ended on the upper part of his arm and the cast on his lower arm started just below his elbow. At least he was mobile.
She managed to get him discharged from the hospital and down at the front door five minutes early. She already knew Richard would be irritated if they were late.
Her bags were down by the door. She’d left them with one of the greeters so she wouldn’t have to drag them upstairs and down. She sat Toby down in one of the chairs for visitors and hurried over to get her bags.
“Molly!” Toby cried urgently.
Molly whirled around.
Toby was pointing to his uncle coming through the door.
“I’m coming, Toby,” she called. Gathering her two bags, she rushed across the lobby to meet Richard at Toby’s side. “We’re ready,” she announced.
“Good. Toby, can you walk?”
“Yes,” the little boy said, his eyes big.
“Okay. I’ll get your bag. May I take one of yours, Molly?”
“No, thank you. I can manage.” She followed the two males out the door, keeping an eye on Toby. The boy kept looking over his shoulder at Molly, to be sure she was following.
Toby’s grandmother was sitting in the front seat. Elizabeth Anderson smoothed back her graying hair and turned her blue eyes to Molly. The woman looked rested, Molly thought. She was glad someone was. She had just come off the night shift for the last six months and was still adjusting to working in the daylight.
She got in the back seat with Toby, wondering if his uncle was still irritated with her. Judging by his silence as he loaded the trunk, he probably was. Richard Anderson didn’t appear to be the forgiving kind.
Toby sat very still as Molly put his seat belt on him. “Can she speak?” he whispered, nodding toward his grandmother.
“I don’t know,” Molly returned. After all, she hadn’t heard the woman utter a sound, either.
“Is everything all right?” Richard asked, looking at them in the rearview mirror.
“Yes, Richard.”
Before Molly could stop him, Toby leaned forward and said, “Are you my grandma?”
The woman seemed to freeze.
Richard answered for her. “Yes,” he said in clipped tones.
Molly put a hand on Toby’s good arm, warning him not to speak again. She didn’t believe the woman was as frail as Richard believed, but she was certainly suffering grief at her daughter’s death. That was enough for Molly to cut her some slack. For a while.
There was no conversation in the car. All the way to the airport, Molly held Toby’s hand and squeezed it when he sent her a panicky look.
When they got out at the airport, Richard got a skycap to take care of their luggage. Then he turned to Molly. “Here are the tickets for the three of you. Please take care of my mother and Toby while I return the rental car. I’ll meet you at the gate.”
“All right.” She nodded to the skycap who led them to the check-in line. She discovered they were flying first class, which made it possible to bypass the long line. In no time, she had checked them in.
“My son—” Mrs. Anderson said, looking as panicky as Toby.
“He’ll be joining us at the gate, ma’am. He has to present his own ID, you know. Airport security.”
“Oh, yes. Do you—do you know where our gate is?”
“Yes, ma’am. If you’ll come with Toby and me, I have our tickets and I can find the gate. It’s right over here.”
Molly led the other two to the gate where their plane waited. She checked her watch. Richard had about thirty minutes to get there before their plane took off.
“Will my son get here in time?” Mrs. Anderson asked, her voice trembling.
“Yes, I’m sure he will. He seems to be very efficient.”
“Oh, yes, he is.”
Molly’s words seemed to have settled down Toby’s grandmother. She relaxed in her seat, but Molly suspected if Richard didn’t get there quickly, she would start worrying all over again.
Toby leaned in against Molly. “Is he going to go with us?”
“Yes, Toby, he is.”
Mrs. Anderson looked at Toby. “How old are you?”
Molly stared at her, her mouth agape. Toby seemed to be taken aback, too. His grandmother didn’t know how old he was?
“I’m eight,” Toby finally said.
“Oh, you were born a year after your mother married.”
Toby looked at her curiously. “Did you know my mommy?”
The woman suddenly burst into tears.
For the first time since she met him, Molly discovered a desire for Richard’s presence.
Chapter Two
MOLLY discovered her desire for Richard’s arrival wasn’t a good thing.
“What have you done to my mother?” he demanded roughly as soon as he reached them.
“I didn’t do anything to your mother. Toby asked an innocent question, that’s all.”
She regretted that comment, too, because the man immediately turned to glare at the boy.
When they announced the boarding of the first-class passengers, Molly immediately stood and returned Mrs. Ander-son’s ticket to her son. “Toby and I will go ahead and board.”
After they were seated on the plane, Toby by the window, he leaned over and asked in a whisper, “Did I make her cry?”
“Not really, sweetie. I guess she’s still emotional about your mommy. After all, your mommy was her little girl.”
“Oh.”
Toby tensed and Molly looked up to see Richard and his mother entering the plane. Their seats, it appeared, were across the aisle from her and Toby.
Richard nodded in her direction, but she said nothing. Perhaps he would continue to blame her for his mother’s tears. She didn’t know, but she didn’t see how she could be expected to have realized Toby’s question would’ve brought that intense reaction.
There was no more conversation between them. Toby, much to Molly’s relief, fell asleep after the first hour. Molly pulled out