8
"Let's wrap up for the day," Jilly told Casey and PJ. It had only been forty-five minutes, but a cold front had moved through as she'd picked up the kids from school, and she was shivering in the breeze.
The boys groaned their appreciation, and she pointed toward the can of paint they'd cracked open earlier.
"Dump your unused paint back in the can. Brushes can go in here." She passed a paper grocery bag to Casey. "We'll wash them out back at the house."
The boys hurried to follow her instructions. They must be as frozen as she felt. Their noses were red, skin chapped from the wind. She wasn't faring any better.
"I'm going to go get Lindsey. Make sure the paint can is closed and put everything in the trunk. Then, wait in the car."
At least Lindsey was warm.
They'd only been out in the elements for maybe two minutes when Noah had opened the front door and barked at her to send Lindsey inside.
Two minutes had been plenty long enough for Jilly to wonder if she'd made a mistake coming out here at all today. It was that cold.
But Lindsey had scurried out from under the picnic blanket she'd wrapped herself in and disappeared inside with Noah. Jilly had peeked through the living room window several times to check on the girl. Lindsey had been settled at the coffee table with markers spread around her and paper strewn across the surface. At some point, a mug of what had to be hot chocolate had appeared.
Noah had continued recording books that interested Casey and PJ, finishing the first book the day after his surprise appearance at her back door. He'd started another by the same author the day after.
She glanced over her shoulder as she trudged up the step to the front door. The boys were packing up as she'd instructed.
She tapped on the door and then turned the knob, letting herself into the blessed heat.
"Knock knock!" she called out.
Lindsey looked up from the table, hand freezing mid-stroke as she drew.
Noah was nowhere to be seen.
"It's time for the kitty to come home."
"Aw." Lindsey protested half-heartedly.
Jilly grimaced when she noticed the markers were scattered across the floor.
"Can you start picking up?" she asked the girl. "I'm going to tell Noah we're leaving early."
Lindsey reached for the closest markers.
Noah wasn't in the kitchen, which left Jilly feeling miffed. She was ready to get home and make a pot of soup so she could warm up.
She headed back through the living room, toward the hall. "Noah?"
There was movement from one of the rooms off the hall. Maybe his bedroom. The light was off. She wasn't going to barge in and find out.
"We're taking a short day because of the weather," she called out.
"Okay."
She registered it in slow motion, couldn't stop it from happening and couldn't look away as his shadow… no,hewalked misjudged the opening. His head collided with the edge of the solid-wood door hard enough to rattle a picture on the wall.
For a moment, she stood frozen. And then her muscles unlocked. "Noah!"
He'd edged back into the room.
She went to him, taking his arm and pulling him into the hallway. He went still under her touch. His expression showed a vulnerability that hit her somewhere deep inside. His lips were thinned in pain, but it was more than that. His eyes were wide, as if he was trying to figure out what had happened but it just wouldn't compute.
