“Yep. We know.”
“Okay. Look, I’m going to take you home to stay with Jaq so you can get a rest, while I take these to Ms. Lather and explain what happened. Is that okay Jaq?”
She nodded emphatically. Then Charlie’s weary voice cut in, “Are we gonna be in trouble, Colin?”
“I don’t see why. You didn’t even know they were there.” Colin lifted a frightened-looking Charlie back into his arms. “Hey, pal.You let me worry about this, okay? You help Maisie take a nap, and then we’ll decorate our Christmas tree.”
“A rea-w tree?”
Jaqueline kissed Maisie’s cheek, loving the adoring way the child spoke but most of all the awe that rang in her voice. “It’s a surprise for you and Charlie.”
Smiling, Colin glanced toward Jaq in case she had anything to add about his suggestion. She nodded her agreement, but he couldn’t help seeing the worry in her eyes… worry he knew she’d find in his.
From what the kids told them; this Josh was still a kid. What in the world was he doing hiding a bag of pain killers?
Chapter Seventeen
Colin had a hard time holding back the disgust at the way Josh’s father treated his sniveling son. When he’d arrived back at the Children’s Services office, it was to find a very loud, demanding father who had a strangle-hold on his kid’s arm.
Trying to wrench himself away, Josh wriggled but the determined father wouldn’t let go. Instead, he yanked the boy to attention. “Ms. Lather. Josh seems to think one of your orphans took a bag of pills from my place earlier… says he saw Charlie with them. I need them back. They’re pain pills that the doctor prescribed for my backaches.”
Colin stopped in the doorway, astounded that for a man who suffered such excruciating back pain it required the heavy medication Jaqueline described that was in the bag, he could handle the big, struggling boy so easily. One would think his back couldn’t take such punishment.
Finally, Josh pulled away from the bruising grip, “You sell ‘em. Tell the truth, Dad. Your customer got mean when you didn’t have the pills.”
“I do not. By the way, shithead, that’s none of your business.” Gruff, the pony-tailed, overweight dad pointed his finger at Ms. Lather. “I want the address where those kids are now.”
Colin could see her shaking her head and before she could refuse, he stepped forward. “I have the kids and there’s no way in hell you’re ever getting near them again.” Colin waved the bag in front of the man. “In fact, I’m going to call the police about these pain killers. This stuff is dangerous and should never be around little kids.”
“Your brat stole them.” Pushing forward, Josh’s young, hate-filled voice rang with conviction.
Colin looked at him but held back from being too aggressive. After all the boy was underage, and his eyes held a desperation Colin could only imagine grew from fear. However, he wouldn’t let this nonsense go undisputed. “No. You shoved them into Charlie’s pocket as we were leaving. He’s a six-year-old boy. No way he’s guilty of anything but recognizing how badly run that foster home situation is.”
Ms. Lather looked horrified. “I’m beginning to see the full picture, Mr. Jones. And I already called the police. They should be here any minute.”
Before either Colin or Ms. Lather could make a move, Josh’s father grabbed the bag of pills from where Colin had put them on the desk and sped out the door, leaving his kid behind.
“Dad. Hey, wait for me.” Josh’s voice rang with despair.
He didn’t wait. Instead, he left his young son to deal with the repercussions, which took a few hours before the police were satisfied with the situation, and Colin could head back home.
On the way, he shook his head at the dysfunctional drama that recently unfolded and found himself happily anxious to get towhere Jaq and the kids waited. Feeling incredibly lucky, his face wreathed in smiles, he quickly parked the car and bound up the steps, only to find the place deserted.
Chapter Eighteen
Once back home, both children seemed happy to lay down in their beds and have a nap, and for that, Jaqueline felt happy. She’d noticed how exhausted they seemed after their meal. Maisie, who couldn’t keep her eyes open, had gone to sleep instantly, but the boy’s soft crying could be heard when she went to check on them.
“Charlie, love, what’s wrong? Is your tummy sore from eating so many fries?”
Sniff. “No.”
His small hand quickly brushed at his tears only to have another flood follow. “I’m f-fine.”
Jaq rushed into the bedroom and picked the boy up in her arms. Then she leaned back on the pillows, holding him against her. In a low voice so as not to wake up Maisie, she said, “You can tell me, honey. It’s okay.”
In a broken voice, he whispered, “I miss my Maman. A lot. Last night scared me and Maisie. They didn’t want us to sleeptogether until Maisie, and I made such a fuss they finally let her come be with me.”
“I’m so sorry, Charlie. It must have been horrible.”
