Whatever was going on with Mr. Aylett, Delaney must get it out in the open—as soon as possible. Though she’d prefer to hide in her bedroom for the rest of the evening, she settled on the couch in the living room to wait for him to return after putting Charlotte to bed.
She scrolled through messages from her sisters. Cici was looking at properties in downtown Shadow Cove, wanting to open a jewelry store. Alyssa sent a picture of her future stepdaughter, Peri, in her little cheerleading uniform. Normal lives in a normal place where brake lines didn’t get cut and stalkers didn’t lurk in parking lots and woods weren’t filled with poison plants that sent children to the ER.
Delaney had ignored her sisters’ messages for months, but once she was settled, she’d started interacting with them again. They didn’t know where she was—they’d be on the first flight here if they did. Mom knew, and that was enough.
Delaney’s chest squeezed, not just from the accident, but from homesickness. Maybe she should go back to Maine, and not just for Christmas. Maybe she should give up—and prove that her father had been right all along. She couldn’t hack life on her own.
But shewashacking it. She wasn’t willing to give up on this job because of Mr. Aylett’s bizarre behavior.
A few minutes later, his footsteps on the stairs sent that acid-drop feeling to her stomach. She was going to confront him—and deal with the consequences.
He appeared in the doorway, sleeves rolled up and hair slightly mussed.
“She’s in bed.” His voice was carefully neutral. “The oatmeal bath seemed to help with the itching. I think the other medicine was already making her sleepy.”
“Hopefully, the rash won’t keep her awake.” She stood and took a breath, gathering her courage, but he spoke before she had a chance.
“I want to apologize for my behavior earlier. I realize now that you did the right thing taking her, and you didn’t tell me because I’d told you about my meeting. In the future, if Charlotte goes to the emergency room, please alert me right away.”
The apology was practiced and formal, so different from the camaraderie they’d shared before.
She adopted a similar tone. “I apologize for not calling you directly. I’ll do that from now on.”
He dipped his head and looked like he was ready to walk away.
“But I was hoping we could talk…”
His phone rang, and she could swear she saw relief in his expression. He lifted it to his ear.
“This is Noah.” He listened, then said, “What time?” then, “I’ll be there in five.” He ended the call. “There was a break-in at the office. I need to go.”
He walked away. A moment later, the front door closed.
If she didn’t know better, she’d wonder if he’d orchestrated that interruption to avoid the awkward conversation they needed to have.
Frustrated, she headed to her room. It would keep until tomorrow.
A scream woke Delaney from a sound sleep.
She sat up, instantly alert. Normally, when Charlotte woke in the night, Mr. Aylett tended to her, but she hadn’t heard him return. She hurried down the hallway.
Charlotte was standing beside her bed, eyes wide but unfocused. She was babbling, though her words made no sense.
Delaney had dealt with night terrors in children before, so she had an idea of what to do. “It’s okay. You’re safe.” She approached slowly and kept her voice low and soothing, not trying to wake Charlotte but just to interrupt whatever had gripped her in her sleep.
Charlotte quieted, still standing motionless.
Delaney crouched next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re safe, love. You’re safe.”
She moved the covers out of the way, then gently lifted Charlotte and placed her back in bed, her head on the pillow. “There you go. Go back to sleep.”
Charlotte never fully woke up, just curled on her side, tucked her hands beneath her head, and closed her eyes.
Delaney sat beside her, brushing her hair away from her face. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus…” She sang the old hymn quietly, barely above a whisper. “Look full in His wonderful face…”
She continued to sing, wondering what had caused Charlotte’s middle-of-the-night terror. She hated to think about the adults who’d failed to protect this precious child in the past.
Delaney would not be one of those adults.
