“It’s different.”
“Mommy, Uncle Jeff, elephants,” Maggie called as she raced past them.
“Don’t run, young lady,” Ashley instructed. Her daughter slowed marginally.
The late-morning air was cool. There hadn’t been any rain in a couple of days and most of the clouds had blown away to the east. Jeff inhaled the scent of the trees and plants around them and tried to ignore the sweet scent that was Ashley alone.
She made him ache with wanting. She made him want to kiss her and touch her, even though he knew he could never do either. Being with her would destroy them both, because she would eventually figure out who and what he was. Then where would they be? Life was easier when he remembered his limitations.
“Why are elephants gray?” one of the boys asked. “Why do they have trunks? Why are they so big? Do they eat people?”
Ashley laughed. “I’ll bet we can read all about the elephants when we get there.”
The boy wasn’t impressed. “Don’t you know?”
She turned to Jeff. “What about it, big guy? Want to take the elephant questions?”
“I had to answer questions in the bug house, and that was a lot harder.”
“I don’t believe you.”
They walked toward the re-creation of a tropical forest for the elephants. Other children from a different school were already chattering about the big mammals. Jeff paused to count heads, making sure the entire group was still together. He could—
A sharp cry cut through the morning. Jeff turned and was moving toward the sound before he even understood what he heard. Tommy had fallen and sat cradling his small hand against his chest. As Jeff approached, he saw the child had skinned his palm. Fat tears spilled from his blue eyes.
One of the mothers got there first. She reached for the boy, but Tommy pushed her away. Instead, still crying, he stumbled to his feet and swayed toward Jeff.
“I have disinfectant and stick-on bandages with me,” someone said.
Jeff stared as the boy approached. His small body shook with the force of his sobs. Not knowing what else to do, Jeff picked up the child and held him against his chest. Tommy buried his face in Jeff’s neck. His tears were hot. The boy hiccupped.
“Let me see,” Ashley said softly, gently tugging on the boy’s arm so she could free his hand.
Tommy shrieked in protest.
“Come on, big guy,” Jeff said, feeling awkward as everyone stared at them. “Let’s look over the damage. I’m gonna bet we can fix you right up.”
The boy raised his head and sniffed, then held out his hand.
Jeff looked over the wound. It was superficial and barely bleeding. There was a bit of dirt in the scrape, along with a couple of small pebbles.
“It needs washing, disinfectant and a bandage,” Ashley pronounced. “Want me to take care of him?”
Jeff wanted nothing more, but at her words Tommy shrieked and wrapped his arms around Jeff’s neck.
“I’ll do it,” he said and took the supplies from one of the mothers. He found a sign pointing toward the restrooms and headed in that direction.
“We’ll wait here for you,” Ashley called after him.
“I hate elephants,” Tommy murmured. “They’re bad.”
“But the elephants didn’t make you fall. Sometimes we fall all on our own and it’s not anyone’s fault.”
The boy continued to cling to him. Still feeling like an idiot, and as if he was doing everything wrong, Jeff gently touched the boy’s shoulder. The child was so small and fragile. He could span the kid’s back with his hand. Confusion filled him. What the hell was he doing here? He didn’t know how to take care of a child.
But there wasn’t anyone else around and Tommy was depending on him. Jeff figured it couldn’t be any worse than taking out a bullet or setting a bone in the field. Except emergency care for his team had never made him feel strange inside. As if something was cracking. But what he didn’t know was if the ice around his heart was letting go or if his wall of protection was being breached. Or were they the same? And how long would it take to find out if the change was going to destroy him?
Chapter 8
