“You’re a really good cook, Linc,” the boy said. Carly wondered if hehad any idea how few people were privileged to call Lincoln Cain by his first name.
“Thanks, Zach. Breakfast is about all I’ve got. Pizza is my go-to food for supper.”
“I love pizza,” Zach said. Whatever had been going on between Linc and Zach this morning, the boy seemed a lot less tense.
The hearty food and cheerful conversation bolstered her spirits and a thread of optimism surfaced. She could handle this. So a little boy needed her help. If Joe were alive he would take care of Zach. Carly could do the same.
She took a sip of coffee, savored the rich dark flavor of freshly ground beans, eased into a change of subject.
“Linc and I have to go into Dallas for a couple of hours today, Zach. It’s no big deal, just some business that can’t wait.” She hated to leave when he needed her support so badly, but there wasn’t any choice.
The boy’s head swiveled toward her. Sunlight streaming in through the window turned his wheat-blond hair to silver. “You have to leave?”
There wasn’t a scrap left on his plate or a drop of milk in his glass. She wondered if he was storing up in case he needed to run again. The thought sent a pang into her heart.
“We won’t be gone long,” Linc told him. “We’ll be back this afternoon. You’ll be safe here till we get home.”
Carly managed to smile. “I’ve got a friend coming over to keep you company. Brittany’s an elementary school teacher so she knows lots of kids your age.”
Zach sat up straighter in his chair, his chin jutting out. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
Linc casually sipped his coffee. “You’re right. A kid who could make it from Austin to Iron Springs on his own can clearly take care of himself. We just didn’t want you to get lonely. Britt’s going to take you swimming. That is, if you know how to swim.”
Swimming hadn’t been part of the plan, but the excitement in Zach’s face said it was a fine idea.
“I’m a good swimmer,” Zach said. “I learned in summer school.” His expression turned wary. “I didn’t see any pool.”
“Linc has a big pool up at the main house,” Carly said. “You and Britt can swim up there.”
The boy’s blue eyes rounded. He turned to Linc. “That big house is yours? I thought it belonged to someone else.”
“It’s mine. I use it for entertaining, but I prefer to stay here.”
Zach looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Could I go inside sometime? I’ve never seen a house so big.”
“You can go in with Britt,” Linc said. “You’ll find swimsuits in the cabana. There’s bound to be something close to your size. There are towels and soft drinks so you won’t need to take anything with you.”
“What’s a cabana?”
“It’s a place to get out of the sun,” Linc explained. “It has toilets and showers, pool toys, air mattresses, stuff like that.”
“Wow.”
Linc started smiling. He looked at Carly. “I’d forgotten what it was like to be a kid.”
“You and Britt are going to have a great time,” Carly said, suddenly wishing she could join them. “I’d better call her. She’ll probably want to bring her own swimsuit.”
She had already filled her friend in on the basics, told her about Zach and his abusive father, shared some of what was happening with El Jefe, revealed as much as she dared. Britt and Row were her two best friends. She trusted them completely and she desperately needed their support.
Twenty minutes later, they drove up to the main house to meet Brittany, who looked pretty in a soft pink ruffled top and a pair of khaki crop pants, her long dark hair pulled into a ponytail. A bright orange canvas beach bag dangled from her fingers.
“Zach, this is my good friend, Brittany Haworth. Britt, this is my cousin, Zach Archer.”
Around children, Britt wasn’t shy. “Hey, Zach. Nice to meet you. The kids at school call me Miss Haworth, but you can call me Britt, okay?”
He just nodded.
“I hear we get to go swimming.” Britt flashed him a wide smile. “I love to swim. How about you?”
