Zach looked pale and even thinner than when he’d arrived. Linc knew how the kid was feeling. He’d been in juvie for truancy in middle school, in again in high school for fighting, and once for underage drinking.
Though the detention officers were doing their best to keep Zach away from the general population, he ate in the cafeteria with the other kids and was occasionally exposed to them in the play yard. The boy was clearly unhappy and a little afraid.
“I hate it here,” Zach said glumly. “I never should have let you take me in. I should have run away.” They were sitting at a white plastic table and chairs in a small, private visiting room. Carly reached over and caught hold of Zach’s hand.
“You aren’t going to be here long, Zach. Just till we can get things worked out.”
“Listen to me, Zach,” Linc said. “Sometimes things happen we can’t control. That’s just life. But if you know it’s only temporary, if you believe it’s going to get better, you can get through it. You need to make the best of this place until we can get you out of here.”
Carly squeezed the boy’s hand. “Can you do what Linc says?”
Zach sat up a little straighter, looked Linc right in the face. “I can do it.”
“Good boy,” Linc said.
Zach seemed a little better by the time they left. Linc didn’t think Carly was doing nearly as well. She was extremely softhearted and she already loved the boy. He was her family, all she really had.
“He’ll be okay,” Linc said as they drove home. “He’s a tough kid or he wouldn’t have made it all the way to Iron Springs in the first place.”
“I know.”
Linc’s phone rang just then, interrupting the conversation. Earlier, he had phoned his attorney but hadn’t been able to reach him. This was Steiner calling him back.
“We’ve got a problem, Linc.” The attorney’s voice came over the hands-free speaker.
“I must be on a roll. What’s going on?”
“Turns out the boy has other family besides Carly. Protective Services contacted them and told them what happened and they want custody of the boy.”
“Who are they?” Linc asked.
“His grandmother, Amanda Weller, and her husband, Tom.”
“Amanda must be Joe’s second wife,” Carly said. “Joe never talked about her. I wasn’t even sure she was still alive.”
“I did some digging,” Steiner said. “Amanda Weller is fifty-five years old. Tom is fifty-six. They live in San Antonio. Tom’s a doctor, a G.P. with a very good reputation. Still has his own practice.”
“I remember she was a lot younger than Joe,” Carly said.
“Why are they just now coming forward?” Linc asked. “They must have known Zach’s circumstances. Seems to me it’s too little, too late.”
“Apparently her daughter married Ray against her wishes. According to Mrs. Weller, they were close to her and Zach until she died, but then Archer moved to Austin and wouldn’t let them see the boy. They didn’trealize how bad Zach was being treated until this happened. They’re making arrangements to see him.”
“I wonder why Zach didn’t mention them,” Carly said.
“They’ve filed a petition for custody,” Steiner continued. “At best it’s going to slow things down.”
“I want the boy out of there,” Linc said. “Do everything you can to make that happen.”
“You know I will.”
Linc ended the call.
“I want to meet them,” Carly said.
“Absolutely.” He liked that she was so protective of the boy. Zach needed someone in his life like Carly. “We’ll get this resolved, honey. In the meantime, at least we know Zach’s somewhere safe.” Or as safe as he could be in a place filled with the occasional pedophile and some very bad-ass kids.
By the time they reached the ranch, the purple glow of evening had begun to settle over the vast stretches of prairie. Cooler air whispered through the dense foliage along the creeks at the bottom of the ravines.
