“She walked around things by eleven months, then on her first birthday she let go. She never crawled again after that, no matter how many times she fell. It was like she knew it was a special occasion and decided she wanted to be a big girl.”
“When did she start talking? What were her first words?”
Amy wondered whether sharing all the things Kallie did that he would never experience with his daughter was a good idea, but she couldn’t bear not to share when he asked. Especially when he seemed so interested. She would do anything to ease his pain.
“Well, she started with the ‘mama’, ‘dada’ stuff around a year. In the past few months, she started saying ‘uh-oh’ and ‘tsat’ for what’s that? I said ‘uh-oh’ a lot when she became more mobile and got into things.”
“When’s her birthday?” Ben’s voice was tight.
“April fourth.”
“She’s exactly two weeks older than my Cassey.”
Ben’s parents walked into the room, and Kallie jumped up and went to Hope.
Hope picked Kallie up and planted a kiss on her cheek as she sat on the couch.
Amy glanced at Ben out of the corner of her eye, trying to read his stoic expression. He sat with his elbow propped on the arm of the chair. His chin rested in the curve of his thumb and index finger, stroking the left side of his beard. What did he think about Kallie’s relationship with his mom? Was it hard for him to know his Cassey would never know her grandparents?
Her heart ached as she remembered the picture of the empty car seat base in the backseat of Melanie’s car. These people had shown her and Kallie such kindness, she wished she could somehow ease their pain. She thought again about the picture on Ben’s desk.
Amy couldn’t let go of the thought that she’d seen Cassy after she was kidnapped.
Kallie slid off Hope’s lap, picked up an activity book with flaps, and stood in front of Ben. She seemed to sense somber mood and wanted to cheer him up.
He swiped at the corner of his eye before pasting on a smile and lifting Kallie onto his lap.
Hope brought up the Fall Festival and all the work that went into it, and Amy shifted her attention.
“The women meet every Wednesday evening from seven until ten to work on the projects. Amy, you should come help so you can get to know more people.”
“I’d love to help, but I’m about as talented as I am coordinated.” Amy pointed at her boot.
“Don’t worry, there will be plenty of things you can do.”
“I’m not sure what to do with Kallie.” Crafting areas with scissors, pins, needles, and hot glue guns was no place for a busy toddler.
“We have some teenage girls who babysit every Wednesday.”
Amy cringed as she remembered the two harried teenagers who had cared for twelve children under the age of ten yesterday. In the few minutes it took Amy to pick up Kallie, she’d seen a little girl about five push down a toddler, who hit his head on a chair, and another little boy bite a girl.
No. She wouldn’t subject Kallie to that, again.
“I usually put Kallie to bed around eight. She’s a bear if she stays up too late, but I’d hate to have to leave that early.”
“I’ll tend her.” Ben’s voice was so quiet, Amy wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.
This was the last thing she expected to hear out of Ben’s mouth. A quick glance at his parents told her they were equally surprised.
“I don’t know, I... she...” Amy couldn’t let a man tend her daughter. Could she? Since learning Ben’s daughter had been kidnapped, she hadn’t been concerned about his fascination with Kallie, but that didn’t mean she trusted him to take care of her daughter.
She’d never trusted Lance to take care of Kallie, not that he wanted to. Celeste’s husband, Grant, and Charlie had been the only men she’d trusted around her daughter.
Ben met Amy’s gaze. She read the lingering raw emotion in the depths of his blue eyes along with something else. Hope?
“That’s a wonderful idea,” James said. “I’ll be here, so I can help if Ben needs it.”
Amy looked at James. He gave her a confident smile and a nod of encouragement. James wanted her to let Ben tend Kallie. Did he think it would help him heal?
Kallie loved James. He read her stories and took her for walks out in the yard all the time. And Kallie appeared content on Ben’s lap. Surely, it would be okay to let Ben take care of Kallie as long as his father was there. Wouldn’t it?
“Okay. Thank you, Ben.” Amy pasted on a smile to mask her concern. “On one condition.” When he looked up, she added, “You come over for dinner before.”
“Deal.” Ben smiled, and Amy’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of his dimple.
