down the hill, over the camp and
toward the river. His eyes doubled in size. His bottom lip shook. Even from
where she stood, she could see the way his grip on Sam’s hand tightened, the way
he edged closer to Sam’s leg and looked up at Sam with an expression that said I’m lost and scared but I know you’ll make it
okay.
And she remembered when she had been the one who was lost and
scared. After the accident that left her mother too silent in the crumpled front
seat of their car, after the police officer had lifted Libby out of her car seat
in the back, after the sirens and the flashing lights and the hours when no one
would tell her when she could see her mommy. Gran had walked into the police
station and taken Libby’s hand, and Libby had held on tight. She knew that Gran
was the only person standing between her and a world that had suddenly turned
inside out. She had gripped Gran’s hand and refused to let go, clinging to her
the way this little one was clinging to Sam.
It’s okay, sweetheart. Casey. I know how
you feel. I promise you, you’ll be okay.
But as heart wrenching as Casey was, he wasn’t the reason for
the way her heart seemed to have reached up into her throat and yanked
everything tight and closed. No, that honor went to Sam.
No matter what Sam had put her through, she knew that he could
be tender and caring. She’d seen him console homesick campers and talk a kid
through a panic attack and keep a straight face while holding tight to a boy
being readied for stitches. She’d seen him in the moonlight, his eyes filled
with wonder and want as he pulled her close and kissed his way down her
body.
But she had never seen anything that came close to the fierce
love in his face as he swooped this little one into his arms and cradled him
tight while walking closer.
“Casey,” he said in a voice that was lower and gentler than she
had ever heard, “this is Libby. She’s going to be at the camp for the summer.
That makes you a lucky little guy, because she’s a very special lady.”
Sam tore his gaze away from his child to look at her, and her
breath froze in her chest. He shifted the boy higher on his shoulder, tightening
his grip.
“Libby, this is Casey. My son.”
* * *
O NE LOOK AT THE SHOCK that had claimed Libby’s face
when she saw Casey, and Sam knew things were still not right. Especially when,
as soon as she had fussed over the boy and said all the right things, she
slipped away from the crowd that had gathered and headed for the office.
He wanted to follow her. But sense told him that the best thing
he could do would be to give her some time, then get everything straightened out
during their meeting.
He took Casey into the kitchen and introduced him to Cosmo, who
gave Sam an assessing look, grunted and immediately offered Casey a hunk of
cheese that was almost as big as his head. Sam carried Casey and his giant wedge
of cheddar into the main part of the dining hall and gave everyone on staff a
few minutes to coo and fuss over the boy before announcing that it was family
time. The counselors laughed and waved him off with promises that they could
handle things for the afternoon. His job was to spend time with Casey.
And he did. He talked to Brynn and cooked Casey’s favorite tiny
pasta and helped his son see that, look, here’s your high chair, and here’s your Sesame Street plate and here’s your daddy
shooting peas into the net just like always. He changed Casey’s diaper and sang
“Three Little Monkeys” while rocking him in the regular chair, and when he
settled Casey in his crib for a belated nap, he made sure that Casey noticed the
picture of Robin on the dresser, just like always.
There. Not even Sharon could say he wasn’t doing everything he
could to make this transition as easy as possible for his child.
Too bad he hadn’t given as much thought to other people’s
feelings.
No sooner had he come downstairs after dropping a final kiss on
his son’s velvet
toward the river. His eyes doubled in size. His bottom lip shook. Even from
where she stood, she could see the way his grip on Sam’s hand tightened, the way
he edged closer to Sam’s leg and looked up at Sam with an expression that said I’m lost and scared but I know you’ll make it
okay.
And she remembered when she had been the one who was lost and
scared. After the accident that left her mother too silent in the crumpled front
seat of their car, after the police officer had lifted Libby out of her car seat
in the back, after the sirens and the flashing lights and the hours when no one
would tell her when she could see her mommy. Gran had walked into the police
station and taken Libby’s hand, and Libby had held on tight. She knew that Gran
was the only person standing between her and a world that had suddenly turned
inside out. She had gripped Gran’s hand and refused to let go, clinging to her
the way this little one was clinging to Sam.
It’s okay, sweetheart. Casey. I know how
you feel. I promise you, you’ll be okay.
But as heart wrenching as Casey was, he wasn’t the reason for
the way her heart seemed to have reached up into her throat and yanked
everything tight and closed. No, that honor went to Sam.
No matter what Sam had put her through, she knew that he could
be tender and caring. She’d seen him console homesick campers and talk a kid
through a panic attack and keep a straight face while holding tight to a boy
being readied for stitches. She’d seen him in the moonlight, his eyes filled
with wonder and want as he pulled her close and kissed his way down her
body.
But she had never seen anything that came close to the fierce
love in his face as he swooped this little one into his arms and cradled him
tight while walking closer.
“Casey,” he said in a voice that was lower and gentler than she
had ever heard, “this is Libby. She’s going to be at the camp for the summer.
That makes you a lucky little guy, because she’s a very special lady.”
Sam tore his gaze away from his child to look at her, and her
breath froze in her chest. He shifted the boy higher on his shoulder, tightening
his grip.
“Libby, this is Casey. My son.”
* * *
O NE LOOK AT THE SHOCK that had claimed Libby’s face
when she saw Casey, and Sam knew things were still not right. Especially when,
as soon as she had fussed over the boy and said all the right things, she
slipped away from the crowd that had gathered and headed for the office.
He wanted to follow her. But sense told him that the best thing
he could do would be to give her some time, then get everything straightened out
during their meeting.
He took Casey into the kitchen and introduced him to Cosmo, who
gave Sam an assessing look, grunted and immediately offered Casey a hunk of
cheese that was almost as big as his head. Sam carried Casey and his giant wedge
of cheddar into the main part of the dining hall and gave everyone on staff a
few minutes to coo and fuss over the boy before announcing that it was family
time. The counselors laughed and waved him off with promises that they could
handle things for the afternoon. His job was to spend time with Casey.
And he did. He talked to Brynn and cooked Casey’s favorite tiny
pasta and helped his son see that, look, here’s your high chair, and here’s your Sesame Street plate and here’s your daddy
shooting peas into the net just like always. He changed Casey’s diaper and sang
“Three Little Monkeys” while rocking him in the regular chair, and when he
settled Casey in his crib for a belated nap, he made sure that Casey noticed the
picture of Robin on the dresser, just like always.
There. Not even Sharon could say he wasn’t doing everything he
could to make this transition as easy as possible for his child.
Too bad he hadn’t given as much thought to other people’s
feelings.
No sooner had he come downstairs after dropping a final kiss on
his son’s velvet
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