wasn’t sure if he was talking to Trevor or himself.
The twelve-year-old boy stepped back and took the bags of clothes from Logan. “I’ll be outside as soon as I change.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand and grinned.
“I’ll be out there waiting for you. We’ll show ‘em how it’s done when we play kickball pretty soon.” Logan ducked and walked out of the tent.
He was surprised to find Bo sitting alone on a table.
“Where’s Seth?” he asked.
Bo gestured toward the tent. “He doesn’t want to play kickball. I’m not going to tell him he has to, either.” He looked sadly at Logan. “That boy is plain scared, is what he is. I think someone—maybe his dad—beats him. And I can’t do a cotton pickin’ thing about it.”
Logan thought of how he had felt about Trevor’s situation and making things better for him. “I’m sorry, Bo. I don’t know what to tell you, but if you wait here for Trevor, I’ll go get somebody who might.”
Bo silently nodded.
Logan jogged away, toward the field where Emily and Abby had helped set up a kickball diamond. Sure enough, Abby was standing beside Brody and Luke.
“Abby, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked as he stopped beside her.
She gave him a suspicious look.
“I’m not up to anything, I promise.” He crossed his heart. “This is something important, and I don’t know who else to ask for help.”
“I’ll be back to cheer you guys on,” she told Brody and Luke. She followed Logan several feet away from everybody else.
“It’s Bo and Seth.” He’d just get straight to the point.
She sighed, and tears welled in her eyes. “If you’re going to tell me he’s being abused, you don’t have to. I knew from the moment I saw him.”
“Can you help?”
Abby sadly shook her head. “I’d have to witness the abuse, or he’d have to tell me what happened. I can’t just call and report what I see and why I think he’s acting the way he does. Protective Services need facts, not opinions, Logan.”
Logan thought for a moment. “Then, can you help Bo? He’s not dealing very well with his inability to make things better for Seth.”
“Like you did for Trevor.” A small smile broke through her woebegone expression.
“That’s different. His problems are something I can help with. Seth’s aren’t.” Logan didn’t know who else to ask for help. Abby had been a counselor for at least the past couple of years. He’d found out at their class reunion.
She looked into his eyes. “Okay. I’ll talk to Bo and see if I can help him. Maybe he can’t do anything long-term for Seth, but he can give him these two weeks of safety and fun to remember. And I’m going to talk to Pastor Rhinehart myself and make sure Seth’s situation is being investigated. If it’s not, I’m getting in touch with one of my friends at Protective Services and finding out why. We don’t have to just forget about him.”
Logan felt like hugging her, but he knew for a fact she’d bop him. “Thank you, Abby. I have to go get Trevor so we can get back here and play ball, but Bo is sitting over there waiting. Seth doesn’t want to play and Bo’s not going to make him.”
“I’ll walk with you. Let me tell Brody and Luke I’m leaving, though.”
Logan watched as she walked back to the two of them. He scanned the field and saw the other pairs, laughing and goofing around with a couple of balls. Then he saw her. Emily was laughing at something Paul Findley had told her. She really was beautiful. He felt a twinge of guilt as he thought about seeking her out later, but remembering he wasn’t sure it was merely for the benefit of the team eased it a little.
“I’m ready.” Abby was back and ready to go see Bo.
“So, what’s up with you and Em?” she asked after they had taken a few steps.
He looked at her. “Honestly?” She nodded. “I don’t know.”
“But you want to find out?” Abby was Emily’s best friend for a reason. She
The twelve-year-old boy stepped back and took the bags of clothes from Logan. “I’ll be outside as soon as I change.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand and grinned.
“I’ll be out there waiting for you. We’ll show ‘em how it’s done when we play kickball pretty soon.” Logan ducked and walked out of the tent.
He was surprised to find Bo sitting alone on a table.
“Where’s Seth?” he asked.
Bo gestured toward the tent. “He doesn’t want to play kickball. I’m not going to tell him he has to, either.” He looked sadly at Logan. “That boy is plain scared, is what he is. I think someone—maybe his dad—beats him. And I can’t do a cotton pickin’ thing about it.”
Logan thought of how he had felt about Trevor’s situation and making things better for him. “I’m sorry, Bo. I don’t know what to tell you, but if you wait here for Trevor, I’ll go get somebody who might.”
Bo silently nodded.
Logan jogged away, toward the field where Emily and Abby had helped set up a kickball diamond. Sure enough, Abby was standing beside Brody and Luke.
“Abby, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked as he stopped beside her.
She gave him a suspicious look.
“I’m not up to anything, I promise.” He crossed his heart. “This is something important, and I don’t know who else to ask for help.”
“I’ll be back to cheer you guys on,” she told Brody and Luke. She followed Logan several feet away from everybody else.
“It’s Bo and Seth.” He’d just get straight to the point.
She sighed, and tears welled in her eyes. “If you’re going to tell me he’s being abused, you don’t have to. I knew from the moment I saw him.”
“Can you help?”
Abby sadly shook her head. “I’d have to witness the abuse, or he’d have to tell me what happened. I can’t just call and report what I see and why I think he’s acting the way he does. Protective Services need facts, not opinions, Logan.”
Logan thought for a moment. “Then, can you help Bo? He’s not dealing very well with his inability to make things better for Seth.”
“Like you did for Trevor.” A small smile broke through her woebegone expression.
“That’s different. His problems are something I can help with. Seth’s aren’t.” Logan didn’t know who else to ask for help. Abby had been a counselor for at least the past couple of years. He’d found out at their class reunion.
She looked into his eyes. “Okay. I’ll talk to Bo and see if I can help him. Maybe he can’t do anything long-term for Seth, but he can give him these two weeks of safety and fun to remember. And I’m going to talk to Pastor Rhinehart myself and make sure Seth’s situation is being investigated. If it’s not, I’m getting in touch with one of my friends at Protective Services and finding out why. We don’t have to just forget about him.”
Logan felt like hugging her, but he knew for a fact she’d bop him. “Thank you, Abby. I have to go get Trevor so we can get back here and play ball, but Bo is sitting over there waiting. Seth doesn’t want to play and Bo’s not going to make him.”
“I’ll walk with you. Let me tell Brody and Luke I’m leaving, though.”
Logan watched as she walked back to the two of them. He scanned the field and saw the other pairs, laughing and goofing around with a couple of balls. Then he saw her. Emily was laughing at something Paul Findley had told her. She really was beautiful. He felt a twinge of guilt as he thought about seeking her out later, but remembering he wasn’t sure it was merely for the benefit of the team eased it a little.
“I’m ready.” Abby was back and ready to go see Bo.
“So, what’s up with you and Em?” she asked after they had taken a few steps.
He looked at her. “Honestly?” She nodded. “I don’t know.”
“But you want to find out?” Abby was Emily’s best friend for a reason. She
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