Family for Keeps & Sadie's Hero by Margaret Daley Page A

robin and a fox, and that wasn’t that long ago.”
    “You know, come to think of it I would like to ride out there with you.”
    “And do what, young lady?” Alice said, joining the small group.
    “We don’t have a dog. I think it’s about time we got another one.”
    “That’s what I was afraid you thought.” Alice turned to Mac. “Don’t let her bring home anything bigger than Amy.”
    “Then I can get a dog, too?” Casey asked, surprise evident in her expression.
    “With our growing family, it would be nice to have a dog for the children to play with when they come over. Did you hear the news? Kayla is pregnant. With Mary due in a few months that’ll make two babies born this year to the MacPhersons. Not a bad year, if I say so myself.”
    Mac saw Kayla with her husband, Paul. He swept his sister up and swung her around. “Way to go, Kayla. Your patience has finally paid off.”
    “I gather Mother told you the news.”
    Tess hung back as the members of Kayla’s family congratulated her. Tess held Johnny’s hand, but Amy was in the midst of the adults in her father’s arms, joining in the festive activities. Mac glanced at Tess and Johnny and stepped away from the group. He took Tess’s arm and pulled her and Johnny into the family.
    “I know that we arrived late so I didn’t get to make the introductions. This is Johnny. He’ll be staying with me and Amy. Some of you have already met Tess at Steve’s birthday party.”
    Mac went around the group surrounding them, giving each person’s name and the relationship to him. By the time he had finished, the spacious foyer of the church was filled with thirty members of Mac’s family. Johnny yanked on Tess’s arm, and she leaned down for him to whisper into her ear.
    “Am I supposed to remember all these people?”
    “No one expects you to. Now, me, they probably do. I’ll let you in on a secret. My mind stopped at the sixth name. We’ll work on it together.”
    “It probably won’t make any difference. I won’t be here that long.”
    She saw the corners of the child’s mouth twist down in a frown. “Why do you say that?”
    “Because it’s the truth. I have no home. Since my mother died, I never stay long in any one place.” Johnny sidestepped, the look on his face discouraging further discussion.
    Tess still feared that Johnny would run away. She hoped that wasn’t what he meant and realized she would have to let Mac know what Johnny had told her. She wanted this situation to work for everyone, because Mrs. Hocks wasn’t optimistic that she would locate any of Johnny’s relatives willing to take a ten-year-old boy.
    As the members of Mac’s family moved slowly toward the double brass doors that led outside, Tess peered at the entrance to the sanctuary. There was a time when she would have gone into the church and prayed to God to keep Johnny safe and to find a home for him. Now she was afraid to ask—wasn’t sure how to. Her prayers before hadn’t worked.
    “We’d better leave for the farm if we want to get home by dark,” Mac said at her side.
    She glanced at him. Mac glowed with self-confidence. In that moment she felt everything would work out just as she had told Johnny it would. “Lead the way.”
    Mac waved his goodbyes to the rest of his family. “Casey, you hop in back with Amy and Johnny and behave yourself.”
    “Me? I’m always good on road trips.”
    “Don’t get me started on that one.” Mac opened the door to the passenger’s side for Tess. “Remind me to tell you later about our family trip to the Grand Canyon.”
    “That’s not fair. I was only four at the time.”
    “She started out by getting sick all over me.”
    “If you get car sick, you can sit up front.” Tess twisted to add, “I don’t mind riding in the back.”
    Mac laughed. “She didn’t get sick because she was riding in the car. She got sick because she ate a whole box of chocolate candy an hour before we left.”
    “A whole