is she?” asked Sam. Her voice wasn’t hitching any more but it was still tight and higher than normal.
Logan pointed to a sign at the end of the hallway. “Right there.”
Samara broke out of his grasp and began running toward the room, and he let her, hurrying behind her, feeling a sinking sense of deja vu.
He still wasn’t sure of the details, but the clerk had assured him – once Dave had vouched for him at least – that Jade was uninjured. Aunt Mabel was the one who’d been hurt, a minor hand or wrist fracture, something like that. When Eliza couldn’t find Samara, she’d simply taken Jade along with them to the hospital.
When he entered the room, Samara was on her knees in front of Jade, hugging her and stroking her hair.
Eliza watched, clearly taken aback at Sam’s reaction. Jade wasn’t impressed, either.
“Mama,” she complained, pushing out of her mother’s grasp. “My pictures!”
“I think Mama was a little worried,” said Eliza. “I told you she was fine, Samara.”
Logan watched as Sam composed herself, straightening her shoulders, easing herself onto the couch beside Jade, holding her fluttery hands together tightly in her lap.
“Thank you for watching my daughter,” said Sam, her words clipped. “I appreciate it, I do. But you should have found me. You knew where I was. You shouldn’t have taken Jade in your car. You don’t have a car seat. And you didn’t bring Bob.”
Eliza’s mouth fell open.
“Sam,” murmured Logan.
“No.” She lifted her chin. “She’s my daughter and I make the rules. Me.”
Eliza glanced between him and Sam, bewildered and horrified. “I tried to call you, Samara. Several times. But you didn’t answer and we couldn’t wait.”
Samara stood up and paced to the far side of the room, to the window overlooking a small courtyard. After a moment, she said, “I don’t blame you. It’s my fault. I didn’t get your message until too late. I should have left you with my vehicle. Or I shouldn’t have left her with you at all.”
Silence descended on the room. Samara was clearly distraught but this was entirely unfair. She was simply taking it out on whoever happened to be within striking distance.
He moved closer to Sam. If anyone should be taking her anger, it was him.
Sam stopped and he could feel electricity flowing off her. She was practically vibrating, all her defences on high alert, all her weapons at the ready.
Then Jade pushed a pile of pictures toward Eliza. “Do yours.”
Eliza blinked, then swallowed. “Of course, sweetie.”
She turned her attention back to Jade’s game, but Logan could see her lips trembling.
An orderly appeared at the door. “I’ve got a lovely lady here who needs a ride home. Any volunteers?”
Behind him sat Aunt Mabel, regal in her wheelchair, her left arm plastered from fingertip to elbow.
Eliza leaped to her feet. “Yes! I’m right here.”
She paused awkwardly at the door. “We’ll finish your pictures at home, okay, Jade?”
“Uh-huh.” Jade, engrossed in her project, didn’t look up.
Samara remained at the window, her hands twisted tightly together. The tension in the room was palpable. As Logan watched, she made a concerted effort to compose herself.
“I’m sorry you were hurt, Aunt Mabel. Are you all right?”
“I broke my wrist!” snapped Mabel. “Of course I’m not all right. But Eliza and the tadpole took care of me.”
She shot Sam a pointed glare and Sam turned away, her shoulders tight, her hands gripping her elbows.
“I’m sorry, Logan,” whispered Eliza as she passed him. She was near tears. “I never meant to scare her. I don’t quite know what happened here.”
He squeezed her arm. “You look after your great-aunt, okay? I’ll take care of Sam and the chipmunk. Everything will be fine.”
But from the tempest on Samara’s face, he had a feeling that he might be wrong about that.
*
There was no longer any need for it, but the adrenaline powering
Logan pointed to a sign at the end of the hallway. “Right there.”
Samara broke out of his grasp and began running toward the room, and he let her, hurrying behind her, feeling a sinking sense of deja vu.
He still wasn’t sure of the details, but the clerk had assured him – once Dave had vouched for him at least – that Jade was uninjured. Aunt Mabel was the one who’d been hurt, a minor hand or wrist fracture, something like that. When Eliza couldn’t find Samara, she’d simply taken Jade along with them to the hospital.
When he entered the room, Samara was on her knees in front of Jade, hugging her and stroking her hair.
Eliza watched, clearly taken aback at Sam’s reaction. Jade wasn’t impressed, either.
“Mama,” she complained, pushing out of her mother’s grasp. “My pictures!”
“I think Mama was a little worried,” said Eliza. “I told you she was fine, Samara.”
Logan watched as Sam composed herself, straightening her shoulders, easing herself onto the couch beside Jade, holding her fluttery hands together tightly in her lap.
“Thank you for watching my daughter,” said Sam, her words clipped. “I appreciate it, I do. But you should have found me. You knew where I was. You shouldn’t have taken Jade in your car. You don’t have a car seat. And you didn’t bring Bob.”
Eliza’s mouth fell open.
“Sam,” murmured Logan.
“No.” She lifted her chin. “She’s my daughter and I make the rules. Me.”
Eliza glanced between him and Sam, bewildered and horrified. “I tried to call you, Samara. Several times. But you didn’t answer and we couldn’t wait.”
Samara stood up and paced to the far side of the room, to the window overlooking a small courtyard. After a moment, she said, “I don’t blame you. It’s my fault. I didn’t get your message until too late. I should have left you with my vehicle. Or I shouldn’t have left her with you at all.”
Silence descended on the room. Samara was clearly distraught but this was entirely unfair. She was simply taking it out on whoever happened to be within striking distance.
He moved closer to Sam. If anyone should be taking her anger, it was him.
Sam stopped and he could feel electricity flowing off her. She was practically vibrating, all her defences on high alert, all her weapons at the ready.
Then Jade pushed a pile of pictures toward Eliza. “Do yours.”
Eliza blinked, then swallowed. “Of course, sweetie.”
She turned her attention back to Jade’s game, but Logan could see her lips trembling.
An orderly appeared at the door. “I’ve got a lovely lady here who needs a ride home. Any volunteers?”
Behind him sat Aunt Mabel, regal in her wheelchair, her left arm plastered from fingertip to elbow.
Eliza leaped to her feet. “Yes! I’m right here.”
She paused awkwardly at the door. “We’ll finish your pictures at home, okay, Jade?”
“Uh-huh.” Jade, engrossed in her project, didn’t look up.
Samara remained at the window, her hands twisted tightly together. The tension in the room was palpable. As Logan watched, she made a concerted effort to compose herself.
“I’m sorry you were hurt, Aunt Mabel. Are you all right?”
“I broke my wrist!” snapped Mabel. “Of course I’m not all right. But Eliza and the tadpole took care of me.”
She shot Sam a pointed glare and Sam turned away, her shoulders tight, her hands gripping her elbows.
“I’m sorry, Logan,” whispered Eliza as she passed him. She was near tears. “I never meant to scare her. I don’t quite know what happened here.”
He squeezed her arm. “You look after your great-aunt, okay? I’ll take care of Sam and the chipmunk. Everything will be fine.”
But from the tempest on Samara’s face, he had a feeling that he might be wrong about that.
*
There was no longer any need for it, but the adrenaline powering
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