screaming. Daddy...” The girl shuddered.
“Hon, you’re all right now. You’re safe.”
The sound of Madi crying shredded her composure, thrusting her back in time. The memories of holding her daughter while she cried in pain ripped off the scab over the wound of Lisa’s death. Abbey felt the heartache again as though three years hadn’t passed.
Suddenly Madi yanked away from her. “Where’s Cottonball?” Her gaze fastened onto the bichon, still on her bed but nearby. She pulled her close while wrapped in Abbey’s embrace. “I probably scared her.”
“She knew you were having a hard time. She stayed right by you.” Abbey combed Madi’s hair behind her ears, then framed her face. “Do you want to talk about the nightmare? Maybe I can help you.”
The little girl shook her head. “Can’t. I want to forget it. I...” Tears again welled in her eyes.
Abbey quickly searched for a way to take Madi’s mind off what had happened. “Do you know that Gabe must have heard you, and he got me up to come see if you were okay?”
“He did?” Madi glanced around for the Lab.
As if sensing she was searching for him, Gabe came closer, and when she held out her hand, he licked it.
Madi giggled. “That tickles.” She patted both Gabe and the bichon. “I like Cottonball sleeping with me. Can Gabe stay in here, too?”
“Sure. In fact, I’ll stay until you fall asleep, if you want.”
“Yes. I don’t like dreaming about the wreck.”
“I know, honey. Here let me tuck you in again.” Abbey straightened the sheets that looked like Madi had lost the battle with the covers. “There, is that better?”
The girl nodded, her mouth forming a big O as she yawned. “You can lie down. There’s room.” Madi scooched over to give Abbey even more of the bed.
“Sometimes I used to stay with my daughter until she fell asleep. I’d start telling her a story, and before I could finish, she would be asleep.” She couldn’t seem to stop the wave of memories. This weekend might be harder than she thought it would be.
“Can you tell me a story? What was your daughter’s favorite?”
Emotions jammed Abbey’s throat. She swallowed hard, shifting away to blink the moisture from her eyes. “The Princess and the White Rose . ”
“Oh, that sounds good. What was the princess’s name?”
“Rose. She prided herself on her gardens, working every day in them, even though her father, the king, didn’t want her to. He wanted her to find a young man and get married.”
Madi snuggled up against Abbey, her eyes sliding closed.
“Rose never wanted to get married. She was sure no man would understand her love of flowers, especially roses.” Abbey peered at Dominic’s sister. “Madi?”
The child didn’t stir beside Abbey. She continued holding the girl while she recalled the last time she’d told Lisa the story—the day before she’d died. She couldn’t do this. Madi reminded her too much of Lisa. They didn’t look alike, but the two were connected in Abbey’s mind.
When she was sure that Madi was sound asleep, Abbey left Gabe with the child and slipped out of the girl’s room, too restless to go back to bed yet. She thought she would fix a cup of the tea that helped her relax when she was wound tight.
When she entered the kitchen, she found Mrs. Ponder sitting at the table sipping something from a mug. Abbey noticed the black kettle was on a burner. “Is there some hot water left?”
“Yes.”
“May I use it and refill the kettle for you?”
“Help yourself. The water and kettle belong to Mr. Winters.” As Abbey crossed to the stove, Mrs. Ponder asked, “You can’t sleep, either?”
“No, Madi had a bad dream. Gabe woke me up so I could go comfort her.”
“He did? He must be smart.”
Abbey poured some hot water into a mug she found in the cabinet. “Gabe is sensitive to people’s needs.” Abbey turned with her tea and started to move toward the exit but decided not to. Instead, she
“Hon, you’re all right now. You’re safe.”
The sound of Madi crying shredded her composure, thrusting her back in time. The memories of holding her daughter while she cried in pain ripped off the scab over the wound of Lisa’s death. Abbey felt the heartache again as though three years hadn’t passed.
Suddenly Madi yanked away from her. “Where’s Cottonball?” Her gaze fastened onto the bichon, still on her bed but nearby. She pulled her close while wrapped in Abbey’s embrace. “I probably scared her.”
“She knew you were having a hard time. She stayed right by you.” Abbey combed Madi’s hair behind her ears, then framed her face. “Do you want to talk about the nightmare? Maybe I can help you.”
The little girl shook her head. “Can’t. I want to forget it. I...” Tears again welled in her eyes.
Abbey quickly searched for a way to take Madi’s mind off what had happened. “Do you know that Gabe must have heard you, and he got me up to come see if you were okay?”
“He did?” Madi glanced around for the Lab.
As if sensing she was searching for him, Gabe came closer, and when she held out her hand, he licked it.
Madi giggled. “That tickles.” She patted both Gabe and the bichon. “I like Cottonball sleeping with me. Can Gabe stay in here, too?”
“Sure. In fact, I’ll stay until you fall asleep, if you want.”
“Yes. I don’t like dreaming about the wreck.”
“I know, honey. Here let me tuck you in again.” Abbey straightened the sheets that looked like Madi had lost the battle with the covers. “There, is that better?”
The girl nodded, her mouth forming a big O as she yawned. “You can lie down. There’s room.” Madi scooched over to give Abbey even more of the bed.
“Sometimes I used to stay with my daughter until she fell asleep. I’d start telling her a story, and before I could finish, she would be asleep.” She couldn’t seem to stop the wave of memories. This weekend might be harder than she thought it would be.
“Can you tell me a story? What was your daughter’s favorite?”
Emotions jammed Abbey’s throat. She swallowed hard, shifting away to blink the moisture from her eyes. “The Princess and the White Rose . ”
“Oh, that sounds good. What was the princess’s name?”
“Rose. She prided herself on her gardens, working every day in them, even though her father, the king, didn’t want her to. He wanted her to find a young man and get married.”
Madi snuggled up against Abbey, her eyes sliding closed.
“Rose never wanted to get married. She was sure no man would understand her love of flowers, especially roses.” Abbey peered at Dominic’s sister. “Madi?”
The child didn’t stir beside Abbey. She continued holding the girl while she recalled the last time she’d told Lisa the story—the day before she’d died. She couldn’t do this. Madi reminded her too much of Lisa. They didn’t look alike, but the two were connected in Abbey’s mind.
When she was sure that Madi was sound asleep, Abbey left Gabe with the child and slipped out of the girl’s room, too restless to go back to bed yet. She thought she would fix a cup of the tea that helped her relax when she was wound tight.
When she entered the kitchen, she found Mrs. Ponder sitting at the table sipping something from a mug. Abbey noticed the black kettle was on a burner. “Is there some hot water left?”
“Yes.”
“May I use it and refill the kettle for you?”
“Help yourself. The water and kettle belong to Mr. Winters.” As Abbey crossed to the stove, Mrs. Ponder asked, “You can’t sleep, either?”
“No, Madi had a bad dream. Gabe woke me up so I could go comfort her.”
“He did? He must be smart.”
Abbey poured some hot water into a mug she found in the cabinet. “Gabe is sensitive to people’s needs.” Abbey turned with her tea and started to move toward the exit but decided not to. Instead, she
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