all right. Moments later, he saw her come around the corner of the ambulance carrying the baby, which meant the body on the gurney was likely Mr. Webb.
Even before he rolled down the window, he could hear the baby screaming. When he saw Dori stagger, his first instinct was to help. But what could he do? All her neighbors were there. They would surely go to her.
He waited, watching the ambulance drive away, watching the firemen continue to blast water on the still-burning building, watching Officer Pittman stop to talk and touch her shoulder in obvious empathy.
Finally, a woman walked up to Dori, spoke briefly, looked at the baby, and then turned around and almost ran across the street and into her house. Other onlookers began doing the same, quickly giving their condolences and then walking away, while others left without a backward glance.
The baby was still screaming, and Dori looked like she was going to faint.
He couldn’t believe it. They’d all walked away and left her, just like they’d done the day of his mother’s funeral. The few people who’d come to pay their respects had done so without a word to him and the boys. He remembered how scared he’d felt and how alone. Even though he still had his little brothers, the weight of the world had fallen hard upon his shoulders.
“What the hell?” he muttered.
“What’s wrong, Johnny?”
He glanced at Marshall. Were the boys old enough to understand? He was about to find out. “No one is helping her.”
Marshall shrugged. “We can.”
Beep got up on his knees to look closer. “She has a baby! I think it’s crying. I bet it’s scared.”
Johnny sighed. He should not have doubted them. “You guys sit tight. I’m gonna go talk to her, okay?”
They nodded.
He gave them another look. “And don’t get out of the car. Do you hear me?”
“We hear you,” Marshall said. “I’m in charge. I’ll take care of Beep.”
Johnny smiled and scrubbed his knuckles lightly across Marshall’s head, eliciting the groan he knew would come, then he got out of the car and started across the street.
* * *
Dori was numb. The pain in her chest was surely as deadly as the one that took her granddaddy, but obviously God wasn’t through playing with her life. Her parents had been dead so long she’d almost forgotten what they looked like, and now Granddaddy. What else could God take away from her?
And the moment she thought it, she looked at the little boy screaming in her arms and tightened her hold. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew Granddaddy was gone too. That’s why he was crying. She staggered, then leaned against a police car pulled up at an angle at the end of their driveway and buried her face in Luther’s neck.
“Don’t cry, baby boy. Please don’t cry. Mama’s here. Mama’s here.”
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. It was Pansy Jones, her neighbor from across the street. Pansy was eyeing the screaming baby anxiously and talking too fast.
“Dori, honey, I am so sorry. I wanted you to know that me and Bart will be praying for you.”
Then she bolted across the street so fast Dori didn’t even have time to respond.
It seemed that Pansy’s approach had given the others the cue. After that, some came with a message similar to the one Pansy gave her, while others just got in their cars and drove away.
She couldn’t believe what was happening. What was she supposed to do? Where did she go? She needed help and turned to look for Officer Pittman just in time to see him jump in his cruiser and drive away with lights flashing and the siren sounding with its own version of a scream. Obviously she wasn’t the only one with troubles tonight.
Luther was still sobbing, his little hands fisted in the tangles of her hair when she felt another hand on her shoulder. She turned around and then her heart skipped a beat.
Johnny Pine.
She hadn’t seen him this close in probably three years, certainly not since he’d graduated.
Even before he rolled down the window, he could hear the baby screaming. When he saw Dori stagger, his first instinct was to help. But what could he do? All her neighbors were there. They would surely go to her.
He waited, watching the ambulance drive away, watching the firemen continue to blast water on the still-burning building, watching Officer Pittman stop to talk and touch her shoulder in obvious empathy.
Finally, a woman walked up to Dori, spoke briefly, looked at the baby, and then turned around and almost ran across the street and into her house. Other onlookers began doing the same, quickly giving their condolences and then walking away, while others left without a backward glance.
The baby was still screaming, and Dori looked like she was going to faint.
He couldn’t believe it. They’d all walked away and left her, just like they’d done the day of his mother’s funeral. The few people who’d come to pay their respects had done so without a word to him and the boys. He remembered how scared he’d felt and how alone. Even though he still had his little brothers, the weight of the world had fallen hard upon his shoulders.
“What the hell?” he muttered.
“What’s wrong, Johnny?”
He glanced at Marshall. Were the boys old enough to understand? He was about to find out. “No one is helping her.”
Marshall shrugged. “We can.”
Beep got up on his knees to look closer. “She has a baby! I think it’s crying. I bet it’s scared.”
Johnny sighed. He should not have doubted them. “You guys sit tight. I’m gonna go talk to her, okay?”
They nodded.
He gave them another look. “And don’t get out of the car. Do you hear me?”
“We hear you,” Marshall said. “I’m in charge. I’ll take care of Beep.”
Johnny smiled and scrubbed his knuckles lightly across Marshall’s head, eliciting the groan he knew would come, then he got out of the car and started across the street.
* * *
Dori was numb. The pain in her chest was surely as deadly as the one that took her granddaddy, but obviously God wasn’t through playing with her life. Her parents had been dead so long she’d almost forgotten what they looked like, and now Granddaddy. What else could God take away from her?
And the moment she thought it, she looked at the little boy screaming in her arms and tightened her hold. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew Granddaddy was gone too. That’s why he was crying. She staggered, then leaned against a police car pulled up at an angle at the end of their driveway and buried her face in Luther’s neck.
“Don’t cry, baby boy. Please don’t cry. Mama’s here. Mama’s here.”
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. It was Pansy Jones, her neighbor from across the street. Pansy was eyeing the screaming baby anxiously and talking too fast.
“Dori, honey, I am so sorry. I wanted you to know that me and Bart will be praying for you.”
Then she bolted across the street so fast Dori didn’t even have time to respond.
It seemed that Pansy’s approach had given the others the cue. After that, some came with a message similar to the one Pansy gave her, while others just got in their cars and drove away.
She couldn’t believe what was happening. What was she supposed to do? Where did she go? She needed help and turned to look for Officer Pittman just in time to see him jump in his cruiser and drive away with lights flashing and the siren sounding with its own version of a scream. Obviously she wasn’t the only one with troubles tonight.
Luther was still sobbing, his little hands fisted in the tangles of her hair when she felt another hand on her shoulder. She turned around and then her heart skipped a beat.
Johnny Pine.
She hadn’t seen him this close in probably three years, certainly not since he’d graduated.
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