When the outlook is bad, try looking up~~~MOM
The room spun. Plane crash? No survivors?
Cale sat motionless. “Their flight’s not until Saturday. It can’t be them.” Disbelieving quiet pounded Cale’s ears for several seconds. Jesse’s gasp broke the heavy silence.
Mrs. Miller pulled Jesse close.
Phoenix burst into tears. Cale turned. Tears tracked down Luke’s cheeks. Luke hugged Phoenix closer. “It’s okay, Phen. It’s gonna be okay.”
Cale’s gaze flew to the Mrs. Miller, waiting for her to point out that Sheriff Miller couldn’t possibly be right.
One look at the woman’s kind, somber face and blinking brown eyes, and Cale knew she wouldn’t contradict the sheriff.
Sheriff shook his head. “Your dad rented a private plane to take your mom on an outing. The working theory is one of the engines ingested a bird and failed.”
“You’re not alone in this, boys.” Mrs. Miller paused, then cleared her throat. “We’ll help you do whatever needs to be done. Make arrangements for your folks. Help with child care, chores. We’ll be with you every step. We’re here for you, and your baby sister. I took the liberty of calling your uncle Howard. He and your aunt Viv are on their way now.”
Sister? Oh, Brandi. Cale nodded and found his voice. “Where’s Dolly? She needs to be home.”
“She’s still with the Tenneys.” Sheriff Miller slid his hand into the front pocket of his black uniform slacks. “It would probably be better to leave her there for a bit, until the news sinks in. She’s doing fine.”
“No!” Cale stood quickly, took a breath, then repeated in a calmer, steadier voice. “No, sir. She needs to be here, with us. I promised Dad an intactfamily, and that’s what he’s gonna get.” Now that Cale had a plan of action, he could figure out the rest of the craziness. “I’ll go get her.”
The sheriff shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You don’t need to be driving right now.”
“I’ll get her,” Mrs. Miller offered, hugging Jesse before standing. “Cale’s right—they need to be together.” She walked to Cale and held out her arms. Cale resisted until she jutted out her chin and nodded, like Mom had a few days ago. “Let us help you through this, honey.”
She enveloped him in a strong hold for a moment before she put her hands on his cheeks. He stared into her dark, caring eyes. She held his face firmly in her hands, as if she were trying to squeeze her quiet strength into him.
He let her.
She nodded again. “I’ll get Brandi and we’ll deal with what we need to, as we need to.”
“Does Dolly know?” Cale asked, not sure if he wanted the answer to be “yes” or “no.”
“I’m not sure.” Mrs. Miller’s lips pulled tight, then loosened. “Would you like me to tell her?”
Well, yeah ... I sure don’t wanna tell her. She’ll cry a river and drown us all ... and I don’t even believe it. He shook his head and tried to clear the tadpole from his throat. “I should be the one to tell her.”
Maybe if I pretend to tell her, someone will shout, “Gotcha!” before I get too far.
Mrs. Miller leaned toward him. He bowed his head until their foreheads touched. Cale siphoned as much of her strength as he could. She offered a sympathetic smile.
YOU ARE READING
Ryding Through Troubled Waters
General Fiction19 year-old Cale Ryder is forced onto the fast track to fatherhood when his parents come home from their second honeymoon in caskets. Along with the family ranch, Cale inherits his 3 teenage brothers and his kid sister, Brandi, AKA "the princess."...
