Yesterday's Embers by Deborah Raney Read Free Book Online

This has to be terribly hard…for all of you.”
    He nodded. “I think she’s a little afraid of being left. She doesn’t want anybody else to disappear out of her life.”
    “Of course.” She could have kicked herself. She was the one who was supposed to be the expert on childhood development. “Don’t worry. We’ll reassure her that you’ll be back soon.”
    “Thanks.” He glanced at his watch. “I need to go.”
    She lifted a hand. “Go. She’ll be fine. They all will.”
    Doug gave his girls one last longing glance before he turned and walked out the door.
    She’d been ready to punch the guy a minute ago. But now the hunch of his shoulders made Mickey want to give him a hug. Poor guy.
    Mickey hung back. It felt awkward to just barge into the house.
    Chapter Six
    M ickey zipped up Timothy Plank’s coat and sent him out the door with his mother. That was everybody except the DeVore kids. She waved a hand toward Brenda Deaver. “You might as well go on home. I’ll wait with the kids.”
    The teacher rolled her eyes. “The kids have barely been back for three weeks, and he’s been late every single night, Mickey.”
    “Not that late. I feel for the guy.”
    “Are you going to talk to him?”
    “How can I, Brenda? He’s trying to be mom and dad both.” The puff of air Mickey blew out ruffled too-long bangs off her forehead. She’d missed a hair appointment Tuesday, thanks to Doug being late. “It’s not like he can help it.”
    Brenda propped her hands on her hips. “So you’re going to start keeping the center open till seven every night, then?Because if you are, you’d better think about hiring another worker.”
    “I know. I know. But what am I supposed to do?” Mickey threw up her hands. Brenda was her only full-time employee, and as it was, Mickey struggled to pay her after-school help and the substitutes, and still pay herself and Brenda a salary with benefits.
    “I thought Kaye’s mom was staying with the kids.” Brenda glanced toward the playroom.
    The children’s laughter filtered through the wall of windows that separated the reception room from the rest of the center. Kayeleigh and Landon had come from school and managed to turn “I Spy with My Little Eye” into a rowdy game for their siblings. Mickey smiled. She might have tried to settle them down…before. But it was good to see them having fun. They’d been glum for too many days of this new year.
    She turned back to Brenda and lowered her voice. “Kayeleigh said Harriet went back to Florida for a few days to close up her condo. She’s apparently going to stay in Clayburn for the rest of the winter. I sort of got the impression she’s not a whole lot of help, though.”
    Brenda nodded. “I could see that. She’s not exactly Mary Poppins. But at least there’ll be somebody to—”
    The phone on Mickey’s desk rang. She held up a hand. “Hang on…. Clayburn Day Care, this is Mickey.”
    “Mickey, it’s Doug. I’m sorry, but I’m running late again. I had to deliver some printing to Ellsworth. Are the kids doing okay?”
    “They’re fine.” She waved Brenda out the door and took the phone to the entrance of the playroom. “You can probably hear them.”
    “I hear them.” There was a smile in his voice. Too rare these days for a man who used to always be laughing. “It’s probably going to be another twenty minutes. I just left town, but I’m in the van, so I’ll have to stop by the office and switch vehicles.”
    That meant a good twenty-five minutes. “Let me bring the kidshome. I’ll meet you there. There’s no sense in you having to backtrack.”
    “You don’t need to do that.” But his voice sounded hopeful.
    “I don’t mind. I’m not doing anything else. I’ll meet you there.”
    “Can you fit everybody in your car?”
    “I can take the center’s van. Hang on. Let me make sure there’s a car seat here.”
    She carried the phone to the closet and found the car seat under a box of