Read Yesterday's Embers for Free Online Page B

it at that.
    Clenching her fists, she started again. “I’m so sorry about…what happened. We’ve been praying for you and the kids. We’ll—miss Rachel so much. And Kaye, of course,” she added quickly.
    Words that had sounded compassionate in her head came out clunky and cold. Shut up while you’re ahead, Valdez .
    She recognized his effort to paste on a smile, but it didn’t work, and for a minute she was afraid he might break down.
    His jaw worked and he bent to pick up Harley again. “Thanks.” He hitched the little girl up on his hip and kissed the top of her blond head before setting her back down.
    But she scrambled after him, lifting her hands. Her face crumpled. “Daddy!”
    “Bye-bye, Harley. You stay with Miss Mickey. Daddy will see you tonight.” Doug gave Mickey a pleading look and backed away. He turned and walked purposefully toward the door, but Harley toddled after him, sobbing now.
    It broke Mickey’s heart. She raced after Harley. “Come on, honey. You come with Miss Mickey. Let’s go find your sisters.” She scooped the toddler into her arms, but Harley only screamed louder.
    “Daddy!”
    The shrill cry pierced Mickey’s eardrums and she winced, but Doug kept on going. With one hand on the door, he turned around and gave Mickey a look that said, “Help me out here.”
    But she’d never seen Harley like this. Usually the little girl was allsunshine and giggles. How could he walk away from her like this, after all she’d been through? She hurried to the door, Harley screaming in her arms. “Are…are you sure you want to leave her like this?”
    Doug stared at her. “I don’t have a choice. I’ve missed enough work as it is.”
    She nodded. “All right, then.”
    Poor Harley. Her face was rosy and tear-stained, but her crying subsided a little. Sniffing, she looked between the two of them, suddenly interested in their conversation.
    Mickey bounced the toddler on one hip. “She does seem to be calming down a little. Maybe I can distract her. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” She nodded in the direction of the reading corner, where Sarah and Sadie were sitting quietly. “How are the girls doing? Is there anything I should know…anything they’re especially struggling with?”
    His expression was dull. “You mean other than the obvious?”
    His caustic tone sent her reeling, and she looked away. This was a side of the man she’d never seen in the five years she’d had his kids in daycare. Tears pressed at her eyelids, but she blinked them back. The last thing he needed was to feel guilty about hurting her feelings.
    But he didn’t seem to notice. “I’ve got to get going.” He pushed the door open.
    She nodded and started back to the reading corner with Harley. She worked to keep her voice from trembling. “Let’s go see what your sisters are doing, okay?”
    Harley pointed toward the dayroom and gave a shy smile. Mickey sighed. She should simply have dealt with Harley the way she did with any child who didn’t want to be left. Still, this was different. Harley might not be old enough to understand the tragedy her family had experienced, but she’d been exposed to their grieving. That had to have an effect.
    Mickey left Harley ensconced between her sisters, sucking her thumb and looking at a picture book, but she fretted over the exchange withDoug. He was understandably not himself, but he could have been a little more helpful. Under the circumstances, she wouldn’t have been wrong to insist he stay until Harley calmed down a little.
    Turning to go back to her desk, she looked up to see Doug peering over the bookcase. She hurried to where he was.
    “I guess…she settled down okay?” Worry etched his forehead.
    She forced a smile and found that it diminished some of her ire. “She’s fine. I’m sorry I—”
    He held up a hand. “No. I’m the one who’s sorry. I—I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.” He dipped his head.
    “It’s okay. I understand.