Free Doubting Thomas (Tarnished Saints Series) by Elizabeth Rose Page B

fast, she plowed into little Eli standing silently right behind her. She reached out and grabbed him to keep him from falling. Her hands rested on his little bony shoulders as she righted him. His face looked up to her, eyes wide in fear and he moved quickly out of her hold. What was it that had these children so scared she couldn’t even touch one without them fearing her?
    “What will your father do to you if he finds out you let me into the house?” she asked curiously.
    Sam put his head down. Zeke kicked at the dirt with his foot. Jake stood with his arms out, blocking the doorway, and Eli just watched her with those big haunting eyes.
    “Pa won’t be happy about it, but I figure you have good reason to apologize to Josh. You are welcome inside the house if you want to go in, Ms. DeMitri.” Daniel smiled at her and she felt it was sincere. The others may hate her or fear her, but she knew she’d won the eldest son over without even trying. He looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, and she wondered if he only did this to win her favor, despite his father’s warning.
    “I don’t want to get any of you into trouble,” she said. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll come back tomorrow when your father is home and apologize to Josh then.”
    “I’ll be going to Brighton in the pickup to get him tomorrow afternoon,” Dan supplied the information. “If you want, you can ride along with me.”
    “Daniel, no!” warned Sam. “Pa won’t like that.”
    “I’m in charge while he’s gone,” said Dan. Then looking back toward her, he waited for her answer.
    “Well, I don’t know,” she said, looking from the face of one boy to the other.
    This was an unofficial visit, she reminded herself. She had no business prying into Thomas Taylor’s life. She should just walk away and leave this all behind before she got too involved. She wanted to walk away, but deep down she knew if Thomas Taylor really wasn’t fit to parent these boys, than she had to do something to see they were well taken care of. Her decision was made when she once again laid eyes on little Eli.
    His dirty face, his curly, scraggly hair, and his shoeless little dirty feet made her decision easy. The boy looked so forlorn she wanted nothing more than to pull him into her arms and hug him. But she had to be careful not to touch him. Knowing what little she did about Thomas Taylor, she wasn’t sure he wouldn’t start a lawsuit against her already for just trespassing on his property.
    Eli’s wide eyes stared at her, while Jake’s angry eyes threatened. Sam still looked at the ground, and little Zeke smiled at her with hope. She felt a connection to these boys already for some odd reason. She also felt in debt to the one behind the door she’d accused so wrongly. God help her, she hoped she was doing the right thing by investigating this family. She prayed she didn’t have to start measures to remove the boys from Thomas’s care. And she prayed she would be safe from the man once he found out what she was about to do.
    “All right,” she said, nodding to Daniel. “I’ll come by tomorrow and take a ride with you to Brighton. What time shall we leave?”
    “Two o’clock,” Daniel told her with a grin.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, turning away. It was already too late. She’d gotten involved after all. After tomorrow, her life would never be the same again.
     

Chapter 7
     
     
    Angel balanced the plate of cookies Agnes made on one hand, and knocked at the cabin door with the other. She bit her lip nervously, not knowing what she’d find inside the house. Her blood pumped quickly through her veins at the thought that she agreed to ride in a truck with Thomas Taylor.
    She’d had a hard time leaving this morning, as Agnes gladly gave her the cookies, but warned her not to go anywhere near the Taylor house. Angel had said she felt like she needed to make amends after almost hitting Thomas’s little boy with the car.