Free Katie's Dream by Leisha Kelly Page B

the truth, there has to be another Samuel Wortham.”
    He laughed. “And the spittin’ image of ya, to boot.”
    â€œI don’t know about that . . .” I could feel a surge of heat down my spine. He didn’t believe me. How could I get him to understand?
    He sighed. “Well, Wortham. I wouldn’t a’ thought faced with somethin’ head on, you’d still be buckin’, but some folks are like that.”
    I could feel my shoulders tighten, the heat rising in me. “I told you the truth, Sheriff. I never met the woman.”
    â€œNo doubt you never met her kin, I’ll grant you that.” He shook his head. “You’re in a spot, I know, already havin’ kids to raise and this being sprung on you sudden. I’ll do what I can to find a relative of the mother, but only ’cause I agree with you that they might not know what she’s gone off and done. If it was my granddaughter hauled across the countryside, I’d want somebody to tell me.”
    He turned his face to Katie, who stood quietly beside me, watching him. “Tell me, sugar. This Mr. Wortham, here. He been treatin’ you all right?”
    Almost I said something, but I knew it wouldn’t help my case any in his eyes.
    Katie nodded her head and reached her little hand to mine again. “He’s nice. And Mrs. Wortham is nice too. I like ’em plenty good.”
    â€œWell. I’m relieved to hear that. Right decent of the missus, especially. Wouldn’t you say so, Samuel?”
    It chafed me, what I saw in his eyes. Convinced of my guilt, he was taking me for a scoundrel. But I couldn’t argue. If he truly searched the matter, he’d find out I was telling the truth, I was sure of it. “Julia’s a wonderful woman, Sheriff Law,” I agreed. “I’m blessed to have her.”
    â€œWell, then, I won’t need to be concerned over leaving the child in your care. Your brother brung her to you, and the way I see it, she’s your responsibility, ’less some other kin comes forward askin’ for her.”
    â€œSheriff Law—”
    He held up his hand. “I don’t see no reason to use the gas to get her to the orphanage, nor for them spending the upkeep when she’s got a decent arrangement with kin.” He turned to Katie. “You been told this man’s kin, ain’t that so?”
    Katie nodded.
    â€œSee what I mean? These things happen, Samuel. Ain’t an action in this world that don’t bear consequences.”
    I took a deep breath. “I don’t object to keeping her. She’s already spent one night, and it might be easier for her not to spend the next one with a whole new set of strangers. If we can help for a while, that’s fine. But let me describe my brother to you, in the chance you might see him. Maybe he could tell us something more. Maybe Miss Vale might have told him something about her family—”
    â€œDidn’t she tell you anything?”
    I swallowed hard, careful to restrain the fire I was feeling. “No, sir. I’ve never spoken to her.”
    He smiled. “This is interesting.”
    He asked Katie some more questions—about me, my brother, her mother, and anyone else she could remember. There was a grandmother, we found out. Trudy Vale’s mother. But Katie only recalled seeing her once when she was very little, and they’d been in so many towns since then that she didn’t know where the woman lived.
    Sheriff Law wrote a few things down. Then he lifted his eyes to me. “What about your mother?”
    The question took me completely by surprise. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, is she still living? Would she take in this little girl if you and your wife decide that you . . . uh . . . just can’t deal with it?”
    I could feel a fiery rush of protest flooding my insides. How could he suggest such a thing? “She has nothing