Page 59 of Left Behind

“How old is she?” Dani asked.

“Seven, according to her birth certificate, but she’s no bigger than a five-year-old. She’s malnourished and scared of her own shadow. Wiley took one look at her and turned into some superhero on her behalf. I’ve never seen him like this, but I think he’s found his calling.”

“That’s wonderful, but it’s going to be hard for him, too. We can all help. When school starts again, she can come home with me until he gets off work, and I’ll be there at school for any problems that might arise. She’s your little sister, which makes her mine, too. We all have his back.”

“He’s going to need it. And the chief has already put him on days with weekends off, except for emergencies.”

“That’s really good of Chief Warren,” Dani said.

“I’ve never seen the chief so pissed,” Aaron said. “He was about ready to throw the book at her for intent to commit fraud and for child abuse and neglect when Wiley waded in with a solution. The deal was that I wouldn’t press charges if she’d relinquish her parental rights to him. She signed those papers so fast it made our heads spin, and never even looked back at her daughter asleep in Wiley’s lap when she left. All I have to say is Clyde met his match when he hooked up with her.”

“I’m sorry,” Dani said.

“Don’t be. It’s a miracle we found out she even existed. But if Wiley has anything to say about it, she’s lived her last day of need or want. I’ve got to go. Talk to you later. Love you, honey.”

“Love you, too,” Dani said.

***

Unaware that his family was already making plans to help him, Wiley and Ava were in the supermarket, going up and down the aisles, looking for mac and cheese in the blue box and soup in a can, as well as kid-friendly foods he guessed she would eat.

Getting to pick out her own box of cereal was such a big deal to Ava that she teared up. Going home with ice cream was unheard of. She’d never had options. She’d never been asked to make a choice. She’d just done what she was told. Ate what she was given, and had learned a long time ago that her life was easier if people forgot about her, but right now, everything happening to her felt like a dream. Corina had never wanted her and told her so on a daily basis. Then her brothers found out about her, and they wanted her, and Wiley called Corina an ass, then gave Ava a pink bedroom with her own bed and pillow. They were standing in the cookie aisle, looking at all the choices when Ava reached for Wiley’s hand.

Wiley looked down. “You can pick out what kind of cookies we take home.”

“Are you gonna keep me?” she asked.

The fear was back in her eyes. Without saying a word, he picked her up, settled her on his hip so she could see the cookies on the top shelves, too, and hugged her.

“Yes, baby. All the way to grown-up and forever.”

“What if you change your mind?” she whispered.

“But you don’t change your mind about people you love. I love that you’re my little sister. I want to take care of you. I want to keep you safe. I don’t ever want you hurt again. We’re partners, you and me.” He reached for a package of chocolate sandwich cookies, and put them in the shopping cart.

Ava was worn out from the drama of the day and from making choices, and laid her head on Wiley’s shoulder.

He knew when she fell asleep because she went limp in his arms, so he shifted her to a more comfortable position and finished shopping with her head on his shoulder.

Seeing the big good-looking man with the tiny blond asleep in his arms, drew many longing glances from women of all ages, but Wiley was oblivious. His entire focus was on the child and her well-being, and figuring out how the hell he was going to make good on his promises. By the time he checked out, all he wanted was to get her home.

He led the way to his SUV, with the kid who’d bagged his groceries now following him with the purchases. The boy loaded them into the rear hatch as Wiley laid Ava down in the back seat. He drove home slowly, parked in the garage, and carried her into the house and down the hall to her bedroom, tucked her and dolly in beneath a blanket, and went to finish unloading the car.

When he finally had everything put up, he checked on Ava again. She was still asleep, so he took off his boots and walked sock-footed through the house with his laptop. He was about to get online to research day cares in Jubilee when his cell phone signaled a text from Dani.

Aaron called me. God love you, Wiley. We’ve got your back. I am at home all day by myself. I’ll gladly be your summer babysitter, and I’ll be at school with her if troubles arise, so bring her by tomorrow so we can get acquainted. We don’t want to interfere, but we’re all here for you and her.

Wiley was overwhelmed and relieved, and sent an immediate text back.

Thank you! More than you will ever know. I’ll bring her by in the morning. She arrived with three outfits, including the one she was wearing, three pairs of panties, and the sandals on her feet, and said it was all of her clothes. There’s not even a coat or a jacket. She’s never had toys. I asked her what she wanted more than anything else and she said a bed and a pillow, and someone who didn’t yell. I bought some Jubilee tourist clothes today at Georgia’s and a bunch of stuffed animals and a doll. She’s never owned toys. She looks like some little half-starved orphan from the streets. She keeps saying she was a mistake. When I asked her what she liked to eat, she said mac and cheese in the blue box and soup in a can. She wanted to call me Daddy. I would have given anything to say yes. Instead, I am her Bubba, and I will slay dragons for her. That is all.

When Dani read that response, she burst into tears. She’d seen children like that walk into her classroom before. She knew how traumatized some of them were. And how distrustful they were of everyone. Someone had done a really good job of breaking this child, and it was going to take the whole Pope family to put that little girl back together again.

***

After the hospital interview with Carey Eggers, Detective Gardner made sure to spread the news around the Bowling Green PD that Billy Eggers’s sister never saw the man who shot him, or her, and that she was useless as a witness. Then he announced that they would proceed with an arrest warrant for a man named Lonny Joe Pryor, based on DNA recovered from beneath Billy Eggers’s fingernails and from the fingerprints found at the scene.

The news trickled down to a desk sergeant, and when his lunch break came, he went to his car, pulled a burner phone from the console, and made a call to Carl Henley.

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