Page 8 of Never Fall Again

“In my experience, anxiety is never rational. That doesn’t mean it isn’t real. And anxiety rooted in trauma is particularly difficult to displace with rational thoughts.” It would be wildly inappropriate for him to pull her into his arms and hold her. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t tempted. Instead, he stood, slid his phone into his back pocket, then tapped his front pocket to confirm his truck keys were there. “I’m not sure what we’ll find when we get to The Haven. Do you want Eliza to come with us?”

Landry’s look was one of confusion. “Where else would she go?”

“She could hang out with Carla.”

“Thank you. But I think—”

“Mom!” Eliza ran into the room with another little girl hot on her heels. “Mom! This is Abby, my friend from school!”

Landry looked from Eliza to Abby, then to Cal, then back to the girls. “Hi, Abby. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Hi, Ms. Hutton. Nice to meet you.” Abby’s eyes flicked to Cal, and he gave her an encouraging nod. Her mom would be pleased that she’d remembered her manners. Her decorum lasted another two seconds before she broke and ran straight to him. “Uncle Cal!”

He scooped her up, her legs hanging closer to his knees than ever. When had his niece grown so tall? “How are you?” He rubbed the scruff of his beard against her cheek.

She squirmed away, pressing her small hands to his face. “Uncle Cal! I didn’t know you knew Eliza! She’s my best friend. Can she come home and play with me?”

Four

Cal glanced up and saw both of his sisters-in-law in the doorway. Carla winked at him and nodded. She’d probably called Naomi the minute she left Landry in his office. Naomi entered, hand outstretched. “I’m Naomi Shaw. Abigail is our youngest. I’m married to the middle Shaw, Chad.”

Landry stood and shook Naomi’s hand. “Landry Hutton. Pleasure to meet you.”

The adults all stood staring at one another for a second before Carla chimed in. “Abby, why don’t you and Eliza take Maisy out for a few minutes.”

Abby went straight to the door behind Cal’s desk and opened it. Maisy darted through and Eliza quickly followed.

Landry watched them go with obvious concern.

“It’s a fenced-in yard that I created so Maisy could go outside while I’m working,” Cal told her. “They’ll be perfectly safe. The fence is six feet high, and the entire area is monitored by security cameras.”

Carla tapped the doorframe. “Cameras I’ll go keep an eye on.”

“Thank you, Carla.”

“Landry, I know you don’t know me at all.” Naomi perched on the edge of a chair and Landry resumed her seat. “But we’veheard so much about Eliza since school started. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but Carla called and told me what was going on.”

Naomi was one of those Mother Earth women you knew was an amazing caretaker. She was short, slightly plump, and her eyes shone with sincerity. She’d been that way since the first time Chad brought her home when they were in college. Cal was a freshman in high school, and after spending a weekend with her in their home, he told Chad he’d be an idiot if he didn’t marry her.

His brother was no idiot.

Naomi dropped her voice. “Chad and the boys are on their way into town. We’re going out for pizza. We try to go a little early to beat the crowds. We’ll probably wind up going for ice cream after.” She spoke with maternal indulgence that belied the fact that Naomi Shaw ran a tight ship. “We’d love to take Eliza with us.”

Landry, for her part, wore the look of a woman who had too many things hitting her at once but was determined not to be taken under. “Naomi, I—”

“I know you’re hesitant. Feel free to call Bronwyn for a character reference. But please consider it. The smoke could be seen from quite a distance.” Naomi glanced at Cal. “Chad heard it from Nick.”

Nick was a paramedic, and he was also Chad’s best friend from high school.

Naomi turned back to Landry. “We’ve fostered and adopted four children. We’ve been checked out by every state agency imaginable. We know how to appropriately interact with children who aren’t our own. We’ll keep her in public spaces at all times.”

Naomi’s sincerity couldn’t have been any clearer, and Landry raised her hands in defeat. “You’ve convinced me. Thank you. Taking Eliza into that situation with the fire, not knowing what we’re facing ... I don’t want to do that.”

Naomi and Landry exchanged numbers, and before they finished, the door flew open with Maisy in the lead, followed by Eliza and Abigail.

“Abby,” Naomi said in a tone that said “I love you more than my own life, but this is not the time to sass me.”

“Yes, Mama.”

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