Page 8 of Bad Seed

“Absolutely,” Brendan said. “I never pass up a chance to get an earful from my favorite little sister.”

Wiley chuckled. “You’ll get that, for sure, and thanks. I owe you.”

“Brothers come free. I’ll head that way now,” Brendan said, and disconnected, then went to put on his boots and get his heavy coat. He grabbed a blanket on the way out the door and threw it in the back seat, and headed to Aaron and Dani’s house.

It was still snowing, but not as heavily as it had been. Between the heater in the car and the windshield wipers, it kept the windows clear, and by the time he got to Dani’s, his car was also warm—certainly warm enough for one tiny little blue-eyed blond.

***

Ava knew all about the switch-up. She wasn’t bothered by any of it anymore. Her brother Wiley, who she called Bubba, was her rock, but after two years of being absorbed into the Pope family, she also knew her other brothers and their wives were always there for backup when the need arose. She was a different child from the starving, frightened child she’d been when she first arrived.

She was standing at the window, watching for sight of Brendan’s SUV to come into view, when Dani came up behind her and gave her a quick hug.

“Sugar, I’m so sorry I have this silly meeting back at school tonight, but BJ is going to take you up the mountain to Grandma’s house, and when Bubba and Linette get through helping with the people who wrecked, they’ll pick you up from there and take you home, okay?”

“We’re supposed to call him Brendan now ’cause everyone calls him that at work,” Ava said.

Dani grinned. “Yes, I know, but sometimes I forget, because he was BJ first to me.”

“Like Wiley was Wiley until I called him Bubba,” Ava said, and then shifted gears in midconversation. “I love going to Grandma’s house.”

Dani was still smiling. She was used to Ava’s chatter. “And Grandma loves having you.”

Ava nodded. “She’ll have cookies.”

Dani nodded. “I bet you’re right.” Everyone in the family knew that Shirley Pope always had cookies orsomething equally good to snack on. “Oh, there comes Brendan now. Go get your backpack and coat.”

Ava took off running as her brother was getting out of the car, and Dani opened the door before he had time to knock. “Come in out of the cold,” she said.

“Thanks, Dani. The snow is really coming down. I may have to park the bike until spring.”

She shuddered. “I don’t know how you’ve been riding it all winter.”

He shrugged. “Close to work. Easy to maneuver in traffic. And the kitchens are always hot because of ovens and grills. I warm up in no time. I’m feeling sorry for the people injured in the wreck and the emergency and police who are still out there. I think all of the people have been transported, but they’ll have to wait for a commercial-grade wrecker to deal with that overturned bus, and it’s getting dark. I know they’re anxious to get the road cleared.”

Dani nodded. “Aaron called me a few minutes ago. Told me to watch out for emergency vehicles coming and going on my way back to school.”

At that point, Ava came running. “I’m ready!”

Brendan swooped her up in his arms. She was still the tiniest thing, and he was the tallest Pope. They made quite a pair.

Ava hugged him and then leaned back enough to look him straight in the face, her forehead wrinkled with concern. “Are you ever afraid to be this tall?”

He grinned. “Nope. Are you afraid up here?”

“Maybe a little,” she said.

“Why? You know I’m not gonna drop you.”

“My feet can’t touch the floor,” she said.

He winked. “Yeah, but mine can. See?”

She looked down the length of his long legs to his size-thirteen boots standing firmly on the floor, and then up at him, and nodded.

“Are we going to Grandma’s house now?” she asked.

He nodded and then glanced at Dani. “I’ll add my caution to Aaron’s. Drive safe, Sister.”

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