Page 9 of Sweet Home

“Oh,” Elizabeth said, frowning.

“Let’s get you put back to bed,” West said quickly, pretty sure Elizabeth’s next observation might not be as complimentary. Dulcie was certainly looking a little worse-for-the-wear after whatever adventures had brought her to Sugarville Grove, and Elizabeth had all the tact of a typical four-year-old. “Come on.”

She placed her little hand in his and allowed herself to be led back to the hallway. But before they reached the stairs, she slipped out of his grasp and darted back to the kitchen door.

“Good night, Miss Dulcie,” she said, in her bell-clearvoice, then dashed back to West before anyone could reply.

“That was very nice,” West told her. “Is it okay with you for us to have a guest for a little while?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said. “But I think she needs a bath.”

Well, Elizabeth was precocious, but she was also brutally honest. He was grateful that he’d gotten her out of there quickly.

“She’s been traveling for a long time,” he guessed. “And she was in a car accident today. So, I’m sure she’s really looking forward to a nice bath and some rest.”

“A car accident?” Elizabeth asked worriedly.

“But she’s just fine,” West said, feeling bad about even mentioning it before bedtime. Elizabeth had been in the car during a minor fender-bender once, and the experience stuck with her, even though no one had been hurt. “Thank goodness.”

Elizabeth nodded and focused her energy on climbing the stairs.

She’s so serious, he thought to himself, not for the first time.Is that my fault?

He was doing his best to be a good parent, but it was tough not to worry.

And he couldn’t even feel sorry for himself, since she was doing so well. After all, his brother Zane had been left alone with preemie twin boys in the NICU. In comparison, West’s wife leaving him with a toddler didn’t seem like much of a challenge.

“Two more stories?” Elizabeth asked shrewdly when they stepped into her room.

It was a cozy space with a wall lined with overflowingbookshelves, her much-loved teddy bear in the bed, and a little nightlight in the corner.

“Miss Dulcie needs my help right now,” West told her. “And you already had your two stories. What if we sing our song again?”

“Okay,” Elizabeth agreed.

She scrambled into bed, and he began singing the James Taylor ballad about the cowboy that Elizabeth had adored since the first time she heard it. He strongly suspected that it reminded her of her Uncle Tripp. Her little voice joined his as he sat on the side of her bed and patted her hand until they finished their song.

“Good night, Daddy,” Elizabeth said softly, her eyes already at half-mast. “Make sure she gets her bath. A princess shouldn’t be all dirty.”

He smiled and stroked her hair for a moment before leaning in to kiss her pillowy cheek and heading out.

He stopped by his own room across the hall and grabbed a pair of his pajamas for Dulcie. The fit wouldn’t be great, but he didn’t really have any other options in the house. He added an extra blanket and towels from the hall closet to his armful of things, and on a whim he grabbed a couple of books from the shelf in the hallway.

By the time he got down to the kitchen again, Mom and Dulcie were talking avidly.

“There he is,” Mom said, nodding to West.

“Hey,” he said. “I brought you some pajamas, they’ll be a little big, and some towels.”

“Books,” she said happily.

“It’s nice to have a book, especially if you’re havingtrouble sleeping,” he said, feeling bad that they were basically all old children’s books.

“Anne of Green Gables,” she said happily, her eyes fixed on one of the books. “I remember that one.”

“Come on,” he told her. “I’ll show you your room.”

“I’m just going to start a little something for you, Dulcie,” Mom said. “When you’ve had your bath, don’t forget to come back out for a bedtime snack.”

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