Page 104 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

“Goodnight Moon. Okay, but this is the last one, and then it’s time to go to sleep.”

“Mama read.”

Gavin stilled on the monitor’s screen.

Laurel’s breath stuttered. Her heart pulsed as she awaited his response.

“Did Mama read this one to you?”

“Yeah.” Emma opened the book, then turned another page. “Mama ’n’ Dada not coming home.”

A chill swept over Laurel, raising gooseflesh on her arms. She pressed a hand to her chest.

“That’s right, Emma Bear.” Gavin’s voice was gravelly. “And I am so sorry about that. Your mama and dada loved you very much.”

Emma looked up at Gavin. “Sad.”

“I know you’re sad, sweetheart. I’m sad too. But you’re going to be okay. Laurel and I love you so much. We’ll never...” A moment of silence ticked out. He wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll never stop loving you, honey.”

Emma snuggled into his arms. A moment later she held out the book. “Read book.”

Gavin cleared his throat and a moment later he began reading.

Laurel turned off the monitor and dashed away a tear. Her throat was so tight she could hardly swallow. The child was coming to understand what had happened to her parents, and it was bittersweet. A necessary thing, but so hard. And so sad. She stared up into the starry heavens.

Oh, Mallory. You would be so proud of her. She’s an amazing child. And if you have any pull up there, please tell God we need His help tomorrow. We love her so much.

She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Emma just when the child was starting to understand what had happened. Surely a clerk would see that.

Minutes had passed by the time Laurel gathered herself. Gavin had had plenty of time to finish the book and tuck Emma in one last time.

Sure enough, a few minutes later he appeared, easing through the doorway. “She’s down for the night.” He joined her, dropping into the chair, only inches away.

“I wish you’d tucked her in tonight,” Gavin said. “She asked about Mike and Mallory.”

Time to own up. “I actually heard everything. I had the monitor on.”

“Oh.” He ran a hand over his face. “She broke my heart. This is so unfair. I hate this for her. I was so afraid of messing it up. Did I say the wrong things?”

Laurel set her hand over his fist, curled on the armrest. “You handled it beautifully, Gavin.”

He turned his head. “Really?”

“You were amazing.”

His weight sagged into the chair. “She’s really figuring it out. It was all I could do to hold it together up there.”

“But you did. And you let her talk and process her emotions. Meanwhile, I was down here crying my eyes out.”

He gave her a sad smile as he turned his hand over and laced their fingers together. “We have got to win tomorrow. We’ve got to prove to that clerk that we’re what’s best for her. They can’t just rip her from her home and everything she knows.”

“Keep the faith, Gavin.” Under the guise of turning on the monitor again, Laurel eased her hand from his. She set it on the table, her fingers trembling with want. But she clenched her hands in her lap instead.

***

Gavin leaned his head against the chairback, staring into the orange flames. His thoughts were heavy tonight. Everything would be decided tomorrow. There was so much on the line, and the outcome was completely out of his control.

They’d done all they could to prepare for the hearing—including plenty of prayers. But the question that had plagued them since their last meeting with Darius weighed on him like a boulder.

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