Keeping Katie (A Mother's Heart #1) (33 page)

Katie shrugged again and nudged the sand with her toe. “I guess.”

“Good girl,” Maura answered, while fighting her own internal battle for control. She held Katie close a while longer, wondering how many more of these conversations she could get through. But as she started to rise, Katie burst into tears.

“I wanna go with you,” she cried, throwing herself against her mother. Maura wrapped her arms around the small body while the child clung tightly. “I don’t wanna stay,” Katie repeated over and over between her sobs.

Maura held her for what seemed an eternity, murmuring soothing words. She no longer made any attempt to stop her own tears. It would have been a wasted effort, anyway. Katie was hurting, and though it tore Maura apart inside, there was nothing she could do about it. Finally, Katie’s crying slowed, and Maura lifted the worn-out child to carry her back to the house. By the time they arrived, Katie had fallen asleep in her arms.

Meanwhile, Jacob carried on with his legal machinations. Maura pleaded guilty to contempt of court and was sentenced to two hundred hours of community service. In a sense, it was a lifesaver. She volunteered at a local women’s clinic, and for a few hours a day, at least, the work kept her from dwelling on Katie.

Meanwhile, the custody battle raged on.

Their first break came the day the court granted Jacob’s request for a psychological evaluation of Roberta Sanchez, Katie’s birth mother.

“It’s what I’ve been hoping for,” Jacob explained to Maura and Alan. “Hopefully, the findings will substantiate the fact that Roberta is too immature to be a mother to Katie.”

Maura threw a glance at Alan, strangely disturbed by her father’s revelation. But Jacob didn’t give her time to evaluate her reaction. The same excitement was in his voice that Maura had heard before, when he thought he was about to wrap up a case.

“Roberta’s been in and out of counseling since she was twelve years old,” he said. “And her parents have difficulty controlling her. Several nights ago, she was arrested during a drug raid at a party that got out of hand. Roberta herself was clean, but just being at the location hurts her bid for custody.”

Maura smiled and hugged both her father and Alan, accepting the news with renewed hope that she would regain custody of Katie. But later that afternoon, she sat on the patio thinking about what her father had said. Alan joined her and gently kissed her on the cheek as he sat in a lawn chair next to hers.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Maura turned to him and smiled sadly. “It seems you’ve had to ask me that a lot lately.”

Alan took her hand. “I’ve been worried about you.”

“Yes, I know.” Maura wove her finger through his. “I know I’ve been a burden, moping around here …”

“You have a right.”

“Do I?” For the first time since she’d turned Katie over to the Sanchezes, Maura believed she saw things clearly. “Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez love Katie, too.”

“Yes, they do.” Alan nodded. “But they’re her grandparents, not her parents.”

“And what about Roberta?” Maura asked. “No matter how badly I want Katie back, I can’t help feeling sorry for Roberta. And I don’t like trying to prove her an unfit mother.”

“You’ve seen how she acts around Katie,” Alan said gently. “She hardly acknowledges the child’s existence.”

Maura sighed, knowing it was true. “She’s a child herself.”

“Exactly.” Alan lifted a hand to run a finger down Maura’s cheek. “And Katie needs a mother.”

Maura turned and met his gaze, seeing a world of caring in his eyes. “I love you,” she said. “I don’t know how I would have gotten through all this without you.”

“You would have managed.”

Maura shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

Alan smiled and dropped his hand. They sat quietly for a while as the light faded around them.

“Alan,” Maura said, breaking the silence, “I want you to know that whatever happens with Katie—”

Alan squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything.”

Maura turned in her chair to face him. “Yes, I do. I want you to know that I’m going to be all right. When this is all over …”

“When this is all over, I’ll be here for you, no matter what happens.”

“Yes,” she said. “I know. And whatever happens, I’ll always love you.”

After weeks of frustration, events took on a new momentum. With each passing day, Maura’s hopes of regaining custody of Katie looked better. Roberta’s lawyer had objected strenuously to the psychological evaluation, but to no avail.

Then the report came back, and all of Jacob’s claims proved true. Not only was Roberta too immature to raise a child, but according to the report, she’d actually told the psychologist that she wanted nothing to do with Katie. She considered the child a burden, and it had been her parents’ idea all along to sue for custody.

That might have been the end of it right there if it hadn’t been for the Sanchezes’ influence and money. As it was, their lawyer only managed to drag the decision out another week. The judge demanded a closed session with Roberta Sanchez to make his own evaluation. And when he came out, he dismissed the case.

Maura Anderson maintained custody of her adopted daughter.

The morning they brought Katie back was the happiest day of Maura’s life. She stood at the window watching, waiting to see the car that would return her daughter to her. Alan seemed as anxious as she was. It was almost as if, now that the crisis was past, now that he no longer needed to be the strong one, he could release his own emotions.

When the car pulled up outside, they were out the front door before the engine had been shut off. Mrs. Sanchez opened the car door and Katie sprang out.

“Mommy!” she yelled, and threw herself into her mother’s waiting arms. Maura cried and laughed as the child planted mushy kisses all over her face.

“I missed you so much,” Maura said through her tears of joy. “So much.”

Katie giggled and gave her mother one final hug before squirming sideways to climb into Alan’s arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head against him. Closing his eyes, Alan held her tight, and when he opened them, Maura saw the soft shine of dampness in his eyes. She stepped into his arms and he drew her into a three-way embrace.

“Can we go home now?” Katie asked.

Maura and Alan laughed. “Where do you mean, sweetie?” Maura asked, not sure where her daughter considered home. “Back to our old house where we lived with your daddy?”

Katie shook her head. “No, back to Grandma Rita and Tod.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Alan said. “I was hoping you and your mom would come live with me. I have a house just a little ways from Grandma Rita and Tod.”

Katie seemed to consider this new situation for a moment. “Would you be my new daddy, then?”

“I think that could be arranged.” Alan met Maura’s gaze and smiled. “What do you say, Mom?”

Maura laughed out loud. “It sounds like a great idea to me.”

“Then let’s go home.” Alan leaned over and kissed her gently. Then, turning to Katie, he added, “What do you say, princess? Are you ready?”

Katie nodded vigorously and hugged his neck. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

T
he doorbell rang, and Maura slipped away from the noisy group of children to answer it. When she saw who was outside, she smiled. Tommy Simmons stood on the porch holding a square box wrapped in bright pink paper.

“Howdy, Mrs. Parks.”

“Tommy, what a nice surprise.” She moved back to allow him to step inside. “Katie will be thrilled that you’re here.”

“I can’t stay,” he said, tossing a glance over his shoulder at the truck that waited outside. “I promised Joey I’d help him make his deliveries today. But I wanted to bring this by for Katie.”

“Wait a minute. I’ll get her.” Maura returned a few minutes later with Alan and Katie in tow.

“What is it?” Katie sprang toward the box that Tommy had set on the floor.

“Open it and see, silly.” Tommy crouched down on the floor next to the little girl.

Katie turned, wide-eyed, to her mother, enjoying the drama of the unexpected present. “What could it be?” A soft scratching brought her attention back to the box, and she quickly untied the ribbon. When she lifted the lid, a wet brown nose inched over the top.

“For me?” Katie leaned down and pulled the small brown bundle into her arms. The puppy squirmed and licked her face.

“Since you’re five now, I figured it was time you learned how to take care of something,” Tommy said. “That is, if it’s okay with your mom.”

Katie turned pleading eyes toward her mother. “Can I, Mommy? Please.”

Maura pursed her lips and pretended to think about it. “I don’t know. What do you think, Dad?”

Alan dropped an arm around his wife’s shoulders and leveled a serious look at his daughter. “You’ll have to feed her.”

“I will.”

“And take her for walks.”

“I promise.”

“She’ll be your responsibility.”

“I know. Oh, please. I’ll take real good care of her. I promise.”

“Well …” Alan paused before giving in to the huge grin he’d been holding back. “Sure, she’s all yours.”

Katie let out an excited screech, and, with the puppy caught in one arm, she threw her other arm around Tommy’s neck. The boy turned beet red and nearly lost his balance. They all laughed, and Katie took off for the back porch to show off her latest and favorite gift.

“I think you made a hit,” Maura said to Tommy, who was just recovering his composure.

Alan planted a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It was a great idea. And you picked out a good one.” Tommy had approached Alan last week about the puppy, and Alan had assured him that Katie would be delighted.

Tommy grinned. “She really liked it, didn’t she?”

“She sure did,” Alan agreed. As they walked toward the front door, he asked, “How’s your pa doing?” Bud Simmons had spent six months in an alcoholic rehabilitation center in Seattle. It had evidently been a long haul, but he’d come home a sober man.

“Real good. He and Mrs. Cellar sure have been spending a lot of time together.”