The Chosen Child. Brenda Mott

the heating pad, their tiny eyes closed, their paws tucked into various positions of comfort.

      And he saw that Nikki used the kittens so she wouldn’t have to look at him as he sat on the edge of the couch near the basket. Every time she avoided his gaze, it wrenched his heart.

      He damned sure wasn’t about to sit here and take the old cold shoulder routine.

      Cody stood. “Come on, Dustin. We’d better get back out and finish up that section of fence before Frank and Sylvia get here.”

      Dustin protested at having to leave the kittens, but followed him back to the truck. Inside, he gave Cody the same silent treatment Nikki had, obviously still ticked off at the way Cody had jumped all over him earlier.

      They reached the section of fence where they’d left off, and the two worked in stubborn silence. After some time in the hot sun, Cody realized they hadn’t refilled the canteen. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t even remembered to pick it up back at the pump by the horse tank. Unable to stand the silence another minute, he looked at Dustin. “Guess we never did get our canteen filled, huh?”

      “Nope.” Dustin stared straight ahead, mechanically hammering a fence staple into place.

      “I suppose it’s still by the water tank?”

      “I’ll get it.” Huffily, Dustin dropped the hammer to the ground and spun to go.

      “Hold up a minute.”

      “What?” Dustin slumped his shoulders in a show of impatience and gave Cody a look that said he had his attention under duress.

      Cody stood with one hand on his hip. “I’m sorry I came down on you for fighting with Eric. I didn’t realize what was happening.”

      “It doesn’t matter.” Dustin turned away.

      “Dustin.” Cody spoke firmly, and Dustin sighed and scowled at him. “It does matter. I had no right to jump to conclusions that way.” His lips turned upward. “You did good, partner.”

      “I told you,” Dustin said gruffly, blushing. “I’m not a cowboy, partner.”

      Cody watched him walk away. The little brat.

      No wonder no one wanted to adopt him.

      WHEN THE THOMPSONS came to pick Dustin up, Nikki went out to meet them. Now that she’d gotten reacquainted with Dustin, she was curious about Frank and Sylvia. They were delighted to meet Dustin’s former teacher, and she liked them right away. Sylvia was friendly and easy to talk to, and Frank was chatty and had a great laugh.

      When the couple went in search of Dustin, Nikki returned to the house. She sat in the corner, watching the kittens sleep, knowing Cody would likely not come back to the house with Dustin gone, unless it was to get the rest of his clothes. Maybe he would simply wait to get them another time, when Nikki wasn’t home. Should she leave for a while? Maybe go to Jana’s house, or to the mall to kill a little time.

      She and Jana had been good friends since high school, even before she and Cody had started dating in Nikki’s junior year, Cody’s senior. Jana had been extremely supportive during Nikki’s attempts to have a baby, but still, she missed Amanda, who wasn’t just her sister. She was her best friend. Devastated when Amanda moved to Tennessee, it had been hard to say goodbye to her all over again after their three-week visit.

      Nikki was startled by the sound of Cody’s footsteps on the porch. The screen creaked open and he stepped inside, his gaze immediately finding hers. “So, what do you think of Dustin?”

      Relieved he wasn’t going to pick up where their earlier conversation had ended, Nikki managed a smile. “He’s a kid with potential.”

      “I hope you’re right. With his attitude, I’m beginning to wonder.”

      “Attitude? He was gentle with the kittens.”

      “That’s not exactly typical of his behavior.” Cody shook his head. “Dustin’s not easy to get close to.”

      “Can you blame him? He’s been through a lot, from what little I’ve heard.”

      “I’ve been hoping that working on the ranch will give him the chance to open up. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger.”

      Nikki’s chest constricted as she studied Cody’s face. It was easy to see how caring a person he was. He’d always had a deep-seated desire to help others. It was a large part of why he’d become a police officer in the first place. So why couldn’t he reach out and help her—help himself—through this trying time in their marriage?

      “Speaking of heart-to-heart talks,” Cody said, “I’ve put off calling Amanda long enough. Do you think she might be home now?”

      Nikki glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. It was almost four-thirty, two hours later in eastern Tennessee. “She should be. Unless she’s gone out somewhere with Ian.” She moved toward the door. “I’ll give you a little privacy.”

      Their eyes met before she stepped outside.

      “Thanks,” he said quietly.

      “Sure. I’ll be right out here if…if Amanda wants to talk to me.” If you need me.

      Without another word, she closed the door behind her.

      “HELLO?” Amanda’s voice came across the line, and Cody’s mouth went dry. How much did she know about their failing marriage? Probably everything. Nikki had always confided in her sister.

      “Amanda, it’s Cody.” He took a deep breath. “Nikki told me you got engaged. Congratulations.” He knew he should congratulate her on her pregnancy as well, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. The words clogged in his throat like backed-up sewage. He tried to swallow as Amanda spoke.

      “Thank you.” Her tone seemed hesitant, as though she wasn’t sure whether to trust his sincerity.

      He felt ashamed of himself. “I mean that, Amanda. And I want you to know how sorry I am for the way I acted toward you after the accident. I said some horrible things, and that was wrong. I didn’t mean them.”

      “I know you didn’t.” The familiar warmth was back in her voice, just like that. Cody admired his sister-in-law so much for her ability to forgive and forget. He wished he could forgive Anna’s killer so easily. But black thoughts overwhelmed him at the thought, and he had to force himself to focus on what Amanda was saying. “It’s all right, Cody. I don’t want you to give it another thought. Just be good to yourself. Be happy.” She hesitated. “Nikki seems to be doing better.”

      “Yeah.” He didn’t want to get into his marriage. Didn’t want to listen to any lectures on why he should save it. “Speaking of which, she’d like to say hello. Hang on and I’ll get her.”

      He bid Amanda a quick goodbye and laid down the phone. Going out to the porch to get Nikki, he was stopped by her beauty as she stood in profile, leaning against the rail, looking out at the distant mountains.

      She turned to face him, saying nothing, and he knew she was waiting. Waiting to see how things had turned out between him and Amanda.

      “We’re okay,” he said. “We made peace with one another.”

      “So, do you feel better?”

      She was really asking if talking to Amanda had helped him put the accident behind him. He struggled not to be irritated.

      “I feel better about the way things are between me and your sister, yes.” He looked her in the eye. “But I still want to catch the bastard who murdered our daughter.” He gestured over his shoulder. “Amanda’s still on the phone. She wants to talk to you.”

      The hurt and anger in Nikki’s expression nearly undid him. He saw something else there—bitterness and frustration. All the same things he was feeling.

      “I’m going over to the Vanderhursts