Heart's Haven. Lois Richer

kept her face straight. “Do you mean oysters?”

      “Yeah, I guess. They were gross!”

      Ty, good humor restored, winked at her before turning Jack to face him.

      “I think I can safely assure you that Ms. Preston will not be offering oysters on her menu. Am I right?” he asked, glancing her way.

      “I’m afraid so.” She kept her face straight through a gargantuan effort. “At the Haven we will have to settle for things like beef stew, hot dogs, maybe some hamburgers. Once in a while, we might have to have roast beef, or maybe fried chicken. Unfortunately, I might even be forced to include pizza occasionally.”

      Out of the corner of her eye, Cassidy could see Ty’s shoulders shake at her sad tone. She ignored him.

      “That won’t be too awful, will it, Jack?”

      “Mom always said God answers prayer.” Like lightning, the subject changed as Jack grabbed Ty’s arm and yanked on it. “You’ve got to come see what I’ve found. It’s the weirdest mirror. Come on!”

      “Okay, okay, I’ll be there in a minute.” Ty shook his head at the burst of pounding footsteps overhead. “Remember, Jack,” he called. “Be careful.”

      “Hurry!”

      Cassidy was surprised by the soft look of yearning that washed over Tyson St. John’s face as he gazed after his nephew, when just moments ago there had been stiffness in his attitude with the boy that she didn’t understand.

      “I’m really sorry Elizabeth didn’t tell you that we aren’t quite ready to open, Cassidy.” Ty gnawed on his bottom lip. “I don’t suppose you could get your boss to hire you back for a month or so, just until we get things shipshape?”

      “I’d have to go back to Greece to do that and I don’t think it would be worth it for one month.” Cassidy kept her expression neutral as she surveyed the area. “I’ll get settled in my place over the weekend. Monday morning I’ll start cleaning in here. If you can find some helpers—”

      A tremendous crash above them cut off the rest of her words. Ty instantly froze. One word whispered from his lips.

      “Jack.”

      It took a second before he turned and raced out of the room, his footsteps hammering the stairs as he charged upward. Cassidy followed, besieged by memories. Ty paused on the first floor, but a weak cry from above them sent him racing up a second flight.

      Ty charged through a doorway. Cassidy followed then jerked to a stop. Jack lay on his back by the far wall, shards of mirror surrounding his prone body, a pool of blood forming around his head. A six-inch jagged spear of glass protruded from his brow, barely missing his right eye.

      “Oh, no.” Ty remained frozen to the spot, hands clenching against his sides.

      “Help me.” Jack’s words slipped from between lips drained so white they looked almost lifeless.

      “Yes.” But Ty’s eyes brimmed with fear as they locked on Cassidy’s, begging her to do something.

      She slapped her phone into his palm before kneeling beside the injured boy.

      “Call 911,” she ordered. When he didn’t obey, she snapped, “Now.”

      While he pushed the buttons, she did a quick survey of Jack then tried to make him more comfortable. A mirror hanging from the wall must have come off and landed on Jack.

      “Lie still,” she murmured. “You’ll be fine. The ambulance will be here soon. It’s going to be okay. Try not to move.”

      She felt Ty brush her arm as he crouched down beside her.

      “They’re coming. The glass—” he whispered. “Shouldn’t we—” He reached out.

      Cassidy grabbed his hand, pulled it back and held it with both of her own.

      “Don’t touch it!”

      Jack’s eyes flared open. She could see panic growing in their depths.

      “Uncle Ty? Am I going to die like Mom?”

      So he’d lost his mother. For a fraction of a moment, Cassidy could see into his boyish heart, to the uncertainty that lurked there like a monster in the night.

      In that moment, a bond formed between them. She knew exactly how Jack felt because once, a long time ago, she’d felt the same. Scared, lonely, afraid that no one would ever love her as her dead mother had.

      She released Ty’s hand with a warning glance, then bent forward and placed her palms against Jack’s cheeks. She waited till he was wholly focused on her.

      “You’re not going to die, Jack.” She smiled to soften the harshness of her words, made her voice steady, reassuring. “You’re going to lie very still until the paramedics come. They’ll take you to the hospital and the doctors will help you. Then all the pretty nurses are going to come and fawn over you and offer you ice cream and try to get your telephone number for their daughters. Okay?”

      Jack started to nod his head, but Cassidy tightened her fingers and held him still.

      “You must have missed the first part,” she teased. “Lie very still. Blink if you understand.”

      He blinked a whole bunch of times. Cassidy smiled.

      “Good. I saw that in the movies and always wanted to try it.” She grinned. “Guess it works, huh? Does your voice?”

      “Yes.”

      “Thought so. Hey, that sounds like the ambulance.” She turned to Ty. “Can you go and show them where to come?”

      She knew from his expression that he did not want to leave. Yet something else told her that given the choice, Ty St. John would run as far and as fast from this situation as he could, which was exactly why she would not leave Jack. Ty was too upset to handle this.

      When Ty opened his mouth to protest, Cassidy gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and leaned so her lips were next to his ear.

      “Go quickly.”

      He rose to his feet like a man in a daze, offered his nephew a shaky smile.

      “I thought I was in charge here, but she’s pretty bossy, don’t you think?”

      A smile fluttered across Jack’s white lips. “Yeah.”

      “I think you and I are going to have to watch it. You keep your eye on her while I go get the paramedics.” Tyson took one last look before hurrying out of the room.

      Cassidy checked Jack’s vitals, noted the widening circle of blood. She picked up his hand and held it between her own.

      “You are doing fine, Jack.”

      “Can you pray for me?”

      The words caught Cassidy off guard.

      “When my mom was sick, she would ask me to pray for her. She always said it made her feel better. So can you pray for me?”

      Years had passed since Cassidy had trusted anyone, let alone God. But Jack’s pleading face could not be denied. She squeezed his hand and bowed her head, searching for the right words.

      “God, you know that Jack has been hurt. And you know that he’s afraid right now. Please help him.”

      It was a pathetic prayer, but at least it came to a quick end, thanks to the paramedics bursting into the room. She glanced down at Jack, felt the squeeze of his fingers around hers. One of the medics hunkered beside her, tried to nudge her out of the way. But Jack wouldn’t let go of her hand.

      “Thanks,” he whispered, brown eyes shining.

      “You’re very welcome.” Cassidy swallowed around the lump in her throat.

      “Step back, please. We need to