For You I Will. Donna Hill

is Jasper. Say hi, Jasper.” Japer yip-yipped and ran in circles. “Your turn.”

      There was the barest murmur of a response. Kai’s pulse raced. “Jessie? Is your name Jessie?”

      “Yes.”

      Kai momentarily gave in to a moment of relief. “I bet that’s short for Jessica. Is it short for Jessica?”

      “Yes.”

      “My name is not short for anything. It’s just short.”

      A soft giggle rose from under the blanket and Jessie pulled the blanket down below her nose.

      “I was named after my great-great-grandmother. She was a Native American...an Indian. My name means ‘willow tree.’”

      “My daddy named me,” came the tiny voice. “That’s what my mommy said.”

      “He did a good job. Did your daddy and mommy bring you here?”

      “Daddy did.” She sneezed.

      “Bless you.” Kai had no idea how long Jessie had been hidden beneath her damp house, but she knew that the longer she stayed the more risk she had of getting sick or catching something. “Jessie, sweetie, now that we’re friends, why don’t you come on out before you catch a cold. I can fix you something to eat and then we can call your dad. Okay?”

      Jessie sniffed, sneezed again but didn’t budge.

      Jasper ran under the house and began tugging on the blanket, trying to pull it out and Jessie along with it.

      This was crazy! She stood up, paced, ran her hand across her hair. Her gaze roamed up and down the soft rolling hills and across the tops of the fewer than half-dozen homes in the area as if seeking answers in the gray clouds that moved across the sky. What in the world was she going to do? She needed to call someone. The child couldn’t stay under her house indefinitely. She’d been trying to coax her out for nearly forty-five minutes. What kind of parent would let their child wander off like this? Her temper flared.

      “I’m cold.”

      Kai spun around and Jessie was standing in front of her. Her breath caught for an instant at the sight of Jessie’s tiny body that shuddered beneath the blanket, which was more on the ground than around her. Her wide, almond-shaped eyes were slightly swollen from crying. Leaves and twigs stuck to her hair, which was wet with dew and rain.

      “Oh, Jessie, thank you so much for coming out.” Kai knelt down in front of her. The moist grass squished around her knees. “Let’s get you warm and fed, okay?”

      Jessie nodded her head and didn’t make a peep of protest when Kai scooped her up along with the blanket and hurried inside just as the rain began to fall.