âUncle Logan lives in Idaho.
In Silver Bend. We used to live with him.â
Theaâs spirits deflated as quickly as theyâd risen. The twins rarely mentioned their uncle. He hadnât called since sheâd begun taking care of them. He hadnât written to ask about the girls, hadnât sent them birthday cards. If she had to guess, Thea would say Uncle Logan didnât care what happened to his nieces.
âPlease.â Hannah touched Theaâs hand with one finger before stepping back. The gesture said so much more than the reticent little girl ever would. The twins tolerated Theaâs hugs, but didnât seek out physical contact.
Why on earth would this uncle in Idaho help them now?
Dear Reader,
We all start our lives in different places and situations. Some of us have the advantage of coming from a secure, loving home. Some of us have a less picture-perfect upbringing. Most of us turn out all right, either through love or our own determination.
Neither Logan McCall nor Thea Gayle was raised in the ideal family. Their families and the amount of love they gave have shaped who these two are. Logan is convinced his harsh upbringing makes him unworthy of having a family, while Thea is not sure she knows what a real family is. Heâs heartless. Sheâs a kindhearted, lonely do-gooder. It will take a lot of determination to turn their unlikely attraction into a lasting love.
I enjoy hearing from readersâabout this book or some of my othersâeither at my Web site (www.melindacurtis.net) or via regular mail (P.O. Box 150, Denair, CA 95316).
Melinda Curtis
EVICTED. THEA couldnât believe it.
âCan we go home now?â Hannah asked as she plucked a dandelion from the sparse grass at her feet. A gentle breeze lifted wisps of blond hair that escaped from her braid.
Hannah, one of Theaâs ten-year-old charges, was perched on the corner of a black suitcase so large she could have fit in it, had it not been stuffed with everything the girl owned. They hadnât moved beyond the cracked sidewalk, edged with crabgrass, upon which the apartment complex landlord had left them fifteen minutes ago.
âWe donât have a home,â Tess announced in a wobbly voice. She stuck her little chin out, daring Thea or Hannah, her twin, to contradict her.
Swallowing a pang of despair, Thea stepped over her laptop computer and drew Tess to her. Not that the cramped, dark apartment had ever felt like home to Thea. This Seattle apartment was just one in a string of places sheâd stayed since leaving home nine years ago. No, Thea hadnât lived in a place sheâd call home in a long time.
Next to Thea, Tess kept her body stiff, staunchly refusing to show any sign that she was comforted in any way. Tess had to be the brightest, most standoffish child Thea had ever come across. And despite Theaâs best efforts these past two months, sheâd been unable to break through the barriers Tess and Hannah had erected around their hearts after their mother died.
âHome is where the heart is. You know, where you hang your hat and park your flip-flops.â Thea tried to keep the words light, knowing she failed. Their mom was dead and their dad had gone missing. And since Thea could relate to mothers leaving and dads not caring too much, how upbeat could she be? Still, she had to try. âThereâs a better home for you out there. One with aâ¦a backyardâ¦and trees.â
Since she was a kid, Thea Gayle had tried to go through life looking for the silver lining and encouraging those around her to do the same. She wouldnât let a few minor setbacksâlike being evicted or not knowing where her employer wasâget her down. At least, she hoped she wouldnât.
Thea forced her gaze away from the mocking piles of chaos that surrounded the twins sheâd been hired to care for. Three bulging suitcases, a laptop computer, several boxes of textbooks and notebooks, two pink scuffed backpacks and one box with the meager remnants of their pantry were scattered in disarray around the porch of what had formerly been their sparsely furnished apartment.
âA house.â Hannah made a wish, blew the white dandelion fronds into the air and shut her eyes tight, adding in a whisper, âA house with a staircase leading up to a magic room.â
âWith lots of friends nearby,â Tess added, to Theaâs surprise.
âThatâs the spirit.â Thea managed a weak smile before the trio descended back into a lost silence.
âYou wonât leave us, will you?â Hannah turned her big blue eyes to Thea, her bottom lip quivering.
âNo,â Thea hastened to reassure Hannah. She might only be their nanny, but she cared about them.