A Mended Heart Page 2

  “Would you stand by and do nothing?” I asked.

  He shook his head.

  “I didn’t think so.” I looked toward the sheriff’s office. “Something feels off about this, and I would rather find out myself than to find her on the evening news.”

  Daniel sighed then nodded.

  We headed into the station where Cassie was waiting in the corner of the waiting room, scoping out the place, expecting the worst to happen. I walked up to the desk and asked for Don to come see us.

  “Mark, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Don asked, shaking my hand.

  “Hey, Don. It seems I have attracted a runaway.” I pointed in the direction of Cassie. “I’m not sure where she came from, Don, but I have a feeling something bad happened to her. I don’t want to send her back in case she’s in the wrong hands. I don’t think I could live with myself if she was sent her back to some monster. I was wondering if I can be granted temporary guardianship while we locate her parents, which is why she ran away in the first place.”

  Don scratched his head. “Geez, Mark, I don’t know if I have the authority to do that on this level. She will have to be turned over to the state and sent back into the system. I can’t just grant guardianship without some intervention from Child Services.”

  “Is there anything you can do? I want to help her out, even for a bit. She says her parents are here, but she has no information on them, was just told that they live here.”

  “About the only thing I can do right now is turn a blind eye for twenty-four hours. Then I’ll start the process of reporting to the proper authorities. I’ll try to see if I can get a protective order in place so she can stay here, but no guarantees.” He shook his head.

  “I’ll take it. I just want to get her cleaned up a bit, and then maybe I can get her to open up about past events. Something bad happened, Don. She flinched at a handshake,” I stated.

  “I’ll do what I can. You’ve got twenty-four hours,” Don replied then headed back to his office.

  “Cassie would like to speak with you to ensure that Dan and I aren’t the bad guys here. Would you mind speaking with her for a few minutes to reassure her or something?”

  I looked over at Daniel and Cassie who were now seated in the chairs. I watched them for a few minutes, wondering why this had me all twisted up inside. I hated the fact that she had been hurt at some level and prayed it wasn’t as bad as I feared. She was just some scared kid who was looking for her parents.

  I entered the waiting room and motioned for them to follow me over to Don’s office. Don waved Cassie inside while Daniel and I waited for her to come out.

  When Cassie came out about ten minutes later with a scowl on her face, Daniel and I exchanged eye rolls. No doubt she was upset about either being sent back into the system in twenty-four hours or the fact that she was stuck with us until then.

  We jumped back in the truck and headed to our house. Josh was going to shit a brick when he found this kid inside. When I pulled up in front and glanced back at Cassie, she was staring at our house with a look of wonder on her face. Where had she been staying?

  I parked and got out, opening her door, and she jumped down, taking a large step away from me. I was careful of my movements, knowing how jumpy she was.

  I pushed the door to the house wide open so she could go in first, but she only stood in the doorway, not making a move. Therefore, Daniel and I moved into the house, giving her a wide berth, wanting to make sure she was comfortable. After all, we didn’t want to crowd her.

  She watched us warily as we moved into the kitchen. She looked terrified as her eyes darted around, and I didn’t know how to fix that.

  “You can come inside if you want. We have a super comfy couch that looks like it wants to be your friend. I can turn on the TV for you or grab you a snack. Whatever you need, you got.” I smiled.

  Daniel and I looked at each other and shrugged. We both silently decided to act like nothing was different, so Daniel made himself a sandwich while I watched her watch him with her eyes wide from hunger. She was starving yet didn’t want to ask.

  I whistled at Daniel, which startled her but got him to look at me, and I tilted my head in her direction. Without a word, he started making another sandwich.

  Once he was done, he slid it down to the end of the island for her before taking his then sitting at the table, facing her. He wasn’t doing it to be intimidating, more to show her that he hadn’t poisoned it.

  She looked at the food then quickly grabbed it and went back to the door where she inhaled the sandwich.

  Just as she looked like she might move away from the door, Josh barged in.

  “Where’s the liquor for the bachelor party? I was going to grab it and take it to the venue,” he shouted as he walked into the kitchen.

  Both Daniel and I watched as Cassie jumped back; dropped the plate on the ground, breaking it; and scurried to the corner on her butt.

  “Holy shit.” Josh’s eyes went wide.

  “Now you’ve done it, fucker. We’ve been trying to help her, and you just set her back like ten years with your yelling and shit.” Daniel threw his hands in the air and stomped out of the kitchen.

  “What’s going on? Who is she?” Josh asked, facing the girl who was now violently shaking in the corner.

  I approached Cassie slowly with my hands up. Then I got down on my knees in front of her and looked at her as I spoke softly to Josh.

  “This is Cassie. She is a runaway who is looking for her parents. I have no idea where she is from or what happened, because this is about all I have been able to get out of her. She is hungry and dirty, and I am trying to convince her that I am not a kidnapper or anything bad like that. I think she is ten-ish, but she hasn’t said anything about her age to me yet.”

  She looked back at me through terrified, big, blue eyes, and I decided I would sit beside her on the floor until she regained the calmness she had before.

  Josh looked at me then at her then at me again.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing. I’ve just never seen you like this before with a kid. With Nilka, yes, but not a kid,” he remarked.

  I shrugged. “I guess I want her to be okay.”

  Josh nodded his head at me. “It was nice to meet you, Cassie. Hopefully I’ll be able to see a smile on your pretty face before you leave.”

  She merely looked at him through those big eyes, saying nothing in return.

  After Josh headed to his side of the house, I sidled up closer to Cassie, sitting there quietly for what seemed like forever before I figured she had to feel more comfortable now.

  “So, you’re not going to be afraid of me like this, are you? We’ve already talked a bit before.”

  She sighed. “I guess I’m not used to people or loud noises. Sorry,” she quietly responded.

  “No need to apologize. I just want to make sure you understand that no one here is going to harm you in any way. I know you might not believe that, but it’s the truth. I would like to help you find your parents, but I need more information about you, like your age, where you were born, all that. It’ll help to find them.”

  She paused for a few minutes, trying to gather her thoughts. “I have been in foster care ever since I was a baby. My name is Cassie Jane. I am not sure what my real last name is, though; I have a few. I am twelve years old, I think. I have been in this state for a few years now, moving around, but my last place said my parents are possibly here. At least, that’s what the records told them. That’s all I was told. I’ve been searching on my own, but I haven’t found anything or anyone who’ll help me. I have no money, and my past is shitty.” She looked in my direction, as if she dared me to challenge her on the swear word, but I didn’t.

  “I don’t want to talk about my past, because a lot of things happened that I don’t want repeated out loud. This is all I know,” she ended on a whisper.

  I pondered that for a moment, thinking about what life must have been like for
this girl.

  “Well, Cassie Jane, whoever you are, I think, from what I can see, you are a beautiful girl, and whoever gave you up was stupid. Now, do you want to eat anything else, or do you want to use the washroom or anything like that?” I asked.

  Before she could answer, Daniel came back down the stairs with Josh in tow. Although Cassie didn’t flinch this time, she did watch them carefully. We were in the exact same position on the floor as we had been an hour ago, and my ass was getting sore, not that I would let her know that.

  “Daniel and I are heading to get the liquor. You going to be okay for a few hours?” asked Josh.

  I waved him off. “Sure, we’ll be fine.”

  They waved as they left.

  I pulled out my phone and texted Josh.

  Can you get Natalie to pick up some clothes suited to a 12-year-old, skinny girl, about 5 feet tall?

  I waited for his response.

  Oh, sure, make me explain the girl … Fine! Are you sure you want to get involved? There could be trouble following her.

  I thought about this for a few moments before I replied.

  We got involved with Natalie. Isn’t this the same thing?

  I thought, take that sucker.

  All three of us had bleeding hearts, so I guess it was now my turn.

  Touché, was his response.

  I tucked my phone back in my pocket then sat in silence with Cassie, and she started to relax slightly since it was just me and her.

  “Can I ask you something?” she finally said.

  I looked over. “Shoot.”

  “Do you think my parents will want me after all this time? I’m not sure why they gave me up, but do you think they’ll love me or want me now?” she asked with her head hanging down.

  I thought about my answer.

  “Cassie, grown-ups make a lot of mistakes. I am sure there is a logical reason for why you were given up. Maybe they were very poor and couldn’t afford to have a child, so they thought another family would be a better choice. You never know the reason. My hope would be that they realized or are in a place where they can finally have that family they’ve always wanted and take you back, but sometimes, the world doesn’t work like that. I think, instead of playing the ‘what if’ game, why don’t we take it a step at a time? Maybe the first step for you is to trust someone else to help you out. Even adults need help sometimes, so I would think you might need it, too.”

  She pondered that for a few moments and shocked me by saying, “Thanks.” She even smiled slightly and I noticed a dimple on her right cheek.

  “So what do you say we take some baby steps here. I’ll try my hardest to not scare you, because I have a feeling you’ve had it rougher than any of us, but you have to trust that I won’t let anyone hurt you, especially in this house. Can we take that step at least?” I asked.

  She slowly nodded her head.

  “Thank goodness, because my ass is sore from sitting here. There is a perfectly good couch over there that feels much better than the floor. What do you say we head over there to continue our brooding in silence?” I offered jokingly.

  She huffed out a small laugh, but got up to her feet. We walked over to the couch and sat down. It was then that I saw her visibly relax.

  After some time had passed, Natalie came into the house with a bunch of bags in tow.

  “Oh my gosh!” Nat exclaimed. “Aren’t you a pretty thing.”

  Cassie looked over at me worried, but I winked and smiled at her. “Cassie, this is Natalie, Josh’s soon to be wife. I had her pick up some new clothes for you.” I offered in return.

  Cassie looked at Natalie and then back at me. I nodded in approval. Cassie turned to look at Natalie and on a soft whisper said, “Hi.”

  “Well pretty lady, how about we get you cleaned up. I bet it has been ages since you had a bath. We have a huge tub with jets in it, just waiting for someone to use it. What do you say?” Natalie gently offered.

  Cassie looked back, and I nodded again. As she smiled at me widely, I was taken aback at how pretty she really was. Those poor parents didn’t know what they had missed.

  Cassie got up and walked cautiously toward Natalie who offered her hand to take Cassie up to the bathroom. However, Cassie kept her hands to her sides, obviously not used to people touching her.

  “You won’t go anywhere, right?” she turned back and asked me, her eyes slightly panicked.

  “Nope. I’ll wait right here for you. Promise.”

  She smiled slightly then went with Natalie to get cleaned up.

  Chapter 2

  Nilka

  “How in the world did Mark pick up a homeless girl?” I asked Natalie as we picked out clothes in the local department store.

  “I don’t know all the details, but she was in the coffee shop when Mark and Daniel were there. She looks pretty bad off, clothes and food-wise, according to Josh, so Mark convinced her to come to the house to get cleaned up, something about locating her parents.” Natalie rifled through girls’ clothes.

  I had a brief yet fleeting thought go through my mind, but I refused to let it take hold. Some things were better off left in the past.

  I glanced at Natalie who had stopped rifling through the clothes to look at me curiously.

  “Wow, Nil. That’s a crazy look on your face. You look … distraught. What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing.” I gave her a small smile. “I was just thinking how sad it is for parents to have to give up a child. I know sometimes it’s necessary and for the betterment of the child, but it’s still sad to hear about. Makes me sad, too.”

  “Ah,” Nat said. “Well, let’s get her some clothes and get over to meet her.”

  “Oh, crap.” I slapped my forehead. “I have to swing by my place and pick up my car then head over to check on your flowers. I’ll have to meet her after.”

  “Sure, I’ll drop you at your house,” Nat said as we headed to her car.

  We pulled up to my place about thirty minutes later.

  “See you tonight at the party.”

  I waved in response as I turned and walked to my front door.

  I rushed inside and grabbed my keys for my POS car. My parents provided a monthly living expense for me, but it wasn’t enough to upgrade the car. I did work, but it barely paid, so I relied on the monthly stipend for my other expenses.

  I jumped in said car and headed toward the florist shop to ensure the flowers were ready for the wedding in a few days. On the way, my phone rang, and I glanced at the dash and saw it was my mother.

  I took a deep breath before I answered the call, my whole body tensing just as it usually did whenever we talked. Thank goodness for Bluetooth.

  “Hello, Mom.”

  “Hello. I just wanted to let you know that your monthly stipend is in the bank.”

  “Thanks,” I answered stiffly.

  This was how the conversation went most times—very little small talk, only the necessities. Every phone conversation was strained. I didn’t know how to treat them, and they didn’t know how to treat me. It was a giant, gapping impasse that none of us were willing to bridge.

  “Are you doing well?” my mom asked.

  “Uh … Yeah, I guess. Why?” I was immediately suspicious since she didn’t usually enquire about me.

  “No reason. Can’t a mother ask how her daughter is?”

  “I’d rather you didn’t,” I stated. I knew I was hitting below the belt, but what did they really expect? That I would just forgive and forget? Not likely.

  It would take a lot more than “how are you doing?” to get over what had happened.

  “Oh.” A few beats of silence passed. “Well, have a good day. Talk soon. Bye.” With that, she hung up.

  I released a big breath of air. We only talked when the money was deposited or if she had something to tell me about the family. We didn’t have many relatives left, and those that remained were all elderly. I didn’t know if we had any extended relatives.


  I pulled into the parking lot at the florist shop and took a few cleansing breaths before heading inside. Once that task was complete, and I knew the flowers would be delivered the morning of the wedding, I decided to head over to Mark’s to see what all the fuss was about.

  It was odd going over to Mark’s since we had a history. I always felt an odd pull toward him, but if he ever figured out the truth about why I had left, it would devastate him, and I would rather have his friendship than nothing at all. That didn’t mean I didn’t still want him after all these years, though.

  I was pretty sure I would never get over him. Even though I had tried over the years to move forward and had a few relationships, they always fell through because, deep down, I knew Mark was it for me.

  I knocked on the door then let myself in to find Mark sitting on the couch, reading a book. When he looked up and smiled at me, it made my heart flutter, just like it did every time.

  Truly, I died a little every time because I wished I could have him as mine, to be able to share his thoughts and feelings, to wake up with him next to me. All of those things killed me slowly, but it was a penance I would bear to spare him from the pain I felt.

  “Hey, babe,” he offered with a wink. “Did you come to meet my new friend Cassie?”

  “Sure did.” I smiled back.

  God, if he only knew how much I missed him.

  “Well, she is in the bathroom with Nat, getting cleaned up. Do you want to head back there with them?”

  “Sure.” I started walking toward the bathroom. “I’ll head down and see if they need anything.”

  “Hey, the kid is quite skittish, so don’t try to touch her okay.”

  “Uh … sure.”

  What kind of kid did he pick up? I wondered to myself

  Mark smiled at me again then went back to his book.

  I paused for a brief moment and memorized his features, like I did every time we were together. How I longed to be able to touch his face. I headed down the hall to the main floor bathroom, shaking my head as I went.

  I really liked Mark’s house. It was shared between him, his brothers, and Nat. It was a huge house where basically everyone had their own wing and space. Each room had their own bathroom, and the main level was an open concept with the kitchen and a full bath, as well.