Her Texas Hero. Kat Brookes

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СКАЧАТЬ held out the bottle of water she and her brother had gone to retrieve for him.

      “Thanks.”

      “Mommy,” Mason said, following right behind. His mouth was drawn down into a worried frown. “The cooler is leaking.”

      She sighed tiredly. “The plug must have come loose again.”

      “While you see to the cooler,” Carter said, “I’ll go grab a more reliable ladder from my truck and get that Frisbee down.”

      “You might as well leave it up there,” Lily told him.

      He glanced down at her. “You don’t want me to get it down so you can play with it?”

      “It’ll just go up there again,” she said, glancing toward her brother. “Mason’s not a good thrower.”

      The boy’s brows drew together at his sister’s insult. “I’m a better thrower than you are!”

      “Children,” Audra admonished.

      “It’s true,” her son said. “I wish I had someone to throw with that knows how to play Frisbee.”

      “Your sister tries her best,” she said calmly.

      “I don’t like to throw,” Lily said, her bottom lip pulling downward into a pout.

      It was clear to see feelings were about to get hurt. “Not everyone does,” he assured her. “You’re probably really good at tea parties.”

      Her little face lit up. “I am!”

      He offered her a smile and then looked to Mason. “My niece, Katydid, who’s about your age I would guess, loves to play Frisbee. I’ll have to introduce you to her since you’re gonna be living here.”

      The boy’s expression was priceless—wide-eyed and openmouthed, displaying a small gap where two of his bottom baby teeth had once been. “She’s named after a bug?”

      Carter chuckled. “Not really. Katydid is what I call her. Her real name is Katherine Marie, but everyone calls her Katie.”

      “Mommy, the van’s raining!” Lily exclaimed in a high-pitched squeal.

      They all turned to see water spilling out from behind the sliding passenger door the kids had left partially open.

      Audra gasped. “Oh, no! Excuse me,” she called back as she broke into a run for her van.

      Carter watched her go. Lord, he thought to himself, if anyone needs a little extra help, it’s her. Not that she’d accept it. Audra Marshall was determined to go it on her own. Stubborn female.

      * * *

      “I’m hungry,” Lily whined, drawing Audra’s gaze across what would be the master bedroom, to where her young daughter had settled herself onto the freshly scrubbed hardwood floor. Arms crossed. Bottom lip pushed out in a pout.

      Her baby girl was exhausted. Understandably so. The three of them had worked hard the past few hours, sweeping and scrubbing down the kids’ rooms, along with the upstairs bathroom and part of the kitchen, all of which had been monumental tasks. The rest of the cleaning could wait until the next day, her own room included. At least the floor was clean, even if the walls weren’t. She cast a fretful glance around the room, taking in its faded, peeling wallpaper and scuffed-up hardwood floor, and felt the overwhelming urge to cry. Lord, please give me the strength to do what needs to be done here.

      At least they would have a roof over their heads, albeit a slightly sunken one, but a roof all the same. Her children would have clean rooms to sleep in, free of dust motes and cobwebs. And while she’d given the kitchen a fairly thorough scrubbing, Audra didn’t have the strength left to make use of it and cook dinner for the three of them.

      She looked toward the sleeping bag she’d unrolled, where the bed would be. It was only for one night. The moving truck with her oversize storage containers was scheduled to arrive the following day and then she’d be able to get their beds set up and make the place look more like a home.

      “Mommy,” her daughter pleaded woefully.

      Audra managed a tired smile. “Why don’t we wash up, then take a ride into town to get something to eat?”

      Her daughter’s eyes lit up. “Can we get a big dog?”

      The big dog her daughter was referring to was the hot-dog shop they had passed by in town when they’d arrived in Braxton. A place called Big Dog’s. She had to admit it wasn’t exactly the healthiest choice for their overly late dinner, but her daughter had worked hard. If Lily wanted a hot dog for dinner, she was going to have one.

      “Go down and wake your brother. Tell him to come inside and wash his face and change his shirt before we go.”

      “Okay!” Lily sprang to her feet and raced from the room.

      “You, too!” she called after her.

      Moments later, the front screen door creaked open and then banged shut. Mason had volunteered to carry the trash bucket downstairs whenever it got full and out to the two battered aluminum garbage cans they’d found out back. He was exhausted as well and had curled up on the porch swing some forty minutes or so earlier, falling fast asleep.

      Audra bent to grab on to the handle of the scrub bucket, carrying it and the mop she’d been using into the bathroom. Her arms ached. Her back ached. And this was only the beginning. The thought of everything that needed to be done was emotionally overwhelming. Her children deserved so much better than this. If only she had known what they would be getting into. But she hadn’t. Just as she hadn’t known the man she’d pledged her love to years before would walk away from the faith they had shared, the love they had shared, the family they had shared.

      Had shared, because Bradford had chosen to give up all legal rights to Mason and Lily. No, he had insisted, been determined to free himself from the... How had he put it? The baggage he’d saddled himself with? That was how Bradford Marshall regarded the family he had created. As baggage. He’d given them all up without an ounce of regret. And for what? Another woman. One who, like Bradford, didn’t want to be tied down with the responsibilities of being a parent.

      In the end, the decision had been up to Audra as to whether or not she would release him from his parental rights, which in their case was nothing more than the financial support Bradford was required to give to her children after the divorce. Payments he failed to make, leaving Audra to provide sole financial support for their children. So after many hours spent in prayer and some very tear-filled visits with their preacher, she came to the decision to allow Bradford to cut all ties with her children. Forcing him to stay a part of their lives would only make him more resentful toward Mason and Lily. They would have been forced to endure more of Bradford’s constant criticism, his unprovoked anger and, worst of all, his icy indifference.

      Audra swiped at her dirt-smudged cheek to brush away the telltale trail of moisture, not wanting her children to see her crying. Her heart ached. Not for the loss of her marriage. That had ended long before anything had been finalized legally. But for her children. They deserved a father who would cherish them. What they had gotten was a man who had considered them hindrances to the life he wanted to live.

      “Lily СКАЧАТЬ