The Soldier's Surprise Family Read online

  He didn’t have much to offer, but he had his music. His music was about the only thing worth giving.

  * * *

  Anjelica turned her face into the gentle breeze that wove its way through the backyard. It danced with the trees, adding its own music to the gathering. Rio sat in her lap as he watched his sister. Pilar played on the blanket next to the Esperanza that Garrett had helped her save. She played with Rio’s soft curls. Her daughter would have been just a little younger than Rio. She bit the inside of her cheek.

  Pilar laughed and threw one of her teething toys. So much stronger than a month ago, and she had a smile for everyone. Rio, not so much, but at least he was not scowling at everyone who walked by. Just the ones who talked to him.

  The brightly colored piñatas were hanging in the tree drying, and the hollowed-out eggs were filled with confetti. Now everyone sat around listening to the music her uncles, Pastor John and Garrett played.

  This was living. She closed her eyes and thanked God for His many blessings. She couldn’t resist kissing Garrett’s son on the top of his head. He turned and looked at her.

  “I was just thanking God for the perfect day with so many people that love each other. Look how strong Pilar is getting. She pulled herself up to sit.”

  Celeste sat on the edge of the baby blanket and started talking to her. Rio eased down from Anjelica’s lap and sat next to his sister. Anjelica wasn’t sure if he was being protective or saw Celeste as a new friend.

  Glancing over at Garrett, she saw that he was watching, too. They made eye contact and he raised his eyebrow in question. Shrugging, she gave him a smile and sat back. Watching him play was pure pleasure.

  Her grandmother joined her. “Something about a man playing music just stirs your heart, doesn’t it, mija? I saw your buelito play at a friend’s party and I fell in love.”

  “Buela, please don’t start.”

  “You need to open your heart or the years will slip by and you’ll be alone.”

  “Being alone is not the end of the world. The wrong man would make it worse. I’d rather be alone than miserable.”

  “Oh, mija, he’s a good man.”

  The only way to get out of this argument was to stop talking. Eyes closed, Garrett had lost himself in his music. Why couldn’t he be an auto mechanic or a banker who played the saxophone? Why did he have to make a living by putting himself in direct danger?

  Behind the garden, her brothers had started a bonfire with the pruned limbs from her pecan trees. She loved the smell of pecan wood burning. Soon it would be too hot and dry to light a fire.

  Her grandmother was right about her heart wanting to love again. Her wayward thoughts of Mr. Hero Man apparently proved she was ready to try a new relationship. Maybe she should join a singles’ group in Kerrville.

  There was no way she was going to hand her heart over to another save-the-world kind of man. She sighed. Pilar pulled at Rio’s hair. The children laughed.

  These two already had her heart, but she had to draw the line at their father.

  She glanced at the object of her denial. His eyes were closed as he absorbed the music. She had to figure something out because she knew, without a doubt, she was already walking across dangerous ground.

  “Tía Anjelica, there’s a man at the door that’s looking for Officer Kincaid.” Her nephew Jordan looked concerned. “He looks official. He’s in a suit.” He glanced at her charges on the blanket, then leaned in close to her. “I think he might be here about the kids.”

  She patted him on the back. “It’s okay. Will you watch the children for me while I see what he wants?” She tried to tell herself there was no reason to worry. It was late Saturday. Maybe they were just his last visit for the day.

  “Thank you, Jordan. I’ll be right back.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The lanky teen plopped down next to the blanket.

  Should she get Garrett or see who it was first?

  Before she could decide, Garrett had noticed her standing and staring at him. He raised an eyebrow in question. She gave him a slight nod. Without hesitation, he put down the sax and walked over to her.

  “What is it? Is something wrong?” He turned from her and scanned the yard.

  “There’s a visitor at the front door. No one I know uses the front door. A man in a suit. It might not be CPS, and I was debating if I should tell you now or after I knew for sure.”

  “We knew he could be stopping by to see how the kids were doing.” He smiled. “This is good. Look at Pilar sitting up. Rio is hanging with other people without a blanket over his head, and he’s started talking to us. I think this is good timing.”

  “You’re right. Not sure why I feel all jittery.” As she turned to go into the house, Garrett followed, placing his hand on the small of her back. She relaxed. “Si Dios quiere.” We will trust in God’s will.

  “Si Dios quiere,” he repeated in his Texas drawl. The warmth of his breath tickled her neck as he leaned in close to her ear. The solid weight of his touch created a warm, safe feeling. She hurried ahead through the kitchen, forcing him to drop his hand.

  She clenched her fist. His touch was no different than that of her father or brothers. No different, no different.

  For her next day off, she was determined to look into the singles’ group at the church in Kerrville. A teacher would be nice. She could date a teacher.

  “Officer Kincaid. Mrs. Ortega-Garza. How are you doing?” John Ackerman held out his hand to Garrett, then her.

  “We’re good. Is this an official visit? Was there another house inspection that needed to be done?” Garrett smiled at the man, looking completely at ease.

  She remembered her manners and greeted the man, too. “Nice to see you again. Would you like something to drink or eat?”

  A shake of his head had her jumping ahead to why he might be here. “The kids are doing great. Pilar is sitting up and Rio has started talking to Garrett. Both of them are outside with my family. They’re so happy.” Breathe. Anjelica, breathe. Garrett reached over and took her hand. She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t.

  “That sounds great, but I’m actually here to give you some bad news. Well, maybe you’ll like it. I know the placement was an emergency and you had not been aware of your son.”

  Now he squeezed her hand a little tight. “But he’s mine now, right? Both are doing well here. Is there a problem?”

  “Are you still wanting to adopt the girl?”

  “Pilar.” Garrett nodded.

  She realized she had stopped breathing. With a deep breath, she relaxed her muscles and tried to calm her rolling stomach.

  “The paternal grandmother has changed her mind and has petitioned the courts for full guardianship. So if you had doubts about taking a child that’s not your biological daughter, then this is good. But if you’re serious about being a parent to both? Well, not so good.”

  Garrett’s fingers tightened, then relaxed around her hand. He repeated the motion, but when she looked at his face, he seemed unfazed by the news.

  “What are her chances of getting custody? Since I’m his father, they can’t take Rio from me.” His gaze stayed focused on the CPS worker.

  “No, no. Rio’s yours. Do you want to fight for custody of the girl?”

  He glanced at her. The panic buried in the depth of his eyes tore her heart.

  She returned the grip on his hand before turning to Mr. Ackerman. “But the court would want to keep the kids together, right? I don’t understand—we were led to believe there was no one that wanted Pilar.”

  Mr. Ackerman pushed his glasses up and nodded. “When we arrived on the scene, they were our first contacts. At the time, they made it clear they didn’t want the children. Now that things have settled, Cecilia Barrow, the deceased father’s mother, claims to have chan
ged her mind.”

  Garrett stepped away with a low growl. “Viviana would have wanted me to have both of them. They need to stay together.” He ran his fingers through his hair before turning back to them, his stone face back in place. “What do I need to do to secure Pilar as my daughter?”

  “Well, go forward with your petition, stating that you want to keep your son and his sister together. The kids have an appointed lawyer. But the final decisions will be with the judge. She tends to go with blood, but for this case, that’s hard. On one hand her brother, on the other her grandmother. There’s just no way of knowing.” He looked around the house. “How are the children settling?”

  Anjelica jumped in before Garrett could say anything. “Rio still prefers sleeping close to his sister. They’re very close, and the doctor that Rio is seeing says that it will help him if he can choose where to sleep. It gives him some control in a limited way.”

  Mr. Ackerman smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m aware of the recommendations.”

  “Oh. Okay. Do you want to see the kids? They really are thriving here with Garrett.” She needed to stop talking.

  “That sounds great.”

  Planting a sweet smile on her face, she led them through the house. The three of them stopped on the porch.

  “This is a great house. Do you plan to stay long-term, Officer Kincaid?”

  “Call me Garrett. The kids are by the garden.” He went stiff. It was subtle, but she saw the shift in his stance. He was on guard.

  She scanned the yard to see what had upset him. Her family was in different groups, most split between the music and building up the bonfire. A few were playing horseshoes. She glanced to her yellow-flowered bush.

  She stopped breathing. They were gone. Celeste, Rio and Pilar were not on the blanket. Even the blanket had vanished. They had to be around somewhere.

  She looked for Jordan. He had joined the group at the fire pit. Oh no. The fire was dancing about four feet into the air. Where were the kids?

  Chapter Nine

  A buzz vibrated Garrett’s skull. The popping of the burning wood amplified across the yard. Something in the corner of his eyesight flashed. He cleared the steps and was in front of Jordan before a complete thought formed in his head. The teen had been in charge of his missing children. A dog barked.

  The pressure on his chest tightened. He needed to say something to Jordan, but he couldn’t speak. An explosion went off and he turned, ready to dive in and get the kids out.

  He had lost the kids. Sounds and movements blurred. He tried to focus on his hands. They were shaking.

  He was in Anjelica’s backyard. A warm body brushed against his leg as a cool nose pressed against his hand. Cool nose? He looked down and saw Selena, her one blue eye and one brown eye looking up at him. If she was here, the kids were close. They were okay.

  Jordan took a step back.

  “Garrett?” A hand touched his arm.

  Taking a deep breath, he forced each muscle to release the tension. To lose control now would be the worst timing. Half the community stood around watching, along with the caseworker.

  His hand dug into the soft coat of the big cattle dog, and he made a point to look Anjelica in the eyes. He needed an anchor and he needed it fast. He’d be useless to the kids if he wasted time battling phantom enemies from the past.

  She leaned in close. “Garrett, they’re inside the garden. Under my beanpoles.”

  The edge of Rio’s favorite blanket poked out from under the wooden pole structure built for the bean vines. It was in the shape of a tepee.

  Jordan’s gaze darted between Garrett and the kids. “Oh, Tía, I’m sorry. They were just playing. Celeste and Rio were pulling her around on the blanket. I thought they’d be fine. I didn’t realize...”

  Garrett nodded and moved that way. He had to get his children. Rio had gone into his hiding mode again. Which meant he was frightened.

  As they got closer, he heard sweet giggling. For the first time since he noticed them missing, he breathed.

  Don’t let them see you upset. The CPS worker was right behind him. He could not show any weaknesses, not with his guardianship of Pilar at risk.

  If they thought he was unstable in any way, they might take Rio, too.

  Selena barked and ran to the garden gate. She sat next to the poles. Getting as close to the kids as she could, she looked back at Garrett, her big tail thumping the ground.

  A miniature goat with long gray hair and a black face had gotten into the garden and climbed the steep edge of the slanted poles. Head down, ready to butt anyone who got close to the kids.

  Anjelica gathered the goat into her arms. Going down on her heels, she peeked under the superhero tent.

  “Hey, guys, you worried us.” The corner of the blanket was pulled out of her hand. At the same time Celeste popped up from the other side, laughing.

  “Rio took Pilar for a ride on her blanket. She laughed the whole way. This is the coolest garden and it’s not even full of plants yet.” She looked under the blanket, than back to Anjelica and Garrett. “Did we do something wrong? We were just playing.”

  “Sweetheart, you can’t take a baby for a ride away from the adults.”

  “But they can still see us. Daddy says not to get out of eyesight.” Her smile was gone. “Oh, that’s the rule for me because I’m a big girl. I guess a baby has to stay put. I’m sorry.”

  Garrett moved to the other side of the structure and got down to Rio’s level. Not that the boy would notice. He had his head tucked down and knees pulled up. He couldn’t have made himself any smaller. Pilar looked at him and smiled when Garrett reached to pull her into his arms. “Rio, I’m going to give Pilar to Anjelica.”

  His son had his hand on his sister’s arm. He tried to pull her closer.

  As gently as he could, Garrett removed Rio’s death grip and lifted the baby off the ground. Tucking her into his arms, he touched her tiny chin and smiled at her. “Your big brother took you for a ride?” His heart was in a knot. Now the grandmother wanted to take Pilar from them.

  Her son had killed Viviana. The woman had turned her back on them and now wanted to claim her. It wasn’t right. Everything tilted out of control.

  He glanced at the CPS worker. The man observed every move they made, every word that was spoken. Had he noticed how close to the edge Garrett was when he found the children missing?

  Anjelica moved in next to him. “Here, let me take her and you talk to Rio. I think both of us leaving his sight with all of the people, and then the caseworker showing up, was too much for him.”

  Garrett nodded. “You’re right. One of us should have stayed with him and explained what was going on.” He handed over Pilar. He moved closer and, in a low voice, whispered in Anjelica’s ear, “What do we say about the grandmother?”

  She peeked down at Pilar, then gave him a halfhearted smile. “I wish I knew. Let’s just get him calm and in the house. Then we’ll deal with what we tell him.”

  Warm fingertips touched his face. He wanted to capture her warmth. He was proud of himself for not grabbing her hand and pressing it against his lips. How had life gotten so complicated that he needed his crazy landlady to save him?

  “I’ll tell my mom that we have to deal with the children’s case. She’ll take care of everyone here. If I take Pilar inside, I’m pretty sure you can get your little man to follow without a fuss.” Her hand went back to tending the baby.

  What would she do if he leaned in and kissed her? Her deep golden eyes darted away from him, glancing over his shoulder. Ugh, Mr. Ackerman watched.

  Garrett stepped back and nodded. “Go ahead and talk to your mom. Rio and I will meet you and Pilar in the house.” He made sure to say it loud enough for Rio to hear. “Celeste, you go with Ms. Anjelica.”

  “Yes
, sir. Sorry about taking the baby for a ride.”

  The woman who was becoming indispensable to him and his family walked away. He wanted to call her back, to run after her. She stopped and spoke briefly with Mr. Ackerman.

  The heavy weight on Garrett’s shoulders stayed in place as he dropped to the ground. After waiting for a bit, he picked up the corner of the superhero blanket. Rio had his head up.

  “Your sister’s fine. She’s in the house with Anjelica. I plan on joining them as soon as you’re ready. I’m not going to leave you, Rio. Even if you can’t see me, I’m here.”

  The boy wiped at his face and glanced at Garrett. “He’s not taking us away?”

  Garrett’s gut twisted. “No, little man, you’re mine. No one is taking you away from me.”

  “What about Pilar?” He scooted closer to Garrett. The edge of the blanket fell away.

  How much should he tell him without causing more damage? “Pilar does have a grandmother that wants to see her. Do you know Cecilia Barrow?”

  He nodded. “Grandma CeCe. She was nice.” He had scooted all the way over to Garrett and wedged himself next to his leg. A couple of the small goats had wandered back into the garden, nosing around. They looked exhausted from all the running earlier. The white one made himself comfortable next to Garrett. Rio gave a soft giggle as the gray one started chewing on his ear or hair. Garrett couldn’t figure out which, but he was pretty sure he needed to stop it.

  Garrett had to smile. How had he found himself sitting in a country garden with a son and a goat on either side of him?

  “So, little man, are you ready to go inside? I promise I’ll tell you if anything is going to change for our family.” He brushed back the one dark curl that flopped over Rio’s eye. “That’s what we are now. I didn’t know you were with your mom, but now I have you and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. You also have to tell me if you’re worried or scared. Together we’ll fix it. You’re not alone, Rio. Do you understand?”