This is an open Universe. All are welcome to play in it.
Beware all who venture onward. There be Smarm here. <snicker>
Someone To Watch Over Me
by Purple Lacey
Sea green eyes stared into the December darkness on the other side of the window and sighed with longing. His gaze remained on the few dim stars he could make out through the thick cloud cover of the stormy sky. Lightening flashes, too far away to even hear the thunder that they spawned, tore through the veil of darkness only to fade away as quickly as they came. The sporadic bursts of rain that were blown against the window panes by the storm’s heavy winds ran down the glass in long streams that matched the tear tracks on the smooth cheeks of the child at the window.
One small hand came up to test the tenderness of the large bruise that marred the delicate features of the boy’s face. He grimaced as his fingers touched an especially sore spot, the one where his teeth had torn the inside of his cheek. He took his hand away and let it drop by his side once more. He almost sighed again, but wouldn’t let himself. It was a useless waste of energy, the boy knew. No one was there to hear him, and even if there had been, no one would have cared what he thought, or how he felt. It was a lesson he had had to learn repeatedly in his short life. If he could only stop his foolish heart from hoping then maybe he wouldn’t have to keep repeating the same mistake over and over again.
Ezra Standish stared into the storm, watching for glimpses of the stars as the clouds shifted, and tried to rein in his tears. Tears were another waste of energy. They never accomplished anything but to make his head stuffy and his eyes red. Ezra swiped his sleeve over his damp eyes and pressed his shoulders back. He stood up straight and pushed the emotion building up in his throat back down determinedly.
The high wind blew the clouds hither and thither for awhile as he watched, until a single bright star stood out in the sky, drawing the boy’s attention. Ezra remembered a long ago relative telling him the story of the Three Wise men who followed such a star. A holy star that had supposedly lead them to the place where Jesus had been born. It was a nice story. It was too bad such things really didn’t happen. Ezra watched the star and it almost seemed to the boy that the star was watching him back.
“Aunt Rebecca told me once that wishing on a special star was like saying a prayer straight to God,” the boy whispered softly. “I wonder if that’s true. Do you listen when people talk to you? Or do you just ignore them? Would you listen if someone...if I... wished on your special star? Would you give me the thing I wished for? Could you?”
Ezra smiled sadly as he watched. The star almost seemed to dance in answer to his words. The boy felt foolish as he thought that. Stars didn’t dance.
“What would I ask for if I could have anything?” he mused softly. “I’m sure my mother would ask for more money and a fine house with a full staff to wait on her hand and foot. That might be nice. Or maybe a dog to keep me company.” The boy smiled as he thought of having his very own puppy to love but forced himself to face reality. “No, mother wouldn’t allow a dog to remain around for long. That would be a wasted wish.” The child stood with his head tilted to one side as he considered, “What do I really want more than anything?”
The sound of a loud crash coming from downstairs caused the boy to cringe and look over his shoulder in fear for a moment. He only relaxed after a few minutes when no further sounds were heard. The idea of what he would wish for suddenly flooded his mind.
“I know! I would wish for somebody to watch over me. Somebody who wants to, not just has to. Somebody that would really care. That’s what I would wish for.”
The little shoulders slumped again and he whispered, “But wishes don’t come true, and neither do prayers.”
The star seemed to pulse with light for a moment, and the boy could almost imagine it was disagreeing with him.
Turning away from the window, his tiny face twisted in self disgust, Ezra started across the room saying, “You’re so stupid, Ezra. You know better and still you make wishes on stars like a stupid baby. Mother is right, you are pitiful.”
“That’s a pretty scathing opinion for a six year old to have about himself,” a low voice announced from the dark corner of the room, “And a pretty cynical view of life for one, too.”
Ezra jumped in startled surprise then spun around to stare into the corner with a fearful gasp.
“What...who...,” he stuttered with fright, “Who’s there?”
The darkness was cut by the flaring fire of a match that was lifted in cupped hands to light a cheroot gripped in the white teeth of a man dressed all in black. His flat brimmed hat was pulled low on his forehead so only the lower portion of his face was visible. Ezra stared in shock at his late night visitor. He knew the room had been empty when he entered it, or more accurately been thrown into it by his latest stepfather. The door was locked. He knew because he had tried the knob himself. There was no way for the man to have entered this room without him knowing it, and yet there he was.
“Wh...who are you?” Ezra asked as he backed away from the man slowly. He wanted to put as much distance between him and this potentially new threat as possible.
The one side of the man’s mouth twisted up in a half smile as he answered, “Now, you see. That’s what a cynical attitude gets you. You can’t even recognize the answer to your own prayer when you see it.”
The little boy’s jaw dropped in astonishment.
“My...you... he,” Ezra stammered in shock.
The other half of the visitor’s mouth lifted into a full smile and he laughed softly in amusement at the boy’s befuddlement before replying, “Yep, you, me, and him. That about covers it.”
Ezra swallowed with a gulp and asked, “G...God, sent you to be my...my guardian angel?”
A short, choked laugh emerged from the man and he answered, “Well I never considered myself to be all that angelic, but the guardian part is about right.”
Ezra looked the man up and down in confusion then inquired, “But where’s your white robes and your halo? And your wings?”
A sharp snorting laugh was the man’s first response then he said, “That’s the just the movies kid. Real angels dress just like anybody else. Makes it easier for ‘em to blend in.”
“Oh,” Ezra replied weakly, still in state of shock by this development.
“My name’s Chris, by the way. Chris Larabee.”
“How do you do,” Ezra answered politely out of sheer habit.
Larabee chuckled then just stood quietly for a few minutes smoking his cheroot, letting the boy have time to process this new situation.
When Ezra didn’t seem to be able to come up with anything to say Chris finally asked, “So, you ready?”
The little boy looked at him in complete bafflement and answered, “Ready for what?”
“To get out of here. To leave this place behind and find somewhere better.”
“Really?” green eyes lit up like someone had flipped a switch. “We can really go?”
“Oh, yeah,” Chris assured him dropping the stub of his cigar on the floor and stepping on it. Ezra vaguely noted that nothing remained on the carpet when he lifted his foot. “This is not a good place for you to stay now. Your stepfather is about to find out your mother just left him for good and cleaned out all his bank accounts before doing it. We need to get you away from here before he does. You won’t be safe after that.”
Ezra looked grim and raised one hand to rub his sore cheek absently as he silently agreed with him. He didn’t see the man in black’s face tighten as he looked on the dark bruise that had formed there.
“If there is anything special you want to take with you now’s your chance to round it up. There’s not a lot of time,” Chris told him seriously.
Ezra stood and looked around the room, and shook his head. Everything in this room had nothing but bad memories tied to it. If he was to start a new life he would just as soon start fresh.
“I supposed I should take some clothes with me,” he reluctantly said.
“Not necessary,” Chris told him quietly. “All you need is your coat. You’ll get everything you need where you’re going, but you need to get going...now.”
“But the door’s locked,” Ezra told him worriedly as he hurried over to his closet, pulled out his old winter coat, and slipped it on. “I can’t get out.”
The man straightened from his spot against the wall and silently walked across the room and placed his hand on the door knob. Ezra gasped in surprise as the knob turned and the door opened.
Chris stood in the doorway looking back at him. Ezra rushed across the room to join him. With no further conversation, the pair made their way along the hall and down the stairs. Ezra instinctively tiptoed all the way. Chris made no effort to be quiet but still no sound could be heard as he moved.
They had almost made it to the front door when Chris suddenly stopped and quietly muttered, “Damn,” then he turned to Ezra quickly and said, “Ezra, I want you to go out the front door and run to the corner. There will be a blue car there with a man sitting on the hood. Tell him Chris sent you.”
Ezra looked up at the man with a frightened expression and said with a distressed whisper, “But I thought you were going with me!”
Chris squatted in front of the boy, pushing his hat back enough for his hazel eyes to be seen. He reached out and took both little shoulders in his hands and promised, “I will be. From now on, I will always be with you. You couldn’t lose me if you tried.”
The angel brushed a lock of hair from the boy’s forehead as he spoke, then he pulled the boy into his arms and held him close. Ezra felt the angel’s arms surround him and was suddenly flooded with unfamiliar feelings. It was if he was being enfolded in a blanket of loving warmth and safety. He sank deeper into the embrace, wanting to submerge himself in the sensation. Chris only allowed the hug to continue for a short time before he reluctantly set the child back.
“Your stepfather is coming, Ezra. Now do what I say, and go on. I’m going to stay here for a bit and make sure he doesn’t catch you. I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”
Very reluctantly, Ezra turned away and started out the door that Chris opened for him. He had only gotten one foot over the door step when the door to his stepfather’s den was suddenly thrown open forcefully. The door hit the wall with a loud bang that made the boy jump and swing around. He froze in terror as the large man that had made his life a living hell of pain and terror for the last six months came tearing out of the room. Ezra could easily gauge the rage that filled the man by his tense jaw and clinched fists.
“Go!” Chris ordered once again and pushed Ezra out the door, “Don’t stop until you get to the corner.”
Ezra took off, running blindly onto the darkened sidewalk, knowing the dangers that might lurk there were insignificant compared to the man heading for him like evil incarnate. His heart was racing in fear as he bolted from the house. He was so scared he almost ran out into the street as he reached the corner. He probably would have if someone hadn’t grabbed him and pulled him to a stop. Ezra instantly began fighting his unknown foe before the words being spoken to him softly began penetrating his fear.
“Hey, it’s okay little guy,” the voice told him. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a policeman. I’m one of the good guys. You don’t need to be afraid.”
Ezra stopped struggling and looked at the man closely. Kind blue eyes gazed back at him steadily. The man was dressed in an old denim jacket and old jeans that were worn almost white in places. His scuffed boots looked like they hadn’t seen a tin of shoe polish since they were taken from the store shelf. The man had long blond hair and just a bit of scruff on his good-looking face.
“What’s got you so lathered up?” the man asked. “Are you in trouble?”
Ezra unthinkingly looked back over his shoulder.
“Somebody’s chasing you,” the policeman stated knowingly.
“Not anymore,” a satisfied voice replied for him.
On hearing the voice, the boy spun around and leapt at the person that had answered.
“Chris!” Ezra yelled and fell into the arms that were held out for him.
“So this is what you brought me out of a warm apartment for,” the other man said with a shrewd smile.
Ezra pulled back and looked between the two men uncertainly.
“He can see you?” Ezra asked his new guardian. “I thought only I was supposed to be able to do that.”
Chris chuckled and squeezed him before replying, “Movies, remember? Anybody I want to see me can. Besides, Vin and I go way back. Don’t we, Vin?”
“That we do, Cowboy,” the other man acknowledged. “See, Chris used to be my Guardian Angel when I was a little ‘un.”
“What do you mean used to be? I seem to recall pulling your butt out of that crossfire last month when your drug bust went bad.”
“Point taken,” Vin said with a grin. “So what’s the plan? I doubt you got me here just for a visit.”
“The plan is to get Ezra into a good home,” Chris replied and acknowledged the other man’s insight with his own grin. “You, observant law officer that you are, noticed this poor kid running hell for leather down the street, and being a conscientious public servant, immediately stopped to investigate. You discovered this boy, battered and bruised, running for his life from his abusive stepfather. You immediately took charge of him and took him to the hospital to be checked out.”
“Oh, I did?” Vin answered with an amused shake of his head. “Anything else I did that I should know about? Did I go and arrest the...uh,” looking down at the raptly listening Ezra, he broke off the profanity that was about to come from his mouth. “The assailant?” he finished instead.
Larabee gave a grimly satisfied smirk and replied, “Oh, he’s not going anywhere. There’s plenty of time for that after you get Ezra to the hospital.”
“I thought you were a Guardian Angel not an Avenging one,” Vin said with a laugh.
“Just because I don’t carry a flaming sword doesn’t mean I can’t serve up justice when it’s called for,” was Chris’ self-satisfied answer.
Chris looked down as Ezra tugged on his shirt to get his attention.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” he said fearfully.
“Don’t worry, Ezra,” Larabee smiled and gently stroked the boy’s back soothingly. “Vin and I will both be with you, and I’m going to introduce you to another old friend of mine. He’s a doctor there. He’ll look after you properly. I promise it will be okay.”
“But I’m not hurt, honest,” Ezra insisted.
“Yes and I want it to stay that way,” the man in black told him kindly.
Chris took Ezra’s shoulders in his hands and turned the child to face him squarely. He waited until the boy looked up at him to say, “Please trust me, Ezra. I only want to get you to somewhere safe. We need to get you into a good home with someone to take care of you and love you the way you deserve to be loved. The first step in doing that is to go to the hospital and let my friend look at you. ”
Very reluctantly the child agreed.
“I guess that means we’re headed to Children’s Regional Hospital and Nathan?” Vin questioned with a knowing look.
“Is Nathan the friend you were talking about?” Ezra asked.
Vin answered him, “Yeah. Nathan is another of Chris’ assignments.”
“So, you’re not just my Guardian Angel?” the little boy asked in a small, disappointed voice.
Once again it was Vin who answered, “Nah, he’s yours, kid. See, when you grow up you don’t need a Guardian Angel so much. You take control of your own life, and responsibility for the decisions that affect it. When that time comes, your Angel gets assigned to someone that needs them more. I outgrew Chris a long time ago. Now he’s just my friend...and someone that occasionally pulls me out of the way of stray bullets,” he finished cheekily.
“That’s only partially right,” Chris corrected with a wickedly amused grin. “Technically, that’s how it’s supposed to work, but I’ve always been the possessive type. Once you’re mine...you’re mine. I’ll keep watching over you until the day you pass over.” Chris flashed a mocking look at the man and said, “Then I’ve got a job all lined up for you.”
Vin shook his head in pretended disgust, “There you go again, pushing me into doing things you think I should. I’m not even going to get to enjoy eternity without you putting me to work.”
“Enough,” Larabee laughed. “We need to see to Ezra. Let’s get going. You’re driving, by the way.”
As the rain began to fall once again, the three of them climbed into Vin’s car and headed to the hospital. The ride was rather longer than Ezra expected, not that he minded. He really didn’t want to go to the hospital. He associated hospitals with pain and lies- his mostly- and more pain later if his lies weren’t convincing enough for his mother. As far as he was concerned, the hospital was a place to be avoided at all costs. It was only Chris’ comforting arm wrapped around him so closely that kept him from jumping out of the car at the first stop light.
“It will be okay, Ezra,” Chris leaned his head down and whispered in the boy’s ear. “Trust me. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You have my word. You’re safe now, little one. Please believe that.”
Ezra could only wonder how the angel had known what he was thinking.
“It’s my job,” Chris answered just as if he had asked the question out loud.
“We’re here,” Vin called over his shoulder as he pulled his car into the parking lot outside the Emergency Room, slipped it into a space near the entrance, and shut off the engine.
Chris looked down at the little boy cuddled beside him and said, “Okay Ezra. I want you to go inside with Vin. I’ll be right there with you, but no one but you and Vin will be able to see me. Be brave for me and this will be over soon, alright?”
The little boy looked up at his new protector trustingly and nodded before pulling his shoulders back and taking a deep breath.
“I’m ready,” he said, but his quivering little voice gave lie to the statement.
Chris took a moment to stroke the boy’s brown curls gently then opened the door. Vin had come around and stood waiting patiently for the pair to exit, then he carefully, tenderly, took Ezra’s hand in his.
Vin smiled down at the boy who was so obviously trying to be courageous and felt his heart reach out to him. He understood exactly what the boy was going through. He had been Ezra many years ago.
“Just remember, I’m here if anything frightens you,” Vin told him softly. “You just squeeze my hand if it gets to be too much for you. You squeeze as hard as you can, alright?”
Ezra nodded gratefully and Vin immediately felt the boy’s grip tighten. Vin squeezed back lightly and then led the boy toward the sliding doors of the Emergency Room entrance. Ezra glanced over his shoulder and sighed in relief when he saw Chris following behind.
Inside, the waiting room was almost empty as they walked toward the admitting desk. Vin flashed his badge to the nurse behind the tall counter and things began to happen quickly. They were shown into a small examination room after only a short wait. Vin lifted Ezra and sat him on the examination table. This procedure was performed a little awkwardly as Ezra never eased up on the death grip he had on the young policeman’s hand and Vin didn’t have the heart to try and reclaim it even temporarily.
Before Ezra could start to hyperventilate, a tall black man dressed in blue scrubs entered the room with a chart in his hand. The man stood looking at the room’s occupant’s for a moment then his face broke unto a grin as he addressed Vin.
“I see he roped you in for this, too. I gave up a date with Raine. What did he pull you away from?”
The long-haired blond shrugged and replied, “Just the TV set and the Dallas game. I’ll live.”
Nathan gave a ruefully joking look and told him, “I may not when Raine gets finished with me. She’s been looking forward to tonight for a week.”
Ezra, who had been listening to the exchange silently and didn’t recognize the black doctor was only joking, looked up with teary eyes at the man and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”
The black man immediately looked contrite and reached out to pat the boy on the shoulder only to have Ezra flinch from him. The big man felt his heart break at what this action implied, and felt like ramming his fist into the wall as the boy’s movement brought his bruised cheek around for the doctor to get a good look at. Moving slowly and carefully, he lifted the little chin, that was now almost touching the boy’s chest, so he could look into the sorrowful green eyes.
His expression was soft and caring as he said, “I was only joking, little one, and you are no trouble whatsoever. I’m happy to be here to help you. And Raine will be glad I was here for you, too, so don’t you worry one little bit.” The doctor used his thumb to wipe away the single tear that managed the escape from the jewel colored eyes. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we start over? I’m Dr. Jackson, but you can call me Nathan. What’s your name?”
Ezra sniffled a little than answered in a voice barely higher than a whisper, “Ezra Standish.”
Nathan smiled and held out his hand to shake Ezra’s free hand saying, “Nice to meet you, Ezra. Any friend of Chris’ is a friend of mine. Now, how can I help you?”
Ezra looked over his shoulder at Chris who stepped up to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder in reassurance.
“Ezra’s stepfather has been a very bad boy. The man thought it was alright to slap him around. He’s been shown the error of his ways,” Larabee said with a meaningful look at his former charge. “We need to get Ezra into a good home. The first step to that is to document his injuries and what he’s been through. That’s where you come in.”
Nathan nodded his understanding of his roll in the unfolding drama. He turned back to the silent child.
“Is it alright with you if I look at that bruise on your cheek, Ezra?” he asked quietly, wanting to lessen the trauma to the boy by giving him some feeling of control over his current situation. “I’ll be very careful and I promise to do my best not to hurt you.”
Vin felt the hand gripping his tighten even more, and he saw Ezra look up at Larabee for reassurance which was given with a nod of a blond head and a warm, encouraging smile. Ezra faced forward again and nodded his agreement to the patiently waiting Nathan.
Nathan smiled in approval and began his examination. He went slowly, explaining what he was doing to Ezra in as soft and non-threatening a voice as he could. After a few minutes Ezra began to relax a little.
“There, the hard part’s done,” Nathan told him stepping back to give the child a little space when he was finished. “That wasn’t so bad was it?”
Ezra shook his head and the tiniest of shy smiles peeked out. Nathan was completely charmed.
“We just need to do one more thing and then we’ll be done. I saved the easy stuff for last,” Nathan informed him with a grin. “This is so easy you even get to lay down for it. We just need to take a few X-rays, okay?”
Feeling more comfortable with the kindly doctor now, Ezra said, “Okay.”
“Vin won’t be able to be in there with you while the technician does the X-rays, but Chris can.” Nathan turned to grin at the angel in black and chuckled, “At least there’s no scientific evidence to show that X-rays are dangerous to celestial beings.”
“Maybe Chris would volunteer for a few of your experiments,” Vin teased.
“You aren’t going to be using me for your guinea pig,” Chris growled at the smiling man. “If you want to know about ‘celestial beings’ I suggest you wait until you become one then you can knock yourself out experimenting.”
Nathan’s chuckle morphed into a full laugh that was joined by Vin’s. As the two men stood laughing at the disgruntled angel, Ezra watched them teasing his guardian and began giggling. He wasn’t quite sure what the joke was but their laughter was contagious and it felt good to laugh instead of cry for a change. The sound of the child’s laughter caused Larabee’s hazel eyes to sparkle in pleasure and the grumpy look was pushed from his face by a wide smile.
“You need to laugh more often, Ezra,” Chris told him and reached over to ruffle his hair affectionately. “We’ll have to see to it that you have more things to laugh about.”
Nathan slipped outside a few minutes later and returned with a gurney and an orderly to take Ezra down to X-ray.
Chris started to follow along but paused to call back to the remaining men, “Josiah should be here soon. Explain it to him, alright Vin?”
“And just how do I explain in my report how Josiah got involved in this?” Vin asked with a resigned sigh.
“Why you called him, of course,” Chris said tongue in cheek.
Vin said, “Ahhh, I should have known.” He turned to Nathan and in a voice full of irony said, “I think I need to go have my head X-rayed too, Doc. I keep doing things that I don’t remember doing!”
Chris’ laughter could be heard echoing down the hall by the two men as the angel walked away.
When Ezra was pushed back to the exam room an hour later by the young orderly, there was a new addition to the people waiting for him. Ezra looked with interest at the older gentleman smiling and laughing with Vin and Nathan. He was shorter than Nathan but bigger through the chest and shoulders. His hair dark was liberally sprinkled with gray. His long face was marked with lines of both great pain and great humor. His blue eyes were sparkling with laughter as Ezra was wheeled back in the room and the man turned to look at him. Ezra could see a flash of what looked like anger when the man first saw him, then the eyes turned warm and kind again.
“You must be Ezra. Vin and Nathan told me some about you. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. My name is Josiah Sanchez,” the big man spoke in a deep rumble-ly voice that worked to soothe Ezra’s nerves just by listening to it. Although still feeling a little shy, Ezra found he wasn’t afraid of the man. “I’m a judge in the county’s family court. I’m also one of Chris’ former charges. Welcome to our little club.”
“Hello,” Ezra answered bashfully to the smiling man.
“Vin and Nathan have been telling me about the bad time you’ve had. I’d like to help, if you’d let me. Would it be okay if I asked you a few questions?" the big man asked.
Ezra looked uncertain and glanced over at Chris who nodded reassuringly.
The boy turned back to Josiah and said, “Okay.”
Josiah smiled and asked, “How did you get that bruise on your face, son?”
Ezra’s shoulders drew up in unconscious protection as he remembered how he came by the mark as he whispered, “My stepfather was mad and hit me.”
Josiah had to work hard to keep the emotions he was feeling off his face and out of his voice as he continued. “What else did he do?”
“He...he dragged me up to my room and threw me inside. It hurt when I hit the floor,” the boy admitted as he rubbed at his bruised hip. “Then he locked the door and went away.”
“How long were you locked in your room?”
The little boy shrugged and answered, “It was right after the school bus dropped me off.”
“Six hours,” Chris supplied grimly.
Josiah shook his head in disgust before pulling himself back to the task at hand and continued, “Did he bring you anything to eat, or let you out to go to the bathroom?”
The little head shook.
“Was this the first time he’s hit you?’
Again the little head motioned negatively.
“Where is your mother, son?”
“I...I don’t know,” Ezra admitted in a tiny voice.
Chris looked at Josiah and told him, “This isn’t the first time. She’s left him before... and in some very dangerous situations. She’s not planning on coming back this time though.”
Josiah looked at the serious face of the Guardian Angel and didn’t bother asking how he knew that.
“I think I’ve heard enough. You definitely don’t belong back in that house,” Josiah said tossing a smile at the little boy then addressing the waiting men, “I’ll start the paper work in the morning.”
He looked directly at Chris saying, “I take it you have someone in mind to place him with?”
Larabee’s eyes gleamed with some inner amusement and answered, “Yeah. I know somebody perfect for the job.”
Ezra looked up at him with reluctant hope and asked, “And they’ll want me? For real?”
Chris bent down to hug the boy still sitting on the gurney. He pushed the hair that had fallen into the boy’s eyes back and let his hand lay on the his cheek as he addressed him.
“He’s going to love you to pieces, and yes, he’s going to want you...he just doesn’t know it yet,” Chris threw the others a smug grin then looked back at the child, “But I promise you that he’s going to want you so bad he’ll be willing to fight heaven or hell to keep you.”
Ezra’s face lit up with excitement and renewed hope. Curious about this person who his new protector had chosen for him to live with, he asked “What’s he like?”
Chris smiled as he began to fill him in, “He’s got a good heart that has more than enough room in it for you. He’s gentle and has never knowingly hurt a woman or a child in his life. You’ll never have to be afraid of him. And he’s fun. There’s still a streak of little kid in him. He’ll definitely see to it that you laugh more often.” Chris nodded his head in satisfaction.”
“After hearing that description and seeing as there are only two members of our little society missing tonight, can I assume you’re talking about our resident playboy/businessman?” Josiah asked.
“Yeah,” Chris confirmed looking towards the waiting judge. “They’ll be good for each other. Do you have a problem with arranging temporary custody be given to him until all the T’s can be crossed and all the I’s dotted?”
Josiah grinned back and replied, “No, I have no problems with that. I think you’re right. This little guy is just what he needs to spice life up for him again, and drag him out of the comfortable, but lonely, rut he’s gotten into. And I couldn’t have found anybody better to dote on this child and give him the love he’s missed out on.”
“When will he get here?” the little boy interrupted eagerly.
“Not until later,” the blond answered turning back to face the child. “In fact, I need to get you settled in and then go talk to him.”
Larabee bent down enough to be on a level with the child and told him seriously, “You’re going to have to spend the night here, Ezra, but I promise you’ll be safe and you won’t be alone. Do you think you could stay with the guys here while I go arrange things for you?” Chris asked him.
Ezra looked at the others and considered his request and then seemed to come to a decision.
“Alright,” the boy said hesitantly looking at the watching men, “If they want to stay with me.”
Vin smiled as he slid onto the mattress by the boy and wrapped an arm around the little shoulders to hug him.
“Count me in, little guy. I have the weekend off so I’m free for the next two days. Spending time with you sounds like more fun than sitting alone in front of the television,” the long haired man assured him.
“I believe I would very much enjoy getting to know you better,” Josiah told him.
Nathan sighed and looked regretful as he answered, “I would really love to stay awhile, but I’m supposed to cover the morning shift for a friend tomorrow. I really need to go home and catch some sleep before then.”
Chris smirked and informed him, “Don’t worry about it. You won’t be working tomorrow.”
Nathan looked at him guardedly and asked, “What did you do?”
Chris looked back at him innocently as if to say “Who me?”, and then did say, “I’m afraid Dr. Nichols is going to find his travel agent mixed up the dates on his flight and hotel reservations. He’ll be needing you to cover his shift next week, not this one. He should be paging you soon to tell you.”
Nathan stood shaking his head with irritation for a minute, “I hate it when you do things like that; just arranging things to suit you. You could have asked me first.”
Chris arched a brow then motioned upward meaningfully with his eyes while he replied, “I wasn’t the one who arranged it.”
Nathan sighed in resigned acceptance then shrugged saying, “I don’t know what I’m upset about anyway. I get a day off that I wasn’t expecting and get to spend time with my new friend after all.” The big man smiled at the watching Ezra. “I’ll tell everyone I’m admitting Ezra overnight for observation, since he did have a blow to the head,” Nathan informed the others. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll have a room number for you.”
Jackson left and returned a few minutes later, as promised, and the group headed upstairs to the fourth floor.
When Ezra had been dressed in a hospital gown and tucked into a bed surrounded by his new friends, Chris took his leave. Knowing how much it freaked out the other men when he just vanished into thin air, he waited until he exited through the door before disappearing.
In the blink of an eye, he re-materialized across town in the wealthiest part of the city. Making his way to the large receiving room of the huge manor house set in the middle of acres of well manicured estate grounds, Larabee frowned at the sounds coming from the room. Chris stared in displeasure at the scene that greeted him.
A half naked red-haired woman was being chased by an equally unclad brunette man around the expensive leather furniture of the massive room in the largest mansion the city could claim. The laughing couple didn’t notice Chris as he stood in the doorway frowning. He cleared his throat in a loud and forceful way that immediately caused the man’s head to spin around so fast it was a wonder he didn’t give himself whiplash.
“Aren’t you a little old to be playing these kinds of juvenile games?” the blond said acerbically.
The woman looked between the man standing in the doorway and her date of the evening and asked, “Who’s your friend?”
The brunette man looked surprised by her comment then the realization that the blond was allowing the woman to see him dawned and the brunette frowned right back at the blond.
The woman didn’t seem to mind or even notice that neither man answered her question. She stood looking the unexpected visitor up and down for half a minute. Then she licked her lips and stated provocatively, “I certainly wouldn’t mind if he wanted to come play with us.”
The blond focused his full attention on the woman and she would later swear she actually felt the artic coldness from his icy glare freeze her to her very soul. She went completely immobile with terror. “M...m...maybe not,” she stammered and she hastily began to gather her clothes.
“Aww now Darlin’, you don’t have to go,” the brunette tried to argue but the woman completely ignored his pleas and fled the room, and then the mansion, like her hair was on fire.
The dark-haired man watched her go with annoyance. He spun around to confront his uninvited guest.
“Damn it, Chris! Do you know how long it took me to get her to go out with me?”
Larabee shrugged and replied, “Eighteen days, but believe me, you’re better off with out her. She was playing you.”
That revelation seemed to give the other man pause.
“She was?” he asked with thinly disguised hurt.
“I’m afraid so,” Chris replied, this time more sympathetically. “She made an in-depth study of you and tailored her act to get your attention and then keep you interested. She had short term plans for you, but long term plans for your money.”
The other man’s shoulders slumped at the unwelcome news and he threw himself down on the sofa. He reached for his shirt that had been thrown there and slipped it back on.
“Damn it!” he muttered as he fitted buttons into holes. “I thought she was the real thing this time. She seemed so down to earth; like money didn’t matter to her at all.”
“I know, Buck,” Chris said, not unkindly, as he sat down on the chair across from the man.
“So you came to keep me out of another gold-digger’s clutches?” Buck Wilmington asked with barely concealed resentment.
“Indirectly, perhaps.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Buck snapped grumpily.
“It means that once I take care of your real problem that secondary one will take care of its self.”
“And I suppose you’re gonna tell me what my real problem is,” Buck muttered dryly.
Chris stared at him levelly and answered, “For one thing, you’re bored.”
Buck laughed and replied, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Old Dawg. I run a multinational corporation. I make deals involving millions of dollars everyday. I never know what new situation is going to crop up when I go into the office everyday. HOW CAN YOU SAY I’M BORED?” Buck finished hotly.
“Because you are,” Larabee replied simply.
“How do you figure that? Buck asked scornfully.
“You forget I know you, Buck; in most ways, better than you know yourself. For example, I know that all you ever really wanted was a good job, a place to call home and a family to love. I know that a career as a businessman was never your dream. You began out of the necessity to keep food on the table and keep your mother from having to turn tricks on the side to make ends meet.
When your Mom inherited that nearly bankrupt casino, you dove into the running of the place determined to make it pay off enough so she’d never have to worry about money again not because it was the kind of future you wanted for yourself. All the satisfaction you derived from the work was in knowing your mother’s future was secure -- and to a lesser extent the challenge of overcoming the obstacles that were thrown into your path. You haven’t really been challenged by any of those business deals of yours in years, and you know it.
When you started out with that first casino and you were elbows deep in the day to day running of everything, THEN everyday was a challenge. You were kept busy putting out the fires that broke out before there was time to for them to start smoking. When you made deals YOU made the deals, but as your business grew and you branched out and diversified you were forced to surrender more and more of that day to day control to the mangers you had to hire to help you run things.
You hired the best managers around. Your people are good at what they do. There are no more fires for you to put out because they take care of them before you even know about them. Now when you make a deal, it’s actually those same managers that are doing the wheeling and dealing. You’re just okaying the results and signing the papers. Where’s the challenge, the FUN in that?
They could run your various businesses with little or no input from you and keep them running at a profit indefinitely. I know that, and you’re too smart a man not to know it too. There’s no professional satisfaction to be found in being the next best thing to a figurehead, Buck.
And for all the money you give away for good causes, there’s no spiritual satisfaction to be found in merely signing a check, which is all anyone has asked you to do in years. You never get to interact with the ones you’re actually helping or see the difference you make in their lives. It’s all abstract and impersonal.”
Chris watched sadly as his words caused the man’s shoulders to slump with every home truth the angel was forcing him to acknowledge to himself.
“We both know you haven’t really had anything in your life to keep you involved or interested since JD went off to college two years ago,” Chris continued.
Thinking on the young second cousin he had raised from the age of eleven when the boy had come to live with him after the death of his mother, Buck had to smile with affection.
“He did keep life interesting alright,” Buck agreed fondly.
Buck missed his only remaining relative like crazy. The young man off at college studying to be a veterinarian was more like a son to him than a cousin. For the seven years that JD had lived with him, the boy had been the center of his world. Now he looked forward to every visit from JD like a kid did Christmas.
“And since he moved out, you’ve been foundering, Buck. You moving out of the guest house and back into this mausoleum is a sign of that,” Chris stated seriously, gesturing around at the professionally decorated showplace that looked more like a museum than a home.
When JD had come to live with Buck, the man had moved out of the mansion that he had proudly purchased for his mother shortly before her death and into the four bedroom guest house on the estate grounds. He had wanted to give the child a warm, homey environment to grow up in and the mansion had been too coldly grand and formal to provide it. After JD went away to college, the house had been too quiet for the man and filled with memories that just made him feel lonelier, so Buck had packed his things up and returned to the mansion.
“The revolving door on your bedroom is also another sign,” Chris continued.
“Aw, Chris, you know I’ve always had a thing for the ladies,” Buck denied with a halfhearted grin.
“No, even that’s changed,” Chris disagreed. “You’re not going through women left and right just to have a good time. You’re doing it because you are searching for what you’ve been missing.”
“And that is?” Buck asked, one half of him interested to hear what Larabee had to say and the other half dreading it.
“Love. Affection. Someone to care about. Someone to care about you,” Chris spelled it out starkly.
Buck paled as the words hit home. “And you’ve got all the answers to my problems,” he stated with defensive sarcasm.
“Yeah,” Chris replied levelly. “I do.”
Buck gave an unamused chuckle. “So, what? You’ve found you me Miss Right? The one that’s gonna love me for me and not my money? I’m gonna be swept off my feet? True Love is gonna come riding to my rescue and make everything hunky-dory in my miserable existence, is that it? Well excuse me, but I’m not interested. I think I’ll just keep muddling through on my own, thank you very much.”
“Your love life is your own business, Buck,” Chris replied shaking his head in exasperation. “I thought I made that clear a long time ago. You make your own decisions there and have to face the consequences of those decisions.”
“Then exactly what are we talking about?” Buck growled impatiently.
Chris rose from his chair and moved toward an ornately framed mirror that hung on the wall and gestured the man over. Buck sighed and rolled his eyes but obliged the silent request by walking over to stand by Larabee.
“No tricks. No maneuvers. No long arguments,” Chris denied and waved a hand at the mirror. “Just a very needy little boy that’s been through too much already in his short life.”
As he spoke, the mirror became foggy then cleared as if a stiff wind had blown the clouds out of the way. Buck watched, curious in spite of himself, as a view of what was obviously a hospital room came into focus. He recognized the three men in the room, but it was the sight of the small boy reclining against the raised head of the hospital bed that garnered his notice.
The boy was almost visibly soaking up the attention the three men in the room were giving him. The little face was alive with laughter. The child’s green eyes were shining with it and Buck found looking at the boy’s smile was like downing a straight shot of joy. Buck could feel his own lips pull back in a wide smile just watching the child.
Then the boy turned his head to say something to Josiah and Buck felt like someone had sucker-punched him in the gut as the dark bruise on that pale little cheek stood testament to the violence to which this sweet child had already been exposed.
It was wrong. It was just so completely, fundamentally wrong, was the thought that flooded the mind of the watching man. That kind of brutal ugliness should never have been allowed to touch such innocence.
“His name is Ezra,” Chris informed him softly. “He’s six years old.
“Who did that to him?” Buck asked grimly, his hands gripped into tight fists at his sides as emotion overwhelmed him.
“His stepfather.”
“Where is the bastard?”
Buck turned to look at Larabee with the fire of righteous anger burning in his blue eyes.
The blond shook his head and replied, “It doesn’t matter right now. I took care of him for the time being, and Vin will see that he gets turned over to the authorities. Josiah is going to make sure he never gets his hands on Ezra again.”
“Where was his mother while the stepfather was beating on him?” Buck ground out angrily.
“Gone,” was the disgusted reply. “She took off and left him with that animal without a second thought. Josiah is also going to make sure she never gets a chance to endanger him again.
“Did he beat her too? Was she running away from him in fear?” Buck asked, trying to understand how a mother could abandon her child that way.
“No,” Chris informed him, the anger in his voice very much apparent. “He never touched her. He took everything out on the boy, and she let him do it without ever once making any attempt to stop it. She covered up for him.”
Larabee stood sensing the emotions that shifted through the man: anger that anyone could have raised a hand against someone so small and innocent; disbelief that a parent could allow such an atrocity to be committed against their own child and then abandon that child with no more thought than someone throwing away a tissue; concern that the boy had been injured enough to require a hospital stay; regret he couldn’t have prevented it from happening; and a curious kind of aching that settled around his heart as he watched the boy giggling in delight at the funny faces the three men with him were making to entertain him while that terrible mark on his face stood out in stark relief.
“So you see why I came to you,” Chris finally spoke. “He needs somebody to watch over him, Buck, and you need someone to watch over. You need each other. He’ll give you back what you’ve been missing, and you’ll give him what he’s never had, namely, someone to take care of him and love him.”
Buck was only half listening. Most of his attention was on the child who was laughing and squirming as Nathan tickled him. Buck lifted a hand toward the child but his fingers only touched the cool glass of the mirror.
He turned to face his former protector and simply stated, “Let’s go.”
Chris grinned and didn’t argue. Within minutes they were seated in one of Buck’s cars headed toward the hospital. Buck was full of questions about the kind of things Ezra had endured. The man’s face got grimmer with every tale of abuse and abandonment.
“But Nathan is sure he’s really alright?” he finally asked, voice filled with worry.
“He’s fine,” Chris assured him. “Bruised, but otherwise fine. He’s tougher than he looks.”
“From what you’ve told me he’d pretty much have to be to survive all that,” Buck bit out sharply.
When they arrived at the hospital, visiting hours were already over and the front doors were locked, but locked doors were no obstacle to a Guardian Angel on a mission. Soon the pair stood outside Ezra’s room.
Buck paused as the weight of the commitment he would be making if he entered that room suddenly crashed down on him. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s the right thing for both of you, Buck,” he heard Chris assure softly.
The man felt a familiar warm feeling of love and wellbeing enfold him at the touch and he turned to his oldest friend and smiled as his nerves calmed.
“And you’ll be there...for both of us,” Buck whispered with unqualified certainty.
“Always,” Larabee promised steadfastly.
Buck nodded and smiled. Together the two entered the room. They stood right inside the door for a moment watching the others. Buck stared with fascination at the boy listening to Josiah tell a story and could have sworn he heard an audible snap as the missing piece from his life clicked into place. The child was smaller than he had thought, and Buck felt his protective instincts stir again at the thought of a full grown man raising his hand to such a tiny body. Buck wanted to reach out and smooth that appalling mark from the boy’s face and draw out any residual pain from the child.
At that moment, Ezra looked up and noticed the two men standing at the door. His eyes lit up even more as he gazed at Chris, and then turned to gaze at Buck with a look that mingled hope and fear with such equal measure that the man could swear he felt his heart flip right out his chest to land at the boy’s feet in response to the sight. Buck knew in that moment that he had made the right decision. He wanted to rush right over to scoop the child up, and shield him from every evil that he might have to face in the future.
Controlling his impulse, Buck smiled and instead gently said, “Hello, Ezra.”
Ezra stared at him for a moment longer then glanced at Chris with a look that silently questioned, “Is that him?”
Chris smiled and nodded reassuringly as he replied, “This is Buck.”
Ezra smiled shyly at the man watching him so closely and said, “Hello.”
Buck approached the bed slowly so as not to alarm the child. He nodded to the three men standing beside the bed, and was greeted in turn. Nathan stepped back to allow Buck room to stand by the boy’s bedside.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ezra,” he said. “Chris has been telling me a lot about you. He thought you might like to come stay with me in my house.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” the little voice asked hesitantly.
Buck reached out and gently took one of the child’s hands in his and said, “Oh no! I wouldn’t mind at all. You see, I’m pretty much all alone in my house. I used to live there with my cousin but he’s away at college right now and I’m all by myself. It’s been kind of lonely there. So, you’d be doing me a favor if you came to stay with me. I wouldn’t have to be lonely anymore.”
Buck looked down as he felt a warm little hand pat comfortingly on top of his arm.
“Being lonely doesn’t feel very good,” Ezra told him gravely, speaking from experience, and then with little boy logic suggested, “I’ll come live with you and then we can not be lonely together if you want.”
Touched, Buck smiled warmly and answered, “I’d like that a lot.”
Chris stood back watching with satisfaction. The three other men moved closer to him, leaving the two to get to know each other.
“I think it’s a match,” Josiah said with quiet satisfaction as the watched Ezra scoot over to allow room for Buck to take a seat on the bed near him.
Chris grinned before stating humorously, “A real match made in heaven.”
Nathan and Josiah groaned at the pun...Vin snickered.
“How do you think JD will take the news that Ezra has taken his place not only in Buck’s life, but as the new person under your care? You think he’ll be jealous of the boy?” Nathan worried.
A tiny smile lifted the corners of the angel’s mouth as he assured him, “Oh, I think he’ll be fine with it.”
Vin looked at him closely, searching Chris’ hazel eyes. His own eyes narrowed in thought and finally he stated, “It was JD that suggested it, wasn’t it? Maybe not taking in Ezra personally, but he suggested having Buck take in a kid to raise, didn’t he?”
Chris smiled enigmatically and neither confirmed nor denied the statement but the policeman seemed satisfied with his own conclusion.
“Nathan?” Buck’s voice called the men back to the bedside. “When can I take him home?”
“Tomorrow,” Nathan assured him. “I think all he needs is a good night’s sleep.”
“He’d sleep better in a regular bed, without people wandering in and out of his room at all hours to check on him,” Buck argued with a frown.
“You can’t take him tonight, Buck,” Josiah informed him firmly. “I need time to get the temporary custody orders drawn up. We’ll be skirting a fine line as it is in awarding you custody with no input from CPS. If you try to go too fast you could jeopardize permanent custody.”
Buck looked at the judge like he was being amusingly naïve and said with all the unswerving determination that had built a business empire from nothing, “With the possible exception of yourself, I have yet to meet the civil servant that can stand up to the kind of high-priced legal and political pressure that I can and will bring to bear if I have to. It may be a sad commentary on our society, but the reality is money talks, and I can afford a hell of a lot of eloquence. Believe me, once I turn my attorneys loose...permanent custody will be a slam dunk.”
Josiah sighed and rubbed at his forehead and the headache that was suddenly beginning to build there. “Let’s try it my way first, alright? I do like to at least TRY to maintain the appearance that our legal system works impartially.”
“And I would really like to keep him under observation for the night, Buck, just to play it safe even though I’m reasonably sure he’s alright,” Nathan seconded the night’s stay.
“I hate to say it,” Vin added his opinion apologetically, “But it will play better to a jury when the stepfather is charged and he goes to trial if the records show Ezra had to spend the night in the hospital because of him. It could help put another nail in his coffin when it comes to a conviction.”
Buck sighed and turned to the little boy, who had been silently listening to the argument with his fingers crossed. He gave an apologetic grimace and said, “Sorry, buddy. Looks like we’ve been outvoted. I guess you’re stuck here for the night, but don’t you worry because I’m gonna be right here with you. And as soon as we get the go-ahead in the morning, we’ll be outta here faster than a cat with its tail on fire.”
“And go to your house, right?” Ezra asked, seeking reassurance of what he hardly dared to believe would happen.
“Right you are,” Buck answered as he grinned back confidently.
“And it will be just you and me?”
Ezra wanted to know exactly what to expect. He didn’t care for surprises. Too often in his young life surprises were the precursors to terrible things.
“We’ll be living in the house by ourselves,” Buck corrected him, “But I have a housekeeper that comes in to take care of the cleaning and cook for us. She has her own quarters in the big house though. There’s also the stablemaster. He takes care of the horses and lives in the gate cottage with his brother who happens to be the groundskeeper. Then there’s my driver who lives over the garage.”
“Horses!” Ezra’s face lit up with delight at the word, “You have horses at your house?”
Buck grinned and gave in to impulse by scooping the excited child up and sitting him on his lap, wrapping both arms around him securely. Ezra stiffened at first but then relaxed into the man’s hold and snuggled against his broad chest comfortably.
“Have I got horses?” Buck teasingly bragged, “I’ve got some of the nicest horseflesh around. They’re real beauties. I’ll have to take you down to the stable tomorrow and let you take a look. If the weather is nice, maybe we can go for a ride. Would you like that?”
Buck could feel the child almost vibrating with excitement as he yelped, “Yes! Yes! Do you really mean it, Buck? Do you promise?”
Buck solemnly used one finger to trace an X over his heart in the time honored sign and answered, “Cross my heart. If the weather permits it, we’ll saddle up and ride out.”
Hearing the proviso in the offer, Ezra looked toward the window worriedly.
“It was rainy today,” he said chewing at his lower lip, “Is it supposed to be raining again tomorrow?”
Buck shrugged and said he didn’t know and they would have to wait and see. The other men had no idea either. Ezra looked glumly at the window again then suddenly straightened up with a jerk as an idea hit him. Before Buck could react, the little boy slipped out under his arms as slickly as a greased eel and slid down the man’s leg to land on the floor tiles beside the bed. Nathan started to reach out for him, but the boy dodged the man’s outstretched hand and quickly scrambled to the window.
The window was set midway up the wall and the little boy could just barely reach his chin over the windowsill even standing on his tiptoes. He backed up a step and looked around. Spotting the chair sitting a few feet away, Ezra hurried over and started pushing it toward the window. It was heavier than it looked and the boy was using all his young strength, but making little progress.
Buck had risen from the bed and started after the boy when he moved to the window only to stop when Chris shook his head and waved him back. As the other four watched curiously, Larabee walked over the child and helped him push until the chair was in front of the window where Ezra wanted it. The little boy climbed up on the chair and stood looking out at the night sky. The storm had blown itself out but the cloud cover was still thick, obscuring the stars for the most part.
Ezra scanned the sky and said anxiously, “I can’t find it! It’s gone!”
Buck looked baffled and the other three watching didn’t look like they understood what was going on any better than he did. Larabee was the only one who seemed to know what the boy was talking about.
“It’s still there,” Chris assured him and used his index finger on the boy’s chin to gently turn his head to the right then he pointed up near the corner of the window. “Look there.”
Ezra followed his finger and sighed in relief when the star he had been looking at earlier in the night twinkled brightly from a small break in the clouds. The child turned to look apprehensively at Chris as if waiting for the angel to forbid him from what he wanted to do. Chris merely smiled, his hazel eyes twinkling almost as brightly as the star. Ezra’s face broke out in a wide grin and he turned back to ‘his’ star.
“I wish that tomorrow will be sunny and warm so me and Buck can go riding on his horse,” the child said then started to turn away but stopped and turned back quickly to add, “Thank you, Amen.”
Chris swung the boy up into his arms and returned him to the bed and the waiting Buck. Buck pulled back the covers and Chris placed the child on the bed. Buck pulled the blankets back up and tucked them around him.
“Wishing on a star, huh?” Buck teased softly.
The little head nodded quickly as he looked up at Buck and explained with adorable earnestness, “It’s a special wishing star. If you wish on it then whatever you wish for will come true.”
“Is that right?” Buck tried to look properly impressed.
“Uh-huh,” Ezra told him with wide-eyed seriousness. “And it works too! Really! I wished for somebody to come watch over me and now I got Chris, and you, and Vin, and Josiah, and Nathan all watching out for me. So it worked even better than I hoped it would. I figured if it worked so well before then it wouldn’t hurt to wish for it to be a nice day so we can go riding. That ought to be a lot easier than my other wish.”
Touched at the sweet, artless faith of the child, Buck reached out to stroke the brown curls away from his face. He smiled down at the little one looking back at him with trusting eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat so he could say, “I guess I better let Tiny know we’ll be needing a horse saddled up after lunch tomorrow then.”
Ezra leaned back against the raised head of the bed and grinned back happily.
“I really hate to be a party pooper,” Nathan said as he came up to the other side of the bed, “But I know a little boy that needs to go to bed”
“I am in bed,” Ezra replied little boy literalness.
Nathan laughed and answered, “I meant to sleep. I imagine it is way past your bedtime, little guy.”
Ezra had been enjoying himself. He was excited by meeting this man that his Guardian Angel had promised would love and take care of him. He wanted to hear more about the life they would have together. He also wanted to spend some time with his new friends. Never had he had so many people to talk to and play with, so many people interested in how he felt and what he had to say. It was turning out to be the best day of his six-year-old life. He wasn’t ready to give it up yet. In his experience, you had to enjoy the good things while you could because they never lasted. Little brows drew together in a frown and the boy argued, “But I’m not tired.”
Buck smiled at him and, understanding how little boys enjoyed doing such things for themselves, reached for the bed control then handed it to Ezra saying, “Nathan’s right. You need to sleep if you want to get out of here tomorrow and go riding with me. Besides, the sooner you go to sleep the sooner tomorrow will be here.”
Ezra thought on that one for a moment then decided it made sense, but he was still reluctant to chance losing what he had found right now for something as tenuous as a tomorrow promise. He hesitated before using the bed control. He turned eyes that had already seen too many disappointments toward Buck as he asked anxiously, “You’re going to be here, right? You’re not going away?”
Hearing the fear and insecurity behind the words, Buck’s heart melted at the question and he sat on the edge of the bed by the boy again and pulled him into a big hug.
“They couldn’t pry me away with a crowbar,” he promised with heartfelt sincerity. “I’ll be here tomorrow when you wake up and I’ll be with you the day after that and the day after that and the day after that. You’ll just have to get used to the idea that we’re gonna be together for the long haul.”
Ezra’s face was radiant as he grinned up at his new guardian. He really liked the sound of that. He reached up to wrap his arms around Buck’s neck and hugged him back.
Buck felt those little arms hug him and felt like his chest would surely explode with the emotions that filled him. He wanted to freeze the moment in time, make it last forever. He had never felt such a sense of completeness. Whatever the future held for them, whatever problems they might encounter later, Buck knew that this was right.
“Now scooch down and let’s fix your bed for you,” Buck said, reluctantly laying the boy back on his bed and arranging the covers again.
As Ezra obediently lowered the bed flat again, his new caretaker said, “It’s going to be a big day tomorrow. We’re going to have lots to do. Especially if we’re going to spend the afternoon riding. You’ll need plenty of rest to get it all in, so say goodnight to everyone.”
“Will you tell me a story?” Ezra asked hopefully.
“You betcha,” Buck smiled back at him.
The little boy looked toward the silent Chris and watched as the angel smiled and nodded. Without Ezra even voicing his question the angel answered, “I’ll be here with you.”
Ezra gazed past him to his three new friends who were watching him and Buck with indulgent smiles. “Will you stay until I fall asleep?” he asked them.
They were all happy to agree to the request.
Satisfied now, Ezra snuggled under the covers and looked up at Buck expectantly. The big man settled comfortably on the mattress beside him and began his tale.
“Once a upon a time...”