Page 30 of Maliea's Hero

“What is that behind the mermaid?” Maliea asked.

Nani looked up at her proudly. “I drew that,” she said. “That’s the gigantic mountain on the big island. Like in Papa’s story.”

Reid shot of glance toward Maliea, cocking an eyebrow.

Maliea shrugged. “My father made a whole book of short stories for his granddaughter. He read them to her every time he put her to bed. It became a tradition. When my father wasn’t there, I read the stories to her from my father’s handwritten storybook. He even had colorful drawings on the pages.” She smiled sadly. “Until he wrote the book for Nani, I never knew my father was such a skilled artist.”

Reid looked back at the mermaid with the mountain behind her. “Have you ever been to the big island?”

Nani shook her head. “Papa promised he would take me one day.” Her brow puckered. “But my Papa isn’t coming back. Is he?” Her gaze met her mother’s.

Maliea swallowed hard as she shook her head. “No, sweetie. Papa isn’t coming back.”

“I’m going to miss Papa,” Nani said.

The sadness in the little girl’s eyes nearly undid Reid. His heart hurt for the woman and her little girl.

Nani laid down the crayon and reached up her hands toward Reid.

Reid lifted the little girl into his arms without giving it a second thought. “Why don’t we look out the window while your mama goes through some boxes?”

Nani laid her head on his shoulder and went with him willingly to the window.

Reid hated seeing the troubled eyes of a three-year-old. Obviously, she had loved her grandfather. If Maliea’s words meant what he thought they meant, this little girl’s father had been having an affair with his Teacher’s Assistant. How could a man risk losing his family chasing some younger woman’s skirts? Reid would have done anything to keep his family together.

“I want to go home,” Nani whispered.

Reid’s chest tightened. What did you say to a three-year-old whose home had been torn apart? “How would you like to come and stay at my cabin?” he asked.

“I’d like that,” Nani said.

Reid’s glance shot over the top of the little girl’s head toward her mother.

Maliea stared across the room, her gaze connecting with his. “Are you sure?”

Reid gave a brief nod.

Maliea smiled weakly. “Thank you. It will give me a place to stay while I figure out what’s next.”

Reid stood for a long time at the window with Nani in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. Holding Nani was how it had felt when he’d held Abby in his arms.

God, he missed her.

Nani’s breathing became slower, and her body relaxed. She fell asleep like that.

Reid’s chest swelled with a profound feeling of something so deep he couldn’t put a name to it. It wasn’t so much love as need, and not even that but a sense of rightness. Holding Nani, a little three-year-old girl, felt so right. At the same time, he had a twinge of guilt twisting his gut. He should be holding his own little girl. But that wasn’t going to happen except during his court-ordered visitation. He wanted more time than that. He wanted his child in his life all the time.

Less than thirty minutes later, Maliea spoke, “I’m done here.” She straightened from the box she’d been going through on the floor. “I can carry this box if you can carry Nani,” she said.

“I’ll get the box,” Reid said, “if you want to take Nani.”

“No use disturbing her,” Maliea said. “Unless your arm is getting tired.”

Reid said. “I’m fine.” His arm could be aching and nearly falling off, and he’d still want to hold the child.

Maliea lifted the box off the desk and carried it into Andrea’s office. She loaded the photos of her daughter into the box and smiled at the older woman. “What I left behind, you can give away, throw away, or do whatever you like with it.”

“Are you sure?” Andrea asked, her brow wrinkling.