The Courage Tree - Diane Chamberlain [52]
“Hi, Mrs. Donohue.” Lucas stood up from his task. “Hi, Sophie.”
“Hi,” Janine said, almost under her breath. Her eyes were fixed on the knob of her front door, and with a sinking feeling, she suddenly remembered leaving the key inside the cottage when they left early that morning. She’d separated her car keys from the others in preparation for taking the car to be washed, and in her rush to get out of the house, she’d left the house key behind.
Sophie reached for the door knob.
“It’s locked, Sophie,” Janine said. “I just remembered I left the key inside. We’re locked out.”
“Do you have a problem?”
Janine turned to see Lucas leaning on the upright roll of burlap, staring at them. He’d heard her, even though she had been speaking softly and he was a good ten yards away. He had to have been listening very carefully.
“We’re locked out,” she told him.
“Mommy, I can’t wait,” Sophie said. “I’m going to throw up.”
“Move over here.” Janine guided her toward the mulch at the edge of the boxwood.
Lucas turned over the bucket near his feet, emptying it of weeds, and walked briskly to Sophie. He set the bucket in front of her just as she began to retch. Janine put an arm around her daughter, stroking her red hair back from her damp cheek. When Sophie had finished, she stood up, one hand on her stomach, and closed her eyes, leaning against her mother.
“You two are having a bad day,” Lucas said.
It was the closest Janine had ever been to him. The soft light of the November sun rested in his pale-gray eyes behind the wire-rimmed glasses, and there was so much genuine sympathy in his gaze and such warmth in his voice, that her guard began to crack. She felt tears burn her eyes.
Lucas reached out as though he were going to touch her arm, then seemed to think better of it and dropped his hand to his side. “Where’s the key to the door?” he asked.
“I accidentally locked it inside.”
“Are any of the windows open?” He glanced toward the cottage. “How about the back door?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You and Sophie sit here on the stoop and I’ll check it out,” he said.
He disappeared around the corner of the cottage and Janine sat down with Sophie on the front step. She put her arm around her tremulous daughter again, and Sophie rested her head against her breast.
“Mommy, I’m too sick,” she said.
“I know, sweetie,” Janine soothed, pondering Sophie’s choice of words. Too sick for what? she wondered. Too sick to be able to run and play and go to school like other seven-year-olds? Too sick to stay out here in the cool weather? Too sick to live much longer? That was what the doctor had told Janine that morning. “She doesn’t have much more time,” he’d said. “Make her life as full as you’re able.”
Lucas returned around the other side of the cottage and knelt down in front of them. “You’re locked up tight,” he said. “Is there a spare key in the mansion?”
“Yes, but my parents are out and they always lock the house when they leave.” Was it stupid of her to tell him her parents were not at home? There seemed to be no one around except the three of them, and one of them had demonstrated an unnatural interest in little girls.
“I can get in the back door, but I’ll have to break the glass to do it,” he said. “I can repair it for you tomorrow, though. I’ll just need to get another piece of glass.”
Against her cheek, Janine felt the heat rising from Sophie’s forehead. “Yes, please, if you could,” she said.
She and Sophie waited as he walked around the house again. They heard the sharp crack of breaking glass, followed by the tinkling sound of the shards hitting the linoleum floor of the kitchen. In a moment, the front door opened and Lucas stood in the living