Ultimate Nyssa Glass, H. Burke [cat reading book .TXT] 📗

and burglars and who knows what other criminals.”

“I’m aware of that, but do you know the first thing about taking care of a child? Because I certainly don’t.”

“How hard can it be?” Ellis shrugged.

Nyssa bit her bottom lip. “So … did you think this situation through at all or are we just going to play it by ear?”

“Give me some credit.” He frowned. “Mrs. H has mentioned grandchildren, so presumably, she’ll be able to help. Maybe we can find him some more experienced guardians after a bit. I didn’t give him any indication that this was permanent. I just told him he could stay here until I could make other arrangements.”

A thousand objections popped into Nyssa’s head. They didn’t have an extra bed or clothes the child’s size. She didn’t have the time or know-how to supervise the boy’s schooling, and he was bound to be too far behind to drop into a local school. He’d lived on the streets. Would he even know how to function in polite society? Nyssa knew how hard it could be to adjust from living by theft and trickery to “going straight.” It didn’t happen overnight.

Ellis gazed pleadingly up at her. “He’s so young, Nyss.”

She straightened his tools on the workbench. “He’s called Theo?”

“Yes. He didn’t know his last name.”

“Might not have one.” She stepped around the bench and put her hand on top of Ellis’s. “We can give him food and shelter at least, until we find someone qualified to give him more. If I’d had someone step in when I was his age, things might’ve been a lot easier for me. You were right to take him in.”

“You’ve had a rough day.” His fingers surrounded hers. “I won’t pretend to understand what you went through as a kid, what your uncle put you through. I think that might even be why I jumped at the idea of helping Theo. I know it was impulsive, but when I thought about how your uncle treated you … I saw you standing there in Theo’s place, and I couldn’t let it go.”

Her face warmed. Sparks and shocks, Ellis Dalhart, you’re too good for me.

Impulsively, she bent down and pressed her lips against his.

He kissed back then grinned when she withdrew. “Dang, I should bring home kids more often.”

“Don’t press your luck.” She scowled at him, but only to avoid laughing. “Come on. We better explain things to Mrs. H.”

“One thing first.” He gripped her wrist, his eyebrows melting together. “The police here have received anonymous tips about you.”

This time her scowl was real. “I heard.”

“It was your uncle, wasn’t it? What if he’s not going to give up? He’s already got the police watching you.”

“Are they going to arrest me?”

“No. You haven’t done anything illegal in San Azula, no matter what you’ve been accused of elsewhere, but it’s clear you’re under scrutiny.”

“Scrutiny I can handle. I’m not doing anything wrong. Uncle Al won’t intimidate me.” She kissed his forehead. “Come on. Theo and I haven’t been formally introduced.”

Entering the kitchen, they found Theo sitting at the table, his cheeks bulging and only crumbs left on his plate. Mrs. H stooped over him and ladled out a helping of green beans. The boy’s nose wrinkled.

“What’s those?”

“What are those,” she corrected. “They’re green beans, of course.”

“They don’t look much like beans.” He poked at them with a fork. “Beans come in cans, and they’re brown mostly. What sort of food is green?”

“Bless me, child. You mean to say you’ve never eaten fresh vegetables?” Mrs. H put a hand to her heart. “Just down those, and I’ll make up a quick batch of cookies.”

Theo grinned and shoveled the beans into his mouth.

Nyssa slid into the chair across from him.

He stopped eating for a moment to regard her. Dirt smudged his cheeks. “Ellis said I could stay,” he said defensively.

She nodded. “I say you can too. Until we come up with a better situation for you, anyway.”

Ellis wheeled to his side of the table as Mrs. H returned to the cupboards. Soon the room smelled of creamed butter and sugar.

“So how old are you?” Nyssa asked.

Theo shrugged. “Old enough, I guess. No one’s really counting. The food here’s really good. I want to stay.”

“And you can,” Nyssa assured him. She winked at Ellis. “My friend is very persuasive.”

Ellis smiled.

Theo swallowed the last bite of green beans and eyed Mrs. H. “You said something about cookies?”

Mrs. H chuckled. “It’ll be a bit longer. Miss Nyssa, why don’t you take the boy to clean up? By the time he’s scrubbed the grime off his cheeks, the cookies will be about done.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Ellis volunteered. “Nyss, could you set up a place for him to sleep? The sofa in the sitting room should do for now.”

“Of course,” Nyssa agreed. The sitting room was on the second story, and while they’d devised a track system that could get Ellis’s chair up the stairs if need be, it was slow and prone to jerks.

Nyssa watched Ellis lead Theo out of the room.

I don’t know the first thing about taking care of a kid, but Ellis is right. Any kid deserves better than a life on the streets.

Chapter Five

Nyssa hurried downstairs the next morning to find Theo and Ellis chatting over breakfast. The boy still wore his shabby, over-sized coat, but his face was now scrubbed clean and rosy pink.

Mrs. H looked up from the stove. “Oh, Miss Nyssa, I’m glad you made it down before this young fellow ate all the pancakes. He’s devoured three platefuls and is eyeing the ones I set aside for you.”

Nyssa glanced at the child. He seemed to swim in his clothes.

Being hungry is the worst.

“He can have the pancakes,” she said. “I’d just like a strong cup of tea and a piece of toast.”

Mrs. H clicked her tongue. “No wonder you stay so thin. Don’t starve yourself, young lady. Ask Master Ellis. He’ll tell you, men like some weight on a woman.”

“Nyss has better