Silent Night, Star-Lit Night (Second Chance at Star Inn)(14)

Such sweet, old-fashioned names. Mia smiled at the kids as Jude reached up. “Charlie went up the hill for this?” Eyes wide, she accepted the bag and tucked it onto her lap. “In the storm?”

“I think he’s sweet on you,” Reggie teased. “I’ve been married thirty-three years, and I can promise you that Thomas Jackson would not be hiking up Outlook Hill to fetch me a knitting bag.”

“Charlie’s got a good heart, don’t he?”

“He does.” Reggie stretched out a hand to the kids. “You guys hungry? Miss Angel has sent food from the inn.”

They ignored her and edged closer to their great-grandmother, if such a thing was possible.

Their clothes were thin and stained. Their eyes, one set blue, one set brown, held questions with no answers. A few more people came in.

The kids darted a look that way, almost hopeful, then sank back against Jude, as if defeated.

They weren’t cold, they didn’t want food, and they weren’t hurt.

They were sad.

Mia knew it because she’d seen a similar expression looking back at her each morning. And then she’d put a happy face in place and get about her day.

“I love checkers.” She spotted the game across the room and retrieved it, then settled back down, close to the kids, but not too close. “I taught myself to play all by myself when I was little because I didn’t have anyone to play with. So I played the black side and the red side. Some folks thought it was silly, but hey.” She smiled at the set-up board, then the children. “I was guaranteed a win. Sometimes we have to make the happy moments creep in around us.”

She began playing both sides.

The kids watched. The old woman did, too, as if relieved that someone was doing something with the kids. In five minutes, Mia had cleared the board for the red and declared herself the victor. Deftly she set up a new game, as if she couldn’t wait to play herself again, and as she did, Brad . . . a boy about six . . . leaned forward.

She reached out to make the first move, then paused, hand raised. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before!”

The boy lifted surprised brows. “Of what?”

She’d gotten him to talk and Mia considered that a victory. “You.”

He looked even more surprised, but maybe a little pleased, too.

“Do you play checkers?”

He made a face. “I’m not very good, I don’t think.”

“So I might beat you or you might beat me.”

Her logic brightened his expression. “I guess.”

“Well.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Mia and I’d love it if you would play a game with me.”

“For real?”

“For absolutely real, my friend. Playing with someone else is always more fun than on your own, don’t you think?”

He looked uncertain, then shrugged. “I think you’re right.”

“Perfect. Would you like to be black or red?”

“Black.”

“You’re on.”

The little girl watched wide-eyed as they played, and by game three she was cheering her brother on. When the old woman’s eyes began to drift closed, Mia touched her on the arm. “If you’d like to rest in the cot room, I’ll take care of these guys.”

“I couldn’t.” She offered the protest as exhaustion dragged the words.

“Sure you can.” Reggie came their way with another woman, about forty years old. “Susan can get you settled, Jude, and I think everything will look a little better once you’ve had a chance to sleep.”

The old woman stood, then turned back to Mia. “You’ll be okay with Ivy and Brad?”

More than okay, Mia decided. “We’ll be fine. And I happen to know that Angel is heading this way in an hour or so with some of the famous Star Inn cookies. I expect these guys would enjoy a cookie break about then, wouldn’t you?”

“I love cookies!” Brad’s enthusiasm made other people in the room smile. “I love them the most. Ivy likes some cookies.” He aimed a quiet look of concern toward his younger sister. “And some she doesn’t.”

“Well, then we’ll see, won’t we? We can test them when they arrive and draw our conclusions from that, just like a great science experiment.”

“A spearmint?” Ivy’s eyes rounded. “I fink I don’t like spearmints.”

The bungled word made Mia smile. “I promise. No spearmint cookies for you, Miss Ivy. Hey, would you like to play my side with me? You can move my checkers.”

Ivy looked from the board to Mia. “All by myself?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Two of the cutest, deepest dimples flashed in Ivy’s Precious Moments cheeks. “Yes, pwease.” She started by sitting next to Mia, but within three turns Ivy switched to sitting in the little space left of Mia’s lap, perched on her knees.

As their game progressed, the door swung open in the hallway beyond the playroom, multiple times. With every telltale squeak, the children’s eyes scanned the playroom door, hopeful. And as people walked through the hallway to the staging center in the gathering hall, the light in the children’s eyes dimmed.

Who were they missing? What were they hoping for?