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Page 6 of Small Town Hero

T he twins, escorted through airport security by a cheerful flight attendant, scanned the waiting crowd with wide eyes, their grins expectant and full of a delight that made Ian’s heart skip several beats.

He extended his arms, and Mabel and Vivian raced toward him, their blonde curls bobbing around their bright faces and their matching pink backpacks bouncing with every step.

“Daddy!” they chorused as he bent to gather them close.

He kissed the tops of their heads and blinked back the tears brimming in his eyes while they clung to him, their arms circling his waist.

The flight attendant, an attractive middle-aged woman with bright red hair, smiled as she took in the happy reunion.

“It’s obvious that you’re Ian McKenzie,” she said, after consulting the screen of her smartphone, “but I still need to see your identification. Company policy.”

Ian nodded. Smiled.

It took some maneuvering to get his wallet out of his back pocket, with both his daughters still holding on to him as though he were a life raft in the middle of a turbulent sea, but he managed and showed the flight attendant his ID.

Using her phone again, the woman scanned the card quickly, then handed it back. “Thank you, Mr. McKenzie.”

“Thank you,” he replied, “for keeping my daughters safe.”

With that, they parted.

After untangling the girls from his middle, Ian headed for the baggage claim area, holding their hands. “How was the flight?” he asked, feeling so happy that he wasn’t sure the soles of his boots were touching the floor.

“It was looooong,” Mabel replied, gazing up at Ian as she spoke and rolling her bright green eyes.

“Don’t forget to text Mom that we’re here,” Vivian piped up.

Ian stopped, took his phone from the clip on his belt, and obeyed.

Catherine was an exceptional mother, and she would be waiting for confirmation.

She replied almost immediately with a heart emoji and Don’t spoil them, Ian. I’m serious!

Ian sent a thumbs-up and put his phone away.

The twins chattered incessantly as the three of them waited for their suitcases, each expensive-looking bag featuring a different brightly colored Disney princess. And Catherine was worried that he would spoil these kids?

Once they reached the parking area, and the suitcases had been stowed in the bed of Ian’s truck, the girls scrambled into the back seat and immediately fastened their seat belts.

“You didn’t bring Dub?” Mabel asked, clearly disappointed.

Behind the wheel by then, Ian shook his head. “You know dogs shouldn’t be left alone in a vehicle for any length of time. Kids, either. Especially not in Arizona.”

“Yeah,” Vivian said, making a face at her sister, who was her mirror image. “Every year kids and animals die because they got left in a hot car. Keep up , Mabel.”

“That’ll do, girls,” Ian said mildly, starting the truck, shifting into gear and joining the line of cars and other pickups heading for the nearest exit. Argument averted. “Are you hungry?”

“No,” said Mabel.

“We ate on the plane,” clarified Vivian.

“Mom’s new husband is a pilot, so we got to sit in first class,” Mabel added.

Ian smiled to himself. Concentrated on navigating the traffic as they left the airport for the main highway.

Catherine’s new husband.

At one time, that phrase would have stung; now, all he could think about was how glad he was to be with his daughters again, live and in person. FaceTime was a lifesaver, but it couldn’t compete with real time.

As for Catherine, well, he hoped she would be genuinely happy, now that she’d evidently found the right someone.

Ian gave a barely audible sigh. He’d been pretty lonesome, at times, and though he’d dated a few women since the divorce, he hadn’t really connected with any of them.

What would it be like to have a wife again? A true partner and soulmate?

For no reason he could put his finger on, the image of the woman he’d encountered the day before, at the scene of the horse-and-rider accident, bloomed in his mind, vivid and clear.

He hadn’t been scheduled for duty, but Dennis Meyer, who usually teamed up with Marva Hills, had called in sick, so Ian had covered for him.

Her name, Jim Wallis had told him later—after young Tim Boyd was safely transported, admitted to the hospital and receiving treatment—was Susannah Holiday.

She was a beautiful woman, with her athletic figure, dark, shoulder-length hair and blue-violet eyes, and Ian had felt an instant attraction to her.

She’d been brave and compassionate, investigating when she spotted the runaway horse, finding the injured boy and calling for help, sticking around until it arrived.

Ian’s years of experience had taught him that many people wouldn’t have wanted to get involved to the extent Susannah had, not necessarily because they were unkind, but because they were afraid.

A few would even have ignored the signs of trouble and passed right on by, telling themselves that someone else would make the call, administer necessary first aid, etc.

Yes, Susannah Holiday was different. Strong and smart and courageous.

According to Jim, she was in town to look after her sister, Becky Bennet, and niece, Ellie. Further testament of her good character, he supposed, but a woman like Susannah? Well, she would be married, or at least engaged, wouldn’t she?

There was no telling. Ian tuned back in to his daughters’ running commentary on their life in Florida.

For the rest of the drive, he concentrated on following rapid-fire girl talk.

It was hard to believe, Susannah reflected, that she’d been in Copper Ridge for a whole week, though she’d accomplished a lot since she’d arrived—her main computer, SUV and other necessary belongings had been delivered, and the rental car returned.

She’d visited a still-unresponsive Becky again, kept up with her web design projects, and acquired a small house to renovate and resell. Had Becky’s things placed in storage, so that the landlord could let his niece and her husband move in.

It was a lot, even for someone with Susannah’s natural energy.

That was probably why Ellie asked the question she did, that morning, as they cruised the aisles at Home Depot, shopping for necessary paints, tile and vinyl flooring, bathroom fixtures and cabinets—the works.

They would have to wait a few days for everything to arrive, except for the paints, brushes and tarps, which they’d loaded into the back of the SUV.

“Are you going to stay in Copper Ridge for good ?” Ellie asked, as she and Susannah headed back to the renovation project, which was also their temporary residence, the small, run-down, but basically sturdy house Susannah had chosen to fix up and flip. “Is that why you bought the house?”

“I’ve told you, Ellie-girl—I’m staying until I’m not needed anymore,” Susannah replied honestly, reaching over to rest a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. “But for now, consider me a local. You and Nico and I are going to check out of the hotel today and move in here.”

Ellie’s eyes were large and worried. “What if we need you, like, forever ? Mom and me, I mean.”

The question nearly splintered Susannah’s heart. “You won’t,” she replied.

Ellie looked unconvinced. She was thin, and the new clothes Susannah had bought for her looked as though they were a bit too big.

In fact, she reminded Susannah of a little bird forced out of the nest before her wings were strong enough to support her.

“Listen,” Susannah said, giving Ellie what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “You’re going to grow up to be a strong, smart and capable woman. You’ll go to college, work in a field you love, and most likely get married, too, and have children of your own.”

“What about Mom? Suppose she doesn’t get better?”

“She will get better , ” Susannah insisted. “We have to believe that, Ellie. And help her to believe it, too.”

“What good does believing do?”

“You’d be surprised,” Susannah answered, with another smile.

“You’re so strong,” Ellie pointed out, in the tone of a lament. “Mom and I are a couple of Bad Luck Bessies. That’s what Mom says.”

Susannah’s response was just short of steely.

“That’s absolutely not true!” she protested, and for a moment, her fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

“It isn’t about good or bad luck, Ellie—you can be the version of yourself you choose to be!

You just have to decide, make a plan, and stick to it.

” She stopped, drew in a steadying breath.

“It won’t always be easy, but if you don’t give up, you’ll have a good life. ”

The girl’s eyes welled. “We lived in a junky house, and Mom’s been sick, on and off, for as long as I can remember.

I get bullied at school because I don’t have nice clothes and a phone and stuff, like the other kids.

They called me ‘loser’ and they didn’t invite me for sleepovers, because they said I have cooties. ”

Susannah sighed inwardly. It was no wonder Ellie doubted that she and her mom would ever live happy lives. Things had always been so hard for them.

“Frankly, I’m not convinced a kid your age even needs a phone,” Susannah replied.

“And you’re not a loser unless you choose to believe what those mean kids say.

They may have a lot of fancy stuff, and they may be popular now, but if they judge other people like that, they’re the real losers.

Trust me, in this life, what goes around, comes around. ”

Ellie didn’t answer, at least, not verbally. She folded her arms and jutted out her chin.

She could be stubborn, like her mother.

Like her aunt.

“Mom says I should have a phone,” the girl insisted, brow furrowed.

She didn’t seem to be aware of the tears trickling down her cheeks.

“Because there are really bad people out there, and I might need a way to call for help sometime. She’s mad at herself because she thinks she’s bad, too. She said I deserve a better mom.”