don’t know who my mother was. So maybe they’re the same person.”
“Oh, Cody.” Brenda sighed and glanced at Kim as if seeking assistance. “He doesn’t seem to understand the passage of time the way we do. Evidently Pete Roberts mentioned to Cody that everyone has a mother, so now we’ve got this huge issue to deal with.”
Kim set the pot holders on the counter. “Cody, did your daddy tell you anything at all about your mother? Ever?”
He shook his head. “He just said when men disappear, no one comes looking.”
“Well, I’m sure your father thought he was telling you the truth, but I’m afraid he was wrong. Derek looks for missing men quite often.”
“Derek is Officer Finley,” Cody stated. “He found the drowned lady.”
“Sometimes people do get lost, Cody,” Kim said gently. “And then the police, the Highway Patrol, the Water Patrol, and lots of others start looking for them. Men and women get lost. Children too. People search for the lost ones until they’re found.”
“But does anyone ever get lost and then nobody goes looking for them?”
“Once in a while. No one has mentioned missing a woman near the lake, for example. So that’s why this particular drowning case has been in the newspaper a lot.”
“I am missing a woman,” he said firmly. “I am missing a mother.”
“But you have Brenda. And what about Esther and Patsy? Those women look after you and love you just like a mother would. You have me, too, Cody. I care about you very much. So do Ashley Hanes and Opal and all the members of the TLC.”
“But you’re not my mother. None of those ladies is my mother. Everyone here has a real, true family. Everyone but me. What if I have a sister? Or maybe a brother? Or an aunt or uncle?”
“I don’t know. Maybe someone at some point could help search to find out if you have any relatives.”
“Which someone at which point?”
“I could do it,” Miranda offered. She had been leaning against the kitchen doorway, one of the living room’s lace curtains in her arms. “I traced my husband’s genealogy all the way back to Ireland in the 16 00s. And I’ve followed my own family to the Civil War. It gets rather complicated there, but I’m not giving up. I’m actually quite good at finding people’s relatives.”
Kim and Brenda both turned to Miranda and stared at her. Hardly knowing how to respond, Kim watched in astonishment as Cody threw his arms around Miranda.
“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t know who you are yet, but you must be a Christian, because only a Christian would help somebody find their relatives.”
Miranda stiffened and carefully detached Cody from her neck. “I am not a Christian,” she told him. “I believe that many paths lead to God—Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, even paganism. I’m proud to say that I’ve looked into just about every world religion that is now practiced or ever existed in the past, and I’m convinced there can be any number of roads toward divinity.”
Cody looked at Brenda, his eyes blinking in wonderment. “Did you hear that? She’s not a Christian. What’s her name?”
“My name is Miranda Finley,” the woman herself answered. “I’m Officer Derek Finley’s mother. We met the day I arrived—by the lake.”
Gaping, Cody eyed her in silence for a moment. “Only a Christian would give you chocolate cake,” he murmured.
“That’s not true, young man. There are plenty of good, caring people in the world, and not all of them are Christians. I would give you chocolate cake.”
“Right now?” he asked, brightening.
“No. But if I made some cake, I would share it with you. I’m a very nice person, and I’m not a Christian. I’m not even particularly fond of Christians, truth be told. They’re pushy.”
Miranda’s eyes focused on Kim for an instant; then she trained them on Cody again. “Now then, you need to be quiet while Brenda, Kim, and I chat.”
“But what about my
“Oh, Cody.” Brenda sighed and glanced at Kim as if seeking assistance. “He doesn’t seem to understand the passage of time the way we do. Evidently Pete Roberts mentioned to Cody that everyone has a mother, so now we’ve got this huge issue to deal with.”
Kim set the pot holders on the counter. “Cody, did your daddy tell you anything at all about your mother? Ever?”
He shook his head. “He just said when men disappear, no one comes looking.”
“Well, I’m sure your father thought he was telling you the truth, but I’m afraid he was wrong. Derek looks for missing men quite often.”
“Derek is Officer Finley,” Cody stated. “He found the drowned lady.”
“Sometimes people do get lost, Cody,” Kim said gently. “And then the police, the Highway Patrol, the Water Patrol, and lots of others start looking for them. Men and women get lost. Children too. People search for the lost ones until they’re found.”
“But does anyone ever get lost and then nobody goes looking for them?”
“Once in a while. No one has mentioned missing a woman near the lake, for example. So that’s why this particular drowning case has been in the newspaper a lot.”
“I am missing a woman,” he said firmly. “I am missing a mother.”
“But you have Brenda. And what about Esther and Patsy? Those women look after you and love you just like a mother would. You have me, too, Cody. I care about you very much. So do Ashley Hanes and Opal and all the members of the TLC.”
“But you’re not my mother. None of those ladies is my mother. Everyone here has a real, true family. Everyone but me. What if I have a sister? Or maybe a brother? Or an aunt or uncle?”
“I don’t know. Maybe someone at some point could help search to find out if you have any relatives.”
“Which someone at which point?”
“I could do it,” Miranda offered. She had been leaning against the kitchen doorway, one of the living room’s lace curtains in her arms. “I traced my husband’s genealogy all the way back to Ireland in the 16 00s. And I’ve followed my own family to the Civil War. It gets rather complicated there, but I’m not giving up. I’m actually quite good at finding people’s relatives.”
Kim and Brenda both turned to Miranda and stared at her. Hardly knowing how to respond, Kim watched in astonishment as Cody threw his arms around Miranda.
“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t know who you are yet, but you must be a Christian, because only a Christian would help somebody find their relatives.”
Miranda stiffened and carefully detached Cody from her neck. “I am not a Christian,” she told him. “I believe that many paths lead to God—Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, even paganism. I’m proud to say that I’ve looked into just about every world religion that is now practiced or ever existed in the past, and I’m convinced there can be any number of roads toward divinity.”
Cody looked at Brenda, his eyes blinking in wonderment. “Did you hear that? She’s not a Christian. What’s her name?”
“My name is Miranda Finley,” the woman herself answered. “I’m Officer Derek Finley’s mother. We met the day I arrived—by the lake.”
Gaping, Cody eyed her in silence for a moment. “Only a Christian would give you chocolate cake,” he murmured.
“That’s not true, young man. There are plenty of good, caring people in the world, and not all of them are Christians. I would give you chocolate cake.”
“Right now?” he asked, brightening.
“No. But if I made some cake, I would share it with you. I’m a very nice person, and I’m not a Christian. I’m not even particularly fond of Christians, truth be told. They’re pushy.”
Miranda’s eyes focused on Kim for an instant; then she trained them on Cody again. “Now then, you need to be quiet while Brenda, Kim, and I chat.”
“But what about my
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