An Accidental Woman Read Online Free PDF Page A

something like this to happen—which Poppy couldn’t believe was true. So she urged Micah on with the hitch of her chin toward the road. “You go on. Get this straightened out.” She took the backpack that Missy was already passing to her as the older child moved behind the wheelchair to push. Then she held out an arm to Star, who stood braced against Micah looking forlorn. Poppy had to pat her lap before the child came forward.
    â€œI appreciate this,” Micah murmured. For a moment, he looked at the girls in a startled way that said he was only then beginning to think about consequences.
    â€œThey’re okay,” Poppy assured him. He looked at them a second longer, before returning to the truck. Poppy had Star on her lap by the time the truck was gone, at which point she declared, “Well, we passed that baton smoothly enough.”
    â€œWhat’s a baton?” Missy asked.
    â€œIt’s a thing that kinda looks like a rolled-up magazine. They use them in relay races, where one person runs his part of the race and hands the baton to another person, who then runs the next part. Push me up, Missy.” She worked the wheel with one hand and held Star with the other, leaning around to peer at the smaller child. “Did you guys have breakfast?”
    â€œWe were gonna, then we didn’t have time,” Missy answered from behind.
    â€œDaddy forgot,” Star said.
    â€œDaddy has lots on his mind,” Poppy said, “but I have only you, and besides, you love my kitchen.” She tightened her arm around Star as they rode up the ramp, entered the house, and headed straight for that kitchen. Everything in it was lower and more accessible than in a standard kitchen, from counters and cabinets, to sink and stove, to lazy Susans everywhere. For Poppy, these things were a necessity. The girls saw them as play.
    Poppy was dying to know more about Heather, because the situation was bizarre. But she couldn’t ask the children. Nonchalance was the way to go here.
    So she acted as if nothing were unusual as she popped waffles into the toaster, and as she buttered them and doused them with syrup from the maple crop Micah had produced the spring before, she chatted with the girls about school, about snow, about upcoming Ice Days. Missy chatted back. Star remained quiet, close by Poppy’s side.
    â€œDoin’ okay?” Poppy softly asked the little one from time to time, always getting a nod in return, albeit a solemn one. It didn’t take a genius to know that the child was worried about Heather.
    She’ll be fine, Poppy wanted to say. She’ll be back. This is all a mistake. Your dad will take care of everything.
    But she didn’t say a thing, because she didn’t know a thing. And that irked her. She prided herself on being the pulse of Lake Henry, but she hadn’t seen this one coming. She wondered if anyone had.
    The more she wondered, the more annoyed she grew, because her thoughts moved beyond the simple fact of an arrest. She was adamant in believing that Heather was innocent of what they said. But someone had fingered her. With virtually anyone else, Poppy might have wondered if one ornery Lake Henryite had resented her easy acceptance by the others, but this was Heather. Everyone liked Heather. Even more, they liked Micah, who, though marginally reclusive, was a native, one of their own from the get-go. Heather would have been protected if for no other reason than that she was part of Micah’s life.
    Poppy particularly doubted that the betrayal had been internal, because there had been so many opportunities for others. Three months ago, Lake Henry had been the center of a news event that had focused on Poppy’s own sister, and the media had been all over town. Poppy would put money on the fact that someone from that faction was responsible for this sudden upheaval.
    But she couldn’t say that to the girls, either. So, calmly, she