When Mercy Rains Read Online Free PDF Page B

here now.”
    Perhaps he recognized the challenge she’d injected in her simple reply, because he gave a nod and his expression softened. “Yes, you are.”
    Alexa, who’d stood silently by and shifted from foot to foot during the brief exchange, now bolted forward. “Hello.” Her greeting whooshed out breathlessly. She took his hand and shook it, her smile growing broader with every pump. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”
    Clete nodded, his gaze zipping back and forth between Suzanne and Alexa. “Yes. Yes, of course it is. Um …” He withdrew his hand and scratched behind his ear, his confused glance landing on Suzanne. “Who is this?”
    Befuddlement pursed Alexa’s face. “Who else would I be? I’m—”
    Suzanne slipped her arm around Alexa’s waist. “This is my daughter, Alexa.”

    Alexa
    Surprise widened her uncle’s eyes, but as quickly as his startled expression formed, it disappeared, leaving Alexa wondering if she’d seen it at all. He reached for her, and she allowed him to tug her against his broad chest.
    For years she’d anticipated this moment—being welcomed into a large circle of family instead of being the only child of a single mother. But now that her uncle’s arms held her in what she could only define as an uncomfortable embrace, all the wonderful images of reunion she’d conjured faded. She pushed lightly against his chest, and his arms dropped.
    He ducked his head briefly, as if collecting himself, and then he aimed a wobbly smile at Mom. “We’d better get your luggage.”
    Alexa darted ahead, needing to gather her thoughts. She searched for a positive aspect to the situation. In moments her ready imagination served up a plausible scenario. Mom hadn’t told her family she’d be bringing her daughter along. After all, they’d asked her to come to nurse Grandmother. They probably assumed Alexa had responsibilities keeping her in Indiana. So her arrival caught them by surprise. That would explain Uncle Clete’s confusion.
    She glanced over her shoulder, noting the firm line of her uncle’s mouth. Mom appeared equally grim. Although he and Mom hadn’t seen each other in two decades, they walked side by side in a tense silence. Shouldn’t they be speaking over the top of each other in their eagerness to catch up on their lives? Unease sent a tingle down her spine. Something was wrong.
    Most of the passengers had already claimed their luggage, so only a few bags remained on the slow-moving conveyor belt. Alexa snagged Mom’s black bag and her own green-with-orange-polka-dots one. To her dismay the brand-new upright cases, purchased especially for their trip to Kansas, bore oil stains and scuff marks. Their damaged appearance too closely emulated the marred expectations of meeting her family for the first time.
    Uncle Clete stepped forward and reached for the bags. “I’ll get those. I left my truck in short-term parking, so we won’t have a long walk. This way.” He spoke kindly yet impersonally, the way one might address a stranger.
    His tone raised a prickle of resentment. She followed her uncle from the terminal into a cool early evening. The leftover scent of a recent rain filled her nostrils, and she breathed deeply, willing the fresh essence to chase away the unwelcome emotion.
    Mom often berated her to act her age, and now Alexa gave herself the same admonition. To expect instant affection was childish and whimsical. She and her uncle were strangers. After twenty years apart, he and Mom probably felt like strangers, too. Alexa would allow a few days for everyone to settle in and get comfortable. They just needed a little time.
    Beside her, Mom shivered, and Alexa automatically slipped her arm around Mom’s waist. Mom shot her an appreciative smile, and Alexa answered it with a bold wink. Poor Mom … She looked exhausted. She’d worked all night, honoring her responsibility to the hospital right up to the last minute, then traveled all day. Her