Chrystal Bones (Finding Home Book 1) by Billie Jo Hanlin Page A

I go home now?"
    "Sure can little man. In fact your mom and uncle are waiting for us just a little bit away. She is going to be happy to see you. She missed you so much and so did your uncle."
    "I know. Mom always misses me." It was said with the total confidence of a boy who knew he was the center of his mom's universe." Blue and Riley shared a glance. Their childhood had been so different from this boy's. No one had been waiting for them.
    The little boy showed no signs of abuse, just neglect from the last seven days. Scotty noticed Blue still standing at the door and just stared at her then blurted out, "Wow, you look like an elf. Are you an elf? I watch Lord of the Rings all the time."
    "No sweetie. I'm not an Elf."
    “You are really pretty." Afraid he had hurt Riley's feelings he told her, "You’re pretty too." Riley smiled and picked him up, even though he was almost as tall as she was, ignoring the stink coming from his unwashed body.
    "Do you like cats?" she asked carrying him out of the house to the Jeep.
    He nodded with his head on her shoulder, "We have three and one is about to have babies. Mom says they have to stay in the stables. I sneaked one up to my room and mom made me take it back to the stables.”
    "Well, we have a really big cat in the jeep. In fact he's a tiger but he won't hurt you, I promise. He likes little boys." Scotty’s eyes got really big before he squirmed to get down, "I want to see." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along as fast as his legs would carry him.
    Blue had let Leo out of the jeep and the big cat was sitting next to her. Scotty knew from living on a ranch not to run up to any strange animal so he slowed down. The excitement in his eyes was fun to see. Blue knelt down and with one hand on the tiger’s neck she introduced him to the boy. That was all it took.
    Showing no fear at all, Scotty pet and hugged Leo. “Wow. Oh wow. A real tiger. How did you get a real tiger? Can I have one?” The questions poured out of him in one breath.
    "Time to go little man. You can pet him in the Jeep,” Riley said. Scotty was in heaven. He was going home and he got to pet a tiger. He couldn't wait to tell his mom and uncle.
    Fifteen minutes later Blue pulled off into a clearing on the side of the road large enough for the helicopter to land. Riley called Cole and told him where he could find them. He was close so it would not be long. Scotty’s eyes had closed and he had fallen asleep again. Riley looked worriedly at Blue, "A boy his age should not be sleeping this much."
    "I know. I am pretty sure he was given sleeping pills to keep him quite. I saw an empty package of them in the house. He'll be ok,” Blue replied.
    The noise from the helicopter was loud enough to hear it coming from a mile away. Blue stepped out of the jeep and made sure her sunglasses were in place. It was easy enough to pass them off as a sensitivity to the sunlight, weak as it was.
    The helicopter landed at the same time two cars pulled into the clearing. Crap, that’s all we need an audience, she thought. A man stepped out of the first car and glanced towards the helicopter. He gave a two fingered salute before climbing into the passenger seat of the second car. The car pulled back onto the road and left.
    Before the rotors could stop on the helicopter Janie was out and running toward them, followed closely by Cole and Jake. And...... It just gets better and better , Blue thought. She was about to meet Jake after years of avoiding it.
    Riley opened the passenger door of the jeep and lifted Scotty out. She handed him to his weeping mother and felt like shedding a few tears herself. Cole wrapped his arms around both of them and stared at Riley. He said, "I don't know how you found him and I don't care. If you ever need anything from us all you have to do is ask." He then turned his attention back to Scotty and Janie.
    Riley looked at Jake expecting him to be watching the happy family reunion but he was not watching