Chapter Three
“You precious baby. Precious, precious girl,” an unfamiliar voice cooed above Thea. “Come with your Auntie Mel and we’ll clean you right up.”
The warm but very smelly burden she had been holding was lifted out of her arms. Thea tried to open her eyes and protest, but couldn’t manage it.
“Bailey?” she said, but it came out garbled. She couldn’t get her mouth to operate properly either.
“I think she rescued it somewhere along the way.” That was Jake’s voice. “She wasn’t making much sense.”
“Well it’s no wonder.” And that was Grace. Thea smiled. At last. Now she knew she’d made it home. When soft cool fingers stroked her forehead, Thea finally slid into a dreamless, untroubled sleep.
*****
It was the rumble of her empty stomach that finally woke her. For a while she blink
