appearance than taking care of her child, when in fact she’d gone in there because she knew she was going to start crying again, and she didn’t want Luke to see that. His witnessing the latest argument was bad enough.
“I didn’t mean to make you mad,” Luke said.
“You didn’t. You scared me, too.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Promise me you’ll never do that again.”
The boy studied the well-muddied sneakers that had been nearly new when he’d put them on this morning. “I promise.” He looked up. “Could I play with the dog a little?”
Alyssa glanced at Hayley. “He’s welcome to for a few minutes,” the woman said. “But we won’t take up residence, I assure you.”
Alyssa smiled. She could like this woman.
Luke looked at Drew. For an instant Alyssa wondered if he’d withhold the threat to punish the boy. But even as she thought it she discarded it as unfair. Drew was stern, perhaps, stricter than she, but he wasn’t mean.
“For a few minutes,” he said.
Luke darted off with Cutter at his heels. As they went the dog looked back over his shoulder at his people, and Alyssa had the oddest feeling the glance was making them uncomfortable. Even the impressive Quinn, who was reminding her more of Drew with every silent moment.
“He certainly messed up those new shoes,” Alyssa said, her adrenaline-fueled relief finally ebbing and leaving her a bit shaky.
“He’s a boy,” Drew said. “It’ll happen.”
Drew had never worried much about that, either, at least, not like she did. He didn’t like waste, but he didn’t consider normal boy wear and tear on things waste. She’d been afraid of the cost of things when they’d first settled in here, he could be so intimidating, but it had been clear from the beginning that Luke was his soft spot.
“I’m a little confused,” Quinn said, looking at Drew. It was the first time he’d spoken in some time, and as Drew turned to look at the man Alyssa could see the assessing going on. It always happened with Drew, that quiet appraisal. She would have put it down to some primal male thing, except that he did it with women too, in a non-sexual way. It was one of the many, many ways he differed from Doug, who had taken pride in never judging anyone.
Of course, in the end he’d paid the ultimate price for that lack of judgment.
“Luke said his mom is his mom, and called you his dad, but said you’re really his uncle,” Quinn said.
“None of our business, honey,” Hayley said softly.
“If it’s true, no. But if Luke ran away because something more than a family spat is going on, then—”
“Oh, no,” Alyssa exclaimed. “No, you mustn’t think that! Drew would never, ever hurt Luke.”
“It’s all right, Lyss.”
Drew had apparently drawn his conclusion about Quinn Foxworth because he nodded in approval. And he met Quinn’s gaze head on.
“I appreciate your concern. Alyssa and I are married, but Luke is my nephew, technically.”
“And you’re raising him.”
“Yes. I’m the only father he’s ever known. My brother sure as hell wasn’t up to the task.”
And there it was again. Alyssa felt the old, familiar jab of pain at the cold, dismissive tone in his voice as he spoke of his brother. It was always there, it seemed, just sometimes closer to the surface, as it had been this morning, sparking the argument that had sent Luke running.
“Drew, please, not now,” she said softly, looking over to where Luke was romping with the dog, who now seemed nothing more than the perfect child’s companion.
His jaw tightened, but with a glance in the same direction, he nodded. His tone was neutral when he turned back to the pair before him. “Thank you for bringing him home.”
“Thank Cutter,” Hayley said. “He found him.” She looked at Alyssa. “He was very cautious, your Luke. Said you told him people sometimes use animals to lure kids.”
“For all the good it apparently did,” she answered wryly.
“Oh, it did,” Quinn assured her. She appreciated that. “He wasn’t about to let either of us near him. That’s why we had Cutter backtrack him here. That interested him enough to get him to come home.”
Drew glanced once more at the boy and dog, who were rolling around on wet grass as if it were a warm, sunny day. “That must be some dog.”
Hayley laughed. “We could tell you stories. But now, I think we should leave you to...resolve this.”
Drew nodded. “We need to talk to him some more.”
“Don’t you need to get back to work?” Alyssa asked.
“This is more important,” Drew said, and started across the yard to collect Luke.
“Nice that he puts that first,” Hayley said, sounding as if she were making an effort to be noncommittal.
“He always puts Luke first,” Alyssa said.
That was our deal, after all, she thought. And Drew kept it. Of course he did, he was Drew.
She’d made the best bargain she could, at the time. Her choices had brought them to the brink of disaster, and Drew had saved them. He’d promised them safety, a home, and to love and care for Luke as if he were his own. And he’d delivered on every one of those promises. Unlike his brother, Drew Kiley’s word was his bond, and he lived up to it.
And if things had changed, if she had changed since then, it wasn’t Drew’s fault. It was hers.
As usual.
Chapter 3
“That has got to be an interesting household,” Quinn said as they walked back to the park, taking the same shortcut through the trees, since Drew had told them it was a good mile if they went by road. Plus it offered some protection from the suddenly increased rain.
“Indeed,” Hayley said, looking back to be sure the reluctant Cutter was actually with them. The dog had been very hesitant about leaving his new playmate. “But Luke wasn’t scared. Of either of them.”
That had been her first fear, that the boy had run away to escape some kind of abuse. But the way he’d been with his mother, and his...uncle, had clearly negated that idea.
“No. Nervous about being in trouble, but not scared.” Quinn grimaced. “No love lost between those brothers, though.”
“No. Even with one of them dead. Sad.”
“He’s doing the right thing.”
“Drew?
