took his seat. “Okay, Darlene, let’s get this straight. You want Mr. Johnson to take care of Dusty until you can get out of prison.”
“I do, but he never said anything. Dustin gets government assistance and Mr. Johnson can get that.”
Rico cleared his throat. “I’ll keep him, but I don’t want any money.”
“Now I know you’re a good guy.
“The warden is indicating that I need to get off the phone. Take good care of my baby, Mr. Johnson. I trust you and when I get out this time I’m going to stay clean.”
“For Dustin’s sake, I hope you do.”
The line went dead and the three people left in the room stared at each other. Ms. Henshaw was the first to speak. “Mr. Johnson, I’ll be at your home tomorrow morning at nine to see where Dustin will be living. He’s in school for most of the day and I expect you to get him there and pick him up.”
“No problem. But nine o’clock in the morning isn’t going to work. I have to get Dustin to school and go to work. I can meet you about six in the evening.”
“I’ll rearrange my schedule to make sure this little boy is placed where he will be happy and safe.” Ms. Henshaw gathered her briefcase and purse and left the room.
Wyatt glanced at Rico. “You work long hours on the ranch. How are you going to make this work?”
“I know a pretty lady who’s going to help me.” He tried hard not to smile.
“Anamarie. You won’t find anyone nicer than her and I hope it works out for you.”
“Thanks, Wyatt.” He paused for a moment. “What about arrangements for Wendy Miller?”
Wyatt shrugged. “Fred from the funeral home called and the body will be ready tomorrow morning. He’s wondering how he’s going to get his money. I told him he would have first claim after her estate is settled. There won’t be much. The sale of the house will more than pay for her funeral and maybe some left over for Dustin.”
“Maybe it would give Darlene a new start.”
“We can hope. But with the sister in town I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Wyatt waved a hand. “Anyway, that’s another story. I’ll have Stuart go through Mrs. Miller’s papers. Maybe he can find a will and then everything will be simple.”
“Yeah, right.” He heard Wyatt laugh as he left the room.
It was refreshing to see Anamarie’s pretty face, even if she was frowning.
“No, no, no!” Dusty shouted, burying his face in Anamarie’s chest as Connie attempted to talk to him.
“I’m your aunt,” Connie kept on. “I just want to get to know you.”
“Nooo!” Dusty wailed.
“No means no, Ms. Grimes,” Rico said with a bite in his voice.
“Now listen here—”
Dusty scrambled from Anamarie’s lap and ran to Rico. With Dusty in his arms, they walked out of the office.
“I don’t want to go with her!” Dusty cried.
Rico patted his back. “It’s okay, buddy. You’re going home with me...and Anamarie.” He looked over at her and her smile was everything he wanted to see.
ANAMARIE MARVELED AT Rico’s gentle nature with Dusty. He eased all of the little boy’s fears. And somehow he eased hers, too.
He slid into the driver’s seat, his hands on the steering wheel. “It’s getting late so how about if we go to Temple and have supper?”
“Sounds great,” she said with a slight smile. “I really don’t mind cooking. I don’t know why I said that.”
“No cooking. Right, Dusty?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Where do you want to go?” Rico asked her.
She had hoped that he would choose a place, but he probably didn’t go out all that much and didn’t know of any restaurants in Temple.
“Pizza,” Dusty shouted from the back seat.
“Anamarie gets to choose.”
“Why?” Dustin wanted to know.
“Because she’s a girl and we always let girls go first.”
“Oh.” Clearly Dusty was baffled by the answer.
“There’s a nice Italian restaurant that I used to go to with Angie and Rachel and it has a kiddie menu. It was Angie’s way of getting me out of the bakery and the food was delicious.”
“Pizza it is then.”
Excitement ran through her veins at the light in his dark eyes; her first date with a dark, mysterious stranger. Except he wasn’t a stranger. He was the man of her dreams and the man she wanted to share her life with. They’d talked enough and it was time to take their relationship further. It was long overdue.
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