On her good days she felt like she’d made a lot of progress since she’d come home, but she couldn’t kid herself: she was gun-shy and with good reason. Besides, he wasn’t her type. She tended to date lawyers and bankers, men who wore suits and read the stock report. She wasn’t a snob; she just found that she enjoyed dating men who had similar goals and interests, ambitious men who understood her own drive and dedication to her career. Tyler Jackson was a small-town shopkeeper and single dad who drove a minivan, of all things. So if she couldn’t take her eyes off of him, it was just because she was trying to figure him out. That’s all.
Kevin stood up abruptly, nearly knocking his soda over in the process. She grabbed the cup as he waved at someone behind her. Turning, she spotted his foster parents walking through the door. She’d called earlier and arranged for them to pick up the boy here. Tyler followed her gaze and then stood, offering his seat to a tired-looking Mrs. Cunningham.
“You must be the Cunninghams. I’m Tyler. Can I get you anything? A cold drink, or some ice cream?”
“No, thank you, but we won’t be staying. I’ve got dinner to make still, and need to be getting home. I would have stayed in the car, but I wanted to thank you personally, and apologize on behalf of Kevin for what he did. My husband and I were so upset when we found out. I still don’t know what got into him...”
“Now, Nora, let’s not get into it again. What’s done is done. If Mr. Jackson here can see past things, I suppose we can, too.” He held out a grizzled, arthritic hand to Tyler. “I’m Tom Cunningham. Nora and I appreciate the time you’re spending with Kevin. We adore him, but two old people like us aren’t much fun, I’m afraid.” He turned to Kevin. “Ready to go?”
“Yes, sir.” He shoved the last bite of his chocolate-waffle cone in his mouth and swallowed. “’Bye, Dani. ’Bye, Tyler. See you next week?”
Tyler nodded. “You bet.”
“And can Dani come again?”
Uh-oh. That hadn’t been part of the plan. She looked at Tyler, who nodded good-naturedly. “Um, sure, I guess. If that’s what you want.”
“Cool. ’Bye!”
Dani sighed, and sank back into her chair. “Well, that was quite the day. Sorry about him inviting me along for next time. I didn’t know he was going to do that.”
Tyler sat beside her and took a sip of his drink. “It’s fine. Having his energy level back up can only be a good thing.”
“Good point.” She sobered. “Speaking of which, I’m starting to worry he’s too much for the Cunninghams. They’ve done foster care for a long time, but they look more tired than I remember. More...well, old. I’m not sure how much longer they’re going to be able to do this.”
Tyler frowned. “I don’t know what they were like before, but given how energetic kids Kevin’s age are, I understand what you mean. I’d hate for him to have to move to yet another foster home, but it might be inevitable.”
Dani’s stomach clenched, the ice cream that had seemed such a good idea earlier now a cold weight in her gut. “I just want to make things easier for him, you know? But I have no idea how—I couldn’t even schedule an outing without upsetting him.”
Tyler reached across the table, laying his hand on hers. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. You were trying, and he knows that. That’s what counts. That’s what he needs, people that care enough to try.”
Her hand tingled, a warm feeling where his skin touched hers. Tugging it back, she fisted her hands in her lap. “I just wish I could do more, something to really help him.”
“Well, if you mean that, you could talk to his case worker about getting him some counseling. A therapist could help him work through his feelings about his mom, and help him with any transitions that might come up.”
Hell, why hadn’t she thought of that? “You’re right. I’ll call her as soon as I get home, and see what she can set up. I’ll drive him myself to the appointments if need be. Thanks. I’ll call you and let you know how it turns out.” Finally, she had something concrete to do. Just knowing she had a plan chased away a bit of the restlessness that had been plaguing her. Grabbing her purse, she started for the door, feeling more confident than she had since this whole thing started. Funny how the man she’d been convinced was ruining Kevin’s life just a few days ago was the one giving her an insight into how to help him. Remembering how she’d treated him at the park that day, she felt her cheeks heat. She never had apologized for that. She stopped, her hand on the door, and turned back to him.
“Listen, about the other day... I’m sorry if I jumped to conclusions about you. I just—”
“You just wanted to protect Kevin. I get that.” He smiled. “I don’t want to be your enemy, Dani. I just want to do what’s right.”
“I believe you.” Which was somehow sexier than a power suit or a fast car. Who’d have guessed?
Dani knocked on the door of the Cunninghams’ small but well-built home and waited. The couple had called earlier, asking to meet, and she’d skipped lunch in order to stop by. The house itself was in one of Paradise’s older neighborhoods, built in an old Florida style with stucco exteriors and large windows to take advantage of the sea breeze. Most had well-kept yards, but a few weeds were beginning to take over the flower bed around the Cunninghams’ mailbox, and the paint was peeling on the door. Small things, but it made her wonder again about their health.
Muffled footsteps from inside were followed by the creak of the door opening. “Dani, thank you for coming so quickly.” Mrs. Cunningham waved her in, and then led her into the kitchen. “Have a seat and I’ll get us some iced tea.”
Dani sat at a scarred wooden table, where a bowl of fresh-cut gardenia blossoms floated in water. “Gardenias are my favorite flower. My parents have a big bush that grows right under my old bedroom window. I used to love falling asleep with that smell in the air.”
“They do make the house smell good, don’t they? Kevin picked those for me yesterday. He’s such a sweet boy.” She set down a full glass of amber tea, condensation already forming on the side. “Full of energy, though. The poor bush looks half-scalped now.” She sat, sighing as she did so. “But his heart is in the right place, I think.”
“I agree. But after a day with him yesterday, I know what you mean. I imagine that’s normal, though, for a boy his age.”
“Oh, it is. We’ve had fifteen different foster children over the years, plus our own kids, of course, and they all have more energy than sense at times. Kevin’s no different. The problem isn’t Kevin, it’s us.” She folded her hands in front of her, and grimaced. “The truth of the matter is, I’m getting old. No, I am old. And so is my husband, even if he won’t admit it. We’ve both got some health issues, nothing too serious, but I’m probably going to need a knee replacement sooner rather than later. And Tom’s blood pressure is getting harder to control. The doctor says he has to start taking it easy or he’s going to end up having a heart attack one day.”
Hearing her suspicions stated out loud made the sweet tea sour in her mouth. “I’m so sorry. Is there something I can do?”
The
