found us a nice one-bedroom apartment in one of those assisted-living facilities, where I can get some extra help when I have my surgery, and Tom won’t have to do yard work anymore. It’s the right thing for us, but Kevin’s going to take it hard.”
That was an understatement. “I understand. I don’t know what I can do, but I’ll try to make things easier for him. Has he been to the therapist yet? She should know, too.” Dani had spoken with the caseworker just a few days ago about arranging some counseling, but hadn’t heard anything further. Maybe she should have followed up sooner, but her own workload had kept her busy since then.
“He has an appointment tomorrow after school with someone the social worker recommended. Thank you, by the way, for suggesting it. I should have thought of it myself, but lately it’s been all I can do to keep track of my own doctor visits.”
“I’m glad they were able to find someone for him. You’ll want to tell whoever he sees about this, so they can help him deal with it. They have the training for this kind of thing.”
“Of course, and we will. But Kevin’s really taken with you. He talks about you all the time. I think he looks up to you, what with being a lawyer and having that fancy car. He’ll get whatever counseling he needs, but he’s going to need a friend, too. And I’d just feel better about this whole thing if I knew you’d be keeping an eye on him.” She quickly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I don’t mind telling you that I feel sick about this. If it was just me, I’d manage. But Tom’s had some chest pains, and—”
“And you have to take care of yourselves. You can’t risk your health... What would happen to Kevin then? He’d still have to move to a new family, and he’d be worried sick about you. No, you have to follow the doctor’s orders. Kevin will be okay.” She tried to project confidence, but worry was already worming its way through her mind. How would Kevin handle yet another move? Would he act out again? He was still on probation; he couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes. And would the new family support him, or would he be labeled a troublemaker and a thief? Mind whirling, she stood to go. She’d get back to the office, make some calls and talk to his social worker. If there was a way to make this easier on him, she’d do it. Not just because it was her job as his guardian ad litem, but also because she wasn’t going to be able to sleep at night if she didn’t.
* * *
Owning a toy store didn’t sound like a physical job, but when crates of wooden blocks and assorted toys needed to be carried around it sure felt like one. Grunting, Tyler lifted the last box of new inventory, feeling his biceps burn. Or course, he could have opened the big box in the storeroom and then carried the individual packages of blocks to the shelf one at a time, but that would have taken forever. And he still had the ego of a twenty-year-old, if not the back of one. Pushing thirty and some days it felt like fifty, but the work got done and that’s what mattered.
Lugging the load to the display shelves, he heard the bell signaling a customer had come in. Usually they were slow between lunch and when school got out, which was why he’d chosen to start stocking the shelves. Now he’d have to stop and hope he could get back to it before he was inundated with elementary-school kids looking to spend their allowance. Oh, well, that’s how it went some days.
“I’ll be right there.” He set down the box with a sigh, then made his way to the sales desk. Waiting for him, her fingers nervously tapping out a rhythm on the counter, was Dani. He hadn’t seen her since Saturday, and hadn’t expected to until the next outing with Kevin. Not that he minded the unexpected visit. A beautiful woman was welcome anytime, and she was looking especially attractive today. A green blouse with a scoop neck showed just a hint of cleavage and was tucked neatly into a charcoal pencil skirt that skimmed her hips and ended just above the knee. Black, lethal-looking spiked heels completed the outfit. Sexy but professional, she had him drooling like a kid at the candy counter.
Clearing his throat, he stepped behind the counter in hopes of hiding his sudden surge of arousal. “Hi, Dani. Can I help you find something?”
“Not unless you have a fairy wand stashed somewhere. The real kind that I can use to fix all of Kevin’s problems.”
“Fresh out, I’m afraid.” He searched her face, seeing sadness in the chocolate depths of her eyes. She’d bitten off most of her lipstick, too, a nervous habit he’d noticed the other day. Something was definitely up. “What’s going on with Kevin? Did he get in more trouble?”
“No, of course not!” She shoved a piece of hair back with one hand, only to have it swing forward again. “I told you, he’s a good kid. But I just talked to the Cunninghams, and they’re having some health problems. In fact, they’re moving into an assisted-living facility. Soon.”
He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he asked anyway. “And where does that leave Kevin?”
“I don’t know—in some other foster home, or even the group home over on the mainland. No one knows yet. I talked to his social worker on the way here, and she said it could take a while to find an available foster family. They just have too many kids and not enough people willing to take them in.”
“Man, that’s rough. Kevin really liked the Cunninghams, from what I can tell.”
She nodded. “He did. They don’t have a lot of energy, but they’re kind to him. I get the feeling not everywhere has been so nice. I just wish I knew what to do about it.”
“I don’t think there is anything you can do, other than keep the lines of communication open. I’ll do the same. Other than that, it’s up to fate.”
Her eyes snapped with fire. “I don’t believe in leaving things up to fate. There has to be something we can do.” She paced, her heels making a clacking noise on the tiled floor. “Maybe you could try to get the charges dropped against him.”
“That’s not going to change anything, and besides, it’s too late. I couldn’t if I wanted to. Which I don’t.”
Dani’s mouth dropped open, but before she could launch into a new argument he continued, “Because he needs to know that his actions have consequences. Now, when he’s still young enough to learn from them. Otherwise he could end up thinking he can get away with stuff like this, and once he’s eighteen he’d face real jail time. He could mess up his life forever. Better he have probation now and change his ways than end up in jail a few years from now.”
“I don’t think that’s likely to happen.”
“Maybe not, but I’m not willing to chance it. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the wrong crowd, making bad decisions. Especially now that he’s going to be facing even more upheaval. Trust me. Probation, the mentorship program—those aren’t the problems. They’re the best way to help him until the real problem can be addressed.”
“And I suppose you have an answer to that, too?”
“Sure. He needs a home, a real home. We can try to help him, the counselors can, the social workers. But until he gets a home of his own he’s going to be fighting an uphill battle.”
Dani pursed her lips, her eyes distant as she appeared to think over his answer. Then she nodded, a smile breaking out over her face, her confidence back in spades. “You’re right.”
“I am?” He thought he was, but he hadn’t expected her to sound so sure of it.
“Yup. He needs a family. So I’ll give him one. I’ll foster him myself.”
*
