his hands, excitement dancing in his eyes.
“Absolutely. I might even get to use the siren today.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “Will you take Pancake with you?”
“Pancake?” she asked.
Aiden sat taller in his seat. “That’s Mr. Jamie’s cat. She’s orange-brown.”
“Nah, she prefers to stay at home and take catnaps,” Jamie told him.
“Who names a cat Pancake?”
“Somebody who loves...” Jamie began.
“Pancakes!” Aiden filled in for him.
They both pointed to Jamie’s clean plate as the busser whisked it away. Sarah could only look back and forth between her son and the cop. How could Aiden know so much about Jamie? And if he did, just how much had Aiden told him?
She shoved her chair back so quickly that it toppled over and hit the floor as she stood. She jerked it up and held her breath while it wobbled and then settled. “Too much coffee this morning. Anyway, I should see how Evelyn is doing with those cinnamon rolls.”
The waitress emerged from the kitchen, carrying two white paper bags. She handed the first to Jamie as he stood.
“Now, sweetie, you’ll want to warm that up when you’re ready to eat it.” She gestured toward Sarah as she handed her the second bag. “But I’m sure your friend here will give you the specifics.”
“Thanks for the suggestion,” Jamie said.
He was counting out bills from his wallet, which was a good thing, since Sarah wasn’t ready for him to look her way.
“Let me get that.” She reached for the check, but he pulled it away.
“Don’t think so. Departmental rules. You wouldn’t want me to get into trouble for accepting gifts, would you?”
She reached for her purse, heavy with the tip money that would keep her account from flatlining later this morning. “That’s not a thing. Wait. Would you really?”
“Want to risk it?”
She frowned but lowered her arm. “Well, thanks. Then I’m sure Evelyn will help you at the cash register, and you—I mean we—can get out of here.”
“Sure thing. Want to run up there with me, buddy?”
Her son didn’t even look her way before trailing after his hero. The funny thing was she couldn’t blame him. There was just something about Jamie Donovan. An unassuming quality that could tempt an unsuspecting person to trust him. That might charm someone who wasn’t careful into sharing her secrets.
Neither of those things could ever happen. She had to protect Andrew—no, Aiden—as always. And she would.
Still, when Jamie slipped out the front door and her son skittered back her way, Sarah’s shoulders slumped forward. Her hands gripped the chair back for support. Relief. That had to be what she was feeling. She’d wanted him to leave, and now he was gone. That was a good thing.
So why did one part of her, no matter how small and ridiculous, wish that he would stay?
* * *
“He’s back!”
Aiden and his mom were just on the other side of the gaggle near the diner’s front door, but Jamie could have heard that excited voice all the way from the kitchen. Sarah had slipped one arm into her rain jacket, but she stopped and stared.
As Jamie opened and closed his hand in a wave, Sarah’s gaze darted away from him, while Aiden was waving as if they hadn’t crossed paths in months. Well, at least one of them was happy to see him again. The other one wasn’t thrilled at all. Jamie had predicted both things as he’d stood outside on the same sidewalk where he’d paced the night before. Only instead of wishing he could run from the building and escape from the thoughts pursuing him, this time all he’d been able to think about was going back inside.
To the woman who’d all but booted him to the literal curb with his bakery bag.
He glanced down at the white sack just as Aiden managed to snake through the crowd to reach him.
“Hi again, Mr. Jamie.”
Sarah caught up with them before he could respond. Her arms were gripped tight over her chest, though one of her jacket sleeves still dangled empty at her side. She spoke only to her son.
“I said to wait for me.”
“But Mr. Jamie is back.”
“I see that.”
She lifted her head and pinned Jamie with her questioning stare.
“I’d just thought of something,” he said, and then cleared his throat.
That something had seemed like a far better idea while he was still outside, his shoes resting on last night’s puddles that had dried to a crusty mud. But he couldn’t just watch her pulling away after spending the past year dreaming up ways to get closer to her. When his questions multiplied exponentially with every vague answer she gave. And when each moment with her made him crave another.
“That you can play before work?” Aiden asked hopefully.
“Not today. Sorry. But I was wondering if you,” he paused, his gaze darting to Sarah, “and your mom...might like to join me for a day at the Detroit Zoo on Saturday.”
“The zoo! Really?”
Aiden’s squeals caused several diners to turn toward the commotion. In contrast to the boy’s body, which vibrated with excitement, Sarah stilled.
“That’s nice of you to ask, but I don’t think—”
“Please, Mom!”
She shook her head, her gaze darting to the door before settling again on her son. “Sorry, Aiden.”
The boy crossed his arms. “But I want to go.”
“Not this time.”
“We never get to go to the zoo. Never ever.”
Sarah tightened her jaw as if preparing to correct her son, but then her shoulders slumped.
Jamie swallowed. He was a jerk, wasn’t he? Worse maybe than even the lechers she dodged at work every day. What kind of guy used a child to get to his mother? What kind of person invited them on an adventure a struggling single mom couldn’t easily afford?
He still had so many questions. How did the two of them end up here? How could Aiden’s father have left him? Left her? Most of all, though, Jamie wanted to know what put that stark look in her eyes. But just because he regretted not asking Mark enough questions before it was too late, that didn’t make wanting to know things about Sarah excuse enough to manipulate her. She deserved better than that. Better
