Overnight Mom

Never in a hundred years does Sabrina Martinez expect to meet someone like handsome millionaire Jack Thorne—let alone find him volunteering at the Denver mission where she works. She’s grown up in a humble home and is surprised an heir to a fortune could have such a kind and generous heart. But Sabrina can’t let anything distract her—not even love. She’s battling for custody of her nieces and there’s nothing more important than that. Jack wants to help, but the divide between him and Sabrina seems impossibly wide. Can they learn to see past their differences, and give themselves a chance at true love—and a real family?

“Why didn’t you kiss me?”

The old Brodie wanted to answer, “I have no idea, but I’ll make up for that now.” Then he’d kiss her.

He reined in that impulse. He’d changed. But the fact that Savvy looked at him as though she might be bothered he hadn’t kissed her wasn’t making this any easier.

“I,” he started, taking a seat on the step beneath hers and focusing on the words he should say, “I didn’t want to mess up what we have going now, taking care of the kids together, by doing something that wouldn’t be smart. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

“You’re trying to do the right thing,” she repeated.

Brodie nodded, but didn’t miss the fact that she sounded disappointed. Brodie was disappointed, too. But that didn’t change his mind. Kissing Savvy would be a mistake, and he’d made that kind of mistake before. He wouldn’t do it again, especially not with someone he cared about as much as he cared about Savvy. And he did care about her. And Dylan. And Rose and Daisy.

He had to remember all of them to control the impulse to do something he might regret. Something that would cost him another friendship.

RENEE ANDREWS spends a lot of time in the gym. No, she isn’t working out. Her husband, a former All-American gymnast, co-owns ACE Cheer Company. Renee is a kidney donor and actively supports organ donation. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband and bragging about their sons, daughter-in-law and grandsons. For more info on her books or on living donors, visit her website at reneeandrews.com.

Daddy Wanted

Renee Andrews

www.millsandboon.co.uk

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

—John 14:18

For Alanus and Jerry, our grandboys, and for all other children whose birth parents go to Heaven too early. I pray each child who loses his or her parents finds a new mommy and daddy who love them as much as your new mommy and daddy love you. Pops and KK thank God for putting you in our life, and we love you…big as the sky, to the moon and back!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

The wild child of Claremont, Alabama, had come home.

Raised brows and muted whispers accompanied Savvy Bowers as she crossed the town square that shaped the memories of her youth, as if the giant oaks and three-tiered fountain centering the place whispered the obvious...

She’s back.

Savvy opened the door to Bowers Sporting Goods as an attractive white-haired lady started out. Like that of the others Savvy had passed on her walk to her grandparents’ store, the woman’s expression changed as she undoubtedly put a name with the face.

“Why, Savannah Bowers, it’s been a long time, dear. And you’re as pretty as you were in high school.” She smiled, her green eyes holding nothing but compassion toward Savvy, a welcome change from the reception she’d received so far.

It only took a moment to recognize Ms. Martin. Her hair had transitioned from blond to snowy white, but other than that, the lady looked practically the same as she had fifteen years ago, when Savvy had graduated from high school, kicked the north Alabama dust from her heels and headed to Panama City Beach.

Ms. Martin’s son had been in Savvy’s class at school until the sixth grade, when Savvy had been held back a year and he and the rest of her friends had moved on to junior high. “It has been a while,” she agreed.

“I heard about you coming back to town and how you’re looking after Wendy Jackson’s children. I was so sad to hear about her passing. They said she fell hiking at Jasper Falls?”

“She did.” Savvy’s throat thickened. She hardly recognized the name Wendy Jackson. Her friend had been Willow for as long as she could remember. Willow had despised her birth name almost as much as she’d despised the parents who gave it to her, probably the reason she’d left her children to Savvy.

“Such a shame,” Ms. Martin said. “Thirty-two years old. So young.”

A year younger than Savvy.

“Savvy? Hey!” her grandmother’s cheery voice called from the back of the store.

Thankful for a reason to end this awkward conversation, Savvy turned. “Good to see you, Ms. Martin,” she said, and then stepped inside the store.

Savvy liked Ms. Martin, but she wasn’t ready to tackle a discussion about Willow’s death or the fact that she was expected to raise her children. Dylan, at thirteen, was angry his mom was gone. Rose and Daisy, Willow’s six-year-old twins, were confused and heartbroken. And Savvy didn’t know how to handle any of it.

In the past week, she’d learned of Willow’s death, found out she was responsible for three children and abruptly traded life at the beach for life in the town she’d firmly left behind. And this morning’s meeting with Dylan’s school principal, who informed Savvy that she believed it would be “in his best interest” if they “retained” him a year, had done nothing to lift Savvy’s spirits. No child should be punished because his mother died. Savvy knew that better than anyone.

Jolaine Bowers closed the distance between them, embraced her and brushed a quick kiss against her cheek. “We thought you were coming in earlier. I’m afraid your granddaddy left to go check on things at the fishing hole.”

Savvy inhaled the familiar sweet scent of her grandmother’s favorite shampoo and remembered all of those hugs she’d distributed throughout her childhood. And her teens. When she told them she was moving back to Claremont, her grandparents had graciously told her she could work here again, the same way she had done in high school. She should’ve been here early this morning, but after Willow’s kids had gotten on the bus and Savvy was alone for the first time since she’d arrived, she’d spent a good hour crying.

Then she’d reviewed the papers she’d gotten from the attorney, organized all the casseroles the church brought after the funeral and received that call asking if she could come to the school. “I should’ve phoned you,” she said.

“Hey, it’s fine. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate. Your granddaddy can see you tomorrow.” She eased away from Savvy enough to display her trademark wink. “We’re just so glad to have you back home and working at the store.”

“Thanks,” Savvy said, because saying she was glad to be back would be an outright lie.

Not wanting to get into any of that right now, Savvy started toward the checkout area to look for her grandfather’s habitual to-do list. Finding it, she glanced at the top. “I’ll get started on the new baseball inventory and—” The front page of a newspaper on the counter caused her words to lodge in her throat. She’d seen the same paper earlier today at Willow’s place. Not today’s paper—the date on it was March 5, from over a month ago.

Willow had saved it, too.

Her grandmother hurried to see what held Savvy’s attention. “It isn’t fair, is it?”

“Isn’t fair...?” Savvy asked, momentarily mesmerized by the photo of the handsome man centering the page.

“That men get better looking as they age.” Jolaine tapped the picture. “I meant to mail that paper to you. I remembered how close you, Willow and Brodie were in high school and thought you’d like to see what he’s up to now.”

Savvy stared at the broad grin and deep dimples she remembered, but instead of his Claremont High baseball cap, he wore a Stockville College one. And her grandmother was right; Brodie looked even better now. Dark eyebrows drew attention to intense eyes framed with equally dark lashes. A straight nose, strong jaw, cleft chin. The photo was in black-and-white, but Savvy knew if it were in color, icy blue eyes would peer out from that thick fan of black lashes.

In high school, Savvy and Willow had put the guys they knew in one of two categories: boys and men. The classification had nothing to do with maturity and everything to do with appearance. Some guys had a boyish look as a teen, and the majority of them outgrew that as they got older. Others looked like men from the get-go. That was the type that attracted Savvy and Willow.

And that was Brodie. Strong. Masculine. Muscled well beyond his age. From the broadness of his shoulders in the photo and the fact that he had an athletic position as head coach of the Stockville College baseball team, she’d guess those muscles were still enough to make a girl’s breathing hitch.

He’d had that effect on both Willow and Savvy, even if they’d agreed they’d never act on the attraction. A common understanding between all three of them—the “wild ones”—was that they would never risk their unique relationship by crossing the boundaries of friendship. They were too much alike, their histories too similar, and they needed each other as confidants. They’d never jeopardize that. Or so the trio had promised.

But then that had changed. Willow had never forgiven him for what he’d done, nor had Savvy. Yet for some reason, Willow had saved that article.

Under the photo, the caption read Hometown Hero Brodie Evans is Back.

Savvy had already perused the story, which briefly told of Brodie beginning as a star pitcher for Claremont High, his years at the University of Tennessee, his brief stint in the majors and his new role as head coach at Stockville Community College. Twenty miles away.

Not far enough.

“You can have that copy,” her grandmother said, jarring her back to the present.

Sighing, Savvy took another glance at the article, folded the paper and held it toward Jolaine. “I saw it at Willow’s, but thanks for thinking of me. Do you want to keep it?”

Her grandmother’s mouth opened, and then she shrugged. “No, I don’t guess so.”

“Okay.” Savvy plunked it in the nearest trash can, then started on the baseball inventory.

* * *

Brodie Evans trudged through the locker room at Stockville Community College and reluctantly entered his office. He prayed no one had tossed the envelope while he’d been away and, inspecting the top of his desk, feared the worst.

Willow’s letter was nowhere to be seen.

“Coach Evans, it’s good to have you back,” Phillip Stone, Brodie’s assistant coach, stepped into the office. He was twenty-three, fresh off his college baseball career, and he reminded Brodie of the guy he’d been ten years ago. Young. Athletic. Charming. Someone who had the world at his fingertips. But unlike Brodie, Phillip didn’t appear the kind of guy who would leave his loved ones behind while he fought to achieve his goals. “You planning to be at tonight’s workouts?” he asked.

Brodie had taken the head coaching job in January, only three months ago, and he hadn’t planned to miss an entire week of workouts and practices, but his priorities had taken a tailspin when he learned his daughter had been in a wreck that had nearly taken her life. Thankfully, the doctors—and God—had pulled Marissa through, but nearly losing her had caused Brodie to realize the truth.

He had earned no place in her world.

“Coach?” Phillip repeated, then shook his head ruefully. “Aw, man, I’m sorry. I should’ve asked first. Everything okay with the family emergency?”

Family emergency. That was the only rationale Brodie could come up with to explain why he’d had to leave for spring break instead of sticking around for the team’s extra practices. He’d never mentioned his daughter to the guy. Then again, that precious fifteen-year-old with his eyes technically wasn’t “his daughter” anymore. Once they’d known Marissa would make it, his ex-wife, Cherie, had been quick to remind him that he’d terminated parental rights thirteen years ago.

“Coach...?” Phillip prodded.

“The emergency is over,” Brodie lied. Truthfully, his life was one big crisis now. The only daddy Marissa knew was the one who’d raised her, the one who’d married Cherie over a decade ago. But that didn’t negate the fact that she was Brodie’s flesh and blood.

He had to show Cherie that he was worthy of a place in his daughter’s world. And he’d made a promise to himself—and more important, to God—that he would rectify past mistakes.

“There was a letter,” he said gruffly, “on my desk. I’m certain it was here.” He lifted the stacks of upcoming schedules and camp information, pushed aside the playbooks and still...nothing.

“A recruitment letter? I took that template and handed it over to Coach Yates while you were gone so he could follow up with those players you’d contacted.”

“No, not the recruitment letter.” Brodie scrubbed a hand down his face, felt the evidence of forgetting to shave this morning. “This one was...” He paused, not sure how much he wanted to divulge, and finally settled on “personal.”

“Vern and his maintenance staff have been in several times cleaning up. I believe your new mail is in your slot.” Phillip pointed to the incoming mail bin near the door.

Brodie hadn’t thought to check the bin, stuffed full with a collection of equipment magazines, manila folders and assorted envelopes. He moved toward the container, grabbed the mass from inside and dropped the contents on his desk.

“Need help finding what you’re looking for?” Phillip asked.

“No.” Brodie tossed envelope after envelope until, at the bottom of the stack, he saw Willow’s letter. He clutched it like a lifeline, or more accurately, like a mistake he desperately needed to fix. He’d wronged a friend and ended up losing two in the process. He’d never heard from Savvy after that night either, and he had no doubt why.

She knew what he’d done.

He stuffed the letter in his jacket pocket. “I won’t make workouts tonight.” Brodie glanced up to see Phillip frowning, undeniably confused at the lack of commitment shown by the college’s new head coach. Brodie was committed to the Stockville baseball program, but if he wanted a relationship with Marissa, he had to grow up. Change. Become the father she deserved.

During the entire drive home from that Knoxville hospital, he’d begged God to show him how to do that. And God had put Willow’s letter on his heart.

“I’ve got something I need to do, but then I’ll be back with the team 24/7.” He didn’t know why he offered an explanation. He was the head coach, after all, and as such, he didn’t have to justify himself to any of the assistant coaches. But Phillip Stone was a great coach and a good guy, too, and Brodie wasn’t going to do good people wrong, not anymore.

Understanding dawned on the young man’s face. “Unfinished business with the family emergency. I gotcha. Don’t worry about the team, Coach. We’ll have them ready for you tomorrow.” Then he left Brodie’s office and disappeared through the locker room.

Exhaling slowly, Brodie withdrew the letter from his jacket, opened it and read Willow’s words again. She needed to talk to him. Her son was having a tough time in school, and she wanted Brodie to tutor him.

He hadn’t even realized she still lived in Claremont, or that she knew he coached at Stockville. But she mentioned an article from the Claremont paper. There wasn’t a lot of stuff that happened in or around Claremont, Alabama. A local boy who’d semi made it coming back to take the head coaching job at the nearest college was apparently front-page news. And evidently, the article also discussed the fact that he was part of a mentorship program with local community kids that involved tutoring and recreational activities.

So Willow asked if Brodie could tutor her boy, but Brodie didn’t know how he would face her after the way he’d left her in Knoxville.

Closing his eyes, he prayed, God, please, forgive me for ignoring this for the past three weeks. Help me find the strength to see Willow again, and to apologize for being such a— The word that came to mind didn’t belong in a prayer. Such a jerk back then. And, Lord, if it be Your will, let me fix my past mistakes. Let me have some small place in my daughter’s life.

He opened his eyes, folded the letter and slid it back in the envelope. Willow needed his help. Three weeks ago, he’d avoided her, but now he wanted to make amends. And he’d start with words he’d never uttered before. But he’d say them today.

I’m sorry. And then... Forgive me.

* * *

To keep her mind off Willow, the children and Brodie Evans, Savvy delved into the boxes and itemized lists defining the new shipments her grandparents had received over the past week. She didn’t stop for lunch or for breaks. And when her phone buzzed loudly in her jeans, she was so preoccupied, she almost fell off the tiny stool she used while sorting through the bins.

She slid it out of her pocket and answered, “Hello?”

“Savvy, hey, it’s Mandy.” Mandy Brantley had kept Willow’s children until Savvy arrived in town yesterday afternoon, and she’d helped Savvy get them ready for bed last night before heading to her own home.

Savvy’s pulse started racing, probably because the last time the other woman had called, she’d informed Savvy that her friend was dead and that Savvy was now responsible for her three children. “Mandy, is everything okay?”

“I believe so,” she replied. “But I’m just wondering... Where are you?”

“I’m at the sporting-goods store,” she said. “Remember, my job started today?” She was certain she’d told her about it last night.

“I remember,” Mandy said, “but you’re only working until the kids get out of school, right? When I asked if you needed me to help you with them in the afternoons, you said you’d be home by the time they get off the bus each day.”

Savvy took the phone from her ear and glanced at the time on the display. “Uh, what time do they get home, again?” She’d arrived in town late yesterday after they’d already gotten home from school, and Mandy had been there.

“The bus drops them off at two forty-five.”

The time on Savvy’s phone showed two-forty. “Oh, no! I’m not going to make it. I’ve got to get down there, Mandy!” She grabbed a baseball cap from a box nearby and put it on her head. It wasn’t a foolproof way to disguise her from the nosy folks in Claremont, but she wasn’t in the mood for more stares and whispers as she went about her business. Hurrying, she shuffled through the store aisles toward the entrance and knocked a fishing rod off the wall in the process. She picked it up and quickly returned it to the display hook.

“How could I have forgotten about the kids already?” she asked.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Savvy. These things happen,” Mandy answered.

Savvy made it to the front of the store, pushed the door open and called to her grandmother, “I’ve got to go. It’s time for the bus!”

She glanced down to press the end button on the phone, but halted when she ran face-first into a brick wall. Or rather, a hard-plated chest that felt like a brick wall. “Excuse me.” She looked up, and her heart lodged in her throat.

The newspaper photo didn’t do him justice.

Brodie Evans was taller—a couple of inches taller—than she remembered. His eyes an even more distinctive icy blue. And the five-o’clock shadow only intensified the strength of his jaw.

“Savvy?” he questioned, and she realized he’d grabbed her forearm when she slammed into him and he’d yet to let go, the warmth of his hand seeping into her skin. “You’re back,” he said. “I had no idea.”

“I’ve gotta go.” She pulled her arm away, a mix of panic and anger and disappointment flooding her as she remembered how close they’d been once upon a time, and how he’d thrown it all away.

“But I was coming to your grandparents’ store to find...” he began.

“They can help you with whatever you want.” She forced her feet to move away from the distraction of Brodie Evans and then prayed he got everything he needed from the store today. She didn’t want to talk to him again, didn’t want to see him again. Turning, she sprinted across the square toward her truck, but then heard Mandy yell, “Savvy, wait!”

In the shock of seeing Brodie, she’d forgotten to disconnect the call. “What is it?” she asked breathlessly.

“I’m here, at the trailer. I was bringing a couple more casseroles from the ladies at church, so I’ll wait for the kids to get off the bus, and then I’ll stay until you get here.”

“You’re there?” she asked. But even if she didn’t have to race to the bus stop, she still wanted to leave the square. And the man from her past. “Okay, but I’ll be there soon.” Savvy blinked past the emotions spreading over her like wildfire.

Brodie. After all these years...

A large palm cupped her left shoulder as she reached her truck. She’d been running, her chest pulling in air from the effort, and he wasn’t even breaking a sweat. “Savvy, wait. I’m trying to find Willow.” Brodie turned her to face him. “I have to find her.”

Savvy’s hand squeezed the phone still pressed against her ear. Mandy said something, but she couldn’t make out the words, the jolt from Brodie’s statement drowning out every sound except the thudding of her heart pulsing in her ears. “Willow?” she whispered as visions of her beautiful friend flooded her mind.

Willow standing beneath Jasper Falls, her long dark hair framing a laughing face as she splashed Brodie and Savvy. Willow had died there, at the place they’d all loved. And Brodie had no idea.

“Yes, Willow,” he said. “She wrote to me, said she needed to talk to me about helping...”

Savvy shook her head, didn’t listen to anything else. “You can’t help.” The memory pushed tears forward, and they spilled onto her cheeks. Savvy brushed them away. “Willow’s gone.”

“What do you mean, she’s gone?” He reached into his jacket and withdrew an envelope. “She wrote to me and said she still lived in Claremont and that she wanted to talk to me. She gave me her phone number, but her voice mail box is full. And she didn’t give an address. I thought maybe your grandparents could help me find her.”

“Brodie, you don’t—”

He held up a hand. “Listen, Savvy, I’m sure she told you what happened, and I know you’re probably still angry over what I did. But I know Willow is here, and I’m going to see her.”

“No...you’re not.” Disbelief and shock swirled together to make her light-headed. She grabbed the truck door and took a deep breath.

“Savvy, you can’t keep me from seeing her.”

“I am still angry,” she finally said, wanting to hit him for the way he had hurt Willow back then. She lifted her arm to do just that, but then dropped it to her side. What good would it do?

“I need to talk to her. I need to apologize,” he said thickly, as though either of those things could actually happen.

Savvy gawked at him. “You’re too late. It’s too late to apologize. Willow—” She couldn’t hold back the truth. “Willow’s dead, Brodie.” His eyes widened, the blow of the news evident, but Savvy had neither the time nor the inclination to explain. “And I’ve got to go take care of her kids.” She twisted away, hurriedly climbed into her truck and slammed the door. Then she drove away without looking in the rearview mirror.

Mandy’s voice echoed through the line of the phone Savvy had tossed on the seat. “Savvy?” she asked. “Savvy, can you hear me?”

She had obviously touched the speaker button at some point. Reaching for the phone, she nearly sped through the stop sign at Maple and Main before slamming on the brakes. They squealed in protest, and the phone slid toward the passenger door.

Mandy yelled, “What happened?”

Savvy held her foot firmly on the brake while she retrieved the phone. Then she answered, “It’s okay, Mandy. I’m on my way.”

“I figured that part out,” she said. “That was Brodie, wasn’t it? Is he okay? And are you?”

“No,” she said honestly. “And no.”

“I know that was hard, talking to him and telling him about Willow, but please take a moment to calm down. Don’t speed when you drive out here. I’ll get the kids when they get off the bus and wait for you to get home. Take your time. Everything is fine.”

“Okay,” Savvy said, disconnecting and tossing the phone back on the seat. But she didn’t agree. She had three kids to raise. She had to fight the school to keep them from holding Dylan back. And she had to get over the knowledge that she wasn’t the only wild child who had returned home.

Chapter Two

Brodie hit the brakes to keep from plowing into the back of Savvy’s truck when she screeched to a stop at the intersection of Main and Maple. His mind reeled. He needed a moment to sort through the tornado of information he’d received, but he didn’t have time to stop and process. He had to follow her, couldn’t let her get away without telling him what had happened to Willow.

Willow. Dead.

After all this time, he was finally going to make things right, and she was dead?

God, why? And how?

That letter had been mailed less than a month ago. A month ago, she was alive. A month ago, he could have talked to her, helped her son the way she’d asked and apologized for treating her so badly.

Now that chance was gone.

He set his jaw and accelerated as Savvy continued out of town. She’d said she had to take care of Willow’s kids. Brodie had known Willow had a son from that letter. How many more children did she have? Had she been married? And if she was, where was her husband?

And why was Savvy taking care of them now?

So many questions. And unfortunately, Savvy, who could undoubtedly provide answers, didn’t want anything to do with him.

Brodie had been prepared to see Willow, but he hadn’t anticipated running into Savvy.

Savvy, still as stunning as ever, even in ratty blue jeans, an old T-shirt and a baseball cap. She’d been pretty in school, but she was downright gorgeous now. Hard to believe this was his old friend. One of the two females he’d opened up to in high school. In spite of the string of girls he’d had physical relationships with back then, Willow and Savvy were the only two that he’d truly known. They’d been so close.

And he’d blown it.

Today, Savvy’s dark eyes said it all. She hadn’t forgiven him for what he’d done to Willow. And Brodie didn’t blame her. He’d never said he was sorry. He’d never asked for forgiveness. He’d planned to do both today, but now that would never be possible.

God, please, help me out here.

He’d only recently found a relationship with God, but he’d been talking to Him continually ever since he thought he might lose his daughter.

“I didn’t get the chance to ask for Willow’s forgiveness, but let Savvy forgive me, Lord. I know You sent me here for a reason, and if that’s it, help me figure out how to make that happen.”

* * *

Savvy couldn’t stop thinking of Brodie as she drove her old truck down the once-familiar dirt road between Claremont and Stockville toward Willow’s trailer. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, she forced herself to remember that day when Willow finally told her what Brodie had done. If she and Brodie were still friends, he could help her now. Comfort her in her loss. Tell her what to do about her new role as guardian of Willow’s children.

But they weren’t friends, not anymore. And Savvy had never felt the pain of that loss more than now.

What was she supposed to do with a teenager and six-year-old twins? She’d always adored Willow’s kids, when they visited sporadically to take advantage of her proximity to the beach. But raising them? Savvy knew nothing about bringing up children, and she sure couldn’t pull from her own childhood to know what to do. Her own mom had abandoned ship as soon as Savvy was born. What if Savvy inherited her motherly instincts?

Checking the mirror as she started up Willow’s driveway, she saw that Brodie hadn’t given up on his pursuit. Not that she had expected him to. Brodie Evans never backed down from a challenge.

As if knowing Savvy was near, Mandy walked around the side of Willow’s ancient trailer. She had her brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail and wore a black sleeveless sweater, jeans and boots. Savvy thought of the clothes she’d brought from Florida. Not one sweater in the lot. She was as prepared for north Alabama weather as she was to take care of Dylan, Rose and Daisy.

Or as she was to take on the all-encompassing male bearing down on her truck.

“God, help me,” she muttered, parking next to Willow’s old baby-blue minivan and, frankly, feeling a bit surprised that she’d asked Him for help. She hadn’t had anything to do with God since she’d left this town; why would He help her now?

He’d certainly never done anything to support her before.

Mandy neared the truck and gave Savvy a soft smile as she climbed out. Savvy hadn’t been overly close to Mandy when they were in school, but she was the kind of girl everyone knew and liked. And Mandy hadn’t dated anyone in high school, so Savvy had never gone after her boyfriend and attempted to break up their relationship.

The way she had for most every other girl at Claremont High.

She’d earned her reputation, that was for sure. And from the looks she received at the square today, the town hadn’t forgotten. But thankfully, Mandy didn’t let that stop her from offering friendship. Then again, her husband was the youth minister at the church, so maybe offering friendship to the wild child was a requirement.

In any case, Mandy and Willow had apparently become close, and Savvy was glad for that. Willow, like Savvy, didn’t have many friends.

“Rose and Daisy are playing on the swing set with Kaden out back. I heard your truck,” Mandy said, explaining why she’d walked to the front of the trailer and left the kids. Her son, Kaden, had been with her last night, too. He was eight, only two years older than the twins, but Rose and Daisy obviously looked up to the boy. Kaden had brought several books and read them stories before bed. It would have been nice if Dylan had wanted to read to his sisters, but he’d been in his room and had only come out to eat and shower.

“I appreciate you watching them until I could get here.”

The slamming of another door and then heavy footsteps behind her indicated Brodie had also exited his truck and now stood close enough that Savvy could feel solid, masculine warmth against her side.

“Brodie,” Mandy said, directing her voice to that very spot and affirming Savvy’s suspicion that he stood near, close enough to sense, and close enough to touch.

Savvy stuffed her hands in her pockets to keep from even accidentally touching the man who’d shattered her friend’s heart.

“I tried to reach you last week to tell you about Willow,” Mandy continued. “I called your office at the college, but I didn’t get an answer, and I didn’t feel it was the kind of message I should leave on your machine.”

* * *

Brodie had undoubtedly been at the hospital in Knoxville when Mandy had called. “I appreciate you trying,” he said, still shocked by the news of Willow’s death.

“I remember how close the three of you were,” Mandy remarked. “Y’all were practically inseparable when we were all in school.”

Savvy coughed, and Brodie suspected it was fake, a way to get Mandy to stop talking so she could change the subject. They might have been apart for a decade and a half, but he still remembered Savvy’s tactics. “You mentioned the girls are out back,” she said, proving him right. “Where’s Dylan? Is he inside?”

Mandy shook her head. “He’s gone for a walk.”

“By himself?”

Mandy smiled. “He’s thirteen,” she said simply.

“Right. Of course he can take a walk by himself. I’m going to have to remember that he’s a teenager now.”

Brodie thought about what she had ahead of her, raising a teenage boy. Adolescence. Hormones. Anger. Girls. She wouldn’t like dealing with that last one, but even though it’d been twenty years, Brodie remembered what it felt like to be thirteen.

“Dylan had been having a difficult time before his mom died,” Mandy explained. “Willow asked if Daniel could help him, since he’s the youth minister at the church.”

“Help him how?” Savvy asked.

“Tutoring him in school, primarily,” Mandy said. “And also being there as a male figure in his life. He hasn’t had anyone but Willow, since she didn’t have a relationship with her parents anymore. No dad, no granddad in the picture. Kind of tough for a teenage boy.”

Brodie cleared his throat. “She asked about me tutoring him, too,” he said, pulling Willow’s letter from his pocket. This time, he noticed Savvy staring at his address in Willow’s swirling handwriting. “That’s why I wanted to find her today, to let her know I wanted to help her son.”

“You said you wanted to apologize,” Savvy reminded him.

“I wanted to do that, too,” he said, flexing his jaw.

Most people, particularly his athletes, were intimidated by his size, or his deep voice, or maybe even the way he looked at them.

But Savvy clearly wasn’t intimidated. She was irritated. And Brodie suspected he knew why. She didn’t like having him here, standing beside her, reminding her of the relationship that they’d once had and the way it had ended.

Because of him.

But Brodie had made a promise to God and to himself that he’d help Willow’s son, and he wasn’t going to break that promise. “I’m guessing Daniel is your husband,” he said, refusing to look at Savvy and focusing totally on Mandy. “Is he going to tutor Dylan?”

“He told Willow he could help out, but he wasn’t available as often as she wanted because of his obligations at the church,” Mandy explained. “She wanted someone daily, or at least every other day. Willow had been trying to help Dylan and the girls herself, but she’d recently realized that they still weren’t progressing quickly enough and that she needed help.”

Brodie remembered Willow struggling in school. It hadn’t come easy for her. Apparently, it didn’t come easy for her children, either.

“Do you know of anyone who tutors daily around here?” Savvy asked her friend.

Mandy shook her head. “No.” Then she looked to Brodie. “You said she contacted you about helping Dylan?”

“She wrote to me. I tried to call her and let her know I could tutor him, but I couldn’t reach her. So I decided to come find her and let her know that I wanted to help.” This time, before Savvy could prompt him, he added, “And I needed to apologize for treating her badly the last time I saw her.”

He didn’t miss the slight grunt from Savvy at his answer.

“Do you want me to ask around and see if I can find any tutors that could work with Dylan daily?” Mandy asked, looking at Savvy, but then adding to Brodie, “Or did you still want to work with him?”

“Yes, please ask,” Savvy said, at the same moment that Brodie answered, “I want to work with him.”

Mandy’s eyebrows lifted. “Maybe y’all should talk about it and decide what you’re going to do and then let me know.”

“Would you check around, just in case that’s what I decide?” Savvy asked. “I was called in to meet with the principal today, and if Dylan doesn’t pass the standardized tests next month, they’re going to hold him back.”

* * *

Savvy could only imagine how much worse Dylan’s anger would be, how much further he would withdraw from the world, if he were removed from his friends.

She’d sure been angry.

Mandy shifted from one foot to the other. “He’s gone through so much, maybe it would be good to hold him back a year.”

“It wouldn’t,” Savvy said. “I know from experience.”

Realization dawned on the young woman’s features. “Oh, Savvy, I’m sorry. I knew that, but I forgot.”

“It wasn’t your fault. But that was sixth grade for me, so I was retained in elementary school when all of my friends moved to junior high. Dylan is in the eighth grade, so he’d be held back when all of his friends move to high school. Probably an even bigger deal than what happened to me.” She shook her head. “I can’t let them do that to him—I won’t—so I’ve got to make sure he passes those tests.”

Mandy wrapped both arms around Savvy so quickly that she nearly knocked her off balance. “I’m glad the kids have you here. Willow obviously knew that you’d take good care of them.” She squeezed firmly. “Daniel and I will pray for you and for Dylan’s situation at school, and we’ll try to find someone who tutors daily. Everything is going to work out,” she said, holding on tight enough that Savvy’s eyes watered.

Or that was what Savvy told herself. She wasn’t crying because she missed Willow, or because she was now responsible for three young lives, or because she was back in the town that she’d told herself she hated. Besides, it wasn’t the town that’d done her wrong, necessarily. But the church. And the man she’d met there who crushed her heart.

Mandy finally released her and brushed her own tears away. “Okay, then... Kaden and I need to get back home. I left Daniel watching baby Mia, and he’s great with her, but he isn’t all that keen on changing diapers.”

“I’ll stay out with the girls and let them play a little longer.” Savvy glanced toward the wooded areas surrounding the trailer. “But how do I find Dylan?”

“He should come back on his own,” Mandy said, a slight frown pulling at her lip. “I think he needs some help with his grief. He hasn’t said a lot about the accident at Jasper Falls, but I know it was hard for him to leave her to go get help.”

“Willow died at Jasper Falls?” Brodie’s brusque voice hinted that he felt the same way Savvy did about the last place their friend had been alive. The three of them had loved Jasper Falls. It’d been their safe haven when the world gave them grief, and the thought that Willow had died there didn’t coincide with the blissful memories.

A pang of guilt stabbed Savvy. She’d merely blurted out that their friend had died without giving him any information. “Willow fell while hiking,” she said. “Dylan was with her, and he went for help, but she didn’t make it.” That was all she knew, and it was enough.

His eyes filled with agony. “I can’t believe...” He didn’t finish the sentence.

“Should I go look for him?” Savvy asked Mandy.

“We’ve got another hour until dark. He’ll come back,” she said. “He’s been doing this since the funeral. I think it’s his way of coping. Maybe he’s praying.”

Savvy nodded, uncertain about whether it was smart to let an upset teenager roam the woods, but also uncertain about whether she knew what was smart or what wasn’t regarding kids.

Before Mandy could go get them, Kaden rounded the corner of the trailer with Rose and Daisy at his heels.

“Who’s that?” he asked, tilting his head toward Brodie.

“I’m Brodie Evans,” he answered, offering Kaden a smile in spite of the fact that he still looked distraught over Willow. His dimples dipped with the action, and Savvy was reminded of the effect of a Brodie Evans smile.

She didn’t want to be affected.

“You play baseball?” Kaden asked, pointing at his Stockville jacket, and then, after reading the embroidered name on the chest, he continued, “You’re a coach? Seriously?”

“I am,” Brodie said.

“I play baseball. I’ll play coach pitch this year. Next year, I’ll be in kid pitch league.”

“That’s great,” Brodie said. “Maybe I can come see you play sometime, and then maybe you can come see my team play sometime at Stockville College.”

“Cool!” Kaden said, then looked at Mandy. “Mom, I’m getting hungry, and they’re hungry, too.” The twins walked behind him wearing the identifying shirts Savvy had dressed them in this morning. Rose’s pink T-shirt had a bright yellow R in the top left, and Daisy’s yellow T-shirt had a pink D. Savvy needed the helpful identifiers, since she couldn’t tell the two apart.

“Aunt Thavvy,” Rose said, her missing front two teeth causing a precious lisp that made her seem even younger than six. Or maybe the girls seemed younger—smaller—because they’d lost their mama five days ago.

Savvy dropped to eye level with the girls. “Hey, Rose,” she said as Rose moved into the crook of her right arm. “Hey there, Daisy,” she said as Daisy found the left side.

Daisy hugged Savvy like Rose, but then pulled away, her green eyes blinking her eagerness to speak. “Aunt Savvy?” She had yet to lose those two teeth, which was good, since it provided another means for Savvy to tell them apart without asking.

“Yes, Daisy?”

“Mommy can’t make us pancakes, or take us to church, or anything, since she’s with Jesus now.” Her small hand gripped the back of Savvy’s shirt as she spoke, holding on as if she was afraid Savvy would slip away, too.

Savvy’s stomach knotted. How could she give them everything they needed? She’d never been a mommy and didn’t know all that much about it. But the girls were hurting, and Willow had apparently thought Savvy was the best person to take care of her kids in case something happened.

Willow, are you sure?

“Can you make pancaketh?” Rose asked.

“Yes,” she answered. “I can make pancakes.”

You’re going to do fine, Mandy mouthed, and Savvy prayed that she was right.

After Mandy and Kaden left, Savvy turned to Brodie. “You should probably go, too.”

“I want to meet Dylan,” he said. “And I do want to help him, to tutor him the way Willow wanted.”

Savvy figured as much, and those last four words—the way Willow wanted—were the ones that made her say, “You can meet him and see if he wants you to help him. But if he says no, then that’s it. You’ll go, and we’ll get someone else to help—” She tried to sound authoritative, but her voice broke when a loud boom of thunder belted overhead.

“We’ll see,” Brodie answered, and then peered up at the charcoal clouds swiftly moving above the trees. “Storm is coming.”

Rose and Daisy had already darted up the steps toward the trailer. “Hurry!” Daisy called. “We need to go in!”

“But whereth Dylan?” Rose asked.

“Go on inside,” Savvy said, shivering as lightning sliced the sky. “Dylan will be here soon.”

The girls disappeared into the trailer, and Savvy peered toward the woods, then yelped at a loud blast of thunder.

“Still scared of storms?” Brodie asked, the rumble of his voice resonating close to her left ear.

She nodded, too spooked to even attempt to lie. “But I’m also worried about Dylan.” She looked at him, then back at the trailer. “I can’t leave the girls, but...”

“I’ll go find him,” he said, before she’d even bolstered the courage to ask him for help. “You take care of the twins. I’ll bring him back safely.”

Lightning once again split the sky in two, and this time, it hit something with a deafening crack.

Savvy’s hand flew to her throat as the rain began to fall.

“I’m pretty sure that hit a tree,” he said. “Go back inside and get out of the storm. I’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

But Savvy was worried. Because Dylan was lost, and because Willow had written to a guy she said she’d hate forever, and now Savvy relied on that very same guy...to find Willow’s son.

Chapter Three

“Dylan! Dylan, can you hear me?” Brodie was glad he’d had the wherewithal to grab his jacket and flashlight out of his truck before heading into the woods. It’d gotten dark much quicker than he had anticipated, and the drizzling rain combined with the unseasonal wind chilled him to the bone. He hoped the boy had already made it home, but in case he hadn’t, Brodie would keep looking.

When he was a teenager, he’d been familiar with this section of the woods that led to Lookout Mountain; however, he’d always entered from the Claremont side, near Landon Cutter’s place. Coming in from the Stockville end was different. The trails weren’t as wide and hadn’t been cleared out. You could ride horses through the trails on the Cutters’ property, and he’d often done that with his friends back in high school. Sometimes Landon and John Cutter would come along. Sometimes Georgiana Sanders did, as well. But always Savvy and Willow.

They’d been the three “wild ones” of Claremont High back in the day. Always together, always defending each other to the end.

Willow, the one whose family expected perfection and who couldn’t find her way out of her big brother’s shadow. It hadn’t surprised Brodie when Savvy said her son’s name was Dylan. Naturally, Willow would continue idolizing her brother through her son. By the time Brodie, the army brat, had moved to Claremont in the ninth grade, he’d lived in more cities than he could count, thanks to his father’s military career. But he’d found his comfort zone—and his baseball talent—in this town. Savvy, the self-professed black sheep of the Bowers family, abandoned by her mother as an infant and then raised by grandparents who loved her unconditionally but had no luck controlling her free spirit.

So much had changed since then, yet a lot had remained the same. Savvy. Just thinking of her now brought back so many feelings, so many untapped emotions. Her long, straight blond hair from high school had been cut into one of those modern styles that stopped just below the chin. She looked older, but not in a bad way. More mature. And those eyes were as dark as he remembered, except he’d never seen her give him the look of venom he’d received today. She hadn’t denied that Willow had told her what happened way back when. Brodie suspected fiery Savvy would have a harder time forgiving him than Willow.

If either of them forgave him. Now he’d never know if Willow did, but he still had a chance with Savvy...after he found Willow’s son.

A clump of wet pine sent him skidding toward a thick tree trunk, and he grabbed a nearby branch to keep from sliding down the mountain’s incline. It’d be easy to slip and fall on the loose leaves and straw covering the ground, and he prayed Dylan hadn’t done just that. Or worse, slid off one of the ledges that surrounded the summit.

God, please let him be safe, he prayed. And then, thinking about what would come later, he added, And if it be Your will, let Savvy forgive me.

He wiped thick, gummy sap from the tree against the front of his jeans and continued to plunge through the thick forest. “Dylan!” he called again, yelling the name every ten feet or so in case he’d gotten nearer to the boy. “Can you hear me?”

A sound carried on the wind. It could’ve been an animal, but Brodie didn’t think so. He squinted against the rain, now coming sideways and slapping his face like needles.

“Dylan, is that you?” he yelled.

“Yeah!”

Brodie picked up his pace, sprinting toward the sound. He took another off-balanced slide when he hit a slick rock in the path. “Where are you?”

“Under the ledge!”

Pushing low limbs out of the way as he moved, Brodie quickly found the flat rock that crested Lookout Mountain’s timberline. Several sections jutted out to form protrusions, and he now suspected Dylan had used one of those to take cover from the brunt of the storm. Smart kid. “Which one?” he called.

“Right here!” Dylan answered, sticking his head out of one of the shallow caves and looking up toward Brodie. Shielding his eyes from the rain, he asked warily, “Who are you?”

Brodie worked his way down the ledge to enter the small area with the boy. Dylan was taller and thinner than Brodie would’ve thought a thirteen-year-old would be, but Brodie didn’t have a whole lot of experience with kids. Maybe this was the normal size of a boy that age. He’d only recently started mentoring teenagers in the Stockville area, and all of them had been sixteen-to eighteen-year-olds. Most of them were much bigger than this boy. Dylan looked kind of lanky, like a man who hadn’t filled out yet. Which, Brodie realized, was exactly what he was.

“Hey, Dylan,” he said, glad that the flat rock cut the wind so he could talk without yelling. “I’m Brodie Evans. I’m a friend of your mom’s and Savvy’s.”

The kid tilted his head, wet shaggy hair covering one eye before he slung it out of the way. “No, you’re not.” Before Brodie could explain, Dylan took a small step back. But even in the hint of retreat, he puffed his chest out, ready to fight if necessary.

The kid had guts, Brodie had to give him that. Then again, Willow had never been afraid of anything, either. But that was because she’d seen the worst of everything right inside her own home.

“I don’t know you.” That long hair completely covered Dylan’s right eye, but the left one narrowed, plainly sizing up the enemy.

The woods were getting darker by the minute. Brodie needed to get him on the trail quick, while they could still find their way back. He held up his palms and said, “I know you don’t. But your mom, Savvy and I were friends in high school.”

The boy looked skeptical and backed up a little more, putting himself against the curve of the rock but squaring his shoulders with the move. If he thought he could outrun Brodie, he’d be sorely mistaken. However, he didn’t want to get in a footrace with the kid, especially not on the side of a mountain covered with wet leaves and rocky terrain. No doubt, someone would get hurt. He needed to gain the boy’s trust. Then Dylan shivered, and Brodie saw that his denim shirt and jeans were drenched, as were his boots.

He removed his jacket and held it toward the boy. “Here, it’s waterproof and will help you stay warm until you can get home and put on dry clothes.”

Dylan looked as though he would refuse the offering, but then his jaw tensed and he appeared to decide that the jacket would be a welcome addition on the long hike. He took it. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Brodie said, already feeling the difference in the chill from removing the jacket and glad that the kid accepted it. The teenager would be lucky if he didn’t get pneumonia from this escapade. Which made Brodie wonder why Dylan had been this far away from home. “Where were you hiking to anyway?” he asked.

Dylan slung the long hair away from his face. “Jasper Falls. I think I’m close, but the rain got too hard, and I couldn’t tell where I was anymore.” He spoke with confidence, even when admitting he’d gotten lost.

Jasper Falls, where Willow died. And from what Savvy had said, Dylan had been with her and had gone for help. “Why were you going there?”

“Because that’s where she was alive.” Dylan’s words were mumbled this time, and he sounded every bit the little boy missing his mother and nowhere near man status. He looked away from Brodie as he spoke, his throat pulsing thickly from emotion. But Brodie heard.

Drawn to the teenager, he wanted to comfort him somehow, but Dylan was still pressed against the rock, his blue eyes darting from one patch of woods to another as though contemplating his getaway path.

God, let him trust me. And let me help him deal with the pain. Give me the right words.

Brodie cleared his throat. “I told Savvy that I’d try to find you. She’s worried about you. I’m sure she’s expecting me to bring you home. Do you think you can trust me to do that?”

“Why should I?” Dylan glared at him, and Brodie suspected he wasn’t the first adult on the receiving end of that defiance. The kid looked as though he’d be right at home getting into trouble at school. Actually, he reminded Brodie of himself in that way. He had always itched for a confrontation with his teachers, his parents, pretty much anyone.

Dylan looked back to Brodie, and the wall that had surrounded him a moment ago slipped a bit. “Aunt Savvy is worried?”

Aunt Savvy. Brodie was touched that she had such a position in Willow’s children’s lives that they considered her an aunt. If he hadn’t messed things up with Willow, he might have been Uncle Brodie. “Yeah.”

Then Dylan’s eyes widened, his attention captured by the embroidered emblem on Brodie’s chest. “You’re a coach? At the college?”

Finally, something that would break the ice with this kid. Same thing that had captured Kaden’s interest earlier. “Yeah. The baseball coach. It’s my first season there, but we’re having a pretty good year. You play?”

Dylan shook his head. “I wanted to go out for the school team this year, but—” he shrugged “—I didn’t.”

Brodie waited to see if he’d say more, and his patience paid off.

“They cut a lot of kids,” Dylan said.

Brodie understood the fear of not making the team. At thirteen, Dylan would try out for junior high, the first stage of athletics where the “everyone gets a trophy” approach flew out the window. He remembered it well. “Practice and determination, that’s what’ll get you on the team.”

“Who would I practice with?” he asked, then flinched as though he wanted to take the words back. Probably hadn’t planned on sharing that insight with a stranger.

“How about me?” Brodie wanted to help the boy deal with his loss, and if there was anything he knew, well, it was baseball. Plus, Willow’s letter had insinuated that Brodie could help her son with tutoring. Maybe baseball would open that door, too. Something the boy wanted to do combined with something he needed to do.

“Why would you do that?” Dylan asked, clearly not used to adults offering to help him out.

Because I owe your mom. Because you remind me of myself. Because I need to right old wrongs to prove I deserve a spot in my daughter’s life. “Because I love baseball,” he replied.

“That’d be—” Dylan’s jaw clenched as he apparently fought off a smile “—cool.” Then his stomach growled loud enough to be heard over the wind. “I’m getting hungry.” He held his hand out from the ledge. “The rain’s slacking. Probably should go back.”

So a promise of baseball practice and a hungry stomach caused him to think straight. Worked for Brodie. “Let’s go.”

Twenty minutes later, they exited the woods near the trailer with Brodie impressed at the boy’s sense of direction. He’d led the way back and hadn’t panicked when the rain picked up a couple of times or when he’d slipped on wet patches of leaves and pine straw. In fact, Dylan seemed very agile and easily adapted to his surroundings. Brodie suspected he’d probably be a decent baseball player.

He held the flashlight and shot the beam ahead of them as they moved toward the trailer, where every floodlight gleamed and apparently every light inside also illuminated in anticipation of their arrival. They were still ten feet away when the door to the trailer opened and Savvy came out. Her relieved gasp reverberated as she darted into the rain. She threw her arms around Dylan in a tight bear hug that caused the boy to wince.

“Hey, Aunt Savvy, that’s good,” he said. “I’m okay.”

“Thank God,” she whispered, heavy tears falling freely.

The twins timidly stepped through the open doorway, but remained under the pitiful metal awning to stay out of the rain. They were identical, with fine blond hair surrounding cherubic faces, matching pink nightgowns and bare feet. “Dylan? You okay?” one asked.

He pushed away from Savvy and turned toward the girls. “I’m okay, Rose.” Then he looked back at Savvy. “Sorry I was gone so long. Got caught in the rain.”

She blinked, opened her mouth as though she wasn’t certain how to answer, then responded, “That’s okay, I guess.”

He turned to Brodie and said, “You meant it about the baseball?”

“I did.”

Dylan nodded, and this time released that hint of a grin. “Okay, then.” He jogged up the steps to the door and took the girls inside.

Savvy waited for the door to snap closed and then turned to Brodie. “What about baseball?” Her brow knitted, and she didn’t make any effort to move toward the trailer, in spite of the fact that the rain still fell, and her T-shirt and jeans grew wetter by the minute.

“Don’t you want to go inside and talk?” he asked.

“No.” She shook her head, the ends of her hair converting from pale blond to caramel in the rain and then curling beneath her chin.

For some bizarre reason, Brodie wanted to touch the dampened hair, push it away from her face and see those dark eyes, try to find the pupils hidden within the irises.

“What did Dylan mean about baseball?” she asked, snapping him out of his reverie.

The rain picked up steam again, and he motioned toward the wooden deck that bordered the right half of the trailer. “I’ll tell you, but let’s at least get under the awning, if you won’t let me come inside. You’re getting drenched.”

She glanced down, apparently realizing that her clothes were, in fact, soaked. “Okay, fine,” she said. “But then you have to go.” She started up the steps, then held up a palm. “Wait here.” Then she went inside and left Brodie under the flat awning, which he now realized had a large hole in one side, where the rainwater streamed through.

She returned a moment later wearing a large camouflage jacket, probably Dylan’s, over her shirt. When she opened the door, he heard the kids talking, and he tilted his head toward the sound. She pushed the door closed.

“Okay, tell me. What about baseball?”

“He wants to get better at baseball, and I offered to help.”

A clap of thunder caused her to jump, and a yelp escaped that didn’t go unnoticed by the kids, because the door opened and Dylan stuck his head out.

“Aunt Savvy, you okay?”

“Yes, Dylan, I’m fine,” she said, but her voice quivered. “I made pancakes. There are some in the microwave for you.”

Dylan’s brow furrowed at Brodie, but then he looked to Savvy, who managed a smile in spite of the fact that Brodie knew she was terrified of this storm. In any case, the kid seemed appeased. “Okay. I’m going to eat. But let me know if you need me.” He started inside, but then stopped and slid off Brodie’s baseball jacket. “Thanks for letting me wear this.”

“You’re welcome.” He took the coat and once again, found himself impressed. Barely a teenager, the boy was still ready to protect the women of his house.

When the door closed and the volume on the television promptly increased, Savvy gave him a pointed look. “I said you could see if he wanted you to tutor him, not teach him baseball. And I only mentioned that because that’s what you said Willow wanted in that letter. If it isn’t what Dylan wants, though, the deal is off.”

“Willow wanted me to help him.”

“So you say.”

Brodie should’ve known she wouldn’t take his word. He withdrew the letter and handed it over.

Savvy looked at the envelope, her lower lip rolling in as she ran a finger across the handwritten address on the outside. With shaky hands, she turned it over and withdrew the letter.

Brodie watched her eyes move across the page as she read each line. At the end, she closed her eyes, released a quivering breath and handed the letter back.

“Believe me now?” he asked.

She nodded. “But she only asked about tutoring. The baseball—”

“Will give me a way to break the ice by doing something he wants to do.”

She mulled that over. “Okay. We’ll try it. But if his grades don’t get better, then no baseball or tutoring.”

“He needs help. Willow said so, and you know it’s true. Even more now that he’s lost his mom.”

“I know he does,” she whispered, leaning her head toward the door to presumably make sure the kids were still listening to the television. “I’m just not so sure that help needs to come from you.” Before he had a chance to argue, she added, “But I see that it’s what Willow wanted, and I won’t deny her request.”

“Good,” he said. “Because I do want to make things right. And whether you believe me or not, Savvy, I was going to tell her I was sorry and ask her to forgive me. Today. As soon as I saw her.”

Savvy shook her head incredulously. “After all these years? You wanted to ask her forgiveness now?” She wrapped her arms around herself in an apparent effort to remain calm. “You never called to check on her. You never returned her calls, or mine, for that matter. You ignored emails. Dropped out of our lives altogether, as though we’d done something wrong. But you were the one...” Her voice quaked. “You ripped Willow’s world apart. And mine.” The last two words were spoken so softly that Brodie barely heard. But he did.

“I didn’t call you because I knew she’d told you what I did, and I knew you wouldn’t forgive me.”

“You never really knew Willow, or you’d have known she tried to protect you. She didn’t want me to think badly of you. She didn’t tell me.”

“She— What?” Floored, Brodie tried to comprehend Savvy’s words. He’d thought that Savvy would have been the first person Willow called after he left her in Knoxville. “Willow never told you?”

“Not for several years. When she and the kids would come visit at the beach, we’d always end up talking about you, about our friendship and about what we thought might have gone wrong. Why you stopped caring about the two of us.”

Brodie flinched, the truth of her statement packing a powerful punch.

She shrugged. “Finally, she couldn’t keep it from me anymore. She told me about the one-night stand, and the way you left her in the hotel in Knoxville. She’d thought your friendship had turned into love. Did you know that?”

She yanked the jacket tighter around her petite frame. “Did you ever think about what that night might have meant to someone like Willow? Someone who actually dreamed of the happily-ever-after that she’d never had in her own home? And that’s what she thought she’d found—with you—until she woke up, and you were gone.”

Brodie swallowed hard. “I messed up.”

“Yeah, Brodie, you did. She ended up feeling like all of the other girls you left behind. And you did what you always did. You went on your merry way and never looked back. Not at Willow,” she said, her words sharp and heated now, “or at me.”

“Savvy, I can explain about what happened back then and why I left the way I did.” He wanted to explain. Needed to explain.

The door cracked open, and Daisy peeked out. “Aunt Savvy, can we have dessert?”

She took a deep breath, exhaled thickly and then found a smile for the little girl. “Yes, there are some brownies on the counter.”

Daisy’s mouth slid to the side as she stared at Brodie, but she didn’t ask why he was still there, wet and tired, standing in the rain. And wishing he could redo one day of his life. The night he’d crossed the boundaries of friendship with Willow...and the morning he’d abandoned her in that hotel room.

After the door closed, Savvy said, “I don’t want to hear your explanation. No explanation would be sufficient for what you did. It’s too late.” She was so visibly mad that it wouldn’t surprise Brodie if the rain came off her like steam. “You can help Dylan, because for some bizarre reason, that was one of Willow’s last wishes.” She shook her head in disgust. “I can’t believe that the last letter she ever wrote...was to you.”

Brodie started to clarify, to tell Savvy that the letter in his jacket probably wasn’t the last one Willow ever wrote, because this one had been penned almost a month ago. Obviously, since he’d just shown up today, Savvy assumed he’d received the letter very recently. If he told her the truth, she’d want to know why he hadn’t come earlier. And, like his leaving Willow in that hotel room after a one-night stand, his explanation would fall short.

So he remained silent.

“I can come tomorrow, after Dylan gets out of school, if that’ll work. I’ll take him to the field and we’ll hit a few. Then I’ll talk to him about school.”

A giant flash of lightning illuminated the sky and subsequently showcased the distress on her face at having to accept Brodie’s offer. She jumped when the thunder that followed shook the trailer.

Brodie took a step toward her.

Savvy took a step back.

“I don’t need you,” she said fiercely.

He nodded. “I get that. But you used to.”

Her eyes grew even darker. Did she also remember the many nights in high school when bad weather hit Claremont and she’d called Brodie? He’d either talk to her until the storm passed, or on a couple of occasions, he’d driven to her grandparents’ home, met her on the front porch and held her while she cried.

“I don’t need you,” she repeated. “You left back then, and I haven’t needed you since.”

“You left first,” he reminded her.

Savvy’s chin quivered, and she shook her head so subtly that anyone else wouldn’t have noticed. But Brodie did. She had left Claremont several months before he’d taken off for college. And she’d never looked back. Barely called Brodie and Willow for nearly three years, and neither of them knew why she’d headed south to Florida. He still didn’t know. And she obviously wasn’t telling.

“You can start working with Dylan tomorrow,” she said, turning her back to him to enter the trailer. “But as soon as he passes those tests and gets approved to move on to ninth grade, you’ll be done. And you’ll stay away.” Not bothering to wait for his response, she entered the trailer, closed the door and left Brodie standing in the rain.

Chapter Four

Savvy sat on the top step of Willow’s wooden deck and reread the letter from the elementary school principal. She’d left the sporting-goods store at two to make certain to be here when the kids got home. It’d taken less than fifteen minutes, so she had time to get the mail.

And read this letter that stated the elementary school believed Rose and Daisy should be retained, too.

She was glad for the extra time, because she didn’t want the kids around to hear her make this call. Pulling her cell from her pocket, she dialed the number on the letterhead. The bus wouldn’t be here for another half hour. Surely this conversation wouldn’t take that long.

“Claremont Elementary, how can I help you?”

After asking to be transferred to the head administrator, Savvy waited two hard heartbeats and then heard, “This is Principal Randolph.”

She cleared her throat. “Hi, this is Savannah Bowers. I currently have guardianship of Willow—I mean Wendy—Jackson’s children, and I received a letter from you today about Rose and Daisy.”

Silence echoed from the other end, and then the woman said curtly, “And?”

Savvy hadn’t expected the abrupt change of tone. Obviously, this lady didn’t care for her, but Savvy didn’t remember a soul in Claremont with the last name of Randolph.

She gathered her courage. “And,” she continued, “the letter says that you’re recommending Rose and Daisy be retained for a year, held back in first grade while their friends move on to second in the fall.”

“That’s correct,” she said, her tone still terse. “The girls were already falling behind on their first-grade skills, and we believe, especially in light of their mother’s recent passing, that it would be in their best interest to have the opportunity to repeat first grade.”

“The opportunity,” Savvy said.

“That’s correct.”

Savvy could feel her skin heating, readying for confrontation. She closed her eyes and counted to five. Ten was too much to ask for, given her frustration. “The letter says that I can come in and review their scores, and I can request for the girls to be reevaluated if I believe those scores may not be an accurate representation of their first-grade skills.” Savvy read the text verbatim from the woman’s letter.

“That’s correct. However, in my opinion—”

“I’d like to make an appointment to do that,” Savvy said, hearing a vehicle coming up the driveway. Mandy had told her the bus dropped the kids off at the end of the driveway and then they walked the rest of the way. Plus, it still wasn’t time for the bus. She frowned as Brodie’s truck appeared through the trees bordering the driveway.

Great...just great. Now I have to deal with him on my own until the kids get home.

“You’d like to make an appointment?” the lady on the other end asked, reminding Savvy she was still on the phone.

“Yes, an appointment,” Savvy said hastily. “I do have the right to do that, don’t I? I am their legal guardian now.”

The lady actually huffed on the other end. “Yes,” she said. “You can make an appointment. When would you like to come?”

“As soon as possible. Tomorrow, if that works for you.”

“Well, I am busy.” She drew out the last word.

“Then I’ll wait until the end of the day, when school is over, and we can meet then,” Savvy answered.

Another huff filled the line, followed by a low grumble. What did this woman have against Savvy? They’d never even met. Or maybe she had something against Willow?

“You can come at nine in the morning,” she said. “But I don’t anticipate any change to our original observations. I’ve reviewed the progress reports from their teacher, and given—”

“I’ll see you at nine,” Savvy said, cutting her off and ending the call without saying goodbye. In other words, she hung up on the lady, which suited her just fine.

“Someone on your bad side?” Brodie asked, sauntering toward the deck. He wore a Stockville College baseball jersey, baseball pants and a matching cap.

“You mean besides you?” She hated that the look of him in that baseball uniform made her heart thud in her chest.

He had the nerve to grin, and then he held up his palms. “I understand that you’re mad at me, but I think, for Dylan’s sake, it’d be good for us to get along in front of him. If he can tell that you don’t like me, it isn’t going to make it easy for him to like me, either.”

“I don’t like you,” Savvy said.

“I get it. But if we can try to coexist so that I have a chance to help Willow’s son, then we’ll accomplish what she wanted.” He sighed. “I’ve been thinking about this all day, Savvy, and I want this chance to help Dylan. I need it.”

She looked down at the paper still in her hand. Somehow she had to make sure the school didn’t hold these kids back. And Brodie was probably her best shot at doing that for Dylan. “I told you that you could tutor him, if it’s what he wants.”

“It will be.” He’d moved closer to the steps so that he merely had to lean forward to peer over her shoulder and see the letter. “What’s that?”

Savvy didn’t see any reason not to tell him. “The elementary school thinks the girls should be held back, too. I’ve got to go talk to the principal tomorrow to convince her that isn’t what they need.” She looked at the letterhead, saw the woman’s name beneath the address. “This says her name is M. Randolph. Did we know any Randolphs in school?”

“Not that I recall.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“So do you think you can change this Principal Randolph’s mind?”

“I’m not sure.” Savvy bit her lip, still trying to place the name and coming up with nothing.

“Well, as a preemptive strike, do you want me to tutor the girls, too?” Brodie asked.

Savvy glanced up, saw the sincerity in his eyes and knew he meant the offer. But Willow hadn’t asked him to help the girls, and truthfully, Savvy didn’t want him around any more than necessary. “No, I’ll figure something out. You help Dylan. That’s plenty.” She glanced at her phone and saw that it was only 2:25 p.m. She’d have to spend twenty more minutes alone with Brodie before the bus arrived.

As if knowing her train of thought, he said, “I didn’t have your number to call and see what time the kids got home, and I wanted as much time with Dylan as possible before my team’s evening practice at seven. Guess I got here a little early.”

“They should be here at two forty-five.”

He moved in front of the steps, pointed to the spot next to Savvy. “Mind if I sit down while we wait?”

She did mind, but she couldn’t think of a good reason to tell him why, so she shrugged. “Go ahead.”

He filled the remainder of the wooden step, and Savvy edged over to put the hint of a distance between them. It was bad enough that she caught herself inhaling the combined scent of aftershave and soap, or whatever it was that created a spicy, masculine aroma that surrounded the man. To find herself leaning into the warmth of him sitting next to her would not be acceptable. She didn’t want to enjoy his presence, and she wouldn’t.

As long as she didn’t scoot in his direction.

The wooden step creaked in protest as he shifted his weight to turn and view the front of the trailer. Savvy wasn’t all that certain the thing would keep holding them up. The warped stairs were in as dire shape as the rest of the home. “This place is in rough shape, isn’t it?” he said, as if reading her thoughts.

“Yeah.” Yesterday had been overcast and stormy, and she hadn’t been able to truly view the state of Willow’s home. Today, however, in the clear afternoon, she observed the siding peeling away from the ends of the trailer, the holes in the awning where the rain had poured through, the rotted wood flaking away on the handrails and the misshapen stairs. And then there were the gaping holes in the skirting, big enough for a medium-size animal to slide between. She did not want to think about what might be living beneath the trailer.

“What made you decide to stay here, instead of taking the kids with you back to Florida? I’m guessing you were still living there?”

The thought had crossed her mind, several times, in fact. But she couldn’t do that to Dylan, Daisy and Rose. “I was, but I didn’t want to pull the kids away from their home, out of their school, away from friends and all of that.”

Still eyeing the pitiful trailer, he asked, “But why stay here? Why not move into your grandparents’ place by the fishing hole? They’ve got plenty of space, don’t they?”

Savvy nodded. “Yeah, and they offered, but this is where Willow raised her children. And she tried her best to make it a home.” She pointed to the row of bright yellow flowers lined up like sturdy soldiers across the front of the trailer, as though protecting everyone who lived inside. “I imagine when she planted those daffodils, she wanted to make sure the place had a happy color visible every spring.”

“Willow always liked flowers,” he said.

Savvy thought about the white-and-yellow daisy necklaces she and Willow had made on the school playground during that sixth-grade year, when Savvy had been so sad at being held back and Willow had become the friend she needed. Willow had provided the color Savvy so desperately needed in her dismal world. Then she thought of the other ways Willow had attempted to beautify this place.

“And those metal sunflowers hanging from the awning, and the flowerpots on both sides of the door. Willow tried her best to make this a nice home for the kids, and this is the only home they’ve known. I couldn’t make them move away from here, not after all they’ve been through.”

“You really do relate to them,” he said quietly.

Drawing a deep breath, Savvy felt her pent-up emotions pushing through each word, and she didn’t hold them back. “It’s hard enough losing a mom who never really was a parent. I can’t imagine how hard it is for them losing Willow. She was a good mom. And I don’t want them to feel like they’re being punished because their mama died.”

“The way you felt.”

It wasn’t a question, so Savvy didn’t answer. She simply nodded.

“That’s why you’re so determined to make sure the kids aren’t held back. You don’t want their lives turned upside down any more than necessary after losing their mom. And you know what that’s like.”

“Yeah,” she said. “I do.”

“And you want to stay here, in the only home they’ve known, because this is where they knew a sense of family,” he continued.

Again, Savvy nodded. “When she was pregnant with Rose and Daisy, she told me that her boyfriend—their dad—was going to build her dream house after they married.”

“What happened?” Brodie asked.

“They weren’t married when she had the twins, but they had planned a wedding that next summer. Then he died in a car wreck before they married. And Willow was left with the three kids to raise on her own.” Savvy took a breath, let it out. “She never loved anyone else.”

“What about Dylan’s dad?” Brodie asked.

“He was never in the picture.” Savvy didn’t want to add that Willow had turned from one guy to another after high school, when she wanted so desperately to be loved. Every time Savvy called her from Florida, she’d be dating someone new and had always been certain she’d met the one. “And I feel bad now that I didn’t realize how alone she was here. I thought I was doing a good thing, having her and the kids come down and visit me every year and spend time on the beach. But I should’ve come back to visit her some, too. Then maybe I could’ve helped.”

“You’re helping her now,” he said softly. “Taking care of her children and looking out for their best interest, too.”

Savvy smirked. “Those are the words both of the principals used. Looking out for their best interest. In their opinion, holding the kids back is looking out for their best interest.”

“If anyone knows that isn’t true, it’s you.”

“I remember that day like it was yesterday, when I learned about mom.” Savvy thought back to when she came home from school to find her grandmother crying. “But you know what was the strangest part about it all, when I learned that she’d died?”

“Tell me,” he said, in almost the exact same tone he’d used when they were in school. The one that said he was willing to listen, and that he cared.

“It was that I looked forward to them bringing her body home. So that I could finally see her.” She swallowed, remembered seeing her mother for the first time and wishing that she would open her eyes so Savvy could see if they looked like hers. “That was the first time, the only time, that I ever saw my mom. And she was in a coffin.”

Brodie slid across the step, wrapped an arm around her in much the same way he had done when they were teenagers. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“She died in April, like Willow, when the school year was nearly over. And so they held me back, because it was in my best interest.” She placed her fingers against her forehead and rubbed them back and forth to relieve the tension that formed whenever she thought about that painful year. “I can’t let Willow’s children go through that.”

“I know you won’t,” he said. “And I’ll do anything I can to keep that from happening, too.” His fingers caressed the top of her left arm, not in an intimate gesture but as a sign of a comforting friend.

Savvy did feel comforted, until the brakes from the school bus screeched and she realized the kids would soon amble up the driveway. And it suddenly dawned on her that she had succumbed to the charm of Brodie Evans once more.

She didn’t need comfort from the guy who’d treated Willow so terribly.

Clearing her throat, she shifted to remove herself from the warmth of his arm and force his hand away.

* * *

Brodie heard the bus brakes at the same time as Savvy, and he knew the exact moment when she realized she was talking to him again, opening up to him. She moved away, and the air between them transitioned from the warmth of old friends to frigid and bitter strangers.

God, help me build her trust in me again. Help me do the right thing, not only for Savvy, but for Willow and her children.

The girls emerged through the tree-lined driveway first, and their eyes visibly brightened when they viewed Savvy and Brodie waiting on the steps. Both of them increased their pace, pink-and-purple book bags bouncing against their backs as they hurried across the dirt-laden yard.

“Aunt Thavvy, Daisy had to move a thtick,” Rose said as she approached the deck.

Daisy, who’d been jogging to catch up with her sister, slowed to a crawl. “I didn’t mean to.”

Savvy scooted to the bottom step, held out an arm for Rose to curl inside and then held the other out for Daisy. But the second little girl had stopped walking.

“Daisy had to move a stick?” Savvy questioned.

Rose nodded solemnly. “Yes.”

Savvy looked from the girls to Brodie, and he could see the confusion on her face. She mouthed, Do you know what that means? and he lifted his shoulders and shook his head in a “no clue” gesture.

One corner of Savvy’s mouth dipped, and then she turned back to the girls. “And why do people have to move sticks?”

“Becauth they are bad,” Rose said.

Savvy’s eyebrows lifted at that. “Daisy, were you bad?”

“I guess so,” the little girl replied.

Savvy looked to Brodie again, and once more, he gave her nothing. He had no idea what you did with kids either, and certainly couldn’t offer any suggestions. So she returned her attention to Daisy. “How were you bad? What did you do?”

“I threw dirt in Justin’s face,” she said.

Brodie watched Savvy inhale, her head tilting as though she were deciding what to ask next. And she asked what he’d have asked.

“Why did you throw dirt in his face?”

“Because he said I couldn’t plant a flower with everybody else,” Daisy said.

Savvy had been leaning toward the girls, but she straightened and glanced at Brodie.

He took that as his turn to jump in. “Why did Justin say that?” he asked.

“Because the flowers are for mommies, and he said I don’t have one anymore.”

“Tho Daisy threw dirt at him,” Rose said. “And moved her thtick.” She looked at her sister. “Ith Daisy in trouble?”

“No,” Savvy said firmly. “No, she isn’t. Daisy, did the teacher ask why you threw dirt at Justin?”

Daisy shook her head, her eyes blinking several times to apparently hold back tears.

“Daisy, I’m coming to the school in the morning, and I’ll explain why you were upset with Justin.”

Brodie watched Dylan approach, his head looking at the ground as he trudged along, kicking a rock in his path. Apparently, Daisy wasn’t the only one who’d had a bad day.

“Justin shouldn’t have said that,” Savvy continued, paying more attention to the child in front of her than the teenager moping along the driveway, “but next time, when someone says something that upsets you, you shouldn’t throw dirt in his face. You should tell the teacher and let her handle it.”

“Then Justin would move a stick?” Daisy asked.

Savvy nodded. “I would think so.”

“Mine just moved from green to yellow,” Daisy explained. “That’s a warning. You get a warning before your stick goes to red. When it goes to red, you get time-out at school.”

“And no TV at home,” Rose added.

Savvy turned to Daisy. “Well, I’m thinking we may not even have to worry about sticks moving again, because you won’t be throwing any more dirt in Justin’s face, right?”

The little girl nodded. “Right.” She waited a beat, then asked, “Aunt Savvy?”

“Yes?”

“Can I still plant a flower for Mommy?”

Brodie tried to tamp down the surge of sadness rushing through him at her request. He was impressed that Savvy found the ability to talk without her voice breaking, because he wasn’t sure he could do the same.

“Yes, Daisy, you can still plant a flower for her,” Savvy said softly. Then she gave the girls a hug while Dylan apparently noticed Brodie on the porch and forgot about the rock in his path.

“Are we practicing baseball?” he asked, his entire disposition lifting with the question.

“That’s why I’m here,” Brodie replied.

Savvy shot him a look that told him he’d better cover why he was really here, and so he obliged.

“And I thought we might talk about your schoolwork, too.”

Dylan stopped his progression toward the porch. “My schoolwork?”

Brodie could feel more than see Savvy’s anticipation for his answer. But he’d prayed about this all day, and he knew God would help him say the right thing. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to help you practice baseball one day, and then help you with your school assignments the next.”

“But you’re a baseball coach,” Dylan said.

Brodie heard Savvy’s muffled laugh at his response. Did the kid think baseball coaches only knew anything about baseball? But instead of stating that he’d actually completed his bachelor’s degree in sports management, Brodie explained, “I am a baseball coach, but I also help teenagers with their school assignments.”

“Like a tutor or something?” Dylan asked with a scowl.

“You could call it that,” Brodie said, “but you could also say I like to mix both kinds of learning when I teach someone about baseball.”

Brodie sat on the step above Savvy now, and she turned to look up at him. He noticed that her eyes looked like melted chocolate in the afternoon sunlight.

“Two kinds of learning?” Dylan asked, and Brodie took his attention away from shades of chocolate to the boy standing in front of him.

“Physical and mental. They go together, you know. A baseball player—a good baseball player—can’t merely know how to play the game. He’s got to be able to think, to analyze the play and what should be done in any situation.”

“Like if you’ve got three balls and one strike, then you swing only at hitter’s pitches,” Dylan said.

Brodie grinned—he couldn’t help it. He’d seen yesterday in the storm that the kid had survival skills, but he also had baseball knowledge too. “Exactly.”

“I like to read sports books,” Dylan admitted. “I just don’t like to read schoolbooks so much.”

“I remember the feeling,” Brodie said. “But I can promise you, you’ll go further in life, and even in baseball, if you learn both.”

Dylan had been carrying his backpack, and he slung it on his shoulder. “I don’t have any homework or anything tonight.”

“Okay, then, why don’t we go to Hydrangea Park and practice throwing?” Brodie asked.

Both of the girls were still in the crook of Savvy’s arms, but they wiggled out and looked his way.

“Can we go to the park, too?” Rose asked.

“And play on the merry-go-round and the slide?” Daisy added. Then, realizing they were asking the wrong person, she turned to Savvy. “Can we, Aunt Savvy? Please? I promise I’ll try not to move my stick again this week. Or ever.”

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