Tina flattened her palms against his chest so she could push him away.

Do it! her conscience ordered. Give him a shove and tell him to go home.

I will, Tina reassured herself. Any second now. Yes, sir. I’ll call a halt to this ridiculous game we’re playing.

Only, she didn’t. There seemed to be a short circuit in the communications between her will and her body. There she sat, practically stupefied, while a man she cared about prepared to make his second terrible mistake. The first had been their first kiss. The second would be more of the same. Unless she stopped it.

The weak protest she finally managed to make wouldn’t have been enough to deter anyone who didn’t respect her. Fortunately, Zac did.

He got to his feet and backed away from the swing. “Oh boy,” he said, a bit breathless. “We have to stop meeting like this.”

VALERIE HANSEN

was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.

Married to her high school sweetheart since age seventeen, she now lives in an old farmhouse she and her husband renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous turn her life has taken. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired line.

Life doesn’t get much better than that!

Love One Another
Valerie Hansen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

A new commandment I give unto you.

That you love one another; as I have loved you,

that ye also love one another.

—John 13:34

To all the wonderful people in my life

who are so easy to love, especially my husband,

children, grandchildren and special Christian

friends. And to the one person I find it so hard

to forgive, for being the way the Lord has chosen

to show me that I’m not perfect…yet.

Contents

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

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Chapter One

Tina Braddock bent over a low table, up to her elbows in green and yellow finger paint and up to her knees in preschool tots. It was fortunate the colors blended with her floral print skirt because Sissy Smith had a handful of the fabric and was tugging vigorously.

“Miss Tina! Miss Tina!”

“What is it, Sissy? Is your picture finished?”

The little blond girl ignored the question. “Miss Tina, look! A stranger.” She used both gooey hands to gather up the loose edge of her teacher’s apron and try to hide behind it.

Straightening, Tina looked toward the door. Her breath caught. Sissy was right. The man standing there was a stranger. The best-looking one she’d seen in longer than she could remember. His hair was brown and his eyes were so dark they were almost black. As if that weren’t enough, the good Lord had blessed him with about six feet of height and a stature that insisted he could pick up a small automobile all by himself and fling it across the room without even breaking a sweat.

Tina blinked herself back to reality as she smiled a greeting. “Hello. Can I help you?”

“I didn’t mean to scare the kids,” he said soberly. “I just came to look the place over before I enroll my son.”

She extricated herself from Sissy’s grasp, tossed her long light brown hair back over her shoulders without touching it, and crossed to him while wiping her hands on her apron. “I’m Tina Braddock.”

As he eyed her greenish-yellow fingers he hesitated, so she withdrew the offer to shake hands. “Oops. Sorry. I tend to forget. Not everyone gets as involved in all this as I do.”

“I can believe that.”

When he smiled down at Tina, the whole room suddenly seemed a hundred times brighter. “I’ll be glad to put your son on our waiting list. How old is he, Mr….?”

“I’m Zac Frazier,” the man said. “Justin’s just turned four.”

“Oh, good. We should have several openings in the four-year-old group in a month or so, as soon as school starts and some of my Picassos-in-training go on to kindergarten.”

“That’s not soon enough.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I just moved here and I need a place for my son right away. I thought you understood that.”

Tina remained firm. “Our rules are for the good of all the children here. Perhaps a private baby-sitter?”

“I can’t do that.” Frustrated, Zac raked the fingers of both hands through his thick, wavy hair. “Justin gets panicky if I leave him alone with adults. He’s better when he’s with kids his age.”

That’s odd, Tina thought. Children usually got upset when they were thrust into a group of unfamiliar kids, not when they were privy to an adult’s undivided attention.

“The more distractions, the better he seems to do,” Zac said. “That’s why I thought…”

The handsome daddy seemed to be having trouble deciding whether or not to explain further, so she encouraged him. “Why don’t you tell me a little about your son’s background, Mr. Frazier?”

“There’s not much to tell. Like I said, he’s only four.” Zac cleared his throat. “His mother died last year, when we lived up in Illinois. Since then, he hasn’t wanted to let me out of his sight.”

“Ah, I see.” Tina quelled the urge to reach out and comfort him with a sympathetic touch. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, well…” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and struck a casual pose. “So, will you take him?”

“I can ask my boss. I suppose one more—”

Across the room, Sissy yowled. Tina whirled just in time to see redheaded Tommy McArthur upend a dish of yellow poster paint over her head. The thick goo pooled in her curls, then began to ooze over her forehead and trickle down her face.

“Tommy!” Racing back to the art table, Tina held out cupped hands to try to catch the worst of the mess.

Sissy chose that moment to shake her head like a kitten whose nose had been dunked into a saucer of milk. Globs of yellow pigment flew. Several caught Tina in the face. She was sure she could feel others clinging to her long hair.

The rest of the children backed away, wide-eyed and uncertain. Except for Sissy’s ongoing wails, silence reigned. The boy who had caused the ruckus dropped the empty paint dish as his lower lip began to tremble.

“Hold still, Sissy,” Tina said firmly. “You’re just making things worse.”

“My dress!” the little girl howled, looking down at her skirt. “My mama sewed it for meeee…”

“I’ll wash it out for you and it’ll be good as new. I promise. Just stop shaking your head!” Tina had momentarily forgotten Zac Frazier. Then she heard him start to laugh. The sound was warm and full. It filled the room and made the hairs at her nape tickle. Goose bumps stood up on her arms.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “There are towels in that cabinet up there,” she said, cocking her head to indicate. “Top left. Mind handing me one?”

“You sure one will be enough?” Zac was still chuckling as he moved to comply.

“Let’s hope so.” Tina was trying to keep from bursting into giggles and upsetting Sissy even more. “I’d get it myself but I seem to have my hands full.”

“No kidding.” He stopped behind her and passed the towel over her shoulder. “Here you go. Anything else I can do for you while I’m handy?”

She was concentrating on wiping Sissy’s face and sopping up the worst of the paint in her hair. “Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Hose the place down, maybe?” He crouched beside Tina and solemnly eyed the red-haired boy who’d started the trouble. “Or maybe you’d like me to dunk this guy in a different color for you?”

Tina gave Tommy a stern glance, then smiled at Zac. “Sorry. As tempting as it sounds, I’m afraid they don’t let me paint naughty children, even if they do deserve it.”

“What a shame,” Zac said, straight-faced. “He’d look great in purple.”

“We’ll have to settle for an apology, instead,” Tina said, playing along. “Tommy, what do you have to say to Sissy?”

“She started it!” the boy wailed. “She splashed green on my shirt.”

“Okay. That does it. Painting time is over,” Tina ordered. She straightened and wiped her hands on a relatively clean corner of the towel. “Everybody to the sink to wash. Sissy first. March.”

Zac stood, too. “You sure you’ve got a handle on them?”

“As good as I ever do,” she answered, smiling fondly as her small charges headed for the low sink in one corner of the room. “They’re really good kids. They just have a lot to learn about getting along with others.”

“So do the kids I work with…and they’re considerably older.”

“Oh? Where do you work?”

“Over at the high school, starting next week,” Zac said. “I’m going to substitute teach when I’m needed but I’ll mostly be a guidance counselor.”

“Well,” Tina said, grinning up at him, “that sure will simplify things around here.”

“It will?”

“Uh-huh. Once you get established in your job at Serenity High, all we’ll have to do to spot the teenage troublemakers is look for the ones you’ve painted purple.”

Tina was glad her boss, Mavis Martin, was the kind of woman who listened to reasonable suggestions. She’d waited until all the children had gone home before approaching her and explaining about wanting to add Justin to her class.

“I suppose it’s okay, if you’re sure you can cope,” Mavis said, nodding her graying head soberly. “If it was me, I’d probably do the same thing. The poor man obviously needs help. Might as well come from us, don’t you think?”

Smiling broadly, Tina nodded. “Absolutely. Bless you. You’re a dear.” She reached into the pocket of her apron for the card with the phone number of the motel where Zac and Justin were staying. “I’ll call Mr. Frazier and tell him his son can start tomorrow.”

“Okay. I just hope you aren’t biting off more than you can chew. What kind of kid is he?”

“I don’t really know much about him, other than what I was told. He’s supposed to be overly attached to his father but adjusts better when he has other children as a distraction.”

Mavis’s forehead puckered in a frown. “You mean you didn’t meet him today?”

“No. His daddy came by alone.”

“Hmm. What do you suppose he did with Justin when he came to look us over?”

Tina was beginning to see why her boss seemed troubled. “That’s a good question. Let’s use the phone in your office so I can put it on speaker and you can hear, too.”

“That’s not necessary. I trust your judgment.”

I wish I could say the same, Tina thought. But she couldn’t. Being too trusting, too gullible, had cost her plenty in the past and would have ruined her future, too, if she hadn’t left everything behind and started over where no one knew her.

Mavis followed her into the cluttered office. “Push aside my stuff and make yourself a place to sit down, honey. I keep meaning to get this place straightened up. I just never seem to find enough time. One look at all this and I give up because I know it’ll take too long.”

“My mother used to say cleaning up a big mess was like eating an elephant. It can’t all be done at once. You have to take it one bite at a time.”

“Well, well, well,” the thin, middle-aged woman drawled, staring at Tina in amazement. “You’ve worked for me for over a year and that’s the first time you’ve mentioned your family. How is your mama?”

“She passed away a long time ago,” Tina said softly. Thoughts of the past had obviously caused her to let down her guard. That mustn’t happen again. Once she started telling her story she’d run too great a risk of inadvertently revealing her secret shame.

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Mavis said. “Is your daddy still living?”

“No.” The answer sounded crisp and off-putting, much to Tina’s distress. She didn’t want to be unkind, especially not to a friend and mentor like Mavis Martin, but she didn’t intend to discuss any aspect of her prior family life. Not now. Not ever.

Looking for a distraction, she quickly dialed the motel and asked for Zac’s room. He answered on the first ring.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Tina Braddock, Mr. Frazier. I’ve talked it over with my boss, and I’m calling to invite you to bring Justin to meet me and the other children. Is tomorrow morning too soon?”

She was sure she heard a relieved sigh.

“No. That will be fine. What time?”

“If you come around ten, he can start by having milk and cookies with us.”

“Good. We’ll be there.”

Mavis was waving at her and making hand signals from across the desk. Tina got the idea. “One question, if you don’t mind?”

“Sure. Shoot.”

“You said Justin didn’t like to be away from you, right?”

“Right.”

“So where was he today when you came by the day care center? Why didn’t you bring him with you?”

“Ah.” Zac let out his breath in a whoosh. “I guess that might seem odd if you didn’t know the whole story. We’d been awake most of the night. He was sound asleep when I left. I figured it would be better to be by myself when I scouted out places for him to stay, so I let him sleep.”

“You didn’t leave him in a motel room all alone?” She couldn’t believe a father who had seemed so concerned would have done such a thing.

“Of course not. I paid one of the maids to babysit. Justin never even knew I was gone.”

“Oh. Thank goodness. I thought…”

“Look, Ms. Braddock,” Zac said tightly. “I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances. I’d like to spend every minute with my son, but I can’t. I have to work. That’s why I need a place like yours to take care of him during the day. The rest of the time he’s my responsibility. One I take very seriously.”

Instead of attempting to justify her position, Tina fell back on her professional demeanor. “I’m sure you do. I certainly didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

“Sorry.” Pausing, he muttered to himself before continuing. “It’s not your fault. I know I get defensive sometimes. It just galls me that so many people don’t think fathers are capable of taking good care of their kids by themselves.”

“All anyone can do is try,” Tina told him. “No two children are alike. Sometimes, even a person’s best efforts aren’t good enough without the help of divine intervention.” Like she’d gotten with Craig.

“You sound like an expert,” Zac said. “Do you have children?”

Touched by the irony of his question, she gave a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. “Dozens. All other people’s. And I’m certainly no expert. At least, not once they get older than about six. I’d rather face an unruly gang of twenty preschoolers than try to figure out one teenager.”

“Boy, not me,” he countered. “I don’t envy you your job one bit. Give me a reasonable teen any time.”

“There is no such thing as a reasonable teen,” Tina argued amiably. “Believe me, I know.”

“That sounds like the voice of experience. We’ll have to compare notes sometime. Maybe I can give you a few pointers and you can do the same for me.”

“I’ll be glad to help you and Justin in any way I can. See you tomorrow, then. Bye.”

Curiosity filled Mavis’s expression as Tina hung up the phone. “I thought your specialty was little tykes. You never mentioned that you’d worked with teenagers.”

“I haven’t.” Tina busied herself straightening piles of paper on the desk rather than continue to meet her boss’s inquisitive gaze. She’d slipped again. That was twice in one day, which was two times too many. “I was just making polite conversation.”

“Oh.” The older woman reached out and stilled Tina’s fluttering hands. “If you don’t stop rearranging my papers, I won’t be able to find a thing. Go on home. I’ll lock up.”

“You’re sure?” Tina was eager to leave, to be alone where she could sort out her thoughts and gain better control of her tongue.

“I’m positive.” With a motherly smile, Mavis looked her up and down. “You deserve a break. You’ve either had a particularly rough day or a truck full of raw eggs crashed into you while I was busy in the other room.”

Tina laughed lightly. “The yellow spots are from finger paint, not egg yolk. Tommy got mad at Sissy, and the rest is history. I was kind of caught in the middle.” Recalling the funny incident, she shook her head. “To make matters worse, it happened exactly when Zac decided to drop in to look the place over.”

Mavis’s left eyebrow arched. “Zac?”

“I meant Mr. Frazier,” Tina said, blushing.

All her boss said was “Of course you did.”

Justin Frazier was a miniature version of his daddy. The minute she saw the lonely little boy, clinging tightly to his father’s hand, Tina’s heart belonged to him.

She made sure all the other children had their cookies and milk, then approached father and son. “Hello, Justin. My name is Miss Tina. I have an extra cookie that really wants to be eaten. Do you suppose you could help me with that?”

He buried his face against his father’s pant leg.

“Okay,” Tina said casually. “I guess I can give it to one of the other boys if you don’t want it. That wouldn’t be really fair, though. They’ve already had theirs. I saved this cookie specially for you.”

Justin rolled his head just far enough to reveal one dark eye, and peeked out at her.

“It’s chocolate chip. Of course, if you don’t like that kind…”

One pudgy hand reached out. Tina quickly handed him the cookie and turned to rejoin the class, subtly motioning Zac to follow. “How about a carton of milk to go with that?”

Without looking back, she proceeded to get the milk, insert a straw and set the carton at an empty place at the low table as if she fully expected Justin to agree to sit there. “Here you go. Nice and cold.”

For a moment it looked as if he was going to continue to hang on to Zac in spite of Tina’s assured manner. At the last second he let go and slid into the scaled-down plastic chair. None of the other children said a word. They were all too busy studying the new arrival and his daddy.

Across the table, little blond Emily began to giggle, when Justin bit into his cookie and half of it crumbled and fell on the floor. Tina was about to offer him another, when she saw Tommy McArthur carefully break his own cookie in half and lean closer to hand the piece to Justin. She was too far away to hear what the boy said, but she figured it had to be funny because Zac had his lips pressed tightly together and was struggling not to laugh.

To her relief, Justin accepted the gift and whispered something back to Tommy before stuffing the whole half of the cookie into his mouth at once.

Zac stepped back quietly. As soon as he was far enough away, Tina joined him. “What did Tommy say?” she asked.

Shaking his head for a moment to compose himself, he said, “I think my son just took his first bribe. He promised Tommy he’d see that I didn’t dunk him in any paint.”

“No wonder you looked like you were about to burst!”

“I was surprised he even remembered me. I told you I didn’t understand little kids.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Nobody really does. They don’t even understand themselves.”

“You sure seem to know how to handle them, though. I was worried Justin would pitch a fit when I tried to let go of him. It was amazing he didn’t.”

“I think sometimes we underestimate the adaptability of children. All I did was act like sitting at the table with the others was the most natural choice for him to make, and he made it. It’s that simple.”

“For you, maybe. When I told him he was going to day care this morning, he threw a terrible tantrum. It’s a wonder the folks at the motel didn’t hear him and call the police.”

“Have you found a house, yet?” Tina asked, keeping watch on the children as she talked.

“No. And I’m getting pretty frustrated.”

“Well, as long as you don’t throw a tantrum…”

“Very funny. Although I did feel like it yesterday when we drove seven miles out of town to look at a place and found out it was already rented.”

“In a close-knit area like Serenity, most of the best places never get advertised. People just hear they’re going to be for rent or for sale, and tell their friends.”

“Terrific.”

“It has its advantages. For instance, I happen to know that the house two doors north of me is going to be vacant soon. It’s in a nice neighborhood and only about a quarter-mile from the high school. Would you be interested?”

“Interested? At this point I’d practically kill for a decent place to live.”

Tina laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have to do anything quite that drastic. I’ll talk to the folks who are moving as soon as I get home tonight and find out all the details for you. Hopefully, there won’t be too long a wait.”

“You’d go to all that trouble for me? Why?”

Looking up into his eyes, she saw how much her kindness had affected him. This was a man who apparently wasn’t used to experiencing the honestly offered concern of strangers. Or accepting their help. He was never going to fit in around here if somebody didn’t set him straight. Tina immediately decided it was her duty to be that person.

“In small communities like this one, Mr. Frazier, folks help each other all the time. It’s how we are. We don’t need specific reasons to look out for one another. We just do it. A lot of us behave that way because Christians are supposed to, but we aren’t the only ones who show kindness. Pretty much everybody does. It’s one of the blessings of living here.”

“I see.”

Tina decided to press ahead. “Do you have a church home? If not, you can’t beat the one I go to,” she said enthusiastically. “We’d love to have you visit this Sunday. At nine-thirty I teach a Sunday School class of children Justin’s age. He should be comfortable enough with me by then to enjoy it. Regular church starts at eleven.”

“We’ll see.” He glanced at Justin. “I guess I might as well try to get out of here. I do have a lot to do.”

Tina scanned the table where her charges sat. “I think you’re wise to leave him with us right away, instead of getting him used to having you stick around. He’ll be fine. Just go over and tell him goodbye as if you’ve done it that way a thousand times. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“What if he cries?”

“Then, I’ll give him a hug and comfort him until he stops, the same as you’d do,” she said. To her dismay she noticed that the man seemed a bit put off by her comment. Surely he didn’t expect a motherless child to do without a lot of cuddling, even if his father didn’t view it as a natural masculine response.

“You do whatever you think is right,” Zac said. “You can reach me at the high school all afternoon if you need me. What time should I come back for Justin?”

“We like to lock up and be out of here by six-thirty. Will that work for you?”

“I’ll make it work,” he said.

Tina watched him walk stiffly across the room and bend over his son. The boy didn’t seem at all upset when he bid Zac goodbye. Funny. She’d dealt with lots of little ones in the past and she’d expected at least a mild protest, especially since Justin hadn’t had time to make friends yet.

Hanging back, she waited for the boy’s reaction rather than anticipating difficulties and telegraphing her own concern. If he accepted his father’s departure, there would be no reason to treat it as anything but routine.

Zac straightened and headed for the door. He never hesitated, never looked back. If Tina hadn’t spotted the moisture glistening in his eyes as he passed, she might have believed he wasn’t concerned about leaving Justin at all.

Chapter Two

Tina wasn’t surprised that Zac was the first parent to claim his child that day. It was barely four-thirty when he arrived. Justin looked up from the rug where he was pushing a toy race car, broke into a wide grin when he spotted his daddy and ran to him.

Zac tousled the boy’s thick brown hair. “Hi, buddy. Did you have fun?”

Nodding, Justin suddenly turned shy again and hid his face against his father’s leg, just as he had that morning when he’d first arrived.

Troubled by the abrupt change in the child’s attitude, Tina approached. “You’ll need to sign him out on that clipboard hanging on the wall by the door. Just find his name, fill in the time and sign in the space provided.”

She followed, as Zac took the boy’s hand and led him toward the door. Justin was dragging his feet and not looking at anyone, so she crouched down beside him as Zac paused to check the pupil list.

“It was very nice having you in my class, today, Justin,” she said amiably. “Tomorrow we’re going to paint, and play with the outside toys and have lots more fun.”

When the boy looked into her eyes, Tina was positive she saw a glimmer of fear. She gently stroked his bare arm to soothe him. “And then tomorrow, after school, your daddy will come for you again. Just like he did today.” Still not sure she was getting through to the little boy she added, “And I’ll be your special friend. If you want to keep me company while I walk around and do my job, you can be my helper, okay?”

“O-okay.” His voice was barely above a whisper. As soon as he spoke he looked up at his father for reassurance.

Tina, too, looked up. “I think you should tell Justin that it’s okay for me to be his friend,” she said. “He seems worried that you might not approve.”

“He doesn’t need a friend Ms….”

“It’s Braddock, remember? But call me Miss Tina. Everybody does. It simplifies things for the children.”

“All right. My son needs a teacher and a caretaker, Miss Tina. That’s why I brought him here. However, I don’t see how becoming emotionally involved will help you do a better job. Or help Justin adjust to the new routine.”

She blessed the little boy with a smile of encouragement before she straightened to face his father. The smile faded and her chin jutted out. “Everybody needs friends, Mr. Frazier. Even stubborn, hardheaded men like you, whether you choose to admit it or not.”

“Ah, I see. Are you volunteering?”

Tina didn’t like the self-satisfied expression on his face. Her eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the idea that’s a trick question?”

“Because it is. You aren’t the first single woman who’s figured she could get to me by befriending my son,” Zac said flatly. “And I’m sure you won’t be the last. I learned a long time ago that it was best for Justin if I put a stop to that kind of nonsense before it got started.”

“You think I’m pursuing you?”

“It’s pretty obvious.”

“Oh, really?” Righteous indignation rose. “Well, let me tell you something, mister. If I was interested in getting to know you on a personal level, which I am not, I’d have the backbone to come right out and say so, not hide my intentions at the expense of an innocent child.”

Zac was starting to smile for real. “Are you through?”

“No.” She pulled a pout. “But I think I’d better stop talking before I say too much.”

“Undoubtedly. I suspect I may have to rethink my conclusions about you.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“In that case, I apologize, Miss Tina.” He politely offered his hand. “If you want to be buddies with my son and can keep me out of the equation, then I certainly have no objection.”

That’s big of you, she thought cynically. For the boy’s sake she took Zac’s hand, intending to shake it merely to demonstrate harmony. It should have been a simple act. It wasn’t. The moment he grasped her fingers some serious complications arose. Tina felt a jolt of awareness zing up her arm and spread telltale warmth across her cheeks.

A barely coherent “Thanks” squeaked out of her suddenly tight, dry throat as she quickly withdrew from his touch. No wonder he’d had so much trouble with other women! The poor guy was unconsciously sending out the wrong kind of signals. At least, the ones she was picking up were wrong. Very wrong. Especially for her.

Zac cleared his throat. “So, what time can I bring Justin in the morning?”

“We open at eight. I’m usually here by a little after seven, if you want to drop him off early. You’ll need to knock. I keep the door locked when I’m here alone.” The cautious look returning to his eyes reminded her of the conversation they’d concluded a few moments before, so she clarified her statement. “I will not be waiting with baited breath for you to come in with him.”

Chuckling, he nodded and relaxed. “Okay, okay. I’m convinced. You’re not shopping for a husband.”

“You’ve got that right.”

“Mind telling me why not?”

Tina’s stomach tied in a hard knot. She did mind. A lot. But it wouldn’t do to say so and start an unnecessary discourse. She hadn’t even told her brother Craig, back home in California, what had convinced her to stay away from romance no matter what else happened. There was no way she was going to explain that kind of personal trauma to a stranger. Especially since her past history had been the obvious reason for at least one failed relationship.

“It’s not relevant,” Tina said, choking back any sign of emotion. “Let’s just say I’m perfectly happy with my life as it is. I live in a great town, and having these wonderful kids around me all the time blesses my socks off.”

“Ah, so you’re happy with the status quo. Me, too. Too bad the rest of the world doesn’t understand that, isn’t it?”

“Do eligible women really chase you around all the time?” she asked, baiting him on purpose to take his focus off her life and put it back on his.

“Yes.” Zac laughed softly. “Actually, that was one of the reasons I decided I needed to move to this tiny corner of Arkansas. My friends meant well, but they were fixing me up with dates so often they were driving me crazy.”

“My boss, Mavis Martin, is like that.” Tina pointed to an adjoining room. “She takes care of the littlest babies over there in our nursery. She means well, too, but sometimes…”

“Don’t be too hard on her. She probably wants to make sure you’re not lonely.” Zac paused, thoughtful. “In my case, Justin and I are doing fine as we are. We’re a team.” He glanced down at the boy and tousled his hair again. “Aren’t we, buddy? Well, tell Miss Tina goodbye for now. You’ll see her again in the morning.”

Crouching to be on the boy’s level, she touched his free hand and smiled with fondness. “Bye, Justin. I’ll see you soon.”

For an instant the boy leaned her way, and she thought he was going to break down and hug her. Instead, he whispered, “Bye,” and hurried to keep up with his daddy as Zac started for the door.

Tina’s heart went out to the child. Zac Frazier might be a whiz at understanding the older kids he worked with, but he had a long way to go before he met all the emotional needs of his four-year-old son. Somebody was going to have to show him the error of his ways soon, or the boy was likely to carry the scars of the lack of physical closeness all his life.

It was painfully clear to Tina that she’d been placed in a perfect position to enlighten him. The trouble was, she didn’t feel even remotely qualified for such a daunting task.

“Oh, Father, why me?” she prayed softly. “I couldn’t even straighten out my own brother. How am I ever going to show that man how to love his son the way he should?”

No easy answer came. She didn’t expect it to.

It was over a week before Tina had any news for Zac about available housing. The trouble was, the only house she’d found was the one close to hers. Too close. She wrestled with her conscience all day, knowing she should give him an update about it and hating to because she didn’t want to have to deal with him as a neighbor. Nevertheless, she gave in and presented the address when he came to call for Justin.

“This is the rental I told you about,” Tina said. “If you haven’t found a place yet, this one is going to be vacant soon. The landlord wants to have a chance to clean it up and paint it before he rents it again, so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while.” Shrugging, she said, “Sorry. It was the best I could do.”

“How about if I volunteer to do the painting to save time? I really don’t want to keep Justin in that motel any longer than I have to. It’s not enough like a home.”

“I agree. He told me a lot of his toys are in storage and he wants to be able to get the boxes out and play with everything. He rattled off a list of treasures that had the other kids drooling.”

“My son told you all that?”

“In great detail. He has a very good vocabulary for a child his age. I suppose that comes from spending so much time with adults.”

“The only adult he has much to do with is me,” Zac said. “And you, of course. He talks about Miss Tina all the time. I think he has a crush on you.”

She laughed lightly. “That’s pretty normal, too. I can’t help but get attached to these kids and they respond to me the same way. I love ’em all. Even Tommy.”

“The kid I was going to paint purple?” Zac chuckled. “I remember. Is he still acting up?”

“From time to time. He’s a healthy boy. He can’t help some of the things he does, like not sitting still or not remembering to keep his hands to himself. But he’s improving. They all are.”

“Even my son?”

The man looked so concerned, she decided to go into more detail. “Justin has never caused me any trouble. Actually, that much virtue had me worried to begin with, but I’ve been watching him, and he’s beginning to act more normal. I’ve actually seen him getting into a little mischief lately.”

Zac stiffened. “I’ll have a talk with him.”

“No!” Tina was so adamant she forgot herself and grabbed Zac’s forearm, holding tight. “Don’t you dare. That would spoil everything. He’s just starting to loosen up and have fun here.”

Casting a wary glance at her hand where it gripped his bare arm, Zac said, “Looks like he’s not the only one who’s loosening up. Your fingernails are leaving dents. If I promise to behave myself, will you let go of me?”

“Oops. Sorry.” Embarrassed, Tina jumped back. It would be a hot day at the North Pole before she touched that man again! She didn’t have to look in a mirror to know her cheeks were bright pink. So was her neck.

“You’re forgiven. It’s nice to know you care so much. About Justin’s welfare, I mean.” He cleared his throat. “By the way, that’s a great color on you.”

Brushing her hands over her skirt, she said, “This? Thanks. I chose it because the paint spots blend right in.”

Zac was clearly amused. “Actually, I meant the color on your face. Have you always blushed so easily?”

“Only when I forget myself and grab hold of strange men,” Tina responded with a nervous laugh. “Believe me, it doesn’t happen all that often.”

“Let’s hope not.” Looking across the room, he beckoned to his son. “Come on, Justin. We’re going to go look at a house before dinner.”

The little boy raced to his dad. “A real house?”

“Yes. A real house. See?” Zac showed him the paper with the address on it, then looked over at Tina. “I forgot to ask. How do we get there?”

“It’s not hard. You take the main highway west, past the market and up the hill, then veer right at the first road after the vacant lot where Ed Beasley used to keep all those rusty antique cars.” She was waving her hands for emphasis.

“Who?”

Frustrated, Tina realized they had a basic information problem. “Never mind. I forgot. Ed sold out and moved before you came to town. I usually navigate by familiar landmarks, which is a good thing since the dirt roads around here don’t have street signs posted.”

“Could you draw me a map?”

“I have a better idea.” She glanced at the wall clock. “If you can wait another twenty minutes, I can lead you there myself. That way you won’t get lost. When I first moved here I took a wrong turn on one of those unmarked roads and I thought I’d never find my way back to civilization.”

“So, the house is stuck way out in the country? I’m not sure that’s what I’m looking for.”

“Unpaved streets do not mean it’s rustic,” Tina countered. “You’ll see. It’s a lovely house. And the yard is fenced so you won’t have to worry about Justin wandering off when he’s playing outside.”

Zac was shaking his head. “That’s not a problem. My son always stays where he can see me and I can see him, when we’re at home.”

It was his matter-of-fact attitude that gave Tina pause. No normal child of four kept an eye on his or her parent every minute. It wasn’t natural. Or healthy. Zac Frazier was a smart man, an educated man. Why couldn’t he see that?

Or was it just that he didn’t want to?

Zac hung around until the last of the children had been picked up, then he and Justin followed Tina out to the parking lot. He’d pictured her as the convertible or the sports car type. Instead, she floored him by climbing into an old, dusty, blue pickup truck.

He secured Justin in his seat in the rear of their minivan and got behind the wheel. Hopefully, he hadn’t looked too surprised at Tina’s mode of transportation. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings when she was trying so hard to do him a favor.

She pulled alongside, windows rolled down. “Ready?”

“Lead the way,” Zac called.

As soon as she drove off, he turned up the van’s air-conditioning. Ahead, he could see Tina’s long, light brown hair blowing in the wind. She might not be driving a fancy new convertible, but he hadn’t been far wrong about her overall attitude. She looked exactly like the free spirit he’d been picturing ever since they’d met.

No wonder she wasn’t interested in settling down and getting married. She wasn’t the sweet, contented homemaker type Kim had been. Thinking of his late wife gave Zac a familiar jolt of guilt. He’d been over and over the boating accident in his mind and had never come up with a clear cause, yet his subconscious kept insisting it was his fault. It had to be. After all, he was the husband and father. Keeping his family safe was his responsibility. And he’d failed. By the time he’d pulled Justin to safety and gone back for Kim, she’d sunk below the surface of the murky water and he hadn’t been able to locate her.

Ahead, Tina signaled for a turn. That snapped Zac out of his contemplative mood. He was glad she wasn’t speeding, because he wouldn’t have compromised Justin’s safety just to keep up with her. His days of risk-taking were over.

The road narrowed beneath a canopy of trees. Scraggly, dead tree branches stuck out here and there on both sides of the road like long, crooked fingers. If it had been dark, the scene might have seemed eerie. As it was, however, the lovely summer day lingered to bathe the countryside with rays from the setting sun. Lush growth on the healthier oaks and cedars softened the angles of their bare counterparts.

Checking Justin in the mirror, Zac saw that the boy had already fallen asleep. Good. The poor kid needed the rest. He sighed. Truth to tell, so did his daddy. Between the two of them, they’d spent many restless, nightmare-filled nights this past year. Maybe a new house, a new town, a new job were what they needed. Zac certainly hoped so. He was running out of fresh ideas.

Tina pulled into a driveway and parked. Zac followed, and couldn’t believe his eyes. He stared. There were flowers everywhere. Hundreds of them. In pots, in planters, coming up in bunches in the lawn. He’d never seen anything so naturally beautiful in his life.

Climbing out of the van, all he said was “Wow.”

Tina joined him in time to hear the comment. “I’m glad you like it. Gardening is a hobby of mine.”

“This is your place? I thought…”

“Sorry,” she said, pointing. “The one you came to see is three doors down. I turned in here by force of habit. Guess I was daydreaming. Come on. We can walk over.”

Zac cast a weary glance at his sleeping son. “I hate to wake him. He has a lot of trouble getting to sleep.”

“Then, leave him alone and move your car over in front of the other house where we can watch him. I’ll meet you there.”

She started off without waiting for him to agree. Watching her go, Zac was struck by her effortless grace and lively step. Always before she’d been inside the classroom when he’d seen her move. Now, she’d shed her shoes and was cutting across the lawn barefoot, like a child who’d just been let out of school.

What a fascinating woman. There was an easy goodness about her that spoke to his soul, made him miss the spiritual aspects of his former life. Maybe it was time to take her up on her invitation and make plans to visit her church. If even half the members were as amiable as Tina Braddock, it was a place he wanted to see for himself.

“The Nortons left their key under the mat so you could get inside,” Tina said, handing it to him. “Here. Go take a peek. I’ll stay out here and watch Justin for you.”

“You’re sure they won’t mind?”

“Nope. They’ve moved most of their furniture already. Doris told me to give you the key and turn you loose.”

“She’s not worried about letting a stranger poke through her home?”

“You’re not a stranger,” Tina told him. “I vouched for you. Besides, the Norton’s oldest boy is in high school, so they’ve already heard plenty about you.”

Zac arched an eyebrow. “Small-town gossip?”

“You’ll get used to it. Everybody means well. They like to keep an eye on newcomers, that’s all.”

“How long does it take to become one of the good ole boys?”

Tina laughed. “A couple of generations, as near as I can tell. A genuine southern accent helps, too. I’m working on mine.”

“I thought I’d noticed a drawl in some of the quaint expressions you use.”

“I’m not adding colloquialisms on purpose,” she explained. “They slip into my conversation because I hear them so much. When I first moved here, I used to always catch the unusual ways people talked. Now, it’s hard to pick up differences even if I’m listening for them.”

“Not for me,” he said, laughing quietly and shaking his head. “The other day one of the teachers I work with said he was ‘fixin’ to take a cold,’ and I had to stop myself from asking him where he was planning on taking it.”

He fitted the key into the lock and turned it till he heard it click. “Keep a close eye on Justin. I had to leave the motor running so the air conditioner would work. If he wakes up and sees I’m gone, he’ll be scared. This shouldn’t take long. I’m not fussy.”

“Don’t you worry one bit. I’m not fixin’ to leave till you’re as happy as a possum in a henhouse,” Tina quipped, grinning widely.

Zac rolled his eyes and turned away, laughing to himself. The woman was naturally humorous, whether she knew it or not. No wonder Justin had taken to her so quickly and blossomed in her class. Tina Braddock was more than a good teacher. She was a very special person, too.

Chapter Three

Concerned about safety, Tina strolled toward the van while she waited for Zac to return. She understood why he’d chosen to leave the motor running. Justin needed the cool air. The weather was typical of summer in the Ozarks: steamy and hot, good for flowers and veggies but not as pleasant as it would be in a month or so when fall arrived.

She shaded her eyes and peeked in the van window. Justin was asleep on the bench seat in the center, close enough to the driver to be watched, yet protected from the front air bag. It didn’t surprise her that Zac had chosen the best location for his son. The man didn’t miss a trick where safety was concerned.

The boy stirred. Holding very still, Tina willed him back to a deeper sleep. For a few minutes she thought she’d gotten her wish. Then the boy’s eyes fluttered open, and he realized almost immediately that he’d been left alone.

“Daddy!” Panicky, Justin began to struggle to undo his seat belt.

Tina rapped on the window and called to him. If he got loose, there was no telling what he might do. She made a grab for the door handle and gave it a wrench. It didn’t open!

“I’m here, Justin,” she shouted. “I’m right here. It’s okay. You’re fine. Daddy will be right back.”

The child began to sob. Tina pounded on the window with the flat of her hand, then ran around to try the doors on the opposite side. They were all locked. She knew she didn’t dare leave the van long enough to fetch Zac. If Justin managed to undo his seat belt while she was gone, he might inadvertently slip the van into gear and cause an accident. If only his idiotic, overprotective father hadn’t locked the blasted doors!

Close to panic herself, Tina shouted at the house. “Zac! Zac!” She needn’t have worried that he might not hear her. In seconds he was charging across the lawn.

“What happened?”

“He woke up and…”

Zac reached for the door. “Why did you let him get so upset? I warned you…” He jerked the handle. Nothing happened! He whirled. “Why did you lock the door?”

“I didn’t lock it. You did.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well, somebody did,” Tina countered. “Maybe you pushed the wrong button when you got out.”

“No way.” Zac’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. He’s loose.” Fighting to appear calm, he called, “Hey, buddy. Here I am. Come open the door for Daddy.”

The child was too overwrought to respond. He threw one foot up on the back of the front seat and was struggling to scramble over.

“We have to do something. We can’t let him get to the driver’s seat,” Tina shouted.

“I know.” Zac ran around to the other side of the van and dropped to his knees by the driver’s door. He’d stashed an extra key under there for emergencies. What he hadn’t counted on was the mud he found caked in hard ridges where the metal key holder should have been.

Scraping frantically with his fingernails, he called to Tina, “Get me something to break this off with!”

In the bedlam, Tina heard only part of his request. She quickly hefted a rock the size of a cantaloupe and whacked the front passenger window. Safety glass fragmented into a million tiny, harmless pieces the size of peas.

Zac came up off his knees with the box in his hand and a wild look on his face. “What the—?”

“You said to break it, so I did,” she explained.

“Break the mud off my spare key—” he waved the muddy box “—not break the window!”

“Well, why didn’t you say so?”

“I did.” He swiftly unlocked the door on his side of the van and held out his arms. Justin was just landing in the front seat. Relieved, Zac grasped his small hand and helped him step down. “It’s okay, son. I’ve got you.”

The frightened boy wrapped his arms around his father’s leg and held on as if it were a lifeline. His breath came in halting, shuddering sobs.

Waiting, Tina stood back and watched father and son try to regain their composure. Zac rested his hand on the boy’s hair. When he tilted his head back and closed his eyes for a few seconds, Tina imagined him sending up a silent prayer of thanks. She’d already done the same. Breaking the window might be considered foolhardy by some people—but how was she to know Zac had a spare key? Given her assessment of the situation, she’d done the right thing. Anyway, Justin was safe. That was all that really mattered.

Acting on impulse, she approached the child, dropped to one knee beside him and began to gently stroke his back, while he continued to cling to Zac. “You’re fine now, honey. Your daddy’s right here. You know he’d never leave you.”

To her surprise, Justin released his usual hold on his father’s leg, threw himself at her, wrapped his little arms tightly around her neck and began to weep anew. Tina got down on both knees to hug him close.

“Oh, baby. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.”

Tears of empathy filled her eyes and slid silently down her cheeks. This emotionally needy child had touched her as no other had. She kissed his hair, his wet cheeks, then cupped his face in her hands so he’d have to look at her when she reassured him.

“We love you, Justin. We’d never let anything bad happen to you.”

As soon as she’d spoken she realized she’d made an inappropriate inference by combining her own compassion with that of Zac Frazier. Well, too bad. Knowing there was more than one person in the world who cared about him was critical to Justin’s peace of mind. If his father didn’t like it, tough.

She dried the child’s tears with the hem of her skirt and made sure he’d stopped crying, before she gathered her courage and stood to confront Zac. “We need to discuss a few things, Mr. Frazier. In private.”

To her surprise, he still seemed aggravated.

“Insurance will probably pay for the damage,” Zac grumbled, scowling at his van. “What a mess. I wish you’d asked me instead of getting so carried away.”

“You’re worried about the mess from a broken window?” Exasperation filled Tina’s voice. “Fine. I’ll help you clean it up. But I don’t give a hoot about your stupid window, okay? It’s your son I’m worried about.”

“You weren’t so worried when you dropped broken glass all over him.”

“All the new cars have safety glass. It’s not sharp when it breaks. I knew it wouldn’t hurt him.”

“How about scare him to death,” Zac countered. “He was already having a fit over waking up alone.”

She wanted to scream, So hug him. Show him some real affection, but she held her tongue. Yelling at the man wasn’t going change him, especially since he didn’t seem to have a clue he was doing anything wrong. If he agreed to rent the property she’d shown him, however, she’d have lots of opportunities to observe his interaction with his son and offer a few subtle pointers on parenting. Unfortunately, with the Fraziers so close by, she wouldn’t be able to escape from that duty, either. Even if she wanted to.

“So, are you going to take this house?” Tina asked, deliberately changing the subject. “You should commit yourself as soon as possible, you know. It won’t stay empty for long.” In her heart, she half hoped he’d say no, and relieve her of the God-given responsibility she was feeling.

“I suppose I will,” Zac said flatly. “I haven’t found any other place close to my job, and the rent is reasonable.”

Well, that was that, Tina thought. She was stuck. “Okay. I’ll let the landlord know. He can drop the rental agreement by your office, if you like.”

“That’ll be fine.”

Tina held out her hand as if to shake on the deal, then quickly withdrew it when she recalled the way she’d reacted when they’d touched before. “Good night, then. I’ve done my good deed for the day, so I guess I’ll be going. Do you think you can find your way back to your motel by yourself?”

“Probably. Can I borrow a whisk broom and dustpan before I go? I need to sweep up the broken glass.”

“And I said I’d help you, didn’t I? I really am sorry. I was sure you said you wanted me to break the window.” She flashed a wry smile.

“What I said was, give me something to break loose the dirt that was keeping me from getting to my spare key. I don’t understand where all that hard mud came from. It hasn’t rained since I’ve been here.”

“Probably from wasps. Mud daubers,” Tina told him. “They make nests in everything, even motors. Thankfully, they’re not as aggressive as the big, red, paper-wasps. Those can be nasty. If you see a nest with a bunch of exposed cells, kind of like honeycomb, don’t put your hand into it.”

“I’ll remember that. Thanks, neighbor.”

Neighbor? He soon would be, wouldn’t he. Phooey. Well, like it or not, that was apparently what the Lord wanted, because the only available house in town was the one they were standing in front of.

How could she argue with providence? Clearly, God agreed that it would be much easier for her to help Justin if he lived close by. All she had to do was continue to keep his good-looking daddy at arm’s length so she wouldn’t be tempted to repeat past mistakes.

As Tina turned away to fetch the broom, her empty stomach growled. Combined with her guilt over not really wanting the Fraziers to become her neighbors, her hunger reminded her of Sunday’s sermon about feeding a needy brother or sister. She didn’t know how needy Zac and Justin might be, but it was long past her suppertime and she was starving to death. So why not invite them to eat with her?

Because it was a stupid idea, she argued. It was also a perfect opportunity to make them feel welcome and begin to educate Zac about children.

Hurrying back with the cleaning tools, she made her decision. “Why don’t you two stay for supper? We can have a picnic in the backyard. I keep lots of hamburgers and hot dogs in the freezer, so I’m ready for any emergency.”

Raising one eyebrow, Zac regarded her quizzically. “Is that local cuisine?”

“Not unless we wrap the whole sandwich in dough, dump it in a pan and deep fry it, too,” Tina said with a light laugh. “Even some of the pies are fried around here.”

“So I’ve heard. The thing that surprises me is how these people can live to be so old when they eat so much food that’s supposed to be bad for you.”

“Clean living— Was that a yes?”

“I think we could both use a break from restaurant food,” Zac said, looking to his son for confirmation. “How about it, buddy? Want to eat at Miss Tina’s tonight?”

“Yeah!”

Pleased, Zac nodded. “That makes it unanimous. We’ll be over as soon as I get this mess…” His jaw dropped. Instead of clinging to him the way he usually did, Justin had raced back to Tina’s side and immediately grabbed her hand.

“We’ll wait for you,” Tina said, careful to consider his feelings. He had been the boy’s only refuge for a long time, and she didn’t want him to think she was trying to take his place. “I’d rather cook outside in this kind of weather, and I’m probably going to need your help lighting the barbecue.” Her grin widened. “I’ve heard that men are especially talented at getting cooking fires to burn properly.”

“You heard right,” Zac quipped. “We pass the secret down from generation to generation.”

“I’d always suspected it was something like that. I hope you paid attention to your lessons. I don’t want to use my stove unless I absolutely have to. Summer or winter.”

“Spoken like a truly modern woman. Personally, I’ve found I like to cook. It’s kind of a challenge.”

“You’re joking.”

“No. Not at all.” Bending over, he stuck his head and shoulders inside the van and continued to brush crystalline shards into the dustpan. “For instance, Justin and I love Mexican food. Around here, if you want a decent meal like that, you have to make it yourself.”

“Boy, no kidding. I haven’t had a good chili relleno since I left—” The color drained from her face.

Zac glanced up from his task. “Since you left where? Sorry. I didn’t catch everything you just said.”

Another close call! What was the matter with her? “Never mind. I was just rambling.” All Tina wanted at that moment was to get away from him and restore her waning composure. “If you don’t mind, I think Justin and I will go dig around in my freezer for something good to eat.” She pushed aside her anxiety to smile down at the child.

“I’ll come with you,” Zac told her, straightening. “I’ve done about all I can with this broom. After dinner, maybe I can borrow your vacuum to finish the job.”

“Sure. Always willing to be neighborly. Especially since the mess is my fault.”

Feigning nonchalance, she led the way across the adjoining lawns to her house. On the outside she was calm. Inside, her thoughts whirled madly. What had lowered her defenses and loosened her tongue? It had been over a year since she’d moved to Serenity and gone to work for Mavis, yet until recently she’d never mentioned anything that might accidentally lead someone to discover her secret shame. Now, all of a sudden, she was turning into a regular fountain of information. Why in the world was that happening?

Tina felt her pulse pound in her temples. When she’d first come to Serenity, she’d purposely adopted a new last name, a simple, traditional persona; kept to herself and had never so much as jaywalked, for fear of exposure. Her current life was an open book: Tina Braddock, volume two.

It was volume one she didn’t want anyone to know about.

Justin lost interest in the adults as soon as he met Zorro, Tina’s eccentric black-and-white cat. Its body was too long in proportion to its legs, it had the distinctive yowl of a Siamese and its favorite game was hide-and-seek. The game was in full swing on and around the back porch by the time Zac had the barbecue fire going.

“That animal is crazy.” Scowling, he watched the outlandish cat hide behind the crossed legs of a picnic table and pounce on Justin’s shoes as soon as the boy got close enough. “You’re sure he’s not dangerous?”

“Positive. I’ve even taken him to the preschool with me to show the children. He’s never laid a paw on any of them.”

“How about his claws?”

“He doesn’t have any front ones.” Tina took note of Zac’s look of disapproval. “I didn’t have his claws removed, if that’s what you’re thinking. It had already been done when I adopted him.”

“You didn’t get him as a kitten?” Listening, he leaned down to blow more air on the fire.

“No. He used to belong to one of the Whitaker sisters. When they sold their property they were desperate to find homes for Miss Prudence’s cats, so I said I’d take one.”

Zac arched an eyebrow as he watched the cat-versus-boy game progressing. “You picked him?”

“Not exactly,” Tina said. “Zorro was the only one they had left by the time I got there. I took him because I felt sorry for him. If I’d known what a character he was, I’d have chosen him, anyway. They told me he got his name because he always zigzagged when he ran.” She placed a finger in front of her lips. “Look. He’s hiding under the wicker chair. See his tail twitching out the back? Watch what he does when I sit down there.”

Justin raced by. Zac reached out to slow his progress. “Miss Tina wants us to watch something. Over there—” He crouched down beside the boy and pointed.

Still barefoot, Tina sauntered up to the chair, carefully sat down and began to swing her feet. In seconds the mischievous feline launched his attack. Wrapping his forelegs around her ankle, he pretended to bite it while his hind feet raked at her defenseless foot. If Zac hadn’t seen her giggling, he’d have been certain she was being hurt.

She bent over and began to tickle the cat’s tummy. It leaped to its feet and sprinted off in a blur of black and white, followed by the little boy.

“Zorro can dish it out but he can’t take it,” Tina remarked, grinning. “He loves to play that game. Especially when I act like I don’t know he’s there. I think he’s a frustrated predator. I suppose all indoor cats are.”

“Indoor? Uh-oh. You should have said something when Justin let him out. I never thought about it being a problem, or I’d have stopped him.”

“It’s fine as long as I’m here,” Tina assured him. “Without his front claws, Zorro would be helpless if he had to defend himself, though. He acts ferocious but he’s really a marshmallow.” Her smile broadened. “Hey! That reminds me. I think I have a bag of marshmallows in the pantry. Want to roast them for dessert?”

Justin’s loud “Yeah!” startled the cat and sent him on another wild lap over and under the raised wooden porch. On the final pass he disappeared into the shadowy recesses beneath the steps.

“Speaking as a guidance counselor,” Zac gibed, “it’s my professional opinion that your cat is severely disturbed.”

“Oh? What treatment would you recommend? Do you want to sit down with him and ask him about his early years?”

“If he were a person, that’s exactly what I’d do. You’d be amazed at the stories I’ve heard since I got my degree and started working with teens. It’s appalling.”

Turning away, Tina busied herself smoothing a fresh plastic cloth over the picnic table. Appalling was only the beginning. Given her experience with her younger brother, Craig, she could have added unbelievable, and terrifying, and life-shattering. Especially life-shattering.

The only good thing to come out of the situation with Craig was his eventual rehabilitation. Seeing him settled down with a wife, son and new baby almost made it all worthwhile. Almost.

If she had it to do over again, however, Tina knew she’d find some other way to help him. And she’d never tell a lie. Not one. Not even if her honesty meant her unmanageable sibling might have to suffer.

Justin ran out of steam right after they ate. Five minutes of whining were followed by blissful silence, when he curled up in the big wicker chair and dozed off.

“I’ve always preferred dogs, myself,” Zac said, “but I think I may need to borrow your crazy cat from time to time. My son hasn’t gone to sleep that easily for longer than I can remember.”

“You could always get him a puppy, you know. Your new yard is already fenced to keep it home.” Tina scanned the yard and porch. “Poor Zorro. I’ll bet he’s crawled off for a catnap. Chances are, he’s exhausted, too.”

“It wore me out just watching them play.”

“I know what you mean. Me, too.” She stood and began to gather up the dishes, surprised when Zac picked up his plate and rose to help her. She waved him off. “I can do this. Sit down. You’re my guest.”

“I’d rather help.”

He sounded so sincere, she gave in. “Okay. Make a stack on the end of the kitchen counter, just inside the door. That way you’ll be in sight if Justin stirs.”

Complying, Zac watched her carry the uneaten food past him and put it in the refrigerator. He sighed and spoke softly. “I’m at my wits’ end with that kid. I’d hoped that a change of scenery would stop his panic attacks.”

“Instead of a dog, maybe he needs more family in his life so he doesn’t concentrate solely on you. Aren’t there any female relatives you could ask for help?”

“Oh, sure,” he said cynically. “Kim—my wife—came from a big family. All three of her sisters dote on Justin.”

“Well, then…?”

“No way.” Zac was shaking his head. “They hate me. If I give them the chance to fill Justin’s head with their unfair opinions, he might wind up hating me, too. At the very least, he’d be more confused than he already is.”

Tina couldn’t imagine anyone disliking a man like Zac. Even though he was clumsy at expressing affection, he clearly loved his son. Pensive, she led the way back outside and started to fold up the plastic tablecloth. “You really believe they’d do that?”

“In a heartbeat.” His voice deepened. “They blame me for Kim’s death.”

Hoping he’d explain further, Tina hugged the folded cloth to her chest and waited quietly. She knew better than to question him on such a touchy subject, even though her curiosity was aroused. Once they officially became neighbors, perhaps he’d volunteer more information. If not, she’d just have to respect his privacy.

Finally, she broke down and asked, “What about your side of the family? Brothers? Sisters?”

Zac snorted with derision. “I was an only child. My parents live in a retirement community down in Florida. Justin and I detoured to visit them on our way here. Talk about a disaster. All my mother did when he got upset was wring her hands and cry right along with him.” A wry smile lifted one corner of Zac’s mouth. “It was quite a chorus. You should have seen the look on my dad’s face.”

“I’ll bet.”

Stuffing his hands into his pockets he began, “I’ve been thinking. Maybe…”

Tina intuitively finished his sentence. “You thought maybe I’d volunteer?”

“I suppose that’s too much to ask.”

“No. Not at all.”

Tina had to struggle to keep from laughing at the smooth way the Lord had handled a potentially awkward situation. While she’d been needlessly fretting about how she was going to worm her way into the little boy’s life without having her innocent motives misunderstood, God was setting the whole thing up. What a kick. Everything was turning out exactly as she’d planned, yet Zac Frazier thought the whole idea was his!

Chapter Four

Zac had offered to paint the interior of the house as soon as it was vacant because he wanted to expedite his tenancy. However, he’d had no idea how hard the job would be, especially with Justin underfoot every second.

By the time he’d finished putting one coat of paint on the master bedroom, there were already tiny sneaker prints of the same pale beige color up and down the hall.

Tina found the little boy sitting on the steps of his new front porch, barefoot. She joined him. “Hi, honey.”

Justin cast her a forlorn look.

“Uh-oh,” she said, smiling tenderly. “What’s wrong?”

“Daddy’s mad at me.”

Tina drew up her knees and hugged them. “Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh. He hollered at me.”

“My, that sounds serious. Why do you suppose he got so upset?”

“’Cause of that dumb old paint.”

“What did the paint do?”

“It stuck to my shoes and got itself all over the rug.”

“That was bad,” she said, working hard to sound serious when what she wanted to do was laugh out loud at his childish logic. “Is that why you’re sitting on the porch?”

The boy nodded. “Daddy took my shoes off and told me to stay right here.” His voice quieted. “Dumb old paint.”

“I’m pretty good with a brush. Do you suppose your daddy would like me to help him?” she asked, getting to her feet and smoothing her shorts as she spoke. “Maybe I should go see.”

“Okay,” Justin said with a sage expression, “’cept he might yell at you, too.”

Tina slipped off her sandals by the front door. “I hope not, but just in case, I’ll leave my shoes out here. That way I’ll feel it if I accidentally step in any spilled paint, and I won’t track it all over the place.”

Leaving the unhappy child to mull over her common sense approach, she let herself in and called, “Yoo-hoo. Anybody home?”

“In here. Down the hall,” he answered gruffly. “Watch your step. The carpet’s wet.”

She edged past the obviously damp portions and paused at the bedroom door. Zac had carefully covered the carpeting in that room with plastic sheeting, taped down at the edges. It was easy to see that Justin had tracked through every drop of paint he could find on the plastic, then headed for the hallway. His footprints stopped where the wet carpeting began.

Tina giggled. “I see your son was helping you paint this morning.”

“Helping me lose my mind, you mean.” He made a sour face. “It’s not funny.”

“Oh, I don’t know. It proves what I’ve always heard. You catch insanity from your children.” Taking in the room and its occupant, she shook her head and grinned. Zac had paint smeared on his shorts and tank top, plus splatters on nearly every inch of exposed skin. “Are you trying to paint the walls or decorate yourself?”

He was obviously in no mood for her sarcasm. One eyebrow arched as he stared back at her. “What does it look like?”

“Truthfully? It looks like you aren’t sure. You’ve got paint in your hair and beige freckles all over your face and arms, among other things.”

“That’s probably gray you see in my hair, thanks to Justin,” Zac countered. “So far, I’ve spent more time cleaning up after that kid than I have slinging paint at these four walls.”

“So that’s your problem,” Tina gibed. “Well, no wonder. You’re supposed to roll it on, not sling it.”

“I’m glad somebody is amused.”

“I certainly am.” Laughing lightly, she waited for his expression to soften. It finally did. “That’s better. Now, tell me. Would you rather I took Justin home with me to get him out of your rapidly graying hair, or pitched in and helped you paint this place?”

“I don’t suppose there’s any way you can do both, is there?”

“I’m good, but I’m not that good. Tell you what. I’ll go change into some old clothes and bring Zorro back with me when I come. That way you’ll have a painting partner and Justin will have something to occupy him while we finish up in here. How’s that sound?”

“Like heaven,” Zac said with a sigh. “I’m not real good at painting houses.”

“Noooo,” she mocked. “Do tell.”

One corner of his mouth twitched in a wry smile, and he hefted the paint roller by its handle, as if testing it for weight and balance. “You’re lucky you already volunteered to help me, Miss Tina. If you hadn’t, I might be tempted to do something rash.”

She quickly ducked around the doorjamb and peeked out from behind it, eyes sparkling with mischief. “You do, and I’ll turn you purple the way you threatened to do to poor, innocent little Tommy.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Zac shot back.

Tina laughed and shook her head. “Oh, no, you wouldn’t. Trust me. You’d lose.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. But right now, I think we’d better concentrate on getting your house painted. Are you planning on doing the other bedrooms, too?”

“That’s what the landlord said he wants, and he bought the paint, so I guess the answer is yes. Since I was stupid enough to offer in the first place, I’m stuck doing things his way.”

“Okay. Go tape the plastic down in the other rooms and get them ready. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Zac snorted derisively. “Do you always jump in with both feet and start giving orders?”

“Only when it’s obvious I’m dealing with somebody whose expertise is sorely lacking in an area where I shine. You have a choice. You can either listen to my good advice or struggle through this project the hard way. Alone.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?” he asked.

“Both.” Wheeling, she flounced off down the hall.

Zac watched his charming neighbor go, then stood motionless for a few moments more after she was out of sight. He didn’t realize how much her presence had distracted him until he looked down at the roller in his hand. Paint had pooled in the lowest point of the cylinder and was falling in a thin stream, making squiggle lines all over the tops of his running shoes.

Tina wasted no time returning, as promised. She found Zac crawling around on his hands and knees, securing the protective plastic sheet in the smaller bedroom.

“You don’t need to mask those baseboards,” she told him, pausing in the doorway. “I have a very steady hand.”

“I’m glad one of us does.” He looked up. “Did you check on Justin when you went outside?”

Tina nodded. “He’s fine. He and Zorro are playing cat-and-mouse. Justin’s the mouse.”

“That’s typecasting, for sure. The kid loves cheese.”

“And Zorro’s already a cat, so he’s a natural, too,” Tina added, playing along. “Did you finish the master bedroom, or do I need to go back and touch it up for you?”

“It’s done. At least, I think it is. I had to stop to scrub footprints off the carpeting in the hall, and by the time I got back the fresh paint was so dry it was hard to tell where I’d left off. You might want to see if I missed any spots.”

“Okay. Back in a flash.”

Zac straightened and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. That woman was a wonder. Nothing seemed to faze her. Didn’t she ever get grumpy? One thing was for sure, she always managed to look good, no matter how she was dressed. When she’d first come over she’d been wearing a turquoise shirt and shorts that had set off the greenish tint of her eyes. This time, although she’d donned tattered denim shorts and tied the tails of an old blouse at her waist, she still looked appealing.

Face it, Frazier, he told himself. Like it or not, you have a pretty neighbor.

Which makes no difference to me at all, he added quickly, defensively. The only thing I care about is raising my son the way Kim would have wanted.

Guilt instantly filled his heart. If he intended to instill the right values and set the right kind of example, he’d better start taking Justin to Sunday School again. That kind of thing had mattered to Kim. It mattered to him, too. Once, he and his late wife had led a youth ministry that had been a miraculous success, due in part to his contacts with teens through his counseling job. He could do that again. He should do it again.

Tina appeared in the doorway with the roller, pan and one of the partially used gallons of paint, bringing an end to his solitary contemplation.

“I found a couple of streaks in the other room and painted over them,” she said. “Otherwise, you did a fine job.”

“Thanks.” Zac got to his feet. “Okay. You’re the boss. Tell me what to do now. I’m all yours.” The rosy blush rising to her cheeks made him add, “Figuratively speaking, of course.”

“Of course.” Embarrassed, she averted her gaze and busied herself with the painting supplies as she spoke. “I noticed that all the paint was the same color. That’s good. It means we won’t have to wash the brushes and roller between rooms. And I brought some plastic wrap from my kitchen, in case you don’t have any, so we can cover the tray whenever we take a break. That way, the extra paint won’t dry in the pan or on the roller and be wasted.”

“Sounds like you have it all figured out.”

She chanced a peek up at him. “All but the ladder part. As you may have noticed, I’m a little short on one end. And I get dizzy on ladders, so I’d prefer you take charge of the ceilings and the tops of the walls.”

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