A Temporary Father

When he becomes guardian to his friend’s troubled ten-year-old boy, firefighter Drew Gannon knows he needs help. But before he can get former social worker Lauren Pierce to agree, he’s got to prove he’s changed from the sports jock who gave her a hard time back in high school. Returning home, Lauren wants no part of her old profession. She only wants to forget the unspeakable tragedy she left behind. She can’t take responsibility for another child. Or a reunion with Drew—no matter how generous he’s become. But a desperate boy and his handsome guardian may be more than Lauren can resist...

He loved the sight of her.

Her gray eyes were darker than storm clouds, her cheeks flushed. As she ranted, all Lauren’s righteous indignation drove out the defeat he’d been feeling after the incident with Wyatt. Drew not only liked this warrior side of her, he needed it. Needed her strength.

Catching him staring, she stopped her tirade. “Sorry. Got carried away, I guess. I’m just not putting up with anyone scaring Wyatt. The boy’s been through enough.”

Her mama lioness instincts reared up, making him want to be in her protective circle along with the boy. Not that he needed protecting—it was just great having someone care enough.

“You are terrifying,” he told her.

Her chin rose. “Are you making fun of me?”

He grinned. “No, I’m not. I’m admiring you.”

What are you doing? an inner voice asked him. You don’t deserve her.

Why not? he asked himself. But he knew the answer.

Because if he started believing he deserved her, he’d give his whole heart away.

And what if she didn’t want it?

Dear Reader,

I’m fascinated by the life choices people make, and I admire individuals like Lauren and Drew, who chose professions requiring sacrifice. They each overcame difficult pasts to dedicate their lives to helping others. Lauren dealt with the heartbreaking reality of kids with few options, forced to choose between bad and worse. Although my life is far from the poverty and crime of the inner city, my heart goes out to anyone trapped in desperate circumstances. One thing I know—we all need a helping hand, a kind word, someone believing in us. May we all try to see the people around us through God’s eyes, the eyes of love.

I love connecting with readers. You can learn more at www.jillkemerer.com and email me at jill@jillkemerer.com.

God bless you!

Jill Kemerer

JILL KEMERER writes novels with love, humor and faith. Besides spoiling her mini dachshund and keeping up with her busy kids, Jill reads stacks of books, lives for her morning coffee and gushes over fluffy animals. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Jill loves connecting with readers, so please visit her website, jillkemerer.com, or contact her at PO Box 2802, Whitehouse, OH 43571.

Hometown Hero’s Redemption

Jill Kemerer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Therefore encourage one another and

build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

—1 Thessalonians 5:11

Thank you to the Waterville Fire Department

for your bravery and sacrifice. We are blessed by

your heroism. Special thanks to Steven Brubaker

for answering my endless list of questions so

patiently. Any errors in the book are mine!

Finally, thank you to all the men and women

who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe.

Jason Kernstock, we couldn’t be prouder of you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Ice cream fixed a lot of problems, but it wasn’t going to fix this.

Drew Gannon passed a chocolate-brownie sundae to Wyatt. The tiny ice-cream shop had two tables inside and a patio full of picnic tables out front. Not much had changed in the fourteen years he’d been gone. If his best friend, Chase McGill, hadn’t insisted, Drew never would have moved back to Lake Endwell, Michigan. But Wyatt, Chase’s ten-year-old son, deserved a stable life away from the public eye. Drew had promised Chase he’d give Wyatt that life. He just needed to convince Lauren Pierce to help him.

Drew handed a twenty to the teen behind the counter, turned to Wyatt and pointed to the glass door leading to the patio. “Why don’t you head outside and save us a picnic table—the one with the striped umbrella.”

Wyatt nodded. He was far too grim for a little boy. Poor kid. The past nine months had traumatized him, and Drew was doing the best he could to make his life normal again. Well, as normal as it could be given the circumstances. A murdered mom. His dad in jail for trying to avenge her death. What a horrible situation.

Drew tried to spot Lauren. Would he recognize her after all these years? The only women he could see were either too old or not old enough. What if she’d changed her mind about meeting him? He wouldn’t blame her. If their situations were reversed, he’d probably never want to speak to her again.

“Here you go.” The girl shoved the change in his hand. “Napkins are over there.”

He thanked her, inserted a straw into his orange slushie and strolled to the door, pushing it open with his shoulder. An early-May breeze guaranteed sweatshirt weather. The sunshine highlighted Wyatt’s scrawny, slumped shoulders. His gaze seemed glued to the wooden table. Drew doubted he’d touched the ice cream.

Maybe he should call Lauren. Grovel if necessary.

“What’s wrong with your sundae?” He playfully punched Wyatt’s arm. “Don’t tell me you suddenly hate chocolate.”

His hazel eyes opened wide, as if he’d been lost in his own little world, which, Drew guessed, was exactly where he’d been for the past several months.

“I’m not hungry.” Wyatt slowly swirled the spoon in the gooey mixture, but he didn’t eat any of it.

Drew took a drink of slushie to ease the helplessness lining his throat. Would the kid ever enjoy simple pleasures again?

He checked his phone to see if Lauren had texted or left a message. Nothing. He needed someone to stay with Wyatt when he worked overnight at the fire station, and not just anyone would do. According to Drew’s mom, Lauren had the credentials—years of working with neglected children and a degree as a social worker—as well as the time. Apparently, she’d quit her job in Chicago and moved back to Lake Endwell a few months ago.

When he’d called Lauren last week, her clipped words had made it as clear as a freshly cleaned window she wanted nothing to do with him. She hadn’t relented after he’d tried to explain Wyatt’s situation, either. He’d finally resorted to pleading with her to just meet him in person before saying no. His words could never convince her the way one look at Wyatt could.

Except he hadn’t mentioned Wyatt joining them.

Manipulative? Yes.

Necessary? Absolutely.

The thud of a car door jolted him from his thoughts. He glanced ahead and his mouth dropped open.

Lauren Pierce.

Still had that long, wavy blond hair. She didn’t head to the door of the ice-cream shop—no, she strode directly to the patio. A baby blue hoodie was zipped halfway up over her white tank top. Her enormous light gray eyes captured him. A film reel of memories flashed through his mind so quickly he couldn’t keep up.

Breathtaking. A woman who stopped men in their tracks.

Why had he been such an idiot back then?

Something had changed, though. Her nothing-gets-me-down smile had been replaced with something else. Something familiar.

Drew darted a glance at Wyatt.

If he hadn’t lived with Wyatt’s diminished personality for months, he might not have recognized it. Lauren had been traumatized, too. And he wanted to know why. The captain of the cheerleading squad had had everything going for her. She’d never let anything shake her optimistic spirit.

“Glad to see you again. You’re looking good.” He rose and held his hand out. She ignored it, arching her eyebrows instead. Why had he said that? It was something the old him would have rolled out. Heat climbed up his neck. The last impression he wanted to give her was that he was the same old Drew.

“So when did you get back?” Lauren asked as she sat opposite them.

“Yesterday. Wyatt and I are renting a cabin on the lake. Used to be Claire Sheffield’s—well, Claire Hamilton now. Remember her? Her brother, Sam, was living next door, but Claire said Sam, his wife and their little boy moved to a house just outside town, leaving both cottages empty. Anyway, we’ve made a dent in the unpacking.” Drew’s knee bounced rapidly. He was babbling, and Lauren gave no indication she was up for small talk. He’d better get right to it. “This is Wyatt. Chase’s son.”

A flicker of kindness lightened her eyes. “Nice to meet you.”

Drew elbowed Wyatt, who belatedly said, “Hi,” and dropped his attention back to the table. This was going great.

“Thanks for coming.” He didn’t blame her if she left, but to his surprise, she stayed. She looked weary—but stunning all the same. “Mom told me you moved back in January. You’re a social worker?”

“I did move back, but no.” She shook her head, her demeanor icy. “I used to be a social worker. I don’t do that anymore.”

Hmm... He hadn’t considered she no longer wanted to work in her field. “Mom said you had a temp job.”

“I do. It’s great.” She nodded, and her smile appeared forced. She addressed Wyatt. “What do you think of Lake Endwell so far?”

One shoulder lifted in a shrug.

Drew’s knee bounced double time. “We’ll have to rent a boat or borrow a canoe or something soon. Wyatt here—”

“I don’t want to canoe,” Wyatt said.

He put his arm around Wyatt. “You’ll change your mind. Summer is the best season to enjoy the lake.”

“I know a little bit about your situation, Wyatt.” Her voice was low, soothing. Wyatt’s gaze locked with hers. “It’s okay.”

“Everyone knows.” Wyatt hung his head. “I guess you saw the pictures. Those guys were always sneaking around with their cameras. The whole world knows.”

“After a while, no one will care.” Compassion glowed from her eyes.

Drew squeezed Wyatt’s arm. “No reporters will take your picture here. That’s why we moved. We’re going to have a nice, quiet, normal life until...you move back in with your dad.”

Wyatt didn’t say anything, but he studied Lauren, which Drew took as a good sign. In high school, she had always seemed to be an open book. Straight-A student, prom queen, crusader against teen drinking and, of course, the captain of the cheerleading squad. And since he’d been the star quarterback, everyone had assumed they would make the perfect couple.

Not even close. They’d never dated. Not once.

Drew cleared his throat and leaned in. “So why did you move back?”

“I didn’t want to move, but I needed a change. And my family is here.”

“I didn’t want to move here, either. I want to go home,” Wyatt said. “Can’t we go back to Detroit?”

That made three of them not wanting to move back to Lake Endwell. Drew would have cracked a joke if the atmosphere wasn’t so tense.

“What’s in Detroit?” A trio of emotions sped across Lauren’s face—sympathy, sadness and wariness.

Wyatt hauled in a breath, his face full of animation for the first time in forever; then the joy slid away and he sighed, defeated. “Nothing, I guess.”

“There must be something.” Her voice lilted, coaxing Wyatt to talk, but silence won. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer. We all have things we’d prefer no one knew about.”

“My dad,” Wyatt whispered. “But he’s in jail.”

“My dad was in jail most of my life,” Lauren said. “He died a few years ago.”

Drew straightened. Why was she lying? Her dad had never been in jail. Bill Pierce was one of the most upstanding men the community had ever seen, and he was definitely still alive.

“Really?” Wyatt sounded skeptical and hopeful at the same time. “What did he do?”

“He murdered two men.” She rubbed her arm, not looking him in the eye.

“Oh.” He dropped his attention to the uneaten sundae melting into a puddle of brown and white. “But you’re so pretty.”

She laughed. “Thank you. I’m not sure that what I look like has anything to do with it, though.”

“Sorry.” Wyatt blushed. “I just meant... I guess I don’t know what I meant.”

“I think I do.” She scrunched her nose. “People who look like they have it all together have problems, too. Big problems. Like yours.”

He seemed to chew on the thought. Drew dug his nails into his jeans. Maybe he’d been all wrong about Lauren. Was she fabricating a sob story to make Wyatt trust her?

“Would you do me a favor, Wyatt?” Lauren asked. “Go inside and buy me a chocolate ice cream. In a cup, please.” She handed him a five-dollar bill. “If you don’t mind?”

He took the money. “You want sprinkles?”

“No, thanks.”

Drew waited until Wyatt was safely indoors before he turned back to Lauren. “Why did you lie to him?”

“I didn’t.” Those clear gray eyes held nothing but truth.

“But Bill—”

“Bill isn’t my real dad. I was adopted.”

“What do you mean, you were adopted?”

She shrugged. “Adopted. As in my parents adopted me.”

Of course she hadn’t lied. Relief spread through his chest, releasing the tension building inside. “Look, I need a babysitter. An adult to stay with him when I’m working at the fire station. Mom moved to Arizona last year or I’d ask her. I’ll be on twenty-four hours and off forty-eight, so it’s not every day. And I think we both know that not anyone will do in this situation.”

She was already shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not the right person.” She pushed her hands against the table as if preparing to leave.

“You’re exactly the right person.” Her brittle expression reminded him to be gentle. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t blame you if you hold a grudge, but I’m not the same guy I was. I’ve changed. And you don’t owe me anything except maybe a slap in the head or a kick in the rear, but I’m not asking this for me.”

He let her see the sincerity in his eyes. Didn’t move. And he prayed. Lord, please don’t hold my foolishness and arrogance against me. Wyatt needs her. I feel it deep down in my gut.

She shook her head, and he clenched his jaw, trying to come up with something that would convince her. She’d been the most honest, upright person he’d ever met. Someone who would be a good influence on Wyatt.

He didn’t deserve someone like that. But Wyatt did.

“I can’t be there for him every hour,” Drew said. “I need to rely on someone I can trust. Someone with experience dealing with the kind of trauma he’s lived through. I wish my mom could help out, but she’s on the other side of the country. She told me you’re the one for Wyatt, and, frankly, Mom’s always right.”

“I’ll give you the number of a nice college student I know. He’d probably stay with Wyatt.”

“Or you could keep the guy’s number and make this easy on everyone.”

She tilted her chin up. “I don’t think you understand. My life is on hold.”

“What?” He tried to figure out what she was talking about but came up blank.

“I’m not the person for the job.”

* * *

Lauren watched as Drew processed her words. He was even better-looking now than he’d been in high school, if such a thing was possible. And a firefighter? Forget putting out the fires. More like igniting them. He could be the cover model for any fireman calendar.

Stupid hormones. Must be playing tricks on her. She’d never been attracted to him before. Not much, anyway.

Maybe a tad.

A person’s soul should match their appearance, and he didn’t have the integrity to round out the package.

She probably wasn’t being fair. The man in front of her seemed the polar opposite of the boy she’d gone to high school with. Back then he’d been a cocky jerk. It hadn’t been enough he’d been the most popular guy at Lake Endwell High—oh, no—he’d been the most popular guy in the whole town. Everyone had loved him. As the big-time quarterback, he’d taken the football team to two state championships. College coaches had scouted him for months. Parents had adored him. The town had revered him.

And she’d loathed him.

He and his friends had made it their mission to mock her. She had never been Lauren Pierce to them. She was “the prude,” “Miss Perfect,” “do-gooder” and, her personal favorite, “Prim Pierce.” They’d invited her to parties where there was beer, knowing full well she didn’t drink. Their girlfriends—always the most inappropriately dressed girls in school—looked down on her. The guys teased her for her modest clothes and made lewd comments about her bare legs when she wore her cheerleading uniform.

They’d made her feel like a leper the first two years of high school. By the time junior year had rolled around, her confidence had kicked in. She’d prayed for them, and their taunts might as well have bounced off a shield, because they’d no longer bothered her. In fact, she’d felt sorry for Drew and his crew.

“Are you getting married or something?”

She barked out a laugh. “No, nothing like that.”

“Then I think you are the person.” He tapped the table twice with his knuckles.

“You don’t know anything about me.” Oops. She’d let bitterness creep into her tone. Oh, well. Bitterness had crept into every cell of her body since last December. She’d failed Treyvon and Jay. Would she ever fall asleep at night without seeing their trusting faces?

“You’re right.” He ran his hand through his short, almost black hair. “But I know you have integrity and devoted your life to helping others. Back in school, I had an ego as long as the Mississippi and as deep as the Grand Canyon. I never thought about anyone but myself. I apologize for that. And I apologize for—”

“Look, we don’t have time for unnecessary apologies. Wyatt will be back soon. I want to help you out, but I can’t. I was a social worker, but I don’t work with troubled kids anymore.”

“What will it take for you to say yes?”

“Nothing.” She lifted her hands, palms up. “I give you credit for using your best weapon—Wyatt—to try to seal the deal, but no.”

His nostrils flared. “Do you have another job?”

“Yes.”

“Permanent?”

Ugh. He knew. Always knew people’s weak spots.

“I’m filling in at LE Fitness for Laney Mills. Maternity leave. She’ll be back next week.”

“There you go. The timing’s perfect. You need a job. I need help. I’ll pay you whatever you’re making there, plus ten percent.”

She fought irritation. This relentlessness was part of Drew’s personality, part of what had made him a winning football player. But, for real, the man needed to accept the word no. She didn’t owe him anything. “You can find someone else.”

“He needs you.”

That threw her off. Drew didn’t know her, not really. “How can you say that with a straight face?”

“Look, he’s been through a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone, and he’s hurting. Withdrawn. I’m worried he’ll never be the same fun kid I’ve spent so much time with over the past ten years. I’m all he has.”

A nightmare... For eight years she’d worked with kids embroiled in nightmares. Chicago’s inner city had supplied a lifetime of them. She’d thought she could help. She’d been wrong. But Wyatt’s face when he’d admitted there was nothing for him in Detroit scratched at her heart. She knew exactly how he felt.

There’d been nothing for her anywhere the first seven years of her life.

Drew squared his shoulders. “I could find a babysitter or someone else with children where he can stay on my overnights, but he’s been through too much. You know how to handle kids like him. Know what he needs. I want someone who will come to our house. I want him to sleep in the same bed every night. Feel safe. Grow up as normal as possible.”

Kind of like the normal life her adoptive parents gave her. Uh-oh. He’d twisted the screw into her vulnerable spot.

“Even you have to admit he needs special care right now. He lost his mom. His dad’s in jail. He’s scared of photographers jumping out of the bushes. Please, Lauren.”

Yes was on the tip of her tongue, but the memory of last December’s phone call haunted her. “I can’t help. When I say I can’t, I mean I really can’t. Even if I agreed, I’d only be giving you false hope he’ll be okay. He’s not an easy fix, Drew.”

He opened his mouth to counter, but Wyatt came back, setting the ice cream and the change in front of Lauren.

“Thank you, Wyatt.” She smiled at him. Skinny with light brown hair and one of those cute faces destined to grow up handsome. She couldn’t halt the longing in her heart to help him. To take him under her wing and just let him be a kid. Help him adjust to life without his parents.

She’d had the same longing every day since she was sixteen years old. She’d thought she was meant to help kids like Wyatt—kids like her—ones with broken wings and matching spirits. But her efforts were for nothing. Worse than nothing. She’d given those two boys hope, and look where they’d ended up.

How had she been so wrong about her life? Her calling?

Her neck felt as though a noose was tightening around it. “Well, I’d better get going.”

“But you didn’t eat your ice cream,” Wyatt said.

She tried to smile, but his hazel eyes held a glimmer she recognized. It was a sliver of need, asking her if he was worth anything. Yes, Wyatt. You’re worth everything, but I’m not the one who can help you.

“I guess we’re even, then.” She pointed to his bowl. He blinked, and the glimmer vanished. Guilt compressed her chest until she could barely breathe. She darted a glance at Drew and wished she hadn’t. He looked unhappy.

Without a word, Wyatt pivoted and jogged away. Drew followed him.

The guilt squeezing her chest so tightly exploded. She’d made the sweet kid feel unwanted, and she did want to help him. Wanted to get to know him, to hear all about his little-boy day. She wanted him to know his parents had made bad choices, and none of it was his fault. She wanted to be part of his recovery.

But she wasn’t recovered herself.

One broken soul couldn’t fix another.

Lauren watched Drew draw near the boy. He crouched to his level and put his hand on his shoulder. The picture they presented radiated love. It didn’t take a degree in psychology to see Drew would do whatever was necessary to keep the boy safe and make him happy.

For the briefest moment, she wanted the same. For Drew to chase her and do whatever it took to keep her safe and make her happy.

Which proved how messed up she was.

She’d had her life planned out since she was sixteen. Devote her life to neglected kids, eventually get married, have a family of her own. That was the funny thing about life. Plans changed. Not always for the better.

Now what? She had no plan. Temporary jobs didn’t fulfill her. She wanted a new life purpose. Something to dig into. Something to make her feel alive again.

In the distance Drew rose and kept his arm around Wyatt. He pointed to a black truck. While Wyatt trudged to the passenger door, Drew marched back to her.

“That was my fault,” he said, head high. “I took a chance bringing you two together, and it blew up in my face. I’m sorry. But I’m still asking you to consider it. Don’t decide now. Give it a few days. I’ll call you.”

Please don’t.

He strode, tall and confident, back to the truck.

She grabbed the ice-cream containers and threw them in the trash. Drew didn’t need her. He thought he did, but Wyatt would be better off with someone else.

Anyone else.

For months she’d avoided thinking about her next move, but this meeting drove home the fact that she needed a long-term plan. A new career. A way to get out of this nothingness she’d been in. But what?

Drew Gannon was dangerous. He tempted her with the one forbidden fruit she’d promised herself she’d never take a bite out of again. Her purpose no longer included helping kids with hard lives. Not even ones who wiggled into her heart and made her want to feel again. Not even Wyatt.

* * *

“See how I’m holding the rod? You want to bring it back like this, then flick it forward while you hold the reel’s button.” At the end of the dock in front of their cabin, Drew demonstrated a perfect cast.

After leaving JJ’s Ice Cream, he’d driven to the elementary school to sign papers for Wyatt’s enrollment. The kid hadn’t said a word since they’d gotten home an hour ago. Wyatt held a fishing rod in his hand, but he’d yet to attempt to cast a line. “Try it.”

With a loud sigh, Wyatt laid the pole on the dock and slouched in one of the camping chairs Drew had brought down. He stuffed his hands into his sweatshirt pockets and stared out at the sparkling blue water.

Drew was ready to pull his hair out. Today had been bad. Really bad. What had made him think springing Wyatt on Lauren would help his cause with her? He shouldn’t have badgered her. Shouldn’t have expected her to help him out, not after the way he’d treated her years ago. Not only had it backfired big-time, but he was no closer to finding a babysitter than before. Unless the college kid she mentioned... No. He didn’t want anyone but her.

Did Lauren still have the same impression of him from way back when?

What did it matter?

If he could just figure out how to get through to Wyatt. He’d always been a big part of the kid’s life. Chase’s career as a wide receiver kept him training and traveling nine months of the year, so Drew had helped take care of Wyatt off and on during football season. Wyatt’s drug-addicted mom had never been around. Even if she had been, she certainly couldn’t have taken care of him.

“Don’t you want to show off your fishing skills when your dad gets out?” Drew kept his tone light. Chase made mistakes—big mistakes—but Drew believed in him and hoped Wyatt would, too.

“Six years from now.” Wyatt kicked at the dock with his sneaker.

“His lawyer said he’ll get out in three if he models good behavior.”

Wyatt looked up at Drew. “Do you think he’ll do it? Get out early?”

Drew lowered himself into the chair next to him, ruffling Wyatt’s hair with his free hand. “Yeah, I do. He’ll do anything to be back with you. He loves you.”

Wyatt’s face fell again.

“What did you think of Lauren?” Drew asked.

He shrugged.

“We went to high school together. I wasn’t very nice to her.”

“Is that why she left without eating her ice cream?”

“Maybe she wasn’t hungry.” Drew cranked his line in a little ways. “I don’t think she left because she held a grudge. Like I said, I was mean to her in high school, but she was probably the nicest person I knew. Very genuine.”

“Why were you mean?”

Drew kept one eye on the bobber out in the lake. “I was stupid. When I was fourteen, I had a crush on her. One of my friends told me she’d never go out with me. He said she was too perfect. I asked one of the other cheerleaders if she thought I had a chance with Lauren, and she laughed. She told me Lauren would never date me, that she thought she was better than everyone. I took their word for it. And my pride made me say things and treat Lauren in ways I regret.”

“She deserved it if she thought she was better than you.”

“No, she didn’t. No one does.” Drew shook his head. “I trusted people who didn’t have my best interest at heart. I should have asked Lauren myself, instead of listening to my so-called friends.”

“What do you mean?” Wyatt’s face twisted in confusion.

“Looking back, I think every guy in my class had a crush on Lauren.”

“She’s pretty.”

“Yeah, and some of the cheerleaders were jealous of her.”

“Oh.”

“They had their own reasons for not wanting me to ask her out. Lauren kept to herself, but it didn’t mean she was stuck-up. I hope you think about that as you get older. Don’t believe everything you hear.”

“Like about my mom.” Wyatt got a lost look on his face again.

Whenever Drew tried to talk to him about his mother, Wyatt’s mouth shut tighter than a vacuum-packed seal. Maybe this was the opening he needed. “What about your mom?”

“Forget it.”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“People said things.”

“People say a lot of things.”

Wyatt’s sad eyes met his. “They said she was on drugs and owed that Len guy money, and that’s why he killed her.”

Drew reeled in the rest of his line as he tried to figure out the best way to respond. Missy and Chase had never married. They were together for only a few years before Missy left and got mixed up with drugs. “You and I both know she went to rehab last year and was trying hard to live a healthy lifestyle.”

“Yeah. I was glad when she moved by us. We’d play games with Dad and go to movies.”

“Your dad cared about her. They were even talking about getting back together.”

Wyatt nodded, the corners of his mouth drooping. “Do you think she was in a lot of pain before she died?”

While he was glad Wyatt was finally talking, it hurt to think he had to have his conversation. No kid should have to deal with this. A murdered mom? A dad in jail? Wyatt deserved an intact family—didn’t every kid?

“No. The police said she died quickly.”

“Do you think she’s in heaven?”

He squirmed. This was another one of those tricky areas. Drew had no idea what Missy had believed. “The Bible says as long as you trust in Jesus as your savior, you go to heaven.”

“But what if she didn’t?”

“I wish I could tell you your mom is in heaven. I hope she is, but I don’t really know. What do you think?”

“I want her to be.”

“Me, too.”

Wyatt grabbed his fishing rod and stood at the end of the dock. “How do I do this again?”

Drew showed him the steps. Wyatt’s first attempts didn’t get the line far, but after a few more tries, he cast it out several feet. Drew gave him a high five.

“Hey, Wyatt, we’re going to be all right.” He put his arm around him. “I hope you know that.”

“Do you think Lauren would stay with me while you’re at work?”

Drew’s chest expanded. The kid liked her. Wyatt had already opened up more in the last ten minutes than he had since Chase went to jail three months ago. But Lauren didn’t work with troubled kids anymore. She’d made that clear. What had happened in Chicago to make her quit?

“I don’t know.” This conversation alone hammered it home—Wyatt was dealing with much more than the average kid. He didn’t need a college student around to watch TV and heat up chicken nuggets. He needed to make sense of his shattered family. He needed Lauren. She might not believe she could help him, but Drew knew she could.

And maybe in the process, he could help her, too. Her sunny smile had grown cloudy since he’d last seen her, and he wanted to bring her joy back.

He’d just have to figure out how to get her to say yes.

Chapter Two

“I’ve been talking to Stan, and we think you should offer a class.”

Lauren looked up from her computer screen at the reception desk of LE Fitness the following afternoon. Megan Fellows, one of the Zumba instructors, stood in front of her. Since moving back in January, Lauren had reconnected with Megan, two years her junior, and they’d become good friends, partly because Megan was so upbeat and made it her mission to not let Lauren dissolve into a puddle of depression. What would she think of Drew’s offer?

It didn’t matter. Lauren had made her decision. She needed to stay strong and say no when Drew called. If he called...

He would call. His take-charge personality assured her he would not let this matter fade away.

“What kind of class?” Lauren typed in a new client’s information.

“A tumbling class for cheerleaders.”

A tumbling class? The idea didn’t horrify her. “I don’t know.”

“You keep saying you’re figuring things out, but you don’t have a plan.” Megan’s brown ponytail bounced as she drummed her fingernails on the counter. “And Laney will be back on Monday. What are you going to do?”

The million-dollar question. She had no idea. Megan was right about her not having a plan—every time she tried to figure out her next step, she froze. It was difficult letting go of the dream she’d had for most of her life. She couldn’t handle the heartbreak of social work, but she still liked kids. Tumbling classes might be something to consider.

“I don’t want you to go all hermit-like in your apartment again.” Megan rested her elbows on the counter. Her face had the concerned look that poked at Lauren’s conscience.

“Well, I have been offered a babysitting job.”

“Babysitting?” Megan grimaced. “What ages are we talking? Three? Five?”

“Ten. Do you remember Drew Gannon?”

“Do I remember Drew Gannon?” Megan rounded the counter in a flash and took a seat next to Lauren. “Tall, built and studly? Oh, I remember.”

“That’s him.” Lauren had probably been the only girl in school who hadn’t drooled all over Drew.

“I’ve had a crush on him since I was in second grade. I know he’s a little older than me, but how could a girl not like him?”

“Every girl in this town liked him at one point or another.” Lauren straightened the papers on the desk. “He’s back. Hired in at the fire station. He’s taking care of his best friend’s son.”

“Why?” Megan’s screwed-up face almost made Lauren laugh.

“I’m not getting into all the gory details, but Wyatt will be living with him for several years.”

“A single dad. Maybe he needs some help...from yours truly.”

Lauren swatted at her arm and laughed. “I’m sure once word gets out he’s back in town, there will be plenty of willing female bodies at his door.”

“He’s single, then?”

“Seems to be.”

“So how do you fit into all this?”

“His schedule,” Lauren said. “Twenty-four hours on. Forty-eight off. He needs someone to stay with Wyatt while he’s at work.”

Megan pressed her index finger to her lips. “Why you?”

“My degree. Experience. His mom recommended me.”

“Please tell me you jumped at the chance?”

She shook her head. “I can’t, Megan. You know I can’t.”

“I know no such thing. You can. And you should.”

“Uh, no. I’m not putting myself through it. No more emotionally damaged kids. My heart can’t take it. I’m finally getting back to normal.” If normal included not sleeping well, avoiding any public event and refusing to date any of the men brave enough to ask her out since she’d moved back...

Her new normal sounded sad. Add a few more felines, and she could be a reclusive cat lady.

“You love kids. And this is only one kid. It would be perfect. You wouldn’t be trying to find him a foster home or visiting him at a crack house. You’d be heating SpaghettiOs and helping with math problems. Easy.” Megan snapped her fingers.

Megan always made things sound easy. Unfortunately, Lauren knew better. There were so many factors making the situation impossible. Like the fact that Drew had been a complete jerk to her for years. Sure, he’d seemed caring with Wyatt and had apologized yesterday, but it didn’t guarantee he was a stand-up guy.

And then there was Wyatt. Withdrawn, emotionally shattered—it was written all over him. She couldn’t be simply a babysitter. She didn’t have it in her. No matter how much she told herself not to grow attached, not to fall in love with the kids, she did. She’d love him. And she’d get hurt. If she took care of Wyatt and made a bad decision, it could send him back to square one.

“You want to say yes,” Megan said. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“He was so skinny and small and withdrawn. He was sweet, too. I felt an instant connection.”

Megan smiled slyly. “And did you feel the connection with his temporary dad?”

Oh, yeah. When she agreed to meet Drew, she’d been sure she wouldn’t find him attractive at all. His personality in high school had made him unattractive to her. But watching him interact with Wyatt? Seeing the way he pushed and pushed for Wyatt’s sake?

Made him enticing.

“Um, I guess a little bit. I mean, I have a pulse, and he looks like...”

“A hot fireman.”

“Yeah.” Lauren glanced up as someone headed her way. Phew. Saved by the shift change. “I’m out of here.”

“I think you should go for it,” Megan said. Lauren grabbed her purse out of the drawer, ignoring her. “If not, consider the tumbling class.”

She gave Megan a backward wave and walked out, soaking in the afternoon sunshine. Why was she still thinking about Drew’s offer? She wasn’t changing her mind. She’d made her choice.

She drove to her apartment over the hardware store on Main Street. Maybe Megan was on to something with the tumbling class. Lake Endwell High used to have an elite cheerleading program, but it had been several years since they had won any competitions. Tumbling classes would help, but not enough to get the program back on top.

What Lake Endwell needed was a boost to its cheerleading program.

Cheer academies had popped up all over Chicago while she lived there. One of the foster moms she knew owned one, and Lauren had visited it several times. The students came from surrounding school districts, and they traveled all over the country for competitions. Most of them went on to cheer in high school.

She parked in the lot behind her building. Years of gymnastics and cheerleading qualified her, but she hadn’t choreographed in a long time. And own a business? She wouldn’t know where to begin. While making her way to the back door, she checked her phone for messages.

Drew stood near the entrance. “I called the fitness place, and Megan Fellows told me you just left. She said I could find you here.”

I’ll get you back for this, Megan. She plastered a smile on, ignoring the way her heartbeat stampeded at the sight of him. “What can I do for you?”

“I feel bad about yesterday. Let me buy you a cup of coffee.”

“No need to feel bad or buy me coffee. We’re good. Your conscience can be clear.” She tried to push past him, but his broad shoulders blocked the door. He wore loose-fitting jeans and a dark gray pullover. By the strained look on his face, she’d say she annoyed him. Good.

“Will you please hear me out?” The words were soft, low. She let out a loud sigh.

“This isn’t necessary. I hold no ill will against you. I hope you have a wonderful life.” Without me in it.

“You were never good at lying.” The side of his mouth quirked up, and challenge glinted from his brown eyes.

“You’re right. I’m not.” Hiking her purse over her shoulder, she tipped her chin up. “I like Wyatt. I’m tempted to help you because of him. But I never worshipped you like the rest of this town did, and I don’t plan on it now. So go ahead and demand your way, but you won’t get it—not from me. All you have to do is walk three steps and you’ll find someone else who’s more than willing to do whatever you ask.”

He scowled. Maybe she’d gone too far. She hadn’t seen him in years, and it wasn’t his fault her life fell apart, so why was she taking her anger out on him?

And why was she so angry, anyhow? She’d been keeping it together reasonably well for months.

“I don’t want anyone to worship me. I’m just a guy. Someone who messed up most of my life.” Drew crossed his arms over his chest. “I admire you for being straight with me. Don’t worry—I’ll leave you alone.”

“Wait.” She caught his arm. His muscle flexed under her hand. She swiftly pulled back. “I guess one cup of coffee wouldn’t kill me. I know you’re trying to help Wyatt.”

“The Daily Donut?”

She shook her head. “Closes at two. Have you been out and about yet since moving back?”

“No, why?”

Tapping her chin, she realized he had no idea what was about to hit him. “Then let’s skip the coffee and go to City Park.”

“Isn’t there another coffeehouse in town?”

“You’re missing the point. When word hits around here you moved back, you’re going to be bombarded.”

He grimaced. Had he paled? “City Park it is.”

Drew Gannon, scared? She’d never thought he could surprise her, but never was a long time. Why wouldn’t Mr. Hometown Hero have made the rounds when he arrived?

“Give me a minute to drop off my purse.” Maybe a little chat in City Park wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

* * *

Drew strode next to Lauren along the sidewalk. If he was going to have any chance at getting her to help Wyatt, he needed to show her he’d changed. This would probably be his only shot. She smelled fresh, the exact same way she looked. He’d always thought she belonged on a California beach. All-American, pure sunshine.

But the sunshine had sharpened to lightning over the years—she certainly hadn’t held back with her opinion a minute ago. The way she’d put him in his place had shocked him at first. But, oddly enough, he liked her even more because of it.

He’d dated too many women who had their own agendas. He couldn’t remember any of them saying exactly what was on their minds.

How long had it been since he’d been on a date?

Five years? Six?

“Where’s Wyatt, by the way?” She easily kept pace with him.

“School. His first day. I’m picking him up at three thirty.”

“School already? You don’t waste time, do you?”

“I wasted enough time when I was younger. I don’t see the point in waiting when something has to be done.”

“What do you mean?” They reached the last store on the street. A quarter mile and they’d be at the park.

“You know how I was in high school?” He didn’t glance at her, not wanting to see how she viewed him. He could guess well enough. “I thought I was somebody. Didn’t work hard at anything but football, and by senior year I wasn’t even giving that my all. I believed my hype. Thought I was special.”

“Well, everyone around here agreed, so you probably were.” Her dry tone made his lips twitch.

Keep it serious. Show her you mean this.

“I was unprepared for college. I actually thought the coaches were going to fawn over me the way it was here, not that you would know what I mean...”

“I know what you mean.”

“Yeah. I guess you would, but I had no clue. I got to college and was a nobody. Third-string quarterback. For the first time in my life, everyone around me was as talented—more talented—than I was.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to feel sorry for you.”

He shot her a look. There was the megawatt smile he’d missed. He chuckled.

“I had it coming. I struggled at practices, and instead of working harder and giving it my all, I complained about the coaches. Told everyone they didn’t like me. That I deserved to be a starter.” He gestured to the park entrance, and they headed toward the gazebo. “Do you know how many snaps I took in games?”

She made a face and shrugged. “None?”

“Two.” He almost shuddered. “None would have been better. I threw two interceptions. The sum total of my freshman year stats. Two plays. Two interceptions. I gained weight, lost muscle, didn’t attend a team meeting. And I was so dumb, I was actually shocked—and I mean shocked—when I was cut from the team. No more scholarship. No more college.”

“I’m sorry, Drew. I didn’t know all that.”

“Well, you’re the only one from this town who didn’t. I have my doubts about moving back.”

She hopped up on a picnic table and perched on the top, facing the water. Seagulls landed in the distance, and two ladies power walked on the bike trail. The unmistakable smell of the lake filled the air.

“Why did you come back?” Lauren pushed her hair to the side of her neck. The LE Fitness lime-green T-shirt she wore under a black formfitting warm-up jacket hugged her slender body. He liked the way it looked on her.

“Chase asked me to. He wanted Wyatt to grow up in a healthier environment, away from the reporters and the private school full of kids with wealthy parents. He always joked I was the most normal person he knew. He wanted normalcy for Wyatt.”

“You? Normal? Debatable.” She leaned back, resting her hands on the table, and grinned. Understanding knitted between them. The peace of the lapping waves nearby mellowed his senses.

“You gave me the ten-second version on the phone, but what really happened to Wyatt’s mom? And how did you become his guardian?” Lauren crossed one leg over the other and faced him.

“It’s kind of a long story.”

She propped her elbow on her knee. “I’ve got all afternoon.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Where to start? “Chase and I met in college. We were roommates. We had a lot in common, liked the football lifestyle. The girls, the parties, the accolades.”

She snorted. He opened his hands as if to say, This is what you get.

“Chase was more grounded than I was. The guy was pure talent. And he worked his tail off to be the best. I can’t tell you how many times I wished I would have followed his example.”

“Yet he’s in jail, and here you are.” The words were barely audible.

“True. Anyway, he’s my best friend. I refused to come back to Lake Endwell after getting kicked out of college. And even if I could have afforded out-of-state tuition, I had no desire to continue. I was bitter. Worked at a gas station, shared an apartment with a group of potheads. I couldn’t face life without football. Couldn’t face my parents. Certainly couldn’t face my old buddies from home.”

“Some of them would have been supportive. There are some good people here.”

“You’re probably right, but I couldn’t handle it. I’d gone from being the hero to a nobody. Chase was the one who kept me going for two years. He told me I was better than that. Helped me realize I could do something with my life besides football. He fronted the money for me to take classes to be a firefighter and an EMT. A few years later I decided to continue my training and become a paramedic. It was brutal. I almost quit. Chase didn’t let me.”

“Sounds like a great guy.”

“He is.” Drew leaned forward, his clasped hands dangling between his knees. “He met Missy while I was working at the gas station. She was gorgeous, and she liked to party. That was all Chase looked for in a girl. At the time it was all I looked for, too. They fought a lot, but they’d make up just as quickly. She got pregnant his junior year. Moved to Chicago with him when he got drafted. They never married. She left when Wyatt was two, taking him with her, and the next year Chase was traded and moved to Detroit.”

“Did she move, too?”

“No. Not then, anyway. If she would have, things might not have spiraled out of control the way they did. She found a new boyfriend, Len, who also became her drug supplier. When Chase realized how addicted she’d become, he fought for full custody of Wyatt—and he won. From that point on, I was a big part of Wyatt’s life.”

“How so?”

“I’d gotten a job in Dearborn the year before. When Chase gained custody of Wyatt, I transferred to a fire station closer to them. He was on the road or training for over half the year. He hired a part-time babysitter, but I stayed at his house whenever he was traveling. I had my own apartment the rest of the time. Wyatt has no living grandparents. That’s why the courts appointed me to be Wyatt’s guardian.”

“So you’ve been helping take care of Wyatt for years?” She tilted her head.

“When Chase couldn’t.”

“That’s actually a good situation for Wyatt. He’s comfortable with you and doesn’t have to learn a new routine.”

“Living here will be a new routine for us both. I hope his first day is going okay.”

“I do, too. Kids make friends easy at his age. I’m sure he’ll fit right in.”

Drew gazed out at the water. “I don’t know. He’s too quiet. And he never used to be shy.”

“Losing your parents will do that to you.” She rubbed her upper arms although it wasn’t cold. “You still haven’t told me what happened.”

He hated discussing it. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t memorized the details. Once he opened his mouth, he knew he’d be able to tell her the facts in a detached voice. If only his insides wouldn’t twist and cry out at the senselessness of it all. Missy hadn’t deserved to die, and his best friend shouldn’t be in jail.

“Over a year ago, Missy went to rehab and, once out, decided a change of scene would help her stay clean. She moved to Detroit to be in Wyatt’s life. She and Chase reconnected, were even dating again. On a hot day in August, Len showed up at her apartment. They fought. He choked her to death.” He cleared his throat to dislodge the lump forming. “It changed Chase. He became obsessed when Len skipped bail. He hired a private investigator, and when they located Len, he went there to confront him. No one knows exactly what happened, but Chase drove over Len with his truck.”

“He didn’t kill him, though?”

“Broke his leg.” He rubbed his chin. “Chase was found guilty of second-degree attempted murder. Len is serving a life sentence in prison for first-degree murder.”

Drew glanced at Lauren to see her reaction. “Is that the saddest story you’ve ever heard?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s not.”

“That’s pretty heartless.”

“Is it?” She stood, shaking her legs out. “Work in the inner city of Chicago for eight years. You’ll see worse.”

He rose, too, shoving his hands in his pockets. Logically he knew awful things happened every day all over the world, but they hadn’t touched him the way Chase and Missy did. His own line of work put him face-to-face with horror on an ongoing basis. While he cared about the people he helped who had been in accidents and fires, he didn’t love them the way he did his friends, so their tragedies didn’t feel as devastating. He probably should feel guilty about that, but he didn’t.

“Let’s go walk along the lake.” He took her by the elbow, directing her to the lakeside path. “Tell me about Chicago.”

She strolled beside him. “I’m trying to forget.”

“What do you want to forget?”

“It’s kind of hard to forget if I talk about it.” She acted lighthearted, but the tiny furrow in her forehead revealed the truth. Whatever had happened must have affected her deeply.

“You got me there.” He wouldn’t push her.

“Yeah, well my do-gooding days are over.”

He cringed, remembering the way he and his friends had taunted her. How she’d walk down the school halls with her spine so straight it looked like it would snap. They’d thought she was stuck-up, but he knew better now. She’d been protecting herself from them.

Why had he been so clueless? So thoughtless? So mean?

“I hope that’s not true,” he said. “The world needs more people like you.”

She snorted. “Not even close. I was so naive. Thought I could make a difference. I tried. I really did try.”

“I’m sure you made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives.”

She quickened her pace, and he sped to keep up with her. “I’d get kids placed in a foster home, and the next month they’d be removed at the foster parents’ request. They needed stability, but did they get it? Or I’d try to get kids out of an unhealthy, neglect-filled home, but the parent would find a way to work the system.”

“Some of the cases you worked on must have turned out well.”

“Some did. The last one, though... I couldn’t do it anymore. Those kids meant too much to me. I always got in too deep emotionally.”

“It’s better to be emotionally invested than to be apathetic. When you don’t care about other people, you only really care about yourself. Trust me. I know.”

“What if you don’t care about yourself, either?” The breeze blew the hair around her face, and she tucked it back behind her ear.

“Then you end up living with a bunch of potheads and working at a gas station because you’re so mad at the world, you can’t handle living in it.” He checked his watch. “I didn’t realize the time. I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to pick up Wyatt.”

“No problem.” They turned around and started walking back to her apartment. “Do you ever miss playing football?”

“Miss it? I still play.”

“When?” Skepticism laced her tone.

“Me and the guys throw the ball around whenever possible. You should see us when football season starts. We watch all the college and NFL games, and we split into teams to play outside, too. Well, we did back in Detroit, anyway.”

Her smile lit her face. “So I assume you’ll be coaching a rec team for Wyatt this August, huh?”

“Unfortunately, no. Chase made me promise I wouldn’t let Wyatt play.”

“Why not? Isn’t he the big football star?”

“That’s part of the problem. He blames the celebrity lifestyle for coloring his decisions. Like I said, he wants Wyatt—”

“To have a normal life.”

“Yep.”

They crossed the street at a traffic light.

“Hmm...” She appeared deep in thought.

“What’s the ‘hmm’ for?”

“I guess I was thinking no one really has a normal life.”

Drew opened his mouth to refute it, but she had a point. What was normal?

His job was normal. He loved being a firefighter. Craved the adrenaline rush of his duties. Didn’t mind the danger.

Lauren’s complexity intrigued him. What about that last case had made her lose her faith in herself? What had her life been like in Chicago? Why did this golden girl, who seemed to have it all together, not view herself the way he—and everyone else—did?

The questions would have to wait. They reached the parking lot, and he stopped in front of her building’s back door. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For giving me the time of day. For letting me talk to you.”

A blush spread across her cheeks. Whoa. He couldn’t help staring at her and wishing things were different.

“Listen, I’m taking Wyatt to the fish fry at Uncle Joe’s Restaurant Friday night. Why don’t you join us? Say, six thirty?”

She bit the corner of her lower lip and averted her gaze. “I’ll think about it.”

At least she hadn’t said no. It would have to be enough. “You know where the restaurant is?”

“Everyone knows where Uncle Joe’s is.”

He nodded and jogged to his truck. As he started it up, he looked back, but she’d disappeared inside.

For a firefighter, he wasn’t being smart. He knew better than to light matches near a dry forest. What was he doing, thinking about beautiful Lauren Pierce? He ran his palm over his cheek. Just because he’d made peace with his past didn’t change the fact that he’d made big mistakes.

She’d been too good for him then, and she was too good for him now.

One thing had changed, though. She’d grown sassy enough to tell him off.

Maybe this was life’s funny way of getting back at him. Because that sass only made him like her even more.

* * *

Lauren didn’t bother changing out of her work clothes after Drew drove away. Instead, she poured a glass of sun tea, selected an adult alternative radio station to play over the wireless speaker on her shelf and stretched out on the couch. What was she going to do now? Babysitting Wyatt no longer felt like an absolute no. But what about the tumbling class or researching a cheerleading academy? Wouldn’t either be the smarter move?

Zingo, her Maine coon cat, jumped on her stomach. “Oof. Watch it, big guy.” He circled on top of her legs three times before curling into a purring ball. She reached down to pet him. “Love you, too.”

Staring at the ceiling, she tried to empty her mind, but it churned with all the things Drew had told her. About Wyatt. About himself.

Hearing about Wyatt’s parents hadn’t shocked her, and she sniffed at how Drew thought it was the saddest story. Yes, it was sad, but so was the destruction she’d witnessed over and over in her life.

Physical abuse, parents giving drugs to their small children, molestation, death—it horrified her. She’d dealt with it all, seen it all, and she wished Wyatt could have been spared. At least he had been able to rely on Drew all this time.

A laugh escaped her lips, and she clapped her hand over her mouth. Where had that thought come from? In one day she’d flipped from thinking Drew a complete waste of time to an upstanding guy?

He’d been honest. Open. Bared his soul, not knowing if she’d retaliate or not.

She was surprised she hadn’t. Well, she kind of had. Her angry outburst earlier had come out of nowhere. The venom still puzzled her.

What had Drew said about being mad at the world? She closed her eyes, trying to remember. They’d been discussing her getting too close to the kids, and he’d said something—something important.

Being so mad at the world you couldn’t handle living in it. That was what it was.

She sat up. Zingo glared at her in protest, then resettled on her lap. Mindlessly, she stroked his fur.

Was that why she couldn’t move forward?

Was she so mad at the world she couldn’t handle living in it?

No. She shook her head. Of course not. She wasn’t angry. She was protecting herself from a job that wasn’t good for her anymore.

She could move forward. She would move forward. The idea of helping the local cheerleaders had sparked something inside that had been dormant since high school. “Sorry, baby, but I have to get up.” She cradled the huge gray tiger-striped cat and kissed his head before setting him back on the couch.

She’d call Angela Duke, the foster mom who owned the cheerleading academy in Chicago, and find out what was involved with starting her own. She hoped she still had Angela’s number. Where had she put the files with her Chicago contacts?

Rummaging through her bedroom closet, she found a box of old purses, a bag stuffed with receipts from the past five years, stacks of books, a jar full of change and two suitcases. Three boxes sat on the top shelf, so she located her step stool and dragged them down.

One looked like the box where she’d thrown the file with her personal contacts. She pawed through it. Appliance manuals. Why did she keep them? She tossed one over her shoulder, unearthed an old trophy and kept digging.

The purple duffel bag.

She dropped it like it was covered in battery acid. Taking two steps back, she fell to her knees.

A home movie of her earliest memories played through her mind, stealing her breath, stinging the backs of her eyes.

She’d kept the dirty, ripped purple duffel bag packed with every one of her belongings from the time she was three years old until she was eight. She’d been living with the Pierces for more than a year before she finally believed they were her forever family.

Creeping forward, she took it in her hands and held it to her chest. Emotions rushed through her. Remembering the fear of being placed in a new foster home. Five different homes in four years. Some had been good, others not so good, but none had lasted.

She’d been unwanted.

The purple duffel bag had been the only thing she’d owned. Every night before she went to bed, she’d fold her clothes and zip them into it.

Always ready. Always prepared to move.

One of the boys at the third home tried to steal it from her, and she’d grown blind with rage. Six years old. Already too street-smart for the world. That night she’d snuck into the kitchen, grabbed a paring knife, went into his room and waved the knife, demanding he give it back.

He had.

And she had been placed in a different home two weeks later.

The look in Wyatt’s eyes yesterday, the one questioning if he was worth anything, roared back. Wyatt hadn’t lost all his hope yet. Not the way she had so early on. And he wasn’t living in a hovel with his meth-addicted mom on a notorious gang’s street like Treyvon and Jay had been.

Drew thought she’d be good for Wyatt.

She clutched the bag tightly and almost laughed. He had no idea that six-year-old Lauren had threatened a kid with a knife to get this bag back. Her nicknames had been “Prude” and “Do-Gooder” and “Prim Pierce,” and they were so far from the truth, it was laughable.

She wasn’t a wild, angry little girl anymore. Her adoptive parents had given her more than a home. They’d given her faith in a loving God. They’d given her a baptism, a new person to replace the old, rotten, unwanted one.

And she’d promised herself she would be worthy of their love, and she’d help kids like her, the way they had.

She uncurled her legs, set the duffel bag on top of the box and sat on the edge of her bed.

Lord, I’ve been avoiding the hard prayers lately, the ones where I ask You to show me Your will. I was afraid—I am afraid—You’ll ask me to do something I can’t handle.

Could she babysit Wyatt and not have her heart broken?

Who would help Wyatt if she didn’t?

At least he had Drew.

The longing she’d sensed in Drew before he left earlier had drawn her heart, unbidden, to him. He’d given her a peek of who he’d become, and she had to admit, time and experience had turned his drive into something less selfish than it had been in high school.

Could she say the same about herself?

She’d consider meeting him and Wyatt at Uncle Joe’s Restaurant Friday night. In the meantime, she’d find the Chicago file.

Chapter Three

“Hope you’re ready for the tastiest fish fry you’ve ever eaten.” Drew glanced over at Wyatt next to him in the truck Friday night. Daylight was sticking around longer—a nice change from the short winter days behind them. He wondered if Lauren would join them tonight.

“I hate fish.”

“Well, you’re going to love this fish. It’s covered in batter and deep-fried. Ask for double the tartar sauce. Just a tip from me to you.”

Was that an eye roll? Drew grinned. An eye roll was better than dead silence. At least the kid was showing signs of life. He’d been subdued, shrugging and grunting yesterday when Drew asked him about school. Drew had met with his teacher earlier, and she’d assured him Wyatt, though quiet, was settling in fine.

He wasn’t so sure.

If Lauren didn’t show up tonight, he would take it as a sign he needed to find another babysitter. In fact, he should find someone else, no matter what. After she’d told him about leaving Chicago and not being able to handle the emotional pain of her cases anymore, he understood. It would be unfair to ask her to help, knowing she was still upset about whatever had made her quit her job.

What had made her quit her job?

The parking lot was ahead. The building must have been remodeled. It looked bigger, newer than it had when he was in high school. One thing that hadn’t changed? It was packed.

All his peppiness about the fish fry wasn’t fooling his roiling stomach. This was the first time Drew would be out in public, and he dreaded what was coming. How did people greet a fallen hometown hero? He supposed he was about to find out.

Parking the truck, he studied the entrance. Did any of his old friends still live around here? Would they treat him the same? He hoped not. He wasn’t the same. Didn’t ever want to be that guy again.

“Aren’t we going in?” Wyatt asked.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Drew said a silent prayer as they crossed the lot. Lord, whatever happens, help me take it like a man in there.

“Hey, Uncle Drew, isn’t that Lauren?” Wyatt tugged on the sleeve of his shirt.

Just hearing her name flooded him with relief. There she was—long blond hair waving down her back. Her jeans, bubblegum-pink T-shirt and athletic shoes made him smile. She couldn’t have been prettier in a ball gown.

“Lauren,” Drew called. She turned, a smile spreading across her face when she spotted them. She waited near the door until they joined her.

“So, Wyatt, is it okay if I sit with you two?” Her eyes twinkled.

Wyatt’s tongue must have frozen because all he seemed able to do was nod.

“Good to see you.” Drew opened the door for her.

She entered the restaurant. “Let’s find a table.”

Drew stopped at the hostess station. The girl behind the stand held a stack of menus. “It’s a thirty-minute wait inside, but we have a few tables open on the deck.”

He looked at Lauren. “Do you want to eat outside, or is it too cold for you?”

“Outside is fine. It’s a beautiful night. What do you think, Wyatt?”

Wyatt was eyeing the fish and deer heads mounted on the pine walls.

“Wyatt,” Drew said.

He flushed. “Huh?”

“Do you want to eat outside?”

He peered at the crowd. Large windows displayed views of the lake. “Yeah, sure.”

They weaved through the tables on their way to the patio doors. Drew didn’t look left or right. He concentrated on following Lauren’s graceful movements.

“Gannon?” A voice boomed over the lively conversation. “Gannon the Cannon?” The man leaped out of his chair and stood between Drew and Lauren. Wyatt instinctively huddled closer to Drew. He kept his arm around the kid’s shoulders.

“It’s me, Mike Schneider. Man, I haven’t seen you in ages. How’ve you been?” Mike clapped him on the back, his face beaming.

Drew’s inner serenity crumbled faster than a week-old cookie. Mike Schneider had been a linebacker on the team, one of the guys he ran around with. Someone who had thought he was above getting in trouble. The same way Drew had been.

“Good to see you, Mike.” He nodded, hoping to bypass the reunion and get to the deck ASAP.

“So what brings you to town? You visiting?”

“I’m actually moving back. I start at the fire station next week. You still live here?”

“Just visiting my folks with my wife—you remember Tori?” He pointed to the corner of the table, where Tori waved above several empty beer glasses. Another vaguely familiar couple sat across from her. “My sister, Paige, joined us. This is her husband, Brent.”

“Good to see you, Drew. You’re looking good.” Tori winked. He gave her a tight nod. Tori James had flirted with Drew throughout high school and, if his memory served him correctly, had never had a nice thing to say about Lauren. The same way he hadn’t.

The ladies began to whisper as Mike continued. “Hey, remember sneaking out to the Flats with Brittany? Man, did we have fun. Late-night swimming has never been the same.”

Shame lit a bonfire in his gut. Drew stepped forward. “Yeah, well, we’re holding up traffic.”

Mike ran a calculating gaze across Drew over to Lauren, and his eyes about bugged out. “Am I seeing things or what? Is that Prim—”

“It’s Lauren Pierce.” Drew frowned. Lauren’s face was a polite mask—nothing was getting through it.

“What? Are you two together?” Mike chortled as if it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Is this your kid?”

“This is my godson, Wyatt. Good to see you.” Drew clenched his jaw and propelled Wyatt forward. His veins felt like they were going to explode. Every table they passed seemed to be staring, pointing and whispering, but maybe it was his imagination. The patio doors were merely a few yards away.

“What’s wrong, Uncle Drew?” Wyatt rubbed his biceps as soon as Drew let go when they made it to the deck.

“Nothing.”

“Are you mad?” Wyatt sounded worried.

“I’m fine.” Drew studied the people seated outside but thankfully didn’t see anyone familiar.

Lauren led them to the most secluded table. She patted the chair next to hers and smiled at Wyatt. “Drew hasn’t been home in years.”

Wyatt didn’t look convinced. He began to nervously chew his fingernail. “Let’s go home.”

What was bothering him? He’d been okay when they had arrived.

“Do you want to go home?” Lauren asked, her voice calm and reassuring.

“I don’t know.”

His face looked pale. Drew ticked through possible reasons Wyatt had gone from excited to jittery so quickly. Was he getting sick?

“Are you sure you’re not mad, Uncle Drew?”

“I’m not mad,” Drew said. “Like Lauren said, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here, and I guess I’m nervous.”

Lauren tapped Wyatt’s arm and pointed to the lake. “The water is so shimmery tonight, and, look, there’s a duck and her babies.” Slowly Wyatt’s color returned, and he seemed to relax. A waitress stopped by for their orders, and a family came outside with a young girl and a boy about Wyatt’s age.

“Hey, Wyatt.” The boy waved and sped over to their table. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight. Want to go try to win a prize with the claw?”

Yearning and fear collided in Wyatt’s expression. Drew hitched his chin. “Go ahead. I thought I saw the claw machine inside those doors. You can see us from there.”

“I’d better stay here.” Wyatt shrank into himself.

Lauren smiled at the other boy. “Why don’t you pull up a seat? You two can talk a bit and play on the claw machine a little later if you feel like it.”

“Okay, let me tell Mom and Dad.” The boy ran off.

Wyatt straightened, clearly happy with her solution. A round of Cokes arrived, and the kid returned, taking the seat next to Wyatt.

“I’m Wyatt’s uncle Drew, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Hunter.”

“Nice to meet you, Hunter.”

The kid had already turned away and was asking Wyatt about a video game. His enthusiasm must have been contagious because soon Wyatt couldn’t stop talking about the world he was building, whatever that meant. Drew guessed it had something to do with his new video game.

Now that Wyatt was occupied, Drew could focus on Lauren. He’d been waiting all day, wondering if their conversation Wednesday had changed her mind about him. She’d been less prickly when he’d told her about life after football, but she’d had time to process it all since then. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to be around him. Especially not when Mike had just reminded her Drew had been such a jerk before.

He’d just have to show her he’d changed. For good. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

“Me, too.” The low sun at her back made her hair glow.

“I want you to know I’m not—”

“Drew! We thought that was you!” Two attractive women squealed, prancing to their table. His stomach plummeted. Shelby Lattimer and Beth Jones. They’d been on the dance squad in high school, and he’d dated both. Not at the same time, of course.

“Well, look who’s here.” Beth narrowed her eyes at Lauren. Beth wore painted-on dark jeans, a tiny black shirt and sky-high heels. Drew raised his eyebrows at the too-revealing outfit. “Haven’t seen you anywhere but the fitness center since you moved back, Lauren. You’re finally hitting the town, huh?”

“Hey, Drew.” Shelby’s long brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and she twirled a section in her fingers. Her outfit, a tight red dress and stiletto boots, also left little to the imagination.

“Beth, Shelby.” The glint in Lauren’s eyes was the only crack in her composure. “Didn’t see you at spin class Monday night.”

“Yeah, I had a date.” Beth’s gaze flitted to Drew, and she smiled suggestively. “Just casual, though.”

Drew almost choked at the way Lauren’s lips pursed.

More people joined Beth and Shelby, all talking at once to Drew and Lauren. There were a lot of shoulder slaps and references to football. There were a few veiled sneers. He couldn’t make sense of most of it, just kept nodding and repeating, “Yeah, it’s good to see you,” and keeping an eye on Lauren, who handled the questions thrown her way with ease.

The waitress arrived with hot platters of food, and the crowd dispersed. His mind tumbled with impressions. The night had just begun, and dealing with all these people from his past already exhausted him. What could Lauren possibly think about this? She probably thought he loved all the attention. High school Drew would have loved it.

“Well, Wyatt, dig in.” Drew waved his fork at Wyatt’s plate. He craved the anonymity of the previous years, wanted nothing more than to go home, sit on the couch and watch TV the rest of the night, but tonight wasn’t about him. “Best fish you’ll ever eat.”

“I ordered chicken tenders,” Wyatt replied in a deadpan voice. Hunter, still sitting next to him, snickered. Wyatt offered a piece of chicken to Hunter, who happily accepted it.

Lauren lifted her Coke to the boys. “To the best chicken tenders you’ll ever eat.”

They exchanged curious glances.

“You’re supposed to clink your glasses with mine,” she whispered. They brightened with understanding and lifted their Cokes. “Cheers.”

Drew sighed. Lauren was so good with Wyatt. But she’d already told him she wasn’t babysitting. This entire night hammered home why he’d been delusional. His past was messy, and he didn’t want to drag her back to those hurtful days.

He might as well forget the whole thing. He’d find another babysitter and wouldn’t force his way into her life.

* * *

“Can I have some quarters?” Wyatt and Hunter stood next to Drew with their palms cupped. “You’re right. I can see the claw machine through the window.”

Lauren wanted to pull both boys into a hug and kiss their foreheads and assure Wyatt Drew wasn’t going anywhere. He’d be right there, where Wyatt could see him. She set her napkin on her plate and watched in amusement as Drew unfolded his wallet and handed Wyatt a five-dollar bill.

“Go up to the front desk and they’ll give you change,” Drew said. “Come back if you need anything.”

The boys ran off. Lauren noted that Wyatt looked back three times as if he were certain Drew would vanish at any moment.

“He’s scared for you.” Lauren turned back to Drew. “Afraid you’ll be gone like his mom and dad.”

The stunned expression on Drew’s face cleared. “That’s crazy. I’ll never leave him.”

“He probably thought the same about his parents.” Lauren pushed her plate away. “I think that’s why he wanted to go home earlier. He sensed the tension when you were talking to Mike.”

“Tension is normal.” Drew shifted back in his seat. She didn’t recognize the expression in his eyes, and she was good at reading people. If she had to guess, she’d say it was regret.

“He’s on high alert. Dealing with a lot of new developments in his life. Tension isn’t normal for him, not now, anyway.”

“I’ll have to hide it then.” He wiped his hand down his cheek. He had the look of a man in way over his head. The actions she’d witnessed the few times they’d been together said otherwise. He was good at this—good at handling Wyatt. He just didn’t know it.

“I didn’t mean to imply... You don’t have to hide anything.” Lauren bit her lower lip to keep from saying too much. She’d been close to a decision about babysitting, and everything she’d seen tonight—from Drew’s obvious discomfort with Mike and Tori to the kind way he’d greeted everyone who stopped by the table without encouraging them to reminisce about the good old days—showed her he’d changed.

He’d told her football had been the only thing he’d cared about in high school. Well, his single-mindedness had shifted. The man would do anything to protect Wyatt and give him a good life.

She would help them. Who else would take care of Wyatt when Drew was at the station?

Beth? Shelby?

Over her dead body. No, Drew was right. Wyatt needed someone who understood what he was going through.

Wyatt needed her. At least until he started feeling at home here. The summer should give her plenty of time to make him comfortable in this town. Then he’d be equipped to get through his days like other children. And when Angela Duke called her back, she’d research the cheer academy. If it seemed to be way over her head, she’d teach a tumbling class and find another office job this fall.

Lauren folded her hands and straightened her shoulders. “I’ll babysit.”

“What?” His jaw dropped; then he closed his mouth and swallowed. “I thought you said—”

“I changed my mind.”

He steepled his long fingers. “I don’t know. After what you told me about getting hurt and leaving Chicago, I’m not sure it’s best for you.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me to babysit anymore?” She had never considered she’d actually convinced him she wasn’t a good fit for Wyatt.

“Lauren, I would like nothing more than for you to take care of Wyatt. You’re way more in touch with his emotions... I feel like a dummy compared to you.”

Could her heart smile? Drew looked adorable when he was complimenting her and unsure of himself.

But he wasn’t unsure of himself. He’d been born sure of himself.

He also had this idea she was perfect, and she’d be the easy solution to making Wyatt’s life all better. She couldn’t even figure out her own. And perfect? What a laughable concept. When Drew realized she was a mess, would he send her packing?

The purple duffel bag flashed in her mind.

“Are you sure you want to?” Drew tilted his neck to the side, and his expression—so raw, so apologetic—tossed cold water on her doubts. She was being silly. They were grown-ups. And this was about Wyatt.

“Yes.” She nodded decisively. “But only until the end of the summer. He’ll have made enough friends by then you’ll have no problem finding someplace he can stay when you’re at work. And, please, keep your expectations realistic about him. He’s not going to bounce back overnight. It might take years.”

His face fell, but he nodded. “Fair enough. Don’t hold it against me if I badger you to continue when September comes around, though. Can you start Monday?”

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