by J. A. Little
* * *
“This is Kayla.”
“Hi, it’s Emily.”
“Hey, Em. What’s up?
“Maria finally conned me into helping out with this freaking gala.”
“I’m sorry,” I groan, trying not to laugh. “How did that happen?”
“I don’t know,” she cries. “She’s just too convincing when she’s offering to babysit for a whole week so Aiden and I can finally go on a vacation all by ourselves.”
“Oh, that’s a doozy. I think I’d have caved, too, if I were you.”
“I know, right? I mean, what’s a little extra promotion, menu finalization, and follow-up phone calls compared to an entire week with nothing to do but my husband. I made a good deal, didn’t I?”
“I think you made a very good deal,” I assure. “Anything I can help with?”
“You want to come over and help me with the programs this weekend? I’ll order in some food, and we can have wine.”
“Uh, Sara and I were going to hang out and watch movies,” I say hesitantly.
“Bring her,” Emily says happily. “We can do a girls night. It’ll be fun. Aiden and Dean are having dinner at their parents’ and taking the kids, so it’ll just be us. You guys can stay the night if you want to. We’ve got plenty of room.”
“All right,” I agree. “Let me talk to Sara and I’ll text you.”
“Great! So, here’s the other thing, which is more important but not nearly as fun. I just got a call from Matty’s school counselor. She wants to have a meeting at the school next Tuesday about the possibility of setting up an IEP for Matty.”
“Really?” My heart sinks.
“Yeah. His grades are tanking, which I don’t quite understand. I know he’s doing his homework. Aiden, Dean, and I have all checked it. I don’t know what’s happening between the time we go over it and the time he’s supposed to turn it in, but it’s not always making it into his teachers’ hands. On top of that, he was caught cheating on his world-history test this morning.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope. I called Dean, but got his voicemail. He had to take Edgar to a couple of appointments, so he probably has his phone turned off. Aiden said he would go if Dean wasn’t able to.”
“How’s Matty been doing at home?” I ask curiously.
“He’s okay. He still doesn’t talk much, but I get the impression he never really did, right?”
“No. He’s not a talker.”
“He sits with Dean a lot. Just sits. Usually when Dean’s reading or working in the den, Matty will sit with him.”
“How about Logan?”
“He’s good. We went to the bank and set him up with a training account. He can write checks, and he’s got a debit card. He got his first paycheck, so he’s excited. Aiden’s going to take him down to pick out a cellphone.”
“Oh God. I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I groan.
“Kayla, really? He has to learn responsibility. He wants to buy a car. If he can’t handle a cellphone, how’s he going to handle a car?”
“He’s not ready for a car, either,” I panic.
“Of course he’s not. He’s got two hundred dollars. It’ll be awhile.”
I’m about to start hyperventilating. I keep picturing Logan as the smart-ass eleven-year-old whose first words to me were, “Go fuck yourself!” That was right before he broke down crying because he thought we were going to separate him from his brother. I also picture the thirteen-year-old who drove his foster parents’ riding lawn mower through their fence and into a ditch because he was distracted by the teenage girl next door. Picturing him behind the wheel of a car all by himself is highly disconcerting.
“Be proud of him, Kayla. I don’t know what switch flipped, but he’s doing a good job.”
“I am proud. I’m just scared.”
“Of what?”
“I’m afraid that when he figures out what succeeding means, he’ll let himself fail.”
“Succeeding doesn’t mean he has to leave Matty behind,” Emily says gently, reading my mind.
“We need to make sure he knows that.”
“Have you seen them this week? Logan picked up a Saturday shift to work with the owner, Santiago, so he’ll be home tonight.”
“No. I need to. I’ll stop by on my way home and talk to them.”
“Oh good. You can meet Simon,” Emily chirps.
“The new guy?”
“Yep.”
“How’s that going?”
“Uh, well it depends on who you ask. He’s okay around me and Aiden, but I think he’s trying to prove himself to Dean.” Emily laughs abruptly. “I think he feels like he needs to be more badass. Some of the shit he says is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t think Dean likes him much.”
“Surprise, surprise. He didn’t want to hire anyone to begin with.”
“Yeah, but we really needed to. Dean needs to distance himself a little. Aiden literally has to push him out the door. Pretty soon, he’s going to stop leaving entirely.” She pauses. “So, what do you want me to tell the school about Matty?” Emily switches gears again.
“Tell them to send me an email with the details, and I’ll be there.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you later.” I hang up the phone and take a deep breath.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Dana asks when she walks in the room to find me almost asleep at my desk.
I look up at her through tired eyes. “I need a vacation.”
“Don’t we all?” she laughs. “Oh, I got the information you requested.” I perk up immediately. “Frances says Jaxon was placed in the Catholic Charities RTC in St. Cloud.”
“Is he in the lockdown unit?” I ask.
Dana shakes her head. “No. He’s been on watch since the weekend, but so far, so good. That’s all she told me.”
I nod. “Thanks, Dana. I appreciate it. How are your cases going?”
Dana rolls her eyes. “I’m about to kill Lizzie Turkins.”
“How come?”
“She’s got a new boyfriend. She says he’s not living with her, but I’m pretty sure he is.”
“Did you meet him?”
“Yeah.” Dana wrinkles her nose and scowls. “He promptly informed me that the state has no reason to keep Garrett away from his mother anymore and that we need to return him ASAP.”
“Okay,” I laugh. “And what did you tell him?”
“I told him I’d get right on that.”
Dana and I chat for another half hour before I have to head to my biweekly case update meeting with Kate and then out for a visit before seeing the boys.
* * *
“Cheating, Matty? Really?”
I’ve been at Wyatt House for about twenty minutes. I spent several minutes with Emily before she left, then grabbed Matty and sat him down in the den. Logan followed.
“I wasn’t cheating.” From the corner of my eye, I see Dean appear in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
“Oh yeah? What do you call writing answers on your wrist, then?”
“I wasn’t looking at it!”
“It was just there in case you needed it?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s cheating.”
“Whatever.”
I hear Logan snicker and glare at him.
“If you find this funny, you can leave,” I warn. Logan holds up his hands and pretends to zip his mouth. I huff in frustration and return my attention to Matty. “Are you trying to flunk out of school?” He shrugs. I’m about to throttle him when Dean walks over and sits down next to me.
“Matthew, this is serious,” he says firmly.
“It was a stupid test.”
Dean frowns. “It was your midterm. And you got a zero on it. The best you can get in the class right now is a C. You’re lucky they didn’t automatically fail you for the entire class.”
“‘Cause the world would end if I failed U.S. History,” Matty says sarcastically.
>
“What’s the matter with you?” I beg.
“Nothing,” he insists. “I just don’t get what the big deal is. It’s not like I’m out drinking and messin’ with girls I shouldn’t be.”
Logan coughs loudly, causing me to look over at him. He’s shooting daggers at his brother. This confirms that he’s hiding stuff from me, which I already expected. But what concerns me more is this interaction between him and his brother. I knew something was off when Matty told Dean about Logan sneaking out, and now he’s provoking his brother to his face.
“No, you’re not. And I appreciate that,” Dean states. “But the fact remains that you’re in deep trouble at school and unless you shape up, you’re going to be sent to remedial classes.”
“What are those?” Matty asks, furrowing his brow.
“The basics, Matthew,” I chime in. “Like how to read and write and do addition and subtraction.”
“That’s stupid. I know all that crap.”
“So show them!” Dean barks. “Kayla and I have to sit in a meeting next week and tell them why we don’t think you need special education. How are we supposed to do that if you blow everything off?”
“Fuck that! I’m not going into special ed.” Matty is not one who swears much—at least not in front of adults—so I know we’re finally getting through to him.
“Then start making an effort!” Matty rolls his eyes, but I think he gets it. At least I hope he does.
“Are we done?” he mumbles.
“Yeah. Do you have homework?” Dean asks.
“I have a report on Romeo and Juliet due on Monday.”
“Go work on it.”
“I’m on dinner duty tonight.”
“That’s fine. I’ll come get you when we’re ready.”
Matty gets up and mopes out of the room. Logan gets up to follow him.
“You just here to enjoy the show?” Dean bites.
“Whatever,” Logan snorts. “He’s my little brother. I want to know what’s going on with him.”
I’m about to ask him about Matty’s accusations when a loud knock stops me, and I turn to see a strange guy standing in the doorway.
“Shit,” Dean grumbles under his breath.
“I was told there’s someone here I should meet.” His eyes flash toward me and he gives me a wide smile.
“Well, that’s my cue.” Logan slithers past me and out the door. The guy walks toward me and holds out his hand.
“Simon Waterford.”
“Kayla Brooks.”
He tilts his head. “Nice to meet you, Kayla.”
I feel Dean come up behind me. Simon briefly acknowledges him before focusing on me again. He’s still holding my hand despite the fact that I’ve tried to pull it back a couple of times.
“So, you’re the Davidson boys’ caseworker?”
“Yes, I am.”
“What’s their deal?”
“Simon,” Dean growls.
“I’m going to leave it up to Dean and Aiden to give you that information,” I say, trying to be polite.
“Okay. Just thought I’d get it from the source while you’re here. I’m working primarily night shifts. Will I be seeing much of you, Kayla?”
“You know what, we’ve got shit to do before Ms. Brooks has to go home,” Dean interrupts. “Did you get everything I needed you to get?”
Simon finally lets go of my hand. “Yeah, man, I did, but the hardware store you sent me to closed at five. Who the hell closes at five? I had to run all over town. And you have about two tons of coffee in the pantry. You really didn’t need any more.”
“Huh. Go figure.”
I don’t even need to look at Dean to know he’s smirking. He puts his hand on my back, guiding me away from Simon.
“It was nice to meet you, Kayla Brooks. I look forward to working with you.”
I smile and nod. “You, too, Simon.”
Dean pushes me a little harder. When we get to his office and he shuts the door, I flip around.
“Ms. Brooks?” I ask. He shrugs. “That was not sly at all,” I laugh. “Did you send that man on a wild-goose chase to avoid introducing me to him?”
“Are we in professional or personal mode right now?”
“Personal.”
“He’s a dick, Kayla. I was trying to spare you. He was hitting on you.”
“He was not,” I scoff, rolling my eyes but secretly thrilled that the idea of someone hitting on me irritates Dean.
“Yes, he was.”
“Well, thanks for being so thoughtful. Why’d you hire him?”
“He was the least of all the evils…and Aiden and Emily were tired of me picking apart all the candidates.”
“Well, you know me. I like to see who’s going to be around my boys. Besides, I’m going to have to work with him occasionally, right?”
“Not if I can help it,” he grumbles. I have to admit, I’m a little happy about what’s happening here, although I’m not sure if he’s jealous or simply being protective.
“I have news for you,” I say, leaning against the corner of his desk.
“News?”
“I found out that Jax is in an RTC.”
“Shit! Which one?”
“You know better than that,“ I scold. Dean takes a couple of steps forward so that he’s in front of me and looks down. I take notice of the way he’s hovering. “He’s okay. That’s all I can really tell you.”
“That’s all?” he asks, his voice low and gravelly.
I nod and smile up at him. “That’s it.”
“Fine,” he says, backing up. His lower lip is sticking out a little, which makes him look like he’s pouting. Hell, maybe he is. “You’ll keep an eye on him for me?”
“Of course. But you know I can’t tell you much.”
“I know. I appreciate it, though.”
I stand up, putting my hand on his arm and pulling him down a little to kiss him on the cheek.
“I gotta go home. I’ll see you later.”
“Later,” he repeats.
Opening the door, I let out a squeak. Simon is standing on the other side.
“Oh, hey, I was just about to knock.”
Dean scoffs a little behind me. “Sure you were. Come on in.”
“Bye, guys.” I wave and wink at Dean. He pretends to scratch his forehead, but he’s inconspicuously flipping me the bird. I laugh and turn to leave, catching a glimpse of his sexy smile on my way out.
As much as I’m enjoying the friendship that’s growing between us, I have to remind myself—and my hormones—that’s all it is. Friendship.
Chapter 25
Kayla
“Finished.”
“You think Maria will like them?” I ask, staring at the computer screen.
“Yeah, I think she’ll be happy. She wouldn’t have asked me to do it if she thought it’d be shit.”
“I actually enjoyed that,” Sara giggles, sipping on her red wine.
“You would,” I snort.
“Great!” Emily cheers. “Can I send her your way for Christmas?”
“I would love that.” Sara’s eyes widen in excitement.
We’ve been designing the invitations online for about three hours. The wine certainly didn’t help the pace of our creative endeavors.
The door shuts loudly, and we hear laughing.
“Hey, I have a house full of beautiful women. What did I do to deserve this?” Aiden grins as he walks into the room with Dean by his side.
“You married me,” Emily coos, jumping up to give her husband a kiss.
Dean makes a gagging noise and is immediately backhanded by his brother.
“Where are the kids?” Emily asks, looking behind the guys.
“Sleeping. Dean was on such good behavior tonight that Mom was generous enough to let them spend the night.”
“Shut up,” Dean laughs. “They fell asleep watching some princess movie. Mom told Aiden to leave them.”
“Well, hell, let�
��s go do something!” Emily cheers.
“Sugar, I have to pick up the kids at the asscrack of dawn.”
“Then you can be the DD.”
“Yeah, brother, you can be the DD.” Dean slaps Aiden on the back. I feel Sara nudge my elbow. She nods toward Dean.
“Oh. Uh, Dean, Aiden, this is Sara. Sara, Dean and Aiden.”
“Hi,” Sara says shyly.
“Nice to meet you,” Aiden says, smiling. Dean’s eyes dart to me first and then to Sara.
“Yes, nice to meet you,” he purrs, offering her a sexy smile. I feel a stab of jealousy. I want to yell “He’s mine!” but he’s not. He’s free to flirt with whomever he wants.
“So, are we going out?” Emily asks. “There’s a brew pub not too far from here. They have live music on Tuesdays and Fridays, right, babe?” Emily looks up at Aiden, who is whispering to his brother. “Aiden?”
“What?”
“Whatever. Let’s go.”
As we’re heading out the door, I stop in front of Dean.
“Are we okay?” I ask, shoving my thumbnail between my teeth. He looks down at me and then wraps his long fingers around my wrist, pulling my hand away from my mouth.
“We’re fine.”
“Are you sure?”
His expression is so blank, I can’t figure out what he’s thinking. Then he smiles.
“Yes.”
I wait for him to say more, but, per usual, Dean leaves me wanting. He puts his hand on my back to lead me out. I think I feel it slip down over my butt slightly, but then it’s back up on my shoulder and I can’t be sure it wasn’t just my own overactive imagination.
We all climb into Aiden’s car. Dean opens the back door for Sara and me, and I’m about to get in when she pulls me back.
“I want the window.” She grins at me and climbs in. I follow her and Dean is the last in. It’s cramped. Even though Sara and I aren’t big girls, Dean is forced to rest his arm behind my head. Not that I’m complaining.
The brew pub is packed. They’re still serving food, so I’m hoping some of the people will go away, but I doubt it.
“Jesus Christ,” Dean gripes as we push through the mass of bodies. I feel like I’m about to be swallowed alive by the crowd when I feel his warm hand grab mine.
