Hometown Hero's Redemption

by Jill Kemerer

  Or anyone.

  Except him.

  Like she would ever go out with him. Not a chance. It would be a bad idea, anyhow. If they dated and it didn’t work out, she’d quit watching Wyatt. And speaking of Wyatt, Drew needed some advice. He opened the front door.

  “Hey,” she said. “You survived another day at work.”

  His mouth went dry at the sight of Lauren standing in the living room with no makeup on, her hair flowing around her shoulders. She wore a white short-sleeved button-down shirt with ankle-length fitted jeans.

  “Why don’t we eat outside?” Lauren slipped a pair of sandals on and strode to the patio door. “Leave the bag out there, and I’ll get plates and coffee.”

  Drew crossed the room. After setting the bag on the table, he held his hand up to the bright sun. June already. Man, he loved summer. Maybe he could take Wyatt out canoeing later.

  “Give me a minute to change,” he called on his way to his bedroom. He shrugged into a T-shirt and khaki shorts, then joined her on the back deck. She’d already transferred the omelets and hash browns to plates and sat with a satisfied grin under the maroon umbrella.

  “You look happy,” he said.

  “I am. Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

  The day wasn’t the only thing that was beautiful. He lunged for his coffee cup, scalding his tongue when he took a drink. “Yeah, it’s nice out.”

  Soon they dug into the food on their plates. A trickling sound from the waterfall flowing into the ornamental pond punctuated the peace of the day. The yard wasn’t overly large, but it was encased by a privacy fence and had mature trees around it. He liked it. Not too much to mow but big enough to host a barbecue.

  “Thanks for bringing Wyatt over yesterday and for the cupcakes. Everyone loved them.”

  “You’re welcome. He was very excited. He thinks the fire station is one of the best places on earth.”

  “Well, he’s not alone.” Drew grinned, unsure of how to broach what was on his mind. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Chase wants me to bring Wyatt to visit him. Do you think it’s a good idea?”

  She finished chewing before replying. “It depends. Have you asked Wyatt what he wants?”

  “Not yet. I wanted to run it by you first.” He blew across the top of his mug, hoping the coffee would be cool enough to drink without becoming a burn victim.

  “Do you know what’s involved?”

  He’d talked to Chase about it. “Yeah. For the most part.”

  “Does the correctional facility have a children’s room or a comfortable area for Wyatt to be with Chase?”

  “They have a visitor’s room with a children’s area. I’m already on the approved list, but we’d have to schedule the visit.” He leaned back in his chair. It didn’t seem too complicated. Apply for a visit, adhere to the dress code and flash some identification.

  “Good. But don’t rush into a decision.” She twisted her lips as if trying to decide what to say. “Prisons are pretty intimidating. The property itself might stress Wyatt out with the fences and barbed wire. Plus he’ll have to go through a metal detector and be around other inmates. I don’t know if it’s wise at this time.”

  He stared out at the green lawn, where a few dandelions had poked through. His present view was the opposite of what Lauren had just described—fencing, barbed wire, metal detectors and other inmates. Did he want Wyatt to have those images in his mind?

  “That being said, in my professional opinion, kids need relationships with their parents, and the courts will be more likely to reinstate Chase’s parental rights if he maintains contact with Wyatt.”

  “Chase told me that, too. Plus he really misses the kid. Wyatt was his life.”

  She dusted crumbs from her hands. “If that were true, Chase wouldn’t be in jail. He should have thought about Wyatt before he went on his revenge trip.”

  He opened his mouth to defend Chase, but he couldn’t. “Well, he’s paying dearly for it. His career is over, he’s stuck in prison and he wants to see his kid.”

  He could just make out her eyebrows arching over the rim of her cup as she sipped her coffee.

  “His wants are not as important as Wyatt’s needs right now. Ask Wyatt if he wants to visit his dad. If he does, thoroughly prepare him on what to expect.”

  She made good points. Wyatt’s needs were important. And he was starting to act like a normal ten-year-old again. Drew didn’t want to set back his progress by traumatizing him with a prison visit. But he also didn’t want to prevent his best friend from seeing his son. Lauren might think Chase was a loser, but Drew knew how much the man loved Wyatt.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll do that.”

  “Oh, and before I forget again, I think you should know Wyatt is determined to play football this summer.”

  “What?” His voice hardened. Couldn’t one week go by without a new complication?

  “Yep.” She flourished her wrist. “Seems there are some cool kids playing, and one of their dads is coaching a team.”

  “Must be rec ball.” He’d played at that age, too. It had been fun. A sport tailor-made for him. Sure, he’d made bad plays at times, but football had been his life. “I don’t think the school district sponsors teams until seventh or eighth grade.”

  “Are you going to let him play?”

  “I can’t.” He propped his elbows on the table. “If it was up to me, I’d sign him up. Let him learn about life himself. But Chase couldn’t have been more clear on the topic.”

  “Could you ask him again?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I mean, I can try, but when he gets something in his head, watch out.”

  “Maybe you could sign Wyatt up for soccer or something else instead.”

  “Good idea.” Chase hadn’t said anything about soccer. “I’ll check online later.” He yawned. Overnights were exhausting. The middle-of-the-night calls had done him in.

  “I’d better get out of here so you can have your beauty sleep.” Lauren stacked the plates and stood.

  “Leave them. I’ll clean up.”

  Her lopsided smile sent a surge of energy through his body.

  “I’ve got it,” Lauren said. “Go to bed. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  “Wait.” He didn’t want her to leave. Wanted to prolong each minute with her. But she was opening the patio door to go inside. “Won’t I see you tomorrow?”

  Turning back, she narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

  “The pancake breakfast.” She must have seen the signs around town or the ones plastered to the fire station door. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “Pancake breakfast? What are you talking about?”

  “Our annual fund-raiser. It’s at the station. Tickets are cheap. We’ve got fun and games. I’m sure you want to hop around in the bounce house.” He plucked the plates out of her hand and slid the patio door open wider for her. “You should come.”

  “What time?”

  “Seven to eleven.”

  “Can I bring a friend?”

  A guy friend or a girl friend? He sighed. He had no right to ask. “Sure.”

  * * *

  “I never miss the annual pancake breakfast.” Megan adjusted her sundress straps.

  “I always miss it.” Lauren sidestepped two young boys chasing each other. What a silly thing to say. Of course she did—she’d lived in another state.

  It felt good to go to a public event. The few times she’d ventured from her apartment outside of work or errands since moving back had been the Friday dinner with Drew and Wyatt at Uncle Joe’s Restaurant and the visit to the station with Wyatt. For the first time in months, she actually wanted to be out and about. She couldn’t deny she’d been smiling more
now that Drew and Wyatt were in her life. She wondered if Drew had discussed visiting Chase with Wyatt.

  “Something tells me you’re here for more than the pancakes.” Lauren followed Megan to the back of the line. The entire town must have shown up. An enormous white tent was set up on the lawn behind the station. Rows of tables and folding chairs were already full of families dining on sausage links and pancakes, and out on the lawn, two bounce houses jiggled in the light breeze. Tables with activities were set up beside them, and a playground and baseball diamond were a short distance away. “Do you think we’ll find a spot to sit?”

  “Oh, yeah. No problem. I’ve got this.” Megan waved dismissively and leaned in. “I’ve had my eye on Ben Santos for a while now. See? Over there. The cutie serving sausages.”

  Lauren squinted. The line moved surprisingly fast. “Black hair? Tall?”

  “That’s him.” Megan tipped her chin up and plastered her brightest smile on as they approached the food station. A female firefighter handed them both plates. “How’s it going, Amanda?”

  “Can’t complain.” The woman didn’t seem overly thrilled to be there. “Ben and Stan will get you set up with hotcakes and sausages. Juice and coffee are on the table at the end.”

  They shuffled down the line, but Megan dug her heels in at the sausage station. “Hey, Ben.”

  “Well, hello, Megan.” The man looked happier than a five-year-old skipping to an ice-cream truck. “It’s good to see you.”

  “I always show up for a good cause.” Megan twirled a section of hair around her finger.

  Talk about obvious. The line behind Lauren was getting restless, but Ben seemed oblivious.

  He set the tongs down, leaning over the warming tray. “I’m sure glad you did. Where you sitting?”

  “It’s pretty full.” Megan shrugged, somehow making the gesture seem helpless. “I guess we could stand and eat, huh, Lauren?”

  Lauren choked down a chortle at the overly disappointed tone in her voice. Megan should have been an actress. Was this Ben guy actually buying this?

  “You can’t eat standing up.” All business, he straightened and gestured to another firefighter standing behind him. “Miggs, take over for me. Come with me, ladies.” A minute later he escorted them to a side table where a few of the fire crew were taking a break. “Scoot over.”

  One of them grumbled, but at the sight of Megan and Lauren, they all quickly scooted down.

  “Plenty of room. Right here.” A man patted the bench and grinned at Lauren.

  She was going to strangle Megan later. Ben and Megan had squished in at the other end of the table. Neither had eyes for anyone but each other.

  “Actually, Lauren, there’s a free spot next to me.”

  How had she not noticed Drew sitting at the end?

  “Thanks, Drew.” She sat next to him and spread a paper napkin across her lap. “Good turnout.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “Where’s Wyatt?” A smear of butter and a hefty dose of syrup completed her hotcakes. She cut them and took a bite.

  Drew straightened, turning his head to check the bounce house area. “He’s off playing games with a few friends. I think one was named Levi.”

  “I’m glad he’s comfortable enough to do that now. This will be fun for him.” The name Levi rang bells in her brain. Wasn’t he one of the cool kids Wyatt mentioned?

  “He stuck by me real close the first half hour. Boredom must have loosened him up enough to go with the boys.”

  “Did you have a chance to talk to him about playing football?”

  He took a drink from a foam cup. “No, I had enough to deal with just discussing the possibility of visiting Chase.”

  She lowered her voice, not wanting everyone around them to hear. “So you talked about it then?”

  “Yeah. He wants to go.”

  “Don’t sound so excited.”

  “You made me think about it more. I’m worried it will be a lot to take in. Like you said, it might be scary for a young kid. Barbed wire, metal detectors. Is that good for him? I did a little research, though. One article said visiting an incarcerated parent helps a child maintain attachment and can get rid of some of the kid’s fears about how the parent is doing in prison. What do you think?”

  “Chase wants a relationship with Wyatt, and vice versa, so I say yes. Try a visit.” She sopped up another bite with syrup. “Did you go over what to expect?”

  Drew gazed off in the distance. “I did.”

  “And?”

  “He still wants to go,” Drew said. “He asked if you’d go with us.”

  She finished chewing. “Me?”

  “I told him not to count on it.” He averted his eyes.

  “Why not? I’d be happy to drive with you. What facility is Chase in?” She’d been to prisons before. It didn’t bother her any more than home visits in dangerous neighborhoods did. Not her favorite, but it was part of the job. She’d taken self-defense classes in her early twenties, always carried pepper spray and kept a pocketknife in her purse at all times. More important, she prayed for protection. She didn’t live in an invincibility bubble, but she forged ahead anyhow.

  “I didn’t know how you’d feel about it, and I don’t want you to feel obligated. You’re already helping so much.”

  She waved her hand, scoffing. “I’m not doing much. Hanging out with a sweet kid like Wyatt isn’t difficult. Tell me the date of the visit, and I’ll come with you.”

  Drew filled her in on the specifics.

  “I won’t be allowed to go into the actual visitation room with him.” Lauren set the used plastic silverware on her empty plate. “You guys can drop me off somewhere nearby while you visit. But let Wyatt know I’ll be there for him before and after.”

  “The prison is two hours away. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

  “I’m up for it.”

  “Thank you.” His eyes shone with gratitude. And something else.

  A woman approached. She had a professional air about her, and unlike the rest of the people eating breakfast who wore casual clothes, she wore dress pants and a blouse.

  “Excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt, but are you Lauren Pierce?” She stood behind her and Drew. Lauren shifted in her seat to stare up at the woman while Drew excused himself to get another cup of coffee.

  “I am.”

  “Susanne Gilbert, principal of Lake Endwell High. I talked to Joanna Mills yesterday.”

  That was quick. Lauren hadn’t yet decided if she was going to apply for the counselor job. When she’d opened the online application file, icy tendrils had wrapped around her heart. She wasn’t dumb. The job was more than transcripts and schedules. It was teen suicide, bullying and drug abuse. It was high school dropouts and cliques.

  It was troubled kids desperately in need of help all over again.

  She stood and shook the woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “I’d love to set up an interview with you. Joanna mentioned you’d be interested in coaching our cheerleaders.”

  “I am interested in coaching. I used to be a cheerleader here, and I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure about the counseling job, though.”

  “Why not apply? We can discuss the details over an interview. I have several other applicants, but given your background in Lake Endwell and your experience as a social worker... Well, let’s just say I did some research and was impressed.”

  “Thank you.” She wouldn’t be so impressed if she knew Lauren’s mistakes.

  Principal Gilbert handed her a business card. “The link to the online application is on the back. Hope to hear from you soon.”

  Drew stood nearby. He held their empty paper plates in his hand. She couldn’t read his face.

  “So you’re applying for
a job?” He took a few steps in the direction of a large trash can. She joined him.

  “I’m considering it. Cheerleading coach.”

  “And the counselor job Mrs. Gilbert mentioned?”

  She shook her head. She couldn’t go there. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

  He tossed the plates in the can. “You’d be great at it.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “You’re good with Wyatt. Helping kids is in your blood.” He strolled toward the bounce houses. In her blood? Her blood came from a drug addict and a murderer. Anything good inside her came from the Pierces and God. “For what it’s worth, you’re a natural. I think you should go for it.”

  “I’m researching a few other things.” Like the cheer academy idea she’d all but abandoned. Or getting a safe and boring desk job. She grimaced.

  He craned his neck to peer into the bounce houses. “Do you see Wyatt?”

  She tried to look inside them but didn’t recognize the kids. Slowly spinning in a circle, she checked the nearby park. “Isn’t that him on the swings?”

  “It sure is.” Drew’s eyes darkened as his jaw clenched. “I told him to tell me before going to the park. I’m going to have a word with him.”

  He strode in the park’s direction. Lauren stayed and watched. A woman with a camera stood to the side of the playground, snapping several photos. What was she doing? Drew had told Lauren he hadn’t had any issues with aggressive reporters since moving here.

  He stopped to talk to the woman. By his posture, Lauren assumed he knew her. Probably a mom of one of the kids.

  Overreacting. She’d been overreacting to her fears for months.

  Lauren turned back to find Megan. The sun warmed her face, but her insides were chilled. She was glad Drew took Wyatt’s safety serious. A ten-year-old boy had no business running around without telling an adult where he was. On one hand, she wanted Drew to come down hard on him so he wouldn’t do it again. But the other hand sympathized with Wyatt and wondered if she was making a big deal out of nothing.

  Running off to a playground without telling Drew wasn’t that big of a deal. But if it led to worse mistakes, like sneaking out in the middle of the night...