by Jill Kemerer
An uneasy feeling came over her, but she shushed it. No need to panic. He had probably run to the bathroom without telling her.
Wyatt still wasn’t talking to her as much lately. Between the prison visit and the photographer incident, she’d figured he was working through complicated issues and needed some space. He didn’t have a cell phone, but he did have an iPod with an app to text his friends. Had she been wrong to let him have his space?
She broke into a light jog, looking for his light brown hair and skinny legs and black basketball shorts. Around the corner, she spotted him and the other boys lined up at the water fountain.
Relief made her stand still a moment. Of course he was there. Just getting a drink with his friends the way any ten-year-old would.
She waved to him. “Wyatt, we need to leave.”
He held a finger up. The boys gathered closer to him, discussing something. She narrowed her eyes. It was so hard to know if they were good kids or schemers.
Wyatt trudged her way, flushed but not smiling.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t sound so excited.” She strode across the lawn to the parking lot. He didn’t crack a smile or say a word. They buckled up and drove to Lake Endwell Grocery.
“You grab a cart, while I try to remember what I need.” Lauren gestured to the carts. She needed to know more about those kids he was hanging around, but his quiet, closed-off wall wasn’t giving her much to work with. Maybe they could do something fun tonight, and she could figure out how to approach him later. Wyatt pushed a cart, and they weaved through the produce aisle. “So what do you want to do after dinner? We can fish on the end of the dock, play some beach volleyball or rent a movie.”
He shrugged, turning away.
Okay, then. She tossed a prebagged salad mix into the cart and moved to the meat department. After selecting a package of chicken breasts and a bottle of Italian dressing, they stopped at the ice-cream aisle.
“Moose Tracks or Oreo Explosion.” She pointed to the glass door.
Wyatt sighed. “Oreo Explosion, I guess.”
She added a carton to the other items and continued to the checkout lanes. Wyatt walked ahead of her to the magazines, pulled one off the shelf and held it in both hands, not moving.
The headline read, “My Life in Jail.” She didn’t recognize the man on the cover, but the name hit her like a bucket of ice water. Chase McGill.
Wyatt dropped the magazine and covered his face with his hands. She gathered him to her, but every muscle in his little body had tensed. A tap on the arm might shatter him. Her heart filled with indignation and pity. How much more could this kid take?
“Come on—let’s go outside.” Lauren left the cart and looked at the checkout girl. “I’m sorry. We have an emergency. I can’t buy these now.”
“Did you want us to hold them?”
Lauren shook her head and hustled Wyatt out the door to her car. Her apartment was nearby, and she didn’t debate it—just drove to her place, helped him up the steps and made him stretch out on the couch. Then she wet a washcloth and set it on his forehead. She sat on the other end of the couch, unlaced his sneakers and put his feet in her lap.
He hadn’t said a word. Wasn’t crying. He looked devastated.
Zingo strutted to the couch and hopped right onto Wyatt’s stomach.
“No, Zingo. Now’s not a good time.” But the cat sat on Wyatt’s chest, staring at his face. Wyatt reached up to pet him, and the kitty got comfortable, folded his legs and started purring.
“Can I get you anything? Do you want to talk?”
Wyatt didn’t move, didn’t respond. Just kept stroking Zingo’s fur.
Lauren didn’t know what to do. How did moms handle things like this? Well, most moms didn’t have to worry about their son seeing a big photograph of his father on a magazine with a caption about life in jail. And it wasn’t as if Lauren was Wyatt’s mom. He didn’t have one. She’d have to do for now.
Of all the selfish things to do, why had Chase chosen this? Didn’t he realize how difficult life was for Wyatt? Shouldn’t he know Wyatt wouldn’t want everyone reading about his dad’s life in jail?
What should she say? What did Wyatt need?
Lord, I don’t know what to do. What do I do?
She slipped into her bedroom, shut the door and leaned against it, blowing out a breath. As the air released, she curled her hands into fists. Anger wouldn’t help this situation. She massaged the back of her neck with both hands. No wonder the photographer had just happened to show up when he did. Probably knew the article was coming out and wanted to capitalize on it by selling pics to the tabloids. Scumbag.
She cracked the door open to peek out at Wyatt. His hands rested on Zingo, who’d fallen asleep. She tiptoed out there. Wyatt’s eyes were closed, too. Probably exhausted from the playground and the shock.
Padding to the kitchen, she picked up her phone and debated her first move. Drew needed to know. She’d better call him. And she’d text Megan to pick her up a copy of the magazine. It would be better for Wyatt if they knew exactly what was in the article.
She cringed as it hit her that his friends could read it. Would they tease him? Bully him? Stop hanging out with him? She peeked at Wyatt’s sweet face, her heart cracking. None of this had been easy on him, and it wouldn’t get any easier if Chase didn’t start putting his son first.
She returned to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She pressed Drew’s number. If Chase were here, she’d give him a piece of her mind. But he wasn’t. As usual, Drew would be left picking up the pieces of Chase’s mistakes. Lauren would do anything necessary to help Drew and to protect Wyatt from his father’s careless decisions.
Even if each passing day left her heart unguarded and more vulnerable where Drew was concerned.
Wyatt didn’t have anyone but Drew and her. She’d be there for both of them, for as long as it took. At some point they wouldn’t need her anymore, and she’d have to move on without them. But for now she was part of their lives. And she was going to let Drew know exactly what she thought of Chase’s actions.
* * *
Drew sprayed the side of the fire truck one final time. He liked this part of the job, cleaning the equipment, making sure it was ready for the next call. The warm summer sun bounced off the stream of water, causing a miniature rainbow to appear. He grinned. A little reminder God was watching.
His cell phone buzzed. He turned off the hose and wiped his hands on a towel before answering. “Drew here.”
“We have a problem.”
Dread knotted his stomach at Lauren’s tone. What could this be about? “What’s going on?”
“Well, it seems your best friend thought it would be wise to have People magazine interview him. He obviously had no consideration for Wyatt or his feelings. I can’t believe Wyatt had to see his dad’s face on the cover with the headline, ‘My Life in Jail.’ Doesn’t he have any clue how this affects his son?”
He blinked. Fury poured out of her words, but it took a moment before their impact hit him.
The People interview. He smacked his forehead. He’d forgotten...hadn’t really given it much thought. When Chase wanted to do something, he did it. Drew never interfered. Figured he was a grown man and could make his own decisions.
“Chase told me he was doing it.” Drew used his free hand to pick up the rags next to the truck.
“What?” That was a loaded word if he’d ever heard one. He’d be smart to tread carefully with Lauren in an angry mood. She continued, “And you didn’t talk him out of it?”
Looking back, he should have talked him out of it. He hadn’t thought it was a big deal. Hadn’t considered how it would affect Wyatt.
Why hadn’t it occurred to him Wyatt would be hurt?
Because he wasn’t like Lauren, who instantly recognized how events would affect others. He was always two steps behind in the consideration department, and Wyatt always seemed to be the one who paid for it.
“You’re right,” Drew said, throwing the rags into an empty bucket with more force than necessary. “I should have talked him out of it. I didn’t think. It’s my fault.” And now he’d have to do damage control to a kid who’d had enough damage for a lifetime.
“Are you kidding me?” Her voice rose to new decibel levels. “Don’t you dare take the blame for this. I know Chase is your friend, but come on. You weren’t the one who agreed to the interview. He did. He needs to take responsibility for this. For going after that guy. For ending up in jail. For all of it!”
He held the phone an inch from his ear. Wow, she was really worked up. “Calm down—”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.”
“Okay.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do I do? I can’t come over right now. I’m on duty. Do you want to bring Wyatt over here? I can talk to him. If you give me an hour, I should be able to find a replacement.”
“Don’t bother.” Her tone softened. “He’s resting. I asked Megan to buy me a copy of the magazine so we can read it and figure out the best way forward. If you want to do something, call Chase and tell him he just ruined his son’s life all over again.”
“Hey now. It’s not like he set out to hurt Wyatt.”
“I don’t care what he set out to do. The result’s the same.”
He clutched the phone, fantasizing about throwing it a hundred yards downfield, getting the perfect spiral on it while he was at it. Man, he hated this helpless feeling.
“What’s done is done,” he said. “How do we move forward?”
“Megan is renting movies and bringing a pizza over to my apartment. We’re going to distract Wyatt tonight. When you get home in the morning, we’ll figure out our next move. Come to my apartment when your shift ends.”
“I can try to get someone to cover for me tonight.”
“No. We can handle him. We’ll talk in the morning.” She sounded as if she was going to hang up.
“Wait, Lauren?”
“What?”
“What are you going to say to him tonight?” He didn’t want her bad-mouthing Chase in front of Wyatt, but how could he ask her not to? This situation grew more complicated each second.
“I don’t know.”
“I know you’re upset with Chase, but can I ask you not to talk bad about him?”
“I’m not stupid, Drew. Chase is Wyatt’s dad. Of course I’m not going to trash-talk him. I will be discussing choices and how they affect the ones close to us, though. Wyatt has every right to be upset with his dad.”
“Fair enough.”
“I’ll call if anything comes up.”
The phone went dead, and with a heavy step, he put the rest of the cleaning supplies away. His heart was torn. Should he ignore Lauren’s advice and call someone in for him?
She could handle it. Megan could, too. Wyatt had never had a real mother figure in his life. It would probably do the kid good to have two women fussing over him. Besides, he had a feeling if he showed up, he’d get a verbal lashing he would not enjoy. He was in the doghouse, and he deserved it.
After he’d parked the truck back in the garage, he went up to the living quarters and sank into a couch. Why hadn’t he thought about Wyatt when Chase mentioned the interview? Did he have to be hit over the head with a two-by-four to realize the article would be a bad move for Wyatt? He should have asked Chase not to do it.
Don’t you dare take the blame for this.
Drew covered his face with his hands.
Lauren was right. He’d been picking up the pieces left from Chase’s mistakes for too long. In a few months, it would be a year since Missy had died. The previous ten months unfolded in Drew’s memory, and anger shot through his veins. He’d nipped this rage in the bud countless times since Chase was arrested, but right now he had no energy left to fight it.
When Chase drove off to confront Len, Chase hadn’t thought about anyone but himself. And he continued to make decisions based solely on his emotions. His needs.
Oh, you wanted to be the big guy about Missy. You didn’t care about her when she lived in Chicago and was spiraling out of control from the drugs. You never married her, but you had to go off and avenge her death, huh? What about us? What about me? I miss you. You’re my best friend. And Wyatt? You are everything to him, and I’m a sloppy substitute. If it wasn’t for Lauren, who knows what kind of emotional shape Wyatt would be in right now?
And this article—this stupid article. You feel guilty, do you, buddy? So you want the media and all your fans to see you’ve learned your lesson? Well, what about Wyatt? Lauren is right. What kid wants his friends to see his dad’s face on the cover of a magazine with that headline?
Drew jumped to his feet and paced the room. Wanted to punch the wall.
He strode to the weight room and pummeled the punching bag until his energy drained.
“What crawled down your shorts? That bag isn’t the enemy, you know.” Tony stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.
Drew wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Everything.”
“Drama queen.” He crossed the room and gestured for Drew to follow him into the living area. “What’s really going on?”
“Lauren just called—”
“Are you two dating or what?”
“Forget it.” Drew glared.
Tony threw his hands up in defense. “What? You two have couple written all over you, but whatever. Live in denial, brother. Continue.”
Drew didn’t have the energy to contemplate Tony’s words. “Chase is on the cover of People magazine.”
“And you’re jealous?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course not.” Drew stood up so quickly his head spun. “I’m thinking about Wyatt. How would you like it if your dad was on the cover of a national magazine with a headline about being in jail?”
“Oh. That kind of cover.” Tony grimaced, waving him to sit back down. “Hey, I know I give you a hard time, but I give you a lot of credit for moving back and taking care of Wyatt. It can’t be easy.”
“Wyatt is easy. Even if he was the worst kid in the world, he’d be easy. I love him. And, well, Chase is my best friend.”
“But you’re mad at him.”
Drew swallowed. Yeah. He was. “I shouldn’t be.”
Tony scoffed. “Why not? I’d be mad. You went from single to legal guardian overnight. If it was me, I wouldn’t want to move and leave my fire station.”
“I didn’t want to move. They were my brothers.”
“You’ve got new brothers.”
Drew met Tony’s eyes and nodded. “I appreciate it, man.”
“When you started, I was sure you were going to be the superstar quarterback who left town after high school. You’ve changed. You’ve got a lot to complain about, but you never do. The guys look up to you. I was wrong about you.”
He didn’t know how to respond. He’d never expected to hear those words from Tony, of all people.
“I appreciate it, Tony. But I don’t have anything to complain about. I’m doing what I love with good people. I’ve been blessed.”
“That’s where we differ. I’d complain.” Tony grinned. “So what’s the deal with you and Lauren?”
“Nothing. She’s Wyatt’s babysitter.”
“You don’t look at her like she’s just a babysitter.”
“Does any guy look at her like she’s just a babysitter?”
“Point taken.”
Drew rubbed his chin. “She chewed me out. Big-time.”
Tony chuckled. “If she
’s chewing you out, that’s a good sign.”
He shook his head. “It’s not like that.”
“You going to be a bachelor forever? A girl like Lauren Pierce doesn’t come around that often. She’s single, but for how long? You should make your move.”
“I’ve got enough to think about without dealing with a relationship.”
“Have it your way, but don’t come crying to me when she starts dating someone else.”
Was Tony trying to give him a stroke? Drew wanted to date her. But...if she wasn’t helping with Wyatt, he’d be lost. He couldn’t jeopardize their working relationship to explore a personal one. And today had driven home what he’d known all along: Lauren would never be interested in someone as selfish as him. She put other people’s needs before her own. He didn’t even know what other people’s needs were.
If he couldn’t rely on her to babysit Wyatt, he’d be back to where he started. And Wyatt would be the casualty. They both needed her. He’d lock up his attraction to Lauren and bury the key.
* * *
“How is he?”
“Sleeping.” Lauren followed Drew into her living room the next morning. He held a take-out tray with three cups in one hand and a paper bakery bag in the other. She’d woken this morning calm. Life was too short to cling to anger, even if it was justified. Ultimately, her hot emotions wouldn’t help Wyatt. A cooler head would.
After Wyatt woke from his nap yesterday, she and Megan had plied him with pizza and silly movies until it had grown late. They’d waited until he was asleep before reading the magazine article. She had to hand it to Chase; he sounded contrite in it.
“Where is he sleeping?” Drew tossed the bag on the table and set the drink tray down.
“He’s in my office. I set up my sleeper sofa for him.”
“Thank you.” He put the tray down and turned to her. “I feel like such a jerk.”
She craved his embrace. Hadn’t realized how draining the night had been, how much she yearned for his physical support right now. But just because they acted as Wyatt’s parents didn’t make them anything more than a guardian and a babysitter. She had no right to step into the role of parent. And she had no right to step into Drew’s arms and ask him to hold her, either. So she didn’t.
