“Sometimes I get so scared.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want to fail them. I feel like I already have.”
He opened his arms at the same time she moved toward him. Resting his chin on her head, he whispered something into her hair. Sabrina squeezed her eyes closed, inhaling the fresh smell of his cologne, wishing she could stay there forever. She wasn’t sure how it had happened, but here they were again, holding each other. She was tired of trying to figure it out and maybe, just for a moment, she could let it all go. She pushed away the visions of the workers last night, of Pancho’s fear, of the boss’s threats and the sickening knowledge that she had to do something to help the workers. Sighing against him, she felt his arms tighten around her, like a small circle of safety in an uncertain life.
He spoke, his deep voice a rumble against her ear. “I feel like the world is crazy, some days. Nothing makes sense. Then I see you and everything starts to fall into place.”
She lifted her head, eyes wide. She had been thinking the same thing, but how could a man with Jack’s education, job and family feel as if the world was out of control? Even more, how could he think she made it better?
He lowered his head, his gaze searching hers. Sabrina knew that she should put a hand to his chest and step back, but she didn’t move away. The few seconds it took for his lips to reach hers seemed to last forever. He pressed his mouth to hers so softly, as if he didn’t want to scare her. Sabrina leaned into him because being close to Jack seemed to be the only thing that mattered. She laid a hand against his chest and felt his heartbeat against her palm. A small part of her brain remembered they were standing in the mission courtyard, but they seemed to be the only two people in the whole city, in the whole world. As one kiss slid into another, it was just that thought that brought her back to reality.
The girls were inside with Lana and Gavin while she was outside kissing their gorgeous soccer coach? She stumbled backward, her hand to her lips. Her face went hot with shame. All her self talk about keeping a level head had been for nothing.
Jack’s expression went from soft wonder to concern in less time than it took for Sabrina to disentangle herself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“No, no, it was my fault.” She rubbed her forehead and glanced around, wondering how many people had seen them. Surely there were families in those rooms, behind the windows that looked out over the courtyard. She felt one of his hands at her back and loved the warmth, the steadiness, but still moved away. It was a mistake to be here with him, when she couldn’t offer him any kind of future.
“Sabrina, I should have asked you out before...” He waved a hand between them, as if at a loss for words. “I want to get to know you better. I love spending time with you. Maybe we could go out to dinner or something where we could talk.”
Ask her out? Sabrina’s heart twisted. It sounded wonderful, but there was one small problem. “Right, it’s hard to have a conversation with all these kids around.”
“Exactly.” He smiled down at her, then seemed to realize she didn’t look happy about the chance to spend time alone with him.
Sabrina sighed. Jack, as handsome and intelligent as he was, didn’t really get it. “But you see, I don’t have any life without those kids.”
He looked as if he wanted to argue, but he said nothing.
She went on. “At least, I can’t right now. If it was anything else, I could walk away for a little bit. But I can’t afford to be distracted or to put anything else at the center of my life. I need to get permanent guardianship and now that I’m moving to this mission, it’s all in jeopardy.” She felt her throat tighten around the words but she swallowed hard. “I hope you understand.”
“I do.” He put his hands on either side of her face. “And I like you even more for it.”
She looked up into his eyes and felt her resolve waver, just the tiniest amount. She wanted so much to be the kind of carefree girl who went on dinner dates or up on the mountain for the day, no cares in the world besides which outfit to wear. But that had never been her life and it never would be.
His gaze dropped to her lips and she wondered if he would kiss her again, but before she could decide how to react, he let his hands drop to his sides. “Let’s get back inside before they send a search party.” He grabbed the two chairs, folded them neatly and motioned for her to walk ahead of him to the door.
Sabrina nodded, feeling as if the earth was still shifting under her feet. She’d made a mistake kissing Jack, but had managed to set the record straight. She’d done what her parents never had, what Rosa never had, which was put her nieces first, because it was the right thing to do.
Then why did it feel so bad?
* * *
Oh, the irony.
Jack trudged back into the gym, a folded chair in each hand. He hadn’t really considered that Sabrina would turn him down. She liked him, he could tell. From the very first day they’d met, he had felt her interest. It just had never occurred to him that Sabrina would think a date with him would be a distraction.
He liked girls, all girls, but he had never really wanted to be with someone the way he wanted to be with Sabrina. He glanced at her and tried not to sigh. Those dark brown eyes edged with thick lashes, the flawless tan skin, her full lips and high cheekbones. Those were all good things, but it was the bright spark of intelligence, the quick wit and the no-nonsense attitude that really got his attention. Add her iron resolve to make a home for her nieces and he was sunk. He didn’t care if she was a homebody or hated the snow or loved cats instead of dogs. He wanted to know her better. And that didn’t look as if it was going to happen anytime soon.
The gym was much quieter than when they’d left. The girls were racing up and down the blue line by the cafeteria entrance while Gavin and Lana chatted. He turned and jerked his head toward the supply closet. “It’s still unlocked. Don’t forget your toolbox.”
Sabrina looked up, startled. “You’re right. I almost walked out the door without it. That would have been bad if I got called out tonight.”
“You do a lot of work in the evenings?”
She hesitated. “Not usually. I try not to, but every now and then...” Her voice trailed off and she turned to the supply closet, her shoulders tense. He could tell she didn’t want to discuss it.
Jack walked the length of the cafeteria and set the folding chairs near the entrance. His whole body felt tired, as if he’d run miles. The day had started out with so much promise.
“Are you okay?” Gavin cocked his head and gave him a steady look. “You seem a bit down in the dumps.”
“Nah.” He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
Lana and Gavin exchanged a look. “That’s not our usual cheery Jack,” Lana said. Her words were light, but there was a question in her voice.
“It’s been a long day.” He didn’t elaborate but kept his gaze on Gabby and Kassey as they raced each other across the echoing space.
“Uh-oh.” Gavin shook his head and started to laugh.
“What?” He tried to keep the irritation from leaking into his tone, but his best friend could really be annoying. Just because Gavin’s life was going perfectly didn’t mean that he could poke fun at Jack.
“I think someone got shot down.” Lana said this very softly and rolled her wheelchair forward. She touched his arm. “It was bound to happen.” She was teasing him, but there was honest sympathy in her eyes.
“I guess there’s a first time for everything,” Jack mumbled. He loved these two. Like Evie, they knew him too well. He watched Sabrina hoist the toolbox into her other hand as she crossed the gym toward her nieces. There was a sharp pain under his ribs at the thought of not being able to be any closer to her than he already was.
“Here I thought you were the pickiest person on the planet. I guess someone beat you at you
r own game,” Gavin said.
“Not that you really need to know the details, but it’s not about me.” Jack grimaced as he realized what he’d said. All the girls used that line. Not with him, not ever, but he’d heard about it. “She would, but she has the girls to think about and...” The rest of the sentence went unfinished. Maybe she was only saying that so that she didn’t hurt his feelings. The idea made his shoulders slump. If that was true, then it wouldn’t ever be a good time, even when she had custody of her nieces. Then a swift memory of their kiss flashed through his mind and he knew Sabrina was telling the truth. She liked him; it was clear as day.
“You’ve got to admire her for that,” Lana said, watching Sabrina herd the girls toward them. “She’s got a lot on her plate right now. Too many parents put their kids last, and those wounds are hard to heal.”
Jack nodded. He understood that Sabrina wanted to do the right thing. He just wished that her idea of doing the right thing included him. But she hardly knew him. A young woman who had fought her way out of a family ruined by addictions had to protect herself. For a moment, he wondered what it would have been like if Sabrina had been born into his kind of family—wealthy parents, a good college education, the city at her feet. If they’d met in a different way, at a party or a dinner, they would be free to pursue a relationship without any strain.
* * *
“Come on, girls,” Sabrina called to Gabby and Kassey. She was hungry and they’d be getting up early tomorrow morning. They ran over, giggling. Kassey’s hair was coming out of her pigtails and Sabrina stopped to fix them.
They trooped out of the gym and into the lobby, and Gabby grabbed Sabrina’s other hand.
“I can bring you home,” Jack said. “It will be faster and you won’t have to wait in the cold.” He slipped on his brightly patterned ski jacket, zipping it in one swift movement. Tugging a striped cap over his head, he transformed from friendly soccer coach to ski geek in seconds. She had to admit the man was good-looking in anything, even crazy snowboarding gear.
“It’s not that cold,” Sabrina protested.
“Tía, can we go with Coach Jack? I hate the bus. It’s smelly.” Gabby leaned against her, small face turned up in supplication.
“You should go with Jack. I’d drive you, but I’ve got to meet Evie down at the paper.” Gavin shrugged on his jacket.
“Nobody needs to drive us anywhere.” Sabrina knew her voice was a little louder than normal, but they were making decisions without her. “We usually take the bus and we can tonight, no problem.”
“Let Jack take you home. The girls can be in bed a lot sooner,” Lana said, a note of finality in her voice. She turned to Gavin. “Evie’s been working late for weeks now. She missed the last finance meeting.”
Gavin nodded, his brown eyes somber. “She’s been trying to get that story on the slave-labor rings past the lawyers for a long time. She’s got a few more witnesses and personal accounts. It’s just such an ugly topic, nobody wants to touch it.”
Sabrina sucked in a breath. “What...what kind of story?” She couldn’t have heard him right.
“Slave labor,” Jack said. “Groups operate right here in the city, right under our noses. They hold people as hostages, work them night and day, move the operations more quickly than the city can track them.”
Gavin seemed to misunderstand her expression and said, “Unbelievable, isn’t it? But it’s true. Evie has files and files on these people. It scares me to death sometimes, how far she’s gotten in her investigation.”
“That’s my sister, always fighting for the truth. You can’t stop her. It’s worthless even to try,” Jack said.
“Someone has to, it’s true. I just wish the city would listen to her,” Lana said. “We’ve had a few girls come through here who’ve been rescued from those places. They were just too scared to tell the police what they knew. Grant makes sure they have protection at all times. Finally, they start to feel safe. By the time we convinced them to talk, the groups were long gone.”
Sabrina thought of the girl she’d seen in the kitchen the day she’d met Jack: frightened, nervous, barely able to function. Then she thought of Evie, with her dark hair and blue eyes, those matching dimples, just like her twin. She looked up, emotions in a tangle so tight that she could hardly breathe. These people were working against the slave-labor groups, doing everything they could, putting themselves in danger, even. And Sabrina had information they desperately needed. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage in both hands.
“Tía,” Gabby said, tugging on her arm. “Can we go now? I’m hungry.”
Sabrina looked down into her niece’s face. Wide brown eyes implored Sabrina to get moving, innocence in every line of her face. She loved her nieces so much, more than she loved her own life. She reached out and smoothed back an errant strand of hair.
Sabrina cleared her throat. “Sure, mija. Let’s go home.”
She had to do something, help somehow. She had to think about it, find a way to get the information to Evie without jeopardizing her girls. As much as she wanted to keep her head down and try to stay safe, there were people suffering out there. And if someone like Evie was fighting the rings, how could Sabrina turn her back? Evie didn’t know anyone who was in one of those rings, she could be sure of it, but Sabrina did. Pancho had been her friend once; his mother had fed her when she had nothing to eat.
Knowing that there were people working to free those poor workers gave Sabrina a shot of courage. She had an idea and she was going to do everything she could to bring the labor ring down.
Chapter Nine
“I’m parked out back,” Jack said.
It was clear by Jack’s expression that he thought she was a little wary of him, especially after that kiss. It wasn’t that at all. She’d never felt so safe with anybody before. She wasn’t worried he would try to change her mind or make her explain herself any more than she already had.
Her pride was the problem. She knew Jack was wealthy, probably lived in a gorgeous house out in Cherry Creek, the kind of place that could fit five families but usually had two people inside. When he saw their redbrick apartment building, he’d feel even more pity for them, and she hated the thought. The kiss they’d shared shone bright in her mind. She didn’t want to tarnish it with shame.
Between having her pride hurt a bit more than it already was and giving him the impression she was afraid of him, it was no contest. Jack didn’t deserve to think he’d done anything wrong. “Okay, we’ll go with you, and thank you for the ride.”
His expression lightened. “Not a problem.”
They waved goodbye to Lana and Gavin and trooped out the door. Gabby was chattering about a book report she needed to finish and Kassey was quiet, gripping Sabrina’s hand. The temperature had dropped and a cold chill swept off the mountains, right into the downtown area. Sabrina noted the groups of ragtag young people headed toward the mission to check in for the night. As they passed, one young man in drooping jeans and an oversize sweatshirt made loud kissing noises at her. His friends laughed raucously.
Sabrina felt Jack’s steps falter and she spoke out of the corner of her mouth. “Don’t stop. It’s not a big deal.”
He half turned, watching the men head down the sidewalk. Then he stopped altogether.
She felt alarm rise up in her. “No, Jack, it’s really okay.”
He glanced at her. “Just a minute.” And then he was gone before she could say any more. He caught up with the group of teens in seconds.
Sabrina’s heart jumped into her throat. First rule of the streets, don’t confront those in power. And those teen boys might be homeless and uneducated, but they had the power here. There were four of them and only one Jack. He stood tall, but his hands were at his sides. She glanced at the girls, wondering whether to hurry them down the street or to stay. W
hat if there was a fight?
The blood pounding in her ears made it almost impossible to hear, but she could see Jack speaking to the group. They had formed a semicircle around him, faces like stone. Jack put a hand out and laid it on the shoulder of the teen across from him. Sabrina flinched, expecting the teen to throw a punch in response. To her surprise, the boy nodded, glancing her way. Jack turned to the others, speaking too low for her to hear. They looked chastened.
Sabrina noticed how tight Kassey was clinging to her hand and she looked down, trying to be reassuring. “Everything is fine. We’ll go in just a minute.”
“But Tía, what if they fight?” Gabby hugged herself, her thick sweater doing nothing to keep her shivering at bay.
“I think it’s going to be okay,” she said, praying that what she’d said was true. But in the next moment, Jack had turned and was striding back toward them. The teens shambled off toward the mission, a little less cocky than before.
“Sorry about that,” he said, jogging the last few feet to reach them. “Let’s get you to the car and get warmed up.”
“What did you say to them?” Gabby asked.
“Nothing much. Just reminding them of things they already knew.” He didn’t meet Sabrina’s eyes.
She tucked her chin into the top of her sweater as they entered the parking lot. Any boy from her old neighborhood would have turned the situation into a posturing contest that probably would have ended in a fistfight. When it was over, they would have come back to reap the reward of the girl’s eternal gratitude. But Jack didn’t seem to want any applause for his actions. In fact, he wouldn’t even share what he’d said. His calm discussion with the teens touched her heart in the same way his protection of her nieces had.
A car chirped to her right and she jumped.
“Sorry,” Jack said. “Just hitting the unlock button.” He pointed toward a cream-colored SUV that sat near the front of the lot.
Home for Her Family (9781460341186) Page 12
