Hidden Gifts

by Elena Aitken

  “Miss Morgan,” a voice distracted her from her thoughts. She looked down to see a little boy, about six, looking up at her with big eyes.

  “Yes, Zak,” she said, quickly reading his name tag. “What can I do for you?”

  “My mom said we were going on a hike,” Zak said. “Are we? ‘Cause I like outside better.”

  Morgan smiled. She still couldn’t believe that none of the parents had any concerns when she’d told them about the hike. They’d all thought it was a great idea. And it was, she reminded herself. “We are,” Morgan answered. “We’re just waiting for a few more people. Hey, do you think you could help with something while we wait?”

  When Zak nodded, Morgan handed him the cards she was holding. “How about you hand these out to the others, and then you can have everybody choose a marker from that bucket over there.”

  The boy ran off to complete his task and Morgan scanned the room. The other few children were playing with the buckets of toys and Ella and Bo should be arriving any minute.

  As if she’d conjured them, the door opened and Ella ran into the room, gave Morgan a quick hug, and then to her surprise, joined the other children on the rug with Bo following closely behind. He was wearing well-worn jeans that hugged his hips in all the right places and a t-shirt, snug on his chest and biceps. He had a heavy sweater slung over his arm. Morgan swallowed hard against the desire that rose up unexpectedly. Ever since their shared dinner, she’d had trouble keeping Bo out of her thoughts and those thoughts almost always involved what it would feel like to be pressed up against that chest, held tightly by those arms.

  “Good afternoon,” Bo said, as he came up beside her.

  “Hi.”

  “She’s not so shy, is she?” He pointed to Ella, who had plopped herself right in the middle of the other children.

  Morgan laughed. “She’s really been coming out of her shell with the other kids. I think it’s really benefiting her to be here.”

  A look she couldn’t read flashed across Bo’s face. “You think so? You really think it’s good for her to be at the Lodge?”

  There was so much more meaning loaded into Bo’s questions, and Morgan knew it. But she didn’t know how to respond. After a moment, she looked him square in the eyes, and said, “I think it’s good for Ella to be a kid and to have fun.”

  They stared at each other for a minute, and Bo looked as if he wanted to say something else. Finally, he pointed to the group of children again and asked, “What are those cards that they have?”

  Morgan straightened and braced herself for Bo’s response. “As you know,“ she started, “this hiking thing isn’t my specialty, but I wanted to offer something to today as well. So I thought it would be fun to do a scavenger hunt.”

  She waited for Bo to laugh or tell her she was silly.

  “I think that’s an awesome idea,” he said. Morgan turned to look at him. His eyes weren’t mocking her. He wasn’t laughing. Instead, he looked genuine. Maybe it was a good idea. “Kids can be a tricky group,” he said. “Some will love being outside and just enjoying everything that nature has to offer. But others tend to get bored. They have trouble relaxing and need something to keep their minds busy to keep focused. A scavenger hunt is perfect. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.”

  Morgan beamed. “I was worried.”

  “I can see that,” he said softly. Bo’s face turned serious and he took her hand in his. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to—“

  “Miss Morgan?” Zak squeezed himself in the gap between them and thrust the unused cards at her. “I handed them all out.”

  She dropped Bo’s hand and took a step back. “Good,” she said. “I think we’re all set then. Ready, Bo?”

  “I’ve never been more ready.”

  ~ ~

  By the time they turned on to the trail that would lead them back to the Lodge, Morgan was ready to laugh at herself. The afternoon hike had gone better than she ever could have expected and she’d been so busy that she hadn’t even thought about any of the things in the woods that terrified her. Together with Lisa, she’d helped the kids find everything on the scavenger hunt cards while Bo led them through the trails, pointing things out along the way.

  It surprised her to see how someone who claimed to need help learning how to be a dad could be so natural with the children. Maybe it was just being outside that gave him confidence around the kids? He was definitely in his element, and Morgan loved watching him. And she loved watching how Ella, for the most part, stayed closer to Bo than to her. That was definitely progress.

  “What do you think, Morgan?”

  She shook her head, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming, Morgan looked to her right and to Lisa, who was waiting for an answer to the question she hadn’t heard.

  “I think—“

  “That you weren’t listening.” Lisa laughed. “You okay? I know this whole nature hike has really thrown you for a loop and all…”

  “I’m fine,” Morgan said. She picked at a loose thread on her sweater. “It’s been a great day. Thank you for all your help.”

  “Hey, it’s my job.” Lisa laughed and Morgan found herself laughing along with her.

  She liked Lisa. She was smart and great with the kids, and made her job easier, which meant that Morgan would have more time to focus on lining up some fun activities to do with the kids. She still couldn’t believe how quickly she’d changed her mind about the job. It wasn’t all that long ago that she was ready to cut and run.

  “Now, what were you asking me about?”

  “Oh, you mean while you were daydreaming about Bo?”

  Morgan stopped short and grabbed the other woman’s arm, spinning her around to face her. “I wasn’t daydreaming about Bo,” she said, careful to keep her voice low.

  Lisa raised her eyebrows, but didn’t say anything else.

  “I wasn’t,” Morgan insisted. “I have no interest in a relationship or…well, anything. That’s not why I’m here.”

  “I believe you,” Lisa said, but the gleam in her eyes said that she definitely did not believe Morgan. “Anyway, I was just saying that we should head to the main fire pit and have a campfire. We could roast hot dogs for the kids for dinner—it would be fun.”

  “And that is why we pay you the big bucks,” Morgan joked, grateful for the change in topic. “Do you want to run ahead and get that organized? I’ll tell Bo.”

  Lisa gave her another knowing look, but thankfully took off to get things ready before she could say anything else.

  Morgan looked ahead at the small group of kids that was clustered around Bo. He was squatting and using a stick to point to something on the ground. He had their complete attention while he spoke—all except Ella, who instead of looking at the item of discussion, was staring at her father. Morgan’s heart hurt for the little girl. In all her training at school, the first thing they’d been taught was to not get involved or overly attached to the children they were working with. And it had never before been a problem before. Sure, she got close to the kids, but not so close that it would be hard to be professional. But Ella was different. Maybe because it wasn’t just Ella. She looked to Bo as he caught her eye and smiled. No, it definitely wasn’t just thoughts of Ella that twisted her stomach and kept her up at night.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Do you like it crispy? Or barely cooked?” Bo called to the little boy that was waiting for his hot dog.

  “Black,” the boy yelled.

  Bo stuck the roasting stick deeper into the flames. “As you wish,” he said.

  This was the fifth hot dog he’d cooked, and the end didn’t seem to be near as kids lined up for seconds. “Wasn’t this your idea?” he asked Lisa, who was pouring juice into paper cups. “Shouldn’t you be doing this, too?”

  “I’m busy. Besides, you’re doing such a good job.” Lisa laughed and turned to mop up a mess.

  He scanned the group, his eyes landing on Ella, who was finishing up the last bits of her
own dinner. She quickly licked her fingers as ketchup squeezed out from the bun but she wasn’t fast enough and some dripped on to her pants. She looked up and met Bo’s eyes with a look of concern.

  He shrugged and gave her a big smile to let her know it was okay. The pants were brand new, but as he was learning, kids were messy. Good thing there were a lot more clothes where those came from. He’d taken the list Morgan had drawn up for him and ordered some clothes online. The shipment had arrived only the day before, and Ella had been thrilled with her new wardrobe. Bo had just laughed while Ella dug through the pile of jeans, sweaters, and shirts. Females must be born with a love for clothing, he’d decided. He didn’t want to think of the other option, which was that Ella had never had so many new things before. Not for the first time, Bo wished that he knew more about Tessa and Ella’s background.

  “Hey there,” Morgan said, disrupting his thoughts. It was a welcome interruption. “That looks pretty good.” She pointed to the hot dog that was now completely black.

  “He’s crazy,” Bo said as he slid the wiener into a bun and handed it to the eagerly waiting boy. “Me, I like them a little less like charcoal. Have you eaten?”

  Morgan waved her hand. “Oh, no. I’ve been busy.”

  “There’s time to cook one right now.”

  “It looks as if you have a line.” Morgan pointed to the group of kids.

  “Oh,” Bo said. “I didn’t mean that I’d cook you one.” He flashed her a grin. “You must have roasted a hot dog before?”

  “Um…”

  She blushed and Bo felt his body react in what was becoming a familiar way. Damn, but she was beautiful. Especially when she was off guard.

  “Well, because you’re so outdoorsy now,” Bo said, “I’ll show you how. It’s easy.”

  Before she could protest, he stuck a raw wiener on a stick for her and prepared his own as well. “Why don’t you guys go see if Miss Lisa has some chips or something?” he suggested to the kids. He didn’t have to ask twice, and the kids were off running.

  “Wow,” Morgan said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were an expert with how to handle kids.”

  “Well, I may not have a lot of experience,” he handed her the stick, “but I do know that no child can resist the allure of potato chips.”

  She laughed and it was the best sound he’d heard all day because she was so relaxed and at ease with him. It had been great to see her in the woods today. She was so far out of her comfort zone, yet so determined to learn and enjoy it. And from what he’d seen, she had. Bo liked to think that he’d had even a little bit to do with that enjoyment.

  “Okay,” Bo said. “I’ll give you a crash course in weenie roasting. First,” he waved his stick in the air, “you stick it in the fire.” He stuck his roasting stick into the flames and looked expectantly at Morgan.

  She raised her eyebrows at him but followed his lead.

  “Great,” he said. “Now you wait. And…that’s it.”

  “That’s it?”

  “You expected more? It’s a hot dog, not filet mignon.”

  Morgan laughed again and they fell into easy silence, both watching the flames licking at the logs. Occasionally, Bo would turn his hot dog, and Morgan would follow his lead. By the time they were done cooking, the kids had grown tired of waiting for seconds and had followed Lisa a few feet away to a grassy, open space where she was leading them in games.

  It may have been the company, but Bo couldn’t remember ever tasting a better hot dog. He snuck a look over at Morgan, who had also devoured hers. “Good, right?” he asked.

  “So good.” Morgan licked a stray drop of ketchup off her finger. The innocent action filled him with an intense longing to be on the receiving end of her mouth. He had to stop. Lusting after Ella’s teacher, or caregiver, or whatever she was, was not even a little bit appropriate. Especially considering his focus had to be on Ella. At least until he decided on a plan. He owed her at least that much.

  “I had fun today,” Morgan said. “Thank you for doing this.”

  He risked another glance towards her. Fortunately for Bo, her hands were clasped together in her lap and nowhere near her mouth. “You were great, a total natural. Oh,” he added. “I forgot to tell you how much I liked your hiking boots.” He pointed to her feet. “I thought you said you’d never been hiking before.”

  She blushed a little and ran a hand through her hair. “I haven’t. These were a gift. Otherwise, I might have been out there in sneakers or worse.”

  “Sneakers?”

  She nodded. “It’s true. I was that unprepared. But my friend Andi gave me these. She’s actually the one who told me how amazing it was up here. As you can tell, I don’t usually venture very far from the city limits. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be here at all. Thank goodness for friends.”

  “Yes,” Bo agreed with a smile. “Thank goodness for friends.”

  ~ ~

  “Thanks for the hike, Miss Morgan.” Zak wrapped his arms around Morgan and squeezed tightly while Bo watched from the side of the Cub’s Club room. It amazed him how good she was with the kids, and how much they loved her.

  “I’m glad you had fun, buddy,” Morgan said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She waved Zak and his parents out the door and then it was just the three of them. Lisa had left after the hot dog roast, her shift done for the day, and Zak was the last child to be picked up.

  “I guess it’s time to go,” Morgan said, walking toward him. “You didn’t have to stay.”

  “Didn’t I?” Bo pointed to Ella, who was fast asleep on the cushions under the treehouse, her clay "horse" in hand. “She looks pretty comfortable. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for ruining what looks like a perfectly good nap.”

  “True, but we’re going to have to wake her up.” Morgan shrugged apologetically. “I have to lock up for the day.”

  Bo looked again at Ella and took a few steps in her direction. She’d had such a big day hiking through the woods, she needed her rest. All the kids had enjoyed themselves, but it was Ella who stuck close to him all day, hanging on his every word and pointing at plants. She still wouldn’t say much to him, but the fact that she’d enjoyed the time with him outdoors spoke volumes to Bo. He probably shouldn’t be thinking too much about his future as a father, at least not until something was decided, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to take her on another hike. Maybe a longer one next time. And maybe—he glanced over at Morgan who was stacking books on the shelf—Morgan would come, too.

  “Well?” Morgan asked, coming to stand next to him. “Do you think we can wake her?”

  “No,” Bo said, “but I’ll carry her. Maybe I don’t have to disturb her at all.” He bent down and slid his arms under her. With a quick motion, he lifted her easily, surprised at how little she weighed. Ella stirred a little and snuggled into Bo’s chest. The feeling was foreign, but nice. In the short time Ella had been with him, she hadn’t hugged him. Surely she would have had hugs from her mother? How long had it been since she’d had cuddles from someone who loved her? He had no way of knowing and the thought made him sad. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Bo?”

  He jerked his head up. Morgan was watching him with a small smile. He tried to return her smile, but instead his gaze was brought back to Ella. He bent his head and inhaled her fresh little girl scent, mingled with the earthy smells from outside. She was perfect. And the mere thought took his breath away.

  “Are you ready, Bo?”

  He nodded and as carefully as he could with her in his arms, got to his feet.

  Together, they walked down the hall of the Lodge in silence. Bo managed to quit looking at Ella long enough to focus on where he was going. When they reached the main lobby, Bo paused. “I guess I should get her to bed,” he said.

  A look of disappointment flashed across Morgan’s face. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. “She’s had a pretty big day for such a li
ttle girl,” she said. “You’re going to have to take her out again, she really seemed to take to it. Must be in her blood.”

  “I don’t —“

  He’d been about to say that he didn’t know where the love for outdoors came from, when he realized that Morgan had been talking about him. He was her father. He looked down at the sleeping child again. It still didn’t feel real.

  He looked up. “I guess maybe it does. I was thinking earlier how much she liked the hike. Do you know it was the first time she actually seemed to want to be with me? I mean, she doesn’t run away from me or anything, but…”

  “She doesn’t know you,” Morgan finished for him.

  “No. She doesn’t. But she doesn’t know you either.”

  “It’s only because I’m a woman,” Morgan said. “Like I said before, I think I probably remind her of her mom. It’s hard to know why she trusts me. But it’s a good thing.”

  Bo nodded and shifted Ella’s weight in his arms. “It is a good thing. I’m so grateful that you stayed. I don’t know where I’d—“

  “Hey there, buddy.” Jeff came up behind Bo and slapped his shoulder in greeting. “I’ve been looking everywhere for-“

  “Jeff!”

  Bo absorbed the jostle, but it wasn’t enough to keep Ella’s eyelids from fluttering open.

  “Dammit, Jeff,” Bo muttered under his breath.

  “Oh, man. I’m sorry.” His eyes widened when he saw Ella in Bo’s arms. “I didn’t know.”

  Ella stared up at Bo, but she didn’t pull away from his chest. The fact that she stayed so close, even when awake, made him inexplicably happy.

  “It’s fine,” Bo said without looking at Jeff. “Did you have a good nap, Ella?”

  Ella nodded and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

  “I’ll get you to bed soon, okay, kiddo?”

  She nodded again.

  “It’s been a big day,” Morgan said, by way of explanation.

  “Ah,” Jeff said with a nod. “By the way, hi, Morgan.” Jeff waved his hand sheepishly. “I’m really not usually so rude.”