by Becky Harmon
* * *
Sunday morning, Cassie went through all of her normal tasks, including taking the golf cart around to check housekeeping tags. Zoey and Pandy rode on the seat beside her with their tongues hanging out. By midmorning, the beach was covered with kids and parents so Cassie retreated to her back porch. She tried Greg again and still got no answer. This time her message told him he needed to call her as soon as possible or she was sending someone to hunt him down.
She ate leftovers for lunch and then wandered down to the beach to chat with her guests. Everyone seemed to be doing well, and she returned to the house for some much-needed quiet. Stretched out on the couch, she dozed all afternoon and only woke up long enough to feed the dogs their dinner. She didn’t feel hungry and thought she would eat later, but she fell back asleep. The doorbell woke her and she stumbled to the front door looking at her watch. She was shocked to see it was after eleven. Guests wouldn’t come to the house this late without first calling and the gate was closed to other traffic. Zoey and Pandy waited anxiously for her to open the door.
Greg smiled sweetly when she opened the door.
“Greg!” She pulled him into a hug. “What are you doing out so late?”
“I’m real sorry, Ms. Cassie. I didn’t know where else to go.” He stepped to the side, pulling a small blond-headed boy from behind him. “This is Chase, my brother.”
“Oh.” Cassie tried not to sound surprised. She held out her hand to Chase. “Hi, Chase. I’m Cassie.”
Slowly he raised his arm and took her hand. She gave it a gentle shake and released it quickly, not wanting to scare him any more than he already was. He was small and his too-large clothes made him appear even smaller. Greg placed his arm across his shoulder, pulling him close. He leaned his head against Greg’s side, clearly finding comfort in his older brother.
Cassie sent the girls to lay on their beds and stepped back from the door. “Come in and tell me what’s going on.”
“Well…” Greg started.
“Hold that thought.” Cassie interrupted Greg. “Are you guys hungry?”
Chase hid behind Greg so she looked at Greg and he shrugged.
“I’m hungry.” Cassie led the way into the kitchen and motioned for them to take a seat at the bar. “I forgot to eat dinner.” She began pulling leftovers from the refrigerator. “We have burgers and hot dogs.” She pulled the lids off the containers.
“I could eat a hot dog,” Chase said, looking at Greg and then at Cassie. “If it’s okay.”
“It’s definitely okay.” Cassie pulled two hot dogs from the container and popped them in the microwave. She put a paper plate with two hot dog buns in front of Chase. “Iced tea, lemonade or water?”
“Water,” Greg answered first.
“I guess water would be fine,” Chase answered softly, “but iced tea would be good too.”
“Iced tea it is.” Cassie took three glasses from the cabinet and set one each in front of Chase and Greg. She poured water for herself and Greg and then iced tea for Chase.
“What do you want to eat, Greg?”
“A burger would be great, but I’ll get it.” He walked over and gave Zoey and Pandy a long pet before pulling lettuce and tomato along with condiments from the refrigerator.
Cassie took the hot dogs out of the microwave and replaced it with Greg’s burger. She put the hot dogs on Chase’s plate and encouraged him to apply whatever condiments he wanted. He ate silently while Greg talked about work and pulled his burger from the microwave. Sliding his plate across the counter, he joined Chase on the other side.
Cassie fixed herself a bowl of salad and leaned against the counter. She wasn’t going to ask too many questions tonight. Both Greg and Chase looked tired, but she needed to understand why they were out so late. “So what are you two doing roaming the streets this late at night?” She smiled hoping to make her question sound less intrusive.
“Chase had a rough week, so I asked if they’d let me take him for a couple of days and they approved.”
Cassie knew pretending she knew nothing about Chase’s situation would be the best, at least for tonight. “That’s great. Do you want to stay here tonight?”
She couldn’t ignore the relief on Greg’s face. “You know you’re welcome anytime, Greg.”
He smiled shyly. “I know you always say that, but this is different. I’m not alone.”
She met his eyes and then looked at Chase. “Chase is welcome anytime too.” She smiled at them both and Chase’s brow relaxed as he returned her smile. “Now, which room would you guys like for tonight?”
She offered them either of the rooms with two twin beds, but Chase chose the downstairs double bed instead. Greg went out to grab their bags from the car and Cassie gave Chase a tour of the house. When they returned to the living room, she called the dogs and sat with Chase while he petted them. He didn’t seem scared of them, but she wanted to make sure he felt comfortable enough to make it to the bathroom or kitchen by himself during the night.
Once the boys were settled into their room, she locked the doors and called the girls to go upstairs. She lay awake wondering what had really brought Greg and Chase to her door tonight. Greg’s face had been rigid and tense when they had arrived. Cassie didn’t think she had ever seen him like that before. Tomorrow she would convince him to tell her what was going on.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The boys were not showing any signs of movement when Cassie came downstairs the next morning. She fed the dogs and then went to the barn to feed the horses. She left the rest for Dillon to take care of when he arrived. She was anxious to fill him and Shelley in on Greg’s arrival but waited patiently for Dillon to get his coffee before talking.
“He just showed up on your doorstep?” Dillon asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
“Yep, with his half-brother.” Cassie nodded. “Very cute kid. He looks small for his age though.”
“I can’t wait to see Greg again,” Shelley added and Dillon nodded.
Cassie wasn’t sure whether she should share what Kathleen had told her with Dillon and Shelley. It felt like an invasion of Greg and Chase’s privacy. She kept quiet to give Greg time to share with Dillon on his own.
They talked for a while and planned the week. Then Dillon headed for the barn and Cassie went back into the house, leaving Shelley at the desk. She scrambled some eggs, then made toast and bacon before knocking on the boys’ door.
“It’s almost ten, boys. Breakfast is ready.”
Greg opened the door, mumbled something and stumbled down the hall to the bathroom. Cassie looked into the bedroom. Chase was sitting on the floor in the corner reading a book. She recognized the cover as an old Hardy Boys mystery that she had on her bookshelf in the living room. She smiled to herself that he must have wandered out there and found it himself. She crossed the room and sat down beside him.
“That’s a great book.” She nodded at the book he now held tight to his chest.
“I found it in the living room. I hope it’s okay that I brought it back in here.” His voice was soft and he hesitated. “I’m sorry I didn’t get your permission before I picked it up.”
“It’s fine, Chase. You can look at and touch anything in the house. I read that book when I was your age and I really enjoyed it. Do you like to read?”
“Yes. I usually read when I get up in the morning. I’m not supposed to wander the house before Mr. Timothy gets up.” He looked away from her and she frowned, wondering if Mr. Timothy was the foster parent who was now deceased.
Greg returned to the room looking refreshed with his hair dripping wet. “I’m awake now.” He smiled at her. “Did I hear someone mention breakfast?”
Cassie stood. “You certainly did. Eggs, bacon and toast. Any takers?”
Chase jumped to his feet with a smile. “I love bacon.”
Cassie put her arm across his shoulders. “Then we should go and get you some before your brother eats it all.” His little shoulders felt
bony, and it was all Cassie could do not to pull him into a hug.
They all sat at the table, and Cassie tried to keep them talking while they dished food onto their plates.
“Chase, do you have a pair of shorts with you that you can swim in?” she asked, watching as he shoveled bacon into his mouth. He nodded, his mouth too full to respond.
She looked at Greg. “I thought maybe Chase would like to join the kids on the beach for a while.”
Chase was looking back and forth between them, clearly liking the idea but waiting to be told it was okay. Greg didn’t keep him waiting. “That sounds like a good plan.”
“Yeah!” Chase bounced in his chair.
“Eat your eggs and then go get changed.” Cassie looked at Greg. “Maybe you and I could talk.”
He nodded but didn’t look up.
* * *
They stopped in the office so Shelley could hug on Greg. Even Chase got a squeeze before heading to the beach. It took only minutes for Chase to make friends with the other kids there. Soon they were jumping in the water and splashing each other. Cassie steered Greg to a park bench nearby and they took a seat.
“Start talking.” Cassie said as soon as his butt hit the bench. She wanted to tell him what she knew but waited to see what he would tell her first.
He sighed loudly and stretched his legs out in front of him. “I tracked him down two weeks ago and we met briefly with his foster parents’ supervision. Last week he snuck out and called me about midnight. Some men had come into the house and killed his foster dad. Chase was hiding in the closet.”
“He was in the house when they killed him?” Cassie was stunned at the news, and it took a minute to sink in. “Did he see anything?”
Greg hesitated. “He says he didn’t, that he heard nothing but the gunshot. I guess the police believed him, but of course the state keeps moving him. He’s been in three different homes this week. No one wants him, because they’re afraid the drug dealers will come after him.”
“I guess I can understand that.” Cassie touched Greg’s arm. “Did you really get permission to take him?”
“I did, but I’m supposed to take him back tomorrow before I go to work.” Greg put his head in his hands. “How can I take him back to that? I thought maybe you would let us stay here for a while?”
“Greg.” Cassie waited until he met her eyes. “You know I’d love to, but he’s a ward of the state of Alabama and I’m not sure they would let him cross into Florida.”
Greg looked surprised. “Wait. How’d you know that?”
“I have a friend at Fosters and I asked her to look into what was going on. I was worried when you didn’t return my calls.”
“I’m sorry. I was trying to decide what to do.”
“Let me call my friend and see if she can work some magic.” Cassie hesitated. “But if she can’t, you have to take him back.”
Cassie watched Greg walk toward the barn to join Dillon. She was pleased with the amount of information he had given her. She didn’t feel like he had held any details back or evaded any question she had asked. She knew keeping Chase here would be problematic not only with the state of Alabama but how Fosters was going to feel about giving her four more kids. She watched Chase run across the beach and splash into the water. She knew she couldn’t save them all, but this one had been dropped into her lap and she had to try. She stood up and stretched, then pulling her cell phone from her pocket she dialed Kathleen.
“You’re at home today, right?” Cassie asked as soon as Kathleen picked up.
“Yes, but tomorrow and Wednesday I’m back in the office. We’ll be doing paperwork for weeks after this weekend.”
“It went well then?”
“We have at least three kids going to permanent homes and about five new potential foster families.”
“That sounds successful.”
“Having the kids get permanent homes is the best news, but new foster families mean fewer kids in group homes. Plus we can even help the state if we have foster families with space available.”
“Can I run something past you?” Cassie asked hesitantly.
“Sure. I thought you sounded funny. What’s wrong?”
“With Greg’s brother being a ward of the state in Alabama, what’s the chance they would let him be placed somewhere in Florida?”
“It happens sometimes, but only if there is a foster family that specifically requests that child.”
“How would someone go about that and could you help?”
Kathleen was silent for a second. “What did you do, Cassie?”
Cassie chuckled. “Me? I didn’t do anything. Greg showed up on my doorstep with Chase last night.”
“Oh no. Did he take him without permission?”
“He says he has permission, but I’m not sure they know he planned to cross state lines. He’s supposed to return him tomorrow. Do you think we have any chance of keeping him?”
“I can look into it.” Kathleen sighed. “How is he?”
“He seems okay. Greg says he was in the house when the guy was killed.”
“What?”
“Yeah, Greg says Chase hid in the closet until they left the house. Then he snuck out and called Greg to come get him.”
“And he didn’t hear or see anything?” Kathleen said in disbelief.
“That’s what I’m being told, but I’m not sure Greg even believes that. Clearly the state of Alabama doesn’t, because they’ve moved him three times in four days.”
“What a nightmare. Let me make some calls and see what I can do. I’ll give you a call as soon as I know something. It might be tomorrow though before I get any information.”
“Okay. Thanks for this. I wouldn’t even know where to start this process.”
“We’ll get something worked out.”
Cassie watched Chase and thought about how much her life had changed in the last week. Kathleen had set her world in a spin and then Greg and Chase had kept it in motion. She had seen children traumatized by seeing their parents or someone they loved killed either by violence or in an accident. Though this man wasn’t a loved one to Chase, he was still a caregiver—someone who in Chase’s mind was supposed to keep him safe. She couldn’t imagine the fear Chase must have felt as he hid in the closet. Cassie didn’t want him to ever feel that again.
She certainly didn’t consider herself the maternal type, but she did understand a mother bear protecting her cub now. Her softer side had become more prominent since she’d left the police force; it was pleasant to not instantly think the worst of someone or to be suspicious. She wanted to make some calls and get more details, but she no longer held any position that allowed her to do that. She had to believe if Chase had seen something that night that he was now far enough away to be safe.
She realized too that she and Kathleen had not talked about how this could affect the brat pack coming to stay with her. She had not even mentioned to Kathleen that she was coming to see her on Wednesday. Maybe it was best to keep that secret. For now, anyway.
She needed to talk with Greg about his plans. It was sinking in that she had asked Kathleen to help her get custody of Chase. Her quiet independent life would be changed forever. She had enough room for Greg to stay too, but he wouldn’t be eighteen until the fall. She would have to remember to talk with Kathleen about that too. First she needed to find out if Greg wanted to stay with her and Chase, and then they needed to talk with Chase.
* * *
She stopped at the edge of the barn and watched Greg working with Dillon. He was relaxed around the horses and he followed Dillon’s lead. She remembered Dillon saying last year that he wished Greg could stay and she smiled, thinking how happy Dillon would be if everything worked out. Greg looked up and saw her. He stopped working and stood.
“Is it bad?” he asked, stepping toward her.
She nodded toward Dillon. “Do you want to walk?”
“No, it’s okay. I told Mr. Dillon everything.”
> Cassie smiled. This was the Greg she knew. He was no longer silent and secretive. “Okay.” She took a seat on a nearby hay bale and Greg took a knee beside Dillon, who had stopped working to listen. “I talked to Kathleen.”
“Oh, Kathleen.” Dillon smiled.
“Who’s Kathleen?” Greg asked, looking back and forth between them.
“Kathleen is my friend at Fosters,” Cassie continued, ignoring Dillon’s grin. “She says it might be possible for me to get custody of Chase.”
Greg jumped to his feet. “That would be awesome!”
“Hold on now, Greg. It’s not going to be easy or quick. She’s going to call me tomorrow with an update. The question is do you want to stay here too?”
“Of course.” Greg looked from Cassie to Dillon. “I’ve always wanted to stay here. Last summer was the highlight of my life. I can get a job in Riverview and help out around here too.”
Cassie laughed. “Okay. One thing at a time. Why don’t you go get Chase so we can talk with him? It’s time for lunch and he needs suntan lotion.”
Cassie watched Greg jog toward the lake and then looked at Dillon. “Have I lost my mind?”
“Not at all. I couldn’t be happier.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I could really live here?” Chase’s eyes were huge as Cassie and Greg explained the situation to him.
“That’s what we’re trying to do. Would that be okay with you?” Cassie asked, moving from the couch to kneel in front of him.
Chase nodded. “And Greg too?”
“If he wants to.”
Chase looked at Greg, his brow creased as he waited for his answer.
“You know I want to, buddy. I told you this place is awesome.” Greg pulled Chase close against him.
“I’ve never had a forever home.” Chase’s voice was muffled against Greg’s body.
“I know, buddy.” Greg squeezed him again, looking at Cassie over Chase’s head. “When I tracked down his social worker, she let me read his file while she contacted his foster family. It’s worse than mine.”
