Holt reached for his plate, barely grabbing it before Nellie ushered us away. “This isn’t necessary, Nellie.”
She ignored him as she led us to a table across the room. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been at the cafe. Usually, my grandparents came to visit us in Spokane instead of having my whole family travel to Montana and try to cram into their tiny two-bedroom cabin. Even though it had been years since I’d stepped inside, the cafe felt familiar. It was the kind of place that stayed with a person long after they’d left.
I pulled out a chair and sat down across from Holt. Nellie had told me he needed someone to help with his son for the summer. I’d planned on taking a break in between jobs and spending a month or two trying to figure out my next move, but I’d decided I could do that while hanging out with a kid just as easily as I could alone. Plus, I could use the money.
“Calla’s visiting her grandparents while she’s in between jobs,” Nellie said.
Holt nodded as he dipped a fry into some ketchup. “That’s great.”
Nellie tsked and shifted her attention to me. “Can I bring you anything to eat, hon?”
“No, I’m good.” I glanced up at her, not sure how to hold a conversation with a man who clearly didn’t want anything to do with me.
She nudged Holt’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have some help around the house with Lane?”
“I told you, I need someone qualified.” He shot me a dismissive glance. “No disrespect, but Lane’s not a typical six-year-old boy.”
“What kind of qualifications are you looking for?” I clasped my hands together in front of me, pissed off that he’d made a snap judgement without knowing a damn thing about me.
He glanced up, barely made eye contact, then looked back at his fries. “Someone who’s worked with challenging kids.”
“So someone certified in CPR? Maybe with a master’s degree in child psychology who’s a registered play therapist?”
He nodded. “Exactly.”
I reached over and snagged one of his fries. “Great. Here I am.”
Nellie bit back her smile. “I’ll leave the two of you to get better acquainted.”
Holt stared at me as Nellie walked away, his eyes narrowing. “You really have all those certifications and degrees?”
“You want me to send you a copy of my diplomas?” I kept my tone light even though I was seething inside. I’d met quite a few parents who didn’t believe someone who looked like me could be qualified enough to work with their kids, but no one who’d ever openly questioned me before.
“Look, I’m sure you’ve got some experience, but?—”
“But what? Nellie said you could use some help, and I’ve got time on my hands while I look for my next job.”
“Why did you leave your last one?” His eyes narrowed like he was hoping for an easy out. Too bad for him I hadn’t been fired for negligence or embezzling or something even worse.
“I was with a non-profit and our funding was cut off. We were making real progress with some amazing kids, and my entire department was dissolved overnight. It’s too bad people don’t care about kids as much as they say they do when it comes time to vote.” I shook my head, still stunned that we’d been shut down with no warning. It wasn’t fair to the kids who’d come to rely on the program. Made me sick to think about them trying to get through a school day with no support. It also made me more determined than ever to find a way to help those who needed it most without having to rely on grants or government subsidies that could easily be taken away.
Holt studied me for a few beats before he took in a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. “He has night terrors. Wakes up screaming almost every single night. Have you ever cured a kid of that?”
Sensing he didn’t like sharing much about his kid with strangers and that he was testing me to see if I knew what I was talking about or was entirely full of shit, I nodded. “Night terrors might look like bad dreams, but they’re the body’s way of dealing with stress it doesn’t know how to process.”
“Will they ever go away?” His hard outer shell cracked just a little, and I got a split-second glimpse of a man who deeply loved his son but was barely holding it together.
I felt like putting my hand over his to try to provide some comfort, but I didn’t. “With targeted interventions, there’s a really good chance they’ll get better.”
“And you know how to do that?” His tone stayed flat, but there was just a hint of hope in his eyes. Really nice eyes… chocolately brown with specks of gold that I wouldn’t mind losing myself in for a little while.
It wasn’t the first time a parent had looked at me like I might be the answer to their problems. And as much as I’d love to be able to tell Holt that the skills and techniques I’d learned over the years would definitely put a stop to his son’s night terrors, I couldn’t make a promise like that.
“I know some things we could try.”
“And you’d be available to come every day? I need someone who can watch him while I’m at work. That’s usually from about seven until five, though we sometimes have drills and meetings on evenings and weekends.”
“Sounds good to me.” There was nothing I loved more than being able to help a family get through a rough time, especially a single dad like Holt. Even a complete stranger could tell the man needed a break before he completely broke down.
