“Of course.” Mrs. Hasting carefully handed Aiden out to the sheriff while she climbed back out of thetruck. “The McCords are two double cheeses and the Bryers are a single pepperoni family. Running the pizza shop, I can tell you almost everyone’s usual order. Come on in, girls, and I’ll get you settled.”
Doing as they were told, Bailey noticed the imposing sheriff fell in line, too, making him seem a little less scary. He tucked his aviator shades in his shirt pocket as he followed them toward the door.
“She’ll slow down for a breath soon—don’t worry,” he told them quietly, brushing a knuckle over his son’s cheek with a tenderness that melted her heart.
Seeing that made her regret her words about foster kids all the more. The sheriff had grown up here, and he’d obviously turned out to be a good guy.
They bypassed the front door to walk up the steps to the railed side porch she’d noticed earlier. As they approached the wall of stacked cages, Bailey saw a few rabbits inside. Three of the cages had elaborate houses that looked like craft projects for elementary kids. Made out of empty Kleenex boxes and covered in watercolor paint, the houses had bunny-size doors and carpets made of old pot holders. One fat gray rabbit sat inside his cardboard castle under a painted sign that said Clover’s Crib.
Distracted by the cuteness, she hadn’t noticed a teenage boy emerge from the house. She just turned and suddenly there was a tall, lanky kid on the porch flanked by two younger boys playing tug-of-war with a plastic car. Bailey stilled, feeling awkward to be caught ogling the rabbits, her skirt riding up her calf as she leaned over the cages. Straightening, she tried not to stare at the older boy, whose brown hair fell over one hazel eye.
“Girls, I’d like you to meet my sons.” Mrs. Hasting put a hand on the teen’s arm. “This is Dawson. He’ll be starting atCrestwood after the holidays. And that’s Tucker.” She pointed to the dark-headed boy who’d won the car he’d been wrestling over. “And Nate.” She ruffled the ginger hair of the smaller child. “They know to keep out of your way, but if you need anything and I’m not around, Dawson can help you.”
“Cool shirt,” Megan said to the guy. He wore a T with the silhouette of a dinosaur on a spaceship that must be a video-game reference.
Megan Bryer was not only an A student; she was also a gamer girl extraordinaire. She held the record high scores for just about everything. This gave her a lot more to work with when it came to talking to most guys. She could dazzle anyone who’d ever picked up an Xbox controller in the first five seconds of conversation. Bailey had no such superpower.
“Hi,” she finally said, and probably only managed that because Mrs. Hasting and the sheriff were both standing right there.
Her cheeks heated.
“Good to meet you.” Dawson nodded, making eye contact briefly before stepping aside. “I’ll round up the rug rats.”
He jogged across the lawn after Tucker while Mrs. Hasting invited them into the house. Bailey followed her, eager to move past the awkwardness of meeting new people so she could start her job.
Between what had happened with her mother and her new mission to find anyone who might have been harassed by J.D., she wouldn’t have thought it possible that some random stranger could make her feel even remotely interested in boys again.
She definitely wasnot.
So about an hour later when she found herself looking out the nursery window to watch Dawson throw a football with the other kids, she couldn’t account for the fluttery feeling in her stomach. It was different from the burn of acidic fear that had been her constant companion for weeks.
It was almost pleasant.
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Megan’s voice startled her. The sheriff and Mrs. Hasting had left them alone with Aiden.
Embarrassed to be caught staring, Bailey spun from the window.
“I don’t know. I guess,” she blurted. “He’s okay.”
“I thought you loved kids.” Megan tipped her head to one side to study her, frowning. Too late, Bailey realized that her friend held Aiden in her arms.
She’d been talking about the baby.
Realization hit Meg the same moment it hit Bailey. Her friend stood, crossing the large wool braid rug to stand next to her at the window.
A slow smile spread across her face.
“He’s okay is right.” Meg passed Bailey the baby, and she gladly took comfort in holding the warm, sleepy infant. “Something tells me you’re going to become a convert on the topic of foster kids.”
“I should have never said that,” she admitted. “But just because a boy is cute doesn’t mean...whatever you think it means.”
“Relax. I won’t tease you again about that—I promise.” Meg slung her arm over Bailey’s shoulders. “But after having dated J.D. myself, I can tell you how awesome it is to be with a real guy. A kind, decent, amazing guy.”
“I’m so not interested in being with anyone right now.” She couldn’t imagine trusting someone not to yell at her. Hurt her.
And even if she could? Who would want to date the town jailbird’s daughter?
“Don’t give J.D. that kind of power over you, Bailey. If you stop having fun because of him, he wins.”
