He peered out the window. “What is everyone waiting for?”
“Their kids. This is the pickup line. The students are brought out after the final bell.”
“It’s orderly.”
“You don’t want to be the person who goes against the flow. There is a procedure that must be followed.”
“Sounds like your kind of place.”
Okay, that was funny. Hadley hadn’t known whether or not he had a sense of humor. She grinned. “It is.”
Maybe this afternoon wouldn’t be horrible. Hadley wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to have Blaise tag along with her. Perhaps it was his ignorance over what an afternoon with two active children would be like. This would be a lesson for him and also a way to see how he responded to the unexpected because he would be in for a surprise.
“You mentioned the kids’ mom,” he said.
“She’s my younger sister. They live with me.”
“What about their dad?”
The innocent questions made Hadley’s muscles tense. What happened to Clint wasn't a secret. The media had covered his arrest and trial for months. But her heart hurt for Fallon and what the guy had put her and the kids through.
“They’re divorced. He’s in jail.” Hadley hated saying the name of the company so she whispered it.
He gasped. Not surprising since the scandal had extended far beyond the Financial District in San Francisco.
“That had to be rough,” Blaise said, compassion in his voice.
“It was. My sister wasn’t involved, but they questioned her as if she were. I’m not sure I know all of what my sister went through.”
But Hadley hoped someday Fallon would tell her everything. Until then, she wouldn’t push.
“I’m sorry that happened to your sister, but she’s fortunate to have you in her corner.”
“Always.” The same way Fallon was in hers. Maybe Hadley could use this as an opening to learn more about him. She’d searched his name after their phone call and was surprised to see little online about his personal life. “Do you have any brothers and sisters?”
Blaise’s face hardened. “I’m an only child.”
“Are your parents in the Portland area?”
“No.” The word came out hard. “What about yours?”
“Retired and living their best lives on a cruise ship.” Her mom and dad had worked and saved for years. They’d taught her from a young age to go after what she wanted, and she had. The same as they did with their retirement. “We see them a few times a year, but we talk weekly. They left San Francisco before Fallon’s life fell apart.”
“What grades are her kids in?”
Interesting. Blaise had flipped the conversation back to her. “First and second.”
“Good kids?”
“The best.” Hadley hadn’t believed it was possible to love two children that much. “But I'm their aunt so I’m biased.”
She drove forward to see the two kids waiting in line for her. As both waved, her heart filled with warmth. She’d never had time for pets or plants. Building her business had been the priority, but now…
“Are your niece and nephew the ones waving?” Blaise asked.
“Yes.” Seeing the two kids’ smiling faces brightened her day.
Thanks to Fallon and her children, Hadley had learned how much she’d been missing out on by spending all her time working. She enjoyed watching Audra and Ryder grow taller, noticing the changes in their faces, and hearing their new vocabulary.
