Chapter Nine
Rachel knocked on the door of the daycare office. “You’re still here?”
“I’m waiting for my ride.” Tiffany sat in her chair with her bare feet hidden by the desk. She’d been on her feet for ten hours and had a blister on one heel.
“May I come in?” Rachel waited at the door, an odd expression on her face.
“Of course.” An uneasy feeling rolled in Tiffany’s stomach. “Why do I feel like I’m about to get a lecture?”
“You’re not. I’m your boss and friend, not your mom.” Sitting down in the chair opposite Tiffany, Rachel stretched her arms. “It’s been a long week and it’s only Tuesday. How were the children today?”
“The older ones who know what happened were pretty subdued. The grief counselor came in to talk with them, and that helped some.”
“She spoke with the school-aged children as well. Many of them are worried about their own parents relapsing and dying.” A frown pulled downward on Rachel’s mouth. “Today’s been somber. It will take time to get back to normal, or as normal as life can be.”
“Not everyone relapses. I’m proof of that,” she gently reminded her friend.
“I know. No one will ever convince me that God didn’t bring you here. You are such an inspiration for these ladies.”
Uncomfortable with the praise, Tiffany focused her attention on a paperclip. “I can relate to them.”
“Is your car broken down?” With her usual discretion, Rachel turned the conversation. “I can give you a ride home, so you don’t have to keep waiting.”
“Um, it’s…” She faltered. How in the world did she explain the situation to Rachel?
Her friend’s eyes twinkled. “Is this where you tell me why you showed up to work this morning in Detective Dempsey’s unit?”
Tiffany’s cheeks burned. “Whatever you are thinking, I can guarantee it’s not that.”
Letting out a laugh, Rachel leaned back, relaxing in the chair. “If I thought for one minute anything unseemly had happened, I’d have asked you first thing this morning instead of holding my curiosity all day. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shocked to see you with that man after the way he treated you yesterday.”
She sipped on the straw of her tumbler. “It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time. After last night’s storm, Aaron will be working late all week with claims.”
An overwhelming urge to defend Connor took over. “Connor isn’t such a bad guy. Actually, he’s an incredibly decent, kind man.”
Rachel raised a brow. “First name basis already?”
“If already means twelve years.” She laughed at the way Rachel’s eyes lit even brighter with intrigue. “Do you remember when I told you my story and told you there was a serious boyfriend throughout my college years?”
“Yes.”
“Connor was the boyfriend.”
“No way.” Rachel’s jaw dropped, silenced for a second by surprise. “What, where, when, why, how?”
“Turns out, he’s neighbors with the lady I adopted Lilly from. He was helping her find them homes.”
“This is good.” Straightening her back, Rachel clapped her hands. “And then he happens to be the detective to show up yesterday. But how did you go from that to him dropping you off this morning?”
Tiffany spent the next fifteen minutes filling Rachel in on the odd turn of events. “And now I’m waiting for him because I need to pick my car up from his neighbor’s house.”
“This is wild.” Rachel leaned forward, not even bothering to hide her glee. “It’s like God is putting the two of you together at every turn. I guess I need to ask forgiveness for all the names I called him yesterday.”
Horrified, Tiffany gripped a pencil. “You didn’t!”
“Not to his face, but I certainly did in my head.” Rachel smirked proudly. “No one messes with my girls.”
