“Why? Doesn’t he approve of him?”
“He’s never met Caleb.” Savvy stared at the brush in her hand. “He’s just really protective, and I don’t think he likes the idea of me dating, no matter who the guy is.”
“Are you and your dad close?”
Savannah shrugged. “I guess so. He relies on my help a lot, and he’s all I’ve got.”
“You don’t ever spend time with your mother?”
Savannah turned back to her painting. “No, she hasn’t been around in years.”
Debbie caught her breath as an ache filled her chest. How could Cheyenne not want to be there for every little event in her children’s lives? As far as Debbie could tell, Austin was a good father, but there were some things girls didn’t want to discuss with their dads.
“Listen, Savvy, if you ever need someone… I mean another woman to talk to about friends or girly things, I want you to know I’m here.”
Savvy gave a sad smile. “Thank you. Ms. Jessie said the same thing.”
Debbie stood and stepped closer to Savannah. “We mean it.” She waited for the young girl to look at her. “It would totally make my day if you wanted to discuss your problems—or anything really—with me.”
Savannah smiled, and Debbie felt an unexpected connection with her.
“Just don’t ask me for help with science. I hated that subject in high school, and it didn’t get any better in college.”
Savannah laughed. “Me too.”
Dallas and Cody came running into the dining room. “We lost him again!” they said in unison.
Heart in her throat, Debbie sprang to her feet. “Noah? Were you playing hide-n-seek again?”
The boys shook their heads.
“He just disappeared while we were playing Minecraft,” Dallas said.
“Did you check under the bathroom sink?”
“Yes, but he wasn’t there.” Cody waved his arms in a circle. “We looked everywhere!”
Not again.
Debbie recalled the tantrum Noah threw when she brought him in from the pool earlier. A cold chill swept over her as she struggled to draw in a full breath.
I locked the door, didn’t I?
She raced out to the garage on legs made of jelly. Her chest constricted at the sight of the overturned trash can in front of the work bench near the door to the pool. The empty hook where the key belonged sucked the air from her lungs.
The door to the pool stood open an inch, key in the lock.
With her heart racing at a manic pace, and her ears ringing, Debbie fought against the drag of feeling like she moved in slow motion.
She pushed her way into the humid room.
Noah stood at the pool’s edge near the four-foot depth.
“No, Noah. Swimming time is over.” Debbie barely got the words out before the lively little boy, who’d tested and tried her patience more times than she could count over the past few days, jumped into the water.
“No!” The collective shout came from the Reed children who’d followed her out to the garage.
Debbie couldn’t have cried out if she’d wanted to, she couldn’t even breathe. Frantic to get to Noah, she ran and dove in.
