“Can I go, Dad? Please! Coach said it was okay!”
Wyatt bit the inside of his cheek as he considered it.
“Really, it’s okay. It shouldn’t be more than $15, tops. I don’t mind.” I had to clench my jaw to stop me from adding alet me help youto the mix. I knew that wouldn’t go over well. But the truth was, Iwantedto help Wyatt. Not just with the labor and hard work but in general. It made me feel good in a way I hadn’t in a long time.
“How about I give you some bread in exchange?” he asked. “I just pulled a couple loaves of cranberry raisin from the oven.”
My mouth watered at the offer. “That would be great, thank you.”
Harrison stayed by my side in the hardware store as we found our way to the plumbing aisle, talking constantly and pointing out every little thing he saw. It was proof of how much he’s changed since joining the team. The shy kid I’d first discovered on the sidelines was now full of so much energy and enthusiasm, I sometimes had trouble keeping up with him. Being a part of a team had changed him and given him something to look forward to. I hadn’t realized until today how much he needed that.
When we finally turned down the plumbing aisle, I stumbled a little. Jake was looking at some faucets not even ten feet away, wearing faded jeans and a dirty old red sweatshirt.
“Hey!” I said.
Jake jumped in surprise, then smiled when he saw me. “Oh, hi!” His hair was messy and there were a few black smudges on his cheek that I wanted to rub off with my thumb.
“What the hell did you get into?” I asked.
He groaned. “My faucet was leaking. What are you doing here?”
He finally noticed Harrison, standing as close as he could at my side. I put a hand on the kid’s shoulder. “This is Harris, one of the kids from the clinic.” Jake’s eyes widened, then turned into an adorable look of confusion, probably wondering why he was with me. “Harris, this is my friend Jake.”
“You were on the other team, weren’t you?” Harrison asked. “When Coach Rey played?”
Jake was just as surprised as I was that the boy had remembered him. “Yes, I was. Good memory.”
Harrison noticed something down the aisle and wandered down to examine it, giving us a chance to talk.
The question in Jake’s eyes was almost audible,why is he with you?Now wasn’t the time to go into details, so I kept my explanation brief. “Their sprinklers are broken, so I’m helping out.”
Jake studied me for a moment. If he sensed there was more to the story, he didn’t ask. Instead, all he said was, “That’s nice of you.”
“Anyway, can I call you later?”
Jake smiled. “Of course.”
I gave him a returning smile as I started to pass, but Jake put a hand to my stomach to stop me, whispering “Or you could just come by later if I send you my address.”
I didn’t miss his meaning or the heat behind his eyes when I met his gaze. “I’d love to, but I can’t. Tomorrow?”
His face fell. “I work tomorrow night.”
“Oh. Well, I’ll at least call tonight.”
Disappointed, Jake nodded, then flinched when a small hand tugged at his sweatshirt. He instinctively took a minor step back when he realized Harrison was next to him. As in,rightnext to him.
“I found you something,” Harrison said, holding up a long, silver object.
Jake looked baffled. “Whyyyy do I need that? What is it?”
Harrison rolled his pale brown eyes in the way only seven-year-olds could. “It’s a flashlight.” He clicked it on, making Jake throw a hand up to shield his eyes. “Oops, sorry,” he said with a giggle. “You’re a cop, right? All cops work at night, and Dad says whenever we go outside at night, we need a flashlight. So… here! You should be safe when you help people.”
Jake reminded me of a fish out of water as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, having no idea how to talk to the child.
I laughed, more at Jake than anything. “That’s very kind of you, Harris, but I’m sure he has one. Why don’t you go put that back for now, okay?”
Harrison didn’t budge. “Do you?” he asked, going up on his toes as if to get closer.
