LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Three

      Dani knocked on the door of the Cunninghams’ small but well-built home and waited. The couple had called earlier, asking to meet, and she’d skipped lunch in order to stop by. The house itself was in one of Paradise’s older neighborhoods, built in an old Florida style with stucco exteriors and large windows to take advantage of the sea breeze. Most had well-kept yards, but a few weeds were beginning to take over the flower bed around the Cunninghams’ mailbox, and the paint was peeling on the door. Small things, but it made her wonder again about their health.

      Muffled footsteps from inside were followed by the creak of the door opening. “Dani, thank you for coming so quickly.” Mrs. Cunningham waved her in, and then led her into the kitchen. “Have a seat and I’ll get us some iced tea.”

      Dani sat at a scarred wooden table, where a bowl of fresh-cut gardenia blossoms floated in water. “Gardenias are my favorite flower. My parents have a big bush that grows right under my old bedroom window. I used to love falling asleep with that smell in the air.”

      “They do make the house smell good, don’t they? Kevin picked those for me yesterday. He’s such a sweet boy.” She set down a full glass of amber tea, condensation already forming on the side. “Full of energy, though. The poor bush looks half-scalped now.” She sat, sighing as she did so. “But his heart is in the right place, I think.”

      “I agree. But after a day with him yesterday, I know what you mean. I imagine that’s normal, though, for a boy his age.”

      “Oh, it is. We’ve had fifteen different foster children over the years, plus our own kids, of course, and they all have more energy than sense at times. Kevin’s no different. The problem isn’t Kevin, it’s us.” She folded her hands in front of her, and grimaced. “The truth of the matter is, I’m getting old. No, I am old. And so is my husband, even if he won’t admit it. We’ve both got some health issues, nothing too serious, but I’m probably going to need a knee replacement sooner rather than later. And Tom’s blood pressure is getting harder to control. The doctor says he has to start taking it easy or he’s going to end up having a heart attack one day.”

      Hearing her suspicions stated out loud made the sweet tea sour in her mouth. “I’m so sorry. Is there something I can do?”

      The older woman nodded, her tightly permed grey hair barely budging at the movement. “Not for us, but for Kevin. The social worker said you’re his advocate, and I figured you should be the first to know. We’re going to have to give up fostering. My daughter has found us a nice one-bedroom apartment in one of those assisted-living facilities, where I can get some extra help when I have my surgery, and Tom won’t have to do yard work anymore. It’s the right thing for us, but Kevin’s going to take it hard.”

      That was an understatement. “I understand. I don’t know what I can do, but I’ll try to make things easier for him. Has he been to the therapist yet? She should know, too.” Dani had spoken with the caseworker just a few days ago about arranging some counseling, but hadn’t heard anything further. Maybe she should have followed up sooner, but her own workload had kept her busy since then.

      “He has an appointment tomorrow after school with someone the social worker recommended. Thank you, by the way, for suggesting it. I should have thought of it myself, but lately it’s been all I can do to keep track of my own doctor visits.”

      “I’m glad they were able to find someone for him. You’ll want to tell whoever he sees about this, so they can help him deal with it. They have the training for this kind of thing.”

      “Of course, and we will. But Kevin’s really taken with you. He talks about you all the time. I think he looks up to you, what with being a lawyer and having that fancy car. He’ll get whatever counseling he needs, but he’s going to need a friend, too. And I’d just feel better about this whole thing if I knew you’d be keeping an eye on him.” She quickly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I don’t mind telling you that I feel sick about this. If it was just me, I’d manage. But Tom’s had some chest pains, and—”

      “And you have to take care of yourselves. You can’t risk your health... What would happen to Kevin then? He’d still have to move to a new family, and he’d be worried sick about you. No, you have to follow the doctor’s orders. Kevin will be okay.” She tried to project confidence, but worry was already worming its way through her mind. How would Kevin handle yet another move? Would he act out again? He was still on probation; he couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes. And would the new family support him, or would he be labeled a troublemaker and a thief? Mind whirling, she stood to go. She’d get back to the office, make some calls and talk to his social worker. If there was a way to make this easier on him, she’d do it. Not just because it was her job as his guardian ad litem, but also because she wasn’t going to be able to sleep at night if she didn’t.

      * * *

      Owning a toy store didn’t sound like a physical job, but when crates of wooden blocks and assorted toys needed to be carried around it sure felt like one. Grunting, Tyler lifted the last box of new inventory, feeling his biceps burn. Or course, he could have opened the big box in the storeroom and then carried the individual packages of blocks to the shelf one at a time, but that would have taken forever. And he still had the ego of a twenty-year-old, if not the back of one. Pushing thirty and some days it felt like fifty, but the work got done and that’s what mattered.

      Lugging the load to the display shelves, he heard the bell signaling a customer had come in. Usually they were slow between lunch and when school got out, which was why he’d chosen to start stocking the shelves. Now he’d have to stop and hope he could get back to it before he was inundated with elementary-school kids looking to spend their allowance. Oh, well, that’s how it went some days.

      “I’ll be right there.” He set down the box with a sigh, then made his way to the sales desk. Waiting for him, her fingers nervously tapping out a rhythm on the counter, was Dani. He hadn’t seen her since Saturday, and hadn’t expected to until the next outing with Kevin. Not that he minded the unexpected visit. A beautiful woman was welcome anytime, and she was looking especially attractive today. A green blouse with a scoop neck showed just a hint of cleavage and was tucked neatly into a charcoal pencil skirt that skimmed her hips and ended just above the knee. Black, lethal-looking spiked heels completed the outfit. Sexy but professional, she had him drooling like a kid at the candy counter.

      Clearing his throat, he stepped behind the counter in hopes of hiding his sudden surge of arousal. “Hi, Dani. Can I help you find something?”

      “Not unless you have a fairy wand stashed somewhere. The real kind that I can use to fix all of Kevin’s problems.”

      “Fresh out, I’m afraid.” He searched her face, seeing sadness in the chocolate depths of her eyes. She’d bitten off most of her lipstick, too, a nervous habit he’d noticed the other day. Something was definitely up. “What’s going on with Kevin? Did he get in more trouble?”

      “No,

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