The rest of the night was long, cold, and brightly lit. But Pauline couldn’t be sorry about any of it, because the sheriff let one of them stay with the kids the entire time. She gave her own story alone while Carlos cradled a sleeping Val in one arm and a grumpy Troy in the other, and then they switched places.
“Shouldn’t you have gone to a hospital?” she said in the one private moment they had during the handoff.
He shook his head. “I told you, shifter healing. It’s all superficial.”
She had to doubt it, but he didn’t look like he was about to pass out, and shifters rarely got infections, so she let it go. If he wasn’t on his way to healing by tomorrow, they could have words about it.
So she sat in the room Misty had given th
em with the kids, holding them tight and soaking in their warmth. Troy had, fortunately, not processed a great deal of what had happened back at the house—he knew that bad guys had shown up and he’d had to hide with his sister, but he seemed to have the impression that Pauline, Drew, and Carlos had all fought them off by punching them in the nose a few times, and Pauline was very happy to let him continue with that impression.
Drew was off being questioned separately. Pauline desperately wanted him here with them, so she could wrap an arm around his thin shoulders and reassure him that everything was going to be okay from now on.
Because it...was. She thought. She thought it was.
They’d have to see.
After a long, long time, Misty appeared in the door to their little room, followed by Drew, and then by Carlos, who had to duck to come through the small doorframe.
Pauline wanted to leap to her feet, but Troy had fallen asleep, and she wasn’t about to disturb him.
But it turned out that she didn’t have to. Drew came over of his own accord, sat next to her, and said, “Sheriff Dale says it’s going to work out.”
Carlos came up and sat on his other side, reaching out a long arm to pull them all into a hug. Pauline looked up at Misty, daring to hope.
Misty nodded. “I’ve interviewed everyone who was there tonight, and the conclusion seems very clear to me. Ryan and his friends attacked the place with the intention of doing harm to minors, and you and Mr. Gonzalez, here, risked your lives to protect the children. I’ll be recommending to CPS that you, Pauline, be the first choice for a permanent placement—I understand that you and Mr. Gonzalez will be getting married?”
“As soon as possible,” Pauline said firmly.
“CPS is welcome to look into my financial status,” Carlos said comfortably. “I think they’ll find that our combined household will be more than capable of supporting three children.”
Pauline felt Drew jerk in surprise. “You—you have money?” he asked, as though he were trying to hold back the words but couldn’t quite manage it.
“I just retired from a pretty successful business career, kid,” Carlos told him. “I have more money than I know what to do with.”
“Around here? I could give you a few suggestions,” Misty said, deadpan.
Carlos looked suddenly thoughtful.
“Anyway, you all talk amongst yourselves. CPS will be here soon, I’m warning you,” Misty said. “But for now, just know that you’ll have nothing to worry about from Ryan anytime soon.”
She left, closing the door behind her. “What are you thinking?” Pauline asked Carlos.
“Just—it doesn’t seem right that there aren’t any resources around here for a kid like Drew,” Carlos said, his arm tightening around them all. “That’s probably how half those wolves ended up where they are now, anyway. No resources, no one to help them get an education and a good job.”
“If you don’t work in Park tourism, there’s not a lot to do around here,” Pauline agreed. “A lot of teenagers end up doing illegal stuff.”
“So maybe we need—a community center, or something. A place kids can go and take classes, do programs, things like that. All types of kids, shifters or not, whatever.”
Pauline felt a smile starting on her face. “Maybe a daycare, for single working moms?”
“Yes.” Carlos snapped his fingers, pointing at her. “What do you think, Drew, does that sound like a good idea?”
“Yeah,” Drew said softly. “Yeah, it does. Maybe if Mom had had someplace like that...”
“Mental health resources,” Pauline said softly. “Counseling. Can you really fund something like that?”
“I really can,” Carlos said with confidence. “And it sounds like exactly the sort of project I’ve been looking for. Something I can really throw myself into.” His voice took on a tinge of humor. “Maybe I can even convince Ty to come up here, give us some expert help, and really have the whole gang back together again.”