“I promise I won’t walk away until they’re in a good home,” he said.
A man who cared.
She believed him. “And if we don’t?”
He chuckled. “You’re doing it again. Can we get through steps one and two before we tackle that one?”
She blew out a breath. “I’m a planner. What can I say?”
“Unfortunately, this is one situation you can’t map out. I’ll get an investigator on it right away, but I don’t think we should tell Chase we’re not sure about taking the girls. He made it clear the courts don’t look for family. Which means if we’re just here for the holidays—”
She held up a hand. She didn’t want to hear the rest of that sentence. Lindsay’s girls would not go into the system. “I agree. I won’t say anything.”
“You realize that means he’ll go ahead with the adoption proceedings, right?”
Even if she wasn’t confident they’d find a home, she still knew she couldn’t put them in foster care. “Yes.”
“Okay.” He sat back in his chair. “Now, as far as that emotional stuff, my dad gave me the number of a therapist friend of his. I’ve been talking to her, and she’s given me tips. She says to only answer the questions the girls ask.”
“Yeah, that’s what I read.”
“And she also said to keep them on their usual schedule. Chase found a calendar on the wall in Lindsay’s kitchen, so I’ve got that. He’s already talked to the school and arranged for the bus to pick Paisley up outside the gate tomorrow morning at six-fifty.”
“When are they out for the Christmas break?”
“Not till the twenty-third.”
“Okay. So far, that sounds good.” Her chest tightened, and she dragged her clammy hands on her jeans.
This time, he did reach for her. “Hey, talk to me.”
And that big, strong grip kept her from going under. “I’m scared.”
“I know. I get that. But try not to let your mind race ahead, okay? We can only deal with what’s on our plate right now.” With his free hand, he pulled out his phone and tapped the screen.
“What’re you doing?”
“I’m getting the ball rolling.” He waited a moment before speaking. “Hey, this is Cole Montgomery. I’ve got a project I’d like your help with as soon as possible.” He left his number and then disconnected.
“Was that the private investigator?” When he nodded, she squeezed his hand. “I like a man who makes things happen.”
His chair scraped on the limestone floor as he dragged it so close their knees touched. “Here’s the thing. Wearein this together, but when I go back to Boston, I’ll get hyper-focused, so I’m telling you now, if I forget to check in occasionally, all I need is one reminder—one text that says, Hey, asshole, where are you? And I’ll get back on track.”
“You know I’ll do that.”
“I do. And that’s why I liked you so much. Now, what else is on your mind?”
That’s why I liked you so much.
The world quieted to nothing but the gentle lapping of water as she considered the words he’d tossed out so carelessly. She’d known, of course. He’d asked her out for months before she’d finally agreed to a date. But she’d always figured he’d pursued her because she was the only one who didn’t fawn all over him.
Had she been wrong? She’d never know because they weren’t going there. She had way bigger concerns. “My job.”
“Do they know yet?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to ask for time off until I know what we’re doing.”
“Sounds fair. Are you worried they’ll fire you?”