“WOULD YOU LIKE anything else?” A feminine voice pulled Tony from his fog.
He gave Marissa a slight smile. “No, thank you. Everything was really good.”
“Really?” She arched one eyebrow at him. “You hardly touched anything.”
Tony frowned. He’d hoped that she wouldn’t notice. His stomach rolled at the sight of the table. He hadn’t had an appetite all day. “Sorry. I’m just not very hungry right now. I think I may be coming down with a stomach bug.”
Scott leaned over and plucked another taco from the platter. “Does this mean I can have the rest?”
Jarrod rolled his eyes. “How can you still be hungry?”
The teenager grinned. “I’m a growing boy.”
Jarrod laughed. “After you finish, you and Bradley can do the dishes.”
Tony watched the interaction between father and son. He’d never known his father and he envied their relationship. “Y’all are great together.”
“It wasn’t always like that.” Jarrod opened the French doors leading to the patio. “When he first came to live with me, we couldn’t see eye to eye on anything. It was rough.”
The room spun a little when Tony stood up to follow him. He gripped the edge of the table for a minute. The room settled and he went out to the patio with Jarrod. “What do you mean? When he first came to live with you?”
Jarrod cocked his head toward Tony. “I thought you knew. Scott is from my first marriage.”
“You were married before?”
“Yeah.” Jarrod nodded. “Right after high school. We thought we were grown-up enough to understand what marriage was. All we really did was play house for a little while. It wasn’t as much fun when you don’t have enough money to pay the bills or put food on the table.”
“How old was Scott when you divorced?”
“Two.” Jarrod rested one hand on his knee. “When I couldn’t handle it anymore, I took off. I’m not proud of it, but that’s what I did. I left a note.” He shook his head. “He was twelve when his mom was killed in a car accident and social services brought him to me.”
Tony understood the turmoil that Scott had gone through. To lose his mother and be sent to live with someone he barely knew. Someone who was supposed to be his father. “It must’ve been tough on him.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Jarrod sighed. “I’d been a failure as a husband and an even bigger failure as a father. So I pretended that part of my life never happened. Other than the child support check I sent every month, I didn’t have a kid. You can imagine Marissa’s surprise when my twelve-year-old son showed up at the door.”
“Marissa didn’t know?” Tony found that hard to believe. The couple shared everything.
“I had been too ashamed to tell her about my past before then. I spent so much time hiding from it, it almost cost me my son and my second marriage.”
Tony shook his head. “So what happened?”
“You could say Marissa and I had a come-to-Jesus meeting.” Jarrod chuckled. “It took a while, but we were finally able to heal and become a family.”
“I had no idea.”
Jarrod opened an ice chest and pulled out a couple of beers. He settled into the lawn chair next to Tony. “Scott said you played basketball with them last night. Did you get any impressions of the kids?”
Tony opened his bottle and took a swig. “I’m still watching Kyle. He’s pretty much a loner from what I can see at the home. What do you know about Nick Johnson?”
“Didn’t take you long to figure out that one.” Jarrod shook his head. “The kid is nothing but trouble. He gives Scott a clear berth, probably because I’m a cop, but he’s been known to rough kids up. You think he’s involved in something besides being meaner than a possum trapped in a wood shed?”
“I’m not sure. What about the people who work at the home? Anyone there who could use the kids to move merchandise?”
Jarrod nodded knowingly. “You and I think a lot alike.” He disappeared into the house and returned with a clipboard.
Tony looked over the papers. Time sheets for all the employees at Little Mountain for the past six months. “What are the highlighted dates for?”
“Yellow for nights that vandalism or thefts were reported in town. Pink for reports of drugs in town.”
“Rachel Johnson is the campus monitor every time a yellow highlight appears. Have you checked her out?”
“So far, she’s clean.”
“Any relationship to the rest of the Johnsons?”
“Nick’s stepmother.”
Tony shook his head. “A lot of coincidences. I’m only here one more week. What do you want me to do?”
“Just what you’re doing. Observe what you see on the inside. The relationship between some of these boys and Rachel.”
“You think Travis is involved?”
Jarrod shook his head. “My bet is on someone inside the home using the boys for runners. But not Travis. He’s stupid, but he’s no criminal.”
The bottle slipped out of Tony’s hand and shattered on the concrete. He wiggled his fingers but he couldn’t feel them. His entire arm had gone numb. Man. He’d really overdone it tonight. He slid off the chair and scooped up pieces of glass. “I’m sorry.”
“Happens all the time. You okay? You’re looking a little pale.”
Tony rubbed his shoulder. He didn’t feel okay. “I think I may have overdone it playing basketball last night. I should go.”
“Need me to drive you home?”
Tony waved him off. “No. I didn’t have but a few sips. I’m good.”
“Maybe so, but if you’re getting sick, I can give you a hand.”
Once again, Tony waved him off. He’d be fine with some rest. He was sure. Mostly.
* * *
THE TEMPTING AROMA of bacon made Tony’s stomach growl. Last night, the pain in his chest had caused the nausea that had kept him from enjoying his evening with the Butlers. He hoped he hadn’t insulted Marissa by not eating much.
There was a lot he admired about Jarrod. The man had everything Tony had once wanted. A wife who adored him, two great kids, respect in the community and a job he loved. Family. Respect. Job. The trifecta of happiness. Tony sighed. He’d given up his chance for a family when he walked away from Sabrina. As a police officer, he’d earned respect among his coworkers and the community he served. But being around Sabrina reminded him that there was more to life than just his job. No matter how much he loved it.
He rolled out of bed, ignoring the sharp stabbing sensation in his chest. He shuffled down the hall and sank onto a dining room chair. “Morning.”
Papa’s eyes narrowed at him over his newspaper. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”
Tony took a bite of the warm tortilla his grandmother slid onto his plate. “Fine.”
“You groaned a lot last night.” Abuela placed a glass of orange juice in front of him. “Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”
“I must have had a bad dream.” Determined not to let Abuela see his pain, he avoided looking her in the eye. Instead he turned to Papa. “I’m going to Little Mountain for a while this morning, but I’ll meet you at the store when I’m done.”
Papa glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Sounds good. It’s Monday, so I expect Kyle will show up sometime, too.”
Kyle. What was he involved in? True to Scott’s prediction, someone had plowed through a whole section of fence near the Johnson ranch, leaving deep ruts from oversized tires. Little Mountain Children’s Home was less than two miles from the damaged property. He didn’t want to believe Kyle was involved, but it looked like he was.
“Great. I can check his progress.” And get some answers. Pressing a kiss to Abuela’s cheek, he twirled his key ring around his finger and headed outside.
“You been spending a lot of time with Sabrina?” Papa followed him outside, on his way to work.
“I had dinner with her Saturday.”
“Be careful.” Papa opened his truck door. “That girl’s been through a lot. There were some who weren’t very nice to her after you left. If you ain’t planning on sticking around this time, it’s best she knows that up front.”
“She knows my leave is up at the end of the week.” Tony should be excited about going back to work, but he wasn’t. She’d asked him if he’d ever give up his job and he’d answered truthfully. Being a cop was who he was. But he could be a cop somewhere else. Like here. If she’d give him a reason to stay.
“What if I did want to stick around?” Tony asked. “If I don’t get the promotion in San Antonio, there’s nothing holding me there. What if I wanted to transfer and be closer to home?”
“Don’t give up anything for us,” Papa said. He paused before sliding into the cab of his truck. “Or her. You’ve come too far to try to make up for past mistakes. Moving forward together is one thing, but don’t feel like you have to give up something to makes amends to anyone.”
Tony shifted his SUV into gear and followed Papa into town, contemplating the words he’d said. Tony wasn’t giving anything up. He’d never thought he’d like living in the small town. In his memories, the community had been too judgmental. Too hard to please. Time had matured him enough to see that the chip on his shoulder had caused him to think everyone was against him.
What about Sabrina? Would she give him a second chance if he could prove he was here to stay?
Speak of the devil. Parked in front of Little Mountain was Sabrina’s car. What was she doing here so early? She didn’t normally show up until nine. Was something wrong?
He signed in at the front office and then headed to the medical room. The door creaked as he pushed it open and his stomach did a flip. Curled up in an overstuffed chair, Sabrina was sound asleep, one arm tucked underneath her chin, her long blond hair hanging over the edge of the chair. How could she sleep like that? Her neck appeared to twist at an awkward angle. She shifted in an attempt to get more comfortable.
Blinking at the bright light coming through the window, her eyes focused on him.
His heart skipped a beat. “Morning.”
She stood up and stretched, rolling her neck to loosen it up. “Hi.” She yawned.
Tony smiled. “You look awful.”
Shooting him an irritated glare, she rubbed her neck. “Thanks. I didn’t intend to fall asleep in that chair.”
“Here.” In two steps he was next to her. Turning her around, he began to massage the knots in her neck.
Tony’s pulse quickened when she relaxed against him. The fire started slowly, burning its way from his hands and flooding all the way to his toes. Every nerve screamed with awareness of her. The clean scent of her shampoo tickled his nose.
Her chest was heaving when she stepped away from him. She’d felt it, too. “What’re you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question. You’re never here this early.”
Her brows creased. “Apparently, one of the boys got cut trying to sneak back in a few weeks ago. He didn’t tell anyone about it and it got infected. He started running a fever in the middle of the night and they called me in to check him.”
“Who was it? Why didn’t they take him to the emergency room?” Which boy had it been? Hadn’t Carter been limping the other day?
“They didn’t know the fever was from an infection. He only fessed up when I saw the cut. Mr. Anderson took him to the doctor this morning. Just as I was about to leave, one of the girls had an asthma attack.” She gestured to a girl sleeping on a nearby cot. “I must have fallen asleep after that. Your turn. What’re you doing here?”
“It’s eight o’clock.”
“So?” She leaned down to check the girl.
“I come by every morning at eight. Jake insists on working on the playhouse before it gets too hot.”
The door burst open and a large man came into the room. “Here you are, Tony. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. The boys speak very highly of you. I’m Travis Anderson.”
The elusive director. Finally. “Nice to meet you in person. Can we talk in your office? I have some questions for you.”
“Sure. Sure.” Travis checked his watch. “But it’ll have to wait for about an hour. I have a meeting with the school board over at the district office.”
“All right. I’ll be in the backyard with the kids. Let me know when you get back.” At least this gave him a few more minutes with Sabrina.
“Mr. Tony!” A small voice squeaked from outside the door. The little girl shouted down the hallway. “Jake. Mr. Tony’s here.”
So much for spending more time with Sabrina. He shrugged one shoulder. “Guess I’ll see you later.”
* * *
ALL MORNING, SABRINA jumped at the slightest sound. Was Tony going to come back to her office? She sat at her desk with the files Karen had sent her. A throat cleared and she looked up. Tony leaned against the frame, his hazel eyes on her. “Good morning. Again.”
Her pulse went into overdrive. She took a deep breath, willing her heart to slow down. “Hi.”
“I forgot to tell you. I met a friend of yours last night.”
“Who’s that?” She walked over to the file cabinet and slid the file into its place.
“Marissa Butler. She said she was a couple of years ahead of you in school.”
“I’m surprised you don’t remember her from high school. There was only one Marissa.” She smiled. “I don’t think the town could’ve handled more than one.”
Tony let out a hearty laugh. “She is a little...enthusiastic.”
Enthusiastic. That was a good way to put it. Thinking of Marissa made her chuckle. “I think the word our teachers used was loud.”
“She told me to stop by and tell you she said hello.”
Why would Marissa do that? They talked to each other on the phone every few days. If it wasn’t about work, it was to make plans for the boys to play together. Sabrina chewed on her bottom lip. She hoped Marissa wasn’t thinking about playing matchmaker.
“Thanks. If you see her, tell her I said hi, too.” She held up the stack of files on the desk. “I need to get to work, so I’ll talk to you later.”
The edge of his mouth turned down, but he pushed away from the door. “Travis is expecting me, anyway.”
Karen appeared at noon, carrying a tray of food for each of them. Sabrina made room on the desk. She looked forward to eating lunch with the assistant director. Karen didn’t pull any punches. Sabrina admired people who were straightforward.
“What did you do to Lonnie? He be-bopped in here this morning to get his insulin checked without me having to chase him down.”
Sabrina chuckled. “I’ve been teaching some of the kids how to dance. But he has to get his blood sugar checked first.”
“That explains it.” Karen picked up both of their trays. “I think your dance party is here.”
Her eyes followed Karen to the door where four boys and three girls waited.
She busied herself going over the paperwork, pretending not to notice the impatient children at the door.
“Ms. Sabrina,” Lonnie groaned. “Hurry up.”
She pasted a look of surprise on her face. “Oh. I didn’t see you there. What can I do for you?”
Olivia tapped Lonnie on the shoulder. “She’s busy, Lonnie. Let’s go. We’ll come back later.”
Guilt pressed on Sabrina’s chest. These kids were used to adults letting them down. “Stop, Olivia. I was just teasing you. Let me check Lonnie’s blood sugar and we’ll meet you in the big room.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She patted the exam table. “Hop up here, Lonnie. Let’s poke that finger.”
“Come on,” Olivia hollered to some other children waiting in the hallway.
Ten minutes later, Sabrina joined the kids in the recreation room. They were already practicing the steps she’d taught them the week before. She paired them up and turned music on to lead them through a practice dance. Lonnie grabbed her hand and did his best to duplicate the steps she’d shown them.
When the song ended, applause erupted from the hallway. Tony and three teenage boys whistled. Sabrina and Lonnie bowed. Another song began and Lonnie, enjoying the attention, held up his hands for another dance.
After a few bars of the song, Tony tapped him on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”
Lonnie grinned and stepped back. Sabrina’s heart caught in her throat as Tony pulled her into his arms. If there hadn’t been a roomful of children watching, she’d have turned the music off. Instead, their movements blended together as the tempo increased.
Extending his arms, he twirled her around and pulled her back, never missing a beat. The kids oohed and awed. By the time the song was over, she was almost out of breath. A slower song began and he pulled her closer. His hand on the small of her back sent goose bumps up her spine, his eyes focused on her lips.
“That was awesome.” Lonnie danced in a circle around them. “Did you teach Mr. Tony?”
The spell that had been weaving its magic around them was broken. She glanced down at the little boy. “Actually, Mr. Tony taught me.”
“Wow, Tony.” Matthew, the oldest of the boys, stepped forward and gave him a playful punch to his shoulder. “I had no idea you had moves like that.”
Tony’s shoulder dropped and he grimaced. But the pain on his face was masked by a smile when he turned to Matthew. “That’s nothing. You should see me when I get my groove on.”
Sabrina recognized the signs of pain. She also knew when Tony was covering something up. The kids headed for the door, Tony at the rear of the line. She stepped in front of him. “Boys, Tony will catch up with you. I need to talk to him for a sec.”
Tony’s face was blank as he followed her to the exam room. His shoulders were stiff and he barely looked at her. Was it because he was in pain, or something else?
“Sit down.” She nodded to the examining table and shut the door.
Tony’s face was a little paler than before, confirming her guess. He clenched his jaw. “Why?”
His voice lacked the warmth of earlier. Was he angry about the pain, or at her for noticing? “Take your shirt off.”
“Why, Sabrina, I’m not that kind of boy.” All the emotion was missing from his voice.
“Shut up and take your shirt off.” She rubbed hand sanitizer on as she approached the table.
In one quick motion, Tony pulled the T-shirt over his head, exposing fine curling hairs on a massive chest wrapped by an ACE bandage. Gently she began unrolling the bandage. “How long has this been hurting?”
“It’s just normal aches and pains from healing. Nothing to worry about.” Tony winced when she touched the area around his scar.
A mass of black and blue bruises greeted her. There was no way he was able to function normally. She was tempted to press her fingers into his ribs to get his attention. “These bruises are new, Tony. Don’t tell me you’re healing. What did you do?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged.
She wanted to strangle him. Why had he downplayed his injury?
“Who shot you?” Her voice was almost as shaky as her hands.
“Mr. Chan, a convenience store clerk.”
“Why?” She moved around to his back to look for more signs of trauma.
“I was trying to talk a kid out of robbing him. Mr. Chan’s gun went off accidentally.”
“Flesh wound, huh? Does this happen often?” Knowing he’d been shot and seeing the wound were two different things.
“Getting shot? First time.” Tony flinched when she lifted his arm.
Was it possible for her heart to get broken again? That was how it felt. The ache in her chest grew and she blinked back a tear. What if she told him about Levi, and then he got killed in the line of duty? Would it be fair to Levi to risk putting him through that?