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Northeastern Minnesota along Lake Superior
“I’m pregnant.”
Four pairs of eyes widened at the news. Tari worried her lower lip before clearing her throat. Everyone looked at her and she fought a blush and squirm. She began to rise.
“Maybe I should leave and let you all discuss this.”
Amber Rose Bergström, the one who’d made such a shocking announcement, immediately shook her head, blond braids flaring out around her heart shaped face. She looked to the other adults in the room. “No, I want you here, Ms. Jeffers.” Her eyes pleaded with unspoken ferocity.
Reclaiming her seat, she glanced at the other five people in there. Amber Rose had striking Nordic looks, a heart of gold and only sixteen years of life under her belt. Her parents, Daniel and Rose Bergström. The Algonquin young man, Cliff Whiteduck, who was the father of said unborn child, and Cliff’s mother, Jody Whiteduck. Cliff had been the only other person beside Amber Rose who hadn’t been shocked by the pronouncement.
Silence reigned for about five seconds before the accusations began to hurl back and forth in her office. Tari took another gander of the people there. Her gaze skimmed the parents to settle upon the youngsters. Not really kids anymore. As she watched, Cliff reached out and captured Amber Rose’s hand in his. The sixteen year old gave him a soft, intimate smile before they both cast their gazes at her.
It made her wonder all over again why her presence had been requested. She worked as a counselor here for Open Arms, a place dedicated to lending assistance and support for children who could no longer live at home for whatever reason. Open Arms also hosted a wide array of afterschool activities for parents to know their children would be safe until they got off work.
“Perhaps you can explain why you requested me here?” Tari questioned pitching her voice to be heard over the squabbling.
Amber Rose flashed a superlative glance to her parents before squaring her shoulders and saying, “I need a place to live if I’m kicked out of the house.”
All righty then. The adults snapped their mouths shut in a hurry with that announcement.
“I’m...we’re not giving up our baby,” the young woman declared, her fingers gripping Cliff’s hand tighter. “I want to know if there’s room here or get my name on the list so I can be warm and take proper care of this child.”
Tari knew to tread delicately here. “We have places available, Amber Rose, but there are rules to follow.”
“I know.” Another look at her folks. “I just want to make sure I had a place to go.”
The three parents glanced between one another before they rose citing a need to discuss this in more detail. Amber Rose hugged her tight before following the procession out. Alone, Tari expelled a sharp breath and dropped her head in her hands. She wondered if Amber Rose and Cliff really understood what they were entering into.
Open Arms had a few mothers already, who for one reason or another, had been kicked out of their homes. Tari worked as the temporary head counselor for this non-profit organization as well as an assistant administrator. She would prefer all children be with their parents, but sometimes it just was not in the best interests of the children. Or the parents.
“Ms. Jeffers, your next appointment has arrived,” Candy Larson, her assistant announced via the intercom.
Taking a sip of her lukewarm tea, she cast a quick glance outside and saw more snow falling. What a change from the weather in Djibouti. And her return trip home. With Galen. She shook off the memory, it had been five months now and she’d not heard from him. To be fair though, she didn’t give him her number nor had she called the one he pressed into her hand when they parted ways last.
A few times, she longed to and had actually dialed the number only to hang up before she could depress the send button. What would she say? I can’t get our time together out of my head. I dream of experiencing your touch on me again.
She groaned and shoved yet more memories back under a rock. A very big rock.
Tari flipped open the file upon the smooth yet scared top of her desk. Another boy for the afterschool programs. She skimmed it again, refreshing what she already knew. He began school on Monday, which gave him two days and the weekend to get settled in around here.
“Send them in.”
“Right away, ma’am.”
The door opened and a young man stepped through. His clothes were new and she could tell he was uncomfortable in them. He had dark fuscous hair which hung listlessly around shrunken and sharp features. Circles highlighted light hazel eyes.
“Hello,” she said, with a warm smile all the while stealing glances behind the skinny lad expecting to see an adult. “Please take a seat. I’m Ms. Taryn, and you are?”
The boy didn’t answer. It didn’t matter, she knew his name having already read his application. Chad Stanton.
Without missing a beat, she folded her hands and said, “I understand you are going to be here after school. We have many activities here so I’m sure there will be something of interest to you.” She listed some of them searching for and noticing subtle nuances, which indicated interest on the part of the quiet boy.
Pushing to her feet, she walked around the desk but paused at the corner, noting the fear on his face. “We should walk around and get you acclimated with the place so when you come on Monday you know the basic layout of the place.”
The boy stood and backed to the door. Crouching before him, Tari said, “I’m one of the counselors here, so if you need to talk, or merely want to, day or night, anytime, just call.” She handed him her card. “We also have tutors if you ever need help with schoolwork.”
When he took her card and put it in his pocket, she opened the door and waved him through. No adult waited for him and she glanced to Candy brows raised in question.
“He’s in the restroom,” Candy informed her.
“We’re headed to gym one if he cares to join us,” Tari said.
“I’ll escort him,” Candy replied with a twinkle in her eyes. He’s smokin’ hot, she mouthed.
Biting back a snort of laughter, she managed to refrain the eye roll and left the office area with her silent companion. That was Candy. Hunk-o-meter extraordinaire. She spoke while they walked as if he responded. They entered one of the gyms and found a game in full swing.
“Hi, Ms. Taryn.” The cries came from those in the room not playing.
“Hi guys. This here is Chad, he’ll be here after school beginning Monday.”
The game slowed and one of the older guys came up, ball resting under one arm. “Come on and play with us, Chad. I’m G.”
G stuck out his hand and she waited to see how things played out. Chad hesitated briefly before he shook the offered hand.
“You played before?” G asked garnering a slight nod. “Great, you can be on my team.”
They headed back to the other waiting players and she heard G introduce Chad around. It made her smile, G had been one of her most difficult boys when he first began coming to Open Arms. The product of a dysfunctional home he had been used to lying and violence to get what he needed. Now at eighteen, he would graduate this year, with honors, and heading off to some college come this June. She was as proud as a mother with how he had turned his life around. A wonderful role model for newcomers. And from the looks of things, he would be taking Chad under his wing.
The smile lingered as she claimed a seat in the bleachers and observed Chad play. He actually had talent.
A tingle of awareness—sexual awareness—skated up her spine. Before she could seek out the source, a masculine voice flowed to her ears, easily slicing through the din in the gym caused by the game and music.
“Hello Tari.”
Wrapping herself in all the composure she had, Tari slowly turned her head, skimming over all the appreciative gazes from the young women in the gym. He sat next to her, his mercurial gaze beneath half lowered black lashes simmered with things she didn’t want to think about.
Hungrily, she took in his appearance. Heavy black boots on his feet, dark blue jeans which adhered tightly to his powerful thighs, a leather jacket, also black, covered his shirt. She knew exactly what lay beneath the shirt, the hard muscles, defined abdominals...
Jerking her gaze further up she saw the stubble on his square jaw and immediately recalled how it felt brushing along her skin, the roughness of his beard, the softness of his lips.
She squirmed and gave him a slight smile. "Hello, Galen.” Tari furrowed her brows and looked between him and Chad who continued to play basketball. “Wait, is he...Chad, your brother?”
αβ
Galen watched Tari. All he could think about was their time together and how he longed to draw her close and sample the sweetness of her lips. He’d missed her so much.
“Yes,” he said taking in her gray slacks and a lace neck smoky rose sweater. Her hair fell around her face in gentle waves. “You’re looking good, Tari.” Better than good but what he really longed to say to her he couldn’t.
He caught her blush before she put her attention back on the court where his brother played. It had been a shock to see him on one of the teams when he’d entered, Chad had been almost zombie like since he’d taken him from their mother and had her arrested. While it may not have been the best for him to uproot the boy and bring him to Tari, he knew it was the best option. She’d helped him, he had no doubt she could do the same for his brother.
Anger grew in his belly as he recalled the conditions he’d found his brother in. Swallowing it back, he reined in his emotions and slid minutely closer to Tari. A grin lifted one side of his mouth at her almost unnoticeable shiver.
“How are the two of you getting along?” she asked despite the fact she wouldn’t look at him again.
“It has ups and downs.” He laced his fingers, arms resting on his thighs. “He doesn’t trust me.”
“It will take time.” She swung her face toward him. “What are you doing up here? Was he here?”
“No. I brought him here. To you.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “To me?”
“Yes.” One shoulder lifted laconically. “You are the best to help him.”
Tari’s mouth moved but nothing came out. “You uprooted him and brought him to a strange place because I am here?”
“Exactly.”
Her eyes sparked with indignation and suspicion. “I’m a counselor here, not anywhere else.”
He leaned back and rested his arms on the bleacher row above him. “You won’t turn him away if he needs you, Tari. We both know that and he does need you.”
“Are you moving here?” she snapped before lowering her voice. “What happens the next time you have to go...do what you do? Who takes him in? Or do you just uproot him one more time for no care of his feelings?”
The fact she cared hit him square in the gut and it pleased him. “We have a house we’re renting. I’ve taken a break from work for a while until he is settled.” A benefit from doing what he did.
Would now be the time to tell her he rented the house next door to hers? From the glower on her adorable face, he bet not. Keeping Chad in his peripheral vision, he focused mainly on Tari. Doubly thick lashes framed dark brown orbs giving her more than a hint of sensuality.
“Get him a stable place and be there for him, Galen. That’s the best I can tell you.” She stood and smoothed her hands down her pants. “It was good to see you again. If Chad wishes to finish playing, he is more than welcome to. But I have some other things to attend.”
She was running away. Galen would let her. For now. He watched her walk to the edge of the court and pause. Interestingly enough, Chad hurried to her side and listened to whatever she said. He assumed it was about him for Chad’s head popped around to glance in his direction. Then the boy headed back to join the game and Tari left without a glance back at him. However, he followed her every seductive step, mesmerized by how her firm ass moved in her slacks.
Galen had things to do but he had no problem waiting here and allowing his brother to finish the game. He hadn’t been lying when he said things were tough with him and Chad. The boy was extremely withdrawn and if he moved to fast Chad would shut down as if he expected the worst. So if the boy wanted to play basketball, how could he refuse that?
He knew Tari could help. But that wasn’t the only reason he came after her. He’d lied before to her and himself when saying it was a short, no strings thing. He wanted her. Desired her. Needed her. Only one person in his life had ever made him feel anything good. And that was Tari.
Once they’d made it back to the small house and he had a pizza cooking in the oven he found Chad in his bedroom. Knocking he stuck his head in. Wide hazel eyes watched him warily.
“So what do you think about Open Arms?” he asked, remaining in the doorway and doing his best to appear nonthreatening.
Chad shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“Ms. Taryn is a nice woman.”
Something flared in his eyes. Hope. But again, Chad only shrugged. Galen longed to scream over the fear, which leaked from his brother. It wasn’t right. Despite his internal anger, he smiled.
“You can watch television if you like. They hooked the cable up today.” No response. “I’ll holler when the pizza’s ready.”
Pursing his lips he headed back up the hallway to the kitchen and yanked open the fridge, swearing at the sight of no beer, just soda. This would not be easy. The meal was much like the others they’d partook in, him asking questions he could think of and Chad giving noncommittal murmurs as answers.
After Chad had gone to bed, Galen finished cleaning up. The sweep of headlights caught his attention and he found himself staring out the window to Tari’s house. A low growl of fury emerged as he watched a man hold open the passenger door and escort her up the path and onto the porch. When he leaned in as if to kiss her, Galen swore and snapped his head away not wanting to see her in another’s arms.
With a glance at the clock, he noted the time and shut off the lights. Things progressed like that for the next few days. The days were pretty much the same but it was the nights he’d come to hate. Especially Saturday night.
When he went to bed his dreams were ones of him losing Tari. He just couldn’t seem to hold onto her. The final one he tried to save her from going over some falls but he couldn’t maintain the grip. Her screams echoed through him as he sat up with a gasp. Sweat poured down his face and back despite the winter weather. A glance at the digital readout on his clock told him it was six on Sunday morning. Heart pounding, he climbed out of bed with his sweatpants on and tugged on a shirt as he made his way to Chad’s room. He slept peacefully so he left. In the kitchen, he left a note and headed out to take care of some things.
Upon his return, something felt off. He hustled up the hall to Chad’s room. Swinging the door open, he froze as panic gripped him.
Chad was gone.
