by Katie Meyer
“You cleaned it?” she asked incredulously. “You picked up the glass and then...what, mopped my floor?”
He shrugged. “You were barefoot. I didn’t want you or Owen to get cut.”
“Or Lily,” Owen piped up from the entranceway, where he was wiping the mud off the dog’s fur with a microfiber towel. “She’s barefoot, too. She’s always barefoot.”
Luke’s breath caught. That was the most he’d ever heard Owen say. Even on a good day at school, the boy barely strung two words together. After a meltdown, he was often completely nonverbal.
Luke glanced at Megan to see if she was as shocked by Owen’s speech as he was. But she seemed more surprised by his making lunch than by Owen’s speaking up. Maybe Owen acted differently on his home turf. Or maybe the dog did make a difference. Even now the little boy kept one grubby hand fisted in the dog’s fur, as if somehow drawing strength from the contact.
No, strength wasn’t the right word. It was something more subtle than that. Peace, maybe. The dog practically radiated a calm confidence that even a skeptic like Luke could feel.
Not wanting to shatter the moment, he kept his tone noncommittal and his gaze averted as he replied. “That’s a good point, Owen. Broken glass could have hurt any one of you.”
“Well, thank you, I guess.” Megan bit her lip, looking wary. “But you didn’t have to do that. I could have cleaned it myself.”
“I’m sure you could have. But now you don’t have to.” He slid the last sandwich onto a plate and turned the stove off. “If you want to wash up, I’ll put these on the table.”
Owen obediently moved to the sink, stepping up on the green wooden stool no doubt put there for just that purpose. Megan moved to follow and then paused, confusion clouding her features. “There are only two sandwiches.”
“I’m not really hungry. Besides, after Owen’s reaction outside, I figured it might be better if I left.” That, and he’d seen the status of her refrigerator and pantry. The food supplies were adequate but very basic. Maybe they were just close to grocery day. But unsure of her financial status, he wasn’t about to take food from the mouths of a single mom and her child.
Her lips pursed as if to argue, though it was Owen who won him over.
“I’ll share.”
The little boy had suds dripping down his arms, mud smeared in his hair, and an intense look on his face. Of course, Owen was always intense. “Sharing is good. I get a sticker when I share.”
Luke shook his head. “Yes, sharing is good but—”
“Let him.” Megan put a hand on his arm, her touch hotter than the sizzling pan in front of him. Pulling him closer, she lowered her voice. “Spontaneous sharing is something his therapist is working with him on. It’s a big deal. Please.”
* * *
Megan hated to beg, but she would have gotten down on her knees if it meant keeping Luke from messing up this moment. An image of her on her knees before him, for a very different reason, flashed in her mind and her face grew hot. Where had that come from? She had no business even thinking such things with Owen in the room. Owen, who was having a breakthrough right this minute. She should be celebrating with him, not fantasizing about his principal.
Luke’s eyes searched hers, but if he’d picked up on her wayward thought, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just nodded and grabbed a third plate. “Thanks, buddy. That’s really nice of you.”
She let out a breath. Crisis averted.
Turning back to Owen, she smiled brightly, letting her pride in his generosity push away any other thoughts. “That was so generous of you to share. Why don’t you go put a sticker on your chart right now, before you forget?”
He grinned at her praise before darting off to his room, and her heart thumped an extra beat. Raising Owen was hard, but moments like this made all the work worthwhile.
“Thank you,” she said to Luke.
He shrugged and slid a small sliver of Owen’s sandwich onto his own plate. “Will this be enough to count as sharing? I don’t want him to go hungry just to be polite.”
His concern touched her. “That should be fine. It’s the thought that counts.” Except for her earlier erotic thoughts about him. Those definitely did not count. They were just a weird stress reaction or something.
“Okay.” Awkwardly, he folded himself into one of the chairs at her small kitchen table, his legs a bit too long to fit under it. He was too big for her kitchen, too big for her house. No wonder her thoughts kept turning to him; he filled the space in a way that went beyond the physical. He just had a presence—a very male one—that felt out of place in her little house. For so long, it had been just her and Owen. She wasn’t even sure she remembered how to have a meal with another adult.
But she needn’t have worried. Owen monopolized the conversation to an extent that she couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Well, he and Luke, with Owen peppering the man with questions and Luke doing his best to keep up. All the while, Lily sat quietly at Owen’s side, her head in his lap.
Several times Megan caught Luke watching Owen’s interaction with Lily. Did he see the way Owen always reached for her before speaking? Had he noticed Owen getting upset when he dropped his fork, only to calm when Lily nuzzled his arm? Surely, he’d seen the way the dog had helped him cope with his earlier outside fear.
Or had the meltdown only further reinforced the man’s belief that Owen needed to find a different school? The sandwich that had been so delicious a moment before turned to sawdust in her mouth at the thought. It was certainly possible that he’d come out here over the weekend because he hadn’t wanted Owen returning to the school on Monday. Otherwise, why not wait to discuss things during the meeting they’d scheduled? Was he so eager to kick her son out that he’d made a special trip to deliver the news?
The anxiety she’d been keeping at bay began clawing its way to the surface, seeking an outlet. Nearly choking on it, Megan forced herself to swallow as she got to her feet. “I...just remembered I left something on the patio. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Outside, the heavy, humid air offered no respite from the fear weighing her down. Struggling to breathe past the panic, she scanned the small yard for a distraction.
Behind her, the door squeaked open and then shut, too softly for it to be Owen.
“Is everything okay?”
The sheer audacity of the question had her whirling to face him. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“What?” Confusion shadowed his almost too perfect features. The look might have been comical in another situation. One that didn’t stand to ruin all the progress she’d made these past few years.
“Are you kicking Owen out of school? Is that why you’re here?” She fought to keep from shouting, all too aware of her son’s proximity and the less than soundproof nature of her flimsy windows. “Because if that’s what you have to say, then no, everything is definitely not okay.”
“Whoa, slow down.” He raised his hands as if in self-defense. “That’s not why I came here.”
“It’s not?” Her heartbeat, which a minute ago had been roaring in her ears, slowed enough for her to hear the cicadas chattering in the trees. “Then why?”
He shrugged, looking almost boyish. “I don’t know exactly. But I was up last night researching service dogs—”
“You were?” Hope surged, crowding out her earlier panic. “You read the materials I left with you?”
He nodded. “That and a lot else. Google was pretty helpful, but I realized I wasn’t going to be able to make a decision until I’d actually met Lily. Just because some other dog was amazing didn’t mean your dog wouldn’t be an untrained nightmare. I found plenty of stories about fake service dogs, you know.”
Color flooded her cheeks at the accusation. “Lily is not a fake!”
“No, she’s not,” he conceded with a sheepish grin. “As far as I can
tell, she’s exactly what you say she is. But I had to find out. I couldn’t just take your word for it. Trust has to be earned.”
Megan nodded, for once in full agreement.
She didn’t trust him any more than he trusted her. But, for Owen’s sake, she was willing to try. “So does this mean Owen can bring Lily to school? Has she proved herself to you?” She suddenly noticed the mud marring Luke’s previously spotless casual wear and cringed. “I mean, I know today wasn’t a great introduction...what with Owen freaking out and the broken glass and...” Hell, she was making things worse.
Unperturbed, Luke rocked back on his heels as he considered. “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, how a dog acts in her own backyard isn’t really indicative of how she’ll behave in a classroom full of kids.”
“Lily’s wonderful in crowds.” Surety filled her voice with confidence. She might question her own competence, but she had full faith in Lily’s abilities.
Luke nodded, as if he’d expected that to be her response. “Well then, why don’t we put her to the test?”
“What kind of test?”
“That’s up to you. I’ll give you and Owen and Lily the rest of the weekend to convince me she can handle herself in any situation. If you can prove to me that she’s going to be an asset in the classroom, I’ll agree to a trial run at the school.” He arched one eyebrow. “What do you say? Are you up for the challenge?”
Her mind raced. A chance to keep Owen at the school, with Lily by his side? She’d agree to pretty much anything for that. Yet, even as she nodded her acceptance, another more primal part of her sounded warning bells. If thirty minutes with Luke Wright was enough to send her hormones into overdrive, how was she going to handle the rest of the weekend with him?
Chapter Four
Luke had thought he’d been pretty much everywhere in Paradise, which wasn’t saying much given the size of the island town. But the splash pad was one place he’d missed. An omission that he was making up for now, thanks to his impulsively offered challenge. It wasn’t bad, really, if you didn’t mind 100-degree temperatures and screaming children darting in every direction. Thankfully, as a Florida native and professional educator, neither fazed him.
And he couldn’t deny the lure of the place. There were gentle sprays of mist for toddler-size kiddos, water cannons swivel-mounted for the older kids’ battles, a variety of dancing jets leaping in graceful but unpredictable arches, and, right in the center of it all, a giant bucket that dumped a miniature tsunami of water every few minutes. It definitely beat the childhood afternoons he’d spent playing in the lawn sprinkler. If he hadn’t been still damp from cleaning off the mud from earlier, he might have been tempted to join in.
“Sunscreen?” Megan held out a tube of SPF 30 that promised long-lasting, waterproof protection.
“I’m good, thanks.” He planned to observe, not participate. He’d staked out a bench under one of the colorful canopies along the perimeter of the park and had every intention of staying on it for the duration.
“You have to wear sunscreen at the splash pad.” Owen squinted up at him, frowning. “It’s a rule.”
Megan shrugged in apology. “It is a rule, Owen, but—”
“But I didn’t know about it. Now I do, so I’ll put some on. I wouldn’t want to get in trouble.” Luke winked at Megan and squeezed out a healthy dollop of the coconut-scented lotion. “What about Lily, does she need some, too?”
He’d been joking, but Owen nodded earnestly. “Everyone does—that’s how rules work.”
Luke’s jaw dropped as Megan carefully applied a tiny dab of sunscreen to the dog’s nose before sending the duo to play. “Did you just put sunscreen on a dog?” He’d had several dogs growing up, and he couldn’t remember any of them getting a sunburn, or even a tan, for that matter.
She nodded, amusement dancing in her eyes. “I did.”
“Then either the heat has messed with your thinking, or I missed the newest trend in pet care.”
“Neither. Owen used to fight me about the sunblock. He hates the feel of it. I’d always put some on myself, even if I was staying in the shade, just to set a good example, but it was still a struggle. Then one day, as a joke, I put some on Lily. He thought that was fantastic and hasn’t given me a hard time since.”
“I take it back, you’re a genius.”
Her lips curved up at the compliment, but she shook her head. “I’m just a mom, doing whatever it takes to get through the day.”
She was being too modest. He’d seen enough parents to know that she was one of the best, but telling her so would just make her uncomfortable. Better to change the focus back to the reason for today’s outing. “So tell me, how does Lily make things easier? What is she trained to do?” He’d read about the various tasks service dogs could do, but only in a general sense. This was a specific dog, going into a specific situation—namely his school—and he needed to be prepared.
“Look and see.” Megan pointed to a spot halfway across the splash park, where Owen was standing with his foot half on, half off a crescent-shaped sprinkler. “That’s Owen’s favorite part of the splash pad. He likes the way the water feels on his feet, and he likes the pattern the spray makes.”
“Okay.” Luke waited, sensing there was more.
“See the little girl walking up? She probably wants to play in it, too, but he likes having it to himself. Watch how he tenses up.”
He wouldn’t have picked up on it if she hadn’t said something but, looking carefully, he could see a stiffness in the boy’s posture that hadn’t been there before. “I do.”
“So does Lily. Or maybe she just senses it, or smells some chemical change... I don’t really know. But she knows he is getting upset. Watch.”
Sure enough, the dog, who a moment before had been sitting a few inches away from Owen, got to her feet and moved in closer until she was leaning into him, unmindful of the water jets now soaking her fur.
At her touch, Owen turned his gaze away from the approaching child and down to the dog. His hand reached to grip her fur, much as he had in the backyard earlier. With that contact, his ramrod posture softened, his shoulders dropping into a more relaxed position.
Megan smiled at the change, her own body language softening. “Lily is trained to pick up on Owen’s meltdowns, or any emotional upheaval. If he gets upset, she provides physical pressure. If he’s standing, like he is there, she will lean into him until he acknowledges her. If he’s seated, she lays her head in his lap and presses down slightly.”
“Like a weighted blanket?” He’d seen references to those in some of the literature on autism. Something about the pressure they provided was supposed to decrease the body’s stress response and help children regulate their emotions. He’d thought it a scam, designed to con desperate parents looking for help.
“Sort of, yes. But when you add the emotional bond that Owen has with Lily, it’s even more effective.”
Luke rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted, “I didn’t actually think those things worked.”
“The blankets? Or service dogs for kids with autism?”
“Both, I guess.” Damn, when had he gotten so jaded? “Maybe I need a service dog. One to alert whenever I’m being a closed-minded jerk.”
“Nah, you seem to be pretty good at figuring it out on your own. You’re here, aren’t you?”
“For the duration.”
“Which proves that you are willing to be open-minded. I can’t imagine that standing around a splash pad, sweating to death, is your idea of a good time. Yet you’re here anyway. Because of Owen. Because you care.”
He nodded slowly, unsure of how to respond. Not only since she was wrong about this being a good time—he was enjoying himself just fine—but because he was afraid that his reasons for being there were more complicated than his professional concern for a student. And complications w
ere exactly what he didn’t need.
* * *
Megan ruffled her son’s damp hair and surreptitiously checked that his seat belt was fastened securely. Since graduating to a high-back booster, he’d insisted on buckling himself in and, as much as she wanted to embrace each small step toward independence, she also wasn’t going to take any chances with his safety.
Satisfied he was secure, she tossed the bag with his damp suit and towel on the floorboard before getting in herself. Luke, looking ridiculously cool and collected given the record-breaking heat, was already buckled into the passenger seat.
“Where to next?” he asked.
“You’re sticking with this, huh?” After two-plus hours of splash pad chaos, she’d half expected him to make some excuse about a forgotten obligation and head home to salvage what was left of the weekend.
“You didn’t think I was going to bail on you, did you?”
She flushed as the truth hit home. She’d been thinking exactly that. “Not exactly,” she lied. “But you’re a busy guy...” And babysitting a single mom, a difficult kid, and a wet dog couldn’t be much fun for him.
“I’m not any busier than I was this morning when I agreed to give Lily a chance.” His voice deepened and, for a second, she wondered if that was what he sounded like in bed. “I don’t break my promises. If I say I’m going to do something, I do it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Great, now she was hijacking his weekend and had insulted his integrity. Perhaps her people skills had deteriorated more than she’d realized over the past few years. She hadn’t exactly had the time for socializing or small talk. Still, that was no excuse for rudeness. She couldn’t hold Owen accountable for his actions if she wasn’t willing to do the same for herself. “I mean... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her apology, something she’d noticed him doing whenever she said something he hadn’t expected. “No worries. But that still leaves the question of what’s next.”