by Force, Marie
“Yes, I remember. Where’re you going?”
“Key West with my college friends to do some fishing.”
“That’ll be fun.”
“Yeah, it will. We go every year. Hit me up if you need anything while I’m gone.”
Maggie, who had started to walk away, turned back to him. “What would I need?”
He shrugged as his lips curved into a small smile. “Someone to talk to? Someone to vent to? Someone to listen? Whatever the need, I’m around.”
He’d rendered her speechless with his kindness as much as his sexiness. “I’ll, ah, keep that in mind. Thanks.”
“Have a good week with your family.”
Maggie had almost forgotten that her parents were arriving in a few hours. “Thanks. Enjoy the time away.”
“Oh, I will. It’s nonstop laughs, hijinks, beer, fish and sun.”
“A winning combination for sure.”
“You ought to try it sometime. I bet you’d like it.”
“I know I would. I used to fish off my dad’s boat all the time. I was the only one of the kids who ever caught anything.”
“What kind of boat does your dad have?”
“A sailboat named Blueprint that he and his business partner brother-in-law own together. They’re architects.”
“Clever.”
“They think they are.”
“Wait. I’ve heard about your dad and his firm. They’re kind of well known, right?”
“I guess. They’ve done well for themselves.”
“It was an article about Kate that mentioned him and his firm. I read about their work.”
“My aunt Frannie, who’s my dad’s sister, and my uncle Jamie, the partner brother-in-law, are also coming with their kids to meet Poppy.” Why was she telling him all this, anyway?
“You guys will be overrun with guests. Where will they all stay?”
“The bunkhouse I told you about at Kate’s. Reid built it before their wedding last Christmas. The whole family came for that.”
“Smart idea.”
“It’s necessary since our family arrives in groups of ten or more.”
“I can’t imagine that.”
Maggie told herself to walk away, to get back to work, to let him get back to work. “You don’t have a lot of family?”
“Nah, it was just me and my mom after my grandfather died. We have a lot of good friends who are like family, though. Is it just you and your sisters?”
“We have five younger brothers, too.”
“Holy crap!”
“We didn’t all grow up together. It was me, Jill and Kate until Andi and Eric joined our family. She’s my stepmother. She and my dad had twins, John and Rob. My mom and stepfather, Aidan, adopted Nick and Max. It’s a big blended family.”
“They all get along?”
“They do.”
“So your parents had a friendly split, then?”
Maggie smiled. “That’s a story for when we both have much more time than we do now.”
“Can’t wait to hear it.”
“I’ll, ah, let you get back to work. Safe travels.”
“Thanks. Have a good week.”
“You, too. Enjoy the fun in the sun.” Maggie went inside the kitchen, where she found several female members of her staff gathered at the kitchen window. “What’s up, ladies?”
Tonya, one of the program assistants, was standing with LeAnn, who cleaned the common areas, and Cathleen, who helped Mitch in the kitchen.
“He’s lifting one of the big pieces of plywood,” Tonya said.
“Look at those fine, fine muscles,” Cathleen said with a dreamy sigh.
The three of them had their noses pressed to the windows.
Amused, Maggie said, “All right, that’s enough.”
Tonya looked over her shoulder at Maggie. “Are you going to tell me you weren’t drooling when you were out there talking to him?”
“Nope, no drool.”
“And you didn’t happen to notice that he’s the sexiest man since Chris Hemsworth?” LeAnn asked, her voice rising with every syllable.
“Is he? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Girl,” Tonya said, “you’re a damned liar.”
Maggie laughed. “Back to work everyone. Show’s over.”
“I love working here,” LeAnn said as she left the kitchen. “The view is outstanding.”
Amused, Maggie went into her office and sat at her desk, spinning with thoughts and emotions after the difficult morning with Corey and her reaction to half-naked Brayden Thomas. The other women were right—he was the sexiest man since Chris Hemsworth—and in just a few days’ time, he’d begun to feel like a friend.
Hit me up if you need anything.
It occurred to her in a moment of startling clarity that she would miss having him around for the next week, which was ridiculous. He’d been there a few days so far. How was it possible that she would miss him?
“You’re so stupid,” she muttered to herself as she fired up her computer to do some of the administrative work that never ended. Reports, statistics, data, updating the website, coordinating the open house Reid suggested they have to show off their new facility to the larger community and starting a newsletter to communicate with donors and other stakeholders.
When Reid and Kate had announced the formation of Matthews House and detailed its mission, they’d been inundated with donations from other music business luminaries as well as former colleagues of Reid’s in the local contractor community who wanted to support the program.
Managing the donations was one of the many hats Maggie wore. She checked her voicemail and found a message from local law enforcement, updating her on the case pending against Corey’s boyfriend, Trey. The man had been held without bail on outstanding warrants and felony assault charges after the incident that had brought her to Matthews House.
Maggie was relieved to learn he was still being held, so even if Corey gave in to temptation and reached out to him about the baby, he wouldn’t be able to take the call. Corey was better off with him out of the picture.
LeAnn came to Maggie’s door. “There’s a Ruth Samuelson here from the Department of Children’s Services. She’d like to see Trish Lawson.”
Chapter 12
What the hell is this about? Maggie struggled to remain calm so she could fully support Trish. “Will you please go up and ask Trish to come to my office and ask Tonya to watch Chloe while Trish and I meet with DCS?”
“You got it.”
While she waited, Maggie wondered what DCS wanted.
Trish came to her door a couple of minutes later. “You wanted to see me?”
“Come in. Shut the door.”
When Trish was in the office with the door closed, Maggie sat next to her. “DCS is here, asking to see you.”
Trish recoiled. “What? Why?”
“I don’t know. Do you have any idea why they’d want to talk to you?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Then let’s go find out.”
Maggie stood and started for the door.
Trish grabbed her arm and held on tight. “Maggie, please. No matter what, you can’t let them take my kids.”
“I can’t see any reason why they would. Try to remain calm. That’s the best thing you can do.”
Trish swallowed hard and nodded.
Maggie gave Trish a minute to get herself together before she opened the door and led the way to the conference room, where a woman was seated at the table waiting for them. Maggie estimated her to be in her late forties with dark-brown skin and kind brown eyes. She wore a sharp gray suit and projected an aura of professionalism and compassion, which was comforting.
“Hi there, I’m Maggie Harrington, Matthews House director, and this is Trish Lawson.”
She stood to shake hands with them. “Ruth Stapleton. Nice to meet you both. I’ve heard wonderful things about your program, Ms. Harrington.”
“Thank you. Feel free to ca
ll me Maggie.”
“Wonderful, and I’m Ruth. Ms. Lawson, I understand you’ve been quite ill.”
Trish glanced at Maggie before she nodded hesitantly. “I’m being treated for ovarian cancer.”
“That’s what I was told.”
“By whom?” Maggie asked.
“I’m not at liberty to share that information.”
“Someone has reported me to you! How is it fair that I’m not allowed to know who?”
Under the table, Maggie put her hand over Trish’s and gave a gentle squeeze. “Ms. Lawson has struggled during her illness to maintain employment, and that’s what ultimately brought her to us. Her children are well cared for. They’re clean, well dressed, well nourished, bright, articulate, happy children. Their medical and shot records are up-to-date, and the older two have perfect attendance at school. Ms. Lawson made us aware that the eldest child, Lily, suffers from anxiety due to her mother’s illness. She’s old enough to understand the battle her mother is waging. The anxiety is managed with medication. You’re more than welcome to visit with the children and see for yourself that there’s no need for your agency’s services.”
“I would like to see them.”
Trish trembled violently.
Maggie squeezed her hand again, trying to keep her calm. This was shaping up to be one hell of a day. “The older two children will be home in half an hour. In the meantime, you can meet Miss Chloe.” She nodded to Trish, who got up and left the room to go get her daughter.
When they were alone, Maggie addressed Ruth directly. “Ms. Lawson is a wonderful mother.”
“That’s good to know.”
“She’s provided for her children admirably during her illness.”
“And you know for certain that they have always been well cared for?”
“No, I don’t. I only know what I and my team have observed since they arrived here, and we’ve seen nothing concerning.”
“Then there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. I’m sure you’re aware that when we receive a report, we’re obligated to follow up on it.”
“I am aware of that, and I’m aware that Ms. Lawson and her children have rights, too, and among them would be information about the source of the complaint as well as the opportunity to respond to it.”
“If we determine there’s an issue, she’ll be given every opportunity to respond.”
Maggie’s stomach ached. She could only imagine how Trish must feel. The poor woman had been through enough.
Trish came into the room carrying Chloe. “She was napping, so she may be a little out of sorts.”
The child’s cheeks were rosy from sleep, and her thumb was in her mouth.
“Chloe, honey, this is Ms. Stapleton. Can you say hello?”
Chloe shook her head and burrowed more deeply into her mother’s embrace.
“She’s always slow to wake up after a nap, especially when she’s disturbed.”
Maggie hid a grin behind her hand. Good for Trish for pointing out the disruption the other woman had caused in the child’s schedule.
“How did she get the bump on her head?” Ms. Stapleton asked.
“She tripped over one of her brother’s trucks and bounced off a table.”
“Do the children get along well with each other?”
“They do. Before I was ill, they used to fight a lot. But now they’re better about working things out and playing nicely together. They’ve been troupers through all of this, Ms. Stapleton.”
The next half hour passed slowly while Ms. Stapleton observed Trish and Chloe and waited for Lily and Jimmy to come home. Maggie helped by going to get a snack and a drink for Chloe, who became more animated as the time went on and she fully awakened from her nap.
Right at three twenty, the van deposited the school-age children at the kitchen door, and they came in with the usual clatter of voices and backpacks hitting the floor. Mitch’s voice was low as he greeted them with after-school snacks and orders to put their backpacks where they belonged.
The children loved Mitch and his snacks, so they happily complied with his instructions. After-school supervision wasn’t in his job description, but after he mentioned to Maggie how much he loved being the one to greet the kids, she’d turned the role over to him.
“I’ll go get Lily and Jimmy,” Maggie said.
She went into the kitchen, where the kids were enjoying cheese sticks, carrots, grapes and one cookie each. “Did everyone have a good day?”
They responded with, “Yes, Ms. Maggie,” along with reports of everything that’d happened since they left the house that morning.
“I need Lily and Jimmy for a minute.”
Maggie hated the wary look that Lily gave her, as if anticipating disaster had become the child’s default. “Nothing’s wrong.” At least she hoped that was the case.
Mitch handed each of the two children a baggie with their snacks and winked at them.
“Thank you, Mr. Mitch,” Jimmy said.
They followed Maggie obediently to the conference room and rushed to give their mother and sister hugs.
“Guys,” Trish said, “this is Ms. Stapleton. She came by to say hello to us and to see how we’re doing in our new home.”
“We love it here,” Jimmy said. “There’s horses! Mr. Derek and Mr. Brayden said we can learn how to take care of them, and yesterday, I got to help fill their water. They drink a lot of water! We’re even going to learn how to ride them!”
Ms. Stapleton smiled at the boy’s enthusiasm. “And you, Lily? Do you like it here at Matthews House?”
“It’s very nice,” Lily said softly.
“The children have made a great adjustment to their new surroundings,” Trish said. “It’s a relief to all of us to have the support of Matthews House and their wonderful staff during this difficult time.”
“Trish and the children are welcome to stay with us for as long as they need to.”
Ms. Stapleton spent another thirty minutes with Trish and the kids before asking for a minute alone with Trish and Maggie, who asked Mitch to watch the kids for a couple of minutes. “I’m very glad you’re settled at Matthews and have the support you need during your illness.”
Trish stared at her. “So that’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“You can’t tell me who reported me?”
“I can only say the report came from the children’s school and was related to your daughter’s anxiety. There was concern about whether she’s being properly supported.”
Maggie could tell that information didn’t sit well with Trish, but she refrained from saying so.
“You can assure the concerned party that Lily is being fully supported with medication and regular visits to the counselor, who’s helping her develop coping skills. She’s always been perceptive, and she understands the implications of her only parent fighting a serious illness.”
“Understood. I’ll pray for your return to full health.” Ms. Stapleton stood, collected her belongings and shook hands with both of them. “I’ll see myself out.”
After her footsteps faded, Trish turned to Maggie. “Why would the school report me to DCS before they asked me about Lily’s care?”
“I don’t know, but I suspect as mandatory reporters, they felt it was something they needed to do to protect Lily. I know it’s hard not to take it personally.”
“You’re damned right it is. Like we’re not dealing with enough already.”
“The good news is that people at her school care, and Ms. Stapleton found nothing of concern. It’s over.”
“No, it isn’t. Now we’re on the DCS radar, and if anything goes wrong, they’ll be back.”
“Try not to worry. For right now, everything is good. You and the kids are safe and supported. You can focus on your treatment and not have to worry about rent or anything else for as long as necessary.”
“I’ll never have the words to thank you and your sister for what you’re doing here. You’re saving
my life in so many ways.”
“We’re happy to help.”
They left the conference room, and Trish went to check on the kids in the playroom.
Maggie ducked into her office and closed the door, taking a much-needed minute to regroup. Her phone chimed with a text from Brayden.
I’m at the airport. How was the rest of your day?
Stressful. She filled him in on the DCS visit, without giving specifics he didn’t need to know.
Go enjoy your family. Have a drink. You’ve earned it.
Thanks. Safe travels.
He replied with the thumbs-up emoji.
Maggie appreciated him checking in and that he already seemed to care about what went on with her and their clientele. Compassion was such an important quality in their field, and to realize he had it in spades was reassuring.
She spent another two hours dealing with emails and phone messages and then met with Arnelle to go over several health-related items. Corey and Trish were at the top of her list for Arnelle.
“Trish has given me permission to confer with her medical team, which is very helpful,” Arnelle reported. “I’ve got a good handle on what’s going on and how we can support her.”
Maggie told her about the visit from DCS. “I want to make sure we’re doing everything we can for Lily, too.”
“I’ll consult with Trish and see what I can do there.”
“We need to arrange for transportation to counseling appointments so Lily can continue her therapy.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
They often sent residents to appointments via Lyft or Uber, and the fees came out of the program budget.
“Now about Corey,” Arnelle said. “We’ll need to get her into counseling as soon as possible.”
“Agreed.” Maggie handed her a list the hospital social worker had provided. “Here’re some resources.”
“We may want to look into hiring a part-time counselor so we can offer that service right here rather than sending people into town for it. It’s a safe bet that most of our residents would benefit from regular therapy.”
“I’ll talk to the bosses about that. I’m sure they won’t have a problem with it.” Reid and Kate had basically written a blank check to give the residents everything they needed. Although Maggie had created a budget for the program, they were willing to make additional funds available as needs arose. They had figured there would be extras, especially in the first year.