by Jen Gilroy
“I didn’t know where else to come or who else to ask.” The streetlight turned her blond hair silver. She wore her purple hoodie and cradled a knapsack with a faded New York Mets logo. Beneath her denim shorts, blood oozed from a cut on one bare knee.
“Kylie?” Nick said again, the sight of her like a cold shower that banished thoughts of Mia upstairs.
“No, the tooth fairy.” Kylie made a face that was rude, defensive, and a whole lot scared before she pushed past him through the doorway.
“Okay.” Nick stopped himself from saying “Kylie” one more time as the door hit his elbow before it slammed shut. “What are you doing here? What’s in that knapsack? How did you get here?”
“I already told you. I’m here because I didn’t know where else to go.” Kylie looked him up and down. “All my stuff’s in the knapsack. As for how I got here, I snuck a ride in the back of a plumbing van. A pipe burst in the camp kitchen so a guy got called out from town. Josh with a weird last name.”
“Tremblay. It’s a French name from Quebec.”
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter.” At least Kylie hadn’t hitchhiked. Nick’s heart, which had almost stopped, started to beat normally again. Even if he’d found her, Josh was a good guy, a father, who’d have taken his little stowaway straight to the police station.
“You better come upstairs.” Even though he should take Kylie to the police station, he didn’t want to scare the poor kid any further. He’d call the cops instead.
“Do I smell pizza?” Halfway up the stairs, Kylie’s face brightened. “I hid in that van for hours, so I’m starving.”
Nick bit back a sigh. His night had gone to hell fast, and how he’d explain all this to Mia he had no idea. “Yeah, it’s pizza.”
“Pepperoni?”
“Vegetarian.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I hate vegetables.”
“Tough.” Nick ushered her through the apartment door. “Kids need to eat vegetables.” He shut the door behind them as Pixie darted out from the living room with a series of short, sharp barks.
“You sound like a dad.” Kylie patted Pixie, and the little dog bounced around her ankles.
No, he didn’t sound like a dad. He sounded like an adult. A sensible adult. The police station was a few blocks south on Main. Forget about not scaring the kid, he should take Kylie there, hand her over to whoever was on duty, and rescue his evening. And keep free of any messy entanglements to boot.
“Nick?” Mia stood by the sofa. Her sweater was buttoned to her neck, and her face was flushed. “What’s going on?”
“I…uh…” He shrugged and gestured at Kylie, who hovered inside the door.
“I ran away.” Kylie dropped the knapsack and folded her arms across her chest. “Camp ended today. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Oh, honey.” Mia opened her arms, and Kylie ran into them.
“Nick helped me with my mom. I thought he could help me with this, too.” Kylie snuffled.
“This? Nick?” Mia raised an eyebrow at him over Kylie’s head.
“I made some phone calls. I talked to her mom’s attorney and found out why she was being moved to another facility.” He couldn’t hug Kylie. He was a guy, and guys didn’t hug young girls who weren’t family. “Like I told you, Kylie, I talked to your social worker, and she’s got a nice foster family organized for you from next week. Until then, you have another nice temporary family. Sure you’ve got somewhere to go.”
Kylie raised a white, tear-stained face. “How do you know they’re nice? You’ve never met them. But even if they’re the nicest foster family that ever was, they live miles away from where Mom’s gone and I’ll never see her again, ever.” Her voice rose. “That attorney can say what he wants. Mom needs help, but a jail’s still jail, isn’t it? She won’t be out for years this time and I’ll be grown up and—”
“Sweetie.” Mia made soft and soothing noises. Mom noises. “We’ll figure something out, but the staff at Camp Rainbow must be frantic looking for you.”
Of course they’d be frantic. What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been thinking. Nick grabbed his phone, glad to have something practical to do to escape the emotion that engulfed the small apartment like a tidal wave. “I’ll call the camp and—”
“No.” Kylie reached for the phone and knocked it out of his hands. “Nobody at Camp Rainbow knows I’ve gone.”
“What?” Mia’s eyebrows furrowed into a worried crease. “When I came to say good-bye this afternoon, you were in the line for the bus with everyone else. All the staff was there to check.”
“I got on the bus all right. They ticked me off the list. But when nobody was looking, I went out the back door open for the luggage.” Kylie gave Mia an earnest smile. “I’m small and I’m quick. Besides, nobody ever notices me anyway.”
Mia made more soothing noises and patted Kylie’s hair. “You must be hungry and cold, and look at your knee.” She knelt at Kylie’s feet. “What happened here?”
“I fell and scraped it on something in the van.”
“What van?” The crease between Mia’s eyebrows deepened, and Nick shook his head.
“Never mind,” Mia said, “one problem at a time. I’ll get you cleaned up and fix you something to eat. Nick will call Camp Rainbow—”
“No,” Kylie said again.
“Yes,” Nick said.
“I can stay here.” The silver stud in Kylie’s nose gleamed, and Nick flinched. Young girls shouldn’t have their noses pierced, and even though this was rural Vermont where moose were more of a threat than people, young girls shouldn’t wander the streets alone at night or hide in a stranger’s van.
“No, you can’t stay with me.” Because young girls definitely shouldn’t spend the night at a single man’s place who wasn’t family.
“Then I’ll run away again so far nobody will ever find me. Never, ever.” Kylie backed away from Mia like a cornered animal and grabbed for her knapsack.
Nick crossed his arms and stood in front of the door. Kylie had come to him because she believed he could help her, and he didn’t want to let her down. “Here’s the deal, kiddo. I’ll still call Camp Rainbow and your social worker. However, if they give the okay, you can stay at my mom’s place tonight.”
“With Mia?” The hope in Kylie’s voice almost broke his heart.
“Only for tonight.” His mom wouldn’t turn Kylie away if he asked her to help.
“Nick, you want to do what you think’s best, but there are rules about child protection and I—”
He waved away what Mia had been about to stay. “I practice family law. I know the rules. You’ve been checked to be around kids, and Mom was a teacher so she has, too. Kylie can’t stay at Camp Rainbow tonight, not in a cabin without the other kids, and most of the staff will have already left. Besides, it’s late. How will anyone from the family services office in Burlington get here before morning?”
Nick’s throat got tight at the look on Kylie’s face. The trust and the faith in him.
“I knew you’d help me.” Kylie flung her arms around him. “You’re the best.”
“We have to see what your social worker says.” Nick stood stiff. He couldn’t let himself get close. He just didn’t think he could give Kylie the love and the home she needed.
“What about some pizza and a glass of milk?” His voice came from far away. Milk was good for kids and, from the look of her, Kylie needed to grow.
“You got any Snickers bars?” Kylie stepped back, and her face was transformed by a grin.
“I always have Snickers bars.” He grinned back, the tension broken. “But you have to eat some vegetables first.”
Mia laughed. “Gabrielle raised you right. While Kylie eats, I’ll do first aid on her knee, and you call Camp Rainbow and her social worker.” She looked at Kylie and her mouth trembled. “Before you know it, honey, you’ll be tucked up safe in bed.”
Nick needed Mia in his bed tonight, but Kyl
ie needed her more. And Kylie needed him, too. Apart from his niece, he’d kept kids out of his life, but one had turned up and, against all the odds, he didn’t want to let her go.
Nick’s breath caught as Mia unbuttoned her sweater and slid it off her shoulders. Her skin above her tank top was dewy in the light, and her expression as she looked at Kylie was warm and loving.
He didn’t want to let Mia go, either, but her family was back in town. He’d delude himself if he thought he could have anything more than he already had.
Chapter Thirteen
Mia slid the last batch of cowboy cookies onto a wire rack to cool on Gabrielle’s kitchen table. The oatmeal, raisin, and chocolate chip treat had been Emma’s favorite since she was a tiny girl. “Do you want to put some of the cooled cookies on a plate?” She glanced at Emma hunched over the tablet Jay had given her. “Nick and Kylie will be back with her social worker soon, and I bet they’d like a snack.”
“Kylie can get her own snack.” A curtain of golden-blond hair half covered Emma’s sulky face. “It’s bad enough she had to share my room last night. And Dad says Nick spends way too much time with you.”
“Nick grew up in this house. His mom still lives here, so he has every right to drop by.” Mia steadied her breathing. “Your dad and I are divorced. It isn’t any of his business who I spend time with.”
“You’re my mom, so he says that makes it his business.” Emma took a cookie and ate it, scattering crumbs on the floor.
Jay had cheated on her, walked out on her, and, although they might have looked like a family when they’d gone to the hospital to see Lexie, it was a myth. Mia didn’t love Jay anymore, and maybe she never had.
At least not in the way Charlie loved Sean. Mia’s ribs squeezed as she remembered the expression in Charlie’s eyes when she looked at her husband and baby daughter. Even though Lexie was still in the hospital, the three of them were already a family in the best sense of the word.
“Nick and his mom are our friends. They helped us get settled in Firefly Lake, remember?” Mia couldn’t risk her daughters guessing there was more than a casual friendship between her and Nick. Besides, it was an interlude. No relationship and no commitment, like they’d both agreed.
“Kylie isn’t my friend.”
“No, but Kylie needed our help last night, and if it’s okay with her social worker, she’ll stay here for a few days. Like I already explained to you.” Mia walked around the table to sit beside Emma. “Your bedroom’s the only one with bunk beds. It’s good to share with others in need.”
Emma’s lower lip trembled. “Dad’s got baby Riley, so I’m not the youngest anymore.” A fat tear rolled down her face. “All Naomi talks about is Ty Carmichael, and now there’s Kylie. Do you like her more than me?”
“Of course not.” Mia wrapped her arms around her daughter. “No matter how big you get, you’ll always be my youngest and Naomi’s only sister. I want to help Kylie, sure, but I love you. When you were with your dad, I missed you every moment of every day.”
Emma sniffed and wiped a hand across her face. “Really?”
“Of course I did. I know everything’s topsy-turvy right now, but things will be better when we’re back in our house and can be a real family again. Since Uncle Sean has to be at the hospital with Aunt Charlie and Lexie, Nick asked some of the guys he plays pool with to help him finish the renovations. He texted me earlier to make sure he got the right paint color for your bedroom.”
“Dad doesn’t like our house.” Emma’s chin jutted. “He said so when we went there to look for you yesterday. Besides, we’re not a family without Dad, not a real one anyway.”
“Your dad doesn’t have to like it, does he?” It was Mia’s house, bought with her divorce settlement. “And of course we’re a family. Like your dad and Tiffany and Riley are a family. You’ve got two families.” Mia manufactured what she hoped was a neutral smile. She could be civil for Emma’s sake.
“I don’t want two families. Besides, Tiffany and Riley left to go to her mom’s house, so they aren’t my family anymore. You and Dad can get back together.”
“Honey…” Mia hesitated. She hated to destroy the longing on Emma’s face, but she needed to make sure she understood the truth. “Your dad and I won’t get back together. As for Tiffany, that’s for her and your dad to work out.”
“You might get back together because Dad said it wasn’t appropriate for me and Naomi to live in our house here.” Emma cocked her head to one side. “What does that mean?”
Pixie barked and darted to the kitchen door, saving Mia from answering. Nick came into the house, a blue shirt open at his neck above dark suit pants. Behind him, Kylie carried two bulging plastic shopping bags. “Hey, ladies.” Nick picked up Pixie and tucked her into the crook of his elbow.
“Nick.” Mia busied herself with the cookies.
“You made these cookies?” Kylie set the bags on the floor and eyed the plate.
“Sure she did.” Nick’s smile was warm, with a sensual edge for Mia alone. “She’s a woman of many talents.” His smile turned wicked, and Pixie slithered out of his grasp.
“May I have one, please?” Kylie’s gaze was still fixed on the cookies.
Emma scraped her chair across the kitchen floor to the other side of the table, as far away from Nick and Kylie as possible.
“Of course, as long as you wash your hands first.”
Kylie’s face brightened at Mia’s words, like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.
“Emma, do you want another cookie, too?”
“No.” Emma slid the tablet across the table. “Cowboy cookies are for babies.”
Ignoring Emma, Kylie moved toward the sink. “I had the best day ever.” Her smile softened the sharp edges of her face and made her look younger and more innocent. “Nick got me some clothes. New ones nobody wore before.” She gave a little twirl to show off her denim skirt and purple T-shirt.
“Very pretty.” Mia kept one eye on her daughter.
“If you like purple.” Emma rolled her eyes.
Mia shot the girl a warning glance. “Emma.”
“I also helped Nick in his office.” Kylie’s usual defensive expression was replaced with one of shy pride. “I made coffee for everyone and filed things and scanned documents.”
“So?” Emma closed the tablet. “I go to my dad’s office all the time. At least I used to before Mom made us move.” She stood with her hands on her hips, and her chest heaved beneath a shirt with a rainbow on it. “My dad has a very important job. He’s a senior vice president, which is like almost a president, and thousands of people work for him.” She pushed the chair back so hard it hit the edge of the kitchen counter.
“Emma.” Mia reached for her daughter, but the girl twisted away.
“My dad doesn’t work in some hick town in the middle of nowhere. He has his very own secretary, maybe even five secretaries, so he doesn’t need me to file things.” Her voice rose and she turned and stumbled over the chair leg.
“Emma, you’re out of line.” Mia reached for her again. “Where are you going?”
“The front porch to wait for Naomi to come home. Leave me alone.”
“Emma, I—” The kitchen door banged, and Mia put a finger to her temples. In the past few weeks, she’d lost the closeness she’d once shared with her younger daughter. And she had no idea how to get it back.
“Kids say stuff. I said stuff when I was her age. It’s okay.” Nick’s blue eyes were calm.
“No, it’s not okay. Emma needs space right now, but I’ll talk to her later.” She turned to Kylie, who’d finished washing her hands. “Take your new clothes to the bedroom and put them in one of the empty dresser drawers.”
“She doesn’t want me here, does she?” The sharp look was back on Kylie’s face and her eyes were bleak.
“Emma doesn’t know what she wants.” Mia bit back a sigh. A lot like her.
She wanted Nick, but she wanted her daughters, too. And s
he wanted her new life, but parts of her old life had come back and threatened to suck her in, as unexpected and treacherous as quicksand.
Kylie gathered the bags with the clothes and took the plate of cookies Mia held out to her. “I’m used to people who don’t want me. My mom didn’t, not really. Dylan was always her favorite. Mom’s boyfriends said I was a nuisance. Most of the foster families are okay, but I don’t belong with them either.”
“Ah, Kylie.” Nick’s voice cracked.
“As soon as my social worker gives the word, I’ll be out of here. A guy like Emma’s dad wouldn’t want someone like me around her anyway. If he has a problem with Ty Carmichael, he’d sure have a problem with me.”
“Emma’s dad has a problem with a lot of people,” Mia said, “but Emma misses him and she wants…” Wanted what Mia couldn’t give her. She’d expected the divorce would be harder on Naomi, but she’d been wrong. It was Emma who’d suffered the most, and Emma who still yearned for the family she’d lost.
“Whatever.” Kylie herded Pixie out of the kitchen.
After the kitchen door shut behind her, Nick wrapped his arms around Mia. “I didn’t think about how having Kylie here would make things awkward for you and the girls.”
“Naomi’s fine with it. She’s always off with Ty anyway.” Another worry that kept Mia awake at night. “Wasn’t Kylie’s social worker supposed to come back with you?”
“She had to make a few calls, so she’s outside in her car. She thinks Kylie’s a sure risk to go missing if she takes her back to Burlington today.”
“Missing?”
“Kylie’s already run away from three temporary foster homes. The last time, she made it across the New York state line before she was picked up by the police at two in the morning outside a convenience store. Kim, the social worker, has to fix an emergency home study and meet you and Mom, but if it goes okay, she’ll recommend Kylie stays here until her permanent foster family can take her.”
“I see.” Mia rolled her tight shoulders. “Your mom and Ward went to a photography exhibition at the gallery, but she should be back soon. At least your mom likes Kylie.”