“Nah, my fighting days are over. Glad you were here, though. Your levelheadedness rubs off on me.”
“Good,” Paige replied. “You said your fighting days are over. Did you get into a lot of fights when you were a kid?”
“Plenty. I’ve learned to rein in my temper, but when I was a kid, I ran on pure emotion. A lot of the time, though, I was sticking up for younger kids. I always felt like I had to protect them.”
“Like Lily?”
“Yeah, like Lily. She reminds me of myself when I was young. She challenges me—it’s still hard for her to trust me with Ian.” Val sighed. “Part of me wants to know what those kids went through, but I know if I knew all the details, I’d be beyond angry.”
Paige nodded. “I think in some ways it’s better not to know, since we can’t change what happened. Foster parenting is about taking the kids where they’re at and trying to move them forward. Still, knowing about the kids’ past can sometimes help us understand them better, even if the knowledge is heartbreaking.”
“You used to work for child protective, right?” Val said. Paige nodded. “You know all the awful situations these kids deal with, then. I’m sure we’ve both heard some horror stories. It’s no wonder that mental health issues are skyrocketing. How do you deal with it all, day after day?”
“I’ve asked myself that very same question, more than a few times over the years. I think I have to focus on how amazing and resilient kids are, and when they are with me, I try to give them my best. I don’t ever want to be just another adult they can’t count on.”
“Wow,” Val said. The depth of emotion Paige saw in those gorgeous brown eyes was impossible to look away from. Val held her gaze for another long moment. “You’re kind of amazing yourself.”
Paige felt her cheeks flame. “No, I’m not. Children just need us to look out for them.”
“Yeah, but look how many adults don’t. I mean, you genuinely care about the kids. They’re not just a job to you.”
“I could say the same about you, Val. I’ve seen you in action, remember?”
Val dropped her gaze to the floor, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “I know how it feels to not matter, to be an afterthought. I couldn’t do that to another child.”
Paige reached out and lightly touched Val’s knee. “I know how it feels, too. Maybe that’s why we care so much, because we’ve been there.”
“I don’t know. I’ve known lots of people who had terrible childhoods and turned out to be just as bad to their own kids. Don’t you ever wonder why some people don’t seem to learn from their experiences?”
Paige could see that the conversation was starting to get to Val. Her face was set in a frown, her eyes telegraphing the pain of her past. Needing to lighten the mood, she said, “Let’s just agree that not everyone can be as awesome as we are, okay?” She smiled and saw Val’s face relax as she smiled back.
“Deal.”
Paige picked up her binder from the coffee table. “Now that we’ve covered that, I’m supposed to be going through home visit protocol with you. Like, have you documented all of the kids’ medical or counseling visits for the month?”
“Yep.”
“Have they been doing okay at school?”
“Until today’s bus incident, yes.”
“Do you have any questions or concerns?”
“Just one. I had a voicemail from the law guardian.” Val grimaced. “Do I have to call her back?”
Paige laughed. “Thought you could be an adult about all that. Just call the woman.”
Val let out an exaggerated sigh. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”
Paige didn’t respond for several moments, imagining Lisa and Val together.
“Why so quiet?” Val’s question pulled her back to the here and now.
Paige tried to deflect. “Oh, no reason.”
“Uh-huh. You got a weird look on your face when I mentioned Lisa,” Val said.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yep, you did. You have questions, I can tell.”
“Why would I have questions? Your personal life is your business,” Paige replied, alarmed at where this conversation was going.
“I think you’re wondering why I got with Lisa, or why I didn’t stay with Lisa.”
Paige was beyond uncomfortable. “Val, please.”
“I want to tell you about it. Maybe if I do, I won’t feel so weird around her.” Val took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “On the last anniversary of Abuelita’s death, I was having a particularly rough time. I needed to get out of the house, so I went down to Pony’s. I was shooting tequila, just to forget. Lisa started talking to me, and the next thing I knew, I was in her bed. The next morning, she suggested we get together again, sober. We did, but she was way more interested in me than I was in her. Plus, I felt like an emotional train wreck and had no business leading anyone on. So I let her down as gently as I could. She got mad and said I’d just used her. It wasn’t like that, but she wouldn’t believe me. That service plan review meeting was the first time I’d seen her since.”
“You didn’t need to tell me all that, Val,” Paige said after a moment.
“I know, but I’m not proud of it, and it’s important to me that you know I don’t go around picking up strange women all the time. And Lisa is definitely not my type.”
“Val…”
“You’re such a good person, Paige. I just don’t want you to have a bad impression of me.”
Val’s earnestness was so adorable, Paige just wanted to wrap her up in a hug. Instead, she said, “Thank you for your honesty, but that story doesn’t change my opinion of you, which happens to be very positive. If anything, the way you handled Lisa shows integrity. So now that Lisa is off your chest, literally and figuratively, can we move on?”
Val looked at her, wide-eyed, then burst out laughing.
Chapter Fourteen
The parking lot was packed when Val, Sasha, and Jen arrived at the bar, and they ended up having to park three blocks down the street. Priscilla’s Holiday Musical Revue at Pony’s always drew a huge crowd, and Val was looking forward to her first night out since getting the kids. At the last foster parent support group, Ellen had graciously offered to babysit, and she’d brought along a plate of her famous brownies. Lily and Ian liked her instantly.
As they neared the door of the bar, Val felt herself smiling. She loved this event—part drag show, part coffee house, part musical theater, but always a great time. She normally wasn’t a fan of squeezing into small spaces with tons of loud, sweaty people, but she made an exception for Priscilla’s.
“Babe, wait till you see this show,” Sasha was telling Jen, as they stood in line to get in.
“Yeah,” Val agreed, “last year they had this drag king a cappella group that sounded just like Pentatonix. They were unbelievable.”
“Can’t wait,” Jen said, giving Sasha’s arm a two-handed squeeze.
When they finally got inside, it took a while to find a spot, but Val finally found some standing room near a pillar to the left of the stage while Sasha and Jen went to the bar.
When Sasha returned, drinks in hand, she barely fit in the area Val had tried to keep open for them. “Jen went to the bathroom. Hope she can find her way back over. Damn, this is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen here.”
“I know. Every year we tell ourselves we’re going to get here early enough to get a seat,” Val replied, enviously eying the people sitting comfortably at several round tables set up on the dance floor. “Why do we never seem to pull that off?”
Sasha shrugged, searching the crowd for Jen. After several minutes, she caught sight of her and waved her over.
“Holy crap. That was an adventure,” Jen said, scooting in under Sasha’s arm and taking her drink.
Just then, the lights dimmed, and a cheer went up from the crowd. A garishly dressed emcee took the stage, and the spectacle began.
Val kept her back to the pillar, which hel
ped a little to keep people from bumping into her. She had already taken note of all possible exits, and every few minutes, she scanned the audience, her instincts on high alert for trouble. Sasha and Jen were in front of her, arms entwined, as the performer onstage sang “Santa Baby.” Val watched them, noticing their little touches of affection, how they looked at each other with such emotion. She was startled by a sharp twinge in her chest, and she looked away, confused.
As a reincarnation of the Village People took the stage, Val tapped Sasha on the shoulder.
“Hold my spot.”
Wading through the sea of bodies, Val felt like people were watching her, but she avoided meeting anyone’s eyes. She made it to the line for the bathroom and waited until, finally, she closed herself into a stall. Taking a deep breath, she willed her heart rate to slow down. Her anxiety was up tonight—not unusual in large crowds—but Val was feeling something else. She thought about her reaction to the closeness between Sasha and Jen.
Am I jealous? No…I’m so happy for Sasha. She deserves a good relationship. So what’s my problem then?
Val put the thought aside as she washed her hands and exited the bathroom. As she began to squeeze through the crowd, a flash of shimmery color caught her eye. A woman was walking just ahead of her, and her holly-green dress stood out in the crowd of people dressed predominantly in black, white, and denim. Val admired the woman, from her blond hair swept up off her elegant neck in a French twist, to the deep dip in the dress that exposed her slender back, to the very shapely bottom that moved enticingly, right down to the lovely calves made more defined by a pair of three-inch heels. Val watched as the woman made her way to a front-row table occupied by four others and sat, her back still to Val.
It had been a long time since she’d been out with a beautiful woman. That was it. Maybe I’m just feeling a little lonely.
* * *
Paige was having a terrific time. When Joe and his husband had invited her and a couple more of their coworkers out tonight, she had hesitated. She hadn’t been out to the bar for years, and it brought back some not-so-happy memories of her last girlfriend. Joe had insisted that she’d have a blast, though, so she’d dressed up and come along. The show had been great so far, and Paige let herself relax and enjoy the bar’s festive atmosphere.
A twenty-minute intermission was announced, and Joe got up to refresh everyone’s drinks. His husband, Charlie, scooched his chair closer to Paige.
“So what do you think, honey? Glad you came out with us tonight?”
“Yes, I am, actually,” Paige replied with a smile. “Being a single mom doesn’t allow for too many nights like this.”
“Well, I’m glad you could come, then.” Gesturing toward their other two tablemates with his chin, Charlie whispered, “What’s their story?”
Paige looked at Summer and Kristie, two young junior caseworkers in her department. They had been only inches apart all night and seemingly oblivious to everything else around them. Summer whispered something in Kristie’s ear, making her giggle.
“I think it’s safe to say they’re an item.”
“What about you?” Charlie asked. “Forgive the clichéd line, but what’s a beautiful woman like you doing alone tonight?”
Paige’s cheeks heated, from both pleasure at the compliment and embarrassment at the sad state of her social life. She tried to blow it off.
“You know, single mom thing again. Don’t have time for drama or to get to know someone new.”
Charlie snorted. “Uh-huh. Let me guess—you’ve been burned.”
“Something like that.” Paige fiddled with her wineglass, not meeting Charlie’s eyes.
“Oh, honey, you can’t imagine how many awful experiences I had before I met Joe. But he was worth the wait.”
“Who was worth the wait?” Joe asked, appearing with drinks in hand.
“You, handsome,” Charlie said, laughing. “I was just telling our lovely Paige here that I went through lots of duds before I found true love.” He grasped Paige’s hands in his own. “Don’t let some woman, who clearly was an idiot for not seeing how terrific you are, keep you from finding Ms. Right.”
“After all this time, I honestly wouldn’t know where to begin,” Paige protested. “Being single is just easier.”
“Bull honky,” Joe declared. “Anything worth doing takes effort. I bet there are plenty of nice women out there if you’d take a chance.”
“I’ve even noticed several women tonight checking you out,” Charlie put in.
“Oh, come on.” Paige laughed. “You’re exaggerating.”
“I am not.” Charlie put his hand to his chest, affronted. “In fact, that delicious-looking woman behind you in those fabulous boots has been eyeing you for quite a while.”
Paige turned around and scanned the crowd. She saw the woman, in knee-high black boots, tight black pants, and a gauzy, see-through white blouse over a low-cut red tank top. When her eyes focused on the face, Paige gasped. The delicious-looking woman was Val.
* * *
Val was having fun people watching from the relative safety of her pillar, but her gaze continually scanned back to the woman in the green dress. She hadn’t even gotten a glimpse of her face yet, but every other part of her was stunning. The short, bald man she was talking to suddenly nodded in her direction, and the woman turned around.
Oh my God. Paige. Val felt like she couldn’t breathe until Paige smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgment. She’s stunning.
All the people milling around kept getting in the way of Val’s line of sight, and although her feet remained rooted to their spot, Paige’s smile beckoned. Finally, she moved, slowly making her way around tables and chairs and people until she stood behind Paige’s seat. Paige rose, her smile widening.
“Hi, Val.”
“Paige, hi. You look…incredible.”
“Thanks.” A blush rose on Paige’s lovely cheeks, making her even more beautiful. “You look pretty incredible yourself.”
Val smiled, and they just gazed at each other like shy schoolkids.
“Haven’t I met you before?” A man’s voice interrupted the moment, and Val broke eye contact with Paige in time to see the man who’d drawn Paige’s attention to her swat the larger man on the arm.
“Oh, sorry,” Paige said. “Joe, Charlie, meet Valerie Cruz. You met at the foster care picnic, remember, Joe?”
“Right, right. You’re a new foster parent.”
“Yes,” Val said, summoning her social etiquette. “Good to see you again, Joe.” She shook his hand, then extended hers to the man with him.
“I’m Charlie, Joe’s better half,” he said. “So nice to meet you.” He grabbed Joe’s arm. “Look, babe, there’s some people we need to go talk to.” As he led the bewildered-looking Joe away, he smiled at Val. “Take my seat, honey.”
Val sat down as Paige chuckled. “Charlie’s a trip, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. They seem like nice guys.”
“Oh, they’re the best. So,” Paige said, fingering the silver pendant that rested on her chest, “you came to see the show?” She cringed inwardly. Duh.
Val grinned. “Yep. My friend Sasha and I always try to make it every year. She’s over there somewhere,” she gestured at the crowd, “probably making out with her girlfriend. They do that a lot.”
“Joe insisted I come to the show, since I’d never seen it before,” Paige replied. “The evening hasn’t disappointed so far.” In more ways than one.
The lights flickered, indicating the end of intermission. Folks from the surrounding tables reclaimed their seats, and Val scooted her chair closer to Paige to make room. The next act took the stage, and they settled in to watch. Paige was almost painfully aware of Val, how their knees nearly touched, how she could feel the heat from Val’s arm draped casually over the back of her chair. She hadn’t had that feeling in a very long time.
Val laughed aloud at the comic onstage, and Paige turned to study her profile. Her
dark hair framed her face in long waves, softening her high cheekbones and long straight nose. Full lips parted in a smile, creating a tiny dimple in Val’s cheek. Paige’s eyes traveled down Val’s throat to the swell of her breasts not covered by the red top, and she bit her lip as a rush of arousal came over her.
“God, this guy’s a riot,” Val said, turning to look at Paige. Busted, her eyes shot up to meet Val’s amused gaze. Her cheeks had to be bright red, judging from the heat burning them. Paige hoped the lights were sufficiently dim to hide her embarrassment.
Val touched Paige’s far shoulder. “Are you having a good time?”
Paige nodded. “Yes.”
“Good,” Val replied, leaving her fingers lightly resting on Paige’s bare arm.
Paige tried to process all the thoughts flying through her head. Was Val flirting? Circumstances prevented anything romantic from happening, and she thought they’d come to terms with that. They were becoming friends, and even that challenged Paige’s professional boundaries a bit. But Paige hadn’t enjoyed being around another person so much in maybe forever, and this, right now, felt amazing. Willing herself to just be in the moment for once, she leaned ever so slightly into Val’s touch.
* * *
“There you are.” Val turned around at Sasha’s words. “Thought you’d up and left us.”
“Nope, just got lucky to find a seat.”
“And who is this lovely lady?” Sasha was smiling at Paige.
“Sasha, this is Paige Wellington, the caseworker for the kids. Paige, this is Sasha Thomas, my best friend.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Sasha said, shaking Paige’s hand. She quirked an eyebrow at Val, questioning.
“We just happened to run into each other. Weird, huh?” Val fidgeted with her shirt sleeve. “Where’s Jen?”
“She decided to brave the bathroom line again. That was a great show, right?”
“There’s definitely a lot of talented people in this town,” Paige said. “Can’t believe I’d never heard of this event before.”
Taking Chances Page 8