Jenna Mindel - The Deputy's New Family

“After you, Mr. Grey.” Beth stood and waited for him to do the same.

His appetite was pretty much gone, leveled flat by Beth’s concerns and the half-dozen cookies he’d ingested earlier. He’d make room, though.

As they walked away from the swing, Nick couldn’t get the conversation out of his head. Corey had issues with reading. His boy had enough stress in his life—he didn’t need more. As his father, Nick didn’t want Corey to feel like a failure or be ashamed of his lack of skill with words. His kid was smart. He’d always been good with numbers.

Before they reached the door that would take them back inside, Nick stalled Beth with the touch of his hand to her arm. “Whatever I need to do to help Corey, let me know.”

“Mr. Grey—”

He cut her off. “He can’t be held back.”

Her eyes widened.

Nick softened his tone. “This is important.”

“Of course it is. All my students are important.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

She held up her hand. “I know, Mr. Grey. We’ll do everything we can.”

“Thank you.” But Nick had the sinking feeling that Corey’s second-grade teacher had already written the boy off as a lost cause for this year. That didn’t sit well. Nick had succeeded in getting some really bad guys off the streets, but at what cost?

Walking into the house, Nick was struck by the sound of his son chattering about baseball with Mary Ryken as they set the table.

“My mom’s a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan,” Beth said.

Nick nodded. Corey loved baseball. They used to watch games together on TV. One more thing they hadn’t done in a long time. But all that would change, starting today with bringing his son to the Ryken house. He’d made a good move.

For Corey and maybe, with time, him, too.

Chapter Three

“Here, Corey, try this one.” Beth handed him a beginning-level reader book about puppies.

Corey glanced at her and then cracked the cover. He stared at the page, muttered a couple of correctly read words and then pushed the book away. “I don’t feel like reading.”

She smiled at him, knowing this was the excuse he hid behind. “It’ll get better with practice. I promise.”

“Can I go across the street now?”

“Let’s get through this book first.”

The boy slumped lower in his chair.

“I know you can do it, Corey. And I’m here to help. Let’s try again.”

The boy let out a sigh and picked the book back up. Hearing the kid stumble over several words in a row, Beth’s heart sank. Her suspicions had been correct. Corey Grey was nowhere near a second-grade reading level. “Let’s sound this word out....”

It took a while to get through only a few pages. Beth was glad she’d called her mom before they’d even started and let her know that Corey was going to hang out with her after school. This was going to take patience, something she wasn’t sure Corey’s father had.

Nick Grey’s reaction to Beth’s concerns a few days ago still bothered her. He’d displayed such vehemence that his boy pass second grade. Was it a pride thing? Nick seemed to have more depth than that. She hoped he did.

Holding back a child to repeat a grade was openly debated within the LeNaro school district. Beth believed in some cases the hard choice was needed. Might even be needed here. But she wouldn’t get Nick’s cooperation, that was for sure. He wasn’t offering up any information about Corey’s old school, either. Beth called to rush those transcripts. The sooner she reviewed what was there, the sooner she’d figure out what to do. And find out why Nick had allowed his son to be pulled out.

She couldn’t ignore Corey’s failure to meet reading benchmarks, move him forward and hope for the best. The chances of him becoming more lost and falling further behind were too great. He excelled with math, proving the boy both was bright and could see. The need for glasses wasn’t the issue here. So why did he lag so far behind in reading? What had he missed? And more important, could he catch up before the end of the school year?

By the time Beth and Corey finished the book and made their way to Beth’s home across the street, Beth knew it’d take a lot of work to get Corey reading where he should. She had a theory, though. If she was correct, maybe they could go back and fix what Corey had missed.

“What took you two so long?” Beth’s mom was decked out in a ruffled apron she’d purchased off a home-shopping show.

Beth smiled at Corey. “We were working.”

Corey didn’t look amused. Frustrated for sure.

Her mom clicked her tongue. “Corey, did you have anything to eat since lunch?”

“No.”

“Well, dinner’s almost ready. Go wash up and we’ll eat right away. Your dad called. He’ll be a little late.”

Beth watched the boy do as her mother asked without hesitation, before she let loose her irritation. “This better not become a habit.”

Her mom lifted her chin. “What are you talking about?”

“Corey’s dad being late.”

Her mother gave her a hard look. “That’s between him and me. He promised to pay me extra when he’s late.”

Beth sighed. She couldn’t really argue with that. Her father used to be late a lot, too. At least Nick had called.

“So why’d you keep Corey at school so long? The poor kid needs an afternoon snack.”

Beth scrunched her nose. How much could she really share with her mom? “We were reading.”

“He’s behind, isn’t he?”

Beth’s eyes widened. “How’d you know?”

Her mom shrugged as her gaze shifted behind her before she focused back on Beth. “Set the table, would you? Corey, you can help.”

The boy had returned. Reason enough for her mother’s quick change of subject. But still, how’d she know? And if it was that easy for her mother to figure it out, why hadn’t Nick? Or Corey’s grandparents? Even worse, why hadn’t someone done something to help the child?

Beth set the table, letting the dishes clunk hard as she laid them down.

Corey gave her a quick look with wide eyes. “Are you mad?”

That question stopped her cold. It wasn’t exactly fear she read in his face but something close to it. Almost as if he’d braced for impact. It made her sick to ponder the implications of that single glance from a sad-eyed seven-year-old.

She wouldn’t jump to conclusions. Not before reading those reports from Corey’s previous school, if they ever got here.

Beth smiled, feeling like a heel. “No. I’m not mad. More irritated that I have to set the table, something I don’t like to do, but I shouldn’t take it out on the plates, huh?”

Corey surprised her with a big grin. The fear was gone, replaced by a sardonic expression that looked much too old for the child giving it. He looked so much like his dad. “They could break.”

Beth grinned back. Had she read way too much into Corey’s expression? “I suppose my mom wouldn’t like it if I broke her dishes.”

“No.” Corey shook his head. “I don’t think she would.”

Beth watched him lay down forks and knives around each plate. He’d been through a lot at a young age, but were there additional concerns she should worry about?

A fierce sense of protection for Corey filled her. She’d find out, real quick. Starting with the boy’s father.

* * *

Nick pulled into Mary Ryken’s driveway. A few raindrops splashed against the windshield of his patrol car, promising more soon. He got out and rushed for the front porch and made it before the deluge.

Beth Ryken came out looking darker than the rain clouds overhead. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

That sounded like trouble. She looked stern. Still beautiful, though. Always beautiful. He took a deep breath. “Hey, sorry I’m late. I had to finish up the paperwork of an arrest.”