Katie Meyer - The Groom's Little Girls

“No, I guess it doesn’t. Fine, then, let’s say you decide to do this. What do you have to do to be a foster parent?”

“I don’t know. Yet.” She pulled out her phone and did an internet search for “Palmetto County foster parent” and found the page for the Department of Children and Families. Scanning quickly, she found a section about emergency and temporary placements. “It looks like I might be able to get clearance more quickly, given that I already have a relationship with him. And I’ve been through most of the background checks as part of the guardian ad litem program. But I’ll call his social worker and see what she says. I want to have things in place before he leaves the Cunninghams.” She looked up at him. “I’ll make this work. I won’t let him go to a group home. I won’t let him down.” There was nothing worse than having the people you trusted turn their backs on you. She’d learned that lesson too well, and part of her would never be the same. If she could protect whatever hope Kevin had left, whatever belief he had in good winning out over evil, she would.

Tyler shook his head. “What scares me is, I’m starting to believe it. Now go. Make it happen before I come to my senses and try to talk you out of it.”

“Thanks!” Impulsively she leaned in and hugged him, then froze, expecting the panic to set in. Instead, she felt a pulse of lightning shoot through her, lighting up nerves that had lain dormant so long she’d forgotten what they were for. Heat and confusion filled her head, leaving her dizzy as she pulled back. “I’ve got to go...call the social worker.”

Tyler nodded, stepping away from her. “And I’ve got inventory to unpack. But, Dani?”

“Yes?” Her pulse sped. Had she overstepped with the hug? Had he read something in to it?

“Never mind. Just...good luck.”

Chapter Four

Dani spent the car ride back to her office purposely not thinking about the hug. Or about the way her body had reacted. Or about how good he had felt. Heck, he’d even smelled good. But she wasn’t thinking about that. It was inappropriate, with him being Kevin’s mentor and her being his guardian ad litem. Instead, she should just focus on the fact that she hadn’t freaked out. That was a major breakthrough, and a sign that the therapist she’d been seeing was worth the time and stress of driving to the mainland every other week. Seeing one of the few therapists in Paradise was out of the question; inevitably someone would have seen her coming or going into the office and asked questions she didn’t want to answer. Or worse, would have asked her family about it, and she didn’t want them to know anything about what had happened. She was an adult, and it was her issue to handle. And if her reaction to Tyler was any indication, she was making progress.

But a fleeting attraction, as heartening as it was, wasn’t an excuse to get sidetracked. Right now she needed to focus on Kevin, and his situation. Which meant as soon as she got to her desk she needed to call his social worker. Pulling into the small parking lot, she spied several unfamiliar cars. Good, that meant her parents would be busy and wouldn’t want to chat about where she’d been or what she was up to. She’d fill them in on the Kevin situation once she had more information. After Tyler’s initial reaction, she didn’t want to risk any more negativity.

Once inside she blinked at the cool dimness, letting her eyes adjust from the bright tropical sun outside. Her mom, on the phone as always, waved hello, then pointed at her father’s office. Dani shook her head; she didn’t have time to schmooze a client right now. It wasn’t like her father needed her legal advice; he just liked showing off his eldest daughter to clients, taking pleasure in promoting the firm as a family affair. Cute, but today wasn’t the day for it.

She had almost made it to her own office when she heard a door open behind her. Crap. She was caught.

“Dani, there you are! I’ve got someone here I want you to meet.”

She turned slowly, forcing a smile to her face. Standing next to her father was a man about her own age, dressed in the Florida version of country-club casual: a golf shirt, neatly pressed khakis and boat shoes. Flashing her a brilliant smile that showcased perfect teeth, he stepped toward her, hand outstretched. “Hello, Dani. Your father’s told me a lot about you.”

He stepped into her space, and without thinking she stepped backward, her foot hitting the closed door of her office. Sweat trickled between her breasts. Damn it, and here she’d been congratulating herself on making progress with her fears. Clamping down on the adrenaline thrumming through her body, she shook his hand and reminded herself her father was in the room; she was totally safe. He’d done nothing wrong, other than to move in a bit too quickly, and a bit too close. But that was typical with alpha males, especially in the business world. “Nice to meet you, um—”

“Sorry, Richard. Richard Thompson. Your father’s helping me with a trust I’m setting up.”

“That’s great.” Unable to stand it any longer, she eased around him, moving into the center of the room, where she had space to breathe and an open view of the front door.

“Richard is setting up a charitable trust, as a matter of fact. Very praiseworthy for a single man his age, I have to say.”

The emphasis her father put on the word single sent a new kind of fear through her. Was her father playing matchmaker? Seriously?

“Your father told me about your work with the guardian ad litem program. It seems we share a common interest in philanthropy. Maybe we could have dinner sometime, and see what else we have in common.”

Well, at least he didn’t beat around the bush. It was definitely a setup. Too bad the offer held as much interest as an emergency root canal. “Sounds lovely, but I’m afraid I’m a bit swamped at the moment. In fact, I’m late for a phone meeting right now. If you’ll excuse me...” She moved purposefully back toward her office, forcing him to move out of the way.

“Of course.” Mr. Charitable Trust graciously nodded and moved back to her father, who looked puzzled by her behavior, but was too polite to say anything. Meanwhile her mother had finally gotten off the phone and was watching the entire scene like it was her favorite telenovela. So much for keeping business business.

Closing the door behind her, she locked it for good measure, and then leaned heavily against the cool wood, waiting for her breathing to return to normal.

She’d definitely panicked out there, but she’d stayed in control, and she’d handled it. Her therapist would be proud.

It was strange, though, how different her reaction was to Tyler. Of course, she knew Tyler. He wasn’t a stranger. And she’d initiated the contact. That was probably why.

Thinking of the encounter with Tyler reminded her of Kevin, and the reason she’d rushed back to the office so quickly. Moving to her desk, she grabbed a fresh legal pad and picked up the phone.

“Hi, this is Dani Post. May I speak to Elaine, please? Tell her it’s about Kevin. I think I’ve found a foster home for him.”

* * *

Tyler threw his energy into unpacking the boxes of wooden blocks that he’d started to unload earlier, hoping to quiet his mind with some good old physical labor. But no matter how fast or how hard he worked, he couldn’t get Dani off of his mind. She was infuriating, that was for sure. So sure she knew what was right, and full of self-righteousness. But as annoying as she could be, that wasn’t what was bothering him. No, it wasn’t her words or her attitude haunting him; it was the way she’d felt in his arms. One impulsive hug shouldn’t have gotten under his skin, into his head. But it had.