Adopted: Family in a Million. Barbara McMahon

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СКАЧАТЬ nodded. “That’s what happened to me. One minute my husband was alive and on his way home from work, the next dead when a drunk driver ran a red light and killed him. No warning. No time for goodbyes.”

      He glanced at her but she watched Danny. The aching grief was never far away. “That must have been tough. Especially with a child.”

      She nodded. “But we’re getting by,” she said— to convince Zack or herself?

      Zack had taken a chance that Susan Johnson would bring Danny to the park this morning. The weather forecast had been for a warm day and he hoped she was in the habit of letting her son play outside. He’d read the entire newspaper and about given up when he’d seen them cross the street. Patience was not a virtue he considered he had. But it had paid off today.

      And luck, as well, when she joined him on the bench. There were other empty spots she could have chosen. He was glad she sat beside him.

      The more she spoke, the more he wanted to know about her. There was sadness in her eyes. She still grieved her husband. But when she looked at Danny, she seemed to light up inside.

      How would it feel to have someone look at him that way? He hoped his mother had at least one time, but he would never know. He’d never met a woman who loved him. He wasn’t sure it was possible. There had to be something wrong with someone who had been abandoned by his parents, shuffled around in foster care and unable to make a lasting commitment.

      Zack frowned. That wasn’t true. He had made a commitment to work and stuck by it despite the real hardships and uncomfortable—even dangerous— living conditions.

      But relationships were different.

      He hadn’t even warranted a note from Alesia telling him about his son.

      He shifted slightly, trying to ease the ache in his back. He was stiffening up. He needed to walk again. But he hated to leave. He might never get another opportunity like this to speak with the woman who was now mother to his child.

      There was so much to find out.

      “Are you staying nearby?” Susan asked.

      He nodded. “In a small hotel.” Nearby was relative. The hotel was certainly closer than his work site. It required a subway ride and a walk of several blocks, but he wasn’t going to tell her that if he didn’t need to.

      “I wish I knew of someone subletting an apartment or something,” she said. “It has to be costly to stay in a hotel, no matter how modest.”

      Zack decided not to tell her the company was picking up the expenses. All medical costs as well. Then what she said registered. She would suggest a place for him to sublet? Close enough he might see Susan and Danny again? He hadn’t thought about getting to know them. He’d only wanted to make sure his son was healthy and happy.

      He had at least two more months, maybe longer, before the doctor would certify him for work. He could spend some of it here—with the woman beside him and his son.

      “I appreciate the thought,” he said.

      She frowned. “I’ll ask around. There has to be something, though sublets get snapped up fast. Housing is so expensive here.”

      “Why not move to a more affordable place?”

      “This is the closest apartment to the UN I could afford. I don’t want to spend any more time away from Danny than I have to, which moving out farther would entail.”

      He hadn’t thought about that. There was a lot more involved to family life than he’d originally considered. Maybe he should look for a sublet closer to the UN, in a nicer neighborhood, and then give it to Susan when he left.

      “I guess you won’t be here long enough for a sublet,” she mused.

      “Another two or three months. If someone was traveling or something, I could house-sit. But not for longer than that.”

      “I’ll let you know if I hear anything,” she said. “How can I reach you?”

      Zack started to say just look for me here every day, but thought better of it. He reached into his pocket for his wallet, withdrawing one of his business cards. He stared at it. He couldn’t remember the phone number of the hotel and if he told her the name she’d know it wasn’t that close.

      He looked at her. “I don’t remember the hotel number. Tell you what, I’ll get a cell phone later today and if you’re here tomorrow, give that number to you.” He held out his card to her. “In the meantime, this is information about the company I work for. In emergencies, they can always contact employees. They know where we are.”

      “Okay.” She smiled and then took the card. The company was a well-known construction firm that built large-scale buildings, dams and roads worldwide.

      For a moment Susan wanted to give her number to this stranger. She’d run into him briefly yesterday and then again today. She didn’t know him from Adam, but he had helped her yesterday. He didn’t know where she lived, so couldn’t be following her. If he were staying around here, this park was a nice place to sit in the sunshine.

      He interested her in a way a man hadn’t in a long time.

      She felt suddenly alive around him.

      Blinking, she looked away. For some reason he seemed more confident and secure than the men she usually saw on a daily basis—without being overbearing or arrogant.

      She checked on Danny again and then looked around at the other benches occupied with parents and others visiting the park. She always kept watch to make sure Danny was safe. Today she’d forgotten to pay attention to Danny every second. He was fine, but it was unlike her to forget him even for a second.

      Being with Zack stirred her senses and made her more curious than warranted. And had her offering to help where no help was asked for. Maybe he liked living in a hotel. Why had she opened her mouth and made such an impulsive offer? It was unlike her. Or at least the her she’d been the last couple of years.

      Susan waved to Danny when he yelled to her. He ran over, eyeing Zack suspiciously.

      “Come and have a drink of water. You’ve been running around so much,” she said, drawing a bottle of water from her tote.

      “Who is that?” Danny asked, staring at Zack.

      “The man who helped me look for you yesterday, remember? Zack Morgan,” Susan said.

      Danny drank his water and then smiled. “Hi,” he said.

      “Hi yourself,” Zack replied. He studied the child for a moment then smiled. “You like the slides I can tell.”

      “Yes. I can climb up all by myself and then go down. Watch.” Danny thrust the water back at Susan and ran back to the slide, waiting his turn to mount the stairs and slide down. He looked at Zack with pride.

      Zack made a thumbs-up sign.

      “He’s so proud of his accomplishments,” Susan said. “I keep hoping he’ll adjust to his father’s death. He keeps looking for Tom whenever we go out.”

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