The Groom's Little Girls. Katie Meyer

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СКАЧАТЬ be the first step. You said it yourself—he needs a real home, stability.”

      “You’re insane.”

      “I am not.” Okay, so it was a bit impulsive, but there was no logical reason she couldn’t do this. “I’ve got a steady job, a two-bedroom apartment, and he likes me.”

      Tyler laughed, a harsh, cynical sound. “And you think that’s all it takes to be a parent? An extra bedroom and a source of income?”

      “No, but it’s a start.” She’d thought he’d be supportive, excited even, at the prospect of Kevin getting out of foster care. Obviously she’d misjudged him. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have come here. Obviously you don’t care what happens to him. Why should you? He’s just some punk kid who broke the law.” Anger and disappointment washed over her, threatening to coalesce into tears. And she never cried. Certainly not in public. Turning for the door, she bit her lip and reminded herself that Tyler’s opinion meant nothing to her. Why she kept trusting men when they kept letting her down, she had no idea. When it came to the opposite sex, her judgment sucked.

      A hand on her arm spun her back, Tyler’s face only inches from hers. “That’s what you’ve got wrong. I do care, and that’s why I think this is a bad idea. You have no idea what you are getting into, taking in a kid like Kevin. It’s not going to be fun and games. It’s going to be hard and ugly. And when it gets to be too much you’ll leave him, and he’ll be worse off than before. So, sorry if I’m not going to be your biggest cheerleader when you treat fostering a child with the same amount of thought as an impulse purchase at the mall. He’s a human being, not a designer purse you can replace next season.”

      She clutched her purse and narrowed her eyes. “I know that. And I have no intention of replacing him, or whatever it is you’re implying. I don’t quit, ever. If I start something, I finish it.”

      “You do know Kevin isn’t a thing, or a task to be accomplished—he’s a person.”

      “Of course I do.” Wasn’t that the whole reason she was doing this? To help someone who couldn’t help himself?

      “For his sake, I hope so.”

      “You have no idea who I am, or what I’m capable of.” She’d meant what she said: she wasn’t a quitter. At least she hadn’t been, until her life got turned upside down. In her own mind, she needed to still be the strong woman she’d always prided herself on being.

      “I know that trying to parent a troubled kid isn’t in the same league as studying for entrance exams or getting through law school. Like I said, you have no idea what you are getting into.”

      Frustration and something else fired through her. “Well then, why don’t you help me? If you’re such an expert, you can make sure I get it right.”

      “Whoa, slow down. I’m not getting involved. This is your idea, not mine. I don’t want any part of this crazy plan.”

      “All talk, no action, huh?”

      He glared. “I’m just being realistic.”

      She glared right back. She’d had plenty of practice handling alpha males in court and had no intention of letting this one intimidate her. “Realistic or cynical?”

      A flash of pain illuminated his eyes before his expression hardened, locking out any trace of emotion. “In my experience it’s the same thing. Crap happens, and all the good intentions in the world can’t change that.”

      “Of course not. But surely that’s a good place to start.” She’d been let down when people who should have helped had turned a blind eye. She wouldn’t do that to Kevin.

      He stayed silent, as if weighing her words, before finally shrugging in half-hearted acceptance. “Maybe. But I’m serious—you can’t just go upending his life on a whim. You have to be sure. Being a single parent is the hardest thing there is, and that’s true even when it’s your biological child.”

      She counted to ten silently. He wasn’t trying to make her mad, and he had some good points. But just because it was hard didn’t mean it wasn’t the right decision. Surely he could understand that. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. “I believe you. I can’t imagine what you or any single parent goes through. And I know this will be hard. But if I can do it, if I can keep him from going into a group home, and make things easier for him, then I should at least try.” She knew what it was like, to feel insignificant, as if you were at the mercy of a system you had no hope of changing. No one had stood up for her, but she could be there for Kevin. Her throat tightened with emotion. “Tyler, I can’t just watch his life be disrupted again, and not do anything about it. I can’t.”

      Tense silence met her plea, and then he let out a labored sigh. “Damn it. You don’t make anything easy, do you?”

      “Easy doesn’t mean right.” She’d taken the easy way out by coming home, and it kept her up at night. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

      “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.”

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