I stepped around the back of the truck, and her gaze immediately connected with mine. "Hi," she said.

"Hey." I returned the smile and looked at Maria. She was watching my reaction closely. "Everything okay?" I asked.

Nicole looked back over at Maria and smiled. "Yeah, it's all good. I just recognized your truck and stopped to wish you both the best."

I continued to observe the two of them. It really wasn't a comfortable feeling having Nicole this close to Maria. Even though my girl looked unaffected, I knew that Nicole was just taking the opportunity to size her up. My ex-wife, and I say 'ex' with great enjoyment, always has a hidden agenda.

Pulling away and seeing Nicole waving in my rearview mirror while Maria looked out through the windshield was an odd turn of events.

I was leaving behind my past, only to move forward with my future.

Chapter Twenty-One.

We returned from Savannah a week ago. The relationship between Maria and me had hit a very comfortable level. The tainted past we had shared had now become something we have grown from. We actually treasure the moments we have together; they mean so much more to the both of us.

Today I had my first meeting with the boys' home, where Mikey is currently living. I had called at the beginning of the week, hoping to get in sooner, but it didn't go as planned.

It was amazing the number of things you had to provide when attempting to become a mentor for a child, who was currently a ward of the state. I didn't let it stop me, I willingly offered every bit of information they needed. When the background checks came through clean, along with everything else, I got approval.

I pulled my truck into the parking lot of the brick building, which looked nothing like a real home. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the glove and baseball from the pa.s.senger seat. I had stopped by the sporting goods store on the way to pick them up, hoping Mikey would like playing catch. It was something that Pop and I shared as I grew up, and I wanted to share that with the little boy who reminded me so much of myself.

Pausing at the front door just before pulling it open, I took in a deep breath.

The lobby was stale and plain-very unwelcoming and slightly depressing.

"Can I help you, sir?" a raspy voice asked from my left. Looking over, I found a gray-haired woman with cat-framed eyegla.s.ses. She glared at me as if I had just interrupted her most favorite soap opera.

"Yes, actually you can, I'm here to meet with Sadie Easton. I'm a few minutes early." The woman looked down at the items I held in my hand, never once offering a smile or friendly welcome.

She walked over to the desk and hit a b.u.t.ton on her phone. The soft voice of a woman filled the silence. "Yes."

"You have someone here to see you," the cranky old lady answered firmly.

"Be nice to him, Elle; he is here to see Mikey. I'll be right out." The kind woman a.s.sured her, and then the silence once again set in.

The woman gestured toward the waiting area, and I took a seat without meeting her stare.

I wasn't sure how long I had waited, but when the familiar sound of heels clicking filled the room, I let out a sigh of relief. Help was on the way, and I would be free of the cranky woman with the scary glare.

"Mr. Tennison?" a much sweeter voice questioned. I looked up and found a tall, slender woman with long dark hair. She was smiling at me in a welcoming manner, and I was instantly captured by her almost aqua-colored eyes.

"Yes, I'm Gavin." I stood from the chair and held my hand out to hers. She shook it gently.

"If you'll follow me, I have just a few forms that need your signature. After that, I will take you back to spend some time with Mikey." She led me from the room, and I chanced a glance back at Elle, who was still skeptically watching me.

"You'll have to excuse Elle; she actually retired a month and a half ago. We recently hired another girl for the front desk, but she walked out at the beginning of the week without notice. Needless to say, Elle wasn't happy that I begged her to fill in for the next couple of weeks." I followed her back to a small office, where I took a seat at the table.

"She wasn't too bad," I lied.

"Yeah, and you're not a very good liar." Sadie smiled as she pulled a file from her desk drawer.

We spent the next ten minutes going over the rules of the boys' home. I was not allowed to take Mikey off of the grounds. I was also told that no pictures of any kind were allowed.

When she led me in to what looked like a generic version of an entertainment room, my heart sank. I couldn't imagine having to grow up in a home of this sort, without the love of a mother or a father. There were rooms off to the sides of the main room, and taking the time to look inside them, I found bunk beds lining the walls. It looked as if four or maybe six boys shared each room. My heart once again ached at the thought of it all.

The main room was filled with tables that held board games. The shelves held books and other sources of entertainment. A large television sat in the corner of the room, playing an animated movie. A group of younger kids all piled around it, watching it closely. Another television on the opposite side of the room had some sort of video games playing on it, which the bigger kids watched.

Sadie stopped abruptly and I ran into the back of her, steadying myself by grabbing her arm. "I'm so sorry," I said, and she smiled back at me.

"No problem," she replied, and the tone of her voice was a little too seductive. I forced a firm smile and nodded my head.

She turned back to face a table of boys, and in the center, I found the sad little boy I had seen just over two weeks ago.

"Mikey, you have a visitor." Sadie spoke to him, but I couldn't remove my eyes from his. "Do you remember me mentioning a visitor coming to see you yesterday?" she asked and he nodded. "Gavin came to spend some time with you. Would you like that?" He once again nodded before standing from the table.

I held up the glove and baseball. "Wanna play catch?" I asked and, if I wasn't mistaken, a trace of a small smile touched his lips. He nodded his head, and I followed him to an exit sign across the room, above a door.

I looked back at Sadie for rea.s.surance, who nodded her head in agreement.

The doorway led out to a courtyard area in the center of the surrounding building. It held two basketball hoops and a small playground. Running along the side of the basketball court was a long gra.s.sy area.

Mikey stopped just before he reached the gra.s.s and turned slightly. Looking back over his shoulder. "Where is Maria?" he asked.

The fact that he remembered her name made me smile. She had such an impact on him that night that her name was still very much a part of his thoughts. It made me fall in love with her just a little more, knowing that she is such a selfless person. I think she still didn't understand just what she had done for Mikey with such a small gesture.

"She didn't come this time. Would you like it if I brought her with me some time?" I asked. "I could work it out with Miss Easton."

"Yes," he smiled and then looked away. "I mean if she wants to, then sure." He shrugged his shoulders and his gaze fell to the ground. His sadness pulled at something so deep inside me. I wanted right then to tell him that he would never be alone again-that no matter what, from this day forward, I would in some way always be a part of his life.

I didn't wanna freak the kid out, though. The problem was that I felt so unbelievably connected to him in some way.

It was like Maria always says. We cross paths with those who are meant to help us in some way. I honestly believe that Mikey is meant to be in my life in some form.

It was the ripple effect. Because I met Maria and took her out dancing, I met Mikey.

I spent the afternoon with him, playing ball and talking. He shared very little about himself, but I never let it stop me. I told him how I was raised by two very kind people. I shared stories with him, even the most embarra.s.sing ones, about when I was growing up. It felt good to make him smile and laugh, even if it was at my own expense.

For just a short time, I was allowed to see the carefree boy within him-the one who was saddened by the loss of his parents. I vowed to myself that, no matter what happened and no matter where life led me, I would continue to remain in his life.

Saying goodbye was hard. It was as if I could see him crawl back within himself, closing off. It broke my heart. I just wanted to grab him up in my arms and take him away from this place.

Once I was back outside in my truck, I stared at the building before me. I tried to imagine him happy, maybe playing a game with another boy.

The only thing I kept envisioning was that look on his face as I said goodbye. It was as if he thought he would never see me again. He stared back at me with a look of blankness on his face.

My feet felt like lead as I walked away and told myself not to turn around. I knew if I looked and saw the sadness, I would cave.

The weight of his heartache lay heavy on my chest. I wanted to save him from this place. I wanted to show him that it was okay to laugh and smile. I'm sure his parents would have wanted that for him.

There was such a happy child buried deep within him, and I wanted nothing more than to give him hope.

Chapter Twenty-Two.

"Are you gonna meet me here or just leave me hanging?" Maria asked through the other end of the phone.

It was the Fourth of July and time for the yearly cookout. From sounds in the background, it was going strong. She had been there since early this morning.

Maria and Kori were on the committee that always set up the event. I could do without all the people at the moment. I was a little down in the dumps today. The only thing I kept thinking about was Mikey. I had tried to get approval to bring him out for the day, but I was denied. I wanted more than anything for him to spend the day with Maria and me, with our friends and those we care about.

It was real hard for me to enjoy my day, knowing that he was saddened and feeling so alone. He told me last week he felt like he is in jail, like he is being punished for the loss of his parents. He hated not having his own room with his own things. It broke my heart all over again, each time I saw that familiar look in his eyes.

"Gavin? Are you even listening to me?" Maria asked, and I was pulled back to the present.

"d.a.m.n darlin', I'm sorry. What did you say?" I replied apologetically.

"I said that Mikey is here. From what it looks like, so is every other kid from the children's home." The moment she said it, I was scrambling for my keys and bouncing around, attempting to put my boots on.

"I'll be there in about fifteen minutes," I a.s.sured her and could hear her laughter.

"Oh, I see how it is. I can't get ya here, but Mikey can." She tried to come across as if she was offended, but I knew different. Maria already understood my attachment to Mikey.

My intention was just to be a friend to a boy who looked like he could use one. I never intended to fall in love with the little guy, but it was something that couldn't be controlled.

"Hurry up, handsome. I need someone to fight off these hungry cowboys." She giggled.

"Yeah, I hear ya. You just make sure they all know you're not on the menu." I smiled, imagining the satisfied look on her face that my possessiveness seems to trigger.

The drive there seemed to take longer than normal, but I knew it was only from my excitement. Mikey brought out the best of me, and knowing that I was gonna see him today changed my mood instantly.

I found Maria and Kori, who were both wearing ap.r.o.ns and serving food. I noticed a few hungry- eyed men admiring them both. I stood at a distance, observing.

A hand firmly planted on my shoulder surprised me. "You finally get your head out of your a.s.s? Looks like you figured out you had a good thing all along." Reed chuckled and I smiled in return.

His eyes wandered over to Kori, full of love. He didn't try even slightly to hide the fact that she had him wrapped around her pinky.

"Maria, she is an amazing girl. She deserves to be loved. I hope you can offer that. She has had too much heartache already." Reed continued to look at the girls, and I thought over his words.

"I love her, she just don't know that yet," I stated. "I know that I am responsible for a lot of the heartache she has had over the last year. That don't sit well with me, it eats at me daily." He looked over at me, and I did everything I could to make him understand that I meant the next statement with all my heart.

"I plan on making up for all the things I put her through. One day, I'll give her everything she has ever wanted, all she has ever wished for. That I can guarantee," I stated.

Reed stared at me for a few silent moments, then he nodded his head.

I pushed off the wall and walked over to my girl. Rounding the edge of the table, I slipped up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She giggled when I nuzzled her neck.

"Hey there, handsome. Glad you finally showed up," she sighed.

Tilting her head back to look up at me, I kissed her lips. I lingered for a few seconds, before going back for more. "You look real s.e.xy in this ap.r.o.n, "I told her, pulling on the lower edge.

She laughed and Kori stood at her side, observing our actions. She looked back at me, pleased.

"Maybe I'll wear it for you later," she winked. "Only the ap.r.o.n."

I shook my head and groaned before stepping back. It was not the time or place to get excited. Imagining her with just that ap.r.o.n on was a bad idea.

I excused myself and told her I was going to try to find Mikey.

After about ten minutes, I found all the kids over by the baseball diamond. They had what looked like a scrimmage game going on.

I took a seat on the bench to the left of the field and watched at a distance. I noticed the staff was a good mixture of men and women, a lot of whom I recognized.

Mikey was playing second base, but he looked completely lost. He showed very little interest in the actual game. He looked lonely.

"He does so much better when you're around."

I spun around to find Sadie standing a few feet behind me. She looked different out of the office. In fact, I don't think the shorts she wore were appropriate for a family-oriented affair.

I looked back to the field and watched the game. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her take a seat next to me. She was a little too close and I slid to the side, trying to make it appear casual.

"Mikey really looks forward to spending time with you. It's one of the very few times he actually smiles." She turned to face me, propping one leg up onto the bench between us. This action made her legs part and me feel even more uncomfortable. "What you're doing with him is really amazing."

Sadie placed her hand on my arm. "Not many men would take time out of their day to spend it with an orphan."

Her closeness just continued to bother me. I didn't want to offend her; after all, Sadie is my in with Mikey. The last thing I want is for something to keep me from seeing him.

I looked up at her and smiled. "He and I have more in common than you know. I care about him, more than I expected to." She smiled back at me, her hand still resting on my arm. "Is it all right if, when the game is over, I spend a little time with him? Maybe play catch or get something to eat?"

Sadie's smile grew bigger. "I think we could arrange that." She winked, and I smiled politely in return.

"Thanks, I'm gonna grab something to drink. I'll uh..." I stood up quickly. "I'll find y'all later."

I walked away quickly without looking back. I had a feeling I was gonna have to set Sadie straight. The flirting manner wasn't something I wanted or needed. Things with Maria and me were going so good. Something like Sadie could be a setback we didn't need.