The Deputy's New Family (5 page)

Nick took in the colors. It looked like every other kid’s painting he’d seen hanging in a classroom. So? “That’s great, bud.”

Beth glared at him.

What?

Beth knelt so she was eye level with Corey. “I’ll get this framed and then when you come back we’ll pick out a place to hang it. Sound good?”

His boy nodded.

Nick felt as if he’d missed something here. It was just a painting. All kids painted, right? He tried to remember pictures from Corey hanging on their apartment walls and couldn’t.

Susan hadn’t framed any of Corey’s colorings. Neither had he. They might have stuck a couple on the fridge of their old apartment, but other than that, not a big deal was made. Another should-have-but-didn’t.

Mary patted Corey’s arm. “Have a good time with your dad. We’ll see you in a few days.”

“Okay.” Corey looked wary.

Nick rubbed his jaw. He had the next three days off.

Tomorrow was Friday and then the weekend spanned before him with no real plans made. He’d have to come up with something they could do together. His fingers gripped the binder Beth had made. He’d need more than this to keep them busy. “Thanks, Mary, and thank you, Miss Ryken.”

“Why don’t you call her Beth, like Mary does?” Corey looked up at him.

“Because she hasn’t asked me to. And you’ll call her Miss Ryken, too—is that understood? She’s your teacher.”

“Yeah, but—”

“And Mary should be Mrs. Ryken.”

Beth came away from the dining room table. She wore faded jeans and a baggy T-shirt that hid her curves. “My mom told him it was okay to call her Mary.”

“I’d prefer he didn’t.”

“Really, Nick, it’s too confusing if he calls us both by our last names. Mary is fine for me,” Beth’s mother piped up.

Nick nodded. Mary’s argument made sense. But he didn’t want his son getting too comfortable on a first-name basis with his teacher and tutor. What if he made the mistake of calling her that in school? Could lead to trouble. Corey didn’t need any more trouble.

The same went with him, too.

Beth’s face softened as she studied him. The hum of attraction between them wasn’t a good thing, either.

Without looking away from him, she said, “Corey, you better do as your dad says.”

Corey looked from Beth to him and then back at Beth.

Nick felt like a heel for insisting. “For now, it’s Miss Ryken.”

“Yes. For now,” Beth repeated.

Nick had a plate in one hand and the binder in the other, so he nodded. “Good night and thanks. Let’s go, bud.”

“Good night.”

Once in the patrol car with their goods in the backseat, Nick finally asked, “So how’d it go?”

Corey shrugged.

“We’ve got to work on this reading thing now, son. We can’t let it go.”

“Why?”

Nick didn’t answer right away. He didn’t want to threaten the boy with being held back. It was up to him as the parent to agree. Nick wouldn’t, but what if Beth was right about it helping Corey instead of hindering him? Nick had already made so many mistakes.

“Dad?”

“Let’s just work on it, okay?”

“Okay.” Corey slumped lower.

Nick drove the rest of the way in silence. Yeah, sure, they were going to do real well the next few days.

Once they were inside their two-bedroom home, Corey went straight to his room. Nick went to his and changed out of his uniform. Nick met Corey in the kitchen. They both wore pajama bottoms and T-shirts.

“What do you say we watch a little sports and then read a book before bed.” Nick nuked the plate Mary had given him. “Are you hungry?”

Corey nodded.

“Want more dinner?”

Corey shrugged and went to the cupboard. “I want cereal.”

Nick watched his son grab a bowl and milk from the fridge all while he waited for the beep from the microwave. Silently they brought their dishes to the table. Nick peppered his food while Corey poured milk on his breakfast of champions.

“How was school today?” Nick couldn’t stand the silence.

“Okay.” Corey crunched on a mouthful of cereal.

“Do you like it here?”

Corey’s eyes widened. “Yeah.”

“Do you miss Grandma and Grandpa?”

Another crunch, but much slower this time. Corey looked as if he was searching for the right way to answer that question.

“It’s okay if you do.” Nick wouldn’t blame the kid if he wanted to go back. He wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs and highly doubted he’d be up for any Father of the Year medals.

“I like it here,” Corey said.

Nick nodded, satisfied with the boy’s conviction. “Yeah, me, too.”

* * *

The next day, Beth agreed to keep Corey in the classroom after school, where Nick would pick him up. She wondered what had happened to the boy. He tried so hard to get the vowel sounds right and to read, she thought his head might explode. Like right now. Corey stared at the page with bulging eyes.

“I’m never going to get this.” The seven-year-old pushed away his practice work sheets with frustration, knocking a book to the floor with a clap.

“Sure, you will. You’re doing great.”

Corey shook his head and tears threatened.

Beth tipped her head. She had an itchy feeling this wasn’t about reading. “What’s wrong, Corey?”

The boy wiped his nose with his sleeve. “I don’t want to live with Grandma and Grandpa.”

Beth’s stomach tightened. Surely Nick wasn’t considering that. “Has your dad said that you have to?”

More sniffling. “If I don’t learn to read, he’s going to send me back.”

That couldn’t be true. Still, Beth let the breath she’d been holding out slowly. “What makes you think so?”

Corey shrugged. “I just know.”

Beth didn’t know Nick well enough to assure the boy that wasn’t going to happen. Was Nick pushing his boy too hard? Was she? Maybe that binder she’d made had scared both of them.

Beth studied the seven-year-old. “What do you and your dad like to do together?”

Corey shrugged.

“Come on, there must be something.”

“We watch baseball on TV sometimes.”

Beth smiled. LeNaro High School happened to have a very good baseball team. Their opening home game was tomorrow afternoon, too. “Anything else?”

“Dad likes to mow the lawn.”

Beth chuckled. “Yeah?”

“I went with him to buy a new mower. He said when I was older, he’d show me how to mow.”

That didn’t sound like a man ready to pack his son off to the grandparents’, but then, she wasn’t sure.

“Okay, back to work. Your dad’s going to be here soon.” Beth scooted to get comfortable on the small seat and stretched her legs out under the table. She grabbed a book of silly poems with corresponding pictures that were equally ridiculous. “I think you might like these.”

She read a couple short ones, glad to hear Corey laugh as he listened and followed the pictures. Poetry was a good place for phonics, too. Hearing the beats and rhythm of the words made them less intimidating. At least she hoped so, for Corey’s sake.

After only a few minutes, a soft knock at her open classroom door jerked Beth’s attention away from Corey. Nick stood tall in the doorway wearing jeans and a charcoal-colored long-sleeved shirt. He looked great. Major-league great.

Couldn’t she look at the guy without her pulse reacting?

The corners of his lips curved into a semblance of a smile. “Hey.”

“You should do that more often,” Beth said before thinking.

“What’s that?”

Might as well complete the blunder she’d started. “Smile.”

He tipped his head and then looked at his son. “Hey, bud, how’d you do?”

Beth glanced at Corey.

“Okay.” The boy had a thoughtful expression on his face.

She should tell Nick what Corey had told her and find out if it was true, find out how hard Nick was pushing, but she couldn’t do that in front of the boy. Still, it sounded as if they needed something fun to do together. Something where they could connect. “I understand you both like baseball.”

Both males looked at her as if she’d stated the obvious.

Beth swallowed a laugh. “Well, I don’t know what you two have planned for the weekend, but the LeNaro High School baseball team is playing at home tomorrow afternoon. Should be a good game, too, as they’re playing against an equally tough team. If you’re interested in going, I’ll print off a schedule.”

Nick smiled again and looked at Corey. “Sounds like fun. Would you like to go, bud?”

Corey shrugged. “Okay.”

Beth got up and went to her desk to print off a schedule as promised.

“Miss Ryken, will you go, too?” Corey asked.

“Uhhh—” Beth stuttered, knowing she should refuse, but the words stuck in her throat.

“Corey, I’m sure Miss Ryken has other plans.” But Nick Grey had a hopeful look on his face, too. Hoping she’d refuse or agree, Beth wasn’t sure.

“Please?” Corey begged.

How could she refuse those eyes?

“If you’re not busy, it’d be great if you’d come with us.” Nick looked sincere but guarded.

She bit her bottom lip. She needed to talk to him about his son anyway, his previous school’s reports, his worries. Surely there’d be a moment to do that without making a big deal of it. And not in front of Corey.

Who was she trying to kid? Beth wanted to go, and she wanted Nick to want her to go, too. “Okay, yeah, sure.”

Relief shone from Nick’s eyes. “Great, do you want us to pick you up?”

Beth backpedaled a little as she handed Nick the sports schedule. “I’ll meet you there. It’s an easy walk from the house.”

“Okay, we’ll see you tomorrow, then. Corey, do you have your stuff?”

The boy shouldered his backpack. “Yup.”

“See you tomorrow.” Beth breathed easier.

This was a harmless afternoon baseball game. Sure, she could wait until teacher-parent conference night, but Nick needed to know what worried his son now. A child under stress couldn’t focus and learn. And they desperately wanted Corey to learn.

It wasn’t as if it was a date or anything. She’d stick to teacher mode and they’d meet at a school function. Beth didn’t date men in law enforcement. Tomorrow she’d make that clear to Nick. He deserved to know where she stood, and Beth didn’t believe in playing games.

Straightening her classroom before calling it a day, Beth reassured herself that it’d be okay. Tomorrow would turn out fine. But she looked forward to the baseball game a little too much to really believe it.

Chapter Five

N
ick made his way to the bleacher stands near the high school baseball field with Corey in tow. Players warmed up, and a few family members were already bundled on the bench seats in anticipation of the game. The day was sunny but cool. He’d be surprised if the temperatures climbed out of the fifties.

No sign of Beth yet, so Nick looked around.

The nearby concession stand opened its rolltop door with a rattle and snap, letting out the smell of freshly brewed coffee. This was small-town living at its best. The high school wasn’t big by any means, but obviously the community rallied around it. An open concession stand manned by volunteers proved that.

He stared at the rolling hills dotted with orchards that lay beyond the sports fields. He thought of a show he used to watch on TV as a kid. Even then they were reruns, but Nick loved Sheriff Andy Taylor, who always had the right answer and time for his son. That was what Nick wanted.

He wanted Corey to grow up in a place where he could get involved in sports and the community. A place where they’d know people on a first-name basis. A place where they’d both belong, like Mayberry. Did he ask too much?

“There’s Miss Ryken.” Corey pulled on his sleeve.

Nick gave Beth a wave.

She waved back.

Beth had dressed for a chilly day in jeans and a jacket and a LeNaro Loons baseball cap. Her long hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, making her look young. He was pushing thirty-three, and if he hadn’t known she taught second grade, he’d think she was college aged at best.

The closer she got, the better he could see that she didn’t wear a trace of makeup. Young and unspoiled came to mind. Gawking at her, he felt stale and jaded. As if he’d been thrown in the dryer too long without a softener sheet.

Beth was fresh air and sunshine.

Did she have any idea how beautiful she was? Maybe she did and didn’t care. She seemed comfortable in her skin. Being out and about without makeup was something his late wife would never have done. She had to look perfect even if they were only headed to the grocery store.

Beth smiled. “Have you been waiting long?”

Nick couldn’t take his eyes off her. “We just got here.”

Beth raised a woolen blanket draped over her arm. “I brought reinforcements. It can get pretty cold sitting on those metal bleachers.”

He pushed aside sudden thoughts of snuggling close. “Would you like some coffee? Smells like it was just brewed.”

“Sure.” Beth gave him that sunny smile that hit him like a Mack truck.

Nick looked down at his son. “Corey, what about you? Do you want some hot chocolate?”

Corey wasn’t listening. He waved to another little kid.

“Want to play catch?” the little boy hollered.

“Can I, Dad?”

Nick glanced at Beth. “Do you know that kid?”

Beth nodded. “That’s Thomas Clark, Corey’s tablemate at school. He’s a good boy.”

Nick nodded. “Stay where I can see you, okay, bud?”

Corey took off without another word, leaving him very aware of and alone with Miss Ryken. He gestured for Beth to take the lead to the concession stand.

The short woman behind the counter scanned him with interest before focusing on Beth. “So what brings you out to Jared’s game before the finals?”

“Julie, this is Nick Grey. You remember, his son, Corey, is a new student in my class.”

Julie reached out to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, Nick. And your boy’s a sweetie. Perchance do you like to sail?”

“Hmm, never done it.” Nick wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything.

Beth gave the woman a pointed look before turning to him. “Julie is the other second-grade teacher and Jared is her stepson. He plays third base.”

“My husband and I sail. Beth goes with us at the end of the school year. It’s sort of a tradition.”

Nick nodded, still not sure what that had to do with him. “Great.”

“We’ll take two large coffees,” Beth said.

“Sure thing.” Julie gave him another once-over and then winked at Beth. “Inviting a guest is also somewhat of a tradition. So give it some thought.”

“Ah, yeah sure.” Nick paid for the coffee while Beth doctored hers with creamer and sugar.

Her cheeks were rosy pink. She was fresh faced, all right. But did her skin feel as soft as it looked?

Once seated on the folded blanket with steaming cups of coffee, Beth turned toward him. “Sorry about that.”

He played dumb, which wasn’t hard. “About what?”

“Julie and the sailing...” Beth waved it away.

“Was that an invitation, then?”

She looked flustered. “Yeah, but that’s a long way away. Actually, I was hoping to talk to you about Corey.”

Nick’s stomach tightened as he took a sip of black coffee. “Everything okay?”

“I’m not sure. Corey’s afraid you’ll send him back to his grandparents if he doesn’t read well.”

Nick choked on the hot coffee. The woman didn’t beat around the bush. “Where would he get that idea?”

Beth shrugged. “Corey told me in confidence, so please keep it under your hat. But I thought you should know because he’s stressing about it. He’s pushing himself pretty hard.”

Nick nodded, but his gut felt as though it’d been shredded. He’d left Corey behind before, so it only stood to reason that his son didn’t trust him not to do it again. He’d been pushing the reading exercises hard at home, too.

“You okay?” Beth’s voice was soft, her cornflower-blue eyes even softer.

“I didn’t tell him about being held back, so he must have concluded...” Nick ran a hand through his hair.

He spotted Corey playing catch. Someone had given him a small glove to use. His little guy had so much riding on those seven-year-old shoulders.

He shifted toward Beth. “I think Corey wanted you to come today because he’s not easy around me anymore. He walks on eggshells, and maybe that’s why. He thinks I’ll leave him. I don’t know what to do about it. He talks to you. Got any suggestions?”

Beth stirred her coffee with the little wooden stick. “Maybe what you need is something fun to do together. Find some interests in common.”

Right now that interest was Beth Ryken. Corey liked her, and so did Nick. Maybe too much.

He raised his cup of coffee to her. “Like today—thanks. Maybe we can do this again.”

Her eyes widened with alarm.

He’d just asked her out.

Time to be blunt, too. Before she got the idea he was trying to hit on her. “Look, Miss Ryken. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t find you attractive, but I’m in no place to get involved right now. I didn’t mean for that to sound like a date.”

She smiled at him without looking the least bit offended. Amazing woman. “That’s good, because I don’t date cops.”

“Because of your father?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I saw what it did to my mom. And me when he didn’t come home.”

Nick nodded. Being the wife of a man in law enforcement wasn’t easy. He’d seen the toll it had taken on his own mom. His parents had probably split because of it.

And then there was Susan’s reaction to his job. Beth seemed made of stronger stuff. Maybe she was and that was why she wanted no part of a cop’s life. Beth knew her limitations.

Susan hadn’t.

At first his wife had been enamored with the idea of him being an undercover cop. But they’d eloped only weeks after meeting, and then the reality of his late-night shifts sank in and she complained. A lot. He wasn’t home enough. She got pregnant right away with Corey and everything took a dive from there.

Still, the Ryken women had made it through okay. They seemed well-adjusted, except for maybe Beth’s refusal to give a cop a chance. But then, maybe that was wiser still and completely understandable.

“So how’d you and your mom get through it?”

Beth shrugged. “Church and friends, mostly.”

“Were you and your mom always churchgoers?”

Beth nodded. “For as long as I can remember.”

“That’s good. I want that for Corey. He needs to grow up in a good church and know how to live a Christian life. I’ve been a poor example for a man of faith. I put God on the back burner for a while.”

Beth’s eyes widened. “And now?”

“Now I want Him front and center.”

“Easier said than done, huh?”

Nick nodded.

“Don’t worry, you’re a better example than you realize.”

Her words soothed, and he clung to them. “I hope you’re right.”

“Your son’s a good boy, Mr. Grey. A little withdrawn maybe, but there’s a gentle politeness there, too. He tests the waters with kids in his class before putting himself out there all the way. I’d guess he gets that from you.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Perceptive woman. He’d learned the hard way that what glittered wasn’t always gold. Especially with Susan. She’d seemed so perfect in the beginning, but then they hadn’t really known each other. Once married, that became all too clear.

The ball game started, so Corey made his way back into the bleachers and sat next to Beth as if he belonged there. As if he belonged to her. But the boy smiled at him. “Thanks, Dad.”

Nick leaned forward. “For what?”

Corey shrugged. “Coming here.”

“You’re welcome.” He glanced at Beth.

She gave him a soft smile that made him rethink his comment about not getting involved. What Beth had said was dead-on. He needed to find ways to share fun experiences with his boy if he hoped to knit their torn relationship back together. Maybe even make it stronger.

Still, there was no doubt Beth’s presence had helped. Corey relaxed around her, and Nick wished some of that ease would rub off toward him. Maybe it would, in time.

For now, Beth made a good buffer between them. They needed her. In fact, they both might need Beth Ryken for a whole lot more than simply a reading tutor.

* * *

As the game wore on, Corey went back to playing catch with Thomas. Beth watched the clouds roll in and smother the sun.

She shivered. “This is why I don’t come to many early-season games. I end up freezing.”

“Here, use the blanket.” Nick scooted off their woolen cushion and helped her pull it up around her shoulders.

“Thanks. You want half?” she asked before she’d considered sitting that close to him.

He cocked one eyebrow at her as if she’d lost her mind. “No. I’m fine.”

Maybe she had, considering her speech about not getting involved. She wrapped the blanket tighter, and yet part of her was disappointed that he hadn’t taken her up on her offer. He’d be warm to lean against.

And Nick was a man of faith, he’d said. Maybe that was why she’d connected with him on a level other than simple attraction. They had God in common.

She’d meant what she’d said about not dating cops. Not that many had asked. A state trooper she’d met at a friend’s wedding had once asked her out, but she’d declined his offer. She’d made a personal vow never to marry a police officer. But in the case of the state trooper, there’d been no spark.

She glanced at Nick. A shiver of excitement shot up her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Sparks didn’t begin to cover their mutual attraction.

Nick had admitted to finding her attractive. Sedate-sounding words, but she’d seen the fire in his eyes when he’d said it. As a woman, she found that look super gratifying. As a woman with a brain, she knew that look was as good as a red-flag warning.

Beth had few regrets in her life and she planned to keep it that way. Losing her father early in her teens made her realize how short life could be, so she played it safe. She thought long and hard before jumping in and weighed the consequences of each decision.

Her dad would never walk her down the aisle or hold her first child. Wonderful moments she’d miss all because what should have been a routine traffic stop ended with her father dead.

She glanced at Nick again. Falling for a guy like him could be the biggest regret of her life.
If
she let it happen. She wouldn’t deny the desire to help him with his son. If she could legitimately get Corey ready enough for a fighting chance in third grade, then she could step away.

“Hi, Beth.” Thomas’s mom climbed the bleachers to sit in front of them.

“Sandy.” She forced a smile that usually came with ease.

“And this must be Corey’s dad. Hi, I’m Sandy Clark.” She extended her hand along with a good dose of interest. “My boy’s been talking nonstop about his new friend, Corey.”

“Nick Grey.” He accepted her handshake.

“Welcome to the area. We’re going out for pizza after the game and would love it if you joined us. Thomas would be thrilled.”

Surprise registered on Nick’s face before he nodded agreement. “Thanks. Corey would like that.”

“Great. We’ll see you at Jemola’s Pizza and Wings. Beth knows where it’s at.” Sandy gave them both a big smile and left.

Nick turned toward her. “Please say there’s a Mr. Clark.”

Beth laughed at the panicked look in his eyes. “Yes. Well, no, not anymore. They split up last year and share custody of Thomas.”

“You’ve got to go with us,” Nick pleaded.

Beth tipped her head and teased, “Don’t tell me a tough guy like you is afraid?”

He nodded fast. “Did you see the glint in that woman’s eyes?”

Beth laughed again.

Oh, she’d seen it, all right, and her hackles had risen because of it. They shouldn’t have, though. Sandy Clark was a nice woman and solid mom. “You could do worse.”

Nick gave her a long look. “I could do better.”

Her heart pounded harder. She opened her mouth to remind Nick about how wrong for each other they were, but nothing came out. Diane’s advice to stay in teacher mode rang through Beth’s brain. Why had she said that, anyway?

He gave her a boyishly crooked grin that made her stomach flip. “Hey, all I’m looking for is friendship. No worries, okay? Come with us.”

“Okay.” Beth wanted to believe she’d agreed to go because of her weakness for pizza, but she knew better. Her weakness was all about Nick.

* * *

Once seated inside the pizza shop around a red-and-white-checkered table, Beth perused the menu.

“Pizza or wings?” Nick peered over her shoulder. “Which do you prefer?”