Her Second-Chance Family

When Audrey wound down, he was surprised to hear himself asking, “What are you doing for the Fourth?”

Audrey, who always seemed like a whirlwind of movement, stopped a moment. Completely stopped. “The Fourth of July?”

Emphasizing each word, he slowly repeated. “The. Fourth. Of. July. Independence Day. Do you have plans?”

She shook her head. “Not plans per se. I don’t work, so I’ll be spending the day with the kids.”

“I thought I could pay you back for your kindness and the composter by having a picnic here. For you and the kids,” he added.

She was going to say no. He could see it in her expression. She got as far as the word “I...”

He cut her off. “If you say no, I’ll probably just spend the day in my office working.” This was an out-and-out lie. He’d planned to go visit his friend Martin Pennington and his wife, Jan. When Millie left, they’d taken him under their wings. He didn’t find it a comfortable place to be because he hated feeling like an obligation.

“Let me pay back your kindness,” he said. “The kids can go swimming and we’ll picnic.”

Audrey was silent. He thought she was going to politely refuse, but finally she nodded and said, “Only if you let me bring something.”

“Done.”

The kids were helping Willow take her tools to the front.

He hated that she was leaving. Under other circumstances, he might ask her out for lunch, or drinks. Eventually, if that went well, dinner and a movie, or a show. He’d take it slow and play it cool.

With Audrey, cool didn’t seem to apply. Not at all.

She turned to follow after the kids, but he said, “Listen, I went down to Miller Brothers and ordered a lawn mower. It will be here next week, so you won’t have to haul yours back and forth anymore.”

Audrey stopped, turned around and looked at him. For a moment, Sawyer felt like an open book. As if she could see everything about him. Then she smiled, obviously happy with whatever she’d seen. “You are a very nice man, Sawyer Williams.”

“It’s nothing to do with nice. It just seemed silly to make you haul your lawn mower over here every week.”

“I maintain that you are nice, but I’ll let you keep your illusion that you’re not. And thank you.” She turned and headed toward the front of the house.

He followed her. The kids were busy loading stuff in the car.

“And thank you again for giving Willow a chance.”

Sawyer looked at Audrey. “May I ask why you took in a kid who’s only a dozen years younger than you and has a record?”

She turned to him and her brown eyes met his. He noticed there were gold flecks in them. “Because no one else would.”

He waited to see if she was going to add anything else, but it became apparent she wasn’t. “There’s more to it than that. You’re young. Why saddle yourself with three kids?” Throwaways, Willow had said.

“Because when I was young, I was just like them. Moved from family to family, from home to home, but none of the places I lived was my home—my family. I had two friends back then. They cared. And that made all the difference. I never got a home, but I’ve given those three kids one. It’s not traditional family, and you’re right, I’m young. But no kid in the foster system is looking for a perfect family...they just want someone to belong to. Someplace to call home. I try to do that for these three.”

“But how did you get started?” he asked.

“That is a long story.”

He was about to say he could manage long when she added, “Too long for today.” She looked away from him, her attention back on the kids.

“Come on, Aud,” Clinton called.

It took Sawyer a second to realize the boy had called her Aud, not Odd. He might not know Audrey very well yet, but he knew she was odd—in a very good way. Not many people her age took on the responsibility of three kids, one of whom had a checkered past.

“What time would you like us to come over on Saturday?” Audrey asked as she started toward the car.

“How about noon?”

“That sounds great.”

“Have the kids bring their suits,” he reminded her.

Audrey nodded. “See you then.” With that, she got in the car with the kids and backed out of his driveway. With other women, even his ex, Millie, he’d had playing it cool down to a science. He did enough, but not too much. He called, but not too often. Now as he stood staring down the road long after she’d disappeared, he realized he was anxious to see Audrey.

Saturday couldn’t come soon enough.

* * *

“SO, WHAT DO you think?” Audrey asked Willow as she drove toward home. Bea and Clinton were in the back playing some game on the iPad.

She was really directing the question to herself. What did she think about Sawyer Williams?

“About what?” Willow asked.

“About Sawyer.” He was a handsome man, but that didn’t count much in Audrey’s book. Sure, she noticed, but more than that she’d noticed he was kind. He’d gone out and bought a lawn mower so they wouldn’t have to haul hers back and forth.

And he’d given Willow a chance. A lot of men wouldn’t have. That was kind.

She didn’t say any of that. Instead, she said, “I’ve noticed he’s been around on the afternoons you mow.”

Willow snorted. “Yeah, I think that’s a case of self-preservation. He’s probably afraid I’m going to break in again.”

“If that was true, I don’t think he’d come down and help you clean up.”

Audrey was watching the road, but she caught Willow’s shrug.

“He seems okay for an old guy,” she admitted grudgingly. “And he’s been pretty decent to me, despite the fact I broke into his house.”

“Not just you. You and someone else.”

Willow hadn’t ever admitted anyone was with her. But her caseworker said that Sawyer had heard voices. Plural.

Willow didn’t respond. Not that Audrey expected her to. She kept hoping Willow would confide in her, but she reminded herself that she couldn’t push. “Sawyer’s invited us to his place for a picnic on the Fourth.”

“I was thinking about going down to the bay to watch fireworks with some friends.” Willow’s tone said more than her words. She didn’t want to spend the day at Sawyer’s. Or maybe she didn’t want to spend the day with Audrey and the kids.

Or maybe she was a sixteen-year-old who simply wanted to spend time with friends.