Her Second-Chance Family

“You’re wrong, I do understand that feeling.”

“And I just realized that when I ripped off Sawyer, I was doing the same kind of thing to him. They said...” She fell silent.

Audrey couldn’t help but wonder if the they Willow referred to were the other kids involved in the break-in. Willow regrouped. “Most of what we...what I took was electronics, and this—” she held up her reader “—is the same thing, just a piece of electronic equipment, but it’s mine. And it means a lot to me. I worked hard to get it, and I’ve worked even harder to keep it. So it hit me that I did the same thing to him that others did to me. I took the things he worked for. I stole his sense of trust. I never had that until I came here. Sawyer did—he felt like his home was a safe place until I came and stole that feeling away from him. Even if we’d taken all his stuff and it was covered by insurance, that feeling of safety is gone forever. He comes home every Monday to watch me mow because he’s afraid I’ll do it again.”

“Willow, I think he respects what you’re trying to do. That’s why he invited us over today.”

Willow shrugged.

“And even if Sawyer doesn’t realize you’d never rip him off again, I do,” she said, meaning every word of it. Something in her eased just to express that trust out loud.

She’d thought Willow might look pleased with her assurances, but instead she looked confused. “Well, thanks, I guess.”

“And thank you for the coffee. Between you and Bea, I’m getting spoiled.”

“Its just coffee,” Willow said as she picked up her e-reader and left the room.

Audrey took a long sip. It didn’t taste like just coffee to her.

It tasted a bit like success...or at least the beginnings of it.

* * *

BY THE TIME Audrey packed the kids in the car later that morning and headed over to Sawyer’s she’d spent a few hours mulling over Willow’s revelations. And the longer she mulled, the more optimistic she felt. She was making progress.

It was the first time the girl had really opened up. Plus there was the fact that Willow was a reader.

She was going to make it a point to take her to the bookstore soon.

By the time they reached Sawyer’s she was flying high. She put the car in Park, turned around and looked at the kids as she said, “Remember, everyone be polite and on your best behavior.”

Clinton and Bea gave her their best innocent looks. Clinton went so far as to point to himself with raised eyebrows.

Audrey laughed. “Yes, I mean you two.”

She opened her car door and they were in the house before Audrey had gotten her salad from the back. Willow had insisted on making something, too, and had held it on her lap for the ride.

“Are you going to tell me about that?” Audrey asked, nodding at the dish.

“It’s a joke,” Willow told her. “Sawyer will get it.”

He was waiting at the front door for them. “The other two asked if they could go out to the pool. I hope you don’t mind. I told them to stay in the shallow end until we get out.”

“That’s fine,” Audrey assured him.

He took the macaroni salad from her.

“I made something, too,” Willow announced. “Just for you, Sawyer.”

“She wouldn’t even let me in the kitchen yesterday when she cooked it—whatever it is,” Audrey added.

Sawyer started to laugh. “I think I can guess at least one ingredient.”

Willow grinned, “Quinoa salad.”

Sawyer’s chuckle graduated to a full-blown belly laugh, and Willow joined in.

Audrey felt totally left out. “Is anyone going to share?”

The two of them were laughing too hard to get out any coherent words.

“Fine. Keep your joke to yourselves.” She tried to sound disgruntled, but secretly she was pleased that Sawyer had made some kind of connection with Willow. This day was getting better and better. “We should probably go make sure the kids aren’t drowning each other.”

Sawyer stowed both of the salads in the refrigerator, and asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Just ice water for me,” Audrey said.

“Nothing yet for me,” Willow said. “I’ll go check on the kids.”

“So are you going to tell me what that was about?” Audrey asked.

“The day I agreed to let Willow come mow? She used quinoa as a threat...well, really, she was threatening me with you, and quinoa was her example of how diabolical you are.”

“Diabolical?” Audrey asked. “Willow threatened you with me?”

“She said if I said no to letting her come mow, then you’d get out of the car and convince me. She said that once you set your mind to something, you made it happen. She used the fact you got her to eat quinoa as an example. I had to look it up,” he added.

Audrey laughed, thoroughly delighted. “It’s good to know she thinks I’m persuasive.”

“Let’s go out by the pool,” Sawyer said, and led the way.

“There you are,” Bea shouted, and swam from the shallow end of the pool toward the deep end with Clinton on her heels.

Willow was sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water.

“Are you going in?” Audrey asked her.

Willow shook her head. “No. I can’t swim.”

Clinton swam over to Willow. “Come on into the shallow end. I’ll teach you.”

Willow shook her head. “No, that’s okay.”

“Me and Bea couldn’t swim when we moved in with Audrey.”

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