Page 32 of Finding Home

Raine motions to the ground. “Get down.”

When Caleb looks at me, at a loss, I snicker and explain, “She’s commanding you to get down on your hands and knees, boy, and oink like a pig or moo like a cow for her pleasure.”

The look of repulsion on Caleb’s face makes both Dad and me cackle with laughter.

“You’re jerking my chain,” Caleb says.

“I’m not. If you prefer, you can bleat like a sheep or cock-a-doodle-doo like a rooster. Bonus points for oinking like a pig, though. Raine loves pigs the most, for some reason, even more than ducks.”

Dad chimes in, “Probably because I always sing her the little piggy song about her toes.”

“That’s got to be it,” I agree. I return to Caleb with a grin. “How much do you want to bond with her, Caleb? It’s time to walk the walk, babe.”

“I tell you what,” Caleb says to Raine. “We’ll play barn at my house tonight. There’s a lake there, with a nice little shoreline, so maybe we can also play with your tea set and make cakes in the sand. My little sister, Miranda, used to love doing that when she was little.”

Caleb looks at me for reassurance, but I give him nothing. I’ve agreed to help him, yes; but I can’tdoit for him. Sooner rather than later, if this man truly wants to become a father—a real daddy—then he’s going to have to learn to humble himself in all new ways.

“Pway bawnnow?” Raine asks, looking up at me.

I pat her head. “No, love. Caleb and I have to go shopping now, while you stay here with Pop-Pop. But guess what we can do after we come back?Feed ducks at Caleb’s house.”

Raine gasps. “Duckies?”

“I saw some on the lake this morning, so we’ll be sure to bring duck food for them, when we go back there tonight.”

Raine’s suddenly all-in, and Caleb looks relieved and grateful for my intervention.

We say our goodbyes to Dad, who insists on Caleb driving Big Betty throughout the entirety of his stay in Prairie Springs. “I can’t drive for several months,” Dad says. “No need for you to keep paying for a rental car.” Dad says he’s got a buddy who works near the airport with his adult son, so returning Caleb’s rental car will be easy enough. And just like that, it’s settled. Caleb will be driving Big Betty for the foreseeable future.

After we grab the car keys off the hook, Caleb says goodbye to Raine, far too enthusiastically, andRaine reflexively cowers next to my father, rather than returning his enthusiastic sentiments.

“Shit, I suck at this,” Caleb murmurs, as the screen doorthwapsbehind us.

“She’s just really shy.”

“Hey, guys!” Dad yells from inside. “Come back in here! Raine wants to say something to Caleb!”

We barrel back inside, wide-eyed, and stare expectantly at Raine.

“Go on, cutie pie,” Dad prompts. “Say, ‘Bye-bye, Caleb,’ like you just did. Only a little louder this time.”

“Bye-bye, Coobie,” Raine says, so quietly, we almost miss it; but based on Caleb’s over-the-top reaction, she might as well have just screamed the words, thrown her little arms around Caleb’s neck, and laid a big fat kiss on his bearded cheek.

“Bye-bye, Rainey,” Caleb chokes out with a tight little wave. “See you later. Can’t wait to feed those duckies with you.”

“Come on, Coobie,” I say, pulling on him. “She can smell the desperation on you.”

We head outside again.

“Desperation?” Caleb asks.

“Yes.”

He scoffs. “In the beginning, I didn’t try hard enough, and now I’m too desperate?”

“Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.”

“Seriously, I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do here.”

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