Page 3 of Centering Kaos

He shook himself, and then gave me attitude. “What?”

I gestured him forward. “Come here.”

He reluctantly wandered over, and I settled my hands on his shoulders.

Naomi’s expression softened as she looked from Dylan to me. “Kaos wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust him with my toddler. We screen all employees and volunteers, and so does the veteran’s club. My brother only brings in standup men, and he holds them to a crazy high standard. To be around kids, there’s additional training, and Kaos has completed it. We’ll be one room away, and if your son feels at all uncomfortable, he can go right around that corner and find us in the first door on the right.” She pointed in the direction.

Leaving my son with a strange man felt wrong, but if Kaos was a woman, I wouldn’t hesitate. That revelation made me feel sexist, something I didn’t care for at all. I’d researched Ladies First, thoroughly, and found nothing but glowing reviews. The organization had been founded less than a year ago, but they’d helped a lot of women in that time.

I needed to trust them to help me.

Emily knelt, coming eye-level with Dylan. “Hey, buddy. I’m Emily.”

He didn’t look impressed.

Resisting the urge to shake the attitude right out of him, I squeezed his shoulders until he looked up at me. Threatening him with my eyes, I whispered, “Manners.”

He sighed but introduced himself.

Emily pointed to Kaos. “My friend there was a soldier in the Army. He also played professional hockey with the Sharks. Do you like hockey?”

I didn’t have to see Dylan’s face to feel his skepticism. “Hewas with the Sharks?”

A rumbling chuckle came from the far corner of the office.

Emily bit back a smile and nodded.

“Dylan plays the NHL video game,” I said.

“Good.” Emily smiled. “You two will have a lot to talk about. Kaos knows several guys in the league and I’m sure he has all kinds of fun stories to share. Will you sit out here with him while we talk to your mom?”

“For how long?” he asked.

“An hour, max.”

He shrugged. “I guess. I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

My cheeks heated at his rudeness. We were going to have a serious conversation when we got home.

Kaos covered a chuckle with a cough. I checked him out again. He was a lot less intimidating sitting down, and the humor and kindness in his eyes put me at ease. Remarkably handsome with olive skin, a strong jaw, and dark eyes surrounded by a thick layer of lashes, he looked Mediterranean. Maybe Greek or Italian.

His gaze met mine, and the slightest hint of pity stared back at me, making my stomach roil. I would not fear this man, or any man for that matter. I would not cower and tie myself in knots to please anyone ever again. And I wouldn’t put up with his pity, either. Squaring my shoulders, I squatted and turned Dylan to face me. “No, you don’t have a choice. You’ll be fine. If anything happens, you heard where to find me. Be good and listen to Kaos, okay?”

Dylan shrugged again. It wasn’t exactly a commitment to behave, but it was as good as I was going to get.

“I got this,” Kaos said with a reassuring smile. To my son, he added, “You any good at that NHL game?”

Dylan nodded and moseyed over in his general direction. “Maybe. What position did you play?”

“They'll be fine,” Emily assured me, squeezing my shoulder. “Let's go chat.”

Hoping she was right, I cast them one last glance and followed the women out of the room.

2

Kaos

IGREW UP in a big, Greek family where I learned to survive amongst a horde of savage siblings and cousins. We spent our younger years competing through a series of dares with little to no consideration for our personal health or the mental stability of our parents. There were several broken bones between the lot of us, but surprisingly enough, nobody died. Now, my cohorts were grown, most with little spawns of their own. Although I hadn’t joined the growing list of family breeders, I prided myself on being everyone’s favorite uncle, conquering family gatherings through gifts, horsey rides, wrestling matches, and video games.

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