Page 26 of The County Line
She’s grinning like she has a secret that I’m not in the mood to hear. I give her a blank stare and raise a brow until she finally cracks.
“Okay, don’t get upset, I know you and Malachi were really vibing…”
I wouldn’t go so far to call it vibing...
He’s a good kid, I can tell that much, but we hardly talk when we play games. I’m guessing he prefers it that way as much as I do.
“...but his mom took him out of town to the west coast for a visit to her family for the next two weeks.”
“Okay…”
“So, I need you to cover for a kid whose big is also gone,” she continues.
“That’s fine.”
She smiles and nods. “Well, great! That was easy enough. So, Jenni Sutton is twelve years old and currently living with a foster family in Whitewood Creek. She’s been coming here once a week for a year now and from what I’ve heard, loves playing games. She’s the girl standing over there in the corner with a Skip-it around her ankle.”
“Jenni?” My gaze shifts to the corner of the room, landing on a girl who looks much younger than twelve. Her messy brown hair frames a face too small and serious for her age, and she’s dressed in baggy cargo pants that look two sizes too big.
Something about her outfit—the cargos, the oversized sweatshirt, and scuffed Converse—takes me back to little Molly, the girl I grew up with. She used to trail after me and Mav wearing the same kind of getup, always ready to tag along on whatever adventures we’d drag her into.
It stirs something inside of my chest, making me wonder if she’ll end up showing tonight. I’d like to see her again. Is that… interest? That’s probably one of the emotions my therapist said I should lean into. But right now, I can barely handle an hour dealing with an eleven-year-old boy—how the hell am I supposed to handle a twelve-year-old girl?
Lydia nods encouragingly. “Yep. Jenni. She’s great. A little shy at first, but once she warms up to you, she’s a chatterbox. Just help her feel comfortable and you two will get along just fine.”
Yeah, I don’t see that happening.
I’m not exactly Mr. Warm and Fuzzy. But two weeks with this kid means two fewer weeks of community service. I can deal with it. I don’t have a choice.
“Okay, well, that’s it! Go on now,” she says, giving me a quick pat on the arm before laughing nervously. “Oh! Sorry about that. I probably shouldn’t have... um... pushed you.”
She backs away awkwardly, leaving me to face Jenni alone.
Awesome.
“Oh, Lydia, wait.” I call after her. She pauses and spins around. “I forgot to mention, I might have a friend joining me today.”
Her brow raises. “A friend?”
Is it that shocking to think I might have a friend left in this town?
“Yeah, her name is Molly.”
Her brow drops. “Molly Patrick?”
I nod.
“Well, that’s wonderful news. I’ve been asking her to come volunteer ever since she moved back to town. I’ll be sure to get her signed in if I see her. Will you two be joining us tonight for happy hour?”
Shit.
I forgot all about the volunteer happy hour she tried to push me into last week.
“I’m not sure. Probably not.”
She nods. “Well, it’ll be a good time if you decide to come. Maybe you can convince Regan to join us next week.” She smiles and then walks away while I stare across the facility at the little girlwho is standing in the corner, jumping up and down over a Skip-it.
Dammit.
