Page 105 of Chasing Dreams
“Yeah. An anonymous grant.”
“That’s nice.” He turned and found her face inches from his.
“Mmm-hmm. It would take someone really generous to do that.”
“Think so?”
“Or someone who doesn’t have a family or friends to spend his money on and wants to spend it on people he—cares for.”
“Anything wrong with that?”
“Not a thing.”
“It’s not about the money. She’ll be able to get a good job and take care of Amy,” he told her.
“It was an admirable thing you did for her, Austin.”
Her hair smelled wonderful. He wanted to reach for a handful and bury his face in it.
As though reading his thoughts, she straightened and moved to sit on his leather sofa.
Austin showed Jack Daisy’s tricks of begging and rolling over. Jack laughed, clapping delightedly.
“I think Jack had a dream the other night,” Shaine said, as they watched the boy and the dog play tug-of-war with a ripped sock.
Austin looked up to see the concern on her face. “A nightmare? You said he was adjusting really well, and you’ve had him to a psychologist, right?”
“Yes. She said he’s going to be untrusting for a while. He lost his mother and has been passed from stranger to stranger. I have to show him he can trust me. We’re going to wait on toilet training until he acts like he’s ready. She doesn’t think I should expect much of him right away. Then again, he could surprise us.”
“You sounded like this dream was disturbing.”
“Not to him.” She glanced at the boy and back. “He woke up in the morning and told me about his big doggie.”
“Did they have a dog where he was staying?”
She shook her head. “He talked about it several times, then not again until we got here. When we drove up, he saw Daisy, and shouted ‘My big doggie!’ like he’d seen her before.”
Austin stared at her. “Do you think he dreamed of Daisy? Had you told him about her? Did you tell him you were coming?”
She shook his head. “I didn’t decide to come until yesterday, and I never mentioned the dog.”
They shared an amazed look. “Do you think he has the ability?” Austin asked.
“I don’t know. You said you remember things from when you were very young. I’m almost afraid for him,” she admitted.
Austin mulled over the probability. “It’s very possible,” he said at last.
Jack rubbed his eyes. Shaine changed him into his pajamas and helped him brush his teeth. He fell asleep on her lap before the fireplace. She placed him on the sofa and covered him.
Austin sat on the hearth. “It’s great to see the two of you together.”
“Sometimes I’m so afraid it’s not real, I don’t want to let him out of my sight,” she said.
“I understand. But it’s real,” he assured her.
“I suppose I should do the dishes.”
“I did them while you were getting him ready for bed.”
