Page 11 of Blind Date with a #FIREFIGHTER
“Dad, you’re home! I thought you worked today.”
“I took the day off, buddy, so we could be together.”
Arms around my neck he leans back. “Because she was here.”
“Yes, but I’m trying to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Brad is taking care of it.”
He rubs his cheek against mine then leans back. “Did you talk to book lady? She said if it was okay with you, she’d come back today after her work and we’d read the books we didn’t have time for. Can she, Dad? Can she, please?”
“I was thinking maybe we could go see her at the daycare where she works. Maybe take her a thank you gift.”
“That would be great, then she could come home with us, and we could read.”
“We’ll see. Why don’t you wash your hands, and I’ll dish up breakfast. We’ve got a couple other stops today.”
CHAPTER 6
Thea
Crossing my office that overlooks the daycare, I head to the coffee pot. I didn’t sleep well last night. Long buried memories kept surfacing.
I grew up with a lot of yelling and arguing. Both parents drank too much and liked their drugs more than food. The number of uncomfortable situations we ended up in were too numerous to keep track of.
Unfortunately, my earliest memories are of being left alone and hungry. Then being on the run at the drop of a dime from authorities or other scammers. I had a few good years with an older woman. She was the first positive role model I had. As I grew-up my parents wanted me to be part of their cons. When I refused, there were consequences.
Shaking my head, I look down on the floor. We’re not at full enrollment yet, but the kids we have are all glad to have a safe place. The door opens. Shock and something else ripples though me. Alex just walked in with Aaron.
Shelly, our day manager, greets him and they talk for a moment before she looks up at my office window. Instinctively I step back even though I know they can’t see me because of theone-way glass. A moment later my phone rings. “Miss Renault, there’s a Mr. Zander here to see you.”
“I’ll be right down.”
Reaching the lower floor, I cross to where Shelly is showing Aaron and Alex the toy wall. I get there just as they approach the bookshelves. Aaron drops to his knees with Shelly. “Dad, look at all these firetruck books!”
Alex is laughing and shaking his head. He looks up at me. “Hey, Book Lady. How are you today?”
“I’m good, on my third pot of coffee…. Oh I mean cup,” I wink.
He laughs. “My kind of day as well.” He glances around. “So do you do the tour?”
“Yes, I’d love to.” I squat down near Aaron. “Hey, can we make a deal? You come with your dad and I to look around the center then we come back here, and you can look at the books or play with the toy firetrucks in the bin to our left. Nicci will be here by then and she loves firetrucks as much as you do.”
He looks at his father. “Can we, Dad?”
“Yes, buddy. We have all day to do what we want.”
His eyes light up. “Then maybe we can go for pizza with Book Lady on my half?”
I can’t stop my laugh. Alex and Shelly look at me like I’ve lost my marbles. Aaron just smiles. He’s good. He’s very good.
“You got me there, Aaron. Let’s walk around and I’ll revisit that with your dad while you play.”
We start with the nursery, then the nap/overnight room before walking the main floor.
“Will I have my own bed?”
“Yes, for now we assign a bed and that is yours. Once we get to full capacity someone may sleep in the bed when you aren’t here. That won’t happen for a long time.”
“Do I get to pick which one?”
