Page 100 of Second Time Around
“Congratulations on your new dog,” he said as he offered his hand to Isaiah.
“Hey, thanks for standing with me,” Isaiah said, shaking enthusiastically. “That was poppin’.”
Khonsu began to bark again, so Isaiah dropped to his knees and quieted his dog with a hug. Khonsu’s tail was wagging so fast it blurred as he licked Isaiah’s face and ear, making the boy laugh with sheer joy.
A sudden certainty flowed through Will. He needed to be part of this, not as a guest but as an integral participant. He wanted to work with these kids, not just write a check. To help them succeed in the paths they dreamed of taking.
The audience began to converge on the newly minted K-9 Angel, so Will stepped back to stand beside Emily.
He watched Diego, the kid Kyra had told him was loading up on science courses so he could become a veterinarian. And Isaiah directing traffic around his dog to keep Khonsu from being overwhelmed by the crowd. Maybe the boy would become a historian since he liked the Spartans so much.
Then his gaze swung to the corner where Kyra had been lurking, but she was no longer there. Amazing that he hadn’t felt her absence, but too many emotions were buffeting him at once.
“Excuse me,” he said to Emily. “I’ll let Isaiah bask in the glow of his initiation a little longer before I start the history lesson.”
“You were so good to take time out of your workday to be here,” she said. “Isaiah was walking on air when you accepted his invitation.”
Just his presence made a kid happy.Hefelt a new buoyancy in his step as he wove his way through the lounge to the stairs.
Because there was only one person who would understand.
Kyra hadn’t had quite enough time to finish kitchen cleanup before the adoption ceremony began, so she scrubbed melted cheese from the last of the baking sheets before slotting it into the drying rack. She wasn’tin a rush to get out of the center since she figured Will would be tied up for at least another hour with his history lesson.
She pinched the bridge of her nose as the pain of seeing him again flared through her. She’d tried to brace herself for it, but when he had walked into the lounge in a navy suit that made his blond hair glisten by contrast, her knees had nearly buckled underneath her. She’d seen him start to scan the room, so she’d quickly started a conversation with another staff member, giving her a natural reason to look away.
But she couldn’t ignore him once the ceremony began. He stood a head taller than everyone else in the room, even Diego. Her heart had squeezed when Will put his hand on Isaiah’s shoulder and gave the boy a reassuring smile. She’d had to close her eyes to keep the tears at bay.
As soon as Emily had congratulated Isaiah, Kyra had fled back to the kitchen. It was killing her to see Will without being able to touch him or even talk to him.
She heard footsteps coming down the stairs—heavy, masculine ones. She knew she’d tarried too long as dread and nervous excitement did a tango in her chest.
“Kyra.” His voice held a strange mix of elation and hesitation.
She took a moment to steady herself before she turned from the sink to find him standing in the kitchen doorway. Now that he was so close, her longing was intensified.
“Hey, Will.” Incredible that she could sound so casual. “To be honest, I wasn’t supposed to be here. I’m running late.”
She grabbed her backpack from the stool, expecting him to take the hint and move out of her way.
Instead he stretched his free hand partway toward her before dropping it in an indecisive gesture that was unlike him. “I hoped ... but you’re late.”
She knew it was a mistake but she couldn’t stop herself. “I have a couple of minutes.” After all, he’d co-opted his own sister to fight the center’s legal battles. “Did you need something?”
He closed the distance between them, so she had to look up at him. She took two steps backward and hit the edge of the kitchen counter, but at least now she wasn’t inhaling his clean, male scent with every breath. His jaw tightened when she retreated, although he didn’t follow her. He ran a hand over his hair, rumpling it in a way that brought back memories of early mornings in his bed. Not good.
“I wanted to tell you ... I’m going to give it a try.” He nodded. “Teaching.”
He’d listened to her. Satisfaction warmed her, as well as genuine happiness for him, but she kept her response to merely polite. “I’m glad. You’ll be an inspiring teacher.”
“You’re the only person I knew who would be happy about it,” he said, his gaze locked on her face.
“Your family will be, too, once they see how much it means to you,” she said, although she had her doubts about his mother.
“You freed me to do this,” he said.
“You freed yourself when you refused to go to law school,” she said.
“That felt more like rebellion. There’s a difference.”
