Page 9 of Raven's Instinct
“There’s a trick to it,” Kendra said, because she couldn’t just leave him to figure it out. She showed him how to wedge it into place and reset the latch.
“I think I’ve just aptly proved my general newness to this job,” Alan said abashedly. The tips of his ears were flushed and Kendra had to resist the urge to reach out and see if his hair was as soft as it looked. That would be worse than telling him how to style it.
“You’re not less new to it than I was,” Kendra said sympathetically. “Surprisingly, babies don’t come with instructions and YouTube videos are useless.”
“The advice seems to be largely that every one of them is different and you’ll do things the wrong way a few times,” Alan said, standing again when the gate was secured.
“And what works once won’t work the next time. It’s a racket.” Kendra reminded herself again that she was not supposed to be chatting with the hot new guy at the day care. “I gotta go!”
“Thank you!” Alan called after her.
Kendra wasn’t quite sure what he was thanking her for, but she gave a quick wave as she left, making sure the door was shut securely behind her.
There was a parking ticket on her windshield.
She couldn’t be positive that she’d gotten it because of the extra time she’d spent talking with Alan, but Kendra chose to take the ticket as a sign, stronger than instinct, that she really should not let herself be distracted by his pretty face and big muscles.
She threw the ticket in the glovebox and pulled the noisy van out into the road.
4
ALAN
Alan didn’t have time to spare thinking about Kendra after she left. A little boy of about two immediately tugged on his hand. “Potty!”
Alan swiftly walked him back to the bathroom, half hunched over to hold his hand. “What’s your name?”
“Bland,” the boy muttered.
“Bland?”
“RY-an.”
“Oh, Ryan. Do you need help?” They had gotten to the bathroom and Ryan shut the door firmly.
“No.”
Alan was taken aback. “Why am I here, then?”
“Luck hoverboard.”
“Luck… hoverboard?”
“LUCK. OVER. BOARD.”
Ryan made it clear by pointing that Alan was to look over THERE and Alan tried not to fidget while the boy fussed with his pants, picked up the seat of the toilet, and took his sweet time tinkling in the bowl.
“Do you need more help now?” Alan asked, when he seemed to be done.
“NO.” More rustling.
“Can you get your pants buttoned?”
“NO.”
“So, you want help now?”
“NO.”
