Hometown Hero's Redemption

“I know a little bit about your situation, Wyatt.” Her voice was low, soothing. Wyatt’s gaze locked with hers. “It’s okay.”

“Everyone knows.” Wyatt hung his head. “I guess you saw the pictures. Those guys were always sneaking around with their cameras. The whole world knows.”

“After a while, no one will care.” Compassion glowed from her eyes.

Drew squeezed Wyatt’s arm. “No reporters will take your picture here. That’s why we moved. We’re going to have a nice, quiet, normal life until...you move back in with your dad.”

Wyatt didn’t say anything, but he studied Lauren, which Drew took as a good sign. In high school, she had always seemed to be an open book. Straight-A student, prom queen, crusader against teen drinking and, of course, the captain of the cheerleading squad. And since he’d been the star quarterback, everyone had assumed they would make the perfect couple.

Not even close. They’d never dated. Not once.

Drew cleared his throat and leaned in. “So why did you move back?”

“I didn’t want to move, but I needed a change. And my family is here.”

“I didn’t want to move here, either. I want to go home,” Wyatt said. “Can’t we go back to Detroit?”

That made three of them not wanting to move back to Lake Endwell. Drew would have cracked a joke if the atmosphere wasn’t so tense.

“What’s in Detroit?” A trio of emotions sped across Lauren’s face—sympathy, sadness and wariness.

Wyatt hauled in a breath, his face full of animation for the first time in forever; then the joy slid away and he sighed, defeated. “Nothing, I guess.”

“There must be something.” Her voice lilted, coaxing Wyatt to talk, but silence won. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer. We all have things we’d prefer no one knew about.”

“My dad,” Wyatt whispered. “But he’s in jail.”

“My dad was in jail most of my life,” Lauren said. “He died a few years ago.”

Drew straightened. Why was she lying? Her dad had never been in jail. Bill Pierce was one of the most upstanding men the community had ever seen, and he was definitely still alive.

“Really?” Wyatt sounded skeptical and hopeful at the same time. “What did he do?”

“He murdered two men.” She rubbed her arm, not looking him in the eye.

“Oh.” He dropped his attention to the uneaten sundae melting into a puddle of brown and white. “But you’re so pretty.”

She laughed. “Thank you. I’m not sure that what I look like has anything to do with it, though.”

“Sorry.” Wyatt blushed. “I just meant... I guess I don’t know what I meant.”

“I think I do.” She scrunched her nose. “People who look like they have it all together have problems, too. Big problems. Like yours.”

He seemed to chew on the thought. Drew dug his nails into his jeans. Maybe he’d been all wrong about Lauren. Was she fabricating a sob story to make Wyatt trust her?

“Would you do me a favor, Wyatt?” Lauren asked. “Go inside and buy me a chocolate ice cream. In a cup, please.” She handed him a five-dollar bill. “If you don’t mind?”

He took the money. “You want sprinkles?”

“No, thanks.”

Drew waited until Wyatt was safely indoors before he turned back to Lauren. “Why did you lie to him?”

“I didn’t.” Those clear gray eyes held nothing but truth.

“But Bill—”

“Bill isn’t my real dad. I was adopted.”

“What do you mean, you were adopted?”

She shrugged. “Adopted. As in my parents adopted me.”

Of course she hadn’t lied. Relief spread through his chest, releasing the tension building inside. “Look, I need a babysitter. An adult to stay with him when I’m working at the fire station. Mom moved to Arizona last year or I’d ask her. I’ll be on twenty-four hours and off forty-eight, so it’s not every day. And I think we both know that not anyone will do in this situation.”

She was already shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not the right person.” She pushed her hands against the table as if preparing to leave.

“You’re exactly the right person.” Her brittle expression reminded him to be gentle. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t blame you if you hold a grudge, but I’m not the same guy I was. I’ve changed. And you don’t owe me anything except maybe a slap in the head or a kick in the rear, but I’m not asking this for me.”

He let her see the sincerity in his eyes. Didn’t move. And he prayed. Lord, please don’t hold my foolishness and arrogance against me. Wyatt needs her. I feel it deep down in my gut.

She shook her head, and he clenched his jaw, trying to come up with something that would convince her. She’d been the most honest, upright person he’d ever met. Someone who would be a good influence on Wyatt.

He didn’t deserve someone like that. But Wyatt did.

“I can’t be there for him every hour,” Drew said. “I need to rely on someone I can trust. Someone with experience dealing with the kind of trauma he’s lived through. I wish my mom could help out, but she’s on the other side of the country. She told me you’re the one for Wyatt, and, frankly, Mom’s always right.”

“I’ll give you the number of a nice college student I know. He’d probably stay with Wyatt.”

“Or you could keep the guy’s number and make this easy on everyone.”

She tilted her chin up. “I don’t think you understand. My life is on hold.”

“What?” He tried to figure out what she was talking about but came up blank.

“I’m not the person for the job.”

* * *

Lauren watched as Drew processed her words. He was even better-looking now than he’d been in high school, if such a thing was possible. And a firefighter? Forget putting out the fires. More like igniting them. He could be the cover model for any fireman calendar.

Stupid hormones. Must be playing tricks on her. She’d never been attracted to him before. Not much, anyway.

Maybe a tad.