Hometown Hero's Redemption

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“Good to see you.” Drew opened the door for her.

She entered the restaurant. “Let’s find a table.”

Drew stopped at the hostess station. The girl behind the stand held a stack of menus. “It’s a thirty-minute wait inside, but we have a few tables open on the deck.”

He looked at Lauren. “Do you want to eat outside, or is it too cold for you?”

“Outside is fine. It’s a beautiful night. What do you think, Wyatt?”

Wyatt was eyeing the fish and deer heads mounted on the pine walls.

“Wyatt,” Drew said.

He flushed. “Huh?”

“Do you want to eat outside?”

He peered at the crowd. Large windows displayed views of the lake. “Yeah, sure.”

They weaved through the tables on their way to the patio doors. Drew didn’t look left or right. He concentrated on following Lauren’s graceful movements.

“Gannon?” A voice boomed over the lively conversation. “Gannon the Cannon?” The man leaped out of his chair and stood between Drew and Lauren. Wyatt instinctively huddled closer to Drew. He kept his arm around the kid’s shoulders.

“It’s me, Mike Schneider. Man, I haven’t seen you in ages. How’ve you been?” Mike clapped him on the back, his face beaming.

Drew’s inner serenity crumbled faster than a week-old cookie. Mike Schneider had been a linebacker on the team, one of the guys he ran around with. Someone who had thought he was above getting in trouble. The same way Drew had been.

“Good to see you, Mike.” He nodded, hoping to bypass the reunion and get to the deck ASAP.

“So what brings you to town? You visiting?”

“I’m actually moving back. I start at the fire station next week. You still live here?”

“Just visiting my folks with my wife—you remember Tori?” He pointed to the corner of the table, where Tori waved above several empty beer glasses. Another vaguely familiar couple sat across from her. “My sister, Paige, joined us. This is her husband, Brent.”

“Good to see you, Drew. You’re looking good.” Tori winked. He gave her a tight nod. Tori James had flirted with Drew throughout high school and, if his memory served him correctly, had never had a nice thing to say about Lauren. The same way he hadn’t.

The ladies began to whisper as Mike continued. “Hey, remember sneaking out to the Flats with Brittany? Man, did we have fun. Late-night swimming has never been the same.”

Shame lit a bonfire in his gut. Drew stepped forward. “Yeah, well, we’re holding up traffic.”

Mike ran a calculating gaze across Drew over to Lauren, and his eyes about bugged out. “Am I seeing things or what? Is that Prim—”

“It’s Lauren Pierce.” Drew frowned. Lauren’s face was a polite mask—nothing was getting through it.

“What? Are you two together?” Mike chortled as if it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Is this your kid?”

“This is my godson, Wyatt. Good to see you.” Drew clenched his jaw and propelled Wyatt forward. His veins felt like they were going to explode. Every table they passed seemed to be staring, pointing and whispering, but maybe it was his imagination. The patio doors were merely a few yards away.

“What’s wrong, Uncle Drew?” Wyatt rubbed his biceps as soon as Drew let go when they made it to the deck.

“Nothing.”

“Are you mad?” Wyatt sounded worried.

“I’m fine.” Drew studied the people seated outside but thankfully didn’t see anyone familiar.

Lauren led them to the most secluded table. She patted the chair next to hers and smiled at Wyatt. “Drew hasn’t been home in years.”

Wyatt didn’t look convinced. He began to nervously chew his fingernail. “Let’s go home.”

What was bothering him? He’d been okay when they had arrived.

“Do you want to go home?” Lauren asked, her voice calm and reassuring.

“I don’t know.”

His face looked pale. Drew ticked through possible reasons Wyatt had gone from excited to jittery so quickly. Was he getting sick?

“Are you sure you’re not mad, Uncle Drew?”

“I’m not mad,” Drew said. “Like Lauren said, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here, and I guess I’m nervous.”

Lauren tapped Wyatt’s arm and pointed to the lake. “The water is so shimmery tonight, and, look, there’s a duck and her babies.” Slowly Wyatt’s color returned, and he seemed to relax. A waitress stopped by for their orders, and a family came outside with a young girl and a boy about Wyatt’s age.

“Hey, Wyatt.” The boy waved and sped over to their table. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight. Want to go try to win a prize with the claw?”

Yearning and fear collided in Wyatt’s expression. Drew hitched his chin. “Go ahead. I thought I saw the claw machine inside those doors. You can see us from there.”

“I’d better stay here.” Wyatt shrank into himself.

Lauren smiled at the other boy. “Why don’t you pull up a seat? You two can talk a bit and play on the claw machine a little later if you feel like it.”

“Okay, let me tell Mom and Dad.” The boy ran off.

Wyatt straightened, clearly happy with her solution. A round of Cokes arrived, and the kid returned, taking the seat next to Wyatt.

“I’m Wyatt’s uncle Drew, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Hunter.”

“Nice to meet you, Hunter.”

The kid had already turned away and was asking Wyatt about a video game. His enthusiasm must have been contagious because soon Wyatt couldn’t stop talking about the world he was building, whatever that meant. Drew guessed it had something to do with his new video game.

Now that Wyatt was occupied, Drew could focus on Lauren. He’d been waiting all day, wondering if their conversation Wednesday had changed her mind about him. She’d been less prickly when he’d told her about life after football, but she’d had time to process it all since then. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to be around him. Especially not when Mike had just reminded her Drew had been such a jerk before.

He’d just have to show her he’d changed. For good. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

“Me, too.” The low sun at her back made her hair glow.

“I want you to know I’m not—”

“Drew! We thought that was you!” Two attractive women squealed, prancing to their table. His stomach plummeted. Shelby Lattimer and Beth Jones. They’d been on the dance squad in high school, and he’d dated both. Not at the same time, of course.

“Well, look who’s here.” Beth narrowed her eyes at Lauren. Beth wore painted-on dark jeans, a tiny black shirt and sky-high heels. Drew raised his eyebrows at the too-revealing outfit. “Haven’t seen you anywhere but the fitness center since you moved back, Lauren. You’re finally hitting the town, huh?”

“Hey, Drew.” Shelby’s long brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and she twirled a section in her fingers. Her outfit, a tight red dress and stiletto boots, also left little to the imagination.

“Beth, Shelby.” The glint in Lauren’s eyes was the only crack in her composure. “Didn’t see you at spin class Monday night.”

“Yeah, I had a date.” Beth’s gaze flitted to Drew, and she smiled suggestively. “Just casual, though.”

Drew almost choked at the way Lauren’s lips pursed.

More people joined Beth and Shelby, all talking at once to Drew and Lauren. There were a lot of shoulder slaps and references to football. There were a few veiled sneers. He couldn’t make sense of most of it, just kept nodding and repeating, “Yeah, it’s good to see you,” and keeping an eye on Lauren, who handled the questions thrown her way with ease.

The waitress arrived with hot platters of food, and the crowd dispersed. His mind tumbled with impressions. The night had just begun, and dealing with all these people from his past already exhausted him. What could Lauren possibly think about this? She probably thought he loved all the attention. High school Drew would have loved it.

“Well, Wyatt, dig in.” Drew waved his fork at Wyatt’s plate. He craved the anonymity of the previous years, wanted nothing more than to go home, sit on the couch and watch TV the rest of the night, but tonight wasn’t about him. “Best fish you’ll ever eat.”

“I ordered chicken tenders,” Wyatt replied in a deadpan voice. Hunter, still sitting next to him, snickered. Wyatt offered a piece of chicken to Hunter, who happily accepted it.

Lauren lifted her Coke to the boys. “To the best chicken tenders you’ll ever eat.”

They exchanged curious glances.

“You’re supposed to clink your glasses with mine,” she whispered. They brightened with understanding and lifted their Cokes. “Cheers.”

Drew sighed. Lauren was so good with Wyatt. But she’d already told him she wasn’t babysitting. This entire night hammered home why he’d been delusional. His past was messy, and he didn’t want to drag her back to those hurtful days.

He might as well forget the whole thing. He’d find another babysitter and wouldn’t force his way into her life.

* * *

“Can I have some quarters?” Wyatt and Hunter stood next to Drew with their palms cupped. “You’re right. I can see the claw machine through the window.”

Lauren wanted to pull both boys into a hug and kiss their foreheads and assure Wyatt Drew wasn’t going anywhere. He’d be right there, where Wyatt could see him. She set her napkin on her plate and watched in amusement as Drew unfolded his wallet and handed Wyatt a five-dollar bill.

“Go up to the front desk and they’ll give you change,” Drew said. “Come back if you need anything.”

The boys ran off. Lauren noted that Wyatt looked back three times as if he were certain Drew would vanish at any moment.

“He’s scared for you.” Lauren turned back to Drew. “Afraid you’ll be gone like his mom and dad.”

The stunned expression on Drew’s face cleared. “That’s crazy. I’ll never leave him.”

“He probably thought the same about his parents.” Lauren pushed her plate away. “I think that’s why he wanted to go home earlier. He sensed the tension when you were talking to Mike.”

“Tension is normal.” Drew shifted back in his seat. She didn’t recognize the expression in his eyes, and she was good at reading people. If she had to guess, she’d say it was regret.

“He’s on high alert. Dealing with a lot of new developments in his life. Tension isn’t normal for him, not now, anyway.”

“I’ll have to hide it then.” He wiped his hand down his cheek. He had the look of a man in way over his head. The actions she’d witnessed the few times they’d been together said otherwise. He was good at this—good at handling Wyatt. He just didn’t know it.

“I didn’t mean to imply... You don’t have to hide anything.” Lauren bit her lower lip to keep from saying too much. She’d been close to a decision about babysitting, and everything she’d seen tonight—from Drew’s obvious discomfort with Mike and Tori to the kind way he’d greeted everyone who stopped by the table without encouraging them to reminisce about the good old days—showed her he’d changed.

He’d told her football had been the only thing he’d cared about in high school. Well, his single-mindedness had shifted. The man would do anything to protect Wyatt and give him a good life.

She would help them. Who else would take care of Wyatt when Drew was at the station?

Beth? Shelby?

Over her dead body. No, Drew was right. Wyatt needed someone who understood what he was going through.

Wyatt needed her. At least until he started feeling at home here. The summer should give her plenty of time to make him comfortable in this town. Then he’d be equipped to get through his days like other children. And when Angela Duke called her back, she’d research the cheer academy. If it seemed to be way over her head, she’d teach a tumbling class and find another office job this fall.

Lauren folded her hands and straightened her shoulders. “I’ll babysit.”

“What?” His jaw dropped; then he closed his mouth and swallowed. “I thought you said—”

“I changed my mind.”

He steepled his long fingers. “I don’t know. After what you told me about getting hurt and leaving Chicago, I’m not sure it’s best for you.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me to babysit anymore?” She had never considered she’d actually convinced him she wasn’t a good fit for Wyatt.

“Lauren, I would like nothing more than for you to take care of Wyatt. You’re way more in touch with his emotions... I feel like a dummy compared to you.”

Could her heart smile? Drew looked adorable when he was complimenting her and unsure of himself.

But he wasn’t unsure of himself. He’d been born sure of himself.

He also had this idea she was perfect, and she’d be the easy solution to making Wyatt’s life all better. She couldn’t even figure out her own. And perfect? What a laughable concept. When Drew realized she was a mess, would he send her packing?

The purple duffel bag flashed in her mind.

“Are you sure you want to?” Drew tilted his neck to the side, and his expression—so raw, so apologetic—tossed cold water on her doubts. She was being silly. They were grown-ups. And this was about Wyatt.

“Yes.” She nodded decisively. “But only until the end of the summer. He’ll have made enough friends by then you’ll have no problem finding someplace he can stay when you’re at work. And, please, keep your expectations realistic about him. He’s not going to bounce back overnight. It might take years.”

His face fell, but he nodded. “Fair enough. Don’t hold it against me if I badger you to continue when September comes around, though. Can you start Monday?”