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“Hurry, Mr. Jack!”
“How do you know we’ll be late?” he asked Dub. “You don’t have a watch on.”
“I could see from the window up there. Everybody’s walking to the chow hall.”
“Okay, fine. Show me the way.”
Dub was right. There were a lot of kids walking toward the training building. Now that he thought of it, he recalled a cafeteria in that building.
A few adults were up ahead, but it was mostly kids. Lots of kids. Boys of different ages laughed and talked as they headed to the meeting.
Somehow the whole kids at the ranch thing had slipped Jack’s mind. He hadn’t connected the dots. Or he had, and then blocked it out. Jack swiped a hand over his face and swallowed, willing his heart rate to slow down.
It didn’t matter—he wasn’t here for kids. He was here as a ranch hand. He’d do chickens and goats, and anything else the director lady threw at him. But kids were definitely not part of his repertoire. Not now and not in the future.
He stole a glance at the boy beside him. A prickle of apprehension raced over him, and he realized that he needed to make his no-kids policy completely clear to Lucy Maxwell.
And to Dub Lewis.
* * *
Lucy blinked.
What was Jack Harris doing with Dub Lewis? At well over six feet, he had to lean over every now and again to catch what the small child was saying. Dub seemed to be talking nonstop, skipping at intervals to keep up with Jack’s long strides. Jack’s dark head was next to Dub’s blond one. Lucy’s heart gave a little swoon at the picture they made. But Jack wasn’t smiling. The attorney limped as he walked—a sure sign those fancy shoes were causing him considerable discomfort.
“Did you get all moved in?” she murmured as he approached.
“I did,” he said with a curt nod.
“You spoke with your aunt?”
“My aunt.” He chuckled. “Aunt Meri cleverly left town to spend a few days with a friend.”
Lucy smiled and glanced from Jack to the little boy at his side. “I see you met Dub.”
“Met? He seems to have permanently attached himself to my shadow. I have a few questions for you,” Jack said, his words for her ears only.
Lucy knelt down next to Dub. “Hey, Dub, why don’t you go ahead and find a seat inside?”
Dub glanced at the box of camping supplies at her side. “Don’t I need those, too?”
“Miss Lorna picked yours up for you.”
“Okay. Are we still going for ice cream?” He searched her face hopefully. “With my sissies?”
“What did I tell you?” she returned.
“You said that you’d pick us up tonight after dinner.”
“That’s correct, and I always keep my promises.”
Relief now shone in Dub’s eyes.
“Now go ahead and find a seat inside, please.”
“Okay.” He turned to Jack. “I’ll save you a seat, Mr. Jack.”
“Uh, thanks, kid.”
Lucy’s gaze followed Dub as he raced into the open door of the building.
“What’s his story?” Jack asked.
She turned to face him. “What do you mean?”
“Seems like he should be in an orphanage so he can be adopted. Your facility isn’t licensed for adoption.”
“You really did your research,” Lucy said with a grudging smile. “Once again, I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. I’m sure I’ll annoy you again very soon.”
“Dub is here as a favor to the court.”
“Why?”
“He’s one of three.”
“Three?”
“Yes. Triplets.”
Jack’s eyes rounded. “There are three of him? Where are his brothers?”
“Sisters. Ann and Eva. They’re at the girls’ ranch.”
“How’s that work?”
“Normally different-sex siblings have visitation weekly. We provide extra family time together for the triplets.”
“So why are they here?”
“You understand this falls under the medical confidentiality agreement you signed. We expect that of all staff members.”
“I’m an attorney. I’m accustomed to keeping my mouth shut.”
Though she sorely itched to spout the hearty comeback on the tip of her tongue, Lucy recognized that she was supposed to be making nice with the man, so she bit her tongue instead.
“Finding foster parents willing to take triplets isn’t easy. Dub was in a separate foster home from his sisters and he became very depressed. In fact, Dub has been in three different foster homes already this year. He ran away from all of them.”
“Why? Why does he run away? Do they treat him poorly?”
“Not at all. Dub simply feels obligated to take care of his sisters. That’s his burden. So he leaves to find them.”
“That’s a heavy load for a five-year-old.”
“I know.” And she did, far more than anyone would ever understand. It had been her job, like Dub’s, to keep track of Emma and Travis when the three of them were in foster care.
“How far does the little man get?” Jack asked.
“Oh, you’d be surprised.” She released a sigh. “Our Dub is very resourceful.”
“Now he’s here.”
“Yes. Dub and his sisters are here for the summer at least, to keep them together.”
“How long have they been in the system?”
“A year. They were removed from their home due to neglect and abandonment. Poor kids were left alone quite a bit, and expected to fend for themselves by the only custodial parent.”
Jack grimaced. “Mother?”
“Yes.”
“And the father?”
“Unknown.”
He shook his head and glanced at the building Dub had gone into. Lucy blinked at the emotion Harris wore on his face. It was the first emotion she’d seen him express for anyone besides his aunt.
“That’s a tough break for a kid,” he muttered.
She nodded. “Another reason they’re here is to see if Dub flourishes when his only responsibility is being a kid. At the ranch, he knows his sisters are being taken care of. A few times he’s randomly asked to see them in the middle of the day. It was as if he needed to be sure they were safe. We complied, and he was able to stop worrying. Dub trusts us to keep our word.”
“How is his being here going to help with the adoption process?”
“We’re actively trying to find Dub a home, and we’ve agreed to facilitate any potential foster or adoptive parents who are interested in all three children.”
Jack offered a short nod, annoyance still evident on his face. “The kid was in the stables.” He shot her an accusatory look. “Alone. No supervision.”
“Dub always asks permission, and he knows that he’s not allowed in the stalls.”
“That’s not the same as supervision.”
“Dub understands the rules.”
“So he kept telling me. Yet seeing him in the loft, a good fifteen feet above the ground, I was not reassured.”
She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “We have security cameras and microphones in the stables. Off-site security is monitoring most of this ranch, except for the pastures. Soon we’ll have cameras out there, as well.” It was her turn to look him in the eye. “If our budget is approved.”
“Cameras don’t take the place of adults supervising kids. He was in the loft. Is that allowed?”
“That would be a loophole in our agreement. Kids tend to find those. You’re an attorney—surely you understand loopholes.”
“A loophole?”
“Yes. He wasn’t technically in the stall. But I appreciate the heads-up. I will discuss that with Dub.” She paused. “I do want you to know that we’ve been operating for five years, and no child has ever been seriously injured.”
“Trust me. It only takes one second for things to spiral out of control. And in that moment, the rest of your life is changed. Forever.”
She stared at him, assessing the rigid posture, the hands shoved into his pockets. More emotion. Where was it all coming from? Jack Harris was hiding a painful secret, of that she was certain. Her words were slow and measured when she responded. “Are you asking for Dub as your buddy for the summer? Is that what this is all about?”
“What?” His head jerked back and his hands came up, palms out. “No. I don’t even know anything about buddies.”
“You have to pick someone. Why not Dub? He certainly seems to have attached himself to you.”
Jack lifted his palms again and stepped back. “Whoa. I have zero experience with kids.”
“Weren’t you a kid?”
“That was a very limited engagement. It ended when I was nine.”
“What?”
He grimaced. “Trust me. I am not the man to be in charge of a kid.”
Lucy opened her mouth to answer and then closed it again. Somehow she knew that he was telling the truth, and his words troubled her. What had happened to Jack Harris to make him so nervous at the thought of being with a child?
She pushed back her bangs. “All you have to do is accompany him on the various summer activities. Be his designated adult. Give him your undivided attention and unconditional love.”
Was she imagining things, or did Jack pale as she spoke?
He wiped his palms on his jeans. “How long does this buddy thing last?” he asked.
“Until the end of summer.”
“You expect me to babysit Dub for six weeks?”
“Please lower your voice.” Again, Lucy glanced around. “We don’t call our ministry at the ranch babysitting. We’re sharing and caring.”
“Sharing and caring.” Jack ran a hand over his face and rubbed the small scar on the bridge of his nose with his index finger.
Lucy stepped closer to Jack as a few volunteers and children walked past her and into the chow hall. “Are you all right?” she asked quietly.
He skirted the question with one of his own. “What if he doesn’t trust me? You said he already has issues.”
“Jack, it’s obvious Dub’s already bonded with you.”
“What makes you think that?” The lawyer’s eyes narrowed.
