Angel of Redemption (15 page)

Claire’s face has fallen a little, and I can’t
help but feel bad. There’s no way I can let this happen, though.

“
What did you need, sweetie? I have to
go back to work.
”

“
Nothing. I just had the afternoon free
and thought I
’
d
come by and see you. I took the bus,
”
she adds with a slight smile. Richard would have a shit fit
if he found out his daughter rode public transportation.

“
I wish I could take some time, but I
really have to finish up with
…”

“
Logan?
”

“
Yeah.
”

“
It
’
s okay. I
’
ll see you tonight. Maybe I can stop by here next week? We
can grab some coffee or something?
”

“
Sure.
”
I smile. My best friend appears in the doorway with her
purse and keys in hand. She looks stressed out.
“
Sara, you left her here on her own?
”

“
I got paged to Mr. Fallon
’
s office. I didn
’
t think it was a good idea to bring
her back so I told her to stay here. Why? What happened?
”

“
Nothing. Do you need a ride home?
”
I ask Claire.

“
No.
”

“
I
’
m heading out, Claire. I can give you a ride home if you
want,
”
Sara offers.

“
Okay. Thanks.
”

“
I
’
ll see you at home.
”
I hug my sister tightly and send her out with Sara.

Making
my way back to my office, I sigh in relief. At least Claire is leaving the
building. My relief is short-lived, however.

“
Your baby sister, huh?
”
Logan asks as I enter my office. I look at Warren incredulously.

“
Sorry,
chica
. I didn
’
t know it was supposed to be a secret.
”
I sit back down at my desk.

“
Are you ready to talk about this
seriously now?
”

Surprisingly,
Logan nods.
“
So, what do I need to do to get a job?
”

Kayla

When Logan and I arrive at Wyatt house after our session, I
find Matty sitting in the front room by himself doing his homework.

“
Hey,
”
I greet.
“
Can I talk to you?
”
He looks up at me expectantly and nods, so I continue.
“
How would you feel if I helped someone else learn to guide
you through your attacks?
”

“
Someone like who?
”
he asks, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. We
’
ve tried this before, more than once.
My silence tells him what he needs to know.
“
No,
”
he says flatly.
“
I
can
’
t.
”

“
Matty, please. What will happen if I
can
’
t
get to you?
”

“
Tell them to leave me. I
’
ll get over it.
”

“
You know that
’
s not going to happen.
”

“
Please, Kayla,
”
he begs, his voice wavering slightly.
“
Don
’
t make me.
”

I
clench my jaw. I hate this. I hate seeing this look on his face. I
’
m not going to push him. Not yet.

“
All right. Just promise me one thing.
”
He wrinkles his nose, making himself look just like he did
when he was eight. It reminds me of how young he still is, and I laugh a
little.
“
I
’
m serious. Promise me you
’
ll try to get to know the Wyatts
—
at least
try
to trust them.
”

“
I always try.
”

“
Yeah, and I
’
m a supermodel,
”
I say, puckering my lips and vogue-ing. Matty lets out a
snorting laugh and shakes his head.

“
You
’
re so weird.
”

“
Hey now, I
’
m the coolest social worker you
’
ve ever had. Admit it,
”
I tease.

“
You
’
re the only social worker I
’
ve ever had, Kayla.
”

“
Precisely. Now promise.
”

Matty
’
s smile fades a little and his head
drops.
“
I
’
ll try,
”
he mumbles. That
’
s pretty much the best I
’
m going to get right now, so I leave
it. I run my hand over his head as I get up.

“
That
’
s all I ask. Be good.
”

Dean
is sitting in Emily
’
s office at the front of the house as I
’
m leaving. He
’
s looking through papers. I feel a
jump in heart rate
—
par for the course when I see him now,
I guess.

“
Hi, Dean,
”
I say.

He
looks up.
“
Hey. Come in.
”

I
enter the office, looking around a bit. It
’
s not huge, but it
’
s decorated similarly to Dean
’
s with rich, dark wood. There
’
s a big window facing out front, but
the curtains are pulled shut.

“
Sit down. How did things go with Logan
today?
”
I have a feeling Dean is used to
commanding people to do things. Part of me wants to keep standing until he
realizes how demanding he
’
s being, but I might be standing for a long time. I sit.

“
He
’
s cynical and jaded and didn
’
t see the point.
”

“
That
’
s not surprising.
”

“
No, but he doesn
’
t have much time to figure it out. I
’
m taking my valuable time to teach
him. The least he could do is listen,
”
I say agitatedly.

“
So, you didn
’
t get anything accomplished?
”

“
Well,
”
I frown,
“
We had an incident. My little sister
’
s staying with us while my mom and her dad are on vacation.
She came to see me today at work while Logan was there. He got a little
sidetracked.
”

“
Did he know she was your sister?
”

“
Not at the time. One of my coworkers
let it slip, though.
”

“
Did she not realize that wasn
’
t a good idea?
”

“
He and probably not. He
’
s one of my best friends. I think
sometimes he forgets there
’
s supposed to be a separation of personal and professional.
”

Dean
looks down at his hands and begins fiddling with his fingers. I
’
m momentarily distracted by what he
’
s doing.

“
Yeah, I guess that happens,
”
he says after a minute, snapping my attention back to our
conversation.

“
Well, as horrified as I was, I think
that it might have been a good thing.
”

“
How so?
”
Dean asks, his fingers still moving against one another. I
’
m trying really hard not to look down
at them again.

“
My sister
’
s beautiful, smart, and ambitious. I
think he realized that if he wants to catch a girl like her, he
’
s going to have to do more than try to
cheat the system.
”

“
Okay,
”
Dean says skeptically,
“
so
what
’
s
his plan?
”

“
He wants to get a job. He
’
s got his driver
’
s permit and has been through all the
classes, but he still needs to get his license.
”

“
One of us can take him to do that if
you
’
d
like,
”
Dean offers.
“
We
’
ve already been through it with Brayden. We
’
ve even got a Wyatt House car.
”

“
A Wyatt House car?
”

“
It
’
s an old beater,
”
he chuckles.
“
But
it
’
s
safe. Brayden is the only one insured to use it right now and we have a lot of
restrictions on it. He has to ask permission to take it, and he
’
s not allowed to cart friends around,
but it gives him some freedom. It
’
s more about teaching him responsibility than anything
else.
”
Dean smiles. I can tell when he talks
about Brayden that the two of them are close.
“
He
’
s been here a long time,
”
he says, answering my unasked question.
“
He
’
s like a little brother to me. I want him to do well when
he leaves. Anyway, Emily can probably help Logan find a job. She
’
s good at that kind of thing. As the
PR person, she has a lot of connections.
”

“
Makes sense,
”
I agree.

“
What about Matty?
”
Dean asks.
“
What did he say?
”

I
swallow dryly and lick my lips.
“
He
’
s not ready,
”
I admit.
“
I think the best way is to spend some
time with him. He needs to trust you. It
’
s just going to take time.
”

“
I can do that. We
’
re trying to find an additional house
manager to take over some of my shifts so I
’
ll have some free time on my hands.
”

“
Oh
”
is my brilliant response. Dean scoffs a little, lifting the
papers in front of him.

“
My parents think I spend too much time
at Wyatt House. They want us to find someone who can put in at least twenty to
thirty hours a week.
”

“
How many hours do you put in?
”
I ask.

Dean
shrugs.
“
I don
’
t
know. A lot, I guess. I don
’
t really count.
”

“
Don
’
t
you have a social life?
”
I regret the question as soon as it
’
s out of my mouth. It
’
s
none of my business. Dean looks down and then back up. He doesn
’
t look mad or offended, though.

“
Emily says you
’
re meeting her for coffee,
”
he says, changing the subject.

“
Yeah.
”
I nod.
“
Is that okay? That
’
s not against any rules, is it?
”

He
chuckles.
“
No, it
’
s
not. Just don
’
t let her corrupt you.
”

“
Ha!
”
I laugh.
“
She
’
s
far too late for that.
”
I want to die. I need to just shut up.
I have no idea where my professionalism has gone.

“
Good to know,
”
Dean says, smirking. The look on his face is playful, and,
as much as I know I should put an end to the flirting, I don
’
t want to.

“
And you
’
re so innocent?
”
I challenge.

He
leans forward, his hands clasped together on the desk in front of him.
“
Do I look innocent, Kayla?
”
His voice has taken on a deeper tone
—i
tone that does inappropriate things
to my body. I take a chance and brush my thumb over his knuckles, slipping my
fingers underneath his in the process.

“
Looks can be deceiving.
”
I trace the
X
s
with the tip of my thumb. Dean watches the movement. There
’
s a sudden sadness in his eyes. I
’
m curious as to what he
’
s
thinking. I want to know everything about this man.

“
Dean?
”
I hear a feminine voice call out behind me. Dean snatches
his hand back, startling me.

“
Sorry, I didn
’
t mean to interrupt,
”
Tracey says, peeking her head in.
“
Hi, Kayla.
”