He wondered why she seemed so flustered. She’d been rummaging around in the cupboards and was holding two bags of Hershey’s Kisses.
He gestured to the chocolate. “Got a sweet tooth?”
“Always.” She grinned. “I was going to put them out in bowls for the kids. Tansy said I could jump right in, and that’s what I’m doing.”
“You know Tansy too?” he asked.
“I just met her this morning. This is my first day volunteering here. How do you know Tansy?”
“We met when she came to talk to the cadets about getting involved in the communities they serve. She told me to come by sometime, so I brought DeVaughn here.”
Her brow furrowed in confusion.
Luca grinned. “DeVaughn is the kid you saved.”
“What?”
“You told me to watch out for a kid on a bike. I told you he was okay when we met for coffee, and I decided to bring him here today.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Can I meet him?”
“Sure. Come with me.”
They approached a group of kids huddled around a gaming console.
“Hey, DeVaughn.” Luca laid his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I want to introduce you to a friend of mine.”
He brought DeVaughn over to Dawn. “DeVaughn, this is my friend Dawn. Dawn, this is my buddy DeVaughn.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Dawn smiled.
“You got really cool hair and tattoos,” the boy said to her.
“Thanks. I’ll tell you about my tats sometime if you’re interested.”
The boy nodded.
“I guess I’ll be seeing you around here then?” Dawn asked.
The boy turned to Luca, his eyes hopeful.
“You bet, kiddo. I’ll bring you every Saturday, if I’m not working and your mom says it’s okay.”
“Hey, DeVaughn, it’s your turn,” one of the boys said from the console.
“I gotta go. I’m up next. I’ll see you, Dawn.”
“Later, DeVaughn.”
They watched the boy join his friends.
She turned back to Luca, and his heart contracted at the tears glittering in her eyes. “Hey, it’s okay. You saved him. You did that.” He reached for her hand and squeezed. He wanted to reassure her. Wanted her to know how amazing she was.
She nodded, wiping at her eyes. “But what about Mandy? We’ve got to help her too.”
“We will. We’ll find her together.” He was operating on impulse today, and so far, it was working. “Do you want to have dinner with me?”
She gaped at him. “You mean tonight?”
