Page 133 of Steel

He looked me directly in the eyes, his smile so huge. So bright. So eager. When he ran away, I finally took a deep sigh.

“This is… amazing,” I managed, unable to fathom why people who didn’t know me would go to all this trouble. I’d never been so touched in my life.

“I had nothing to do with it. All Shannon and her team. And trust me. She can get anybody in this town to do anything she wants.”

As he wrapped his arms around me, I folded mine over his. Just watching Damon’s excitement in running from table to table, being greeted by people he didn’t know and perfectly content in jabbering away was amazing.

“You had everything to do with making me a part of this amazing community.”

“You fit right in. My guess is your mother would love that you’re here.”

“You’re right. She would.”

“What happened? Unless sharing is too painful.”

I felt comfortable in sharing my pain with him, although being here was cathartic. “No, I can tell you. They were in an accident. A chain reaction on the highway in a snowstorm. I wasn’t withthem. Since there was nobody else, I went into foster care. Which I wouldn’t recommend.”

He pulled me around to face him. “I’m so sorry, baby. Having family is important and what you’ve given to Damon is just amazing.”

“I used to feel sorry for myself, blaming the world for taking my family away from me. But I learned something very important by being here. Family isn’t just blood related. It’s people who will go out of their way to make your day better with a smile or a kind word. It’s a group of people determined to break into a burning vehicle and another providing the happiest of birthdays to a little boy who felt as if no one loved him. And it’s feeling something from a man who… Who is truly a remarkable human being.”

“A man? Better not be Rock,” he teased.

“What if it was?”

“You don’t want to know.”

Around Steel, I could laugh easily. “Maybe I do. I guess I should make sure my son isn’t eating too many sweets.” As I started to pull away, he stopped me.

“So, I found out something about Kenneth that you need to know.”

“You did?”

Steel nodded. “I hope you’re not angry, but I had a buddy of mine who’s an attorney see if he’d filed any custody papers. I just wanted you to be prepared.”

“And?” My heart was in my throat.

“He’s not. But I think I know the reason why he’s hell-bent on talking to you. Do you want to know?”

How strange that a huge part of me just didn’t give a damn any longer. Whatever I had to face with the man, I’d do so knowing that I would never allow him to hurt my son.

“Yes, I do. He’s not going to let this go and I want every scrap of information on him that I can use as ammunition if necessary.”

Steel tilted his head, that evil grin returning. When he smiled that way, he was like a mischievous child himself.

“Mom. Mom!”

I knew when my son was distressed. The sound immediately captured my attention. My head snapped in the direction of the sound. “Oh, no. No way.”

Kenneth was standing right behind my son.

“Easy, babe,” Steel said under his breath as soon as I bristled.

“You know what? I’m done taking it easy.” When I was first a mother, everything had worried me. When Damon was sleeping constantly. When he wasn’t sleeping at all. When he’d cried then suddenly stopped. When he wouldn’t eat. Even when he’d burped too many times. I’d been on pins and needles, calling my son’s pediatrician so many times I was certain the woman hated me.

I’d sent her a Christmas basket after the first tumultuous year. I’d learned my kid was a little warrior, so the calls slowed down. But I’d never stopped worrying. Not really. Only the worry had shifted, becoming about hoping he’d find friends or enjoyed school.

I’d been the mom warding off evil under Damon’s bed and even developing a little curse for monsters so they wouldn’t enter his room. And forget about it when anyone said anything that wasn’t nice. I was a mother hen pecking them to death.