Page 9 of Playing With Forever

I had a full life, I didn’t need Evan or his sweet daughter disrupting it.

Or did I?

Actually, what I wanted or didn’t want was irrelevant. During Monday night’s dinner, he’d made it clear he was angry with me. Nor could I miss how uncomfortable he was with me dining with his daughter. Something else I’d been doing the last four days was trying to forget how openly he adored Lindy. As uncomfortable as he was with me being present, it didn’t cloud his love for his girl. He listened to her speak about her art with rapt attention, hanging on her every word, even though I was positive Lindy wasn’t saying anything to me she hadn’t said to her father hundreds of times.

Evan Sanders, the man, was good-looking.

Evan Sanders, the father, was insanely attractive.

I hadn’t heard from Lindy despite her asking for my number—which I hesitantly gave. That hesitation stemmed from Evan’s frown, not because I minded her having it. Alas, she hadn’t called. I wasn’t sure if that was for the best or if I was disappointed.

Fortunately, I didn’t have time to ponder that further.

“Sorry to interrupt, Josie.” I shifted my gaze from my computer to Phil standing in the doorway of my office.

“You’re not interrupting. Please, come in.” I motioned to the chair in front of my desk. On wood legs, Phil accepted my invitation. “Is there a problem?”

“Potentially.”

Phil worked double duty at the center. His literal job was volunteer coordinator, but after the fire that burned down our first building and almost killed me, a kiddo who attended the after-school program—or did; now Griff volunteers with Phoenix Kent, his stepfather—Phil took it upon himself to act as security as well.

We didn’t have the budget to hire actual security guards, but Phil had coordinated with some of the other volunteers, and now they kept a better watch both inside and outside the facilities.

So, ‘potentially’ could mean anything.

Phil went on, “I was doing a walk-through of the parking lot and saw Tyler Havarth in a huddle with Greg Turner and two other boys I don’t know.”

Greg Turner had been expelled from the program. The Hope Center had a zero-tolerance policy for drugs or weapons on the premises. Greg had violated the drug policy. Once expelled, you weren’t allowed on Hope Center property, this included the parking lot.

“Was Bella with Tyler?”

“No. I saw her in the homework room before I went outside to make my rounds.”

That was good news. Bella was Tyler’s ten-year-old little sister. Tyler, by the way, was fifteen, and they had an older brother, Sam, who was seventeen.

“Did Tyler submit to a search before he entered the building?”

This was something all parents and guardians had to agree to. Anyone coming in was subject to search for drugs or weapons. The searches were random and not done very often, but they happened. If the search was declined, they were barred from entering, or if they were already inside, they were escorted out. In the case of a child declining, their parent was called and asked to pick them up. If it was an adult, they were removed from our volunteer roster.

“Yes, he was clean.”

That was good news.

“I also called it into Phoenix,” Phil went on. “He asked for the parking footage.”

Officer Phoenix Kent, brother to Officer Echo Kent. Echo being Evan’s partner. This was the loose connection I had to Evan among others.

“That’s fine, you can send it to him. And Greg?”

“Asked him and the others to leave and reminded them they were trespassing.”

“Thanks, Phil. I’ll keep a better eye on Tyler.”

“With respect, Josie, we’ll keep a better eye on Tyler.”

He meant the men who worked at the center.

“Phil—”