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“Josh,” the other boy warns.
“It’s okay,” I say, getting down on my knees so I’m kid level. “Sammy is friendly. She will probably lick you, though. Is that cool?”
“My brother had surgery on his heart and our mom said he has to be careful about germs so I don’t know,” the older boy says.
His heart? Jesus. No kid should have to go through any kind of surgery, let alone an operation on a vital organ.
“What’s your name?” Chloe asks him.
“Jesse.”
“Hi, Jesse. Hi Josh.” She bends down. “I’m Chloe, and this is Finn.”
“We know,” Jesse says. “He’s our favorite baseball player.”
Josh pets Sammy while peeking at me. “I have your jersey at home,” Josh says quietly.
“Thanks, bud. I appreciate that.”
“It was mine, but I gave it to him when he was sick,” Jesse says. “He dropped red Jell-O on it, though, so now it has a stain.”
Josh sits on his bottom so Sammy can cozy up to him. She’s remarkably calm, sitting in his lap and letting him stroke her back. I expected licks to his face, but it’s like she understood Jesse’s worry for his brother and kept her tongue to herself.
“I dropped food on something special of mine too,” Chloe says in comfort, but I know she’s nervous about her dress. Until she sees it, she won’t believe it’s been cleaned.
After she fell asleep in my car on our way to my house last night, I called my cousin Meredith. She’s a dress designer and has contacts all over the city for clothing emergencies 24/7. I’ve been assured the stain will be removed. If not, Mere knows where to get a new one ASAP and I’ll replace it before Chloe’s any the wiser.
Josh gives Chloe a small smile then goes right back to focusing on Sammy.
“Is your mom or dad nearby?” I ask.
“We live across the street,” Jesse says. “So, our mom sometimes lets us come play by ourselves. She watches from the window or the front door a lot, though. We’re not supposed to talk to strangers, but you’re not a stranger. Plus, I have this.” He pulls a whistle out of his pocket. “It’s super loud.”
“I was thinking I could bring you both new jerseys if you want.”
“Really?” they say at the same time, their eyes lighting up.
Josh is quick to once again drop his attention to Sammy, though, who is in dog heaven. Apparently, Josh has the magic touch. His pets go from head to tail with a steady stroke that rumples Sammy’s thick fur and has her eyes drooping shut.
“Absolutely,” I say.
A woman jogs toward us, a concerned expression drawing the corners of her mouth down. “Hey, guys,” she says slightly out of breath. Her gaze zeroes in on Josh.
The young boy looks up, guilt written across his face. “Hi, Mommy.”
“Julie?” Chloe says.
“Chloe? Oh my gosh, hi.”
“I didn’t know you lived around here,” Chloe says before turning to me and adding, “Julie works—” She falters like she spoke too soon. “She’s an RN.”
I search Chloe’s eyes. She’s holding something back and it bothers me. A lot. I want her to trust me. To talk to me. More than I’ve ever wanted any other woman to. Hell, normally I’m fine with as little conversation as possible.
With Webster it’s different.
“Did you two go to school together?” It’s a dumb question. Julie looks much older than Chloe, but I’m trying a vague approach in hopes she’ll confide in me.
“No.” Chloe searches my face for something. While she does, I count the freckles across her nose.One, two, three, four, five.Five tiny beauty marks for a girl who is gorgeous inside and out. “Julie works at my dad’s doctor’s office.”
