“Dani?”
Dani startled. She’d been lost in her thoughts.
“I have an idea that I’d like to discuss with you.” Dani explained her idea about an outreach program.
Mallory’s eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands. “This is so exciting. I’ve wanted to expand the variety of classes since I opened. And I love the idea of an outreach program for underprivileged kids.” She sighed. “You know I can’t pay you for outside work.”
Dani nodded. “I know. I wasn’t expecting you to. This is something I want to give back to the community.”
“Okay, then. Let me know about the hours here.” Mallory took a sip of coffee and bit her lip. “I can probably swing a donation of whatever you need for the outreach program.”
“That would be great,” Dani said. It was more than she expected, and she was grateful Mallory volunteered. The class wouldn’t need much, maybe a donation of snacks or outfits for a recital.
They hashed out the details of the new classes at Spiritual Bliss, and Dani promised to reach out to a couple of after-school programs in the city’s poorer neighborhoods for the best fit.
“Gosh.” Dani looked at her watch and jumped up. “I better get going if I want to be in time to pick up Jack.”
Mallory stood as well. “I should get going too. I have some paperwork to do.” She narrowed her eyes at Dani. “Don’t think that I’ve forgotten we were going to discuss your love life.”
Dani laughed. “Or lack of.” She sighed. “I’m not ready to date, and I don’t know any single men, even if I were.”
“Oh, sister.” Mallory laughed. “My friends and I know a lot of gorgeous, single men. Men that will make your toes curl.”
“You’re too funny,” said Dani. “My toes don’t curl. Besides, I don’t have time to date, especially with Jack at home.”
Mallory nodded and bit her lip. “We’ll see about that.”
Oh, God. What was Mallory thinking?
Dani had no time to date. Even if there was time, where would she look for a man, and what would she talk to him about? It’d been ten years since her last date. Mason was dead ten months. Dani hadn’t thought about dating, although she had no plans to remain a widow forever. But dating right now? She wasn’t ready. Or was she?
“Mommy, Mommy, look what I got.” Jack came racing out of his classroom, holding a red plastic firefighter’s hat. He shoved a paper at her. “And we got to sit in the fire engine, and I drew this.”
Dani looked at the picture and then at Jack, who was wiggling like a worm and smiling. His smile was so like Mason’s, it hurt. “This is terrific, Jack.” Crap, she forgot his class was taking a field trip to the fire station today.
“We walked to the fire station, and everyone got to sit in the truck.” His eyes got wide. “They pushed a button for the siren.” He held his ears. “It was so loud.”
He jumped up and down. “And guess what? They even have a pole to slide down and a spotted dog.”
Ah, yes, the proverbial Dalmatian. “What’s the dog’s name?”
“Sparky.” Jack bent over, laughing. “Sparky! Get it, Mommy?”
Dani couldn’t help giggling. She nodded. “I get it, sweetheart. Did you get to slide down the pole?”
“Nooo.” His little brows furrowed. “One of the firemen showed us how, but they wouldn’t let us slide down.”
“That’s too bad. But it sounds like you had fun and learned a lot.” She picked up his backpack. “Let’s go. You can tell me all about it on the way home.”
And he did. All the way home. Dani loved Jack’s enthusiasm.
“I’m going to be a fireman when I grow up,” he declared as they arrived home and Dani opened the door to help him out.
“It’s an honorable profession.”
Jack raced to the back door. “I’m starving.”
Dani shook her head. Her boy was going through a growth spurt and always hungry. She inserted her key and opened the door. They walked into the mudroom, and Dani placed Jack’s backpack on a bench.
She could still smell the lingering scent of tomato and garlic from last night’s spaghetti dinner, and her stomach rumbled. Crap. What was for dinner tonight? She hadn’t taken anything out. Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup would have to do. That was Jack’s favorite, anyhow.
“Jack, wash up for dinner, sweetie.”
Jack raced off to his room. Dani glanced around the kitchen. The blond wood cabinets, white subway tile counters, and backsplash were a throwback to the 1980s. Chic then, old now. But the appliances worked, and that was all Dani cared about.
Everything else in the house was at least as old, from the matching paisley sofas in the living room to the canopied bed in her room. Dani only knew that because her mom described it to her. She never had the opportunity to visit her grandma.
Someday when she had money—and wasn’t that a joke?—she’d remodel and get the kitchen of her dreams; however, for now she was grateful for what she had.
Besides, what was important was not what possessions you had but that you had family in your heart.
She had it all in one small boy who was now staring at her, wondering when his dinner would be ready.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ryker parked his truck next to a couple of other trucks along the side entrance to the Paws for Caring Center and looked at his watch. Right on time. Twinkling stars and a sliver of the moon shined brightly through the trees. He punched in his code and pulled open the metal door. The humid air clung to his body like armor, so he was happy to get into the air-conditioned building.
The building was quiet, but then again, it was nine o’clock at night. Everyone who worked there had gone home.
Chase Maddox had called a Brotherhood Alliance meeting to review past assignments and update them on the new ones.
Ryker walked down the hallway, past the state-of-the-art kitchen, the accounting office, the training room for dogs, the restrooms and showers until finally reaching the end of the hallway and the library. It seemed odd not to see lots of activity or hear multiple voices or dogs barking, but the Brotherhood tried not to meet when people were around. What they did was highly confidential and a little outside of legal—sometimes.
He heard voices coming from the command center. The bookcase concealing the secret room swung out and was open to the library. Ryker entered and saw Chase, Finn, Zach and Dex sitting around the large wooden table in the middle of the room. There were no windows in this room, just a mural on the wall of the woods outside the center. It opened up the room so it didn’t feel like they were caged. Recessed lights provided all the illumination they needed.
“Ryker. ’Bout time you got here.” Dex got up from his chair. They shook hands and man-hugged. Ryker nodded to the other men.
“Dex, how are you, man?” asked Ryker. Dexter Drum was his best friend from the Army and had convinced Ryker to come look around and see if the Brotherhood Alliance was a good fit for him. He’d been right.
“Great. You?” asked Dex.
“I’m doing okay. I’m not late, am I?” He sure hoped not. Being late was one of Ryker’s pet peeves. He looked around, still determining who else was going to be here tonight.