“Hey, honey.Homework?”I ask half-heartedly because my mind is still on the man next door.
“No.Didn’t get any today.But the craziest thing happened.Didn’t you see the text?”
“Text?”I ask.
“Yeah.”The game ends, so he gets up from the couch to give me a hug.“Kyle Harding got arrested at school today.”
Fear for my son, even though he is standing here safely in front of me, pushes all thoughts of Garrison aside.“Kyle—you’ve mentioned him before.”
“Only once.Kyle defended me when that guy was hassling me after we first moved here.I haven’t talked to him since, but I have seen him around at the community center when I went over to play basketball after school.”
“What do you mean he got arrested?What for?”
“I heard that he had a knife at school.”
“A knife?”I screech.“Why didn’t the school call me?”I demand.How could they not notify the parents?
“They sent out a text.Oliver’s mom got one.I texted you, too.”
I check my phone, then mentally kick myself when I realize it’s because I’m out of minutes and didn’t even realize it.Tomorrow, I go get a real plan.“I can’t believe I missed it.You’re okay?”I step forward and run my hands over his arms.I can see him, and he looks fine, but I need to hear it from him to steady my racing heart.
Danger.My son was in danger, and I didn’t even know.
“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine.”He laughs, brushing my hands away.“No one was hurt.”
“Why did he have a knife?”
He shrugs.“No one is really sure.He hasn’t even been to school for almost two weeks.”
And then it hits me.Is that what Garrison was dealing with?Did they call him because Kyle is a community center kid?That explains the darkness in his gaze.Garrison Holt strikes me as the type of man who takes a vested interest in everyone he tries to help.If Kyle was in trouble, that certainly seems like something the former SEAL would risk his health and safety for.
A tightness forms in my chest at the thought of a man who nearly died two weeks ago, risking going out because someone needed him.“I’m so glad you’re okay.”I pull him into my arms and squeeze him tightly.
“Kyle’s not even in my class, Mom,” Thomas says as he pulls away, then turns the TV off and yawns.“I’m headed to bed.I left dinner on warm in the crockpot.It was delicious.I love you!”
“Love you, too, sweetie.Um, I’m probably going to go run next door and make sure Mr.Holt is okay.”
“Want help?”
“Nah, you get some sleep.I just want to make sure he was able to eat.”
“Sounds good.Tell him I said hi.Love you.Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, honey.”
As Thomas heads down the hall toward his room, I move into the kitchen and unplug the crockpot holding the white chicken chili I’d set this afternoon before heading to the diner for my shift.
Carefully, I carry it out into the hall, then set it down to lock my door.With Garrison’s keys in hand, I start to unlock his door, only to stop firmly when I realize he might be just getting out of the shower and still not dressed yet.
So, instead of unlocking the door, I step in front of it and knock, leaving my crockpot in front of mine just in case he doesn’t answer.
Not ten seconds later, though, the door is pulling open, and my mouth is going completely dry.
Dark hair wet from his shower, Garrison stands in front of me in pajama pants and a grey tank top that looksfartoo good stretched over his muscled torso.Attraction burns through me, and the battle of letting my gaze run over him is one I lose before I even realize what it is I’m doing.
“I—sorry.I thought you might be hungry.”
Garrison grins and leans against the doorjamb.“Fine.Four lasagnas.”