“I’m so happy to hear that.” Kenna wrapped Zoe in another quick hug.
“Sorry about that,” Ingrid Wilson bustled back into the living room. “Five or fourteen, there’s always something that boy has misplaced. This time, it was his math homework. Think the teacher will believe that Loki ate it?”
A huge smile spread across Zoe’s face. “Loki is Daniel’s ferret. We got to play with him last night, and he’s really cool.” She looked up at Ingrid. “But I don’t think he’d eat a bunch of paper.”
Ingrid chuckled. “I thought it might be worth a try.” She turned her attention back to Kenna and me. “Please, come on into the kitchen. I’m not the best cook, my husband is more the chef around these parts, but I have mastered the art of toaster waffles and cutting up fruit.”
Kenna studied Ingrid carefully. If the middle-aged woman could tell she was under the microscope, she didn’t seem too bothered by it. But then again, she and her husband had put up with the third degree from me the day before.
We settled at the large, worn kitchen table that had enough chairs to seat eight. The scratches on the surface spoke of many meals held in this spot, and no one too overly concerned about a ding here or there. Ingrid placed a large platter of waffles, a bowl of mixed berries, and some whipped cream on the table.
I began pouring Zoe a glass of orange juice. “This looks amazing.”
Zoe nodded, a look of wonder on her face that had me cursing the girl’s mother and her earlier foster parents.
Kenna cleared her throat. “Thank you for letting us come over before school. I know it was last-minute.”
Ingrid gave Kenna a gentle smile. “I completely understand. I’m glad Zoe’s got two such caring champions in her corner. As I told Crosby, you’re welcome to come by anytime. And I’ll give you my cell number. You can text me if you want to check in.”
The set of Kenna’s shoulders eased a fraction, and I knew Ingrid was winning her over in the same way she had me. These were good, caring people, who worked with the foster system for all the right reasons. “Thank you. That would be wonderful. And if you and your husband ever need a date night, I’d be happy to babysit.”
Ingrid laughed as she sat. “Careful what you offer up. We might be calling you more than you’d like.”
“Gross, Mom,” Daniel muttered as he scooped berries onto his waffle.
She ruffled his hair. “You’re taking a few girls of your own out these days.”
“That doesn’t mean I want to hear about you and Dad going out.”
Ingrid rolled her eyes heavenward. “You should hear him when we kiss.”
Daniel made a gagging noise, and the rest of the table dissolved into laughter.
The remainder of breakfast went by in a blur of Ingrid and Daniel sharing funny stories about their family. Zoe was quiet as if she didn’t entirely trust this place to be as good as it seemed, but I knew she’d ease in here over time.
Ingrid rose from the table. “Zoe, let’s go get your backpack and make sure you have everything you need for school. Daniel, will you clear the table?”
“We’ll help,” Kenna immediately offered.
“Thank you.” Ingrid led Zoe back towards her new room.
Kenna and I began gathering cups and plates while Daniel took the platter to the counter. He turned back and paused to take us in. “They’re good parents.” I stilled, Kenna going motionless beside me. “I overheard them talking last night. They said that Zoe was in a bad foster home.”
Daniel’s cheeks reddened. “I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but I wanted to know what happened to her. My parents are good people. I was in five different fosters before I came here. A lot of them were really shitty. And I was a jerk when I got here, but Mom and Dad…they never gave up on me, no matter what I did. And then, after a year, they asked how I’d feel about joining their family forever.”
Kenna’s hand slipped into mine, squeezing the life out of it. Daniel swallowed, his eyes shining with the threat of tears. “It was the best thing to ever happen to me.”
I cleared my throat. “Thank you for telling us. We’ll be able to rest easy knowing that Zoe’s in such good hands.”
Daniel gave a chin jerk that belonged to someone much older than his fourteen years. “And I’ll look out for her.”
Kenna released my hand and moved to the sink with her pile of dishes. “She’ll be lucky to have you.”
We finished cleaning up and said goodbye to Zoe, making plans to see her in a few days. Ingrid and Kenna exchanged phone numbers and, to my surprise, hugs. Then we were off.
I glanced over at Kenna as we waited in a line of cars to get back onto the ferry. “Do you feel better?”
Kenna startled as if she’d been in another world. “What?”
“Do you feel better about where Zoe is?”
She nodded, pressing her lips together. “Much. Ingrid is amazing. I just…I can’t stop thinking about all of the kids who are in crappy foster homes. Truly bad ones, and even ones that are just overtaxed.”
My girl with the tender heart. God, I loved it when she let it shine through. When she gave me those glimpses of who she truly was. “That’s why there are organizations like the Alliance. To make sure these kids have a voice in what happens to them. Maybe you should think about volunteering there. I know Callie always needs more hands.”
Kenna nodded thoughtfully, but I didn’t miss the shadows that flickered in her eyes. Something was holding her back, and it was tied to that pain in her past. Maybe it was too painful for her, a reminder of what she’d gone through leaving her mother’s home and going to live with Harriet. “Is it hard for you to be around Zoe?”
Kenna jerked as if I had struck her. “No, why would you ask that?”
“Those shadows, Brown Eyes. They came out to play again. And I started thinking about everything you went through with your mom—”
Kenna made a sound of frustration low in her throat. “If Harriet was here right now, I’d be giving her a very stern talking-to about being a blabbermouth.”
My lips twitched. “She shared very little, even with all my prodding.”
Kenna’s gaze cut to me. “You’re a nosy bastard. You know that, right?”
I shrugged, my smile spreading. I’d always be a nosy bastard when it came to her. My phone buzzed in my cupholder, and I swiped it up, checking the screen.
Mom: You need to return Alicia’s call. I didn’t raise my son to be so rude. She is extremely distraught.
Alicia had pulled out the big guns and called my mother. Too bad my mom’s guilt trips didn’t work quite as well as they used to. I dropped the phone back into the cupholder with a thud.
“The ex again?”
I shook my head. “Worse.” Kenna arched a brow in question. “My mother.”
She let out a bark of laughter. “Good to know someone can still put the fear of God in you.”
“You have no idea.”
Kenna glanced down at her lap, her laughter fading. “We haven’t talked about the lawsuit.”
I hadn’t wanted to talk about it because I didn’t want to see the pain and worry in Kenna’s face—the way it was flickering to life now. I’d wanted to simply take this away and deal with it myself. But that was impossible. “The first court date is next week.”