you gonna do if we get more than two hundred?”
Cassidy kept her cool as she faced the challenge. Ty wanted to cheer when she pulled a list from her pocket and studied it for several seconds before looking at Red.
“I’m going to improvise. Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry.”
The crowd hooted with laughter and Red sauntered away. For a moment Ty thought Jack might follow her but Cassidy prevented that by introducing him to the remainder of the group.
“And that man over there is his uncle, Ty. He’s going to be running the Haven. And that’s Mac.”
“Aw, you don’t have to introduce us to Mac,” one man called. “He’s one of us.”
“Okay then.” She worked her way through the crowd issuing the same invitation over and over. “See you tomorrow for dinner.”
By the time she reached them Ty could only gaze at her in admiration, wondering where she got her nerve. Then reality sank in.
“You and I need to have a discussion, Jack. Right after I talk to Cassidy. My car’s this way.” He stepped forward, then glanced around. “Mac?”
“I’ll see you later, Ty.” Mac waved him off.
Ty nodded, led Cassidy away from the group.
“Will you please let go of me?” she hissed and, when he didn’t release her fast enough, she jerked her arm free. “This isn’t exactly Beirut. I don’t need a bodyguard. What’s wrong with you, anyway?”
So the wrong question.
“Exactly what I’d like to know.” Ty forced his jaw to relax. “What are you doing here—alone?”
“Inviting people for dinner. Something you didn’t manage to get around to.”
Guilty as charged. His temper simmered.
“I’m sorry. I got buried in work and forgot. But you could have reminded me. You didn’t have to come here yourself.”
She looked at him as if he was crazy. “Why not?”
“Because it’s not safe. This place is a—” He glanced around, searched for the right word.
“Slum?” She nodded. “Kind of why we’re here, isn’t it? That’s why I’m telling them what we have to offer.”
Ty had to walk faster to keep up to her, which only elevated his frustration. Along with his raging headache.
“Look, I can’t be responsible—”
“No one asked you to be.” Cassidy stopped, glared at him. “I’m here to cook, but I’m not going to have it all go to waste because you ‘forgot’ to let our clients know. And I don’t need you to check up on me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then?” She blinked, silvery-gray eyes brimming with confusion.
“Mac came racing in, said Jack told him to come get me.” He glanced at his silent nephew. “Jack has the sense to know you shouldn’t be out here on your own. I think he was scared. With good reason,” he added to push the point home.
“Oh.” Cassidy frowned at the boy. “I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I wasn’t scared,” he said, indignation rippling through his squeaky voice as he glared at Ty. “It’s just that Red is a little—”
“Out of control,” Ty finished for him.
“No! But she gets mad because she can’t make things better,” he explained earnestly.
“I think we all do,” Cassidy told him quietly. She patted his shoulder, glanced at Ty. Then her eyes opened very wide.
“What’s wrong now?” he demanded, wondering if he’d ever get accustomed to her chameleon personality—one minute blazing at him, the next sweetly comforting his nephew.
“Can I ask you a question?”
That soft voice, the way her fingers curled around his forearm—when two minutes ago she’d jerked from his grasp as if he had rabies. Ty couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her.
“A question?” If only his head would stop hammering. “Go ahead.”
“When you got here your car had tires, right?”
Ty whirled around. His beautiful baby sat on the pavement like a wounded bird stripped of its wings. He groaned, pressed his fingertips to his temples and counted to ten.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She looped
Cassidy kept her cool as she faced the challenge. Ty wanted to cheer when she pulled a list from her pocket and studied it for several seconds before looking at Red.
“I’m going to improvise. Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry.”
The crowd hooted with laughter and Red sauntered away. For a moment Ty thought Jack might follow her but Cassidy prevented that by introducing him to the remainder of the group.
“And that man over there is his uncle, Ty. He’s going to be running the Haven. And that’s Mac.”
“Aw, you don’t have to introduce us to Mac,” one man called. “He’s one of us.”
“Okay then.” She worked her way through the crowd issuing the same invitation over and over. “See you tomorrow for dinner.”
By the time she reached them Ty could only gaze at her in admiration, wondering where she got her nerve. Then reality sank in.
“You and I need to have a discussion, Jack. Right after I talk to Cassidy. My car’s this way.” He stepped forward, then glanced around. “Mac?”
“I’ll see you later, Ty.” Mac waved him off.
Ty nodded, led Cassidy away from the group.
“Will you please let go of me?” she hissed and, when he didn’t release her fast enough, she jerked her arm free. “This isn’t exactly Beirut. I don’t need a bodyguard. What’s wrong with you, anyway?”
So the wrong question.
“Exactly what I’d like to know.” Ty forced his jaw to relax. “What are you doing here—alone?”
“Inviting people for dinner. Something you didn’t manage to get around to.”
Guilty as charged. His temper simmered.
“I’m sorry. I got buried in work and forgot. But you could have reminded me. You didn’t have to come here yourself.”
She looked at him as if he was crazy. “Why not?”
“Because it’s not safe. This place is a—” He glanced around, searched for the right word.
“Slum?” She nodded. “Kind of why we’re here, isn’t it? That’s why I’m telling them what we have to offer.”
Ty had to walk faster to keep up to her, which only elevated his frustration. Along with his raging headache.
“Look, I can’t be responsible—”
“No one asked you to be.” Cassidy stopped, glared at him. “I’m here to cook, but I’m not going to have it all go to waste because you ‘forgot’ to let our clients know. And I don’t need you to check up on me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then?” She blinked, silvery-gray eyes brimming with confusion.
“Mac came racing in, said Jack told him to come get me.” He glanced at his silent nephew. “Jack has the sense to know you shouldn’t be out here on your own. I think he was scared. With good reason,” he added to push the point home.
“Oh.” Cassidy frowned at the boy. “I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I wasn’t scared,” he said, indignation rippling through his squeaky voice as he glared at Ty. “It’s just that Red is a little—”
“Out of control,” Ty finished for him.
“No! But she gets mad because she can’t make things better,” he explained earnestly.
“I think we all do,” Cassidy told him quietly. She patted his shoulder, glanced at Ty. Then her eyes opened very wide.
“What’s wrong now?” he demanded, wondering if he’d ever get accustomed to her chameleon personality—one minute blazing at him, the next sweetly comforting his nephew.
“Can I ask you a question?”
That soft voice, the way her fingers curled around his forearm—when two minutes ago she’d jerked from his grasp as if he had rabies. Ty couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her.
“A question?” If only his head would stop hammering. “Go ahead.”
“When you got here your car had tires, right?”
Ty whirled around. His beautiful baby sat on the pavement like a wounded bird stripped of its wings. He groaned, pressed his fingertips to his temples and counted to ten.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She looped
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