Counting Miracles

Chapter Two

I

After trying and failing to reach her daughter yet again, Kaitlyn Cooper had set the phone on the counter and stared out the window above the kitchen sink. A half disk of a moon was sandwiched between clouds, casting a silver glow over the front lawn, and she wondered idly whether the storm had passed, or whether it was simply taking a breather.

It didn’t really matter, she supposed. With the car gone, she was pretty much stranded at the house regardless of the weather. Surveying the kitchen, she felt the familiar dread of having to clean up from dinner. Instead of diving in, she reached for her wineglass. There was still a little wine left in it and she took a sip.

She supposed she could ask Mitch to help—at nine, he was old enough. But she could see him in the living room, assembling the Lego Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter that she’d picked up earlier from Walmart, and she decided not to interrupt him. It had been an impulse buy—the last thing he needed was more Legos, but since buying things for the kids seemed to work for her ex, she’d figured she might as well earn some brownie points instead of always having to be the bad guy. Besides, Mitch deserved a nice surprise now and then. He was doing well in school and was consistently cheerful at home, and Lord knows, she needed that, if only because she doubted it would last. His older sister, Casey, had been delightful—if strong-willed—when she was young, too. And though she was still a good kid, her teenage years had transformed Casey from a bright, pleasant little girl into a young woman Kaitlyn sometimes found insufferable. Even if, obviously, Kaitlyn loved her.

But those moods …those tones …

Kaitlyn knew she wasn’t alone in navigating the challenges of raising a teenager, but that didn’t make life with Casey any easier. In the past two years, the harder Kaitlyn had tried to be an understanding parent, the more Casey had seemed to challenge her. Like tonight, for instance.

Was it so hard to join the family for dinner one night a week? Between school and homework and Casey’s cheerleading practice—and Kaitlyn’s hours at the office—having a regular sit-down meal together during the workweek was all but impossible. Because Kaitlyn also saw patients on Sunday evenings, Saturday was the only remaining option. Kaitlyn understood that wasn’t always convenient, but it wasn’t as though she expected Casey to hang around afterward. All she’d wanted was an hour, from six to seven, or even five to six, and then Casey could have gone her merry way.

But what had she done?

She’d taken the old Suburban without asking, and then spent the next few hours ignoring phone calls and texts from her mother. Most likely she was with her friend Camille, but there was always the chance that she’d snuck out to see Josh Littleton, a young man who’d set off little alarm bells in Kaitlyn’s mind. When he’d come to the house to pick Casey up a few weeks back, Kaitlyn sensed something off about him, for lack of a better word, and she’d secretly breathed a sigh of relief when Casey later insisted that she wasn’t interested in him. In the past week, however, Kaitlyn gleaned that Josh had continued to text Casey, and knowing that Casey might react to her mother’s disapproval by provoking it further, Kaitlyn had been careful not to comment.

Watching Mitch peruse the Lego instructions, the lenses of his glasses pressed close to the sheet of paper, made her heart contract just a little. She knew that he’d been bothered by his sister’s no-show. He’d had a good day, spending part of the afternoon with Jasper—a nice old man who was teaching Mitch how to carve—and he was excited about going to the North Carolina Zoo tomorrow. But he adored his older sister and he’d asked more than once whether they should postpone dinner until Casey got home. Once he’d realized she wasn’t coming, he’d barely spoken at all. Kaitlyn tried to soften his disappointment by joking that she hadn’t liked hanging out with her mother when she’d been a teenager, either, but when he merely shrugged in response, she could tell he felt rejected.

She sometimes wondered whether Casey’s attitude had been affected by the divorce. Casey had been twelve when they separated, and the following years hadn’t been easy for any of them. Casey missed her father; and Mitch viewed George as something akin to a superhero. Kaitlyn, too, had once believed herself lucky in her choice of spouse. George was intelligent and hardworking, and as an interventional cardiologist, he had the ability to remain calm in the most volatile of situations. He saved lives daily, and he was successful enough to allow Kaitlyn to work part-time when the children were young, for which Kaitlyn would always be appreciative.

Moreover, he’d fit perfectly into Kaitlyn’s life plan, the one she’d devised even before she started high school, and that now seemed painfully na?ve: Get good grades, go to college and then medical school. Date but don’t get serious until the mid- to late twenties; after that, meet an intelligent, stable man, fall in love, and be married by thirty. Have two kids, buy a nice home, maintain a rewarding private practice while also treating underserved communities, and live happily ever after.

So much for that, especially the last part. While she was thankful that the sharp, often overwhelming emotions associated with the divorce had waned—and she’d definitely put George behind her—there were moments when she missed the intimacy and quiet moments associated with being a couple. These days, her life revolved around work and the kids, with no time left for anything else—tonight being a prime example—and she reached for her phone again. She tried Casey, listening as her call went straight to voicemail, and disconnected, feeling frustrated. She took a final sip of wine and dumped the remainder into the sink before beginning to clean the kitchen. She’d just finished when she noticed a flash of headlights through the window; a moment later, they swung into the driveway. She heard the familiar rumble of the Suburban’s motor and drew a long breath, thinking, Finally!

As she left the kitchen, she debated how to handle Casey’s infraction. Her daughter was the queen of excuses, but Kaitlyn knew that yelling, or even raising her voice, generally made Casey respond in kind, which would then escalate to the point where Casey screamed that she hated it here! before storming off to her bedroom. At the same time, rules were rules, and to Kaitlyn’s mind, the young woman had some serious explaining to do.

“Casey’s home!” Mitch called out. He was standing in the front window, looking through the curtains. “She’s not driving, though. She’s with someone.”

“Excuse me?” Casey wasn’t supposed to let anyone else drive the Suburban. That was perhaps the only rule she’d never broken; the girl loved to drive and would never hand over the keys, unless…

Kaitlyn felt a surge of anger course through her.

Unless, of course, she’d been drinking.

Kaitlyn was marching toward the front door when it suddenly swung open. Casey stepped inside, and a single glance at her splotchy face and wild eyes told her that her daughter was really upset.

Before Kaitlyn could utter a word, Casey closed the front door and burst into tears, her shoulders heaving. Kaitlyn wrapped her in a hug, her anger draining away as Casey sobbed, her frame trembling. Somehow in the cloudburst of emotion Kaitlyn noticed that Casey did not, in fact, smell of alcohol. That was good, she mused, even though it was obvious that something else was very, very wrong.

II

It took a few minutes for Casey to stop crying and sputter out the basics of what had happened: that she’d hit a man’s car in the parking lot and that she was sorry and that she didn’t know how it happened. Kaitlyn led her to the sofa and forced her to take a few deep breaths. With bloodshot eyes and mascara trailing down her cheek, Casey looked a wreck. Kaitlyn forced herself to tamp down the irritation she felt.

“Let me make sure I have this right,” she finally said. “You were at Coach’s with Camille, and when you were backing out in the parking lot, you hit a guy’s car.”

Casey nodded. “I didn’t see him behind me. I don’t know why.”

“Are you hurt? Can you nod your head?”

“I already did all this with him.”

“Did what?”

“This medical stuff. He checked me out.”

“He checked you out?”

“You know what I mean.” Casey waved a hand impatiently. “For God’s sake, Mom. It’s not like he touched me or anything. And I’m fine . He said the Suburban wasn’t even damaged.”

“You know that for sure?”

“I looked, Mom. But you can go look, too, if you don’t believe me.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. I’m still trying to understand what happened, all right?”

“I’ve already told you.” Casey sniffed. “Weren’t you listening?”

You were a little hard to understand, honey, and I still don’t have the full story. But she didn’t say that. Instead, “Who’s with you now? Is it Camille?”

“No, it’s the other driver. The guy I hit. The one with tattoos. He told me his name, but I forgot it.”

Tattoos? Kaitlyn blinked. “You let a tattooed guy you don’t know drive you home?”

“Nothing bad happened.” Casey ran a hand through her hair, then searched her pockets for an elastic to tie it back.

“Why is he here?”

“He didn’t think I should drive because I was upset.” Gathering her hair into a loose ponytail, she squinted at her mother.

“You do understand you shouldn’t have done that. Got in the car with him, I mean.”

“What’s the big deal?”

With getting into a vehicle with a male stranger? Oh, gee, what could possibly go wrong?

“It’s dangerous. You don’t know him.”

She shrugged. “He seemed nice.”

Nice? “I guess I should go speak with him, then.”

As Kaitlyn stood and made for the front door, Mitch piped up. “I want to come, too.”

“Just stay inside with your sister for now, okay?”

“Oh, no,” Casey said firmly. “I’m going out with you.”

“Why?”

“To make sure you don’t freak out.”

Lord help me, Kaitlyn thought, and it was all she could do not to roll her eyes.

She turned on the porch light, then the others over the garage, before stepping out the door with Casey at her heels. She hesitated, taking a few seconds to compose herself before spotting a man leaning against the Suburban, his arms covered with colorful sleeves of tattoos. He must have heard them, and when he stood to face her, their eyes locked. For what felt like a very long moment he simply stared, as though trying to read her. But when he flashed a quick smile, she felt something in her startle. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but his appearance somehow surprised her.

He was a little taller than average and clearly fit, his broad shoulders evident under a simple black T-shirt. Even in the glare of the garage lights, she noted the unusual color of his eyes. High cheekbones and a defined jaw created dramatic shadows. The dense waves of his dark hair were cut short, in almost military fashion, and she noticed a flash of silver in the hair near his ears. His faded jeans and loafers looked expensive to her eye, and his smile radiated an easy confidence. Even with the tattoos, he might be a tech guy or consultant or even a doctor like herself, and it wouldn’t have surprised her. And yet…

She knew that he was none of those things. There was a readiness in the way he stood, an almost coiled intensity. No, this wasn’t a man who sat behind a desk at work, or crunched numbers or assembled PowerPoint presentations; the sheer physicality of his presence told a different story.

“Mom!” Casey urged. “Why are you just standing here?”

The sound of her daughter’s voice broke the spell, and Kaitlyn finally stepped off the porch. As she approached him, his eyes remained locked on hers.

“Good evening,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m Tanner Hughes.”

She stared at it for a beat, before deciding she might as well be polite.

“Kaitlyn Cooper,” she said, keeping her voice cool. “Casey said that the two of you were in an accident?”

“She backed into my car in a parking lot.”

“And you thought it was a good idea to drive her home? Alone? Even though she’s a minor?”

“Mom!” Casey groaned, and Kaitlyn watched his gaze flick to Casey before coming back to her.

“I get it,” he said, his tone understanding, if unapologetic, “and if I were in your shoes, it would probably concern me as well. But I meant no harm. I didn’t think it was safe for her to get behind the wheel and her friend had already left. We drove straight here.”

“I already told you all this!” Casey bit out, the mortification in her voice evident.

“Then I suppose a thank-you is in order,” Kaitlyn said.

“You’re welcome. And the good news for you—aside from the fact that Casey wasn’t hurt—is that there was hardly any damage. Come take a look.”

He walked toward the rear of the Suburban, and by the time she reached the hatch, he was already using the flashlight on his phone to shine it on her bumper.

“Aside from a few scratches, it’s fine. There were no issues with the way it drove either.”

She had to peer closely to see the scratches, though she figured there might be unseen damage. She made a mental note to drop it off at the service center if she noticed anything amiss.

“How is your car?” she asked.

“That’s another story,” he admitted. He pulled up the photos on his phone and offered it to her. “There’s a few there, so go ahead and scroll through.”

Kaitlyn felt their fingers brush as she took the phone from him. She swiped in the wrong direction and found herself staring at a photo of Tanner seated with a well-dressed couple about the same age, on what appeared to be someone’s back deck overlooking the water. She found herself thinking, He has nice-looking friends with kind smiles, so he’s probably normal .

Chastising herself for being nosy, she swiped in the other direction, her eyes suddenly widening. His car looked to be a very expensive classic muscle car from the sixties and would likely cost a small fortune to repair. When she handed back the phone, she had the strange feeling that he’d been studying her with interest.

“I’ll let my insurance company know what happened. Did you get all the information you need?”

“I did,” he confirmed. “You daughter was very helpful.”

“Oh…well…good,” she said, surprised Casey had known what to do. “I’m sorry about your car. I know Casey’s sorry, too.”

He tucked the phone into his back pocket. “I appreciate it.” Again, their eyes met and held for a long moment before she finally glanced away, breaking the connection. “I guess that’s it, then,” he went on. “It was nice meeting you. You, too, Casey.”

“Thanks for driving me home,” Casey said with a wave.

“No problem.” He turned, starting for the sidewalk.

“Wait!” Kaitlyn called out, caught off guard by the sudden end of the discussion. “Where are you going?”

He spun to face her, though he continued walking backward. “Back to my hotel. I’ll call an Uber. If there aren’t any around, I’ll just walk back.”

Casey suddenly poked her in the ribs. Turning, Kaitlyn saw Casey glaring at her as though asking, Are you really going to make him wait out here for God knows how long? Or let him walk? It took a second for Kaitlyn to grasp her meaning, but when she did, she recognized that Casey was right.

“Where are you staying?” she called out.

“The Hampton Inn.”

“Can I give you a ride back?” She raised her voice to make sure he heard her.

He paused before answering. “You sure it’s no trouble?” he asked.

“It’s the least I can do.” Though she meant it, she realized that the idea of being alone with him made her a little nervous. “Just give me a minute to put on some shoes and grab the keys.”

“The keys are still in the cup holder,” Tanner said.

Of course, she thought, that makes sense. “Casey, honey, grab my flip-flops from inside the doorway, would you?” As Casey trotted back into the house, Kaitlyn watched Tanner walk back to the passenger side of the car.

When Casey returned, Kaitlyn slid on the flip-flops and murmured, “I’ll be back in a few. Will you keep an eye on Mitch for me?”

“He’ll be fine,” Casey answered. Kaitlyn resisted the impulse to repeat her request. Instead, she found herself absently wondering when she’d last been in a car with a handsome guy she barely knew. College, maybe? High school? Ever?

Kaitlyn tried to clear her head as she got behind the wheel. Starting the engine, she listened for clanking or grinding or scraping as she reversed, but didn’t hear anything. Tanner was looking out the passenger-side window.

“Are you in town on business?” she finally asked.

“Personal business,” he said, glancing toward her. When he smiled, she noticed that his teeth were white and even. “You wouldn’t happen to know anyone named Dave Johnson, would you? I’m guessing he’d be in his late fifties or early sixties?”

She considered it. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t think finding him would be that easy.”

“You don’t know where he is?”

“Not yet.”

She swept her gaze over him briefly. “Is he in trouble? I mean, are you a bounty hunter or something? Or does he owe you money?”

He laughed. “No, it’s nothing like that. I’m not a bounty hunter, I’m not with law enforcement, and he doesn’t owe me anything. If I do manage to find him, I just want to speak with him about something that happened a long time ago that involved my family. That’s all.”

The mysteriousness of his answer was tantalizing, but she knew it wasn’t her business. “Good luck finding him, then.”

“Thank you.” He half-turned in his seat. “Casey mentioned you’re a doctor?”

“I’m an internist here in Asheboro.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“What? Being a doctor?” When he nodded, she tilted her head for a moment, as if sincerely considering his question. “I do,” she said. “I’ve wanted to be a doctor ever since I was a little girl.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “How about you? What do you do?”

“Not much these days. I sort of walked away from everything three years ago.”

“Okay,” she said, unsure how to respond to a statement like that. “What did you do before then?”

“I was in the army for fourteen years, the last decade with Delta. Then, after I left the service, I worked for USAID for a bit more than six years.”

“Oh,” she said, the time line of his life quickly coming together. The military explained the tattoos and the way he carried himself, but she suspected he wouldn’t go into further detail about his time in the service. Not with a stranger, not yet anyway, so she asked the obvious. “What’s USAID?”

“It’s the federal government agency that provides humanitarian and development assistance to foreign countries. It offers support for agriculture, education, infrastructure, public health, and a bunch of other things.”

“So you worked in Washington, DC?”

“No. That’s where the headquarters are, but the agency has missions all around the world. I worked overseas with the Office of Security.”

She digested that. “Can I ask where, or is it classified?”

“It’s not classified. There are field offices in a hundred countries, but as for me, I was stationed in Cameroon, C?te d’Ivoire, and then finally Haiti.”

“How does a person even get that kind of job? Did you major in international relations or…”

“No, nothing like that,” he said. “After my discharge, I worked with my TAP counselor to figure out what I wanted to do next. I didn’t want to go the military-contracting route, so he suggested USAID instead.”

“What’s a TAP counselor?”

“Sorry. Transition Assistance Program. It’s for vets returning to civilian life. The military likes acronyms.”

She nodded, still thinking about what he’d told her earlier. “Aren’t you kind of young to be able to stop working for three years?”

“Maybe,” he acknowledged. “At the time, it felt like the right thing to do.”

“And now?”

“It didn’t stick. I’m leaving for Cameroon again in June.”

“With USAID?”

“No. It’s with IRC this time.” Then, as though anticipating her next question, he added, “International Rescue Committee.”

She supposed that made sense; he was still young and expenses were never-ending, which meant all breaks eventually came to an end.

“Can I ask how long you were planning to stay in Asheboro?”

“I was thinking that I’d stay until I either find the guy I’m looking for or I don’t find him. Now, with my car needing to be fixed, my schedule is a little up in the air.”

Kaitlyn looked chagrined. “I really am sorry about your car. From the photos, it looks like it belongs in a museum. Or it did before tonight, I mean.”

“It’s not a classic,” he assured her. “It’s a reproduction, only a couple of months old.” He told her about Revology Cars.

“I don’t know which is worse. My daughter smashing a classic car or smashing a new car.”

“I can vouch for the fact that the latter isn’t much fun.”

The easy way he said it made her smile, and she felt herself beginning to relax for the first time.

“So, are you married?” she asked.

“No. I never took the plunge.”

“Kids?”

“None that I know about.”

She laughed, a little giddy for some reason. “So where are you from? Originally, I mean.”

“Europe, I guess.”

She glanced at him, curious.

“Military brat,” he said, before offering a quick overview of his youth.

“And where’s home now?”

He shrugged, almost in apology. “I’m not really sure how to answer that question.”

“You don’t have an apartment somewhere? Or a house?”

“I’ve never had one,” he said. “In the army, I either lived in the barracks on base or I was deployed overseas; with USAID, I lived in official, albeit temporary, housing. My friends would likely tell you that I’m not wired to settle down.”

She smiled, her mind flashing to the photo of the couple she’d seen on his phone, which triggered another thought.

“Before I drop you off, do you think you could show me your car so I can get more photos? In case my insurance company needs them?”

“Sure,” he said immediately. “We were at Coach’s. Do you know where that is?”

“I do,” she said, rerouting the car in the direction of the bar.

A few minutes later they were searching for a parking spot in an overflowing lot, Kaitlyn wondering why everyone in Asheboro seemed to have descended on this one location.

“The basketball tournament,” Tanner explained, as though reading her mind.

They reached the Shelby, but once she took in the damage it suddenly struck her what she’d forgotten.

“You’re not going to believe this, but I just realized I don’t have my phone with me,” Kaitlyn said, flustered.

Tanner’s eyes lit up in mirth. “Or your purse, which likely means you forgot your license, too.”

Her mouth formed a small O of surprise when she realized he was right. “Ummm…I’m not normally so scatterbrained.”

“I haven’t the slightest doubt about that.”

The certainty in his tone—and the directness of his gaze when he said it—made her flush and she turned toward the car, hoping he didn’t notice.

“It looks worse in person than it did in the photos.”

“It was a pretty good ding, that’s for sure.”

She watched as Tanner pulled his phone from his pocket; he snapped a series of photos from one angle, then another. Soon she heard the familiar swoosh, indicating that the photos had been sent.

“Where did you send those?”

“To you, I’m pretty sure,” he said, holding up the phone. “This is your number, right?” She nodded, surprised. “Casey gave it to me. They should be on your phone by now. I texted the ones I took earlier, too.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I’m a little surprised at Casey—she’s usually a very safe driver.”

“I think she was upset before she got in the car.”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw her arguing with a young man and he had a pretty good hold of her arm. I didn’t catch the name, but he had brown hair and was a bit on the tall side.”

Kaitlyn’s lips formed a tight line as she realized right away that it must have been Josh.

“Thanks for letting me know,” she said before shaking off the thought. It wasn’t the time or place to go into it, and she forced a smile. “I guess I should probably get you back to the hotel.”

They drove largely in silence, but as they approached his hotel, she heard his voice again. “Actually, could you drop me here?” he asked, flicking a thumb toward the passenger window. Her eyes flashed to the rearview mirror as he went on. “I think I spotted a brewpub, and I could use a beer after all this.”

She nodded before pulling to a stop.

He reached for the handle and swung the door open before looking back at her. “I know it might sound odd considering how our paths crossed tonight, but any chance you want to join me?”

She opened her mouth in surprise, unsure what to say at first. “Oh,” she finally offered. “I’m not really dressed…”

“You look beautiful,” he said, “which is why I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t ask.”

She stared at him, feeling a tinge of amazement that he’d just called her beautiful. “The kids are probably waiting for me at home,” she hedged.

“I understand,” he said. “Thank you for the ride, Kaitlyn. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

When he hopped out of the Suburban, she thought again about what he’d said to her, and the next words came out before she was even conscious that she’d changed her mind.

“Hold on,” she said. “I guess one beer couldn’t hurt.”

She parked the Suburban on the street before walking beside him, strangely conscious of his proximity. Inside, the pub was only half full, and at the bar they ordered their beers. Kaitlyn couldn’t believe she was doing this, even as they found an unoccupied table and took their seats. Staring across the table at him, she took a sip and thought about something he’d said earlier.

“You mentioned that you walked away from everything three years ago, but I’m not sure what you meant by that.”

“Oh,” he said, leaning back. “Covid left me marooned in Hawaii for a while, and after that, I guess you could say I’ve been on a road trip of sorts.” He went on, telling her about it.

“And you came to Asheboro to look for someone?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Because he added nothing else, she again stifled her curiosity, opting for something easier for him to answer. “And you arrived from?”

“I drove in from Pine Knoll Shores this morning. I just spent a few days with a friend there. Before that, I was in Pensacola for a few months.”

“What’s in Pensacola?”

“My grandma. She was sick.”

“How’s she doing now?”

“She passed away five weeks ago.”

“Oh my God,” she said. “I’m so sorry…”

“Me, too,” he said. “She was a great lady. My mom died when I was born, so my grandparents raised me.”

“And your grandfather? Was he with you while you were taking care of your grandmother?”

“He died eight years ago. Heart attack.”

She absorbed the information, watching him as he stacked the coasters on the table before spreading them out like a deck of playing cards. He looked up at her, going on. “We’ve talked a lot about me, so it’s your turn now. Did you grow up here in Asheboro?”

“No,” she answered. “I moved here in my thirties. I was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. I went to college and medical school at the University of Kentucky. Go Wildcats.”

He smiled. “What brought you here?”

“George,” she said, “my ex. He’s an interventional cardiologist and we moved here after he finished his fellowships. He practices in Greensboro.”

“How long were you married?”

“Thirteen years,” she said. “We’ve been divorced four years now.”

As she answered, she hoped that he wouldn’t ask more—the last thing she wanted to do was talk about George—and Tanner seemed to pick up on that.

“Is your family still in Lexington?”

“My parents are. But my older brother lives near Chicago now and my younger sister moved to Louisville six years ago. We all still try to get together as a family back home a couple of times a year, but it’s harder now that the kids are older. Well, harder for Casey anyway. Mitch still likes to go.”

“Mitch?”

She nodded. “My son. He’s nine.”

“That’s quite an age gap,” he observed.

“Casey was a surprise,” she conceded. “As for Mitch, once we were ready for another, it took a while to get pregnant. Maybe it was stress, but I don’t really know. I was busy back then.”

“I’m guessing you’re still busy,” he said.

She appreciated that he got it, what it was like to be a single working mom. “So no kids, huh? Any regrets?”

“Sometimes,” he admitted. “What are your kids like? Tell me about them.”

Kaitlyn was mildly touched by his interest, if only because it seemed genuine. “You’ve already met Casey, so you can probably guess she’s seventeen going on twenty-five. She’s always been headstrong and smart as a whip, but her teenage years have been trying. Mitch is still in his easy phase.”

“And?”

She took a sip of beer before sharing more details about each of them. That Casey was an excellent student with hopes of attending Duke or Wake Forest, popular with friends, and adored her little brother. She spoke about Mitch’s love of soccer, even though he wasn’t very good, and that he was learning to whittle. She described his obsession with Lego and animals of all types, but especially those that could be found at the zoo.

Tanner tilted his glass toward her in acknowledgment.

“They sound like great kids,” he remarked. “And you sound like a great mom.”

“I’ve been lucky,” she said. Then, suddenly, she remembered something he had said before. “Earlier you mentioned that you saw a guy grabbing Casey’s arm?”

Tanner recounted what he’d seen in more detail.

“No wonder she wasn’t paying attention when she started backing out,” Kaitlyn reflected.

“Do you know who the guy was?”

“I can guess,” she said, frowning. “It was probably Josh. I’m not fond of him.”

“I gathered that.”

She laughed, before shaking her head. “Sometimes I just wish I could take everything I’ve learned, all my accumulated wisdom, and just dump it in her head. Instead, she’s regularly being forced to learn from own her mistakes, and that’s hard for a parent to watch.”

He smiled in sympathy. “I’m guessing between work and your kids, you don’t get lots of time to just hang out and have a beer. But I can’t tell you how happy I am that you did.”

Kaitlyn felt the beginnings of a flush creeping up her neck again. He’s flirting with me, she realized. She hadn’t even brushed her hair before leaving the house, she thought with wonder. Yet as he asked her questions about her education and medical training, her hobbies and interests, she found herself responding freely, sharing stories she hadn’t thought about in years. The sensation was comfortable and warm, as if she were basking on a sunlit porch.

A little later, though, with her glass still half full, she knew it was time to go. Casey and Mitch were no doubt wondering where she was, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to stay at least a little while longer.

Maybe she was imagining it, but he, too, seemed conflicted about calling it a night, even as they rose from the table and strolled back to the Suburban. On the short ride to the Hampton Inn, he was strangely quiet, and when she pulled up in front, he hesitated before getting out of the car.

“I enjoyed that,” he said, sounding sincere. “Thank you for joining me.”

“I had fun,” she agreed.

Tanner seemed to be wrestling with something before saying, “Can I see you again? Since I’ll have to stay in Asheboro at least until I get my car sorted out?”

Kaitlyn hesitated. This was the moment to shut this down—whatever this was—and the rational part of her knew it was the right thing to do. Her life was busy enough and she knew he’d be leaving soon, so why risk forming an attachment? Logically, she knew exactly what to do, but she couldn’t quite make herself tell him no.

“Sure. Why not?”

If he had sensed her hesitation, he didn’t show it. “What are you doing tomorrow? If you’re not busy, maybe we could grab lunch.”

“Oh, well, I promised to bring Mitch to the zoo,” she said, stumbling over her words. “And tomorrow night, I have house calls…”

He raised an eyebrow. “You do house calls? I didn’t know that doctors still did that.”

“It isn’t common, but it’s important to me and it helps to prevent hospitalizations. There are some people out there who just won’t go to a doctor. Maybe they’re in the country illegally, or they don’t have transportation, or they’re agoraphobic, or they’re afraid of the cost, or whatever. So I go see them.”

“How many are there?”

“Thirty or forty? I don’t see them all every Sunday, of course. I rotate through them, but it’ll still take me two or three hours.”

“I’m impressed. Even more than I was already, and that’s saying something. And I understand tomorrow night’s a no-go, but how about the three of us have lunch at the zoo?”

“You want to go to the zoo?”

“Why not? It would beat being stuck at the hotel all day.”

Again, she reminded herself that there were countless reasons to just say no, and yet, as she returned the curious warmth of his gaze, she realized that something inside her—the part of her so reluctant to take chances—had shifted in the last hour.

“Okay,” she said. “How about I pick you up at half past eleven?”

III

On the drive back to the house, Kaitlyn found herself thinking about Tanner, and trying to process the last couple of hours. Had someone told her that morning how she was about to spend her Saturday evening, she would have laughed aloud and sworn that the very notion was ludicrous. Drinks with a guy she just happened to meet? Flirting? Agreeing to see him again tomorrow? In her real life, things like this just didn’t happen and she drew a long breath, feeling a bit lightheaded.

She drove home on autopilot. When she turned onto her street, it took her a moment to recognize there was a newish black pickup truck slowly backing out of her driveway. Confused, she slowed the Suburban, watching as the truck reversed to a stop in front of her house, then began rolling forward, its headlights making the asphalt look as though it was glowing.

She frowned in confusion, realizing that someone had been at her house. As the truck began to accelerate, it rolled past her and she recognized both the truck and the driver.

Josh, she realized, and all at once, thoughts of Tanner seemed very far away.

Trying to stifle her irritation, Kaitlyn parked in the driveway and pushed through the front door, surprised to see that that the living room was empty, and the television had already been turned off. The kitchen, too, looked deserted, and heading upstairs, she peeked into Mitch’s room. He’d already taken his bath and was pulling on his pajama top, his hair still wet and poking in all directions.

“Hey, Mom,” he said, wiggling into the sleeves.

She smiled. “I’m surprised that you’re already getting ready for bed.”

“We’re going to the zoo tomorrow and I don’t want to be tired.”

“About that,” she said. “Would you care if someone joins us tomorrow?”

“Who?”

For a moment, she was at a loss for how to describe Tanner. A man I just met? A stranger? The guy Casey crashed into? “A friend,” she finally offered, knowing that while it wasn’t exactly true, it was better than the alternatives.

“Fine with me,” he said with a shrug. Then, after a moment, he lifted his gaze. “Are you going to go yell at Casey now? For wrecking that guy’s car?”

“I’m not going to yell at Casey,” she said. “I just need to talk to her.”

“You two always yell when you say you’re going to talk.”

Not wanting to debate him, she offered a quick kiss on his head. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay? Love you.”

After turning off the overhead light, she left the door cracked—Mitch liked it that way—before heading to Casey’s room. She knocked a couple of times without hearing an answer. Finally poking her head in, she saw Casey lying in bed on her stomach, a textbook propped open before her. From the doorway, Kaitlyn could hear the faint strains of music coming through Casey’s headphones, which explained why there’d been no answer. Casey’s eyes rose to meet her mom’s as she slid the headphones off.

“It took you long enough to get home,” she said, her expression already wary.

Kaitlyn was amazed at Casey’s knack for putting her mom immediately on the defensive. “Tanner and I stopped for beers before I dropped him off, and we ended up talking longer than I thought we would.”

“You two went out for drinks?”

“One beer and I didn’t even finish it,” Kaitlyn said, then changed the subject. “I came to ask if you had a few minutes to talk.”

“I guess,” Casey finally answered, theatrically closing the textbook.

Kaitlyn crossed the room and took a seat on the bed. Figuring it was best to come straight out with it, she asked, “Was Josh at the house just a few minutes ago? I thought I saw him pulling out of the driveway.”

“He came by to apologize,” Casey said.

“Casey…”

Casey rolled her eyes. “I already know what you’re thinking, Mom. No, I didn’t invite him. No, I didn’t know he was coming. No, I didn’t want him here, and no, I didn’t let him in the house. I already know that you don’t like him, okay? And I already told you that I don’t like him either.”

“But you saw him earlier when you were at Coach’s, didn’t you?”

Casey’s eyes flashed. “I didn’t plan on seeing him! I met Camille there, okay? She wanted to talk to me about Steven because they’d just gotten in this massive fight, and then Josh and his brother and Carl suddenly showed up and sat down at our booth. What was I supposed to do?”

Steven was Camille’s on-and-off boyfriend, and their relationship—as far as Kaitlyn could deduce—included endless drama and one crisis after another. Which likely explained why Casey had taken the Suburban without asking.

“You also missed dinner, and when I tried calling you…”

“I’m sorry about dinner, but Camille was sobbing, and I already explained that my phone battery died,” Casey shot back. “When I first got home, remember?”

Kaitlyn wasn’t sure she recalled that part, but then again, Casey had been largely incomprehensible.

“About the accident…”

Casey rolled her eyes. “For the millionth time, I’m very, very, very sorry about the accident. It was a stupid mistake, and I didn’t mean to do it, and I wish it never happened, and I’ll never do it again. You can ground me or whatever you’re planning to do.”

Kaitlyn ignored the martyrdom in her tone and tried to keep her voice steady. “Like I said, I wanted to talk to you about Josh.”

“We already did.”

“Did he get physical with you earlier? In the parking lot? And is that why you weren’t paying attention when you were backing out?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I guess that guy told you Josh grabbed my arm, huh? Is that what you two were talking about all this time? While you were out for drinks?”

Kaitlyn ignored both the questions and the accusatory tone. “You do understand that no one should ever grab you, right?”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Casey snapped. “That’s why I was upset! I’m not dumb, Mom.”

“I know you’re not dumb—”

“Then stop acting like I am!” Casey shouted, cutting her off. “I don’t even know what you want from me anymore. I’ve already apologized for everything, over and over, and oh, by the way, in the meantime, I ace every test, I babysit Mitch whenever you need it, and I’m always in by my curfew. It’s Saturday night and instead of going to a party, I’m studying for midterms. I don’t drink or do drugs, but you seem to act like I’m this awful person…”

“I don’t think you’re awful,” Kaitlyn said, surprised, wondering where all this was coming from. “I’m not sure where you get that idea…”

“You’re always trying to tell me what to do, like I’m not measuring up somehow! I get that I’ll never be perfect like you, but at least I haven’t forgotten how to be happy.”

Kaitlyn blinked at the comment, stung to the point that she wasn’t sure how to respond. She said a quick good night, and then, flustered, wandered back down the stairs.

She sat on the couch, her mind spinning with all that had happened that night, from the accident, to meeting Tanner, to agreeing to see him again the following day. In any other situation, she knew it would be all she’d be thinking about, but now…

Did Casey really think her mom had forgotten how to be happy?

And, more important, had she?