Page 12

Chapter Twelve

Drake

I heard the social worker just as I was heading to the kitchen to make the coffee and, relieved I’d dragged on some clothes, I went to the door. Shae was standing there looking completely frozen, so I put one hand on his shoulder and extended my other to shake her hand. “Drake Starr. Pleasure to meet you. Please come in.” It seemed to jerk Shae out of his shock, and he stepped back to allow them to come in. “Hi,” I said softly to the little girl, who quite frankly looked terrified. “What’s your name?”

“This is Tamzin Turner, or Tammy,” Carol said, answering my question but looking at Shae. I saw the last name register even as he started shaking his head. “That’s impossible. I never—”

“How about we sit down?” I interrupted, knowing a flustered Shae was just about to deny the possibility of him fathering a child, but I had a sinking feeling I knew what this was, and showed them the sofa and put Shae on coffee duty, knowing he needed to have something to do, took Maxie from him, and let him pee on the grass. I came back inside, got an old plastic mug of Jim’s out of the cupboard and filled it with juice, passing it to Shae to take in with the coffee, then quickly fed Maxie a cold breakfast.

Carol pulled out some paper and crayons from her large purse and I got Tammy a cushion to sit on so she could use the coffee table to rest the paper on.

Carol took the coffee gratefully, pulled out some papers from her purse, and put her glasses on. “I tried to call a few times before I set off, and we don’t normally do this so quickly, but I have three social workers and four temporary foster families out with the flu, so I’m stuck.”

I nodded. This wasn’t getting any better. I saw Shae glance guiltily toward the kitchen table where his phone still sat from last night.

“Plus, both of your background checks passed because of your employer, who probably has even more stringent background checks than family services does.”

I sighed. Fucking Rawlings and the FBI.

“I’m sorry,” Shae said hesitantly. “What exactly are you doing here?”

Carol glanced at Tammy, who seemed absorbed in coloring. “Tammy’s mom Aisha Greene OD’d two days ago and died. Neighbors heard Tammy crying in the early hours of the morning and called the cops before they went in. Her father—John Turner—not only is MIA but because of his background…well, should he claim his three-year-old daughter he would have to be approved, but you are not only her brother, you are by default her only living approved relative.”

Shae gaped. “She’s my sister?”

Carol smiled. “Technically half, but Aisha didn’t have any relatives.”

Shae just stared at her, and then Carol stood. “I’m sorry, I know this is a shock, but I have another three emergency placements today, so I need to get going soon. I just need you to sign this.”

“Wait,” I said, finally realizing what she was doing even though I’d kind of expected it since she walked through the door. “We don’t have any…” I searched for an argument. “Diapers.”

Carol drew the bag forward she had carried in. “We think Tammy was potty-trained but obviously she may have regressed. She doesn’t need a diaper during the day, though the emergency foster mom reported that she used them at night just in case. This is what she has, including a change of clothes. She has no known medical issues or allergies.”

Shae stared at the very small diaper bag. “That’s it?”

“You would have to speak to the cops to find out about her belongings being released,” Carol said.

“Why isn’t she still with the emergency foster mom?” I asked.

“Because I have another three children with no family at all,” Carol said. “And all my group foster homes are full. I’ve passed the case onto the local team, so expect they will be in touch as soon as they assign someone.” She smiled down at Tammy. “Oh, and she doesn’t say much, but that’s hardly surprising.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Much, or at all?”

“I have every faith you’ll work it out,” Carol said. “We can recommend a speech therapist if needed, and I would also recommend a child trauma therapist.” And she just left.

Shae and I stared at each other in stunned silence for a moment before turning our attention to Tammy. She was still coloring, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around her. Shouldn’t she be upset, more frightened? Or was retreating her response to her mother’s death and her whole world turning upside down?

"I... I don't know what to do," Shae whispered, panic evident in his voice. “And how come I was approved?” He was clearly thinking of his arrests when he was forced to do what his dad involved him in.

“Because you weren’t convicted of anything, and Rawlings got the cops to issue you an apology.” I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm for both of them. "Okay, let's take this one step at a time. First, we need to make sure she's comfortable, then we can decide what to do."

I knelt down next to Tammy, keeping my voice gentle. "Hey there, Tammy. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" She didn't respond verbally, but her eyes flickered to me briefly before returning to her coloring. "I'll take that as a maybe," I said, standing up. "Shae, why don't you see what we have that might be good for a little kid to eat? I'll check that bag and see what else we might need."

Shae nodded, looking grateful for the direction. As he headed to the kitchen, I rifled through the small diaper bag. It contained a few diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, and not much else. No toys, no comfort items, nothing personal.

"Jesus," I muttered under my breath. This poor kid had lost everything in one fell swoop. I heard a whine and picked Maxie up right away. I had no idea how Tammy would react to him.

Shae returned with some apple slices and a small bowl of cheerios. “It's all I could find.”

Honestly, my childcare experience came from watching Pink and Rawlings. “How about I make a quick run to the store? I’ll call up to Moira and take Maxie with me, see if they need any help with the dogs.”

I saw the panic flash in his eyes, but then he straightened his shoulders. “Yeah,” he said, then turned to Tammy. “So, um, Tammy... do you like to color? What's your favorite color?”

I grabbed my keys and wallet. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Maybe try to get her to eat something while I'm gone?"

Shae nodded, still looking a bit shell-shocked. I couldn't blame him. Suddenly finding out you have a three-year-old sister who was then dropped in your lap would throw anyone for a loop.

I took Maxie straight to Moira’s and she put him with the remaining puppies in their dog bed, then assured me they would help any way they could. Two more families were coming to see the dogs shortly, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she started rattling off a list of food she could bring. It was definitely her way of showing she cared. I assured her I still had a fridge full of food.

At the store, I loaded up a cart with essentials—more diapers, wipes, some clothes in what I hoped was the right size, a few toys, and some kid-friendly foods. As I was checking out, my phone buzzed with a text from Shae:

"She ate some cheerios. Still not talking. What do I do?"

I typed back quickly: "You're doing great. Just keep her comfy. Be back soon."

When I returned, I found Shae sitting on the floor next to Tammy, who was still coloring intently. He looked up at me with relief.

"Hey," I said softly, setting the bags down. "How's it going?"

Shae shrugged. "Okay, I guess. She hasn't said anything, but she seems calm."

I glanced over at the little girl. To say this was fucked up was putting it mildly. “I can call Pink, but I’m not sure another new face is gonna help. Or I can take you there,” I added.

Shae held my gaze. “How did she even know I was here?” He sighed. “This isn’t even my house.”

“Do you want it to be?” I asked softly, hoping for the answer I wanted.

“Not because of my current situation, no.” I jerked back. He wanted to move out because of Tammy?

“Well, I put this down as your address at the hospital, but I’m pretty sure Diesel would fall over himself to give you one of his apartments, and Pink would love to have you both there.” I went to stand. What did having a heart attack feel like? Because my chest was tight, and my throat was burning.

But Shae’s hand shot out and clamped my wrist. “I meant I don’t want you to offer us a home just because of Tammy. You didn’t sign on to take care of a three-year-old, even if we worked out.”

I stared at Shae, processing his words. The tension in my chest eased slightly. "Shae," I said softly, "I'm not offering because of Tammy. I'm offering because I want you here. Both of you."

His eyes widened, a mix of hope and uncertainty. "You sure about that? This is...a lot."

I nodded, reaching out to cup his face. "I'm sure. We'll figure this out together, okay?" And I had to admire Shae. He might be overwhelmed but he was ready to step up. He’d have made a good marine.

Shae leaned into my touch, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them, there was a new determination there. "Okay," he whispered.

A small noise drew our attention. Tammy had stopped coloring and was watching us intently, her big eyes curious.

Shae took a deep breath and scooted closer to her. "Hey Tammy," he said gently. "I'm Shae. I'm... I'm your big brother."

Tammy tilted her head, studying him. Then, to our surprise, she held out her crayon to him.

Shae's face lit up as he accepted it. "Thank you. Do you want to color together?"

She nodded—the tiniest of movements, but it felt like a breakthrough.

I watched them for a moment, my heart swelling. Then I started unpacking the bags, organizing the supplies we'd need, and…shit. Where the hell was she gonna sleep? Shae’s old room still wasn’t fixed. They’d finished the outside, but it needed plastering and painting badly. What about the small one next to mine? It was full of old medical crap from Jim, but the room itself was sound, and the electricity was done. No private bathroom, but that wasn’t really an issue at the moment. We just needed furniture. I glanced back at Tammy and Shae, and they were both coloring. Tammy was rocking a little like she was uncomfortable, and I wanted to slap myself when awareness dawned.

“Tammy?” Shae seemed to have noticed the same thing, but before either of us could act, she stood and just peed. Then she burst into tears.

Calling myself every name under the sun, I hurried to scoop her up. “Never mind sweetheart,” I cooed. “You’re okay. Let’s get her in the shower. Grab her bag,”

I directed Shae, wondering when the fuck I’d turned into Mary fucking Poppins?

Shae

It took me way too many seconds of panic to unglue my legs. Tammy was sobbing like her heart was breaking and I was just standing there like a useless fucker. Some older brother I was, but then what the hell did I know about kids? Especially girls. Shit, I should have called Pink. I grabbed her small bag and followed them into the bedroom. Tammy wouldn’t let Drake go, and I’d bet she’d wet his clothes as well. I took a breath and went to start the shower so it could warm up, then emptied her bag and took out some panties, a tee shirt, and some black leggings. It was all she had. I knew Drake had bought some things and hoped there was at least a sweater or something.

“Honey, we’re gonna get you out of these wet things,” Drake said and glanced at me, and I suddenly realized we were two guys and well, this was awkward, but Tammy wasn’t old enough to do this herself. “You’re gonna have to help her,” Drake said, and I got that.

I ran to the dresser and swapped my jeans for shorts. She needed help in the shower, and I gently peeled her from Drake. “Come on sweetie, let’s get you all clean, huh?”

We went into the bathroom, and I very carefully got her soaking-wet leggings off. Drake knocked on the door and put a new sponge and some baby shampoo on the small shelf in the shower, then retreated and shut the door behind him. A pair of panties and a tee-shirt followed the leggings onto the floor, and I checked the water, then stepped in with her. She was surprised enough to stop crying, but made it clear she wasn’t about to stand up either. I ended up dumping half the bottle of shampoo on her and rinsing it off because that seemed easier with one hand available.

I turned the water off and stepped out, carefully grabbing towels. At least she let me wrap her up in one and sit her on another while I fastened one around me and ignored my soaking-wet shorts.

We went into the bedroom, and I appreciated that Drake had added some new socks and a cardigan to the pile of clothes. I quickly dried and dressed her, thanking my lucky stars for the weeks I’d lived with Pink and their kids, then opened the bedroom door to see Drake standing outside, looking awkward. I handed her over with another towel for her hair and she was happy to go. “Don’t suppose you’ve got a bath hidden away anywhere, do you?” I joked.

His eyes widened comically, then he groaned. “Yeah, Ellie’s room has one. I should have thought.”

“Just gonna get dry,” I chuckled, wondering how I was able to laugh at any of this. When I was dressed, I grabbed the wet clothes and walked toward the mud room. Drake had Tammy sitting on one of the chairs at the table, watching cartoons on his tablet and eating toast.

I shoved the wet clothes in the washer and came back into the kitchen. Drake passed me a coffee. I watched Tammy, who seemed completely absorbed in a cartoon about a blue dog and took the papers Drake handed me. “A file, including a guardianship petition.”

“A what?”

“According to what I could quickly look up, you still have to go to court to claim her. Obviously we’ll get a lawyer—”

“I don’t have the money for a lawyer,.” What the hell was I even thinking of? How could the social worker possibly think I could look after my baby sister? How could I possibly take care of a three-year-old? I had no money, no stable job, no idea what I was doing...

Drake's hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. "Hey," he said softly. "Breathe. We'll figure this out together, remember?"

“What about everything with Ryan, though?” I couldn’t have her somewhere she wasn’t safe.

“My first call’s to Danny and Rawlings. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with that. You think when Rawlings finds out she’s here, this place won’t be locked up tight?”

I took a shaky breath and nodded, trying to calm myself.

"As for the lawyer," Drake continued. "Don't worry about that. I've got it covered."

I started to protest, but he held up a hand. "No arguments. This is important, and I want to help. Let me do this."

The sincerity in his eyes made my throat tighten. I nodded again, not trusting myself to speak.

Drake squeezed my shoulder. "Good. Now, why don't you sit with Tammy while I make some calls? We need to figure out sleeping arrangements and probably get some more supplies."

I settled into the chair next to Tammy, who glanced at me briefly before returning her attention to the cartoon. As Drake stepped away to make his calls, I found myself studying my little sister's face, searching for any family resemblance.

Her hair was darker than mine, her skin a shade or two darker as well, but there was something about the shape of her eyes that reminded me of our father. The thought made my stomach churn. I pushed it aside, focusing instead on how small and vulnerable she looked.

“Danny?”

I glanced at Drake in confusion, and he met my gaze while still speaking on the phone.

“I just sent you a text and a file.” He paused. “Yeah, I know, but can you look into the circumstances?” He paused again. “Yeah, especially about her history, thanks.” He nodded to Tammy, and I glanced at her. She was yawning and looked like she could barely keep her eyes open. I bent down. “How about we go sit on the couch and watch the show from there?”

She glanced over at me but didn’t object, so I picked her up. When her little arms came around my neck, my throat thickened. I grabbed the tablet as well and walked over to the couch, sitting down. I was gonna sit her next to me, but she tightened her arms, so I just pulled the small blanket over her while she sat on my lap.

I doubted it took even a couple of minutes for her eyes to close and, turning her face into my chest, she was out like a light.

Realizing Drake had stopped talking, I glanced over and watched him looking at us both. If I’d been in any doubt before that I was in love with this man, the soft smile and approval on his face as he stared at us both kind of sealed the deal.

I just had to convince him of that.