rewrite all of those? I dropped my writing folder on the floor of the bus the other day and someone stepped on it. Thatâs why theyâre so messy. And if I did them over, I could work extra hard to make my writing look neat and pretty.â âSure. I think thatâs a great idea, though your handwriting looks neat and pretty to me already.â The slam of a car door made them both look up. âOh no, itâs Daddy! I wanted to get started on his poem.â Betsy dropped her feet to the ground as Kyle headed in their direction, a slash of anger where a smile had been just the day before. âWhy donât you go inside? I have paper and pens on the sunporch. You can get started while I talk to your dad for a few minutes.â âDo you have any pencils? âCause I make mistakes.â âTheyâre in with the pensâ¦I make mistakes, too.â âOkay.â Callie scooted off the settee, her voice dropping to a whisper. âDonât tell Daddy âbout my surprise, okay?â Clamping her lips shut, Betsy curved her thumb and index finger against her lips and turned it in a locking motion. âYour secret is safe with me.â As the little girl disappeared inside, Kyleâs pace quickened. âWhere is she going?â âSheâs working on a surprise. For you.â He stepped onto the porch, his uniform from yesterday replaced by a pair of jeans and a Chicago Cubs shirt. âShe can work on a surprise at home.â Betsy placed a gentle hand on his chest as he approached the door, the feel of his skin beneath hers unleashing the butterflies in her stomach. âPlease, I want to help her with this. It was my fault she was upset yesterday afternoon and Iâm sorry about that.â âMy daughter is none of your concern.â She winced at the anger in his voice but stood firm. âIâd like her to be.â âShe doesnât need you riding in, trying to fill some void you perceive in her life only to turn around and ride out as quick as you can. Sheâs fine.â âA void? In her life?â Betsy jerked her head in thedirection of the closed door and held a finger to her lips to quiet his rising voice. âIâd be blind not to see thatâs one well-adjusted little girl in there. If thereâs a void in someoneâs lifeâ¦itâs mine.â Shock chased anger from his face. âYours?â She shrugged. âIâve felt more pangs of healing in the three days Iâve been in this town than in the twelve months prior in New York. And spending time with Callieâ¦talking about her poetry and listening to her innocent observations on the world around her is healing. For me. â âI donât know what to say.â âThen donât. Just accept my apology for being rude yesterday. Itâs what I was coming over to tell you when I found Callie on my front porch. My rudeness wasnât a reflection of anything you did or didnât do. Not the you thatâs standing in front of me right now, anyway. Itâs what comes along with youâ¦when youâre dressed the other way.â She met his gaze, felt her defenses cracking at the raw emotion splayed across his face. âDressed the other way? What does thatâ Wait! You donât like the fact that Iâm a cop?â âI admire the fact that youâre a police officer. I respect what youâve decided to do with your life but itâs what comes withââ Callie appeared on the other side of the door, her face stretched nearly ear to ear by a grin that magnified the sapphire-blue eyes she shared with her father. âDaddy, guess what?â She felt his eyes leave her face, swallowed at the break in the scrutiny as he addressed his daughter with an air of distraction. âWhatâs that, pumpkin?â âMiss Anderson put my flower exactly where I said. Itâs right