his mouth to suggest they watch the basketball game on television, but stopped himself just in time. This was his son’s first night with him. He couldn’t believe he’d considered television even for a moment.
“Can we watch TV?” Charlie asked, plopping down on the floor beside him.
Cole swallowed a chuckle at Meg’s look of shock.
“I thought tonight might be a good chance for the three of us to get better acquainted,” she said diplomatically.
“What did you have in mind?” Cole tried to keep the suspicion from his voice. While he’d never been a holding-hands-around-the-campfire kind of guy, he wanted to keep an open mind.
Charlie’s brows pulled together. “I don’t know what akwadented means.”
“It means,” Meg said, settling into a nearby chair, “that we get to know each other better by asking and answering the same questions about each other.”
“I dunno,” Charlie said, his expression uncertain.
Cole glanced longingly at the fifty-two-inch television. The basketball game was looking better by the second.
“For example,” Meg said, apparently not dissuaded by their lack of enthusiasm, “my favorite color is green. What’s yours?”
Charlie shrugged.
The look on Meg’s face fell. Cole knew he could squash this game with a few well-chosen words. But that would be mean. Plus he’d vowed to keep an open mind. He forced some excitement into his voice. “Mine is blue.”
“That’s my favorite color, too,” Charlie said.
“See, isn’t this fun?” Meg asked. The smile remained on her lips but he heard the strain in her voice, saw it on her face.
Charlie looked at Cole.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Cole said.
“It’s fun,” the little boy echoed.
Cole grinned. That was his boy.
Meg sighed.
“Let’s stick with the basics for a little bit,” Meg said, then proceeded over the next thirty minutes to ferret out their favorite food, their favorite pet—they all liked dogs best—even their favorite thing to do in the evening.
When Charlie said sitting on his daddy’s lap while listening to him read The Poky Little Puppy was his “most favoritist thing in all the world,” Cole’s throat clogged up.
“You had a nice daddy,” Meg said. “I had a nice daddy, too.”
Unexpectedly she shifted her gaze to Cole. “How about you?”
“He was great.”
“Looks like we were all blessed with wonderful fathers,” Meg said softly.
“Did your daddy read you The Poky Little Puppy? ” Charlie asked Cole.
“I don’t remember.” Okay, it wasn’t a truthful answer but if he said no, Charlie would surely ask why. There was no way Cole wanted to get into his father’s reading difficulties.
“I think it’s time to unhook Uncle Cole from the machine.” Meg slanted a glance in Charlie’s direction. “Want to help, deputy?”
The boy’s somber expression immediately brightened. He pumped a fist in the air.
Cole braced himself when Charlie jumped to his feet. But he’d taken only a few steps when Meg reached out and laid a restraining hand on the boy’s arm.
“It’s important to be gentle.” Her tone was soft but firm. “Understand?”
Charlie nodded. “I can, I can be gentle.”
Cole released the breath he’d been holding as Meg patiently showed the boy how to release the straps.
“I do it,” the boy said loudly after Meg’s demonstration.
“Show me,” Meg said.
With his tongue between his teeth, Charlie carefully unhooked the straps one by one while Cole murmured encouragement.
Once he was finished, Charlie threw his hands up like a wrestler who’d just pinned an opponent. “Yes.”
Meg clapped him on the back. “Fabulous job, deputy.”
“I did good, didn’t I, Uncle Cole?” Charlie’s voice quivered.
Meg had made it clear she thought the boy had done a good job, yet it was Cole’s approval Charlie sought.
“You did indeed.” Cole reached up and ruffled the child’s hair, pride flowing through his veins like an awakened
“Can we watch TV?” Charlie asked, plopping down on the floor beside him.
Cole swallowed a chuckle at Meg’s look of shock.
“I thought tonight might be a good chance for the three of us to get better acquainted,” she said diplomatically.
“What did you have in mind?” Cole tried to keep the suspicion from his voice. While he’d never been a holding-hands-around-the-campfire kind of guy, he wanted to keep an open mind.
Charlie’s brows pulled together. “I don’t know what akwadented means.”
“It means,” Meg said, settling into a nearby chair, “that we get to know each other better by asking and answering the same questions about each other.”
“I dunno,” Charlie said, his expression uncertain.
Cole glanced longingly at the fifty-two-inch television. The basketball game was looking better by the second.
“For example,” Meg said, apparently not dissuaded by their lack of enthusiasm, “my favorite color is green. What’s yours?”
Charlie shrugged.
The look on Meg’s face fell. Cole knew he could squash this game with a few well-chosen words. But that would be mean. Plus he’d vowed to keep an open mind. He forced some excitement into his voice. “Mine is blue.”
“That’s my favorite color, too,” Charlie said.
“See, isn’t this fun?” Meg asked. The smile remained on her lips but he heard the strain in her voice, saw it on her face.
Charlie looked at Cole.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Cole said.
“It’s fun,” the little boy echoed.
Cole grinned. That was his boy.
Meg sighed.
“Let’s stick with the basics for a little bit,” Meg said, then proceeded over the next thirty minutes to ferret out their favorite food, their favorite pet—they all liked dogs best—even their favorite thing to do in the evening.
When Charlie said sitting on his daddy’s lap while listening to him read The Poky Little Puppy was his “most favoritist thing in all the world,” Cole’s throat clogged up.
“You had a nice daddy,” Meg said. “I had a nice daddy, too.”
Unexpectedly she shifted her gaze to Cole. “How about you?”
“He was great.”
“Looks like we were all blessed with wonderful fathers,” Meg said softly.
“Did your daddy read you The Poky Little Puppy? ” Charlie asked Cole.
“I don’t remember.” Okay, it wasn’t a truthful answer but if he said no, Charlie would surely ask why. There was no way Cole wanted to get into his father’s reading difficulties.
“I think it’s time to unhook Uncle Cole from the machine.” Meg slanted a glance in Charlie’s direction. “Want to help, deputy?”
The boy’s somber expression immediately brightened. He pumped a fist in the air.
Cole braced himself when Charlie jumped to his feet. But he’d taken only a few steps when Meg reached out and laid a restraining hand on the boy’s arm.
“It’s important to be gentle.” Her tone was soft but firm. “Understand?”
Charlie nodded. “I can, I can be gentle.”
Cole released the breath he’d been holding as Meg patiently showed the boy how to release the straps.
“I do it,” the boy said loudly after Meg’s demonstration.
“Show me,” Meg said.
With his tongue between his teeth, Charlie carefully unhooked the straps one by one while Cole murmured encouragement.
Once he was finished, Charlie threw his hands up like a wrestler who’d just pinned an opponent. “Yes.”
Meg clapped him on the back. “Fabulous job, deputy.”
“I did good, didn’t I, Uncle Cole?” Charlie’s voice quivered.
Meg had made it clear she thought the boy had done a good job, yet it was Cole’s approval Charlie sought.
“You did indeed.” Cole reached up and ruffled the child’s hair, pride flowing through his veins like an awakened
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