She nodded once. “I wasn’t certified for emergency placement then, so they went into the foster system.”

“They?”

“The teen was trans. Their pronoun is ‘they.’”

Michael sucked in a breath that burned. He’d heard horror stories about what bullies in the foster system did to both deaf kids and trans kids. A deaf trans kid? Shit. “What happened to them?”

“Kids snuck up on them. Hurt them. They didn’t die, but it was close. They’re forever traumatized.”

“So you became an emergency foster parent.”

She nodded. “Yes. As for all the nice furniture and gadgets? You remember me telling you that Coach has rich friends?”

“Yeah,” Michael answered cautiously. “The rich guys just gave you money?”

“Pretty much.” She smiled. “See—and you might have to make a chart later to remember all this—my brother Deacon who you met today? His wife is named Faith. Faith’s uncle is the rich guy. His name is Dr. O’Bannion. You remember Marcus, Coach’s friend from the newspaper office?”

“The one who took care of Joshua. Yeah. And?”

“Dr. O’Bannion is also Marcus’s dad. He is very nice and very generous. When I was getting this place ready for kids, Dr. O’Bannion showed up on my doorstep with his checkbook. All the books, the games, the clothes in the closets, the jungle gym out back—it’s all because of him.”

Michael frowned. “Why did he do it?”

Her smile was gentle. “Sometimes people are just nice, Michael. It’s okay to trust. We’re good people. We will take care of you.” She closed the closet door. “Take your time. Dinner won’t be ready for an hour or so. We can watch a movie after if you want to.”

Michael’s eyes burned. “Thank you.”

She cupped his cheek. “You’re welcome. You’re worth it.”

He watched her go down the hall toward the front of the house. When she was out of sight, he blinked and the tears streaked down his cheeks.

No, I’m not worth it. But Joshua is.

Cincinnati, Ohio
Saturday, March 16, 8:50 p.m.

Dani stopped outside of her kitchen doorway for just a moment, just long enough to brace herself. She was about to be alone with Diesel Kennedy. And it scared her to death, because she wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore.

She swallowed hard as she peeked around the doorframe to where he sat at the table, staring at his laptop, the expression on his handsome face one of intense concentration. He rubbed the back of his neck with one of his huge hands.

Hands that had held her so damn gently. Hands that had held Joshua so gently. Hands that had encouraged Michael when the boy had been so scared.

Think of it as a mugging, Diesel had told Michael. And it had helped the boy get through the telling of his abuse.