The Lawman's Convenient Family. Judy Duarte

It might not seem like much to anyone else, but he saw it as a sign that the timid little girl wasn’t nearly as frightened as she’d been on Saturday night when he and the Hoffmans had brought her here.

      When he’d told the kids that he had to leave and that they’d be staying at Kidville, big ol’ tears welled in her eyes, and her little lip quivered. Which is why he’d been eager to return this morning and let both kids know that he hadn’t abandoned them. Hell, even the dog had gotten spooked and run off before the Hoffmans had showed up.

      Adam waited a beat before crossing the room and addressing the two siblings. “Hey, Eddie. Cassie. I’m back, just like I promised.”

      The boy practically jumped up from his seat, his lips parted, his eyes wide. “Cool. But what about your other promise? What happened to my dog? Did you find him?”

      “Yes, I did.” Adam glanced first at Jim, then back to Eddie. “She’s a little skittish, but she’s doing okay.”

      “She?” Eddie scrunched his brow and frowned. “Are you sure it’s a girl dog?”

      “Yep. I figured that out when I gave her a bath. That’s not a problem, is it?”

      Eddie shrugged a scrawny shoulder. “Only because I named her Spike. Now I have to think up something girly.”

      Adam glanced at Cassie, who didn’t offer up a suggestion. In fact, she didn’t utter a word.

      “So where is she now?” Eddie asked.

      A grin tugged at Adam’s lips, and he slowly shook his head. “She’s at my place temporarily.” He’d actually be tempted to keep her, although he wasn’t home much. “But don’t worry. I’ll find the perfect place for her. And who knows, maybe when you have a house with a yard, you can take her to live with you.”

      The little boy tensed, his smile faded and his eyes grew wide in near panic. “Are you going to take us back to Brady?”

      “No way.” Adam shook his head definitively. “You’re much better off here. Don’t you think?”

      Eddie’s expression softened and he nodded. Then he glanced at his sister and back to Adam. “Cassie likes it here, too.”

      Adam studied the fair-haired girl who’d let her brother do all the talking on Saturday night. Something told him she still hadn’t spoken. But he suspected she was coming around. At least, Julie and her music seemed to have gotten through to her.

      And speaking of Julie, he’d better introduce himself. “I’m Adam Santiago. I volunteer here, too.”

      “It’s...” She licked her glossed lips, pink and plump. “It’s nice to meet you.”

      Before Adam could say anything else, Jim ended his phone call and joined them.

      “Why don’t we go for a walk with the kids?” Jim suggested. “We can take them to the schoolhouse and introduce them to their teacher.”

      “Can I go, too?” Julie asked.

      “By all means,” Jim said. “I’m sure the kids will like that.”

      Julie turned to the children. “I saw the school and the playground when I first got here, and it looks like you’ll have a lot of fun during recess. I’d love to see the inside of the classroom.”

      Eddie shot a look at Jim, then at Adam, and back to Jim again. “Okay, but can Cassie come with me—and stay with me? She doesn’t like to be alone.”

      “You bet,” Jim said. “We only have a single classroom and one teacher right now, although we’re planning to expand in the future. So our school is a little different from the one you’re used to.”

      “I had a class and a teacher once,” Eddie said, “but it was a long time ago. And Cassie never did.”

      That wasn’t surprising. From what Adam had gathered during his investigation of Brady Thatcher, the guy hadn’t played any kind of paternal role with the kids. Hell, he hadn’t even noticed they were gone until Adam showed up at his door and told him.

      It was a real shame, too. If the kids had gone to school, a teacher might have picked up on their abuse and neglect sooner.

      The telephone rang again, and Jim straightened. “Oh, for Pete’s sake. I’m never going to get these kids to school.”

      “Go ahead and take that call,” Adam said. “I’ll walk with them to their classroom and introduce them to their teacher.”

      Julie, who’d just put her guitar into its case, looked up and smiled. “I’m ready to go with you.”

      As they exited the admin office and walked along the wooden sidewalk toward the school, a light breeze kicked up, stirring the air around them, as well as a few strands of Julie’s long blond hair and a whiff of her scent—something citrusy.

      Adam stole another peek at her, but the quick glance turned into a steady gaze. He noted her pretty profile. Long, thick lashes. A light dusting of freckles across a slightly turned up nose. Plump, kissable lips. Once again, he caught her scent and considered her similarity to Lisa, the flight attendant he’d danced with at the gala. Apparently their perfume was the latest fashion craze.

      He was so caught up with his assessment of Julie that he damn near tripped when they stepped off the wooden boardwalk. He’d better shake off his thoughts and interest before she caught him studying her. Or worse, before he did a face-plant in the dirt.

      “I used to love school,” Julie told Eddie and Cassie. “I didn’t have any brothers or sisters, so being on the playground at recess gave me a chance to have a lot of fun with the other kids.”

      An only child, huh? The apple of her daddy’s eye, no doubt. And her mama’s pride and joy. Adam had known girls like her, and they’d all steered clear of guys like him, which was just as well. He preferred simple, unencumbered relationships that lasted until one or the other got bored and moved on to someone else.

      When they reached the red schoolhouse, he slowed to a stop. “This is it.”

      He figured the teacher was expecting the kids, so he opened the door, and they stepped inside the large room that smelled like pencil shavings, crayons and paste.

      The teacher, Mrs. Wright, a blonde in her mid-thirties, was walking among the children and passing out math worksheets, none of which seemed to be the same level.

      When Jesse Cosgrove, the kid Adam had been mentoring, glanced at the doorway, he brightened and waved. “Hey! Mr. Adam, it’s not Wednesday.”

      Adam placed his index finger on his lips, shushing him, then he lifted it in the air and made a circular motion, indicating that the boy should turn around and focus on his work. He followed the silent chastisement with a wink, letting the kid know they’d talk later.

      Jesse seemed to understand because he spun in his seat and faced the front of the class. As he studied the math worksheet on his desk, he scrunched his brow, stuck his pencil in his mouth and bit down on what was left of his eraser. Jesse was the oldest boy at Kidville, but he lagged a couple of years behind academically.

      “This is what they call a combination class,” Adam told Julie and the kids, repeating what Jim had told him during his first tour of the place. “At this time, they’re only licensed to take children up to the third grade. And from what I’ve heard, Cassie is going to be the only kindergartener.”

      Mrs. Wright passed out one last worksheet, then strode to the doorway, stooped and greeted Eddie and Cassie by name. “We were excited to hear we’d have two new friends in class. And we’ve been waiting to meet you. As soon as the other children finish their math, it’ll be time for morning snack and recess.”

      Both Eddie and Cassie seemed nervous, but Mrs. Wright was a champ when it came to putting children at ease. So it wouldn’t take long for her to make the two siblings feel welcome. Once she took them to their desks,