“I don’t know. Maybe tell me why you’re so stuck on doing this? I mean, why not go home? Is missing a semester that big a deal?”
“To me it is, yeah.” He was still hiding behind his sunglasses and turned away to push Dayton again.
“Aren’t there other colleges? Are you that attached to this community?”
He didn’t answer as Ayjia asked him to stop her swing and twist it. A moment later, he released her to spin before answering.
“I do like it here. I’m from Washington and we get a lot of rain there.” He flashed a grin then shrugged. “And I’m only a day away if I need to go home, but I’m far enough away to feel like I’m not still attached to Mom’s umbilical cord, you know?”
Mercedes resisted the urge to ask about the woman who had once been close enough to L.C. to make a child. Really none of her business and so very inappropriate, but she was curious. L.C. must have been very young when he’d fathered Zack.
“I want to go on the merry-go-round,” Ayjia said.
“Sure, hon,” Mercedes said.
Ayjia took off and Dayton jumped from his still moving swing.
“Dayton—” She caught back the useless warning, catching Zack’s grin.
“Why bother?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Makes me feel like I’m in charge, I guess.” She strolled with him toward where the kids pushed the bars of the slowly circling merry-go-round.
“Are you in charge of that old folks home?” Zack asked.
“Retirement community,” she corrected with a mocking scowl. “And no, I’m not in charge. The board represents the residents, so they have the final say. They’re mostly a bunch of retired people who would rather enjoy their free time, though. They hired me for the day to day running of things and usually follow my recommendations.”
“And you’re going to recommend...?” Zack prompted.
“I don’t know. To be honest, Zack, you’re a tough sell. I know those back few units have been neglected over the years, but breaking in like that?”
“All I’m asking for is a chance.” He leapt onto the merry-go-round, kicking it into rotating faster.
The kids urged, “More. Faster!”
He did, laughing, and had the kids squealing before he dragged his foot to slow down. Dayton jumped of course.
“That kid’s a broken bone waiting to happen,” Zack said, watching Dayton sprint to the monkey bars.
“Please don’t say that.” Mercedes thought of Ayjia’s chin. Worried about it.
“I could help you watch them,” Zack suggested.
“Oh, nice try,” Mercedes said, chuckling.
Zack looked affronted. “What? I like little kids. I was an only child until my sister was born and by then I was graduating. I think it’s cool how they’re so close like that.” He motioned to the human monkeys clambering on the colored bars.
“My sister and I were pretty close,” Mercedes murmured, thinking of how they’d had each others’ backs at school, at parties, against gossip and boys and social workers. The whole world.
She stopped a few feet back from the kids and turned to Zack.
“I appreciate the offer, I do, but I don’t know you that well.”
“What about the community hours then?”
“Ultimately that would put you under my supervision. In the short term, I’ve got the kids to worry about. How can I take responsibility for you as well?”
“Is Dayton allowed up the tree?” Zack asked, his face slightly averted, watching over her shoulder.
“What? No!” She turned and scanned the park.
Ayjia stood at the bottom of the lone, leafy tree, looking up.
“Dayton?” Mercedes called.
“Up the tree again,” Ayjia said.
“No! Dayton we’ve talked about this.” Mercedes hurried forward.
“I’ll get him,” Zack said, peeling off his sunglasses and handing them to Mercedes. “That is, if you’ll recommend me to the board?”
“Oh, don’t gloat.”
Chapter 5
Mercedes set the kids to playing Uno at her feet while she sorted through the correspondence and bills that had piled up while she’d been gone. The board was supposed to have sifted through it, but all that meant was that Mrs. Garvey had tagged everything ‘Urgent’ in her red, spidery scrawl. She was helping now by standing on the other side of the horseshoe-shaped reception desk, reviewing the binder of bylaws for a ruling on underage guests of residents.
Mercedes sent another hopeful glance beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows fronting the main office. Zack had told her he was a lifeguard. She had told him she wouldn’t believe it until she saw his name on a certificate. Now he was late, maybe not coming at all. She glanced at the kids.
Dayton wiggled his bottom tooth while he waited for Ayjia to take her turn. Ayjia played a yellow six, then rubbed under her chin.
Maybe the board would agree to meet poolside to discuss her situation. Surely they’d be sympathetic. It was only temporary. They understood about family.
Mrs. Garvey sniffed.
Some did.
“We set a two week limit on visiting guests,” Mrs. Garvey said, thumbing through pages. “I remember.”
“I thought it was only a recommendation,” Mercedes murmured, knowing it was.
Dayton stood and tried to help himself to the jar of jellybeans on the counter.
Mercedes shook her head and moved it, then pointed back to the cards.
“I don’t wanna play anymore. Can we go swimming?”
“Maybe later.”
“It’s your turn,” Ayjia said.
Dayton kicked the pile of cards.
“Hey!” Ayjia yelled.
“Don’t—” Mercedes caught Ayjia’s fist before she took a swing at her brother.
“Mercedes,” Mrs. Garvey said with affront.
“He always does that when I’m winning. It’s not fair!”
“Keep your voice down, please. Dayton, you need to clean up the cards.” Mercedes straightened to smile at Mrs. Garvey. See? No problem.
Below her, Dayton skated cards across the lino with his foot while Ayjia tried to slap them out of his reach.
Mrs. Garvey dipped her head and flipped pages.
A tense knot of helplessness caught in Mercedes’s chest. It eased slightly as she caught sight of a blue pick-up slowing to turn into their parking lot. Sunlight glinted off the windshield then cleared as he turned, revealing L.C. at the wheel. His tanned arm rested on the open window. His other hand steered with negligent fingers.
Mrs. Garvey stiffened as L.C.’s diesel engine rumbled to a stop outside. He cut the motor. He and Zack dropped out of the vehicle to slam doors.
L.C. wore jeans again, these ones faded and sporting frayed holes in the knees and at the pockets. The sleeves were gone from his Mariners T-shirt, exposing a colorful tattoo that climbed from his bicep and flowed over his shoulder, but he’d managed to shave. He combed his fingers through his wet hair as they entered.
When he saw Mercedes, he lowered a cardboard cup from his lips.
Mercedes subtly forced herself to keep her breaths measured and looked to Mrs. Garvey. “Would you like to tell the board that our guests are here? I need a quick word with Zack before we come down.”
Zack had changed from his cycling shorts into the same pants he’d worn yesterday, but he’d found a crisp white shirt that contrasted starkly against his deep tan.
Mrs. Garvey made another snooty noise and checked the watch face dangling from a brooch above her left breast. “You used to be so organized, Mercedes.” Her tone held the weight of disappointment. She circled behind the desk to avoid the men. “What is this?”
Mrs. Garvey halted at the head of a trail of cards. It led to the lounge area where Dayton knelt on a sofa beside Mr. Corcoran, bouncing and earning a frown while Ayjia dropped more cards in a circle around the coffee table.
“No,” Mercedes breathed. “Kids!” She tried not to raise her voice as she crossed to the lounge. “I asked you to pick those up. I’m sorry, Mr. Corcoran.” Crouching, Mercedes scooped up cards, aware of Mrs. Garvey trotting out of sight, no doubt to demand her immediate dismissal.
“But it’s a path,” Ayjia said.
“I know, honey, but not here, okay? Clean them up. Dayton stop bouncing.”
“I wanna watch cartoons.” He leapt to the floor.
“How about swimming?” Zack asked, coming up behind Mercedes, straightening to offer her the stack of cards he’d collected.
“Don’t—” Mercedes started.
“Yeah!” both kids shouted.
Promise them things, Mercedes had been about to say.
Zack handed her an envelope with his other hand, saying to the kids, “You have to pick up the cards first.”
L.C. stayed by the desk, sipping from his cup, clearly amused by the show.
While Dayton bulldozed the remaining cards into a pile, Mercedes pulled Zack’s lifeguard certification from the envelope.
“I brought my suit. I’ll watch the kids in the pool so you can talk to everyone uninterrupted.”
“About you,” Mercedes said doubtfully, still convinced Zack would make things harder, not easier.
“Please.” Zack’s grin held the same promise of sin as his father’s. It was near impossible to resist.
“Those poor freshman girls,” Mercedes murmured, shaking her head. To L.C., she said, “Were you this age when you fathered him? Because it explains a few things.”