He shrugged and sniffed.
Beth’s midsection tightened as she knelt down. “What’s up, Corey?”
“I don’t want to do this.” His eyes were red, but so far no tears had leaked out.
The bell rang and kids clamored for their jackets and backpacks. Corey stayed put and stared at his work sheet; he hadn’t answered any of the questions.
Beth directed the kids as they left, all while keeping a close eye on Corey, who looked devastated. She gathered his things from the cubby locker and dropped them on the seat next to him. Beth was about to sit down and have a chat with him when Nick Grey popped into the classroom.
“Hey, bud, why the long face?”
Corey quickly shoved the work sheet into his backpack and shrugged.
Nick looked at her for direction. For the meaning behind his son’s sulk.
She smiled, but her mind churned. “If you both don’t mind waiting a few minutes while I clean off my desk, we’ll head over to my mom’s.”
Corey’s head jerked up, his demeanor totally changed. “We’re going to your house?”
“Yes. To meet my mother.” That was all Beth would say, in case Nick chose another option for Corey’s after-school care.
“Cool.” Corey slipped into a navy windbreaker.
“Do you want us to wait in the car?” Nick’s worried gaze lingered on his son.
“Oh, no. I’ll only be a minute.” Beth kept her voice upbeat, but her initial worries about Corey returned.
Why had he been upset over a short reading assignment? The subject matter had been harmless enough. Tall ships and their sails. She’d have to talk to his father about that.
By the time they crossed the street, Beth had decided on discretion when she talked to Nick Grey. This was only Corey’s second day in her class. New school, new home, no friends yet—it all added up to stress. Her principal hadn’t received Corey’s transcripts from his old school yet, so she shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
Beth opened the front door and sniffed. Her mom had been baking. Nice. She gestured for Nick and Corey to come in and then kicked off her shoes. “Mom? I’m home and I brought guests as promised.”
Her mother came toward them and looked right at Corey. “You must be hungry for a snack. I’ve got chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven.”
Corey nodded and then looked at his dad.
“Thank you, Mrs. Ryken, that sounds wonderful.” Nick held out his hand. “My name’s Nick Grey and this is my boy, Corey.”
Her mom gave her a quick wink. “Yes, Beth told me about you both. Come on into the kitchen.”
The kitchen smelled like melted butter and chocolate, and Beth got busy pouring glasses of milk while her mom passed around a plate of warm cookies. Corey appeared to be on his best behavior. He took a napkin and carefully spread it on his lap before eating. That was definitely not a trick he’d learned from his father. Nick wolfed down a cookie with one bite while reaching for another.
Beth quietly slipped into a seat and grabbed a cookie, giving Corey a smile.
“I see you like flowers,” Nick said. “There’s quite a few in your yard.”
Her mom nodded. “I love having them pop up willy-nilly every spring. They keep spreading and I love the surprise of where they’ll go next. I won’t mow my lawn until after they’ve bloomed. But my annuals are a little more organized.”
That answer seemed to please him, and Beth nearly laughed. Nick was using her mother’s erratic gardening as some sort of test, and evidently, she’d passed the first question.
“Beth, why don’t you take Corey to fill up the birdfeeders while I talk to his father?” Her mom peeked at Nick over her designer-brand reading glasses. “If that’s okay with you.”
“It is.” Nick smiled. It was an awkward smile, as if he wasn’t used to doing it.
Beth let her gaze linger. Smiling was definitely something Nick should do more of.
Turning to the man’s son, Beth slapped her hands on her lap. “What do you think, Corey? Do you mind going outside with me?”
The boy had finished his second cookie and had chocolate smeared in the corners of his mouth. He gave her a heart-stealing grin. “Okay.”
Beth held out her hand to the boy. “Let’s go. I’m going to need your help.”
They stepped out of the kitchen onto the back deck. She knew they were in full view of Nick and her mom. A year before Beth’s father died, he had installed big windows and a sliding glass door along the back wall of the kitchen as a Mother’s Day present. Their backyard was large and her mother had birdfeeders scattered everywhere. Didn’t matter where a person sat in the kitchen or living room, they’d have a clear view of birds scattering seeds.
Beth opened the door to the shed and grabbed a bucket. “So what happened today, Corey? Why don’t you want to do the homework assignment?”
The boy shrugged. “I just don’t.”
She filled the bucket with birdseed and handed it to him. “Did you have homework at your old school?”
He shook his head.
“Did you get it done in school, then?”
He shrugged. “Grandma didn’t give homework.”
Beth frowned. “Tell me about your grandma.”
“She used to read to me a lot and show me how to count.”
“What about your teacher? Did she read to you, too? Or did she have you read the stories on your own?”
Corey stopped filling a low birdfeeder and looked at her as if she’d missed the obvious. “Grandma was my teacher.”
“Oh.” Beth closed her eyes. She definitely needed more information. She needed to talk to Nick.
* * *
Nick watched his son with Beth. He could tell that Corey talked to her. As they filled birdfeeders, Corey chatted easily.
He glanced at Beth’s mom, who’d been watching him. She was a nice lady, if a little scattered. “I think Corey will do well here after school.”
“I’d love to have him, and this works well with my weekday shift of seven till noon at the airport. Plenty of time for me to run errands and get home to meet Corey.”
“Some weeks I’ll have midweek days off and work the weekend. Would you mind Corey hanging out during the day on a weekend?”
Mary’s brow furrowed. “What is it that you do?”
“I start with the sheriff’s department in a few days.”
Mary Ryken’s eyebrow lifted, but the expression on her face had fallen into disappointment. “You’re in law enforcement.”
“Yes, ma’am. A deputy.” Nick drained his glass of milk. Mary had offered him cookies until he’d stuffed himself.
“My husband worked for the same but was killed on duty.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry for your loss.” He’d looked it up. It was what made her a good choice. Mary understood a cop’s life. She’d lived it. She’d understand if his shift ran late.
Her eyes grew stern. “Don’t let it happen to you. That boy needs you.”
Nick nodded. It was why he was here. Why he’d transferred out of undercover work. “I don’t plan on it.”
“No