Page 20 of Wilde Abandon
Dean was watching his back, like he always did, even though Fox doubted anything would happen in small-town Blackrock Falls, Wyoming.But you could never be too careful.
Chapter six
MelodysmiledatBeawhen she set down their plates.
Fox stared from his plate to hers, then grinned at Melody.
Bea gave them a knowing look.“I couldn’t wait to see your faces when you figured out you both have the sameusual.”
Grilled cheese, fries (extra crispy), mixed fruit, and a chocolate shake.Yum.Melody had been getting that at the diner forever.She worked hard, was on her feet for hours every night at the bar, and could afford to indulge in the extra calories for her favorite comfort foods.
Fox held up his shake, a big, silly grin on his face, and a look in his eyes that said this little thing meant something to him.“It’s like we’re back in the school cafeteria, but with shakes instead of chocolate milk.”
She clinked her glass to his, put the straw in her mouth, and sucked up some of the thick, decadent shake.“My sisters always tell me I eat like a toddler.”
“You like what you like.”He took a huge bite of his grilled cheese and hummed with satisfaction.“I have a chef working at the center.She teaches cooking classes, because that’s not something a lot of foster kids learn, and when they’re out on their own their diets aren’t that nutritious.Health and well-being aren’t always a priority for foster families.Once on their own, they eat a lot of cheap, prepackaged junk.I want the people who come to us to learn the things that will keep them healthy and safe and allow them to rise above whatever circumstance they’re in.”
“You’re not just giving them career skills, but life skills.”
He turned and stared her right in the eye.“Because that’s what your father did for me.When he called, he focused on things that would make my life better.School was the priority.Every job I took as a kid and teen and now, he told me to learn every skill I could, then use that skill to apply it to better jobs that paid more money.”
“I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that he stayed in touch with you.”
“He was the dad I never had in a lot of ways.I owe him so much.At first, I didn’t really listen to him.But then, he started making a lot of sense.Especially after one particular incident.”
“What happened?”
“The lady I was living with locked up the food.We could only eat when she said, and the meals were small, basic stuff like sandwiches and canned soup.The free school lunch was better than what she gave us.I was ten.Your dad called to check in.He asked a lot of questions.Most of the time I told him everything was fine.I figured if something wasn’t bleeding or broken, everything was better than what I’d had back home.”
She put her hand on his arm and squeezed.“Fox.That’s just not true and not good enough.”
“Your father felt the same way.He didn’t let me get away with a ‘fine.’He asked specific questions about school, the place I was staying, if I felt safe, and what they were feeding me.”
Melody adored her dad.He didn’t ever take things at face value.He looked deeper.She swore she could arrive home from school and in two minutes he knew what kind of day she’d had.
“So you confessed that you hated the food.”
“I told him I was starving and the ache in my belly wouldn’t stop.”He took a long pull on the chocolate shake.“At that point, I was so tired of feeling like crap all the time.”
“What did my dad do?”
“He contacted my case worker and told her what was happening.Me and the others staying there were moved to new foster families.And when I arrived at mine, there was a lawn mower waiting for me with a note from your dad.”
“Let me guess, it said something about you using that mower to earn your own money so you would never be hungry.”
“Yes.With detailed instructions on how to approach the neighbors and get clients.How to work the lawn mower, get gas for it, and to save some money for emergencies.That foster family was actually pretty cool.The guy worked a lot, but the woman, she went over your dad’s instructions, then helped me step by step to turn it on, mow the grass, empty it.She even took me to the gas station and taught me how to fill up the little can, and then fill the lawn mower tank.She made me go to each house on the block and ask about doing their lawn.At first, only one family said yes.I did that lawn every week.I guess I did a good enough job, a couple of the neighbors asked if I’d do their lawns, too.I didn’t need the money for food at that place.But I only got to stay there for six months before I went somewhere else.I took my lawn mower with me and started my business back up again.”
“Wow, that was really nice of your case worker to make sure you got to take the mower.”
“She didn’t.The lady at that house asked her husband to drive it over for me in his truck.He smacked me on the back and said, ‘Good luck.Keep up the good work.’”
She raised a brow.“Why didn’t they keep you?”
“Because she found out she was pregnant right after I arrived.When she was about to deliver their second child, they decided they needed the space and five kids was too much.They already had two fosters that had been with them a long time.A sister and brother.They wanted to be sure they could keep those two kids together.She wanted to focus on her baby for a while.”
“I’m sorry.They sound like they were a nice family.”
“They were.They helped me for as long as they were able.”