Page 99 of Big Bad Wolfe

“Well, because I want to talk to you about him and I don’t want either of you to feel awkward.”

Casey frowned. “Don’t ya know it’s mean to talk about people behind their backs? My Sunday school teacher said God said so.”

Jillian smothered a grin. “It’s okay because we have Zane’s permission.”

“And I have a kitchen to clean, pal.” Zane ruffled Casey’s hair. His somber gaze sent a private message that echoed Jillian’s hopes and fears as he handed the little boy to her.

Zane left, and Mrs. Stevens didn’t waste any time. “Casey, do you know what it means to tell the truth?”

Casey snorted in disdain. “Course I do. Lying is bad. My Sunday school teacher said God said so. It’s one of the ten demandments He gave that Moses guy.”

Mrs. Stevens nodded. “So I want you to tell me the absolute truth, and not worry about getting in trouble for any of your answers. Okay?”

Jillian’s stomach dive-bombed. This part of the interview was so crucial. One misunderstood statement, one awkward slip, and they were sunk.

Mrs. Stevens turned up a fresh sheet in her legal pad. “How do you feel about Zane?”

“He’s my bestest friend. I only just used to like him, but now I love him.”

Jillian blinked back tears, both touched and upset. Casey would be devastated when Zane left. As would she. What a pair they’d make, grieving for a man neither of them could be with. She squared her shoulders. He hadn’t left yet. As long as Zane was here, she had hope.

“Is there anything about him that makes you uncomfortable?”

Casey scrunched up his face. “Nope. He’s regular.”

Mrs. Stevens chuckled quietly. “Has he ever done or said anything that upset you, or made you nervous or worried?”

“Well, today at Super Value-World I felt all squiggly inside. I wanted to go get my turbo blaster and he kept shopping for dumb groceries and junk.” He hung his head and his voice grew quiet. “I ran off to look at it. I scared him a whole lot and he punished me.”

Jillian bit her lip. Zane wouldn’t strike a child. What discipline had he meted out?

“What did he do?” Mrs. Steven’s question echoed Jillian’s thoughts.

“He told me I had to stay with a grownup ‘cause it wasn’t safe. Stranger danger, you know. I had forgot about stranger danger for a minute, ‘cause I was thinking excited about my water blaster. So he put me in the timeout chair for the minutes he spent looking for me and worrying. It was a real long worry.”

“Did you get your water blaster?”

“He bought it, but he put it up for a week. I have to wait to play with it.”

“And how do you feel about what happened?”

Jillian didn’t know about Casey, but she was so proud of Zane. He’d been thrown into a difficult situation that would have tossed anyone for a loop, and he’d handled it extremely well.

“He did a grownup thing. He was worried about me and wanted to keep me safe. But I still wish I could have my water blaster today.”

The little boy suddenly turned to Jillian with a wide grin. “I almost forgot. Look! I lost my tooth! I swallowed it, and then I cried, ‘cause I was scared the Tooth Fairy wouldn’t bring me any money. But Zane fixed it.”

Poor Zane. He’d dealt with several crises. Jillian hugged Casey. The child was growing up so fast. “How did he fix it?”

“Zane drew the Tooth Fairy a picture.” He pulled a sheet of notepaper from his pants pocket. “About me!”

A lump formed in Jillian’s throat as she studied the adorable images. Zane had perfectly captured the child’s exuberant essence on paper.

Mrs. Stevens asked Casey enough questions to fill three pages with notes before moving on to inquire about Richard and Brooke. His answers about Zane were positive. But Jillian found out some things Casey hadn’t told her about Richard and Brooke’s treatment of the little boy. Things that had her clenching her fists.

Mrs. Stevens flipped her notepad shut and rose. “Thank you for your time, Casey. Jillian, before I go, I’d like to see your home, especially Casey’s room, and I’ll talk to you as we walk around. I’ve already interviewed Doctor and Mrs. Stuart. Both sides’ attorneys have requested a rush on my report, and I’ll be filing it as soon as possible.”

Jillian searched the caseworker’s facial expression for clues, but found none. She showed Mrs. Stevens around, including Casey’s bedroom with the incomplete mural. Between the custody issues, her headlong rush into matrimony, the upheaval at the center, and the fundraising gala, she hadn’t had a spare minute to work on the painting. Now that she’d seen Zane’s talent, she was going to try to convince him to help.

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