Page 13 of Landon

With each revelation, it became harder to keep her emotions in check, and her hands clenched in her lap as Landon continued.

“You’re frequently called to hospitals to assess suspected child abuse cases. And your experience presenting evidence to the courts—especially when parental rights are in question—is well-documented.”

“I take parental rights very seriously,” she finally said, unsure why she defended herself when he made no accusation. “It’s one of the most critical decisions we make as social workers. If we return a child to their birth parents and the abuse or neglect continues, we’ve failed that child. But if we’re too quick to sever parental rights from someone who’s genuinely trying to change, we’ve failed them too. It’s a delicate balance… one we always want to get right.”

Her eyes flickered with emotion. “But sometimes mistakes can be made. I’ve had to go back and change recommendationswhen that happens. Thank God there haven’t been many over the years.”

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the small table, his face now inches from hers. The proximity made her pulse quicken. “How do you handle those mistakes?” he asked, his voice a low murmur.

Noel’s lips curved into a faint smile, though her eyes remained serious. “I could joke about needing a bottle of wine, but humor feels wrong here. Truthfully, I always focus on what’s best for the child. It’s the guiding principle in every recommendation I make.”

He nodded slowly, his gaze never wavering, but she had no idea what he thought of her.

“Then I stand by my earlier comment. To those children, you are a hero.” His words were softly spoken, and the warmth she felt when he chuckled was nothing compared to the intensity of this man speaking with such care. She’d only known him for hours, and while their journey would soon end, she wanted more time with him. More time to talk. To share. To learn. “Can I confess something to you?” she asked, her voice soft but sincere.

His brow furrowed, but he immediately nodded. “Yes. Of course.”

“I take every situation seriously. In this case, we have a parent essentially holding her children hostage to make demands on the father. The reality is that they are staying in a luxury beach house in Jamaica. I have no reason to fear for the children’s health or safety, yet I have a job to make sure that their needs are met during this transition. But”—she sighed and wrinkled her nose—“this almost feels more like a vacation trip out of the office. Granted, I won’t be lounging on the Jamaican beach while drinking fruity cocktails with an umbrella sticking out of the top, but I’m being flown in a private jet with amazingaccommodations, basically at the whim of a powerful family who reached out to a judge, who tapped my boss for me.”

“You feel guilty.”

His words stated precisely what she was experiencing. She exhaled slowly, nodding. “Yes.”

“The circumstances might not be as dire as you’ve experienced in the past, but in the end, you still have a job to do. You have a parent willing to hold and thenbargainher children to get money from their dad. They may not know it now, but if they have a clue of what’s happening, they’ll be upset.”

“I imagine the kids will have questions,” she said, thinking about what she had been told. “If we stick to the Fugates' script, they should be okay—that their mom decided to stay in Jamaica, and their dad sent Mike and a couple of people he trusted to ensure they got home safely.” She shrugged, adding, “It will be up to their dad and grandparents to explain what their mom did.”

She returned his gaze, a silent understanding passing between them. At that moment, she felt less burdened by the guilt, knowing she wasn’t facing this alone.

She leaned back, needing a little distance between them, feeling the heat of his intensity in her lady parts that had been sorely neglected. Her lips curved. “You know a lot about me, Landon Sommers. I feel like I should know something about you since I don’t have secret ways to find out about people. It looks like you’re going to have to talk.”

He scoffed and leaned back in his seat. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything,” she shot back. Looking down at the time on her phone, she said, “We only have another hour. Tell me what makes you tick before we land.”

“I’m afraid I have no idea what makes me tick.”

“I don’t believe that. I think you don’t like talking about what makes you tick.”

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, then twisted his head to look first at Mike, and then out the window. She looked over her shoulder to see Mike still snoring. Turning back to Landon, she found his gaze on her.

“I was born and raised outside of Philadelphia. My dad was a police officer. My mom worked in estate sales. I have a younger brother who works for a tech firm in California. My parents moved to South Carolina several years ago, after my dad retired, wanting warmer weather.”

“Tell me about the estate sales,” she prodded.

His eyes widened, and his chin jerked back. “You’re not going to ask about my dad’s police career and how that affected my choices?”

She smiled, and a chuckle slipped out. “No, I’d rather hear about the estate sales and what drew your mom to that career.”

His lips twitched, and she waited, wanting to know more.

“It happened organically. My mom’s parents had her when they were older, and my grandfather died when she was in her twenties. Her mom didn’t want to live in the house anymore, so she moved in with us for a while. It was tough for my grandmother to clean out her family home. She agonized over every piece of paper, so Mom finally stepped in and said she would handle it all. My grandmother trusted her. Mom looked at every object and decided what to keep, what to sell, what to give away, and what to trash.”

Leaning back in her seat, Noel discovered she was fascinated. “Please, keep going.”

“Eventually, she learned how to empty the house quicker, and that was the start of her new career. She helps people clean out their houses when someone has died or is unable to live alone anymore and the relatives need assistance. Sometimesshe just consults, and other times, she handles the entire work herself.”

Landon seemed at ease talking about his mom, and Noel was finally gifted with a small smile. “Your mom loves her job, and she’s helping people.”

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