Page 9 of Fake To Forever

He nods again. “Yes.”

“That’s good.”

“They can come to the big house?”

“Yeah, bud. You can have any new friends you make come out to the big house.”

His smile widens, and he continues to kick his feet happily as he chatters away, telling me about the games he wants to play with the new friends he hasn’t made yet. It’s been three days since we made the move to Blue Ridge, and so far, he seems to be adjusting well to the major change. He likes the big farmhouse I bought us and the fact that he has a large lawn he can play on.

The ten-acreage home has some small buildings apart from the main house, including a chicken coop and a large barn. There aren’t any animals yet, but then again we just moved in. Eventually, the thought of getting some chickens and a dog for Oliver does sound good. I want to make sure we’re all settled first and part of that process is getting him into the daycare as soon as possible so he can start socializing with other kids.

A few moments later, we pull into the daycare center’s parking lot. “We’re here, buddy.”

I look back at him and he’s gazing out at the building in curiosity. It’s a single-story brick building with glass doors at the entrance and several fenced-off play areas next to it with different levels of playground equipment, presumably for the different ages of kids in the center.

I get out of the SUV and move around the vehicle to open Oliver’s door and help him out of his seat. The moment his feet touch the ground, he jumps excitedly before absentmindedly taking my hand as his eyes stay fixated on the playground.

“Let’s go,” I gently urge, taking a step forward, lightly tugging on his hand to get him to follow.

We make our way through the building’s entrance and find a check-in desk right inside with a young woman with pink hair sitting behind it. She looks up and smiles at us. Her brown eyes taking me in with curiosity.

“Welcome to Sunshine Daycare,” she says in a cheerful tone. “How can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Chris Tallow,” I answer, keeping my voice low so no one else hears me. “This is my son, Oliver. He’s supposed to be starting in the pipsqueak room today.”

“Oh, yes! They told me we were getting a new little guy today,” the woman replies, leaning over her desk so she can look down at Oliver. “Nice to meet you, Oliver. I’m Maggie. You’re going to be with Miss Haven.”

Oliver moves closer to my side, suddenly acting shy.

“Say hi, buddy,” I encourage him.

“Hi,” he murmurs and then buries his face against my leg.

Maggie chuckles softly as she sits back in her chair. “The three-year-old room is down the hall and the fourth door on the right. Haven is expecting you, so you can go right in.”

“Thank you.” I give Oliver’s hand a reassuring squeeze as I turn to lead him down the hallway. When we reach the door, I open it and poke my head inside. A group of about ten kids sit in a circle on the far side of the room. An older woman is reading to them from her perch in a rocking chair. I frown, confused. Garrett’s younger sister is supposed to be the teacher…

“Hello?”

I jump at the soft voice speaking to my right. Turning my head, my eyes fall on a gorgeous woman with long auburn hair curling around her shoulders and bright brown eyes. Her green wrap dress hugs her generous curves and makes her hair stand out even more. She’s gazing at me with a frown and an arch brow, her pink lips pursed.

“Can I help you?” she asks in a firmer tone.

Shaking myself out of my daze, I clear my throat and say, “Yes, sorry, I’m Chris. And this is my son, Oliver.”

I move aside so he can come through the door and stand next to me.

The woman’s eyes go wide with recognition. “Oh! Yes, I was told we were getting a new friend today. I’m Haven Young.”

She sticks out her hand toward me, and I slowly take it. I can’t help noticing how incredibly soft and slender her hands are.Thisis Garrett’s baby sister? When Garrett had mentioned that his baby sister would be Oliver’s teacher, I’d been skeptical of her abilities. She was only twenty-six, after all, a whole decade younger than me. I’m very careful about the people I let take care of Oliver and usually prefer people with more experience or who’ve been associated with my family for years.

However, Garrett told me about her background in early childhood education and assured me that she’s great with all the kids she works with. He might be biased because she’s his sister, but I do trust him and if he vouches for her, I’m willing to give her a chance.

Letting go of her hand, I glance down at Oliver. “Say hello to Miss Haven.”

“Hello,” he murmurs shyly.

“Hello,” she says, and he smiles, quickly looking away.

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