"this isn't funny!" she flared.

"i don't think it is," kristen said quickly. "it's just that shaw is so typical of guys i know."

"he is?"

"sure. he's being a total jerk to you-and getting away with it."

"what did i do to him?" tanni wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all. the only thing she'd ever done was encourage, love and support shaw. now he couldn't even take two minutes to send her a message.

"probably nothing," kristen told her.

"then why's he doing this?" even as she asked the question, tanni had the answer. "he's met someone else, hasn't he?"

kristen didn't even try to soften the truth. "probably."

"then why doesn't he just say so?" it would hurt a lot less if he was honest with her. yes, it'd still hurt, but the pain would be easier to deal with than being left hanging the way she was now.

"that's what guys are like," kristen said confidently. "especially guys who've been going out with you for a while. he's ignoring you, hoping you'll break up with him."

"that's what he wants?" tanni asked with a catch in her throat.

"from everything you've told me, yes, that's what shaw's waiting for you to do."

instinctively tanni knew kristen was right.

"you need to get out more, see other guys," kristen advised. "do you know jeremy reynolds?"

the name seemed familiar to tanni but she couldn't visualize a face to go with it. "i don't think so...maybe."

"he's interested in you."

"jeremy reynolds," tanni repeated out loud. "i'm not sure i've even met him."

"he graduated this year. he lives next door to me, and when i mentioned that you and i had volunteered for the reading with rover program he asked a whole bunch of questions about you."

tanni planned to dig out her yearbook the minute she got home and look him up.

"jeremy's kind of shy," kristen went on. "besides, everyone knows about you and shaw. would you like me to tell him you're not going out with shaw anymore?"

tanni shrugged, biting her lip.

"give it some time," kristen said kindly. she finished her tea and set down the empty plastic cup. "i'm glad we talked, tanni."

"i am, too." and she meant it. if they hadn't, tanni would never have guessed why kristen had volunteered to work with kids at risk. "thanks for the advice about shaw. would it be okay if i called you and let you know how things go?"

"definitely." she paused. "i'd like it if we could be friends."

kristen wanted to be friends with her? this was another twist tanni hadn't expected. "yeah, i'd like that, too," tanni said a bit shyly.

they stood, waved goodbye to adam and walked slowly toward the library parking lot, chatting as they went.

when tanni got home, she found her mother in a happy mood, which meant she'd heard from larry. they were on the phone practically every day, often two or three times.

"you seem happy," her mother said, watching tanni in a way that would once have irritated her.

"i'm going to be okay, mom," she said. she went into her room and got out her junior annual to look for a photo of jeremy reynolds.

twenty-four

on the fourth of july, mack and mary jo gathered down at the cedar cove waterfront with dozens of other families for the fireworks display. it was almost dark, and there was a buzz of anticipation in the crowd.

linc and lori sat on lawn chairs beside them. noelle was already asleep, limp in mack's arms, unaware of what was about to take place. mary jo doubted she'd stay asleep once the fireworks began.

mack had been on duty four days straight, but had the holiday itself free. the fire station was on high alert this week, due to the hazards caused by fireworks.

being able to spend the entire day with mack and her brother made this fourth of july special. because mary jo's relationship with linc had changed-more than changed, improved-since her brother's marriage, she'd discovered that he was a good friend. lori was fast becoming one, too. the more she got to know linc's wife, the more mary jo liked her. lori was a gifted seamstress who'd recently made an adorable summer outfit for noelle.

earlier in the day, the two couples had taken a picnic lunch to point defiance zoo. while noelle might be too young to appreciate the experience, she'd loved seeing the animals. even linc seemed to have fun. her brother had always been so serious; seeing him relaxed and enjoying himself revealed a side of him she barely remembered.

"isn't it time?" lori asked impatiently. "i thought the paper said ten o'clock."

that was when they heard the whine of fireworks being set off. "there they go," linc said, just as the rocket burst into a cluster, spraying red, white and blue sparks across the clear night sky.

at the explosion, noelle woke with a start and began crying. mack held the infant against his shoulder, gently rubbing her back. noelle was content until the next explosion. she let out another startled cry.

"oh, dear," mary jo said. "this is scaring her."

"should we take her home?" mack asked, his face marked with concern.

"i don't know," mary jo said uncertainly. she didn't want the evening to end, but noelle's comfort came first.

noelle began to whimper. "look," mack told her, and pointed up at the sky.

mary jo wanted to tell him he couldn't reason with a six-month-old infant.

but somehow, mack was able to calm her and eventually noelle returned to sleep, despite the noise and excitement. when mary jo glanced over at her sleeping daughter, she noticed linc and lori holding hands. lori's head rested on linc's shoulder.

she looked at mack again and saw him watching noelle, his expression vigilant. he must have felt her scrutiny because he turned to smile at her. she smiled back and reached for his hand.

mack held it for a few minutes before releasing it in order to shift noelle in his arms.

by the time they arrived at the duplex, it was almost midnight. while she put noelle in her crib, mack brought in the blanket, the diaper bag and the remains of their picnic. she'd made potato salad, which he'd raved about. she resisted telling him that the recipe had actually come from his mother.

in fact, mary jo had talked to corrie mcafee twice in the past week. she liked mack's mother; his father, too, although roy was more difficult to know. maybe because he was a detective and ex-cop and therefore used to keeping his reactions to himself.

when she came into the kitchen mack was standing there, hands in his back pockets. he didn't say anything, as if gauging how best to broach whatever subject he had in mind.

mary jo waited for him to speak. "what's up?" she finally asked.

"something's bothering you," he said bluntly.

her feelings, her dissatisfaction, were still vague and unformed, and she was surprised by his perceptiveness. she tried to put her unease into words but that was harder than she'd realized. she didn't want to say the wrong thing.

after another minute or so, mack exhaled. "you'd better tell me what it is."

mary jo felt awkward. "tonight, with...noelle."

"yes?" he urged.

they stood and faced each other, and both seemed tentative, as though frightened of where this conversation might lead them.

"you want to be a dad."

he nodded. "very much."

she stared down at the floor. "you love noelle."

"you can't doubt that, can you?"

"never." his love for the baby was apparent in everything he'd said and done ever since he'd helped deliver her on christmas eve. when she raised her eyes she saw his smile.

she met his look. "what about me?"

"what?" he blinked in confusion. "are you asking if i love you? mary jo? you can't be serious! i'm crazy about you. i've told you that more than once."

"you're crazy about noelle. i'm just sort of...attached." she didn't like feeling so insecure and yet...she had to wonder. furthermore, she'd prefer the truth. she wanted to believe he cared, but she'd been misled by david and could no longer trust her own instincts. she shouldn't ever forget that.

"i love you," he said, without hesitation or embellishment. "as soon as this mess with david is straightened out, i'd like us to become engaged. i want to spend the rest of my life with you."

his words warmed her heart, but she refused to allow those warm feelings to sidetrack her. "after this mess with david is settled," she echoed.

"yes?"

she swallowed hard and found she couldn't speak. the proposal was the reward he dangled in front of her to resolve the situation with noelle's father. she was the one who was supposed to take the risk of pressing forward on the very issue david had warned her against. no one except mary jo seemed to see david as a credible threat. she had to take him at his word in this, if nothing else. his intentions were clear-if she filed for child support, he'd make her life miserable.

"have you talked to allan harris like you said?" mack asked.

"no," she admitted. "not yet." mack had been at the fire station most of the past two weeks; otherwise, she knew he would've hounded her about this.

"and the reason for that is...?"

"i don't trust david," she said, although that didn't really answer his question.

"you shouldn't, because he can't be trusted."

she moved away and walked over to the picture window, crossing her arms. "why are you waiting for me to deal with david? if you love me and noelle and we love you, then why can't we become engaged now?"

mack took his time answering. he took so long that mary jo turned around to look at him.

"i have a good reason, mary jo."

"i'd like to hear it." she tensed, afraid she was going to have a problem with what he had to say.

"if david gets wind of the fact that i want to adopt noelle, it might be all the justification he needs to refuse to sign the relinquishment papers. he isn't willing to support his daughter, but as soon as he discovers i want to adopt her, you can bet he'll do whatever he can to thwart that. ben agrees with me."

"you've talked to ben about this?"

"and my father, too. they both said the same thing, and i respect their opinions."

"what happens if david doesn't sign away his rights as noelle's father?" she asked slowly. "then what?"

"we'll deal with that when the time comes. why are you assuming the worst?"

funny question. "with david i've learned that's what i need to do."