“Well, having a case manager to help you through the process will be a big bonus.” She looked up as the door opened and smiled. “This is Mr. Rogers and he’ll be your case manager. He’ll take over for now, showing you to your room and setting up your first meeting with him.”
She walked to the door to say goodbye, not surprised when the woman threw her arms around her in a hug. She smiled at the two children who followed their mother.
The man stopped and thrust out his hand, shaking hers heartily. His wife and children were already in the hall, but he turned his attention to Tara. “It gets to a man when he’s not able to take care of his family.”
“What you’re doing right now is taking care of your family. Staying in the shelter does not define you as a man. Making sure that your family is safe, warm, and fed is doing the best that you can do.”
Tears shined in his eyes as he nodded, swallowing deeply. He turned and followed his family down the hall, leaving Tara getting ready for her next appointment. A movement across the hall in her office caught her eye, and she whipped around, surprised to see Carter standing there.
The sight of him caused her stomach to twitter and her heart to pound, both reactions seeming more adolescent than for a woman her age. Nonetheless, she could not have stopped the smile from spreading across her face if she tried. Arriving home from her date on Saturday night, she and Erin talked for an hour as she relived each moment of their dinner. That night, when she lay in bed, she thought about something her sister had said. “Tara, this is the first time in a long time that I’ve heard you talk about something that you wanted. Not just trying to help someone else or solve someone else’s problem. But the glow in your eyes tells me that Carter is someone really special. I hope he’s deserving of you.”
For Tara, there was nothing more important in her life than being a good mom to Colleen. Next came being a good sister and daughter. After that came being a good counselor. But Erin was right, it had been a long time since Tara allowed herself to feel a tingle of excitement that came from a man’s kiss. The right man. For the first time, she wondered if there was room in her and Colleen’s life for someone else.
And now, he was standing in her office, smiling at her. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
He grabbed her hand and led her into her office, bending to place a kiss on her lips. “Had some business in the area, so I thought I’d stop and say hello.”
Lifting an eyebrow, she laughed. “And do you say hello with a kiss to just everyone?”
“Only to the beautiful woman who I couldn’t wait to see again.” He kissed her lightly again and said, “I know we just talked yesterday, but we didn’t set up a new date. And I couldn’t wait.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip in thought, jumping when he smoothed his thumb over the skin she had bitten.
“You’re thinking hard about something,” he said. “Care to share?”
She sighed, wondering if it was too early to broach the subject. After all, we’ve known each other for such a short time. “Okay, here’s the thing. Other than a few work events, I haven’t gone out on a date since my divorce. And I never introduced anyone to my daughter. I simply have not met anyone that I wanted to have a relationship with, and I was not about to confuse a young child with parading men in and out.” She sighed again but forced her gaze to stay on his. “This is weird, because I haven’t known you long at all, but I definitely want to see more of you.”
“And you’re concerned about how Colleen will take you dating?”
Her brow furrowed as she considered her answer. “She’s only six years old but quite mature for her age. I’m not afraid that she would suddenly see you as a daddy-substitute nor do I think she would pout about you taking up my time.”
“Okay, that sounds good. So, what are you really worried about, Tara?”
She chuckled, but it came out more as a snort. Blushing, she shook her head. “My biggest problem is overthinking things, Carter.”
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. Pulling back, he held her gaze. “How about this? We go on a few more dates, whenever it’s convenient to you and Colleen, and we’ll have lunch together during the workday whenever we can. That way, we get to see each other, spend time together, get to know each other better without involving her. Then, when you’re ready, I can meet her.”
His words wrapped around her like a balm, and she smiled. “I think that sounds wonderful.” Suddenly frowning, she said, “I’m booked today with intakes. The cold weather has brought more people in. But how about lunch tomorrow?”
“It’s a date.”
He bent and kissed her again, and she was glad her office door was closed, giving her the opportunity to press tightly against him. Finally separating, both sucking in ragged breaths, she grinned. “See you later.”
She walked him toward the front, where Enrico had her next appointment off to the side, talking in low voices. “That’s my next appointment. I know he’s a veteran and suffered major injuries in an IED blast.”
The man appeared agitated, and Carter stepped closer to her. “Tara, I don’t—”
She stilled his words when she placed her hand on his arm. “Carter,
