Hold on tight, then, but don’t worry. I’m your auntie Savannah. I will never let you fall.
“Get ready to put your money where your mouth is, lady.”
SEVENTEEN
Savannah saw the boy behind the glass window that separated the secured area of the airport from the baggage claim. Her gaze skidded away from the bright orange and lime spikes of his hair and the glint of metal from piercings in places that made her wince. That boy dressed in black clothing adorned with silver chains was tall for fourteen. That boy wasn’t her Tommy.
When he stepped toward the exit, her stomach sank. Not her Tommy, but undoubtedly TJ. The hope that she had nurtured for an easy transition evaporated. Were those shadows around his eyes real or was he wearing eye makeup?
This was a boy in full rebellion.
“Uh-oh,” Zach murmured. “Maybe it isn’t him.”
“It’s him.” Savannah offered the boy a smile and tried really hard to get it to reach her eyes. She doubted she succeeded.
He carried a canvas backpack slung across one shoulder and a chip the size of Colorado balanced on the other. He crossed the space with a loose-limbed, insouciant stroll, and the look in his brown eyes was flat. Savannah knew she should probably move to meet him halfway, but her feet remained rooted to the spot.
Until Zach’s hand at the back of her waist gave her a little shove. “Go,” he said softly.
She stumbled forward a step, then drew a bracing breath and shook off her unease. “TJ?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m your aunt Savannah. I’m so glad to see you again.” Her instincts told her to hug him, but when she opened her arms and stepped forward, he stepped back.
He pulled his backpack into his arms, holding it between them in an obvious effort to ward off any embrace. “I checked a duffel bag.”
Feeling helpless, Savannah kept her smile pasted on as she glanced toward the baggage carousel. A light flashed, a buzzer sounded, and the conveyor began to move. “What color is it? We’ll help you look for it. Oh, and TJ? Let me introduce you to my friend, Zach Turner.”
Zach offered a casual, friendly smile as he extended his hand for a handshake. “Welcome to Colorado.”
“Whatever.” TJ ignored Zach’s hand and stepped toward the carousel.
Savannah turned a despairing look toward Zach, who gave her a reassuring wink and mouthed, “Patience, Peach.”
She dug deep for it when TJ rather rudely ignored Zach’s offer to help him carry his gear. She kept hold of it by a string when her nephew veered into the men’s room without so much as an “excuse me.” But when they walked out into the parking lot and Savannah gestured toward the Range Rover with the sheriff’s badge on the door, explaining that they were riding with Zach, the boy stopped abruptly and snapped an obscenity, and Savannah had enough.
“That’s it. Stop it right now,” she declared, bracing her hands on her hips and scowling at the boy. Though only fourteen, he was almost as tall as she, so this was close to being an eye-to-eye standoff. Without shifting her gaze away from TJ, she asked, “Zach, would you please excuse us for a few moments?”
“Sure. I’ll go check the score of the Rockies game.”
She waited until he’d moved beyond earshot, then said, “This is not how I wanted to begin, TJ, but begin we will. I am sorry that your life has been upended. Believe me, I understand how difficult that is. However, you need to get a couple of things straight from the start. You don’t have to love me. You don’t have to even like me. What I will demand is that you respect me. That includes acting respectful toward my friends. Zach is my friend, a dear friend.”
While Savannah spoke, TJ’s expression grew set and sullen. “He’s a cop,” TJ spat, his tone filled with disdain.
Compassion fluttered through Savannah. Cops had arrested his father, hadn’t they? “Look, it was hard for me to get past that myself. But he is a good man and can be a good friend to you if you give him a chance.”
“Like I’d want a cop for a friend,” he scoffed.
“Actually, he’s a sheriff, and there are times in life a friendly law enforcement officer can come in very handy.” Savannah’s gaze drifted toward the man sitting behind the wheel of his truck. Very handy.
“Yeah, right.”
“Look, you and I have a lot to talk about. We need to establish a