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“McKay”

“Buck?”

Kane’s flash of terin “Hayden I’ht What’s up?”

The little boy babbled a mile a minute and Kane’s smile dried

“Whoa, whoa, whoa there I can’t understand a word you’re sayin’, buddy Come on Take a deep breath and start over”

Hayden spoke a little slower, but not much

By the time Hayden finished, Kane had his coat and his boots on “Okay, Hayden, cal outta whack if you don’t take it easy Slow and steady That’s good” He waited, listening to the wheezing silence on the line as he shoved his wallet in his back pocket, grabbed his keys and plunked his hat on his head “You’re at horandpa?”

“Uh-huh”

“Lemme talk to him”

Urgently whispered words sounded in the background and then, “This is Dash Paulson”

“Dash? Kane McKay Hayden called and said Ginger had some kind of accident?”

“I don’t knohy in the devil the boy called you”

There’s gratitude for ya

Pause “But I’er fell down the stairs at the office and that’s all I know

She called about an hour ago from the hospital, told us not to worry and she’d keep us updated We’ve heard nothing since It’s frustrating not able to go to her and see for myself what’s up”

Dash Paulson heelchair-bound, which put him in a shitty situation because he was also housebound “How about if I head to the hospital and see what’s goin’ on?”

“I’d appreciate it,” Dash said

“Sit tight Leain” Before Hayden could ask a oin’ to check on your , so in theKane

you take your grandpa’s mind off his worryin’ Play chess or work on that five-thousand-piece puzzle Stay off the phone”

“Promise you’ll call?”

“I promise, sport”

Kane ja’s head before he cli—besides his er Paulson a single mother, she was also her father’s caretaker, and she maintained a law practice

Ginger Just theinside him She’d captured his interest like no other woman he’d ever met She redefined the term stacked—six feet of curves, curves and more curves A red-haired, hazel-eyed beauty whose Amazonian size was only topped by her Amazonian intellect

Too bad Ginger ay out of his league And since she’d enrolled her son in the Little Buddies progra shame

Out of loneliness and boredo Buddies/Little Buddies progra boys without a male influence with local , he’d received his first Little Buddy Proble for a husband for herself, not a mentor for her son When Kane rebuffed her advances and requested the boy be rera in Kane alra time