Free The Comeback Girl by Debra Salonen

hand.
    “Sweetie, please. This is important.”
    “Not to me. Can’t be to me—’cause you don’t care about what’s important to me. ”
    She made a sad sound that squeezed his gut. He didn’t like hurting her, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself.
    “Actually, this is something that concerns you,” the cop said. “But you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself long enough to listen.”
    Zach swung around in shock. Nobody talked to him like that. Nobody had the right. Before he could decide what to do, his mother stepped between them. “Inside! Right this minute.”
    Zach knew that tone. She didn’t use it often, but it meant he wouldn’t get a moment’s peace unless he did as she asked. He turned on his heel and strolled into the living room. This wasn’t his home. It was just the place he was living now. His home was in Oregon.
    His mother directed the cop to a chair by the fireplace then she took Zach’s hand and led him to the sofa. She sat down beside him but let go of his hand. Thank God. Just what he needed—to looklike some kind of mama’s boy in front of his mother’s ex-boyfriend.
    “What?” he asked. Even to his ears, the word sounded like a snarl.
    He kept his eyes on his shoes, but he felt the adults look at each other. Something told him this was serious.
    He looked up and caught them—the cop scowling, his mom shaking her head. “Just freakin’ tell me,” he shouted.
    “Donnie needs our help. He needs someone to watch after his son. Lucas is a year younger—”
    The cop interrupted. “He’s in fifth grade.”
    Like I give a sh—
    “I…we…”
    “I asked your mother to marry me, Zach. And she’s given me a provisional yes, depending on what you and Lucas think of the idea.”
    Zach heard a funny ringing in his ears that made the words coming from the man’s lips sound funny. He thought he caught something about marriage. “Marry my mother?” he said, trying to make sense of it. No way. That couldn’t be what he’d heard.
    He looked at her. She was pretty. She wasn’t real old, like some of the moms he knew, but…
    “No.” He jumped to his feet without intending to. “You can’t.”
    “Sit down, Zach. Let us explain,” she said, reaching out for his hand.
    “No. Forget it. If you marry this guy, I’ll ask the judge to let me live with my dad. And if he doesn’twant me, I’ll move to Chicago and live with Moira.” Because if you marry this guy, you won’t be around when my real dad comes. We’ll never have a chance to be a family.
    He saw the shock and hurt and fear on his mother’s face. As he turned to leave, he glanced at the cop. There was a hint of a smile on his lips, as if he’d known exactly what Zach was going to say. As if he knew what Zach was thinking. But that couldn’t be, because Zach had never told anyone about his secret wish.
    He started away, but the cop said in a soft, even voice, “Zach, this would be temporary. If your father comes back and wants her, I won’t stand in his way.”
    His mother made a gasping sound, as if she’d just choked on a cherry pit. “Oh, sweetheart, is that what you’re thinking? That Tyler and I…” Her eyes were sad and she blinked hard. “Oh, Zach, no. I’m sorry, but no. That’s never going to happen. Your father and I weren’t meant to be together like that.”
    “How do you know?” Zach cried, wishing he could stop himself. “You’d marry this guy, but you won’t even give my dad a chance?”
    His voice sounded high and squeaky. Sarge lifted his head and looked at him with concern.
    “It’s not the same, Zach.”
    The cop sat forward, his elbows on his knees. “Zach, your mother and I are proposing a business arrangement. I could hire her to be my housekeeperand look after Lucas, but there are benefits to marriage. For one, you would both be covered by my health insurance, and secondly, she would have my name and support when she goes to court to discuss your custody. I won’t