“Beautiful,” she said, and meant it.
They finished eating. Stephen’s dad and five of the boys had waded into the water and were attempting to catch minnows. The guide had gone beyond the kayaks and was animatedly talking to someone on his cellphone. The other four boys were digging through rocks, looking for the fossils that they deemed highly valuable.
Spotting Daisy, Kyle came running over. “Can Daisy help us look for treasure?”
“Sure.” Riley handed the leash over and watched him run off toward the other boys, Daisy in tow. “He is a cute kid.”
“He is—although a bit of a Casanova, it seems.”
Riley glanced toward a grinning Justin.
“I heard him ask you to be his girlfriend.”
Riley waved off his teasing. “Sounds like Kyle has more than enough girls keeping him occupied currently.”
“I hope so.”
Wrinkling her brows at how serious his voice had grown, Riley glanced at Justin.
“Sorry. It’s just that I doubt he has much of a chance to keep any girlfriend for long.”
Wondering what he meant, Riley waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she asked.
“Kyle lives in foster care—has done on and off since he was two.”
Riley’s heart squeezed.
“All these boys do except Stephen,” Justin continued.
“I didn’t realize...”
She glanced out at the kids, watching them laugh and play. They looked so happy and carefree.
With further respect for the man next to her, she asked, “How did you get involved in their lives?”
“Long story short, Stephen is a bit accident-prone. Over the years I’ve reset a few broken bones. His dad and I hit it off. Three years ago he told me about how he wanted to do more, to provide good role models for foster kids. Knowing I wouldn’t say no, he asked if I’d help start this group.”
“Wow,” she said, truly impressed.
Justin would have still been in residency back then. For him to have volunteered with any group during that busy time spoke volumes about the man and what he’d done with what little spare time he would have had.
How had she ever labeled him as a player?
Okay, so he had gone out with several women since she’d met him, but maybe he just hadn’t found someone he wanted a long-term relationship with, and that was why it seemed he was always with a different woman at the social events they both attended.
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“At least twice a month we take the boys out on an excursion of some kind,” he continued. “We try to do outdoors adventures, as most won’t have that opportunity otherwise. But sometimes we just go for pizza and to the movies or the arcade.”
“How many kids are there in your group?”
“We have ten, but it’s rare all ten make it to an outing. That we have nine today is good.”
Guilt hit her that she didn’t make better use with her time outside of work. “Is it still the same ten boys as in the beginning?”
He nodded. “Our goal is to try to make a difference in these boys’ lives—to give them positive role models and to follow them through until they’re adults.”
“Great goals—and how lucky they are to have you in their lives.”