Love Me Like You Do: Books That Keep You In Bed

by Fields, MJ

  “These are things that you need to speak to him about.” Kat came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. “It will all work out.”

  “I hope that you’re right.”

  Twenty-Two

  Ryan

  “Doctor Montgomery, there is a woman here to speak with you.”

  “Thanks, Polly.”

  I didn’t recognize the woman, but she was holding a stack of papers and examining me with the most quizzical eyes. “Hi, I’m Doctor Montgomery, how may I help you?”

  “Doctor Montgomery, I’m Elizabeth Warden with the Department of Child and Family Services. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  “Sure, give me a second.” I caught Polly’s attention, which wasn’t hard since she was clearly listening in on the conversation. “Can you have one of the interns check on my patients? Call me if there’s an emergency, I need to speak with this woman for a few moments. We’ll be in one of the counseling rooms.”

  “You’ve got it.” Polly was always so easy to work with.

  Once the woman and I were settled in the counseling room, I asked, “What can I help you with, Ms. Warden?”

  “Miss, and actually I’m here to talk with you about Caroline.”

  Instantly, my hackles rose. “My daughter, what about her?”

  “Please understand that I’m only doing my job.”

  “Fine, get to it then.” Okay, that was rude, but I couldn’t think of a single reason why DCF would be here talking to me about my daughter.

  “I spoke with Caroline—”

  “You spoke with my daughter? Why wasn’t I notified?”

  “It’s my job. We do not notify the parents until after the fact.”

  “I’m confused, what is it that you’re after?”

  “A petition has been filed, and by law, we have to look into it. It seems that Caroline’s maternal grandmother is concerned about her well-being.”

  “No, she isn’t. She is ticked that I’m not still mourning the loss of her daughter. It’s been four years. I miss her, I do. But it’s time for me to move on. I deserve to have a life. Louise Hazelton is furious that I’ve started dating, and she’s gone out of her way to corner the woman, who is a deputy—”

  “Sadie Lazar?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “She was mentioned.”

  “I figured as much. Listen, I’m more than happy to answer whatever questions you have for me, but can I say a few things before we begin?”

  “Absolutely, Doctor Montgomery.”

  I settled back in my chair and tried to hold on to whatever threads of calm I still had. “I’ve tried for four years to maintain a relationship with my ex-in-laws, I really have. They are one of the few connections my daughter will ever have with her mother.” She nodded sympathetically, so I kept going. “However, what I will not do is allow my daughter to be in a position where she is subjected to manipulation or mental abuse, and it’s become abundantly clear to me over the last few weeks that Callie’s grandmother is putting her in situations that could be viewed that way. My wanting them to respect my requests and boundaries, which I don’t believe are unreasonable, is probably the second reason for your visit today.”

  “What kinds of requests have you made?”

  Oh, where to start? Where to start? “Well, I requested that Callie be home at a certain time on weeknights, and that stipulation is ignored more often than not. I’ve asked her on several occasions to refrain from making plans with my daughter before clearing the plans with me first.”

  She jotted something down in the file on her lap as she murmured, “Those seem perfectly reasonable.”

  “Thank you. The most recent incident was last weekend when she called and made plans to take Callie to Animal Kingdom, and even though it wasn’t cleared with me beforehand, I agreed to let them take her.”

  This earned me a grin. “Didn’t want to look like the bad guy, huh?”

  “No.” There was a hint of mirth in the single word, and I relaxed a bit more. She seemed to understand the dynamic I was working with. “So, I let her go with them, but while they were there, they berated her so badly about her approval of Sadie that she called me crying. She had been at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and had a miserable time. Tell me what six-year-old is miserable at Disney?” If I hadn’t been watching her as closely as I had while she wrote, I would have missed the slight pinching of her lips. Good. She disapproved of that as well.

  “Mr. Montgomery, who watches Caroline when you work your long hours?”

  “What long hours? I work from six in the morning until two thirty in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. Yes, it’s a relatively recent change, and before I altered my hours, my mother, who lives with us, would watch her. It allowed Callie to be in her comfort zone as much as possible and was the least disruptive for her.”

  “Is Caroline involved in any activities?”

  “Soccer, it’ll be starting back up soon.”

  “Anything else? Dance, music?”

  “No, I’ve tried, but she would like to start an ROTC for elementary schools.”

  Miss Warden stared at me. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “Callie loves all things military and strong independent women. Mulan, Merida from Brave, you name it.”

  She bent down her head and scratched out several more notes. “And can you tell me about why Caroline is suddenly running away?” Miss Warden looked as if she was ready to play the who-doesn’t-blink-first game. Her eyes were wide as she waited for me to answer.

  “The two reasons are totally unrelated. The first time was because she didn’t want to hurt her grandmother’s feelings. Her grandmother used to do all of her clothes shopping and tended to only buy Callie dresses, which Callie apparently hates wearing. So, she would sneak jeans and a T-shirt in her backpack and change at school . . .” I relayed the entire story.

  “Is Callie afraid of your mother?”

  “No. She loves her, which is why she was so worried about hurting her feelings. Callie goes out of her way not to hurt anyone’s feelings. My mom would always show Callie photos of how she used to dress, so in Callie’s mind, the fact that she didn’t want to be just like her grandmother turned into a much bigger deal than it was.”

  “And the other day?”

  “Remember when I said they berated Callie so badly about Sadie that she called me crying? A large part of that incident revolved around my ex-mother-in-law telling Callie that if she loved Sadie, then it meant she no longer loved her real mother.”

  Miss Warden sucked in a quiet but sharp breath and her pen stilled.

  “Yeah. I had the same reaction. Callie is a smart girl, but she’s still a little kid. She tried to call Sadie because Louise had said a lot of cruel things, only problem was the number in my daughter’s phone wouldn’t go through. Before Callie left to go with Louise, Sadie’s number had been entered correctly—”

  “How do you know this?”

  “I have a parental lock on her phone, she only has access to approved numbers. I got the number from the phone and entered it into my account online. After all this blew up, I checked my account, that number was still correct, however the number in Callie’s phone had been changed. The last four digits were all changed to zero-zero-zero-zero. They weren’t even original.”

  “And you’re sure that Caroline didn’t do this by mistake?”

  “I seriously doubt it. She said that once Louise found out that she had Sadie’s phone number, her grammy got mad and took away the phone.”

  “You think this is what led to her running away?” Miss Warden didn’t look up as she quickly jotted down even more notes.

  “I think it contributed to it. Callie has also learned Sadie’s schedule, so when Sadie wasn’t at the school on Monday or Tuesday, Callie worked herself into a fit. Callie wanted to find Sadie, she didn’t really think about her actions or what could have happened. She knows she went about it the wrong way, but while the police, Sadie, my mother, and I were o
ut searching, Louise was berating me about how horrid of a parent I was. Of course, she wasn’t out looking for her granddaughter.”

  “Dr. Montgomery, prior to Sadie coming into your life, how did Callie behave?”

  “She was quiet and a bit closed off. Since meeting Sadie, my daughter has come alive. Something in her has changed, and it is for the better. Callie is laughing more, and I love it.”

  “Do you not think that it has anything to do with you being around more?” Her question caught me off guard, because I’d never considered it that way. Yes, Sadie was good for Callie, but maybe my being home more was just as good for her. Maybe the novelty of Dad hadn’t worn off after all.

  “I think Callie is just happier all around with our life. My being home is only one part of it, but Sadie is another.”

  “All right, Dr. Montgomery, I think that I have enough, at least for this visit. Thank you for taking time to speak with me.”

  “May I ask about the school, what happens as far as security? Not just Callie but any kid, they’ve got a serious problem if a child can sneak off and get into an Uber.”

  “Believe it or not, I have no clue. They are an entirely different division of the state. We have no jurisdiction over the school or the employees. The board of education handles all of that. Your best bet is to call the county and speak to the superintendent.”

  “Thanks.” I stood and shook her hand before escorting her out. I was beyond pissed at Louise. Okay, I was still a little pissed at the school, but mainly at Louise. I kept that damned smile on my face until the elevator door closed behind her.

  How dare that conniving bitch do this. Call Child Services on me? Oh, hell no, she had lost her fucking mind.

  “Dr. Montgomery?” Polly tapped my shoulder. “Are you okay? I’ve been calling your name.”

  “I’m not okay, no. I need to catch up on my patient reports, so I’ll be in my office for the rest of the afternoon. Holler at me if you need me.” I headed back to my office. Today was a wash, and my brain was working overtime as I ran through what I should do. Louise had lost her mind, she was unhinged.

  Twenty-Three

  Sadie

  “Orange County, thirteen twenty-two, what’s your twenty?”

  I spoke loudly into the mic wired into my helmet. “Thirteen twenty-two, fifty-one Audubon Elementary.”

  “Ten-nineteen, fifty-six Lieutenant Christakos.”

  “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  “Orange County copies, fourteen forty-two.”

  I turned and headed back to the station to meet with Lieutenant Christakos as ordered.

  * * *

  “You needed to see me, sir?”

  “Yes, come in, shut the door.” My heart plummeted. Not a single person wanted to ever hear those words. “I had a visitor today, and she left this for you.” Kayson handed me an envelope that was marked Orange County Department of Child and Family Services.

  “Umm . . . I don’t have children.” I slid one finger under the flap. “Shit.” I pulled my hand back and shook it before sticking it into my mouth, the small paper cut smarting more than it should. Had I been on my game, I would have taken that as an omen, but I was blissfully oblivious until I pulled out three pieces of paper and scanned each one slowly. Kayson stayed quiet and gave me time to take in the information, but he could have given me a week and I still wouldn’t have understood. “I’m sorry, I’m confused.”

  “It seems that Louise Hazelton has filed a complaint and has involved the Department of Child and Family Services. Her attorney was nice enough to forward a copy over to Internal Affairs. It seems that Mrs. Hazelton is concerned about the welfare of her granddaughter, especially when that granddaughter is in the company of one county deputy named Sadie Lazar. She claims that you are endangering the child’s life and believes that this is a direct result of your influence.”

  His words became muffled as my pulse thundered harder. I knew that everyone said that they saw red when they were livid, but when I looked from the papers to my boss, I didn’t. What I saw was a blur, a smudge . . . I was going to smear the ground with that bitch. How dare she bring me into her jealousy-fueled fight!

  “Sadie, are you listening to me?”

  “Yes, sir,” I snapped.

  “Then you understand my decision, until this all gets resolved you have two choices, pine duty or radar on the interstate. Which will it be?”

  “You’re kidding me, right?” No deputy wanted pine duty, we wanted to be on the road, in the thick of things, not stuck behind some pine desk.

  “No.”

  “Lieutenant, the woman is a viper, none of this is true. I wouldn’t hurt a child for anything. Don’t punish me.”

  “Sadie, I trust you, I do. I would trust you with my son. But this isn’t up to me; it’s up to Internal Affairs. They’ve decided that this is the best course of action for the department not only for our reputation but also with the least legal blowback. Until this is settled, they want you to avoid any drama. We have a lot of desk work that needs done, and we have a high report of speeders on the interstate. So, whichever you choose, you are still helping us out.”

  There was no way I was sitting behind a desk all day, but radar was so boring and traffic stops had become one of the most dangerous parts of an officer’s job. And sitting out in the Florida sun on a Harley . . . mmm, fun. “How long?”

  “No clue, but until this is resolved you’re to have no contact with Caroline Montgomery, and for the sake of reputation, I’d advise you to avoid all minors, is that clear?”

  “Crystal.”

  “Good, go home and when you come in tomorrow, you can start . . .” He left that word hanging in the air as he waited for my answer.

  “Radar.”

  “Radar duty.”

  I stood, my anger still roiling.

  “Sadie.” I turned back to face him. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I think this is total bullshit.”

  I gave him a chin nod and was out. I couldn’t have contact with Callie, but I sure as hell was going to give Ryan a piece of my mind, what little there was left.

  As soon as I was settled in my house, Wasabi fed and nestled in my lap, I dialed Ryan.

  “Hello.”

  “This is Deputy Lazar.” I felt an arctic wind sweep in and the frigid air wrap around my heart. I had to protect myself. It had been a week since Callie ran away, and I was making the first fucking phone call.

  “Sadie, I know.”

  “I’m not sure where you are right now mentally but I’m not in a good place, Ryan.”

  “Yeah, me neither.”

  “Really? From where I’m standing it appears that you have that whole vidi, vici, veni thing down pat.”

  “You mean, veni, vidi, vici. I came, I saw, I conquered?”

  “No. I mean vidi, vici, veni. You saw, you conquered, and you came. Now you are moving on.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “It’s been a week, Ryan. Callie ran away a week ago. You needed my help a week ago, you got it. You promised you would call, and it’s been crickets!”

  “Sorry, I’m a little overwhelmed right now.”

  “Ryan, Louise sent papers to the sheriff’s station making claims that she’s worried about Callie’s safety because of me. I’ve been moved to working a radar and controlling traffic speed. I’m not allowed to have any contact with Callie or any minors, which means I can’t volunteer at Kidz Klub either. It’s more than just Callie being hurt now, other children are being affected by her venom.”

  I had to take a deep breath and try to stop my hand from shaking. “Anyway, I’m calling to beg you to please talk with her. Let her know that you’ve stopped talking to me so that she can back off and take my name of that damn complaint so I can get back to my life.”

  “Is that what you want? You want to walk away? Louise had gone too far. I agree with that, but I don’t want to stop talking or seeing you, Sadie.”

  “Yeah?
It didn’t really seem that way when you were busy not talking to me and not seeing me.” I pushed out a deep breath. “Listen. I get it. If I got dragged into this, it means that you have, too, but that means that you should want to do what’s best for Callie. If what’s best for her is walking away from me to get Louise to back off, then that’s what you should do.”

  “You’re wrong. That isn’t the best thing for my daughter, and it isn’t the best thing for me. I’m so sorry about what’s happening, but I will talk with them. Just give me some time to get this sorted out. I’ve been a fucking mess. I know that isn’t an excuse, but I’m in over my head with Louise and Sonya, and I’m barely hanging on.”

  “And what about what’s best for me? All my life I’ve wanted to be a deputy. That is on the line right now, and we’re just too new, you have to see this. If in three months you decide that you can’t do this, that you’re not ready, then I would have risked everything and literally lost everything. I’ll have no career, which means no money, no home, no future. As much as I care about you, I can’t do this anymore.”

  “But . . . I think that I’m falling—”

  “Yeah, me, too.” I disconnected and realized that my heart was shattered.

  Tomorrow, yeah tomorrow when I regained my mental strength, I would call Sunday, maybe the Iron Ladies could look into this for me and help me find a way to beat Louise’s claims. I wasn’t sure whether it was more for me, to get back to my regular routine, or for Ryan. Whatever the reason was, I needed someone to help me.

  Twenty-Four

  Ryan

  “Hello?”

  “Ryan, this is Louise, I’d like to see my granddaughter.”