Close To The Heart (Westen Series Book 5)

by Suzanne Ferrell

  “What are you smiling at?” Lexie asked, turning her head to look quizzically up at her.

  “I’m not sure, but I’d say a baseball player.”

  A huge grin broke out on Lexie’s face. “That’s what I want to be when I grow up.”

  “Then we’d best go get Coach Daniel and the boys, so we can feed you. You can’t be a baseball player when you grow up if you don’t eat.” Melissa held out her hand and once again Lexie slipped her free one inside.

  “Can we get pizza like Sadie’s family?” Lexie asked as the walked out of the restroom towards the parking lot.

  “Not this time. I’ve got a big crockpot of sloppy joes waiting for us when we get home. Besides, all the boys will have homework to do.”

  They walked about ten feet, when their path was suddenly blocked by her ex-mother-in-law and her other son and daughter-in-law.

  “Look at you, parading around like some holier-than-thou do-gooder, when everyone knows you’re nothing but a whore, sleeping with that deputy,” Jolene said with a sneer.

  Melissa tried to walk around them, when Frank’s brother John stepped in her way.

  “Probably sleeping with all the deputies, that’s how she got Frank arrested,” he said.

  That did it.

  “Your brother was a bully. A mean drunk and he used me as a punching bag. He went to jail because he couldn’t hold his temper and is an evil, vile human being,” Melissa said, taking a step towards John.

  Surprised, he backed up a step, but then his wife grabbed a hold of the bag in Melissa’s hand.

  “You leave my husband alone!” she yelled, pulling on the bag and turning Melissa towards her.

  Suddenly, her right hand was free.

  She whirled around to see a man carrying Lexie like a sack of potatoes and running away.

  “Melissa!” Lexie yelled, kicking her legs and dropping her bat and glove on the ground behind them.

  Anger shot through Melissa. She released her hold on her bag and ran after them.

  “Stop!!” she yelled, scooping up the pink bat in her hand, fear and anger making her legs pump harder as she ran to save Lexie.

  That was a short speech, Coach,” Geoff said to Daniel as he and the four teens exited the locker room door onto the drive by the school.

  Daniel had to agree. Usually, after a practice he’d go into details what they did well, where they needed to improve and then some exercise to help them bond as a team. But today, he had this clawing need to get outside to check on Melissa and Lexie. They’d been in his sight during the whole game and he knew Melissa would stay with friends until they were done, but still the nagging sensation that something was wrong hurried him out the door.

  “Everyone’s hungry and got homework, tonight,” he said, clamping one hand on the tall teen’s shoulder. “We’ll have more of a talk tomorrow after practice.”

  “Yeah,” Colt said, stretching his legs to keep up the stride of the others. “Miss Davis has sloppy joes at home and I’m thinking I can eat three.”

  “You think you can eat three of anything,” Trent said with a good-natured shove.

  Colt shouldered him back. “Not salad. One bowl of rabbit food is enough for me.”

  “Lexie!” Melissa’s scream rent the air, pausing them all in their tracks for a second.

  His heart in his throat, Daniel dropped his bag of equipment and charged in the direction of the parking lot.

  “He’s got Shrimp!” Bryan yelled, all the teens running with him.

  “Circle around, guys. Try to trap him in,” he directed them. Praying they’d get there in time.

  Ahead of him, Melissa chased after a short-haired man who had Lexie, wielding the pink bat as she ran.

  Daniel wanted to warn her off, but realized she was the only one close enough to stop him before he hurt Lexie or got her in a car. If that happened, they might never get her back.

  Melissa’s legs hurt. She ran harder. Breathing in and out through her mouth.

  He was running for a black SUV. She had to stop him before he got Lexie inside. Another four feet and she’d be on top of him.

  He’d have to slow down to open the door.

  She kept running full speed.

  Behind her, feet hit the pavement as others ran towards them. She didn’t stop to see who it was. Lexie needed her.

  Gary stopped at the car, juggling Lexie in one arm as he opened the car door.

  It was now or never.

  “Agh!” Melissa screamed as she lifted the bat, skidded to a stop and swung hard.

  Bone crunched as she slammed the baseball bat as hard as she could into the drug-dealer’s knee.

  “Fuck!” the man shouted, keeping his hold on Lexie and going down to the ground, grabbing his injured leg. “You bitch! Oh, fuck!”

  “Let her go!” Melissa yelled as she lifted the bat and hit his arm, making him release his hold on the little girl.

  Lexie scrambled away.

  Melissa still saw red. She lifted back the bat again, when suddenly, it was stopped mid-swing and Daniel wrapped his arm around her from behind.

  “No more, sweetheart. She’s safe and he’s not going to hurt her,” Daniel said in her ear, pulling her away from the kidnapper writhing on the ground.

  24

  Melissa’s vision cleared as her rage eased. Then she started to tremble. She looked around.

  Lexie stood safely in the protective circle of her four brothers, who looked like they dared anyone come near her. Her eyes wide and tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “I’m good,” she said to Daniel and he released her. She squatted down and held her arms open. Lexie flew into them. Hugging her close a moment, she let her own tears flow. Finally, she leaned back to check her out. “Are you okay?”

  “I skinned my knee when he dropped me.” She pointed to the hole in her jeans at her knee.

  Melissa checked it out. Light bits of drying blood peeped through. “We’ll clean it up when you get home.” Swallowing the ache in her throat, she smoothed her hands over Lexie’s face and stared hard into her eyes. “I’m sorry I let him take you.”

  “Those mean people caused it,” Lexie said, throwing her arms around her neck again and hugging her hard. “You came after me. You saved me.”

  Melissa stood, holding Lexie tight to her. Suddenly they were surrounded by the boys, the remaining teammates and parents.

  “Man, that was some kind of take down, Miss D,” Bryan said.

  “Yeah, you sure took Coach’s lessons on connecting with the ball seriously,” Trent said, then laughed. “Only, you connected with the guy’s knee.”

  “Guy crumpled like an empty bag of chips,” Colt added.

  With a look wise beyond his years, Geoff held out his hand to Daniel, who handed him the car keys. Then he wrapped his arms around her and Lexie. “You did great, Miss D.” When he pulled away, he took Lexie with him. “Come on Shrimp, we’ll go get the car and you can tell me all about it.”

  Always the leader, each of the other boys followed his example and hugged her tight before heading for the SUV.

  “We should go, too,” Melissa said, turning back to Daniel.

  He pulled her into his arms. “We will in a minute. First I need to know you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay. Really,” she said when he seemed not to believe her.

  “That’s good, because I’m not. When I heard your scream…saw him and Lexie…knew I couldn’t get there.” He crushed her to him again. “You having to save her. The danger you might’ve been in. What if he’d had his gun?”

  Trembling shook them and she realized it was coming from him. Fear and rage poured from him. Fear for her and Lexie. Rage that someone had threatened them. His face clenched tight as he focused on her.

  He doesn’t want to turn around. He’s afraid he’ll kill the bastard who took Lexie.

  “We’re all okay. Lexie. Me. You.”

  Behind him, she heard Gary.

  Holding onto his kn
ee with one arm, he moaned and writhe on the ground. “She attacked me! Bitch broke my leg. Probably my arm, too. I need a doctor!”

  “Ambulance is on its way,” Jason said, as he slipped the handcuff on the drug-dealer’s free hand. Then cuffed him to the outside of the SUV. “Doc will check you out when you’re in the jail.”

  A giggle bubbled up inside her. “Well, maybe not everyone is okay.”

  Daniel burst out laughing.

  25

  He’d been tipping his pitches all game,” Trent said after swallowing his food and reaching for another french fry. “Every time he’s gonna throw a fastball, he lifts that right knee almost to his letters.”

  “His letters?” Lexie, sitting between Geoff and Colt, on the bench asked.

  “The name of his team on the front of his jersey,” Geoff explained.

  “We call that the letters.” Colt gulped down some milk. “Same as if the pitcher throws it and the ball is as high as your letters, it’s a ball and too high to swing at.”

  Listening to the casual everyday-type dinner discussion, Daniel leaned back in his chair, his knee pressed against Melissa’s leg under the table, as he listened to the boys dissect their first game. He liked having that simple contact with her. It reassured him she was okay. The conversation in the car on the way back to the house had been all about the near catastrophic adventure of her and Lexie. The boys appreciation of Melissa’s take-down of Snubnose Gary kept making her more anxious—he could tell by how hard she was clenching her fingers together—he’d finally put the subject in the we’ll-talk-about-it-later file and switched the conversation back to baseball.

  “Yeah, so when he lifted that knee—” Trent started.

  “To the letters,” Lexie finished for him with a grin.

  “To the letters, I just extended my arms and WHACK!”

  His phone rang in his pocket, stopping all the conversation. He pulled it out and saw it was his boss. “Hey, Sheriff,” he answered, his gaze meeting Melissa’s.

  “Got a minute to talk?” Gage asked.

  “Sure, give me a second.” He hit the mute button and stood. “You guys keep eating, I’ll take this out on the porch.”

  Melissa, her face somber, nodded and he headed to the front of the house, unmuting Gage.

  “I know I should’ve stayed at the scene…” he started.

  “Save the crap,” Gage interrupted him. “Jason and Wes told me what happened, and they had everything well in hand. How’s Lexie and Melissa doing?”

  “Melissa’s still a little shaken. Lexie has a skinned knee, but she seems to be bouncing back okay. The boys are keeping her entertained talking about the game. Of course, none of them will let her out of their sight.”

  “Those kids are shaping up to be great young men.”

  “I think so. Melissa’s been a good influence on them.”

  “I hear you have, too,” Gage said, and Daniel heard the approval and pride in his friend’s voice. “So I thought I’d update you. Gary’s name is Gary Yost. He’s currently cuffed to an ER cart at the hospital with Jason guarding him. One broken left forearm and one shattered right patella courtesy of a pink baseball bat.” Gage chuckled.

  “Dude’s gonna have a hard time living that one down in jail,” Daniel finally said with a grin.

  “Gotta say, I’m glad Melissa went after him, I might’ve bashed his head in or shot his balls off.”

  “I would’ve, too. But seeing her take him down? It made me damn proud of her.” He cleared his throat, moving a little further down the porch from the door. “Just don’t make a big deal out of it when you see her tomorrow. I think giving into her anger like that scared her a little.”

  “Brought back memories of her ex?” Gage asked.

  “Something like that, although she was defending Lexie.”

  “We’ll make it a very professional conversation tomorrow. With her and Lexie.”

  “We’ll be there first thing.”

  “Let’s make it around eleven. Judge Rawlins and I are going to arraign Snubnose in his hospital bed. Neither one of us wants him thinking he’s getting out of going to jail, broken bones or not.”

  “We’ll see you then,” Daniel said, hung up and turned to find Melissa standing out on the porch. “Gage wants to get your statement tomorrow.”

  “Just mine?” she asked as he joined her near the door.

  “Yours and Lexie’s.”

  “I hate that she has to relive it,” Melissa said, wrapping her arms around her middle.

  He pocketed his phone, then ran both hands up and down her arms. “You, more than anyone, knows the more she talks about it, the less frightening it will be. She’ll probably have to give testimony in court, unless Snubnose Gary is smart enough to take a plea deal.”

  “Snubnose Gary?” She giggled and leaned into him.

  Pulling her close, he relaxed. He loved hearing her laugh. “Sort of fits him, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, it does.”

  They held each other for a few moments in the early evening darkness. Inside the house laughter and chatter, along with dishes being stacked in the dishwasher sounded the return to a normal routine. Daniel would miss this sense of family to which he’d grown so quickly accustomed. Something he’d never thought he’d have in his life.

  “Will you stay tonight?” Melissa asked.

  He leaned back to stare down at her. “If you want me to.”

  “I think Lexie will feel safer. I know I will,” she said, then licked her lips. “I’ve grown very fond of having you here. Of your nearness. Of you.”

  His heart swelled at her admission. He wanted to tell her he’d grown fond of her, too. Hell, who was he kidding? He’d fallen head over heels in love with her. But he wasn’t going to push it. She’d already been through so much. It was going to kill him, but he’d take it slow and court her until she was ready to commit to more. Remembering how she’d led him into her bedroom last night, reinforced how patience could be rewarded when it came to this beautiful, fierce woman.

  He smoothed a loose lock of hair from her face and behind her ear. “If I stay any longer, you’ll become the fodder of gossip. And that’s the last thing I want for you or your kids.”

  “I know. I just…one more night, please.”

  “One more night.” He pulled her close again and lowered his lips to claim hers in a kiss.

  “I’m glad you agreed,” she said when they broke apart. “I was going to bribe you with apple pie and ice cream if you hadn’t.”

  Giggling sounded behind them.

  They turned to find all five kids grinning at them.

  “You better hurry up, Coach,” Colt said. “I might have to eat your share of the pie.”

  One week later, Melissa found herself seated in court once more, facing Judge Terrence Rawlins. Daniel sat to her left and Lexie to her right. Next to Lexie sat Chloe, acting as her court appointed advocate. Since Snubnose Gary was in custody and his ratting out the leader of the child trafficking gang closed that threat to Lexie, the judge was going to make a final decision as to where to place her.

  In the days that followed her near abduction, Lexie appeared to be adjusting just fine. They’d had a funeral service for Rose in the community’s ancient cemetery. Lexie, with Melissa and Daniel’s help picked a spot near a red maple tree, “Because Mama always loved the colored leaves in fall,” Lexie had told them. All of the residents of Westen House, and everyone who had met the little girl attended the service on a warm spring morning.

  They were still doing home schooling. Wöden continued to show up for lunch most days. Daniel kept his promise to practice baseball with her and they attended every baseball practice and game the boys were in. Even at night, she seemed to be okay. The first night she’d awakened screaming, but quickly went back to sleep, once Melissa held and soothed her. It had helped that Daniel was there, too.

  In fact, the only change was Daniel sleeping at his apartment once more. He came for dinner aft
er practices and games, stayed to help with homework where needed, read to Lexie before bed and spent time with Melissa out on the porch swing until he absolutely had to leave. They hadn’t been able to squeeze in another night of intimacy during that time, although they both wanted it desperately. But they didn’t want to take the chance that someone might find out and it get back to the judge before his decision was made.

  Melissa didn’t want anything to jeopardize the possibility that Lexie could remain with her at Westen House. After all these weeks of bonding with Lexie, she didn’t know how she’d survive her leaving.

  A warm hand settled over hers, breaking her worried reverie.

  She looked up at Daniel, who gave her a serious wink as his hand squeezed hers.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered.

  She wished she believed that. Wanted to believe it. But was afraid to get her hopes up too high. She’d done that once. Believed in a fairytale ending which turned into a nightmare.

  All morning they’d quietly listened to the state CPS attorney argue why Lexie, now an orphan, should be placed in a state sanctioned foster program. Chloe had argued—backed up by reports from Libby Reynolds, Doc Clint, Sheriff Justice, as well as witness statements from Daniel and Cleetus from the night they found her—that Lexie’s best interest was with Melissa living at Westen House.

  Judge Rawlins asked Lexie to come sit in the witness seat. He explained that she had to swear on the bible to tell the truth.

  “I always tell the truth, Mr. Judge,” she said, her brows drawn down as if to say how-dare-you-question-my-integrity.

  “I’m sure you do,” Judge Rawlins said, with extreme sincerity. “But in court, we have to be sure everyone is treated the same. Some people don’t always tell the truth, so everyone has to promise to do so.”

  “Okay.” Lexie placed her hand on the bible, raised her other hand and said. “I promise to tell the truth like always.”