“I’m glad.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. Or what to do with a Patti who wasn’t pretending to be better than everyone else in her orbit.
She straightened her purse on her shoulder. “I may have been harboring some anger that shouldn’t have been directed at you.”
I snorted. “May have?”
Patti jutted out her chin. “I’m trying to apologize.”
I grinned. I might’ve gotten a little insight into Patti’s life, but she wasn’t going to become an entirely different woman in one conversation. “Thank you. I appreciate that. But I’d appreciate it even more if your snide comments about me, my siblings, and Griffin would stop.”
Her lips thinned and fixed into a tight line. “He’s a loner. Volatile.”
“Oh, he is not, Patti. You don’t know him. And he’s not going to let you. You’ve already been nasty to him one too many times. And you know what? That’s your loss. Because he’s amazing.”
“I’ll try to keep my opinions to myself.”
I tipped my face to the ceiling, calling on all my patience. Because I knew Patti would never be able to keep a damn thing to herself. “All I can ask is that you try.”
She nodded and, without another word, started on her shopping as if we’d never had this weird confessional of a conversation. But her words stayed with me long after she left. As I worked, filling sandwich orders and stocking shelves, they hung in the air around me. Sometimes I forgot just how many lives my father had affected. His actions had crushed more than just our little family. How many people had he gotten hooked on substances that would destroy them? How many people had he lured into his chain of dealers?
The questions lay like a heavy blanket of grief and guilt on my chest. It made breathing just a little bit harder. And I could understand a little better why so many in this community had looked at me with disdain. Maybe they hadn’t been personally affected by it all, but they knew the poison that my family had pumped into their world. And I was a reminder of it.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket. Pulling it out, I saw the name of the elementary school flash on my screen. Crud. I really hoped one of the girls wasn’t sick. I waved to Max at the front of the store and motioned to my phone. He nodded, and I stepped back into the hall headed towards the office.
“Hello, this is Caelyn.”
“Caelyn, it’s Sue at the office. We have a bit of a situation.”
My heart plummeted to my stomach. This sounded more like someone being sent to the principal’s office rather than someone running a fever. “What’s wrong?”
She cleared her throat. “Someone claiming to be the girls’ father tried to take them out of school.”
I froze. “What?”
“A man came in. Said he was Ava and Mia O’Connor’s father and that he needed to take them out of school. That there had been a family emergency.”
My mind raced. Dad was here? This wasn’t happening. “You didn’t—please tell me you didn’t release them to him.”
“Of course not. You have to be on the approved list to pick up children, and you have to show ID. Plus, I know exactly who your father is, and he’s supposed to be in jail, not picking up children he has no rights to.”
My muscles came unstuck, and I moved through the store. I motioned to Max. “I have to go. Emergency at the girls’ school.”
His eyes flashed. “What happened? Is everyone okay?”
“I can’t explain right now. I have to go.”
“Of course. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”
I nodded but kept moving. “Sorry, Sue. I’m on my way. Did you call the sheriff?”
“Yes. Sheriff Raines and one of his deputies are on their way.”
“Can you—?” My voice began to tremble as I started my SUV. “Can you call the girls to the office? I just want to know they’re in someone’s sight, just in case. Wait. My dad, is he still there?”
Sue huffed. “No. He’s not. He left. But not before punching Mr. Reilly in the face.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, picturing our mid-fifties gym teacher sprawled out on the ground. “I’m so sorry. I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Please look out for my girls.”
“I will, sweetie. Nothing’s going to happen to them. You just drive safe.”
If by safe, she meant like a bat out of hell, then I had her covered. My lungs seized as soon as I hit end on my screen. Will. Oh, God. I hit the number for the high school. The secretary answered, and I quickly explained the situation. “Please call him to the office, and don’t let him leave. No one has shown up for him, right?” What if my mother had gone to the high school? Will would’ve gone with her just for the opportunity to give her a piece of his mind.
“No one has been taken out of school today, Caelyn. Just take a deep breath. I’ll call him to the office.”
“Thank you.” I was shaking now, slight little trembles I couldn’t seem to stop. “I’m going to have someone pick him up. I’m not sure who, but they’ll be on the list.”
“No problem. And if you need anything else, you just call.”
I nodded but then realized the woman couldn’t see that action across the phone. “Thank you.”
I hung up as I rounded the bend in the road that would take me to the elementary school. My finger hovered over the names in the favorites section of my contacts. But there was only one person I wanted to call. He answered after two rings. I kept my voice as strong as possible but knew it wavered a little. “Griffin? I need you.”
36
Griffin
My entire body locked, froze in the middle of an aisle in the hardware store. A man muttered a curse as he stepped around me, but it barely registered. “Where are you?” It was the only thing I could think of to ask.
“I-I’m driving to the elementary school. I need you to go to the high school and pick up Will. Then drive over and meet me. Can you do that?”
The tremble in her voice gave me a burning desire to thrash the row of fixtures in front of me. “What happened?”
“My dad. He showed up at the elementary school and tried to take the girls.”
I was moving before she’d finished her sentence, dropping the nails in my hand to the floor without another thought. “Are they okay? He didn’t get them, did he?”
“They’re safe. I don’t know much more. Will you hurry?”
My ribs constricted in a brutal squeeze. “I’m on my way. I’m gonna get there as fast as I can.” Caelyn never asked for anything. Not a damn thing. Probably wouldn’t even ask for a life jacket if a ship were sinking. She’d simply try to swim to shore all on her own. But she was asking me this. “I’ll be there.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Hang up the phone and drive safe.”
“Okay.” She stayed on the line for a moment longer, silent as if she couldn’t let the connection lapse.
“I’ll be there soon. Promise.”
“See you in a few minutes.”
She disconnected the call just as I climbed into my truck. I tore through town, doing my best to at least pause at the stop signs. Hopefully, the sheriff’s deputies were all at the school already. Images flashed in my mind as I drove. A brutal mix of my sister then Mia then Ava. They were all calling out to me for help, but I wasn’t there.
I gave my head a vicious shake, gripping the wheel harder. Now wasn’t the time to lose it. Will would already be freaked. I had to lock it down for him. For Caelyn. For the girls.
I pulled up in front of the school and came to a screeching halt. I was stopped in a fire lane, but it didn’t matter. I would be in and out of there in seconds. I pulled open the door and jogged down the hall to the office. As soon as I entered, Will jumped to his feet. “What’s going on? They won’t tell me anything. Where’s Caelyn?”
I gripped Will’s shoulder as I looked at the secretary. “I’m Griffin Lockwood. I’m taking Will. I’m on the list.”
“I know who you are, Mr. Lock
wood. You just give my best to Caelyn. Tell her if she needs anything to call me.”
“I will.” I steered Will out of the office and down the hall. We weren’t jogging, but our pace wasn’t exactly slow either.
“Tell me,” Will growled.
“Your dad showed. Tried to take the girls out of school. They’re fine. But we need to go be with your sisters.”
Will missed a step and stumbled but caught himself. “They’re sure it was him?”
I glanced Will’s way as we climbed into the truck. I hadn’t thought about the possibility of it being someone else, someone pretending to be Ava and Mia’s father. But for what purpose? “I don’t know. Let’s just get over there and see what’s what.”
I drove the couple of blocks to the elementary school as quickly as possible. Instead of pulling into the fire lane like I wanted, I forced myself to take the time to find a proper parking spot. As soon as the engine was off, Will and I were out of the vehicle and running towards the school.
We made a beeline for the office but didn’t have to open the door. Staff and sheriff’s department deputies milled about, but I only had eyes for my girls. I ignored every other person in the room. Parker stopped speaking mid-sentence as I wrapped Caelyn, Ava, and Mia in my arms. Mia unlatched herself from Caelyn and hooked her arms around my neck. “I knew you’d come,” she whispered.
Caelyn pulled Will into our little huddle. “You’re okay? No one showed up at your school?”
He shook his head. “Just Griffin.”
We all stood there for a minute in this group hug that I was sure looked ridiculous. I couldn’t find it in me to care. I didn’t want to release any of them. Here, together, I knew they were unharmed.
Parker cleared his throat. “Everyone’s safe. That’s what’s important.”
My gaze cut to him, and I forced myself to step back. “What’s important is that you find out who the hell was here and lock them up.”
Mia clung to me tighter. “He’s not gonna take me, right? I don’t want to go with my dad.”
I rubbed a hand up and down her back, glaring at Parker. “No one’s taking you anywhere but home, Little Bit.”
“With you, right?”
Her voice was so small, I wanted to throttle something. “With me.”
She burrowed into my neck, and I did my best to keep my hold on her light. I turned, reaching a free hand out to Caelyn. I needed to touch her, to assure myself that she was fine, too. “You’re all right?”
She nodded. “We’re okay. Right, Ava?”
Ava parroted Caelyn’s nod, but it was in no way convincing. I gave her the gentlest smile I could muster amidst the rage flowing through my veins. “You’re safe. No one’s gonna hurt you. Okay?”
“Okay, Griffin,” she whispered.
There was a commotion at the door, and I turned to see Kenna, Bell, and Ford. Kenna was by my side in a flash, followed closely by the other two. She held out her hands to Mia. “I’m gonna need a hug.”
Mia went to her instantly. “I always have hugs for you.”
Kenna laughed, but there were tears in her eyes. “Everyone’s all right?”
“We’re fine,” Ava said quietly.
Bell held out a hand. “Can I get one of those hugs? Just to make sure for myself?”
Ava smiled and walked into Bell’s open arms. Caelyn pressed in closer to me. “Would you guys mind taking the kids to that bench in the hall? We need to talk to Parker.”
“Of course,” Kenna answered.
“I’m staying.”
My gaze locked with Will’s, his expression stubborn and defiant. I cleared my throat and gave him a pointed look.
He looked down at his shoes, rethinking his plan of attack. “I mean, I’d like to stay.” He looked at Caelyn. “I deserve to know what’s going on.”
She sucked in a breath. “Okay.”
Kenna and Bell took the girls out into the hall, but Ford stayed with us as we turned our attention to Parker. I pulled Caelyn into my side. I wasn’t sure if it was for her or me—maybe both of us. The feel of her body against mine reassured me that she was here. Safe. Everyone was.
I refocused on Parker. “What can you tell us?”
He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Not as much as I’d like. A man came into the office this afternoon and asked for the girls. Said he was their father and that there’d been a family emergency.” He winced as he glanced at Caelyn. “When Sue gave some pushback, said that there was a list and that he wasn’t on it, he said that Caelyn had been in a car accident.”
Caelyn’s body gave a small jerk in my arms. “It might’ve worked…” Her voice trailed off as terror grabbed hold.
“No, it wouldn’t have,” Parker assured her. “The school has security measures in place for a reason. Photo ID and a list of approved names for pick up and drop off. He wouldn’t have gotten out of here with Mia and Ava.”
Caelyn nodded woodenly, but I could tell that none of this eased her mind. I pressed my lips to her temple briefly. Even her scent, that hint of vanilla and something that was uniquely Caelyn, didn’t calm me as it usually did. I still kept breathing her in, hoping it would eventually ease me.
Will shuffled his feet. “Are you sure it was my dad?”
Parker turned to face him. “Sue can’t say for sure. The man had a beard and wore a baseball cap. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that he’s been gone for so long. Why would he come back now? It’s not like he ever gave a crap about us. It doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s because Mom’s out.” Caelyn’s fingers dug into my t-shirt the way they always did when her emotions were heightened. “I’ve seen her. Twice. She still loves him. And she knows where he is.”
Parker straightened. “You think they’re going to try and run?”
“Maybe. I honestly don’t know. She said she’s trying to make things right. Maybe she wants her kids back. But she’s a stranger to me, Parker.” Caelyn’s voice cracked. “I don’t know that woman. Not sure I ever did.”
Parker pulled out his phone and made a few notes. “You should’ve called me. Told me you had a run-in with her.”
“I told her to go to you. To tell you where our dad is. She refused. You taking time out of your day to go bang on her door wouldn’t change anything. She’s too stubborn.”
Parker’s eyes zeroed in on Caelyn, his gaze hard. “I need to know all the pieces in play. No more holding back, okay?”
Caelyn tightened her hold on my shirt. “You’re right. I promise I’ll tell you everything from now on.”
“Thank you. I’m going to send a couple of deputies out to your mom’s place while we finish up here. Why don’t you guys head home? Get the kids settled. I’ll swing by after we’ve wrapped up here.”
“Thank you, Parker. For everything. I’m sorry we’re bringing you into this mess yet again,” Caelyn said.
Parker’s jaw hardened. “This is not your fault. Don’t you take someone else’s actions on your shoulders.”
“He’s right,” Will said. “Our parents are assholes. But that’s not on us.”
Caelyn’s lips curved the barest bit. “I prefer the term dingleberry. It limits the cussing.”
Ford chuckled. “You girls love that word.”
She shrugged. “When the shoe fits…” Caelyn stepped out of my hold to ruffle Will’s hair. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Something about the gesture had the first little bit of tension leaving my muscles. It was so normal. The way Caelyn and Will always teased. It said that everything was going to be okay.
Parker held out a hand to stop Ford and me as Caelyn and Will headed out of the office. “What’s the security like at your place?”
That small piece of ease vanished in a flash. “It’s good.” It was top-of-the-line a few years ago. But that was no longer good enough. I needed whatever the best was.
Ford seemed to read my thoughts. “I’ve got a buddy. He’s pretty well-known, an
d it’s made him a nut about security. I’ll call him on the way to your place. See if he has any recommendations.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I really appreciate it. Let him know price isn’t an issue, and I’ll pay double if his guy can install it in the next week.” Ford gave me a chin jerk of agreement, and I turned back to Parker. “You think whoever this was will try again?”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I don’t know. And I don’t like being in the dark. Hopefully, we’ll know more after the deputies talk to Chrissy. But I’d rather be overly cautious.”
I would, too. The truth was, I would give anything, pay any price, if I could just keep this family safe. Because somehow over the past few months, they’d come to mean everything to me.
37
Caelyn
I leaned back against Griffin’s chest, letting the sounds of the kids playing and the feel of Griffin surrounding me soothe my frayed nerves. Crosby had talked Will, Ava, Mia, Bell, and Ford into a game of soccer. Kenna was in the kitchen making us a pitcher of iced tea. The people I loved most in the world were all here, and they were safe.
Griffin pressed his lips to my temple. “They’re rebounding.”
He was right, of course. Few things were more miraculous than the resiliency of children. I’d seen it time and again. But the knowledge that it was possible didn’t change how much I hated that my siblings seemed to need to employ it more than most. “I don’t want them to ever be hurt or scared. When I took custody of them, I promised myself they would never have the kind of fear they experienced when my parents abandoned them and that man broke in. But they’ve been terrified twice in the past month.”
Griffin pulled me tighter against him. “But you make them feel safe, even when life is scary.”
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