Bachelor Dad

by Roxann Delaney

  With only two days left until the day she planned to hit the road for places yet unknown, she’d already boxed up as much of her belongings and Noah’s as she could, without causing suspicion. Because of the fire, they didn’t have much, but her trunk was nearly full. She’d find some time to put the rest in the car before Saturday morning. At least that was the plan. She tried not to think too much about it.

  “You have yellow hair,” Sophie announced.

  Libby filled a small plate with cookies and took it and the milk to the table. Glancing at the drawing, she touched a strand of Sophie’s hair, enjoying the silkiness of it. “And you have pretty brown hair,” she replied with a smile.

  Sophie looked up at her. “Is it really yellow?”

  Taken aback for a brief moment, Libby smiled. “My hair? Yes, it’s always been yellow.”

  Sophie sighed. “Sometimes my mommy made hers yellow, but it always got a big stripe down the middle.”

  Stripe? And then Libby realized she was talking about roots of darker hair that had grown out. Garrett hadn’t described Sophie’s mother to her, but studying the little girl now, she saw a lot of Garrett.

  “I forgot my teddy bears,” Sophie suddenly announced and slid to the floor from the tall stool.

  Since the fire and loss of her dollhouse, Sophie’s two bears had once again become her most treasured toys. Garrett had mentioned that he was looking for another dollhouse to replace the one that was destroyed and planned to give it to Sophie for Christmas. Libby couldn’t stop the thought from entering her mind that she and Noah would be far away by then, and she wouldn’t be around to see Sophie’s joy.

  Before the sadness could overwhelm her, the doorbell rang. Her first thought, as she went to the door, was to wonder why the door was locked and that Noah must have forgotten his key. Reaching for the knob, she pulled the door open with a smile, expecting to see her son.

  “It’s just like you to shack up with some guy.”

  With her reactions slowed by shock, Libby didn’t close the door fast enough, and her ex-husband wedged himself in the doorway. “Go away,” she whispered, as he shoved his way inside.

  “Is that any way to treat your husband?”

  She stepped back, putting as much space between them as possible, but the wall in the entryway stopped her. “You aren’t my husband, so just get out.”

  Eric’s eyes bored into her, as his mouth stretched into a sickening smile. “Did you think I would let you get away with taking my son?”

  Hearing the threatening note in his voice, she didn’t answer, nor did she look away. There was no telling what he might do if she did. But if she could take a step to her right, she could make a run for it. Maybe.

  But how far would she get? And how could she leave Sophie by herself?

  Sophie!

  Her heart pounded, but she couldn’t let on that there was anyone else in the house. She couldn’t believe Eric would do anything to the little girl, but she could also see that he was in a rage and there was no way to know what he might do.

  “Where’s Noah?” he asked, inches from her face.

  She was shaking inside so badly, she could barely breathe, but she refused to let him see how frightened she was. “He isn’t here.”

  His dark eyebrows arched high over nearly black eyes, and he looked past her and over her shoulder to the living room. She prayed that Sophie wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but she couldn’t guess how long it had been since the little girl had left the table to get her teddy bear. And she couldn’t be sure that Sophie would know to keep out of sight.

  “Where is he?” Eric asked, pinning her with his stare again.

  She wished she could see a clock and feared Noah would be home any minute. If she could just get rid of Eric… “School,” she answered. “School?”

  The perplexed expression on his face nearly made her laugh, but she did her best to add a haughty note to her voice, instead. “He’s nine years old, Eric. He’s not a little boy anymore. Or don’t you remember?”

  Doubt and confusion clouded his eyes, but he nodded. “Of course I remember.”

  Thinking quickly, she added, “He was going home with a friend to study, I think. If you come back later—”

  “You underestimate me, Lauren. I’m surprised. But I’m not that foolish.”

  Feeling frustrated and frightened, she tried to think of something else she could say that might send him away. But she knew he was on his game, and he’d never believe anything she said, even if it was the truth.

  She nearly died when she heard the sound of footsteps on the porch and hoped Eric didn’t hear them, too. She should have known better. Eric’s senses were always heightened when he was in a rage. The sound distracted him, and when he turned, she quickly eased around the corner, away from him. He didn’t try to stop her, but she glanced out the heavy door that he hadn’t yet closed and saw Noah standing in the open doorway.

  Run, Noah! her mind screamed, but she remained silent and turned her attention to Eric. If he made a move to harm Noah, she wasn’t sure she could stop herself from doing whatever it took to keep her son safe.

  “Come in, come in, son,” Eric said, making way for Noah to step inside the house.

  Libby felt Noah look at her before doing what Eric had told him to. Tears began to fill her eyes when she realized her small son hadn’t forgotten the past as she’d hoped he had.

  “What are you doing here?” Noah asked.

  Libby detected the contempt in his voice and hoped Eric hadn’t noticed. They’d been divorced for five years, when Noah had come home with a black eye after a scheduled visit with his father. She’d asked Noah what had happened, but he refused to talk about it. A week later, she’d been served with court papers. Eric had filed for sole custody. She’d been enraged and frightened and hired a lawyer, determined to keep her son from Eric, once and for all. But the judge—a close friend of the Cabrera family—had thrown out her claim and the little evidence she dared show of abuse and given Eric the custody he’d asked for. It was then that she’d gone to the group who’d helped her and Noah escape. She was breaking the law. She’d kidnapped her son.

  Eric looked from her to Noah, who was now moving to her side. “I came for a visit,” Eric said with a smile that frightened her. “To say hello and see how you are.”

  “We’re fine,” Noah answered, standing tall, “so you can leave.”

  The look on Eric’s face was almost a sneer as he glanced at Libby. “I see your mother has been telling you lies.”

  “Mom doesn’t lie. She doesn’t need to. I remember—”

  When Eric took a quick and bold step toward Noah, his hand drawn back, Libby stepped between them. “Don’t even try it.”

  GARRETT WEDGED THE PHONE between his cheek and shoulder and propped his elbows on his desk. “I don’t know how to thank you, Miss Foster.”

  “It’s Tracy, please. Just make sure Shana never gets that little girl back again. She’d stay out all night, leaving Sophie alone. I’d go over and check on her, and sometimes I’d even stay until Shana came home, but I couldn’t always do that. And I worried. You know?”

  Wiping a hand down his face, he took the phone in his hand. “Yes, and thank you. I have legal papers that Shana will have to sign, giving up all parental rights. Now that I know where she’s gone, I can have her served with them.”

  “I’m glad I could help,” the young woman said. “And if you remember, would you tell Sophie hello for me?”

  “Of course. And again, thank you.”

  When the call ended, he hung up the phone and let out a long, relieved sigh. Tracy Foster had given him all the information he needed to find Shana. It had taken more than a month to track someone down who knew something, but it had finally happened.

  Stretching out his arms, he smiled. Excitement and relief surged through him. This was the news they’d been waiting for. He needed to share it with Libby. She’d be as excited as he was.

  Tootie pok
ed her head in his open door. “Mayor wants to see you.”

  “I can’t right now, Tootie,” he said, standing and pulling on his tweed jacket. “Tell him I left early.”

  “No can do.”

  Garrett looked at her and frowned. “But—”

  “Any other time I’d help you out, but he’s in a bad mood today, and I’m not risking a white lie.” She smiled. “Not even for you.”

  Although he was eager to get home and tell Libby his news, skipping out when the mayor insisted on seeing him was a bad idea. He returned Tootie’s smile. “All right. Tell him I’ll be right there.”

  Tootie disappeared, and Garrett picked up the phone, dialing his home number. After listening to it ring several times, he shrugged and hung up. Libby must have decided to walk to the school with Sophie to meet Noah. He’d deal with the mayor as quickly as possible and maybe make it home at the same time they did.

  His meeting with the mayor took longer than he’d thought. There was a battle going on in town over proposed zoning changes, and the council was going to need a more intense study on the legalities of them. Garrett was able to assure the mayor that he’d have the necessary information in time for the next council meeting.

  On the drive home, he started making plans for a celebration. Of course they couldn’t tell Sophie why they were celebrating, but Libby could help him with that. He knew that someday he would have to tell his daughter about all of it, but he hoped he’d be able to do it in a way that wouldn’t make her sad. If he was lucky, Libby would be there to help him do that, too. Just the thought made him smile again.

  As he drove down the last block to his house, he noticed a strange car in his drive. Pulling into the driveway next to it, he was puzzled by the Arizona tags. He was aware that Libby had lived in Arizona and wondered if this was a visit from someone in her family. She’d never mentioned any family, but that didn’t mean anything. She rarely talked about her past. As far as he was concerned, if she wasn’t a convict or breaking the law, her past didn’t matter.

  Feeling better than he had in days, he stepped onto the porch and through his open front door, Libby’s name on his lips, ready to call out. But he was immediately puzzled by what he saw in his living room.

  A man he didn’t know and couldn’t remember ever seeing, quickly turned around, obviously as surprised to see him as he was to see the man.

  “Hello,” Garrett greeted him, glancing at Libby. Something in her eyes caused him to study the stranger, who was nearly as tall as him, with dark hair and a lean build. Something about him was familiar, but he didn’t know why. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Garrett said, offering the man his hand.

  Stepping forward, the man took his hand with a grip that left no doubt he wanted to prove himself. Just the kind Garrett hated. Macho to the core, without a thought for anyone but himself. The guy’s smile said the same.

  “Eric Cabrera,” the man said, glancing at Libby.

  Puzzled, Garrett smiled and pulled his hand out of Cabrera’s grasp.

  “I came to see my boy,” Cabrera said.

  “Your boy?” Garrett repeated. He didn’t understand what was going on. Libby wasn’t saying a word, just standing in front of Noah as if she was protecting him. But then she did have that protective nature, sometimes almost smothering, he reminded himself.

  “Who are you?” he asked.

  “I’m her husband,” the man said, his entire demeanor impatient.

  “Ex-husband,” Libby said.

  Garrett looked around the room, trying to assess what the situation might be. There was so much tension in the air, he could almost taste it. Libby’s eyes, wide and almost devoid of emotion, were pinned on her ex-husband, the man she had said was out of the picture. Her face was pale, and there wasn’t even a ghost of a smile as she stared at the man. It was obvious she was not only surprised but not at all happy to see him. But Garrett could understand that a father would want to see his son, and as far as he knew, the guy hadn’t stepped a foot in Desperation since Libby had moved there.

  His eyes were drawn to the hallway, where he finally noticed Sophie, standing perfectly still in the afternoon shadows, her eyes wide as she appeared to squeeze the stuffing out of her teddy bears. Their gazes met, but instead of stepping out and into the room, she hugged the wall and shook her head slightly.

  The tension was almost too much to bear, and he guessed that was why Sophie wouldn’t come out. “Why don’t we all sit down?” he suggested to the others, hoping to ease the situation.

  “I was just leaving,” Cabrera said, but he didn’t move.

  “Sorry to hear that,” Garrett replied, not meaning it at all. Something wasn’t right.

  Eric Cabrera turned to Libby. “I’ll be taking Noah with me.”

  Libby stepped back but didn’t turn, her hands reaching behind her for her son. “No.”

  “I didn’t come here to argue with you about it,” her ex answered, his voice low, almost private, but loud enough that Garrett could hear. “I came here to take Noah home. And you, too, if you want to come with us.”

  “Neither of us is leaving.”

  “That’s not what the law says.”

  A flash of panic crossed her face, but she didn’t answer.

  Garrett cleared his throat, gaining Cabrera’s attention. “What law is that?”

  “You mean she hasn’t told you?”

  Glancing at Libby, Garrett felt a sudden uneasiness. “Told me what?”

  “Go ahead, Lauren. Tell him.”

  Lauren?

  Seconds went by, but she didn’t speak, and Cabrera turned his attention to Garrett. “She kidnapped Noah almost nine months ago.”

  Garrett stared at Libby. “Kidnapped?”

  “She left the state with him. I’d been given sole custody by the judge.”

  Cold washed over Garrett. All this time, he’d assumed Noah’s father was aware of his whereabouts. Or at the very least that Libby had full custody of their son. He’d never felt the need to question her. She was a good mother. An excellent mother.

  At least that’s what he’d thought. He hadn’t wanted to pry. He hadn’t felt there was a need. She was just like Shana. She’d lied and deceived him.

  He was surprised when she finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Garrett. I never expected you to be pulled into this, but I won’t let him have Noah. I can’t.”

  “You lied to me. You’re no better than Shana,” he said through stiff lips, his head throbbing. After taking a deep breath to get a grip on his anger, he called to his daughter. “Sophie, come here, please.”

  Hesitating at first, she walked slowly to him. He put his arm around her and pulled her close, then faced Libby. “I don’t care what the two of you decide to do about Noah. I won’t go to the sheriff about this. Not yet, anyway. But I want you all out of here in thirty minutes. And don’t come back.”

  Without looking at Libby, he took Sophie’s hand and led her to the door. As far as he was concerned, Libby—or whatever her name was—was on her own, and he never wanted to see her again.

  Chapter Ten

  Libby’s eyes stung with unshed tears as she watched Garrett and Sophie walk out the door. How had it come to this? Why had she let it get this far? Maybe if she’d told him why she’d left Phoenix, he might understand. But she’d been afraid he would turn her in. Would he have helped her if he’d known? She’d never know.

  “Get your things.”

  Libby heard but didn’t respond to Eric, too lost to care.

  “Now!”

  But she wasn’t too lost to recognize the threat in Eric’s demand, and she felt a sudden surge of strength. “I told you, Noah isn’t going anywhere with you.”

  Eric’s smile was void of kindness. “And I said he is. In fact, both of you are.”

  Cold dread hit Libby like a punch, but she wouldn’t back down. “No.”

  Eric took a step forward. “Do you think I’m crazy enough to leave you here now?”

 
Instead of retreating, she held her ground. “There’s no reason—”

  “There’s every reason. I know you never looked at another man after the divorce. All that time. You knew I’d know everything you did, everyone you even spoke to. But it didn’t take you long to find a lover, once you were out of Arizona and out of sight.”

  “We aren’t lovers,” she insisted. “We share child care. That’s why I’m here. His daughter—”

  His expression was menacing as he moved closer to her. “There’s a small problem with your explanation. I found you by asking around town. I’ve known for days that you’re living here.” He took another step forward.

  Unlike the frightened, controlled wife she’d become after the wedding, she lifted her chin in defiance. “Then you also learned that my apartment burned down two weeks ago, and I’m waiting for another to become available.”

  “The perfect opportunity. Do you think that matters?”

  She knew it didn’t. Not to him. He’d always considered her his property, but she’d never thought he would still feel that way six years after they’d divorced.

  “Face it, Lauren. Your knight in shining armor just walked out on you. It’s time to accept reality.” He looked at his watch. “You and Noah have fifteen minutes to get what’s yours, and then you’re going with me back to Phoenix.”

  Libby tried to think of some way she could distract him, but fear kept her nearly paralyzed. Still, she would never let him take Noah. If that meant sacrificing herself, then so be it.

  “I have boxes in my car,” she admitted. “Where do you want me to put them?”

  “All you need is a few clothes,” he answered.

  “I’ll get Noah’s.”

  She started for Garrett’s office, where Noah slept, but Eric stepped in front of her. “If he knows where his things are, let him get them.” He turned to Noah. “Just a few things. We’ll get new when we get home again.”

  Noah looked to Libby, and she hoped he saw her look directly at the front door and nod. It was a signal they’d used often when he was small, but she didn’t know if he remembered it. If she could get him out of the house without Eric noticing, he’d be safe, at least until she could get some help.