Bachelor Dad

by Roxann Delaney

  “No, I’ll get his things,” she said. “We’ll need that box in the trunk, too,” she said as she continued down the hallway. Her heart thudded as she prayed that she appeared calm. Eric would want her scared, but as long as she could keep control of herself, she hoped she could find a way for at least Noah to get free.

  Eric stopped Noah, who had started for the front door, but didn’t touch him. “Nobody is stepping outside until I say so.”

  Libby turned around to see Noah shrug and take a step back. She knew it would take distracting Eric before Noah could make a run for it, and as she entered the office, where Noah’s things had been kept since the fire, she looked around. The first thing she saw was the phone on Garrett’s desk.

  Did she dare risk it? Just how brave was she? She knew Eric was much stronger, and fighting him off had never worked before. But if it meant that at least Noah would have the chance to get away, it was worth it.

  Keeping an eye toward the hall, she eased her way to stand between the desk and the doorway. With her back to the desk, she hoped she could remember exactly where the phone was situated. She couldn’t turn. She had to have a clear view so she would know when Eric guessed what she was doing.

  Taking small steps, she backed up until she bumped into the edge of the large, polished wood desk. With her right hand, she reached behind her, sweeping her arm to the right side of the desk. Time seemed to stand still until she felt the phone and carefully took it from the base. But she barely had time to move when she saw a shadow in the hallway, coming her way.

  And then she heard the heavy front door hit the wall and knew Noah was out of the house.

  “Come back here, Noah!” Eric shouted, and the shadow retreated.

  With his attention turned away from her, Libby dialed 911 and set the phone out of sight on the desk. She was just turning around when she was grabbed.

  “As soon as I’m done, no one is going to recognize you.”

  “DADDY,” SOPHIE CRIED, “we have to go home.”

  Gripping the wheel, Garrett shook his head. “You don’t understand, honey.” He couldn’t make sense of anything that had happened, but the one thing he did know was that Libby hadn’t been honest with him. She’d taken her son from his father—kidnapped him—and she’d run. He understood how Eric Cabrera felt. He could never forgive her.

  “Daddy, please,” Sophie cried. “He’s going to hurt her.”

  So focused on his gut-wrenching feelings, he barely heard what she said. “Libby will be fine,” he told his daughter. “She and Noah will go home with Noah’s daddy.”

  “Noah doesn’t want to go home with his daddy,” Sophie said, her words interspersed with sniffing back tears.

  Glancing at her, Garrett tried to smile. He wouldn’t be surprised if Libby had turned Noah against his dad. It all made sense.

  When Sophie let out a blood-curdling scream, his foot hit the brake and he pulled the car to the side of the street. “Don’t do that, Sophie,” he said, his voice raised, his heart pounding. “We could have been hurt. Don’t ever do it again.”

  Sophie kicked the back of his seat. “Noah’s daddy hurt his mommy. That’s why they went away. He’s a bad man. He was going to hurt Noah.”

  Garrett shook his head and pulled away from the curb and back out into the street. But they hadn’t gone far when he remembered Libby’s scars. She’d said they were from a wreck, but there’d been something about them when he’d first noticed that didn’t seem right. Once again, instead of questioning her explanation, he’d accepted it.

  “What did Noah’s daddy do to Libby?” he asked Sophie, hoping that talking about this wouldn’t be something she’d never be able to forget. “Did he tell you?”

  “He said his daddy hurt her. He hurted Noah, too. And he had a knife. Noah said he did.”

  For a brief second, Garrett squeezed his eyes shut. Why hadn’t he noticed the signs of a woman who’d been abused? Libby’s actions, the things she said, the way she had trouble getting close to people—except for Sophie—were all signs he should have recognized.

  Pulling his cell phone from his pocket as he made a U-turn in the middle of the street, he called Morgan’s number at the sheriff’s office. “Get over to my place,” he told the sheriff when he answered.

  “Garrett?” Morgan asked.

  “Yeah. Just get over there as fast as you can. Libby’s in danger.” He didn’t wait for an answer. As he pressed harder on the accelerator, he glanced in the rearview mirror at Sophie in the backseat.

  She was watching him. “Are we going home now, Daddy?”

  “You bet we are.”

  He pulled into the driveway, parking directly behind Cabrera’s car to keep him from leaving. He was out of the car in a flash and around to unbuckle Sophie from her car seat. “Damn,” he muttered when his fingers fumbled at the button that would release her.

  “I’m scared,” Sophie said when he finally had her out of the seat.

  He was practically running as he carried her up the walk to the porch. “So am I, honey. But we have to be brave for Libby, okay?” When she nodded he held her close. “I’m going to set you down here on the porch,” he told her, “and I don’t want you to leave. And I don’t want you to come into the house.”

  “Why not?”

  He settled her on her feet and lifted her chin with his knuckle. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Sophie. Do you understand? I want to make sure Libby and Noah are safe, first.”

  Her face was solemn as she dipped her chin in a nod.

  As he opened the door to the house, he could hear voices. The male voice was raised, but he could barely hear Libby’s. What the hell was Cabrera doing to her?

  The light in the house was dim when he quietly stepped inside, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he looked to his left and knew he couldn’t waste even a second.

  Libby’s attention was on the man who had his hands around her neck.

  “I told you that one day you’d screw up,” Cabrera was saying to her. “I warned you over and over that if you weren’t a good wife, I’d kill you. Looks like this is the day.”

  Garrett was across the room before either of them noticed that he was inside. He grabbed Cabrera by the arm, which he twisted up behind his back, and then pulled him away from Libby.

  In a flash, Libby headed for the fireplace and grabbed the biggest poker in the stand.

  The man turned his head just as Garrett slammed him into the wall. “That’s no way to treat a lady,” Garrett growled, turning the man to face him. With one hand, he held the front of Cabrera’s shirt, keeping the man from falling. “Libby,” he shouted, “take Sophie and Noah to Paige’s house. I’ll be there when I’m done with this piece of meat.”

  With his free hand, he slammed his fist into the man’s face. “Killing you right now would be easy,” he told Eric Cabrera, who slid slowly to the floor. “It’s what you deserve.”

  “Now, Garrett, you know you can’t do that.”

  Garrett glanced toward the door, where Morgan was walking in. “Yeah,” he answered, his voice shaky. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Roll him over so I can cuff him,” Morgan said with a sigh. “We’ll have to wake him up to read him his rights.”

  Cries of “Mom” and “Daddy” filled the room as Sophie ran into the house, followed by Noah.

  Libby dropped to her knees, and Noah ran into her open arms. “Did you call the sheriff?” she asked. “I did,” Garrett said, holding Sophie in his arms and walking across the room to where Libby was kneeling with her son.

  “But—”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t figure it out, Libby,” he said, his voice cracking with shame.

  “You weren’t supposed to,” she said, getting to her feet.

  He gazed down at the face that had become almost as familiar as his own. “If it hadn’t been for Noah telling Sophie about what happened before you came here…” His gaze moved to her son. “As a rule I wou
ldn’t condone telling family secrets to anyone, but this time it was the right thing to do.”

  Noah managed a weak smile and nodded.

  Changing his focus back to Libby, Garrett continued. “Sophie tried to tell me when we were driving away, but I was too angry to understand what she was saying.”

  Libby pulled Noah closer to her. “But you did. And I don’t know how to thank you. If I’d known this would happen—”

  Garrett noticed Deputy Tucker O’Brien hurrying into the house to give Morgan a hand with what was now the prisoner. “We’ll talk about it later,” he told Libby.

  “I’ll need to get a statement from you, ma’am,” Morgan said from across the room.

  Libby nodded. “Of course. And thank you. For everything.”

  Morgan touched the brim of his hat before he and Tucker pulled a handcuffed Eric Cabrera to his feet. “Happy to be of service, ma’am.”

  “You can use my office, down the hall, Morgan,” Garrett said. “That way she won’t have to go in the sheriff’s office.”

  Another patrol car pulled up, and Morgan stepped away from the prisoner. “Stu’s here and can help Tucker, so why don’t we do that?”

  Libby nodded again.

  “Garrett,” Morgan said, “can you come down to the office? We’ll need a statement from you, too.”

  While Tucker read Cabrera his Miranda rights and escorted him out the door with the other deputy’s help, Garrett turned to Libby. “It won’t be long. There isn’t that much to say. When you’re done with Morgan, why don’t you take Noah and Sophie to Paige’s house? I’ll meet you there when I’m done.”

  Tears glittered in her eyes when she nodded, and Garrett pressed his palm to her cheek, wiping away one lone tear with his thumb. There was so much he wanted to say, but with both Sophie and Noah looking on and everything else that had just happened, this wasn’t the time to pledge his undying love. Instead, he simply leaned closer and kissed her other cheek, before releasing her.

  “I’ll see you at Aunt Paige’s,” he told Sophie, giving her a quick kiss on the top of the head. “You take good care of Libby, okay?” Sophie nodded. Outside, he could see the sheriff’s cruiser pulling away, and he strode to the door, ready to do whatever was necessary to put Eric Cabrera behind bars for a long, long time.

  “I’M SORRY TO BOTHER YOU,” Libby told Garrett’s sister, “but I’d really appreciate it if you’d keep an eye on Sophie for me while I take care of some things.”

  “Mom?” Noah said, looking up. Libby gave her head a slight shake.

  Paige’s smile widened as she opened the door to let them in. “Of course! I was hoping I might get to see her today. I took the day off. Sort of a mini vacation. Can you stay? Can I get you something to drink?”

  Libby shook her head, hoping she didn’t appear as nervous as she felt. “Thank you, but no. Maybe later?”

  “That would be great,” Paige said, while Libby eased back out the door.

  “Thanks so much,” she called as she hurried Noah to their car.

  She’d given her brief statement to Morgan, and he’d released her. And she’d gone to Paige’s, as Garrett had asked her. But that’s where she changed the plan.

  A light mist that had begun when they left the house had started to freeze, and she was very careful when she drove away.

  She’d hoped to avoid Main Street, but with the streets icy, she wanted to take the shortest way out of town. She could only hope that no one would notice her, and especially that Garrett wouldn’t happen to look out the window of the sheriff’s office, just as she was driving by.

  “Mom?”

  Libby glanced at the rearview mirror to find Noah watching her intently. She knew he was upset and knew what he would say when he learned they were leaving Desperation, but leaving was the only thing she could do.

  “What is it, Noah?” she asked, turning her attention back to the road ahead.

  “Where are we going?”

  Their destination was the one thing Libby hadn’t decided. “I’m not sure.”

  “We’re leaving Desperation?”

  “Yes.”

  There was silence from the backseat, until Noah spoke again. “Why? They’ll put Dad in jail for hurting you, and we won’t have to worry about him coming for us anymore.”

  But Libby wasn’t so sure. She knew Eric would probably spend time in jail, but it wouldn’t be long. With one quick call to his lawyer, who would get in touch with a judge they knew, even in Oklahoma, and he’d soon be released on bail. She couldn’t risk her life—or Noah’s—knowing how angry Eric would be. They were no longer safe in Desperation. He’d find a way to get back and take care of them, the only way he ever took care of them.

  She was grateful that Eric was in custody, at least for a little while. It gave them some time to get away. If only she had covered her tracks better, Eric wouldn’t have found them. But she’d done all she could, and they’d been safe for eight months. Now they’d be on the run again, and she could only hope she would do a better job this time.

  “Mom? Tell me why. Please.”

  Noah’s disappointment and even a touch of panic could be heard in his voice, and she had to swallow the lump in her throat. “I know you’d hoped we could stay in Desperation forever,” she began, trying not to let her own emotions creep into her voice, “but we don’t have that option anymore.”

  “But he’ll be in—”

  She sighed. “Noah, trust me.”

  “You don’t even know where we’re going.”

  Glancing again in the mirror, she saw him slumped in his seat, his arms crossed on his chest. Even in the dim interior, getting darker by the second, she could see his scowl.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly, meaning it. She should’ve done something long ago to end the cycle of abuse. Even before Noah was born, Eric had taken control. She’d foolishly thought a baby would change everything. All it did was make everything worse. And Noah was aware of so much more than she’d ever dreamed possible. For that she was even sorrier.

  They drove beyond the outskirts of town and onto the county road, the ice steadily getting worse. Traffic, too, became heavier with people returning home from working in the city. Unaccustomed to driving in freezing weather, her heart began to beat harder and faster. If she lost control of the car on the ice, she was thinking, they could be hurt and so could others. At the first opportunity, she turned off the paved road and onto a sanded one.

  She realized immediately that she’d probably made a mistake. The sanded road was much easier and safer, but she wasn’t used to driving in the countryside and would soon be lost. Dusk was turning to dark, and visibility was difficult in that time before total darkness. To her relief, she finally saw a drive leading into a field not too far ahead, but as she focused on it, she nearly missed seeing movement much closer on the side of the road. As the deer jumped out in front of her, she swerved to miss hitting it head-on and discovered she’d overcompensated as she slid into the ditch on their right.

  The car moved a little farther before they came to a jarring stop. “Are you all right?” she called to Noah before she could move to look.

  “Yeah,” he answered, his voice wobbling on the word. “Yeah, I’m okay.” He laughed, but it was weak and shaky.

  The initial numbness that Libby was feeling began to wear off, and she started to shake. We’re all right, she kept telling herself, and it took every bit of strength she had to keep from crying. Covering her face with her hands, she shook her head. “I don’t even know where we are,” she said aloud, without realizing it. “I do.”

  Her hands dropped and she turned around as far as her seat belt would allow her to look at her son. “You do?”

  “Sure.”

  She waited, but he said nothing. The ticking sound of ice pellets hitting the windows could be heard in the silence. Her patience was beginning to wear out. “Are you going to tell me where?”

  After unhooking his seat belt, he leaned ove
r the front seat and pointed. “See over there?”

  She squinted and thought maybe she saw some change in the landscape beyond a row of trees, then realized there was a slight glow from what might be a yard light. “I think so.”

  “That’s the Rocking O.” He sat back in his seat. “It isn’t far. We can walk there in no time.”

  Libby stared out the window. The O’Briens and even the MacGregors were friends of both Garrett and the sheriff. And if that wasn’t enough, the deputy was Tanner O’Brien’s brother. The first thing they’d want to do would be to call Garrett, and she couldn’t let that happen. “I don’t know…”

  “Somebody there will help us.”

  If there was anything Libby was sure of, it was that she needed some help in dealing with her past, but she’d never been able to talk about it. Could she now?

  It was obviously cold outside, she thought, pushing the idea of getting help aside. She hadn’t grabbed her warm coat, and neither had Noah. Just one more expense if they decided to go north. South would obviously be a better choice.

  But as she tried to focus on which direction and where they might go as soon as they could find a way to get the car out of the ditch, she knew she didn’t have an option about the O’Briens. “All right,” she said, buttoning the jacket she was wearing and wishing she had gloves. “Let’s get started then.”

  Opening the door, she felt a gust of cold, raw wind, but she did her best to ignore it. Noah followed and they started the walk toward what she now could see was a long drive, with an arched white sign over it, proclaiming it to be the Rocking O Ranch.

  Don’t think about it. Just get Noah out of this cold. Then you can worry about what to say—and what not to say.

  With one arm around Noah and her hand tucked into his pocket, along with his hand, she huddled deeper into the slight warmth of her coat. So this was Oklahoma in winter.