An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1)

by Sherri McDuffie

  They started to say goodbye when Mikki said, “Oh, guess who came by last week—Jarrod. He said he wanted to apologize to you, to tell you he’d gone to the anger management classes the court ordered him to attend and that he’s a new person now. He asked me a dozen times where you were living. He got mad because I wouldn’t tell him, but he didn’t do anything stupid. You’re lucky you got out when you did, Kelly. But I don’t think he’s giving up.”

  “Yeah, I’m glad I’ve moved to a place where he’ll never find me. Every time I think about how angry he was that night at the apartment I know getting away was the right decision. But don’t worry, Mikki. I’m sure he’ll give up and move on. You’ll see.”

  Kelly spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and working in the yard. As she dug in the flowerbeds, the sound of an automobile broke into her thoughts. She sat on her heels and watched as Derik parked and exited his truck. He walked toward her, in straight and determined strides. His eyes never left her face as he approached. He took her shoulders and lifted her to her feet.

  Before Kelly could speak, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her long and hard. She still wore the garden gloves, and her arms hung limp at her sides. “I’ve been thinking about Saturday night. I just wanted to tell you that it wasn’t a mistake or a lapse in thought. I’m not sorry, I have no regrets, and with your permission, I’d like to do it again, as often as you’ll let me.” He covered her lips with his. Their tongues met as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. She managed to wrap her arms around him and remove the dirty gloves. She dropped them on the ground and spread her hands across his back.

  When the kiss ended, Derik said, “It wasn’t a fluke, Kelly. I just wanted you to know how I feel.” Then he returned to his truck and drove away.

  She watched as he pulled out of the drive and disappeared from sight. She sat on the ground with a plop. Well, that was totally unexpected. A smile teased her lips as she slid the gloves back on and began to hum as she returned to cleaning the flowerbed.

  When Derik came home from work that afternoon, he hugged the boys and listened to their chatter then sent them outside to play until dinner was ready.

  As they ran out of the house, Derik walked up behind Kelly, who had been standing at the stove. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around to face him.

  “I hope I didn’t upset you today, but I’d been thinking about you, about us, all morning. I had to let you know how I feel, before I lost my nerve. Are you upset with me? You aren’t going to quit and move out, are you?”

  “No, I’m not going to quit, unless you fire me. And I’m not going to move, unless you kick me out. And I’m not upset with you. I’m surprised. I don’t know what this means exactly. I’m not sure what you’re thinking. What are you wanting, Derik?”

  “I think I want us. I want you to give us a chance. Let’s see if this will work, you and me. And the boys. Are you willing to see if this thing I’m feeling, and I hope you’re feeling, is real?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want them to think we’re going to be together, until we’re sure what’s going to happen. I don’t want them getting hurt or confused.”

  “You’re right, we’ll take it easy, whatever you want.” He gave her a quick kiss, just before the children burst through the door.

  Chapter 14

  Friday morning, Kelly walked into the kitchen to find the boys setting the table, while Derik fried bacon. D.C. said, “Kelly, we’re going bowling tonight, remember? You can be on my team, okay? Can she, Daddy?”

  “No, that’s not fair. I want her to be on my team. Please, Kelly, be on my team. Daddy, I want her on my team,” Win cried.

  “Knock it off guys. What if we bowl two games, and Kelly can be on D.C.’s team for one and Win’s for the other? It really doesn’t matter anyway, because my team’s going to win,” he said with a wink.

  “Boys, I think we’ve just been challenged. What do you say? Are we up to it?”

  “Yeah!” they both yelled.

  D.C. jumped in the air and pumped his fist. “Daddy, you’re going to get beat!”

  After school, the boys flew into the house in a flurry of giggles and feet. D.C. threw his backpack on the counter. “Kelly, we’re home. Are we still going bowling?”

  “Yes, as far as I know. We’ll go after your dad gets home from work. You have a few minutes to play before he gets here.”

  As Derik pulled into the driveway, the boys ran out of the house to greet him. “We’re going bowling tonight, aren’t we, Daddy? Kelly said we’d go when you got home.”

  “Whoa guys, give me a second. I need to talk to Kelly first, then we’ll be ready to go. You two stay out here and play a few more minutes.”

  When he walked into the house, he immediately went to find Kelly. When he topped the stairs, he saw that she was still in her room. “Hi there.” He stole a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure the boys hadn’t followed him inside then took her in his arms and kissed her.

  Kelly pulled back and smiled. “Are you ready to go bowling? And lose?” She gave him a quick kiss and ran down the stairs.

  Derik laughed and followed her to the kitchen. He called the boys in for dinner while Kelly put the food on the table.

  After dinner, they drove to the bowling alley, teasing each other about who would get the highest score and making up names for their bowling teams.

  Kelly and D.C. won the first game. Now they were in their second game, and she and Win were struggling behind their opponents. It was Win’s turn, and he approached the lane with serious concentration. His ball struck four pins, and the boy gave a leap and a yell. “Did you see that, Kelly? I got four this time. Did you see it, Daddy?”

  “I did. You’re getting better.” Derik said. He looked at Kelly over the child’s head and winked. “Maybe we need to bowl more often. What do you say?”

  “Yeah, let’s go bowling every Friday night. Can we?” Win said. “Do you want to go bowling with us again, Kelly?”

  “Friday nights is when Kelly goes on dates.” said D.C.

  “Maybe Kelly won’t be going on any dates for a while,” Derik said to his boys as he looked into her eyes.

  “Good,” Win said. “She can date us.”

  “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Kelly said as her eyes met Derik’s.

  Monday was laundry day. Kelly was folding the second load when her phone rang. Derik’s name appeared on the screen. “Hi, the school just called. D.C.’s in the nurse’s office with an upset stomach. I’m on a run. Is there any way you can get him?”

  “Sure,” Kelly said, already reaching for her purse. “I’m on my way. Do you want me to call you when we get home?”

  “No, I’ll be in and out of the truck. I’ll call you when I’m headed back to town.”

  Kelly walked into the school office and told the gray-haired woman with a pencil behind each ear why she was there. The secretary had her sign a bright yellow visitor’s pass and stick it on her shirt before she directed her down the hall.

  Kelly stepped into the nurse’s room and saw a child sitting in a chair, arms wrapped around his waist, with a plastic trash can between his knees. D.C. was lying on a cot against the back wall. He opened his eyes when he heard Kelly’s voice. He sat up and immediately grabbed the can next to him and emptied his stomach.

  “I’ve called a local pediatric clinic, and they tell me they’re seeing a lot of this. Apparently, it’s a stomach bug. No fever, just lots of this,” the nurse said as she nodded toward the children, “and in some cases, it includes diarrhea. About all you can do is keep them hydrated. I’ve already sent one home this morning.”

  As Kelly gathered D.C.’s backpack and helped the child stand, the office door opened. A teacher entered, leading a little girl who had both hands over her mouth and
a look of panic in her eyes. Kelly grabbed the trash can beside D.C.’s cot and shoved it toward the child, who hugged it against her chest and proceeded to use it for what it had been intended. Kelly looked at the nurse and said, “Good luck,” as they exited the room.

  When they got to the house, she led D.C. straight upstairs and into the bathroom. “Take off those clothes, and you can have a nice warm bath. That will make you feel better.” She wasn’t sure if it really would help him feel better, but he would definitely smell better. She threw his dirty clothes in the washer while he was in the tub. After a quick bath, she bundled the limp child in his Spider-Man pajamas and tucked him into bed. “Stay here, and I’ll bring you something to drink.” Before she headed out the door, she grabbed the trash can beside the dresser and placed it next to his bed. “Just in case,” she said with a wink.

  An hour later Derik called, asking for an update. She explained what the nurse had said about a stomach bug and that D.C. had been sleeping since they got home, except for the one time he woke up sick. “I’ll be home early today, and I’ll pick up something for dinner. It sounds like you have your hands full. See you guys in a few minutes.” Just as she put her phone on the counter, D.C. called her name, followed by that sound she’d come to dread.

  When Derik walked in the door, Kelly was coming down the stairs with an empty glass in her hand. Her hair was coming loose from the ponytail, her face showed signs of exhaustion, and there was a stain on her shirt he didn’t ask her about.

  Kelly looked up and saw Derik standing in the kitchen. She smiled. “Hey there, how was your day? You didn’t have to come home early. I can handle this. A little boy with an upset stomach isn’t a problem.”

  “I know, but I thought I’d give you a hand. And by the looks of things, I’d say you could use one, even if you don’t want to admit it.” He gave her a quick hug.

  The kitchen door flew open, and Win rushed into the room. “Kelly, I don’t feel—” The rest of the sentence landed in a puddle between the boy’s feet. He looked up in horror. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—” He finished the second sentence the same way he had the first one.

  “I’ve got this,” Derik said as he grabbed the boy under the arms. He held the child away from his body and carried him up the stairs. She heard the bath water running and knew he was doing the same thing she’d done with D.C.

  She poured a glass of ginger ale and went upstairs. She folded back Win’s bed and had his favorite pajamas waiting for him. As soon as he was dressed, she tucked him into bed, gave him the drink, and sat the trash can beside him, while Derik took the child’s soiled clothes and shoes to the laundry room. When she returned to the kitchen, he had just finished cleaning the floor.

  “Looks like we’re going to be busy,” he said. For the rest of the night, the boys seemed to be working in tandem. The adults were passing each other in the hall, tending first one child, then the other. They’d started out trying to tag team, but as the stomach troubles increased, so did the demand on their time. The children called for one or both of them every time they felt sick.

  The next morning, they sat across from each other at the kitchen table, each nursing a cup of coffee and a serious case of sleep deprivation. Neither had the energy to talk. After his second cup, Derik found the strength to lift his head and look at Kelly. She hadn’t bothered to take down her hair. It had worked itself loose during the short catnaps she’d squeezed in between the boys’ calls. Now there was as much hair out of the ponytail as in, and it stuck out in a multitude of directions. She hadn’t taken the time to change clothes. The stain from the day before was still there. Her eyes were red from lack of sleep.

  Kelly felt Derik’s eyes on her. She forced her head up and looked at him. “What? You have a funny look on your face. Oh no, please don’t tell me you feel sick. I swear, Derik, if you get sick, I’m leaving. And I mean it. You’re hurling on your own, buddy.”

  “I hope that wasn’t a sick look on my face. I was just thinking how beautiful you are right now.”

  “That’s it. I’m out of here. If you think this is beautiful, then you’re definitely sick.”

  Derik started to explain, when a cry and splatter caused both of them to hit the stairs in a run. Day shift was on duty.

  A few hours later, Kelly was on her way to check on the boys when she heard Derik’s voice. He was sitting on the side of D.C.’s bed, wiping his face with a damp cloth. “Come on, son, you have to drink something. Just a few more sips, please?”

  “I want Kelly. Where is she, Daddy? Can she read me a story?”

  “She’s resting right now. She didn’t get much sleep last night. And you guys have kept us pretty busy this morning, too. I promise, she’ll come in and see you when she wakes up.”

  She started to walk into the room but stopped when she heard the boy say, “Daddy, I like Kelly. She takes care of us. And she cooks good. Do you like her?”

  “Yes, I like her very much. You’re right, she does take care of us. All of us. And you know what? I think she likes you, too.” He tucked the covers under the boy’s chin. “Now, try to get some sleep.” He kissed his son on the forehead and started to stand.

  “Daddy, I wish she was our mom. I don’t remember Mommy very much, even when I try real hard.” His small chin quivered. “I really try to, but I just can’t.”

  Derik pulled his son into his lap and wrapped his arms around him. “You boys were very young when your mother died. It’s normal for you to have a hard time remembering her. That doesn’t mean you’ve stopped loving her. It just means you’re getting older, and your memory is filling up with lots of other things.” He placed his chin on the child’s head and began to rock gently as he talked. “She loved you, both of you, as much as any mother can love her child. When you learned to walk, she cried and laughed at the same time. She loved when you picked her flowers. And she loved your kisses and hugs. Don’t be sad if you don’t remember everything about her, D.C., that’s normal. There are things I can’t remember, either. And it doesn’t mean we stopped loving her or we didn’t love her enough. It just means that we’re getting older, and staying busy, and making new memories.” He kissed the boy on top of his head and continued, “The only thing you need to remember is that she loved you very, very much. And she prayed every day that you would grow up to be a kind, loving, and happy man. Don’t feel bad about not remembering everything about her, D.C., just be happy, because that’s what she wanted for you most of all.”

  “Do you think Mommy’s in heaven?”

  “Yes, son, I do.”

  “Me too, and I think maybe she asked God to send us a new mommy, since she couldn’t stay here with us. Maybe God sent Kelly to be our new mommy. Do you think so?”

  “I don’t know, D.C. I just don’t know.”

  Kelly held her hand over her mouth. She tried to keep her sob from being overheard. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on their private conversation, but when she heard their discussion, she couldn’t pull herself away.

  Chapter 15

  “Kelly, you didn’t forget about my baseball game today, did you? Remember, you promised to come and watch me play. You’re still coming, aren’t you?” D.C. said as he stuffed a cookie in his mouth.

  “Yes, I remember the game, and I’ll be there. There’s no way I could forget it, because you’ve already reminded me three times this morning. But I swear, D.C., if you ask me once more, I’ll go to the game, but I’ll keep my eyes closed through the whole thing. Now, calm down, or you’ll be so nervous you won’t be able to play.” The chattering, bouncing child made it hard to remember the sick little boy from the prior week.

  Two hours later, Kelly sat on the hard metal bleacher, trying to block the sun with her hands. Win sat next to her, eating a hotdog. “I’m glad you came to the game, Kelly. Daddy makes me sit with Susan’s parents when he helps the
coach. She always sits by me and kicks my foot.”

  “I’m glad I came, too, and I’ll try very hard not to kick you.”

  He looked at her and smiled, his cheeks bulging with hotdog. Kelly put her arm around him and pulled him against her. He snuggled in, making himself comfortable.

  Derik was on the field with the team. He searched the bleachers and found Kelly and Win. He watched as she talked to the boy and saw him throw his head back and laugh. She glanced in his direction once, and their eyes met. She smiled and pointed toward him as she whispered in Win’s ear. The boy looked at him and waved, almost smacking her in the face. Derik laughed and waved back then returned his attention to the team.

  D.C. went up to bat. Before he took his stance, he looked over his shoulder, toward the bleachers. Kelly pumped her fist in the air with a loud, “Yeah, D.C.! Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!”

  Win mimicked the arm pump with his own yell. “Hit it hard, D.C.!”

  D.C. smiled and readied himself for the pitch. It was fast, and he jumped back. The ump called a strike. The second pitch was high. The ump called it a ball. The pitcher grasped the ball and prepared for the third pitch. Kelly was on the edge of her seat. The boy let the ball fly. It hit D.C. on the hip, and he fell to the ground. Kelly was on her feet in a flash. Her eyes met Derik’s. He shook his head and held his hand out, motioning for her to stay put. He trotted over to his son and spoke to him. D.C. stood and shook his leg. Derik patted him on the shoulder, and the fans applauded as the child limped to first. When he got on base, he looked toward Kelly. She gave him a big smile and a thumbs-up. He grinned back. Kelly sighed as she felt her heart melt.