An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1)

by Sherri McDuffie

  When they reached the corner of the building, the sheriff placed his back to the wall and used his arm to push Derik into the same position. Derik heard Kelly crying. There was a loud smack of flesh against flesh, followed by a muffled scream. When the second slap sounded, Derik began to push away from the wall, but the officer’s arm tightened against him. The deputy ran up with his gun drawn. Foster looked at Derik and said, “Stay put, if you want her alive.” Then the two armed men disappeared around the corner. Derik stood against the wall with his head back. He heard the officers’ commands and Kelly’s cries. There was a short scuffle, then Sheriff Foster shouted that it was safe for him to join them.

  Derik flew around the building to find Jarrod face down on the ground, hands cuffed behind his back. Kelly was leaning against a black BMW, with her hands over her face, crying. Sheriff Foster was standing beside her, an arm around her shoulder. He glanced up as Derik approached and shook his head in disgust.

  “Kelly? Honey, are you okay?” Derik took her shoulders in his hands. She slowly lifted her face. A bruise was already growing on her lower jaw, and she would be sporting a shiner before morning. “That son of a bitch,” he said through gritted teeth as he pulled her against his chest.

  “We’re going to take him in. You get her looked at, then you guys go home. We can get the paperwork done tomorrow, after you’ve had a chance to rest. This guy’s going to be our guest for a while, so you can sleep easy tonight,” Sheriff Foster assured them, as his partner pulled Jarrod to his feet.

  “Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Call us when you want us to come to the station,” Derik said. Each of the officers had Jarrod by an arm, ready to escort him to the cruiser as he and Kelly walked past them. He suddenly swung around and slammed his fist into Jarrod’s jaw, snapping the man’s head back. He returned his arm to Kelly’s shoulders and led her toward the front of the building.

  Jarrod coughed and sputtered. “Hey, that’s assault. Are you going to let him get away with that?” he yelled at the officers.

  “I didn’t see anything. Did you, Deputy?” Foster asked his partner as they began to put Jarrod into the cruiser.

  “No, sir, didn’t see a thing. But it does look like he might’ve hit his face on the ground when I took him down earlier. I’ll get him some ice when we get to the station, if I don’t forget.” The man slammed the door against Jarrod’s accusations of brutality.

  Derik put Kelly in his truck. She was shaking and didn’t want people to see her battered face. He took her bowling shoes and ran inside to gather their things. The boys were sitting behind the counter where the manager had them putting shoes in order while they waited for Derik to return. The three joined Kelly in the truck and headed home.

  “Kelly, I’m sorry your face got hurt again,” D.C. said.

  “D.C., thank you for helping me. If you hadn’t gone to your father and told him what was happening, I think that man might have hurt me even worse. You’re my hero.”

  D.C. grinned.

  When they got home, Win immediately went to the freezer and got a bag of green peas for Kelly’s face. Derik declared it a bath-free night and sent the boys to put on their pajamas. While they were changing upstairs, Derik got some ibuprofen and water for Kelly, and even took a couple himself. When she raised a brow, he showed her his bruised and swollen knuckles. She took his injured hand and held it against the bag of vegetables on her jaw. And that’s how the boys found them when they bounced down the stairs moments later.

  “Kelly isn’t up to reading a story tonight, guys. I can read one, or we can skip it tonight, but she needs some rest.”

  “You read one, Daddy. And Kelly can listen. We can read in your bed again. It’s the biggest,” said Win. Before Derik could answer, the children climbed the stairs to find a book and jump into their father’s bed.

  “You don’t have to. If you want to go to bed, I can take care of this,” he said.

  “No, it’s fine. Let’s go see which book they picked out.”

  While Derik and the boys got settled, Kelly changed into her t-shirt and robe then joined the three on Derik’s bed. Win climbed into her lap, and D.C. snuggled against his father.

  Derik’s deep voice soon had everyone relaxed. The boys were asleep before he finished the story, as was Kelly. He carried both children to bed without waking either one. When he returned to his room, he stood beside the bed and stared at Kelly. She was leaning against the head of the bed with a pillow behind her back. Bruises and a black eye were already evident. Derik debated what to do. He could wake her and send her to her room, he could carry her across the hall, or he could leave her where she was and go sleep in her bed. Instead, he crawled into bed beside her, and pulled the covers over them both.

  Derik woke with the feeling of being watched. He turned his head and opened his eyes to find Win at the side of the bed, staring at him. He snapped his head to the other side and bumped noses with Kelly. Standing on her side of the bed was D.C., also staring at him.

  When Derik’s nose brushed hers, Kelly opened her eyes. Confusion crossed her face, immediately followed by fear when she noticed Win over his shoulder. She rolled to her back to find D.C. standing beside the bed on her side.

  Kelly pulled the blanket to her chin. With a look of humiliation, she whispered, “I don’t know how this happened or how you’re going to explain it, but you better think of something fast.”

  Derik gave a nonchalant yawn and stretch. “Good morning, boys. Why don’t you two get dressed and head downstairs. We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  As soon as the children left the room, Kelly turned toward him. “What’s going on? What are you doing here? What am I doing here?” She groaned and yanked the bedding over her head and slid out of sight.

  Derik chuckled and lifted the covers. “Do I come in, or are you coming out?” She lowered the blanket back to her chin and gave him a look of irritation.

  “Why am I in your bed?” She waved her hand as if to stop his reply. “I know I fell asleep while you were reading to the boys, but why am I still here? Why didn’t you wake me? Oh, Derik, do you know what the boys are thinking?” She groaned and buried her head beneath the covers once again.

  “Yeah, I’m afraid I do.” He rubbed a hand over his stubble. “They think you and I had a sleepover. I honestly don’t know if they would go beyond the fact that you slept in my bed. They’re still a little young to be discussing the birds and the bees.” She growled under the blanket. He grinned. “I really intended to be awake and out of bed before the boys got up this morning. I’m sorry, Kelly, but if we treat this like it’s no big deal, the boys won’t think anything about it. Come on, let’s go downstairs and get breakfast started.” Another groan came from the lump in his bed. Derik raised the covers and slid down, pulling them over his head. Kelly turned to face him. He kissed her lips. “Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you first wake up?”

  He laughed when Kelly bolted out of bed and rushed from the room.

  After slipping on some jeans he went to the kitchen and started the coffee. When she joined them a few minutes later he and the boys were putting cereal and milk on the table.

  “Would you like some coffee?” he said as he poured himself a cup.

  “Yes, thanks.” She kissed each of the boys on the head when they passed by with their juice. As she reached for the cup he offered, he winked at her. She blushed.

  The boys were talking about what they wanted to do once chores were done when Derik’s phone rang. After a short conversation, he placed it on the table and said, “That was Sheriff Foster. He wants to finish the paperwork on what happened last night. He needs us to come in as soon as possible.”

  Everyone dressed, and they all went into town when the breakfast dishes were cleared and the kitchen cleaned.

  Chapter 18

 
Derik, Kelly, and the boys sat across from the sheriff’s large wooden desk. He talked to D.C. first about what he heard and saw. Once they were done, he paged a deputy to come and take the children to another room so he could talk privately with Kelly and Derik. A man immediately came to the door. Sheriff Foster told the boys he was finished with them and they could go with the officer while he talked to their father and Kelly. At Derik’s nod, the boys hopped out of the chair they shared and went to the door. Before they exited the room, Sheriff Foster said, “D.C., what you did last night was very brave. You helped keep Kelly safe.”

  D.C. turned to the officer and grinned. “Thank you, but I just told my daddy. He’s the one who saved her. He even let her sleep in his bed because she was scared.”

  Both uniformed men coughed and cleared their throats. Derik rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Kelly gave an audible gasp and turned her red face toward the wall.

  “Well now, let’s see if we can’t get this finished and send you on your way,” Sheriff Foster said as he rustled the papers on his desk. “Okay, Kelly, can you tell me exactly what happened last night . . . at the bowling alley?” Derik rolled his eyes again, and Kelly groaned behind her hand.

  The two gave their statements, answered all of Sheriff Foster’s questions, then left the station. The meeting took much longer than they had anticipated, but the officer explained he wanted to make sure he had an airtight case that would put Jarrod away for a long time. Since this was the second attack on Kelly, he was sure Jarrod would do it again if he was released any time soon. He was also afraid the level of violence would only increase until she was seriously hurt, or possibly killed. He told them that statistics show the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when the victim tries to leave.

  When they finished at the sheriff’s department, it was lunchtime. Derik took everyone to the diner. Kelly hid behind her sunglasses and menu when Penny approached to take their order. “I think we’ll make it easy and do burgers all around,” Derik said.

  “Sure thing,” the waitress said as she wrote the order on her pad. “Oh, Kelly, did Derik tell you that one of your old friends was in here looking for you the other day? I told him, and he took out of here like a shot, so I assumed he was going to give you the news. Anyway, this nice-looking man was asking where he could find you and—” She gasped when Kelly lowered the menu and removed her sunglasses.

  “Yeah, he found me,” Kelly said, before putting her sunglasses back on.

  “Oh my stars! What happened to you? Did he do that? Oh no, and I told him where you were staying. I’m really sorry. He was a nice-looking man. Clean-cut, polite. I mean, he didn’t look like a woman beater. How was I to know?”

  “What does a woman beater look like?” asked Win. Everyone looked at Penny, waiting for an answer.

  “I’ll get your drinks,” said the red-faced waitress as she left the table.

  It didn’t take long for their food to arrive. As she set the plates in front of them, she apologized again. “I’m really sorry, Kelly. I had no idea.”

  “Daddy saved her life,” said D.C. as he stuffed three fries in his mouth at once. “But I told him about the bad man, so I helped save her, too.”

  “Yeah, and then Daddy let her sleep in his bed because she was scared,” said Win before taking a giant bite of his burger.

  Derik cleared his throat and took a drink of tea. I am definitely going to have a talk with these boys as soon as we get in the truck. Maybe it’s time to give them that little speech about men and women after all.

  Penny’s mouth fell open as she turned toward Derik. “In front of the children? What’s wrong with you two?” She stomped off and didn’t return to the table until she brought their ticket.

  Derik played with the food on his plate. He peeked at Kelly and saw the blush on her face. She looked like she was ready to give him a piece of her mind. I guess I’d deserve it for putting her in this situation.

  After they had finished their meal, they headed home. Derik spent the drive time thinking about what he was going to say to the boys about Kelly being in his bed that morning.

  Once they arrived at the house, he said, “Guys, we need to have a little talk. Everyone in the living room for a family meeting.”

  “Kelly, too?” D.C. asked as Derik helped him out of the truck.

  “She’s part of our family, isn’t she, Daddy?” Win said.

  “Kelly, too. Now, hop to it, everyone.”

  They each took a seat in the living room while Derik paced the floor, thinking about what he was going to say. “Boys, I need to talk to you about what you saw this morning. In my bedroom.”

  “What’d we see?” said Win, looking at his brother.

  “Yeah, what’d we see, Daddy?” asked D.C.

  “Kelly and me, in my bed. That’s what I’m talking about.” He avoided eye contact with his boys. “Sometimes men and women share the same bed, and when they do, it’s private and personal. It isn’t something people talk about, especially to anyone who’s not in their family. So, from now on, let’s not say anything more about Kelly being in my bed. Okay?”

  “Okay, we’ll keep it a secret from now on. We won’t tell anyone the next time.”

  “There won’t be a next time.” Kelly said it so quickly that all three turned to look at her. “It won’t happen again.” She looked at Derik while shaking her head.

  Derik cocked an eyebrow then turned back to the boys. “That’s right, it’s private, so don’t be talking about it,” he looked at Kelly and added, “anytime you might accidentally see her in my room. Questions?”

  “No,” said Win as he wiggled out of his chair, ready to go outside and play.

  “Yeah,” said D.C. “Are you and Kelly getting married? Mommy slept in your bed, and you were married.”

  “No,” said Kelly.

  “I don’t know,” said Derik at the same time.

  Chapter 19

  Everyone spent the remainder of the weekend recuperating and resting. Monday started a normal week for Derik and the boys. They returned to school, and he concentrated on his work. As the week wore on, Kelly remained on edge and short-tempered.

  Derik arrived at the house Thursday afternoon to find his sons playing in the living room. They ran to him as soon as he walked in. “Daddy, something’s wrong with Kelly,” D.C. said. “She was crying when we got home, and she told us to stay in the house and play. She said we can’t go outside.”

  “And she said we could do our homework after you got home. You have to help me with my pluses, okay?” asked Win.

  “Okay, I’ll help you with your math in a few minutes, Win. But first let me see what’s going on.” Derik quickly scanned the room. “Where is she?”

  “Upstairs.”

  “You guys stay down here and play.”

  He ran up the stairs and found Kelly lying across her bed, her head on her folded arms, sobbing. He dropped to his knee. “Kelly, what’s wrong? What happened?” She continued to cry. “Okay, you’re scaring me. Talk to me, honey.”

  She raised her face, and he saw by the swollen eyes and blotchy skin that she’d been crying for some time. He rubbed her back. “Take a deep breath and start at the beginning. What’s wrong?”

  “He made bail. Jarrod’s out on bail. Sheriff Foster called me. He said all I can do is file for an order of protection.”

  “Damn. Okay, we’ll take care of the paperwork first thing in the morning. What else did he say?”

  Kelly took a deep breath and sat up. “He called right before the boys got home and said that the judge told Jarrod he can’t leave town until his trial. Then he told me to get the order of protection.” Kelly shook her head. “A piece of paper won’t stop him.”

  She sighed and leaned back against the headboard. “I can’t put the b
oys, or you, in danger. I’ve got to get out of here. I won’t risk you getting hurt. I have no idea what Jarrod’s up to, but now I know he’s capable of anything.”

  Derik sat on the bed beside her and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re right, we have to protect the boys. But I don’t want you leaving. I want you close, where I can protect you, too. Get some things together, and we’ll get out of here. Pack some clothes for the kids. I’ll grab a bag for me.”

  “No, we won’t go anywhere tonight. Besides, he’s not stupid enough to try anything while you’re home. We can decide what to do tomorrow, when my head’s a little clearer.”

  Instead of taking the boys outside after dinner, Derik suggested they stay in and play board games. Following a few rounds of Chutes and Ladders, the boys began to yawn. They were taken upstairs, bathed, and tucked into bed, and stories were read as usual. It was like any other night, except Derik made a point to check the locks twice before he turned in.

  The next morning Derik offered to take the day off, but Kelly assured him she’d be fine. She promised to go to the sheriff’s department and file an order of protection against Jarrod as soon as she loaded the dishwasher. They agreed to meet at the diner for lunch.

  Minutes after Derik left, there was a knock at the front door. Kelly glanced through the window and saw Sheriff Foster standing on the porch. When she opened the door, he stepped inside and closed it behind him. “Kelly, you need to get some things together. I’m going to take you to a safe house. We’ve been keeping a close eye on Dinson since he posted bail. My guys have already observed him in the area twice, and they’ve run him off both times. I just got confirmation that he has a concealed carry permit. I don’t like the idea that he may have a weapon now. We need to get that order of protection filed and get you out of sight as soon as possible. Let’s go.”