An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1)

by Sherri McDuffie

  “What’s up?” Derik said.

  “I, ah, I just wanted to let you know that I’m here if you need to talk.”

  Derik looked at the man and sat back in his chair. “Okay, thanks, but what do I need to talk about?”

  Stewart looked at him then turned and walked out of the room. Derik shook his head and returned to the paper work on his desk. Once he was done, he went to the service area to install the water pump he had just picked up. The entire room fell quiet when he stepped into the garage. No one would look him in the face. Instead, they mumbled hellos or nodded when he walked past. He glanced at his employees and asked, “What’s going on?” The sound of pneumatic tools and mumbled voices filled the air as his crew returned to work.

  One of the men patted his shoulder. “Hang in there. If you want to grab a beer one night and talk, I’m there for you. Us divorced men have to stick together.”

  Derik looked back, but the man had walked away. For the second time that day, Derik shook his head in confusion.

  After the water pump was installed, Derik went to his office. “Stew, can I see you a minute?” he said as he walked past the front counter.

  The two men sat in Derik’s office. “What the heck is going on?”

  Stewart looked at his friend and said, “I was hoping you would tell me.”

  “Tell you what?”

  “Look man, I don’t need the details. I’m just surprised to hear that you two have split up. I mean, you guys seemed so happy.”

  “Who split? What are you talking about?”

  “Barry took a call from Kelly. Maybe you need to talk to him.”

  Derik punched the button on the intercom and called the young man to his office. When the boy knocked on the door, Derik asked, “What’s going on, Barry?”

  The kid looked from one to the other. He cleared his throat and dropped his eyes. “Your wife called earlier and asked me to give you a message. She said she was leaving you.”

  Derik sat back and ran his hand over his face. He pushed away from the desk and walked toward the door. “Follow me.” He went to the service area and placed two fingers in his mouth. A shrill whistle filled the air, and the room grew quiet.

  “Listen up, men. I am not getting a divorce. My wife and I are not having problems. She has not left me. She’s gone to help a friend who had an accident earlier this morning. Now, get back to work.” He turned to head to his office and glared at the young man standing behind him. He looked at Stewart and said, “Get him out of my sight.”

  Derik’s phone rang shortly after he returned to his office. He smiled when he saw Kelly’s name. “Hey, is this my estranged wife?”

  “Your what?”

  “Never mind. You wouldn’t believe what’s been going on today.” He explained the misunderstanding and the men’s behavior.

  “I’m so sorry. Sydney was upset, and the letter had caught me off guard so I guess I wasn’t very clear.”

  “What letter?

  “I got a subpoena this morning. They’ve set a date for Jarrod’s trial.”

  “I know. I got served this morning, too. I’m glad this mess is all going to be over and that jerk will be where he belongs. How’s the trip so far?”

  “Sydney sleeps for a while then wakes up and cries for a while. You know how that is. We stopped so I could feed and change her. I’ll call when we stop again.”

  The couple talked a few more minutes before Kelly got back on the road and he returned to work.

  When Derik arrived home that afternoon, Jack was sitting at the kitchen table helping Win with his homework. He stood and said, “You boys keep working. Your dad and I are going to go outside for a minute,” then motioned toward the door with his chin.

  The men stepped onto the porch. Jack pulled the door closed behind him and took a deep breath. “Kelly asked me to meet the boys after school. I don’t pry into anyone’s business, but seeing as you’re family and I love you two, I’m going to break my own rule. What’s going on, Derik?” He held up a crumbled piece of paper. “This was on the kitchen floor, wadded up just like that. It’s from a lawyer. Are you two okay? Kelly calls and asks me to watch the boys after she gets a letter from a lawyer, and when I was in the bathroom, I couldn’t help but notice all of her doodad stuff is missing. Are you two splitting up?”

  “Kelly’s gone? Why? Isn’t she going to be our mom anymore? She promised.”

  The men turned and saw the boys standing in the door. D.C. ran past his father to the treehouse.

  “Kelly isn’t going to be our mom?” Win said before he started crying.

  Derik rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. He crouched in front of Win and said, “Kelly is still going to be your mom. I’ll explain everything as soon as I get your brother.” He looked at Jack and said, “Take him inside while I find D.C.” He hurried across the yard, and Jack led the boy into the house.

  A sobbing D.C. and a frustrated Derik walked inside a few minutes later. Jack was drumming his fingers on the kitchen table, and Win was sitting beside him, swinging his feet and resting his chin on his arms. Tear stains were on his round cheeks.

  “Sit down, D.C.” Derik said, pointing to a chair. He pulled out another seat and dropped into it. “Pay attention, all of you.” He gave Jack a quick look. “Kelly and I are not getting a divorce. We love each other. Mikki hurt her leg this morning, and Kelly has gone to help her for a few days. She’s coming back, I promise.” He turned to Jack. “The letter from the lawyer was a subpoena for Jarrod’s trial.” He sat back and ran both hands through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.

  Chapter 36

  Kelly and Mikki sat in the apartment living room, sipping their morning coffee. Mikki had her foot resting on the coffee table and Sydney in her arms.

  “She is adorable. I want one.”

  “You wouldn’t say that if you had been in the car with her for four hours. D.C. would really be ready to send her back if he had come with me.”

  “He doesn’t like his new sister?”

  “It’s a case of sibling rivalry. At least I hope that’s all it is. He says she cries too much, and he’s right.”

  “All kids go through a jealousy thing when a new baby comes into the family. I heard her this morning. The kid does have a healthy set of lungs. Give him time. He’ll come around.”

  A knock on the door drew their attention. Kelly opened it and saw a short, thin man in a blue police uniform standing in the hallway.

  “Michaela Gray?”

  “That’s me,” Mikki called from her seat on the couch. Kelly stepped to the side, and the man walked into the apartment. He stopped in front of the short table and handed Mikki the clipboard in his hand.

  “Sign here, please,” he said.

  Mikki signed and took the thick envelope he pulled from his hip pocket.

  After he left, Kelly refilled their coffee cups while Mikki opened the letter. “Hey, this is a subpoena. It’s for Jarrod’s trial.”

  “I got one yesterday, right before you called. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to being in the same room with him again.”

  “You know he can’t hurt you again, ever. He’s in custody, and the courtroom will be full of cops. Just tell them what he did to you, everything. You didn’t do anything wrong, Kelly.”

  “I know, but I’m so ashamed. You don’t know how hard it is for me to admit I was ever involved with someone like that.”

  “You march in there and hold your head high and keep telling yourself you didn’t do anything to cause him to behave the way he did and you didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

  Sydney began to kick and suck on her fist. Kelly stood and said, “That means it’s time to fix her bottle and change the subject. I don’t want to talk about Jarrod anymor
e.”

  Kelly prepared a bottle and handed it to Mikki. “You surprised me,” she said. “You didn’t try to flirt with that policeman.”

  “No way He’s a cop. Can you see me with a cop?”

  Kelly stayed at Mikki’s for one week. She took her friend to the first doctor visit and ran her errands. She also went to the grocery store and made sure the cupboards and refrigerator were stocked. Once Mikki became accustomed to walking in the boot and no longer required the pain pills, Kelly felt comfortable leaving her alone.

  “I can’t thank you enough for coming,” Mikki said. She was sitting on the bed holding Sydney and watching Kelly pack her suitcase. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. It’s been fun having you back. I’m going to miss you.”

  “You would have done the same for me. That’s what friends do. We’ll see you in two weeks when you come for the trial.”

  “I can’t wait to see Derik and the boys again. Are you sure it won’t be any trouble? I don’t mind getting a room.”

  “Nonsense. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

  Kelly took her luggage to the car and strapped Sydney in her seat. She hugged Mikki and said, “Promise me you will use the elevator until you get out of that boot.”

  “Okay. I hope I’m out of it when I come for the trial. And you promise that you’ll take your time and drive carefully.”

  “I might stop and visit with Max and Brenda. It’s on my way, just off the interstate.” The friends said goodbye, and Kelly headed home to hug her family, and prepare for Jarrod Dinson’s evidentiary hearing.

  Chapter 37

  Sheriff Foster pulled into the long gravel driveway and parked next to a maroon SUV. When he walked past the vehicle, he glanced in the rear window and saw two pieces of luggage. After stepping on the front porch of the brick house, he knocked once and walked inside.

  Kelly Stone and Max sat at the kitchen table sipping tea and talking. Brenda stood in front of the side-by-side refrigerator filling a glass with ice. She had Sydney in her arms.

  “Come in, Pete,” she said. “I thought I saw you pull up. Sit down and have a glass of tea with us. Is this a business or pleasure trip?”

  “Thank you, Brenda. I was off this afternoon and thought I would stop by and see how everyone is doing.” He hugged her and kissed her red-spiked head then tickled Sydney under the chin. “She sure is growing. Hello, Kelly. I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “I’ve been at my friend’s for a week and was on the way home when Sydney got fussy. I thought I would stop and feed her and introduce her to Brenda and Max. I’m glad you’re here. I may need your help getting her back. These two have been fighting over her ever since we arrived.”

  Brenda laughed and sat a glass of tea in front of Pete Foster. She placed the child in her husband’s arms.

  Max took Sydney with the ease of someone who’d handled babies all his life. “Can you smile for Uncle Max?”

  “Here, give her to me,” Foster said. He took the little girl and tickled her belly. “You aren’t going to smile at that ugly mug, are you? No, you’re going to smile at Uncle Pete, aren’t you?”

  Max snatched her back and began bouncing her in his arms. “Oops, I think someone feels a little soggy in the nether regions” He looked at Kelly. “Where are the diapers? I can take care of that.”

  Brenda stood and reached for the baby. “They’re in the living room. You visit, and I’ll change her.”

  Sheriff Foster looked at Max. “What do you know about changing a baby’s nether region?”

  “I’ll have you know that I’ve changed more than my share of diapers. We had a mother with twins staying with us for a time, and she had two broken arms. Brenda and I were busier than a centipede at a toe-counting contest. I’ve probably changed a heck of a lot more diapers than you ever have.”

  Brenda returned, and Pete claimed the baby before Max could take her.

  “I’ve changed a few myself. I had four younger brothers and sisters,” Foster said. He blew raspberries on Sydney’s tummy and bounced her on his knee.

  After a moment, Max took the child. “Kelly was just telling us about a problem she’s having at home.”

  Foster looked up. “Are you and Derik having trouble? He hasn’t hurt you or threatened you, has he?”

  “Derik? You know better than that, Sheriff. You couldn’t ask for a better husband or father. The man’s wonderful with the kids, and he treats me like a queen. I can’t believe you would ask such a thing. Derik Stone is one of the kindest and most caring people I know.”

  “Yep, that’s usually the reason a woman with a new baby leaves home. I understand a good husband can drive a woman crazy. Must be why Brenda lets me stay around. She’s always said I wasn’t worth a darn.” Max smiled at his wife and winked.

  Kelly shook her head. “No, I didn’t leave home. I told you, I was visiting my friend Mikki. She hurt her ankle, and I was helping out for a few days.”

  “Good,” said Sheriff Foster. “I saw the luggage in your car and was a little worried.”

  “The problem I was talking about isn’t with Derik, it’s with D.C.” She took a sip of tea and looked at her daughter. “He doesn’t like Sydney. He’s never held her. He won’t even touch her.”

  “Ahhh,” Max said, smiling at the bouncing baby. “The older child issue. I guess every family goes through some of that when a new baby comes along. As the story goes, right after I was born, my oldest brother took me to the barn, put me in the hay trough, and tried to feed me to the cows. He told our parents he was rehearsing for the church Christmas play and I was going to be the baby Jesus, but since it was mid-March, the folks didn’t buy it.”

  Pete took the infant and began to make faces at her. “It’s normal for older kids to get jealous when babies come along. It affects the family dynamics. The youngest isn’t the youngest anymore. The middle kid’s no longer the middle kid. The only child now has to share. Yeah, it’s natural.” He laughed. “Of course I don’t remember, but my parents say I tried to sell my youngest brother to the neighbor for a quarter. Guess I figured with that many kids they wouldn’t notice he was missing.”

  Max lifted the baby back into his arms and began to play with her tummy when she suddenly dumped her lunch down the front of her outfit. His quick reflexes had him holding her in mid-air and avoiding the mess. “Mount Saint Sydney erupts again.”

  “What did you expect? You two have been passing her around like she was on a circus ride. I’m surprised she didn’t lose it sooner,” Kelly said. She took the baby and went down the hall.

  The men looked at each other and shrugged. “She spit up while you had her,” Foster said as he crossed his ankles. “That’s not my fault.”

  “She wouldn’t have spewed if you hadn’t jostled her so much. You shook her up. That’s what did it,” Max said before taking another sip of tea.

  Kelly returned to the room with a much cleaner Sydney. Pete held out his hands, but she shook her head and clutched the child tighter. “Oh no you don’t, you two toss her around like she’s a football. Hands off until her tummy settles.”

  “Wasn’t my fault,” Pete said under his breath. “He shook her up, not me.”

  Kelly handed the baby to Brenda then looked at Sheriff Foster. “Jarrod’s trial is in two weeks. Derik and I both got a subpoena. My friend Mikki got one, too. I’ve never had to testify before. I’ve never even been in a courtroom.”

  “I’m going to testify, too. There’s nothing to worry about. Just answer the questions. This is an evidentiary hearing to see if there’s enough evidence to proceed with a trial. I saw that it will be in Judge Gaston’s court. He’s pretty laid back, but he won’t put up with any shenanigans, either.”

  “Jarrod will be there, won’t he? I mean he will be in the sam
e room while I’m testifying, right?”

  “Yes, but don’t worry. There’s at least one bailiff in the courtroom at all times. He won’t be able to get near you. He won’t even be allowed to speak to you.” Foster reached over and patted Kelly’s hand. “Just tell the judge what he did.”

  “But what if he doesn’t believe me? What if they let Jarrod go and he keeps coming back? You know he isn’t going to stop. He’s never going to stop.” She looked at her daughter. “What if the next time he hurts my children?”

  Sheriff Foster took her hand in his. “Don’t worry. Jarrod Dinson isn’t going to be released, not after you testify. Remember, Kelly, you’re a survivor, not a victim.”

  She smiled, but the fear in her eyes was evident.

  Chapter 38

  Derik and the children had been working hard to get the house clean before Kelly arrived home. He was unloading the dishwasher when the door opened, and she walked in carrying Sydney.

  He had just kissed his wife and took his daughter in his arms when D.C. and Win flew down the stairs.

  “Daddy, did we hear—” Win started to say before he saw Kelly. His face twisted between a smile and a cry, and he flung himself into her open arms and hugged her. “I’m glad you’re home, I missed you. I missed you a lot. Where’s Sydney?” He saw the baby in Derik’s arms and walked to his father’s side. He put his finger out and laughed when she grasped it. “Can I hold her?” Derik nodded and led the boy into the living room to sit on the sofa.