Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1)

by Sharon Cummin

  “Where's Bridget?” he asked. “She's supposed to dog me.”

  “Dog you,” I said. “You mean underdog.”

  “That's what I said,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “She's not here yet,” I said.

  “She said she'd do it,” he said, as if I was the one letting him down.

  “I'm sure she'll do what she said,” I told him.

  I heard the ding of my phone and knew it was her before even checking.

  Bridget: I'm not going to be able to make it. Gabe isn't feeling well.

  Me: Is this your way of getting out of it? If so, you should know there are two kids running around here, waiting for you, saying you told them you'd do things with them.

  Bridget: I'm not trying to get out of it. Are they really waiting for me?

  Me: Yes. You promised an underdog and you're supposed to watch cartoons. They're going to be super disappointed. You shouldn't have said you would if you didn't mean it.

  Bridget: I did mean it, Derek. Don't make me sound like some kind of liar.

  Me: It's fine. I'll talk to them.

  Bridget: I'm not trying to get out of it. Gabe is warm and cranky. It's kind of freaking me out. Please don't make me feel bad. I'm already worried.

  Me: What does Doug and Gabby think?

  As soon as I sent it, I felt bad. It was an asshole move, and I knew it.

  Bridget: They're not here. What would they know? They don't have kids.

  Me: When will they be back?

  Bridget: Tomorrow night. They went to a conference in Nevada. He's really warm. I'm not lying.

  I instantly felt bad for her. I remembered what it was like the first time Jenny was sick. Jean was there to help me, and I still felt helpless. The worst thing ever was having a sick child and not being able to take it away. You just want them to feel better, and you'd do anything for that to happen.

  Me: He'll be okay. It won't be the last time he gets sick. You just have to hold him and be there until he feels better.

  Bridget: I feel so bad. Are they really looking for me?

  Me: Yes.

  Bridget: Can you get them by the phone. Tell me when they're there.

  I called Jenny and TJ over and text to let her know they were there. When my phone rang, I was shocked. I answered and put it on speaker for them to hear.

  “Hey guys,” she said. “This is Bridget.”

  They both started talking right away.

  “Be quiet and let her talk,” I told them.

  “I can't come today.”

  There were two loud groans.

  “I'm so sorry. Please don't be sad. Gabe isn't feeling well, and I can't take him out of the house. I promise I'll come next time. I will push you on the swing higher than ever, TJ. I'll watch you slide and come watch cartoons with you, Jenny. I really wanted to be there. I didn't mean to let you two down.”

  “Promise,” Jenny said.

  “I promise,” Bridget said.

  “What's wrong with Gabe?” Jenny asked.

  “I'm not sure,” Bridget said. “I'm a new mommy, and this is the first time he's been sick.”

  I could hear the worry in her voice and felt so bad for her. She was alone, and she was scared.

  “My daddy and grandma take care of me when I'm sick,” Jenny said. “Maybe they can help you.”

  “I'm sure they're very busy,” Bridget said. “I'm going to go now, but I promise I will be there next time.”

  “Okay,” they both said. “Bye.”

  The two kids took off running.

  “I have to go,” she said. “He's crying.”

  She hung up before I could even say goodbye. I looked over when I heard Taylor clear his throat.

  “I even feel bad for her,” he said.

  “What?” I asked, as if I didn't know what he was talking about.

  “Go check on her,” he said. “She sounded so damn scared.”

  “I'll check on her later,” I said.

  “I'll take Jenny home to Jean,” Taylor said. “Just make sure you let her know so she doesn't go all protective when I show up.”

  “You know Jean loves you,” I said with a laugh. “She just likes to give you shit.”

  “I know it,” he said. “That lady has a great sense of humor for being old.”

  “She's not that old,” I said defensively. “You sure? Maybe she can come and get her.”

  “You don't want me driving your little girl,” he said. “I feel sorry for her when she grows up. She's not going to be able to get away from you.”

  “I'll take her wherever she needs to go,” I said, as I hit call on Jeans number and lifted the phone to my ear.

  Jean showed up thirty minutes later. I wouldn't leave until she got there. Taylor tried to act offended, but his ass was just as bad as mine. I thanked Jean over and over before telling Jenny where I was going and taking off. As soon as I got in the car, I sent a message.

  Me: What's your address?

  Bridget: Why?

  Me: Just text me the damn thing so I can get moving. Don't make me try to get it myself. That would just waste everyone's time.

  Bridget: You don't need to come here. I'm fine. I just wanted to let you know I wasn't coming.

  Me: Address?

  She finally sent it. I typed it into the screen on my truck and took off, making a couple of stops along the way. When I heard my phone ding, I didn't bother checking it.

  When I pulled up, I was surprised at how big the house was. I knew I shouldn't have been, but I was. I knocked on the door, and she answered with Gabe in her arms.

  “You didn't have to come,” she said.

  “Never said I had to,” I said, as I walked right by her into the house.

  She closed the door and followed me in.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  I had a bag of stuff I'd gotten at the store on my way over, and I was pulling things out and putting them on the table. I'd also picked up some food but left that in the bag.

  “I remember the first time Jenny was sick. It scared the shit out of me, and I had her grandparents there with me. I'm just here to help. Before your smart mouth says it, I know you don't need help. I guess I'm here for support. Anything to say about that?”

  She shook her head and continued watching me. I reached over and felt Gabe's head. It wasn't nearly as warm as I thought it would be. I couldn't help but feel my chest tighten when I thought about how worried she was over something so little. She was a good person and loved her little boy so much.

  “Let's give him a bath. Don't make it hot or cold, just kind of warm,” I said, and she nodded.

  She turned and headed up the stairs, and I followed behind her. Then she turned and walked into what I assumed was Gabe's room. The bed looked just like the one in the picture. She walked into the bathroom, but I stopped to look around her room. There was a lot of Gabe in the room, but I could see little things that were definitely her too.

  “You coming,” she yelled out.

  “Yes,” I said. “A little patience, Woman.”

  When I heard her laugh, I smiled too. It made me feel good that she was relaxing a bit. I walked in to see her turning on the water with Gabe in her arms, and I quickly stepped in front of her.

  “I'll get the water,” I said, not wanting her to have to do it while holding him.

  “I can do it,” she said.

  “Didn't say you couldn't,” I said. “Just said I would.”

  I turned on the water and filled the tub a bit. Then I took a couple of towels, folded them, and put them on the bottom of the tub. When I turned around, she had Gabe undressed and wrapped in a towel. I took him from her arms, leaving the towel behind, and put him into the tub. His head rested on the towels, and I began pouring the water over him. I made sure to turn it off and watched him every second to make sure it didn't come close to his face. She leaned down next to me and watched my every move. When I turned to see her face, she had tears in her
eyes.

  “What's wrong?” I asked her.

  “Nothing,” she answered.

  “Bridget,” I said with warning in my tone.

  “I just can't believe you,” she said. “You're so good and careful.”

  “I do have a little girl,” I said.

  “I know,” she said. “It's just different seeing this side of you. She's lucky to have you.”

  “You miss him,” I said without thinking.

  “I do,” she said. “Sometimes I get sad that he'll never meet his little boy. Sometimes I sit and wonder what kind of dad he would be. Seeing you with the baby like that makes me wonder if he'd be that good with him.”

  I motioned for her to get the towel, and she did. Then I got the baby out of the tub and placed him gently in her arms and wrapped the towel around him.

  “I'm sure he would be,” I said. “I wasn't this good the first time Jenny was sick. I was freaking out the entire time. Jean moved around and took care of everything while I stood frozen in place.”

  “Jean,” she said.

  I motioned for her to walk into her room and followed behind her to the bed. She sat down on the bed, and I helped her dry the baby off.

  “Jean and Joe are Jenny's grandparents. They are Jennifer's parents.”

  “You live with them?” she asked.

  “They live with me,” I said. “We'd moved here to be closer to them. Jennifer had the house picked out before I even got out. She wanted to live by her parents, and there was no way I was going to stop her. I didn't have anything keeping me away since I was pretty much starting over, and she'd been right there to support me through years of me leaving without notice.”

  I looked down to see her looking up at me.

  “They moved in to help me after she died,” I said. “I had a hard time at first. Longer than at first really. It took a while for me to get my shit together. They will never know how grateful I am for them.”

  “Kind of like how Gabby is helping me,” she said.

  “Let's get him dressed,” I said.

  She stood up and walked across the hall. When she walked in, I followed her and looked around.

  “Cute room,” I said.

  “Gabby did it,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “She wanted me to move in here before Gabe was born, so she got Doug to go shopping with her, and Doug and John put it all together. When she called me to come over, she had it all done.”

  “You didn't get to pick out the stuff for his room?” I asked.

  “No,” she said with a sad tone in her voice. “I like it though. It's really nice.”

  She was pregnant and had to have been excited to be becoming a mom. Didn't she have ideas of how she wanted his room, I wondered? Jennifer was super excited about decorating Jenny's room.

  “She was trying to help me,” she said, before picking Gabe up and turning toward me. “He doesn't seem as warm now.”

  “You just need to keep an eye on him. He's really too young for medicine. If he gets too warm, we can take him to the doctor.”

  I turned around and walked out of the room and down the steps.

  “Derek,” she called out, as she followed me. “Thank you for coming over. I didn't mean to sound like I don't appreciate it. I just didn't want to take you away from Jenny.”

  “Her grandma met me at the park,” I said. “Taylor said he'd watch her, but I said no.”

  “What did you tell her grandma?” she asked.

  “I told her Gabe wasn't feeling well and you were alone,” I said, as I headed toward what I assumed was the kitchen.

  I was reaching up into a cabinet, grabbing plates, when the door opened behind me.

  “You told her that?” she asked. “She doesn't know who I am.”

  “She does,” I said. “Jenny told her all about you after that last picnic. I told you they loved you.”

  “What are you doing?” she asked, when I put the plates down and started opening drawers to get forks and knives out.

  “I brought food,” I said. “I knew you wouldn't put him down long enough to eat, and honestly, I'm hungry.”

  “You didn't eat at the picnic?” she asked.

  “No,” I said. “I got Jenny a plate just before I left.”

  “You didn't have to leave,” she said.

  “Already said that,” I said, as I grabbed some napkins and picked up the dishes.

  Bridget followed me back into the dining room. She kept walking toward the living room and came back without Gabe.

  “He fell asleep, so I put him down,” she said, as she walked by me to the table. “Thank you for this, Derek.”

  “Not a problem,” I said.

  “You know Gabe can't,” she began, but I grabbed her arm, turned her toward me, and cut her off.

  “Not another word,” I said sternly. “That is the last time you'll say anything like that. I've already told you that I originally gave you that card because of him, but that was it. Every single time I've talked to you, text you, or seen you since had nothing to do with him. I'm not going to tell you that again. I'm not here because of Gabe. I'm here because of you.”

  She looked up at me but didn't say a word. There was no way I could either. It felt like she could see right into my soul, and it was driving me crazy. I reached around her, grabbed a plate, and brought it around to hand it to her.

  “Get some food,” I said.

  She smiled, turned, and filled her plate. We sat in the living room and watched a movie together. When it was over, she took care of Gabe before putting him back in his little bed. We talked and watched some corny reality show she had recorded. When her eyes closed, she leaned her head against my shoulder. I was so tired and wanted to lean against her and close my eyes too, but I didn't. Instead, I stood up slowly, walked over to the baby, and reached in and felt his head. He wasn't warm anymore and was sleeping well.

  “Why don't you go upstairs and put him in his crib,” I said.

  “No,” she said. “I'm going to stay down here with him.”

  I grabbed a pillow and put it under her head. Then I grabbed a blanket and covered her up.

  “I'm going to get going,” I said.

  “You don't have to,” she said softly.

  “I'm not sure your dad and mom would like seeing me here if they get back early,” I said.

  “No dad or mom here,” she mumbled.

  “Goodnight, Bridget,” I said.

  Then I turned off all the lights and locked the door on my way out. There was no way I was staying. I couldn't. My ass needed to get home, with Jenny, where I belonged.

  Chapter 25

  Bridget

  When I woke up, the house was dark, and Derek was gone. I couldn't remember him leaving, but I did remember him say something about my mom and dad. He had no idea that my relationship with my parents wasn't very good, so I had no clue what he was talking about. Then I remembered him saying something before about Doug being my dad. Was he saying Gabby was my mom? If so, what did he mean?

  I'd been so freaked out over Gabe's fever and was so glad Derek had come over to help me. He'd never know how much I appreciated it. There was no way I was going to tell him. I felt stupid enough that I'd freaked out over something so small.

  The next month flew by. Gabe was already getting so big. It felt like he was growing an inch each day. I knew I needed to soak up every single second with my little boy. The only time I left him was to go to the meetings on Monday nights. It wasn't easy, but I knew it was good for me. I needed it for the meetings, to know that I wasn't alone and be with people who understood what I was going through, but I also needed it to get a couple hours to myself each week. It gave me time to relax and renew, as long as Derek wasn't giving me shit or asking me about things I didn't want to talk about. We'd gone for coffee each week. I honestly think we both needed that as well. I even found myself sending him an occasional text during the week when Gabe was sleeping.


  Me: Working hard, or hardly working?

  Me: What are you working on?

  Me: How's it going? Any good people to follow around?

  Me: Did you smile for the girl at my desk this morning?

  He'd answer back with something sarcastic, and then we'd go on about our day. His company had done such a great job on the case the police had given them, so they'd given them another one. I wasn't nearly as thrilled for them as they were. The only thing he told me about the new one was that the guy they were after was a bit more dangerous than the last. That didn't make me feel any better.

  The morning of the next picnic, I was up and ready to go. Gabe was in a great mood, laughing and smiling away. Gabby came down the stairs just as I was getting ready to go, and I could tell she wasn't happy.

  “Do you really think you should be taking him out?” she asked. “He's still so little.”

  “He needs some air,” I answered, feeling a bit irritated that she was questioning what I was doing. “He might not be able to run and swing, but he'll be able to watch the other kids.”

  “Really?” she asked. “He's not even three months old yet.”

  “That doesn't mean he won't enjoy it,” I said. “He loves being outside.”

  “I guess your right,” she said. “I'm sorry. I just worry about him.”

  When she walked over and wrapped her arms around me, I was surprised.

  “I love you, Bridget,” she said. “I don't mean to be a pain in the ass.”

  “It just comes naturally then,” Doug said, as he came down the stairs and walked over to us.

  “Shut up,” she said, as she poked him in the arm.

  “I hope you have a good time at the park,” he said, as he leaned down and rubbed Gabe's cheek.

  “I'll see you two later,” I said, as I threw Gabe's bag over my shoulder and picked up his carrier.

  “Do you know what time you'll be home?” Gabby asked.

  “You have plenty of time,” I said with my nose scrunched up at the thought of them doing that shit around the house. “Try to keep it in your room.”

  I heard her burst into laughter, as I pulled the door closed behind me.

  When I pulled into the lot at the park, Stephanie was walking toward Derek's truck. He got out and reached in to lift Jenny out. The second she saw me, her eyes lit up.