For His Daughter

by Dani Sinclair

  Kayla slid the glass across the polished table, careful to stay clear of reaching hands and out of Lee’s line of fire. But she had to turn away from the gratitude she saw on Elizabeth’s face. Only then did she notice the blood staining Lee’s neck and the back of his shirt.

  “You’re hurt!”

  He felt the back of his head. His hand came away red and sticky. “It’s okay. I’ve got a hard head.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s leaking,” she told him shakily.

  “Great. I’ll have matching stitches, front and back.”

  But she couldn’t summon a smile. The sight of Lee’s blood was having a distressing effect on her stomach. “I’ll go get some ice to put on it.”

  Lee didn’t argue. Kayla stood in the kitchen, trembling for several seconds before she could make herself hunt for a clean dish towel to fill with ice. Lee and Elizabeth were talking when she went back into the dining room.

  “Why did you kill Barney?” she heard Lee ask.

  “Jason killed him. He said we’d have all that insurance money if he set fire to the motel. He wanted the police to blame Barney, but Barney caught him in the act. Jason said they were struggling when you and Kayla drove up. He knocked Barney down and fired at you, then he ran across the field to the path that leads up here to the house.”

  Kayla pulled out another chair, moving it well away from the table. “Sit here, Lee, so I can look at that cut.”

  “It’s okay, Kayla.”

  “Sit!” His lips curled at the corners, but he sat, keeping the gun on Elizabeth every second. Once again, Kayla was careful not to get in his line of fire. The cut wasn’t deep, but it was bleeding profusely. Kayla held the makeshift ice bag against his scalp.

  “Ouch.”

  Her hands shook in reaction, but she tried to sound nonchalant. “Stop being a baby.”

  “That’s what Jason wanted,” Elizabeth said sadly to herself. “A baby. But no matter how I tried, I never got pregnant.” She drained the glass and her eyes grew heavy. “When he went out this afternoon, I found a letter on his computer.”

  “The one out by the pool?” Kayla asked.

  But Elizabeth didn’t seem to hear the question. Her voice grew more and more slurred. “He was going leave me. I found his bags packed upstairs. The letter said he was filing for divorce. He called me a drunken sot. Then he hit me.”

  A tear leaked from eyes that were only half open now. Kayla had to swallow hard. Elizabeth made a pathetic sight, all disheveled in her Chippendale dining room chair.

  “He didn’t know I took the gun from his desk drawer. He went in his office and told me he wash...was cutting his losses. He was leaving and I couldn’t stop him.”

  She opened both eyes.

  “I just made sure it was for good. I want some more.” She held out her empty glass.

  “You’ve had enough, Elizabeth,” Lee said gently.

  She looked straight at them, her eyes fully open. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  Elizabeth put her head down on the tabletop and closed her eyes. Kayla brushed at a tear that trickled down her own face.

  “Hey,” Lee said softly. “You okay?”

  Kayla nodded, swallowing her pity. “This whole thing is such a sorry waste. Jason marries her for her money, belittles her for not having a baby, carries on an affair with another woman and then beats her up and she still loves him. I don’t get it.”

  “Me neither.” He lowered the gun to his thigh, though he kept his attention on Elizabeth. She never moved.

  “Lee, there’s no reason to tell the police about the DNA tests Jason was having run. He can’t dispute your claim to Meredith anymore. No matter what the tests show, there’s more to being a parent than a piece of paper. Elizabeth won’t say anything. And I certainly won’t.”

  Lee stared into her eyes. He knew his own emotions were far too close to the surface for comfort, but he was more grateful than he could say. The news that Jason might actually be her biological father didn’t matter to him. Kayla was right. Meredith was his in every way that counted.

  “What about the letter she was writing?”

  “It doesn’t say anything, either. Do you want me to get it?” But her reluctance to enter the small den was obvious. Lee shook his head.

  “Leave it for the police.” He only hoped it wouldn’t be Thad Osher.

  They waited in silence for several minutes, listening to the rain falling inside the living room. Finally Lee heard the police car coming up the driveway. Kayla went to the hall and shouted to the officer to come around back so she could let him in. The fallen tree spanned most of the front of the house.

  Elizabeth never moved.

  Lee was thankful it wasn’t Osher. He recognized Derek Jackstone as the officer who had driven them back to Fools Point from the hospital the day before. Lee explained the situation quickly, only too happy to turn over the gun and responsibility to the shocked young policeman, who radioed for more assistance.

  Lee stepped to Kayla’s side, sliding an arm around her waist. She leaned into him wearily.

  “Are you the only people in the house?” the officer asked.

  “As far as I know. We came in through the garage, but I haven’t had a chance to check the rest of the house.”

  Jackstone approached Elizabeth cautiously and called her name. She didn’t move. “Mrs. Ruckles?” He shook her shoulder. Her body slumped bonelessly.

  Lee suddenly released Kayla. There was something in the way Elizabeth sat there that looked all wrong. He stepped forward and felt for the pulse at her neck.

  Lee swore. “I can’t find a pulse.”

  Jackstone also tried. “She’s dead,” he said.

  “She can’t be!” Kayla gasped.

  Lee pulled the limp body to the floor to begin CPR. Elizabeth’s hand flopped on the carpeting. A small, empty square of cardboard fell from her fingers.

  “What’s that?” Jackstone asked.

  Lee swallowed bitter regret. “Unless I miss my guess, it’s sleeping pills. She must have slipped some into her last drink.” He cursed himself for a fool. “That’s what she meant when she asked me if it was enough. Damn!”

  He and the young officer began working on her. They didn’t stop until the ambulance crew arrived and took over. By then Lee knew it was too late. The drug, combined with all the alcohol she’d consumed, had put Elizabeth into cardiac arrest. The emergency medical technicians tried resuscitation, as well, but Elizabeth Ruckles was as dead as her husband.

  “It’s not your fault,” Kayla whispered, clutching his arm. “You couldn’t have known.”

  She was right, but he still felt guilty.

  “She wanted it this way, Lee. She told us as much.”

  He stayed beside Kayla until Hepplewhite got there. One of the EMTs noticed the blood still oozing from the back of his head and they bundled him into a squad car and drove him to the Frederick hospital, leaving Kayla behind.

  The hospital was crowded with accident victims from the storm. Lee wasn’t a priority, so he spent the wait answering questions. A doctor finally did check him out, but decided the cut didn’t need stitches.

  Lee’s sister, Lexie, showed up around seven o’clock. She wasn’t alone.

  “Daddy Daddy Daddy!”

  Meredith’s joy made even the hardened police officers smile. Lee scooped his daughter into his arms and tried not to crush her under the weight of his relief.

  “Your lawyer and I got her sprung this afternoon,” Lexie told him.

  “I owe you.”

  “You sure do,” she agreed. “Do you know what that plane ticket cost?”

  They grinned at each other. “You look terrible,” she told him.

  “Thanks. I knew I could count on you.”

  “They said they were releasing you.”

  Lee set Merry on her feet. “For now, anyhow. I have to run upstairs and see someone before we leave. Stay with your aunt for a minute,” he admonished t
he little girl. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Ice cream?” Meredith asked hopefully.

  His sister chuckled. “She has a one-track mind. Come on, Merry, let’s go see what the cafeteria has in the way of ice cream.”

  Lee found Alex Coughlin sitting up in bed looking battered and grumpy. The eye that could still open most of the way flashed from Lee to a spot behind him where Kayla should have been.

  “She’s okay,” he greeted her brother, “but she isn’t with me. Hepplewhite was bringing her home. How bad are you feeling?”

  Alex swung his bare legs off the bed. “Not as bad as you look. What happened?”

  Quickly Lee explained. Alex wasted no time pulling his stained and torn clothing from the closet.

  “You sure you’re okay to get up?” Lee questioned.

  “Positive. I can get a cab downstairs.”

  “Okay. I’ve got to take Merry and my sister back into D.C., but tell Kayla I’ll see her in the morning.”

  Alex stopped. “Why don’t you do her a favor, Garvey? Get out of her life.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  Alex grunted. “You gonna stop being a cop?”

  Lee hesitated, then shook his head.

  “My sister hates cops,” Alex stated. “And she hated . living in D.C. She’ll come to hate you too if you take her with you. Think about that.”

  “I love her.”

  Alex scoffed. “With your kind of money, you can find someone else to love. Do her this much of a favor, anyhow. Give her some time. What you two have been through...well, it isn’t normal. Lots of people fall in love with their rescuers.”

  “She’s the one who rescued me,” he reminded her brother.

  “Same difference. I’m just asking you to let things settle. If you still feel the same way later on, you can come back for her.”

  Lee really wanted to dislike Alex, but he couldn’t. “I’ll give it some thought,” he promised. “Just let her know I didn’t walk out on her.”

  “I’ll tell her.”

  EHAUSTION WAS TURNING her churlish when Kayla heard a knock on her door. Alex came in before she could open it.

  “What are you doing out of the hospital? Where’s Lee? Oh, God. How bad is he hurt?”

  “He’s fine.”

  “I don’t understand. Why isn’t he here?”

  “His sister arrived. With Meredith.”

  Kayla relaxed. “Good. They’ll probably come over later.”

  Alex shook his head. “He said to tell you they were going back to D.C. tonight.”

  “But—”

  “He knows where you live, Kayla. He’ll find you. Don’t worry about him.”

  But Lee didn’t find her. He did call. More than once, in fact. But their conversations were short and impersonal. Lee said everything was in an uproar. He explained he was getting Meredith settled and working the night shift. He promised he’d see her soon so they could talk, but he didn’t come to the house during the following week, either.

  Kayla answered police questions, signed statements and slept fitfully, tossing and turning.

  One week turned into two. Lee’s parents had come to town so he couldn’t get away. She tried not to be disappointed when there was no invitation to meet them, and then the phone calls stopped. She knew Lee was putting his life back together, but she also suspected he was trying to let her down easy. Hadn’t she known this was how it was going to end all along?

  It was Alex who held her while she cried. And it was Alex who finally admitted that he’d sent Lee away.

  She shook her head, taking hold of anger and stoking it like a talisman. “You had no right to interfere in our relationship.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, Kayla. I’ll call him and...”

  “No. You won’t.” She bit the words out at him. “Lee’s a big boy, Alex. If he really cared about me, you wouldn’t have scared him off. Don’t worry. I’m a big girl. I’ll get over him.”

  Even if it took a hundred years.

  But the next morning, as she dressed to meet a client later in the day, it occurred to her that if she really wanted to hear Lee say it was over between them, maybe it was time for her to go and demand the words. She didn’t have to meet the client until late afternoon. This morning she was free to take a drive into D.C. She reached for her car keys and the telephone rang.

  She started to ignore the phone, but what if it was Alex? Or even Lee? “Hello?”

  “Kayla? This is Nan Ridgeway. I hate to bother you so early, but a young couple just showed up on my doorstep. They want to see the house and I have to leave for my garden club meeting this morning. I was wondering if you could come over right away. They seem so excited by the property. I’d stay if I could, but I have to pick up Mildred and we’re already late.”

  Frustrated, Kayla started to object. “Why didn’t they come to my office first?” Then she sighed. “Never mind, Nan. I’ll be right over.”

  The Ridgeway property had come on the market four days ago. Selling the beautiful old home this fast would bring in a commission she couldn’t afford to turn down. Hearing Lee reject her could always wait another few minutes.

  As she crossed the narrow bridge over Rumble Creek, she spotted Iggy’s maroon Super Sport parked on the street across from the Ridgeway place.

  She’d forgotten all about the car, but obviously Iggy hadn’t. It looked brand-new. Had he filed a claim with her insurance company? The cost of repairs belonged to her since she was the one he’d loaned the car to. She’d stop and talk to him on her way back through town.

  Kayla turned her attention to the older house with its wide, sweeping front porch. It was such a beautiful old estate house. Kayla had loved the place the moment she saw it.

  Instead of Nan Ridgeway’s silver Plymouth, a bright teal Jaguar convertible sat in the driveway. An attractive young woman stood patiently on the front porch waiting. Kayla took in her designer suit, added it to the pricey car, and decided the woman could afford the house despite her youth.

  “Hi!” the woman greeted. “You must be Kayla. I’m Lexie.”

  Kayla pasted on her best business smile and climbed the porch steps. Lexie was small and petite, coming only to her chin. She smiled at Kayla with soft gray eyes. They reminded her of Lee’s eyes. Or maybe it was the long wavy black hair that made her think of him.

  Who was she kidding? Everything reminded her of Lee lately.

  “I thought Nan said your husband was with you?” she asked.

  “Oh, uh, Bill’s out back looking around. Can we go inside right away? I’m dying to see the interior. It looks big.”

  The woman’s friendly enthusiasm made Kayla smile. “You’ll love it. There’s lots of room. It’s exactly the sort of house I would choose if I was planning a family.”

  Lexie looked smug while Kayla mentally drew up the contract as she unlocked the front door. She wondered if she still had that Under Contract sign in the trunk of her car.

  “It comes with a lot of land, you know,” she told the young woman as they stepped into the foyer. “And it backs up to the Huntington Horse Farm.”

  “I know. It’s perfect.”

  “This is the living room,” she began and suddenly stopped. There were footsteps overhead. Lexie had already moved into the living room, but Kayla paused.

  “Nan, is that you?”

  The footsteps ran toward the staircase. A child’s footsteps. Some of her tension eased. The Ridgeways had several grandchildren.

  She heard a giggle as an elfin face peered over the railing. A face she knew only too well.

  “Surprise, Kayla! Surprise!”

  Meredith flew down the stairs, shouting her name happily. But it was the figure behind the child that held Kayla riveted to the spot.

  Meredith launched herself into Kayla’s arms, talking a mile a minute. Kayla had no choice but to turn her attention to the excited little girl. She sneaked glances at the man descending the stairs until Meredith suddenly squirmed to
get down.

  “Aunt Lexie!”

  “Come here, kiddo. I think we need to leave Daddy and Kayla alone for a while.”

  “I take it there is no husband Bill?” Kayla asked her.

  “No, thank goodness.” Lexie gave her a rueful smile. “Just my brother, Lee William Garvey.”

  “Uh-huh.” Kayla rounded on him. “How did you get in here?” she demanded. Her heart was beating much too fast. She would not let his presence mean what she wanted so desperately for it to mean.

  “Would you believe the back door was unlocked?” His lips quirked. “I didn’t think so. Actually, I arranged this with Mrs. Ridgeway. She’s a sap for a happy ending.”

  “A happy ending?”

  “That’s our cue, Merry. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

  “Ice cream!”

  “Wait!” Kayla protested.

  But Lee reached for her arm before she could stop them. Longing swept her with poignant need the moment his fingers touched her skin. Dimly she heard the screen door at her back open and close. For some reason, she couldn’t tear her eyes from Lee’s face. The wanting had never stopped. She thought probably it never would. She stared at him, devouring every detail.

  New creases lined his face. And if the bags under his eyes were any indication, he hadn’t been sleeping any better than she had.

  “You’ve lost weight,” she told him.

  “So have you.”

  She shook her head. “We need to talk.”

  “That’s why I’m here.” Dark gray eyes bored into hers with a look that demanded she hear him out. “Your brother suggested I give you a little time.”

  “My brother is an idiot.”

  “That’s what I finally concluded, too.” The hidden cleft on his cheek revealed itself as he smiled. “Okay, so I’m slow, as my sister keeps pointing out. But as I told you on the phone, I’ve been trying to adapt to being a full-time parent. My own parents flew back to Florida for a bridge tournament, but they’ll be back to meet you next week.” His eyes shone as they swept over her. “I’ve missed you.”