In the Heart's Shadow

by T. L. Haddix

  “Then I’ll have to put my thinking cap on. I already have a couple people in mind.”

  For the rest of the drive, they chatted about everything and nothing, learning little tidbits of information about each other. When they reached the building housing the sheriff’s department, a sprinkling of nerves ran across Stacy’s stomach.

  “What if he doesn’t like me?” she asked as they walked inside.

  “He will. How could he not?”

  Stacy raised an eyebrow. “You’re getting ready to present me to your brother for the first time, as your wife, and I’m the daughter of a woman he’s looking for so he can presumably arrest her. On charges he won’t discuss over the phone. Yeah, I’d say he’ll love me on sight.”

  Gordon squeezed her hand. “Okay, so maybe these aren’t the ideal circumstances. But he will like you. Maybe not immediately.”

  “Or not at all.” She was interrupted by a high-pitched squeal, and then a tiny little girl with a head full of black, curly hair was hurtling herself down the hall toward them as fast as she could. Luckily, she had a clear path through the empty hall.

  “Uncle Gain! You’re here!”

  Gordon caught her, scooping her up and lifting her high above his head, making her squeal again. “Did you miss me?”

  “Yes!” She hugged his neck tightly when he brought her back down. He settled her easily on his arm, and she sat back with a grin so like Gordon’s, Stacy’s heart stuttered.

  “Who’s the pretty lady?”

  “That’s Stacy,” Gordon told her. “She is pretty, isn’t she?”

  Emma nodded. “Is she your girlfriend?” she whispered loudly, sticking three fingers into her mouth as she studied Stacy.

  “Sort of,” he whispered back. “She’s my wife. But that’s a secret. Your daddy doesn’t know yet. We’re going to surprise him.”

  “Oh, we’re definitely going to do that.” Stacy smiled at Emma. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Emma giggled and hid her face in Gordon’s neck and peeked at Stacy. She turned as a tall, black-haired man approached. “Daddy, Uncle Gain has a secret.”

  “He does? Is it a good secret?”

  Emma nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing. “Yes.”

  Stacy would have known Gordon’s brother anywhere. While Emma looked enough like Gordon that it was almost eerie, so did Garrett. He was a few inches shorter, and his eyes were a vivid blue instead of the green that Emma and Gordon shared, but the resemblance was obvious.

  When he turned his gaze onto her and frowned, she shivered. He recognized her, she’d bet her car on that. His words confirmed her suspicion. “You’re Pam Kirchner’s daughter, aren’t you?”

  “I am, unfortunately. Stacy.” She held out her hand.

  For an uncomfortable minute, he stared hard at her. When he finally accepted her hand, he obviously only did so to be polite. Stacy’s heart sank, and she didn’t dare look at Gordon.

  “Garrett Gordon. Come on up to the office. We were coming back up from the vending machines. So what’s this secret you have?” he asked Gordon as he led them back down the hall toward an elevator.

  Gordon, his face stony, let Emma down, and she danced ahead of them to carefully push the button. He clasped Stacy’s hand tightly in his, and he seemed to struggle for words while Garrett waited, his face blank upon seeing their joined hands. When Gordon ran his left hand through his hair, Garrett’s hissed and grabbed Gordon’s hand to inspect his wedding ring.

  “What is this?”

  Gordon jerked it back, scowling darkly. “Wedding band. What do you think it is?”

  Garrett turned his glare to Stacy. “How the hell did you—you’re married? To her?”

  “Yes, Daddy. That’s the secret.” Emma looked from her father to her uncle. She trustingly curled both hands around Stacy’s free hand. “Do you like to color?”

  Ignoring Garrett, Stacy answered Emma, trying to evade her dismay. “I do. Do you?”

  Emma nodded. “Yep. Will you color with me?” When the elevator arrived, Emma glanced over her shoulder and tugged Stacy’s hand. “I have the big box of colors. I’ll share.”

  “I’d love to color with you.”

  Her dimples flashing, Emma was satisfied. She held up her arms for Stacy as the men got on the elevator, and Stacy obliged her.

  Emma rested against her with a sigh. “I like you. You smell good.”

  The little girl’s affection was so simple, so innocent that Stacy had to bite her lip to keep from bawling. Her enthusiasm was so different from Garrett’s reaction. His coldness was all the more shocking.

  “I like you, too.”

  When they got off the elevator without having spoken a single word, Garrett led them down the hall to an open door to a large conference room. A laptop was set up on one end with a neat stack of files to one side and a stack of large papers and crayons on the other.

  “Emma, why don’t you show Stacy your crayons? I need to talk to your uncle.”

  “Is Uncle Gain in trouble? Daddy doesn’t like surprises,” she told Stacy, her voice solemn. “Memaw Johnson tried to sneak him some z’chini in his bread, and he got that look on his face. He doesn’t like z’chini, either.”

  Garrett’s face softened, and he tugged one of Emma’s curls. “Get on with you. We’ll be right outside.” He looked at Stacy as he said that, plainly telling her that he didn’t trust her out of his sight.

  “What are we coloring?” Stacy followed Emma down the table. The little girl climbed into her chair, which Stacy saw was modified with a soft blanket and a very thick book. She tugged at the edge of the table, and Stacy pushed her closer. Once Emma was situated, Stacy sat next to her. She couldn’t hear what the men were saying, but she could imagine it wasn’t pretty. They were both standing against the wall opposite the door, their tense postures mirrors of each other.

  “Trees and dogs and cats.” Emma licked her thumb and separated some of the paper, pushing the sheets at Stacy. “I like blue trees. You can have purple.”

  “I like purple.” When Stacy picked a violet crayon and started drawing, Emma squealed again. The sound caused Garrett’s head to jerk toward them, but when Emma laughed, he relaxed.

  “You draw funny, like me.” The little girl held up her crayon in her left hand, then pointed at Stacy’s hand.

  “You mean left-handed?”

  Emma nodded, her attention going back to her own drawing. “My papaw says I’m a devil like Uncle Gain. Daddy says Papaw’s the devil, and I’m an angel.”

  Stacy forced herself to not grip the crayon too tightly. Her anger flared as she imagined how that conversation had gone. She fingered Emma’s curls. “I think your daddy is absolutely right.”

  Several times, the conversation in the hall got louder, but not enough that Stacy could hear more than a word or two here and there. She was thought the men might come to blows when Garrett threw up his hands.

  “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

  From the way they moved when they came in the room, it was obvious nothing had been resolved. Gordon stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder and one hand on Emma’s chair. Garrett started gathering the files.

  “What are you ladies drawing?”

  “Trees and cats and dogs,” Emma promptly replied.

  “I’m sketching out a house plan.” Stacy leaned into his touch, and gently massaged the nape of her neck.

  “Well, if you two are hungry, we were going to head out and get some food. Miss Emma’s Memaw Johnson has a diner, and Emma’s spending the weekend with her. How does that sound?” Gordon asked Stacy.

  “Sounds good.” She forced a smile when Emma looked at her, all the while trying to figure out how she was going to choke down a single bite. She held up the drawing. “May I keep this?”

  “Yep.”

  “If you two want to ride with me, I’ll bring you back here when you’re ready to leave. I’ll be right back.” Garrett left, and Stacy slumped against her chair.

&n
bsp; “That went well.”

  “We’ll work through it. Are you okay to ride with him, or do you want me to drive?”

  She shook her head and helped Emma put the crayons back in their slots. “I’ll leave it up to you.”

  “If you ride with us, I’ll show you my doll. Her name’s Lucy,” Emma chimed in.

  “Well, now. That’s a hard offer to turn down,” Gordon teased.

  Stacy smiled. “Yes, it is.”

  They piled in Garrett’s SUV, and Stacy sat in back with Emma. The ride to the diner wasn’t long, and Emma’s happy chatter filled the otherwise-uncomfortable silence. The roadside restaurant, attached to a general store on one end, was crowded. Garrett grabbed a booster seat, then headed for the only available booth.

  Stacy stopped Gordon. “I’m going to visit the restroom. Order me a Coke?”

  He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Sure. You okay?”

  “Working on it.”

  Inside the tiny bathroom, she locked the door, letting her body slump against it. Heartsick, she closed her eyes. She loved living in Olman County partly because people there judged her on her own merits, not on who her mother was. Leroy was a small town, but Stacy had worked her butt off to make sure she contributed to the community in positive ways. She began to wonder if that reputation would stand up against her mother’s when word got out. If her being Pam’s daughter was enough to cause Garrett to react so strongly, she wondered what kinds of evil her mother had been up to since Stacy had last seen her. She was almost afraid to find out.

  Gordon wanted to strangle his brother for the way he had treated Stacy. Garrett knew that, and if Emma hadn’t been present, they probably would have been knocking each other around.

  “What the hell is your problem?” Gordon asked as soon as they stepped into the hall at the sheriff’s department, where Stacy and Emma were far enough away to not hear. “You don’t even know Stacy.”

  “I know her mother, and that’s enough. What the hell were you thinking marrying her? Is this some kind of bad joke?”

  “No. We got married yesterday. For your information, I happen to love her. Pull your head out of your ass, Gar. She’s not her mother any more than you or I are the old man. Your theory doesn’t hold water, and you know it.”

  Garrett obviously didn’t wanted to hear that, and he stubbornly refused to admit Gordon had a point. “Yeah, well, her mother makes the old man look like a damned saint.”

  After several minutes of arguing, Gordon had worn down his brother a little. “Give her a chance. If you don’t trust her, then trust me. Please.”

  “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

  As they waited for Stacy to join them at the table at the diner, Gordon talked to Emma. He largely ignored Garrett, which seemed to suit him fine. Gordon was hurt and taken aback by Garrett’s reaction. He knew Stacy had to be crushed, and that realization made him want to punch his brother all over again. She came out of the restroom and slid into the booth next to him as the waitress brought their drinks. Gordon’s arm was across the back of the booth, and he lightly traced his fingers across the top of her arm as they looked over the menu.

  “What’s good?” he asked Garrett, striving to sound normal. “Best I recall, everything.”

  “That hasn’t changed. Ronnie still makes the best burger in Eastern Kentucky.”

  “And good zucchini bread, as well, I hear.” Stacy’s voice was calm and her tone was nonchalant, but the words were a challenge. When Garrett snorted, Gordon tightened his arm briefly.

  “That’s my girl.”

  Ronnie Johnson came out of the kitchen to take their order, her eyes widening as she took in Gordon and Stacy’s positions. “Look at you. Now I know where you’ve been lately. I was starting to wonder if we’d ever see you again.”

  Gordon introduced Stacy, and Ronnie’s face softened. “Oh, congratulations, honey. What a gorgeous ring. I’m so happy for you both. He’s a good man.”

  Stacy smiled at him. “Yes, he is. I’m very lucky.”

  Garrett coughed from across the table, and Gordon sucked in his breath, ready to lambast his brother.

  Ronnie beat him to it. “What’s wrong with you? You look like you sucked a lemon. I keep telling him he needs to start dating again. Know any nice young ladies we could set him up with?”

  “Oh, hell no. You’re not starting that again,” Garrett grumbled.

  “I’ll start whatever I want to. This diner has my name on it. And since you swore in front of my grandbaby, you’ll be picking up the tab today.”

  Gordon grinned up at her. “Ronnie, I adore you.”

  She winked, then took their orders. When Stacy asked for the zucchini bread, Ronnie beamed.

  “I’ll throw an extra slice on the plate for you. This will be out shortly. Y’all holler if you need anything.”

  As soon as Ronnie left, Garrett started interrogating Stacy. “Galen tells me you’re a cop.”

  “I am.”

  “That’s surprising, given who your mother is. What does she think about that?”

  Emma scowled up at him. “Daddy, you’re gonna get a time-out.”

  “That’s not all he’s going to get,” Gordon growled.

  Under the table, Stacy squeezed his leg. “I’ve not seen Pam since I was seventeen, so I don’t know what she thinks about the fact that I’m a detective. I imagine her thoughts are not complimentary. They weren’t then.”

  Garrett grunted. He gestured between them. “So is this your first marriage?”

  “It is.”

  “You didn’t waste any time, the two of you. Most people wait at least long enough to notify their family.”

  “Garrett…” Gordon’s voice was a warning. He glanced at Emma, who looked concerned, and Garrett backed off.

  “We’ll finish this later.”

  The meal went by quickly, and once they were finished, Gordon nudged Stacy out of the booth. “We’re going to take a walk, go next door to the store while you take care of Emma.” He scooped Emma into a bear hug and planted a big kiss on her cheek. “You have fun with your grandma. We’ll see you soon, okay?”

  “Okay. Love you, Uncle Gain.”

  “Love you, too, sweetie.”

  She held out her arms to Stacy. “Hug.”

  Stacy accepted her and also received a hug and kiss. “It was an honor to meet you, Miss Emma.”

  “Love you, Aunt Stacy.”

  “You, too.” The tip of Stacy’s nose turned red, and she blinked rapidly as she sat Emma on her feet. With a wave, she ran to her grandmother as Garrett cautioned her to be careful.

  He sighed. “She doesn’t walk anywhere. She runs. I’ll meet you out front in five minutes.”

  Gordon and Stacy went next door and strolled through the aisles of the general store. Stacy stopped to look at the sewing machines in the fabric section in the back.

  “I’m sorry,” Gordon told her in a low voice so that the woman cutting the fabric wouldn’t overhear.

  She shook her head. “Not here. And so am I.” In a normal voice, she gestured to one of the machines with a clearance sticker on it. “That’s a great price on this unit. It’s the big brother to the one I had. It’s usually twice that amount.”

  The saleslady joined them, and Stacy told the woman she’d take it. They were checking out when Garrett caught up with them.

  He gave the box a speculative glance. “New hobby, big brother?”

  “No. Replacing the machine Stacy lost when her mother burned her house down earlier this week.” Gordon brushed by him.

  Garrett stared after him, his mouth open with shock. He caught up with Gordon at the door, holding it open for them. “The hell you say.”

  “We’ve got Pam on tape going in. Fire starts ten minutes later, and it was arson. You do the math.”

  “Why would she burn your house down?” Garrett asked Stacy as he opened the hatchback on the SUV. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  Stacy stuck the folded
receipt into the box. “We don’t know the exact reasons, only that Pam’s up to something, and she’s got a partner. They seem hell-bent on destroying me. We don’t know who the partner is, but it’s someone inside the sheriff’s department.”

  Gordon could almost see the wheels turning in his brother’s head. Being a cop, Garrett would understand immediately how damaging the implications were.

  “There’s a laundry list of other things Pam and her partner have done in the last few weeks, not the least of which is drugging Stacy and vandalizing her house while she was passed out.” Gordon closed the hatch.

  “So far, we’ve managed to keep this quiet, but Wyatt—my sheriff—called when we hit Richmond. They’ve had to release the information that they’re looking for Pam in connection to the fire. We don’t know how her partner will react.”

  With his arms crossed, Garrett studied Stacy. “And you’ve not had any connection with Pam at all for what? Five years? Six? You’re in your mid-twenties?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Please. It’s been twelve years. I’m twenty-nine. And no, I have not. We didn’t part on amicable terms.” She waited for him to unlock the SUV’s back door, but Garrett didn’t move. He was rubbing his mouth and had a pensive look on his face.

  He walked around the end of the vehicle. “Twelve years.”

  Warily, Stacy nodded, exchanging a look with Gordon. “Yes.”

  “Twelve years ago is when Pam’s active warrants were issued. Sexual assault of a minor, human trafficking.”

  Gordon saw Stacy’s knuckles turn white where they gripped the handle of the door. “Yes.”

  “What did she do to you?” His words were much less combative than they had been earlier. He’d put it together, Gordon knew. The realization of how wrong he’d been wouldn’t sit well with Garrett, but Gordon couldn’t find it within himself to drum up much sympathy for his brother at the moment.

  “She drugged me and sold me to two men, who proceeded to rape and torture me for more than twelve hours. Any other questions?”