Saving Love

by Jen Talty

  “Sometimes I think they managed to handle it all better than I have,” he said with thick emotion hanging on his words.

  “I’m sure it’s been difficult for you to do this alone.”

  “It’s been a rough few years, but I promised Lunar and myself that I would give our girls the best possible life I could, and that meant I had to learn to live my life as a single dad. Sucks on some days, but those two little girls are my world, and I would do anything for them.”

  She clutched at her pendant dangling around her neck. It carried a picture of her and her son on the day of his birth. But behind that was an image of her parents and her when she’d been five years old. It was the only thing she’d kept from her past. The only thing she had linking her to her old life. She missed her parents. She wondered if they hadn’t died her junior year in college if she would have fallen so hard and fast for Josh. Maybe they would have seen what a heartless bastard he was and saved her from five years of hell.

  “I don’t mean to pry, but the girls didn’t mention what your wife died from?”

  “Breast cancer.” He scratched at the side of his face and let out a puff of air. “She was diagnosed when River was two and died two years later. River only remembers her being sick, which breaks my heart. I try to give them all the good memories of their mother as often as I can, but they are my memories, not theirs.”

  “But they had a loving mother, and they have pictures and videos.” Her son, thankfully, would have nothing to remember his father by. “And they have you. They think you walk on water.”

  “They also think all dads should have wives and have made it their life mission to find me a good one,” he said with slight chuckle.

  “I’m aware. They showed me a list they have compiled of potential women for you, but they told me they haven’t vetted them all yet.”

  “Vetted? They actually used that word?”

  “Oh yeah. Sky even said your boss, Hank, was going to help her with the process.”

  “Oh, good Lord.” He tossed his head back and laughed. “And dare I ask why they showed you this list?”

  “They started by crossing Candice off the list.”

  “Oh, thank God. Besides her basically being a child, she’s so not my type,” he said.

  “She’s only five years younger than me.”

  He arched a brow and glanced to the ceiling. “That makes you twenty-eight?”

  “I’ll be twenty-nine on Valentine’s Day,” she said, wishing she hadn’t enlightened him on the date of her birthday, much less her age, though now she wondered his and hoped maybe she was under what he considered too young. Sadly, she’d always preferred older men. That’s one of the reasons she fell so quickly for Josh.

  “I’ll have to remember that and treat you to something special.” He winked.

  She waved her hand. “Oh, no. Please don’t. I hate birthdays. And this one is just one shy of a big one.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. I just turned forty, so you don’t get to say that to me. Besides, knowing my girls, they put you on the dating list, so even if they don’t know that Valentine’s Day is your birthday, they will be up to playing cupid.”

  “Wonderful,” she mumbled. “No offense to your daughters, or you, but I’m not looking.”

  “Neither am I, but Sky and River have it in their heads that I need a girlfriend. I’ve explained that I don’t. However, they have my stubborn streak and their mother’s inability to let things go. I will have a little chat with them, but can we humor them for your birthday? We kind of make a big deal about birthdays because that’s a celebration of life and having lost their mother, well, we like to make the living feel important.”

  How the hell could she say no to that? “As long as it’s nothing too fancy, got it?”

  “Got it,” he said.

  The oven dinged.

  “Of course, you might fire me after this meal.”

  His laughter was cut short the second he opened the oven.

  She stood and peered over his shoulder. “Oh no. How did that happen?” She stared at the goop that had bubbled over the rim of the metal pan she’d put all the noodles, meat, sauce, and a couple different kinds of cheese in. She’d followed the directions, for the most part, so she wasn’t sure why half her concoction was burnt on the bottom of the oven.

  He snagged some hot mitts and pulled out the so-called lasagna, setting it on the rack next to the stove. “You overfilled the pan and might have put in too much sauce and cheese, but it smells good.” He took a fork and a cut out a small portion. Holding it up to his mouth, he puckered his lips and blew.

  For the last few months she’d lived on takeout and the occasional microwavable meal. Back in the day, her palate couldn’t tolerate such things, but today, all she cared about was putting calories in her body. Her stomach knotted as she gnawed at her fingernail.

  “You look absolutely terrified,” he said with an amused smile.

  Fear crept up from her toes all the way to the tip of her tongue. If this were Josh standing in front of her, she’d already be on the floor with a few bruises for ruining the oven.

  “It would be such a waste if that meal isn’t eatable. And I’m so sorry about the oven. I will clean it tomorrow.”

  He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Once it cools, I’ll scrape what I can, and then it will self-clean. You don’t need to worry about it at all.” He gave the pasta one more good blow before he shoved it between his teeth. His eyes grew wide before he turned and spit the contents of his mouth into the sink.

  She covered her mouth with a gasp, taking two steps back. Her hands trembled. She resented how quickly certain situations would send her spiraling into the scared woman Josh created. When she left, she promised herself she’d never let another man make her feel the way Josh had.

  “I can honestly say I’ve eaten worse.”

  Panic took over her mind. No matter what she told herself about how kind Dakota had been since she’d moved in, he was still a man, and he still had fists.

  He glanced over his shoulder as he tossed a napkin in the trash. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you, but you did say it could be bad.”

  She nodded, trying desperately to control her breathing. She’d never had a panic attack until after she’d gotten married. And in the last couple of years, they came regularly. While in the underground, she developed strategies on how to deal with them, but currently nothing was working. As he closed the gap between them, her lungs burned while she tried to take in a deep breath.

  “I’m not going to hurt you.” He held his hands up.

  Clutching her necklace, she pushed her back against the wall. “I know,” she whispered. But she didn’t know anything except she felt as though she were still a caged animal.

  “You’re safe with me,” he whispered. “It’s just a dinner that didn’t come out right and a mess that can be cleaned up. Nothing to get upset over.”

  Intellectually, she knew that.

  But her past reality dictated something entirely different. She opened her mouth but all that came out was some high-pitched strange noise that made her sound like some pathetic person. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day,” she managed to croak out in what she hoped was a strong tone.

  He reached out and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “You still need to eat dinner. I’m going to order pizza, wings, and salad. Does that work for you?”

  “You don’t have to feed me. I’ve got some—”

  “I insist.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t know what happened to you, and I’m not going to ask you a lot of questions about it right now, but I want you to know that I will make sure you and Wyoming are always safe in my home.”

  A burst of rage moved through her bloodstream. “You keep saying that, and I don’t understand why. I don’t need your protection.”

  “I’ve seen this kind of thing—”

  “I�
�m not a client of yours. I haven’t hired you to protect me from anything.”

  “I understand that,” he said with an arched brow. “But I’ve seen women on the run before and—”

  “On the run? That’s what you think? Wow.” She sucked in a deep breath, hoping it would give her some courage as she patted his chest and maneuvered around him. “I suppose your job puts those kinds of ideas in your head. Now, it’s getting late, and I need to put Wyoming down. Sorry my dinner didn’t work out. I’ll do better next time. See you tomorrow morning.”

  Chapter 3

  Alabama knew she’d locked her car. It had been a habit she’d gotten into when she’d first learned how to drive. Never in her life had she forgotten, and she certainly wouldn’t have started now.

  “I can help buckle him,” River said as she slid across the back seat.

  “Make sure it goes through the loops on the car seat.” Alabama watched while River snapped the belt in place before slamming the door shut. She hugged herself and glanced around and shivered. Not too many people milled about the street. The sun beat down on the snow that had fallen the night before, warming her face, even though the temperatures had fallen below freezing.

  Paranoia had become a way of life. She wished she didn’t resent it because a healthy dose of fear helped her be super aware of her surroundings.

  Which is why she knew the car parked across the street was the same white pickup truck that had been at the party zone forty minutes ago. Could it be possible that the same person also had to go grocery shopping?

  Possible in a small town.

  But not probable.

  She turned and ran right into Candice. “Oh, sorry.”

  “You should be,” Candice said. “And about more than practically knocking me over.” She gave Alabama the once-over.

  “Like I said, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

  “You should be more careful. The sidewalk can be slippery when it snows. I wouldn’t want you to fall down and break a leg.”

  Alabama swallowed her gasp. That sounded like a threat if she’d ever heard one. “I appreciate the warning.”

  “I see you have River with you.”

  “I’m sorry. I really need to go.” Alabama didn’t have the time, nor the inclination to shoot the shit with Candice. She didn’t like her the first time she met her when she’d moved into the tiny house, and she didn’t like her now.

  “I take it Sky’s at Gina’s birthday party?” Candice asked with sweetness to her voice, but it came off more as sarcasm than anything else.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but—”

  “But what?” Candice asked with a smirk. “You stole my job; the least you could do is give me the time of day when I talk to you and ask about the family I cared for.”

  Alabama stuck her index finger in her ear and wiggled. “I did nothing of the sort.”

  “Right. I bet you stole his dead wife’s rings and dressed up to look like me when you tried to pawn them off.”

  “That’s the most obscured thing I’ve ever heard. I don’t have time for this,” Alabama said as she took a step to the right. Before she’d met Josh, she could handle confrontation. She didn’t like it, but she knew how to deal with it appropriately.

  After Josh, she wanted to avoid it all costs, and she still felt that way and especially with someone like Candice. She could really bring the kind of attention to Alabama’s life that she didn’t need.

  Candice blocked her. “I needed that job, and you put ideas in Dakota’s head.”

  “I had nothing to do with you getting fired. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go.” The hair on the back of Alabama’s neck stood at attention. Between Candice confronting her with the kids in the car, and some random person sitting in a white truck staring at her, she wanted to crawl right out of her skin. Was this how the rest of her life was going to be? Would she ever feel safe again?

  “You had everything to do with it. Ever since you showed up, Dakota started finding fault in everything I did, and I would wager that you were the one putting those thoughts in his ear.”

  “You’re nuts. Now leave me alone.”

  “You are going to regret crossing me.” Candice took off across the street and disappeared down the alley behind the coffee shop.

  Alabama took a few minutes to calm herself down before scurrying across the hood of her vehicle. She climbed in behind the steering wheel and let out an exasperated sigh.

  “What did she want?” River asked.

  “Nothing really.”

  “Daddy said if she tried to contact us, we were to tell him. Should I be telling him this?”

  Alabama glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled. “If that’s what your father wants, we should absolutely tell him we ran into Candice. She’s just upset she’s no longer your nanny.”

  “Well, she shouldn’t have taken my mama’s wedding rings and then tried to sell them. Daddy doesn’t cry, but he cried when he thought those were gone for good.” River swiped at her cheeks. “I don’t like it when Daddy cries.”

  Alabama turned and reached over the seat, taking River’s hand in hers. “Crying isn’t always a bad thing, even when it’s because we’re sad. Sometimes our bodies just need to cry so we can feel better. Your dad loved your mom. He still does. That’s a good thing. A very good thing. Hold on to that. Not everyone has something as special as what your parents had.”

  “You know what?” River asked. “I’m glad Candice got fired. She wasn’t very fun. She always complained about having to do things with us. You’re so much better, and I bet my mama would have liked you.”

  “I bet I would have liked her too.” Alabama gave River’s hand a good squeeze. It would take fifteen minutes to drive to the party to get Sky, which was ending in about ten minutes. “We better get going,” Alabama said, hoping that stupid white truck stayed put, only it was gone when she pulled out into the street.

  Unfortunately, she spied the pickup when she turned onto the main drag.

  Shit.

  Who the hell was following her?

  And why?

  Maybe it was Candice. It could be. Made sense. But who was with her?

  Or maybe Dakota stuck one of his co-workers on her, but something told her if that were the case, she’d never know she was being followed.

  Which could only mean one thing: Josh found her.

  Tears stung the corners of her eyes. No way. He couldn’t have. She’d been so careful and done everything the underground had told her to do. She even went to a different state than what she originally had planned and didn’t tell a single soul.

  Except Chauncey, who told her to head this way.

  She should be safe, unless Chauncey was a bad guy and knew who she was.

  When she pulled up to the house where Sky was, the white truck turned down another street and disappeared. Alabama didn’t know if that was good or bad. “Let’s go get your sister,” she said.

  “We can stay in the car. I’ll take care of Wyoming,” River said.

  “I don’t like leaving him in the car, ever. It’s not a big deal.” She stuck her head inside the back seat when she saw the pickup drive past. She tried to get a good look at the driver, but the windows were tinted. Her heart hammered against her chest. For a split second, she thought about calling Dakota, but what would she say?

  “River, have you ever seen that white pickup truck before?” She put Wyoming on her hip and took River by the hand before heading up the walkway toward the house.

  “Yeah. That’s Chad. Miss Candice’s friend. Daddy really doesn’t like him.”

  Alabama let out a sigh of relief. While she didn’t like that Candice and her boyfriend were following her, it was a hell of a lot better than her husband who, she knew without a doubt, would kill her with the snap of his fingers. “We’ll be sure to tell your father about him too.” She tapped at the front door, glancing over her shoulder. Candice and the white truck seemed to be gone, but Alabama’s nerves cr
ept back into her gut, swirling around like a tornado.

  Having attention drawn to herself by having a conflict with someone in town wouldn’t be a good idea.

  “Oh. Hello. You must be Alabama. I’m Teresa. It’s nice to meet you. Sky has been talking you up all day.” Teresa pulled back the front door and stepped aside. “Isn’t this little boy adorable.”

  Wyoming decided to act all shy and bury his head on Alabama’s shoulder. He wrapped his thick fingers around her neck. “He didn’t have a long enough nap today,” she said.

  “And how are you doing, River?” Teresa asked.

  “Good.” She hugged Alabama’s leg.

  Teresa patted River on the head. “Why don’t you wait right here, and I’ll go get Sky.”

  “Thanks,” Alabama said.

  As soon as Teresa disappeared into the other room, River tugged at Alabama’s coat.

  “She has a crush on Daddy, but Daddy says she’s way too high-maintenance,” River said. “I don’t know what that means, but she’s never been on our list. She treats me like I’m a baby, and she’s always showing up at the house with weird healthy food. It tastes gross.”

  “Healthy food doesn’t have to taste bad, but I have no idea how to cook it.” Alabama’s attempt at lasagna had proved to be pretty gross. Tonight’s meal she hoped would be better. The man at the grocery store said it was foolproof, even to someone who screwed up boiling water.

  “Anything you cook I’m sure will be better than Miss Teresa.”

  Alabama raised her finger to her lips. “Shhhh. She should be back any second.” It was never in good taste to speak badly of anyone in their own home.

  As soon as Wyoming saw Sky, he started to kick out his legs and wiggle his fingers. “Ky,” he exclaimed.

  “Someone is happy to see you.” Alabama bent over and handed the baby to Sky. She’d been in awe at how much her son had taken to the girls in such a short period of time, but then again, Wyoming had been going from place to place to place for months. He’d been handed off to one person after the other. He’d gotten used to strangers, and his trust level was through the roof.