by Lita Lawson
Relieved that her son went inside without a fuss, she turned to Tad. “That was pretty rude of you.”
He shrugged. “Didn’t seem like the guy minded.”
“His name’s JT.”
“I know what his name is. I hired him,” Tad snapped, and then stood up. “I’ll wait for the two of you in my car.”
Christine looked forward to dinner with her ex like she did a root canal. But for Sammy, she would endure it. She’d do anything for her son.
• • •
Friday, the opening night of the Fall Festival, provided a blazing gold sunset that highlighted the earliest fall leaves that were just now turning. A hint of chill was in the air.
Despite the beautiful late October weather and JT’s arm wrapped around her waist, Christine was feeling dismal. Her polls had dropped steadily since the press releases had gone out, and the only saving grace in the matter was that each daily drop in her polls was only a point or two. But they were adding up.
Setting her concerns aside, she was determined to enjoy the evening’s events. The three of them would hit the amusement rides, which Sammy loved, and then watch the bands scheduled to play later that night. Since her house was only four blocks from the riverfront where the event was taking place, they were walking to the festival, Sammy between them.
JT looked especially irresistible tonight. He had on a pair of skintight black leather pants, his black biker boots, and a deep rust-colored shirt that brought out the similarly colored flecks in his golden eyes. His hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, held in place with a tied piece of braided leather rope.
About a block away from the festival, row after row of motorcycles were parked along the river, stretching for almost a full city block. Normally Christine would have felt intimidated walking by the bikers congregated there. But with JT at her side, she felt totally at ease.
Several greetings and head nods were tossed in JT’s direction. She couldn’t help but notice that a few of the women were brazen as they threw suggestive come-hither looks in his direction.
“JT. Christine.” Taz and Rosita raised their plastic cups to them.
JT led them through the thickening crowd to where the pair stood in the maze of parked motorcycles. “Good to see you again,” he said as he enveloped Taz in a bear hug.
“Looks like you’re in a family way, man.” Taz nodded to Sammy.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” JT ruffled Sammy’s hair and introduced him.
“I’ve never seen so many motorcycles before.” Sammy eyed all the shiny chrome machines with a look of awe.
“We’d love to stay and chat,” JT said, “but we’ve got some Ferris wheels and merry-go-rounds to ride.”
“Sure, man. Have a good time.” Taz winked at Christine, who smiled back at him and Rosita.
The three of them continued making their way toward the rides. Sammy was between them, holding their hands and swinging them excitedly as they walked. Smells of cooking food filled the air, mingling with the sounds of kids laughing and screaming as they careened in the carnival rides.
Sammy tugged on Christine’s hand and begged, “Mom, I wanna have some cotton candy. No. A candied apple!”
“I think you’d better enjoy the rides first, and then you can eat something afterward.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” JT said with a chuckle.
“Okay. Let’s ride the Ferris wheel first.” Sammy tugged at them both, urging them to walk faster.
Christine looked at JT, and he was grinning. She was relieved he was enjoying himself. Earlier she’d had doubts as to whether such a family outing would work for JT. But as he’d done over and over in the past month, he was proving her doubts unfounded.
Who would have thought a tough guy like JT wouldn’t mind hanging around a kid? And enjoying it?
As they stood in line waiting to get on the Ferris wheel, Christine tried to think of the last time she’d gone on a ride, let alone with a hot guy like JT.
When their ride car arrived, Christine went in first, Sammy followed, and JT sat on the other end. The gate locked them in their car, and Sammy started rocking it. JT stretched his arm out behind Sammy, and his hand played with Christine’s curled hair.
The ride started and Sammy settled down, paying attention to the sights far below them. Christine never knew she could have so much fun on a kids’ ride again. But with JT’s arm around her, it gave the experience a new dimension.
When the ride came to an end, they filed out of their car, where JT waited a moment until she exited so he could wrap his arm around her waist. Together they kept an eye on Sammy as he looked for his next ride.
Christine looked up at JT as they walked. “Are you having a good time?”
“Yeah. How can you go to a carnival and not have fun?” He squeezed her waist.
After several more rides, Sammy had finally had his fill.
“You still want that cotton candy?” Christine asked.
“Yep.” He nodded his head forcefully up and down.
“All right. Time to head over to your dad’s boat.”
JT stopped at a gaming booth where the goal was to knock milk bottles over with a softball to win stuffed animals. “Want to give this a try?” he asked Sammy.
“Yeah!” The boy’s eyes lit up with excitement.
Sammy missed on all three of his chances, and he frowned.
“Here, let me give you some pointers.” JT knelt down to be closer to Sammy’s height.
Christine watched as JT patiently explained to her son how to aim and toss. This was the type of guidance Sammy needed. JT seemed to just naturally act like a father when he was with Sammy. This was what Tad should be doing with their son, but she was glad JT was here to fill that void.
She watched while Sammy knocked one bottle down, and jumped up happily.
“Now it’s your turn,” Sammy said to JT.
“All right.” JT’s first toss was right on the mark, as well as the second and third. Bells rang, indicating he was a winner.
“What’ll you have?” the attendant asked JT.
He looked at Christine. “I’ll take the big white bear.”
“One bear for the little lady.” Pulling one down from the rafters of the tent, the man handed it to JT, who then turned and gave it to her.
The surge of pride and joy she felt made her feel like she was a teenager on a date with her high school crush.
“For you.” JT kissed her on the nose.
“Can we get cotton candy now?” Sammy tugged on Christine’s arm.
“Sure thing,” she replied, smiling.
Christine ordered the sugary food for Sammy, and JT paid for it before she had a chance to. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
JT snagged a glob of cotton candy off of Sammy’s cone with his finger, and extended it toward Christine. She sucked it off his finger and enjoyed watching his eyes darken in response.
His voice softened. “Did anyone ever tell you you’re a cheap date?”
She laughed. “No. But I haven’t dated since high school.”
Sammy still hadn’t finished his treat by the time they reached the river and Tad’s docked boat. At Christine’s suggestion, Sammy sat down on the deck and concentrated on his food.
“You sure you’re okay with coming here?” she asked JT.
He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, because he’s my ex, and he was rude to you the other night.”
“That’s no big deal.”
“I’ll go find Tad.” Before she reached the stairs to go into the cabin, she ran into Tad’s campaign manager. “Hello, Ray.”
“Hey. Long time, no see, chickadee.” Ray grabbed her to him with one arm as he held his smoking cigar in the other. His brown hair was slicked back.
Christine gently pushed away from the unwanted embrace. She smelled the liquor on him and wrinkled her nose. “Yes, it’s been a while.”
“Sure has.
” He looked over her head at JT, who was leaning against the boat’s rail while Sammy finished up his cotton candy. “So that’s your new squeeze, huh?”
“His name is JT.”
“Hey,” Ray yelled to him. “Come here, I wanna meet you.” His words were slightly slurred.
JT walked over and put his arm around Christine’s shoulder. “The name’s JT.” He reached out to shake hands. “And you are?”
“I’m Ray Garrett, Tad’s campaign manager. Tad and me and Christine, here, we go way back.” As he motioned backward with his arm, he teetered slightly. “We were in college together.” He grinned at his own memory. “And now, here we are. But Christine’s with you and not Tad.” He shook his head and laughed.
Christine glanced over her shoulder to check on Sammy and then returned her gaze to Ray. “It was good seeing you again, but I have to go find Tad.” As she tried to edge around him, Ray stretched out his hand, halting her progress.
“Let her pass,” JT said, his voice sharp and menacing.
“Ooh, now I got the boyfriend mad,” Ray said with mock fear, and laughed. “You two are such a joke. Tad had things worked out, but I know he didn’t count on you two getting involved.” He narrowed his eyes at them as he took a puff of his cigar. “And boy, how your polls have plummeted. Did you know, Christine, that some of your backers are whispering that they wished they’d never given you campaign money?”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“That’s right. Ever since you started hanging out with biker boy here, your party and your voters are deserting you.”
“What did you mean about Tad’s plans?” Christine asked.
A glaze seemed to settle over Ray’s eyes, and she wasn’t sure if he even remembered the comment. Recognition dawned a moment later.
“Oh, yeah, Tad’s plan. Well, you know how he’s always toyed with the idea of running for president? Well, he’s going to do it. Yes-sir-ee, and I’m going to go to the top right along with him. Except his image needed a little work. You know, in the traditional family department. He knew there was no way in hell you’d go back with him, so he decided he’d just find another woman and then get custody of Sammy.” He laughed. “And you two have played to his hand better than he ever imagined.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” JT growled, nearing the man and clutching his shirt.
“Hey, no need to get touchy.” Ray backed up a step. “Tad needs Sammy and a new wife to have the traditional family image. So he decided to hire JT here to hang around you so he could discredit you and get custody of Sammy.”
The blood drained from Christine’s face, and for a moment she felt like she might faint. “He hired JT to do what?” Her mind was a jumble of confusion.
Ray smirked at him. “You can chime in anytime, lover boy.”
“He hired me to protect her!” JT grabbed Ray’s shirt tighter, but the man merely laughed in his face.
“There were never any threats. I made the calls from throwaway cell phones so they weren’t traceable.”
As Christine watched, JT backed Ray into the wall and said in a near growl, “You mean I was worried about Sammy and Chris, and it was you two losers who had concocted this whole thing?”
Christine gasped and called JT’s name, but her throat had tightened until her voice was nothing but a hoarse whisper.
• • •
JT turned, releasing his hold on Ray’s shirt. The devastated look in Christine’s eyes was more painful than all the bruises and broken bones he’d received over the years.
Gentling his voice, he told her, “I didn’t know anything about a plan to discredit you, I swear. Or take Sammy from you. I was supposed to protect you.”
Emotionally Christine seemed to deflate. Or was it his imagination? She practically shrank back, as if she was pulling away from him.
Tears swam in her eyes. “I trusted you. I let you into my life. Our lives. Were you hired to like me? Were you hired to get involved with me?”
“Oh, this is getting juicy,” Ray said with a snicker.
JT narrowed his eyes on Ray in warning. “Shut up, before I do something you’ll regret.”
Silenced, Ray backed away, his hands up.
“Chris . . .” JT put his hands on her shoulders, and she jerked away from him.
“Don’t touch me! What a complete fool I’ve been. I thought you cared about me, and here I was just another job to you. I bet you had a good laugh when I made it publicly known that we were an item. Did Tad give you a bonus for that?”
Something pinched inside JT’s chest at that. “Hey, I didn’t know a damn thing about this discrediting thing, and I sure as hell didn’t know anything about a plan to get custody of Sammy. I would never take such a gig. And I would never do anything to hurt you or your son.”
Christine’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Right now it feels like my heart’s been ripped out. I don’t know who to trust anymore. What to believe.” She shook her head in disappointment. “And we discussed Sammy, how I was concerned your leaving would hurt him. You told me you would never do anything to hurt him.”
“I haven’t. I’m telling you, Chris, I didn’t know anything about Tad’s crazy custody plan or that my hanging around would ruin your reputation. And as for Sammy—” He glanced over her shoulder and his face sobered. “Sammy!”
Christine whirled around to see the same sight that had clenched his heart with fear. Her white bear was sitting on the boat seat cushion, but Sammy was nowhere to be seen.
JT quickly walked around the sides of the cabin and to the front, but he didn’t find the boy. Where was Sammy? Making his way back to Christine, he found her leaning over the railing, calling Sammy’s name as she frantically scanned the water’s surface.
“Oh my God,” she cried.
His fingers shook as he pounded 9-1-1 into his cell phone to report Sammy’s disappearance. Then he left the boat and dashed toward the crowds, searching for Sammy.
• • •
Four hours had passed since Sammy had gone missing. Christine was back at her house, biting her bottom lip because the cops still hadn’t found him. Her adrenaline fed off her fear as the hours ticked by with a slowness that was agonizing. She hoped and prayed no one had taken advantage of a boy who was lost.
The only saving grace was that she knew that all the phone calls regarding Sammy had been a hoax—a sick, scheming hoax hatched by Tad.
She watched her ex-husband in the corner of the family room as he talked on the phone. What had he been thinking? Using his son for political posturing? And hiring JT to watch over them in hopes of ruining her reputation, jeopardizing her campaign, all to gain custody of their child?
Shaking her head, she wondered why in the world Tad hadn’t just asked her about joint custody. He’d never mentioned wanting to see Sammy more, and his sporadic visits spoke volumes about how much he really wanted to see his son.
Even though their divorce and custody battle had been fierce, she would never keep Tad from his son. Maybe that was why he’d gone to such convoluted and extreme measures. Having been married to the man and having a child with him was the only thing she could cling to in order to convince herself Tad wasn’t a total monster.
And as for JT, he’d said he didn’t know anything about Tad’s scheme. Could she believe him? Did she trust him? She wasn’t sure what to believe anymore, who to trust. And what about their intimacies? Was that something he truly felt, or was it just an added benefit to his latest job?
She didn’t want to believe that JT would intentionally hurt her or Sammy. Could a man make love to a woman like he had her, so thoroughly, so deeply, and not have any feelings for her? At this point, she was so confused she didn’t know what to think.
The house was buzzing with people. Tad was still on the phone, his sorry excuse of campaign manager was at least trying to sober up by drinking coffee, and a policeman stood by the door. An FBI agent who Tad had pulled rank to get here was on
a laptop.
The hum of activity made her want to scream. Feeling numb, she pulled a jacket from the closet and escaped to the peace and quiet of the porch. Gently, she moved the porch swing into a slow rhythm. Pulling her legs up toward her chest and clasping her arms to them, she sat in a little ball as she prayed. And worried. And prayed some more.
Looking up at the night sky, she marveled at all the stars there, and imagined Sammy looking at the same thing. She hoped a shooting star would fall out of the sky and guide him back to her, and swiped at a tear that ran down her cheek at the thought.
Sammy had never given her cause to worry about wandering away. He’d always been a very obedient boy, and he’d never disappeared before. She’d hear stories every now and then about a kid wandering off in a mall or from a front yard only to be struck by a car or kidnapped. It only took a second for a child to slip away from under a watchful gaze.
Sighing, she jammed her fingers through her hair. She tried not to torture herself with guilt, but she knew that Sammy wouldn’t have left the boat unless someone had taken him or he had a good reason.
Like hearing her argument with JT? She thought they had been far enough away that he couldn’t hear them. She shook her head and tried to force the events of the evening from her mind. She needed her full concentration on getting Sammy back.
Christine gripped her cell phone like a lifeline, hoping it would ring with news of Sammy, a policeman calling to say they’d found him, or maybe Sammy himself calling from a friend’s house. But as each hour passed, her heart got heavier.
Traffic on the street along the river was nearly nonexistent. But she watched each passing vehicle as if it contained Sammy, waiting for it to turn into her drive, willing it to do so.
The screen door slapped open and shut, and Tad appeared. She would deal with him after Sammy was found. Not now. Even with his scheming, she knew he was as knotted up in fear as she was.
He knelt down in front of her. “Christine.”
She refused to look at him. She couldn’t imagine ever being in love with the man.
He sighed. “I know I’m the last person you want to hear from right now. But I wanted to let you know that I realize how stupid I’ve been. How selfish. I just wanted to further my own career at the risk of yours. I never thought a court would grant me custody of Sammy since I haven’t been the world’s greatest dad, and I didn’t think you would ever let me have him. Hell, if I was a judge, I wouldn’t give me custody. So I thought this was the only way to get what I wanted.” He stood up to pace back and forth in front of her. “And I knew you’d never give him up without a fight.”