Take the Lead

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  “I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.”

  Gwen figured that. Officer Lucky didn’t seem like the type of person to do anything she didn’t want to do. But that said . . . “It seems like a lot to ask of your sisters.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I told you that it isn’t a problem.”

  “I’m still going to feel guilty, though.”

  Officer Lucky shrugged, which made her look even more at ease. That was kind of weird, since she had picked up Gwen in a pair of jeans, flats, and a gray fitted T-shirt. Gwen had done a double take the first time she’d looked at her.

  After she turned left at a light, then made another left, she spoke. “Look. I see your point, but there’s nothing to feel guilty about. I talked to my sisters and they feel for your situation. Plus, if it makes you feel any better, we decided to take you being at our house one day at a time. Until things calm down, it’s the best solution for you and your baby.”

  As if he heard the mention, her baby shifted. Gwen placed the palm on her hand on her belly, half to reassure her little guy that he wasn’t alone. Half to reassure herself of the same thing. She would have never guessed it, but this baby had already changed her life. She wasn’t alone in the world anymore.

  It might even be the first time she’d ever felt that way.

  Realizing that Officer Lucky was probably waiting for her to say something, Gwen cleared her throat. “What do you mean by things calming down? Until when?”

  “Until Hunter is picked up and we’re sure neither he nor his friends are a threat to you.” She glanced at Gwen as she took a right turn. “Or until we can find you someplace better to stay.”

  “Who is here again?”

  “Me, my sister Kimber, and my sister-in-law Jennifer. Jen is Officer Lange’s sister. He just got married to Shannon, who is my oldest sister.”

  “So, you all are real close.”

  “We’re trying to be.”

  That sounded cryptic, but Gwen didn’t dare ask for more information. “I’ll do my best to stay out of the way.”

  “No one is going to expect you to do that. As long as you pick up your dishes and don’t leave a mess in the bathroom, it should be all good,” she added as she parked the car.

  “I don’t have much to clean up, so that shouldn’t be a problem.” Looking up at the building, Gwen gaped. It was three stories, made of brick, and was definitely an older place that had been remodeled. There was also a small sign on the bricks near the door that said “Dance With Me.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “The bottom floor is my sister’s dance studio.”

  “Wow.” She gave Officer Lucky a sideways glance. “So you’re a cop and she teaches dance lessons.”

  “Yep.”

  “Do you ever dance?”

  She frowned. “Not until lately.” She turned off the engine. “Don’t get out until I come around for you.”

  “I won’t.” Watching Officer Lucky check her gun, scan the area, and then walk around to Gwen’s side, Gwen felt her nerves ramp up again. This was real. For a moment, there, it had been fun to pretend that she and Officer Lucky were friends and that she was going to stay at her house because her friends wanted to get to know her.

  But looking up at the building, and seeing the set lines in Officer Lucky’s face, Gwen’s reality hit her full in the face. She was in trouble and in danger—and putting her baby and these other women in danger too. “Hey, um, Officer Lucky?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for everything. I mean, thanks for stepping in and doing so much for me,” she continued, practically stumbling over each word. “It means a lot..”

  “I told you, it was not a problem.”

  “You might be saying that, but I know that it has been. I’d be in a really bad situation if not for you.”

  Officer Lucky’s expression softened before she shook her head. “Like I said, this might just be a temporary thing. Come on.”

  She unlocked the door and ushered Gwen inside.

  She was immediately surrounded by the sound of classical music from one direction and the faint sounds of laughter above them.

  The decorations in the house were surprising, to say the least. The woodwork was dark and there was a large emerald green velvet couch sitting in the middle of the foyer.

  Above them, a fancy crystal chandelier twinkled. Underneath it was a staircase that rose up two floors.

  “Wow,” Gwen said.

  “I know. This place takes everyone by surprise the first time they see it,” Officer Lucky said with humor in her voice. “It looks a little bit like a haunted house, huh?”

  “I was going to say it looks like it came out of the Adams Family.”

  Officer Lucky smiled. “We hear that a lot.” She paused. “So, this is my sister’s dance studio.” She pressed a hand on the closed door that had a large glass insert in the center of it. “Shannon’s teaching a private class right now, or I’d introduce you.”

  Gwen stepped closer so she could peer inside. A woman who must be Shannon was in a leotard, tights, and toe shoes. She also had on some kind of wrap around black sheer skirt on. Her student looked about fourteen. The girl was staring at her reflection in the mirror as she kept hopping up on one toe and stretching out her other leg.

  “Come on,” Officer Lucky said. “Let’s head up and I’ll help you find a place to sleep.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Gwen picked up her tote bag and backpack again and followed the police officer upstairs.

  Officer Lucky paused on the landing of the second floor. “There are two rooms here, but it’s mostly storage. They’re not secure, so don’t go exploring on your own.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Good. Come on up.” Trotting up the stairs, she turned and frowned as Gwen caught up. “I didn’t even think. Are you going to be able to handle these stairs?”

  “I can do it.”

  “You’re pregnant. Is it too much?”

  “No, ma’am.” She was in the nicest place she’d ever been in, all to keep her and Junior safe. There was no way she was going to complain. Besides, one of the books they’d given her at the Women’s center said that exercise was really good for the baby.

  The top floor was far more open and modern-looking than the bottom floor. First she noticed a spacious sitting room with a pair of tan couches and two recliners grouped around a coffee table. A decent-sized television was mounted on one wall. Off to the left was a hallway with a bunch of closed doors.

  On the right was a smallish kitchen decorated in gray and white with stainless steel appliances. One of the white granite countertops was oversized and had a group of three barstools situated right next to it.

  Also in the kitchen stood two women. One had brown hair, one was blonde. Both were looking at her with interest.

  And neither was smiling. For the first time, she wondered if Officer Lucky was the nicest of the bunch. If that was the case, she was going to have to really watch herself.

  CHAPTER 28

  “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass;

  it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

  —Vivian Greene

  Until that very moment, Traci never would have thought she would be a good mother. She’d known she was a fighter, she’d known she had a fierce protective streak. Both of those traits had helped her to be a good cop.

  But she’d always thought she was too hard to be a good mom. Unlike other girls at the home she was raised in, she’d never felt strong feelings for the little new arrivals. While some of her roommates would go out of their way to hold their hands, even give them hugs at night when they were scared, Traci had always kept her distance. She hadn’t been mean or anything—she just hadn’t felt much for them. Well, nothing beyond irritation that, with their arrival,
everything was going to change again.

  But now, standing beside Gwen, who was visibly trying not to tremble as she gaped at Kimber and Jennifer, Traci felt a maternal instinct surface that she’d never believed she possessed. Suddenly, she wanted to shield Gwen from anything bad—even if it was simply a group of women who weren’t being especially welcoming.

  “Put your stuff down,” she muttered before stepping slightly in front of her. “Everyone, Gwen’s here.” Yes, there might have been a bit of iron in her voice.

  Jennifer approached first. “Hi, Gwen. I’m Jennifer. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Hi.” Gwen smiled shyly.

  Kimber held out her hand. “I’m one of Traci’s sisters,” she said. “Shannon’s downstairs teaching a class.”

  Gwen nodded. “We saw her through one of the windows.”

  “She’ll be excited to meet you too. So, welcome.”

  “Thanks.” Gwen paused then blurted, “You don’t look much like Officer Lucky.”

  “That’s because we share the same mom but not much else,” Kimber said. “Do you have siblings?”

  “A brother.”

  “Where’s he at?”

  Traci groaned. “Kimber, I think question-and-answer time can wait. Don’t you?”

  “I don’t mind,” Gwen said. “Um, I don’t really know where Billy is. We’re not real close. He took off on his own a while back.”

  “Is he older or younger?”

  “Older, but not by much. Only by fourteen months.” Gwen shifted from one foot to the other.

  Traci rested a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. “Hey, did you all figure out where Gwen’s going to sleep?” She chuckled lightly. “Where everyone’s going to sleep?”

  “We did,” Jennifer replied. “Dylan and Shannon made themselves a room on the second floor.”

  “How?” The second-floor rooms were clean but mostly empty. Where would they sleep?

  “Dylan ran to a mattress store the minute it opened and bought a mattress. Then, he and a couple of guys loaded it into a truck and carried it upstairs. I went over with Shannon and brought a lamp and a couple of other things from their house.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe you got that done so quickly.”

  Jennifer winked. “Shannon said that the move was a piece of cake. So, don’t you worry about them. They’ll be just fine.”

  “Uh-oh. That makes it sound like someone isn’t going to be.”

  Kimber raised her eyebrows. “That’s because you and me are going to be roommates.”

  “What?”

  Jennifer joined in. “Sorry, Trace. I tried to let you have my room, but Kimber and Shannon said I already have the smallest bedroom in the place.”

  “You do. Your room makes Harry Potter’s room under the stairs look like a suite,” Traci said.

  Kimber looked a little affronted, though Traci knew it was all an act. Kimber was incredibly easy-going, at least when it came to sharing spaces with other women. “Don’t worry. I’m traveling again in two weeks. You’ll have the whole bedroom to yourself.”

  “Will there even be any room for me in your bedroom?” Kimber easily had twice as many clothes as she did.

  “I moved over some of my clothes into another closet.”

  “And the bed?”

  “We’re going to get to share a bed.” She raised one eyebrow. “I hope you don’t kick.”

  “Well, I hope you don’t snore.”

  “I feel terrible that I’m causing you all so much trouble,” Gwen said. “I bet I could probably sleep on one of those couches.”

  “No way,” Jennifer said. “You need your rest.”

  “She’s right,” Kimber said. “Don’t worry about us sniping at each other. It’s normal.”

  Turning to look at Gwen, Traci realized that she’d kept her standing on her feet this whole time. Hadn’t even offered her a glass of water. “Hey, I’m so sorry. I’ve been a terrible hostess. Are you thirsty? Hungry?”

  “Not really, but I kind of have to pee.”

  Kimber chuckled. “Traci, I’ll go show Gwen where the bathroom is. You go take her things to your room.”

  “I can help,” Jennifer said. “Are your other bags downstairs?”

  “No. This is it.”

  Jennifer blinked. “Oh. All right. Do you need anything else? We’ve got lots of extra blankets and pillows around here . . .”

  “No, I’m fine. I promise, I’ll do my best to stay out of everyone’s way. I don’t need much.”

  Kimber walked to her side, “Honey, if you’ve got to be bothered by a crazy ex-boyfriend, you’ve come to the right place. Between the four of us girls, you’re going to have plenty to wear.”

  Gwen’s eyes practically bugged out. “Are you serious?”

  “Of course. Now, what size are you normally?” Kimber asked as they walked down the hall.

  “She’s cute, Traci,” Jennifer said as she picked up Gwen’s two items.

  Thinking about the way Gwen had been looking around at things like she just won the lottery, Traci slowly smiled. “Yeah. I guess she is.”

  She lowered her voice. “Even though you told me she was just a kid, I was imagining someone far different. I feel kind of bad about that.”

  “Don’t. Asking you all to take her in was a lot to ask. Of course you were imagining the worst.” She held up a hand. “And before you start feeling worse, let me tell you that I’ve seen my fair share of women in crack houses. I’ve seen what drugs and bad situations can do to people.”

  “For what it’s worth, I think it’s really great of you to look out for her.”

  “I didn’t do anything much,” Traci protested, but realized that she was talking to the empty room.

  Down the hall, she could hear Kimber, Jennifer, and Gwen talking in Traci’s room. The two of them were now acting like a welcome wagon, and from the way Gwen was giggling, they had a way with her that Traci had never managed. The girl was relaxing.

  Even though she could probably go down there and grab some of the clothes and cart them to Kimber’s room, Traci walked to the refrigerator, searched in the back and uncovered one of her “absolutely necessary” Dr Peppers.

  She tried to be reasonably healthy by nature, which meant she tried to keep the cans of sugar and caffeine to a minimum. But sometimes she needed a pick-me-up to get her through the day.

  And, given that it was only a little after eleven and she felt like she’d already been on duty for twelve hours, Traci knew this was one of those days. Popping the top, she sipped from the can, practically moaning with happiness.

  Buoyed by the pleasure only forbidden food could bring, she opened a cabinet, grabbed a bag of goldfish crackers—parmesan, not cheddar—and sat down at the counter bar and helped herself to a little feast.

  “Oh my gosh! Did Gwen not come after all?” Shannon asked the moment she appeared on the landing. “What happened?”

  “Not a thing. She’s down the hall.”

  “Oh.” Shannon walked to her side. She was still wearing her leotard, tights, and filmy skirt. Her feet were now bare, though—her toes looking as ugly and misshapen as ever, thanks to a lifetime of dancing. “What’s she doing?”

  “I have a feeling she’s currently trying to get a word in edgewise. Kimber and Jennifer are showing Gwen her new room.”

  “And you’re just sitting here having a snack?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well, I’m going to go down the hall and say hello.”

  “Good. But get ready, Gwen saw you dancing in your studio. She looked mesmerized.”

  “Really?”

  “Uh-huh. It was sweet. I have a feeling that she’s going to have some questions for you.”

  Shannon brightened. “Great!” She scampered down the hall, greeting Gwen with enough West Vir
ginia hospitality to make Traci smile as she popped another goldfish into her mouth.

  It seemed that, in the light of day, her sisters had all warmed to Gwen’s presence. Kimber had been right. Gwen had gotten the roommate jackpot. But not for the clothing situation.

  For the women who lived there.

  Traci couldn’t think of any finer women to be around.

  CHAPTER 29

  jive: A spicy swing dance set to big-band music

  in which the man leads. It is a fast

  and energy-consuming dance.

  Matt looked at the clock above his desk and groaned. It was already a quarter after six, and he’d started the day doing rounds at the hospital at seven that morning. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to put in a fourteen-hour day. Not his favorite way to begin the week. At least he only had two more calls to make before he could go back to his apartment and collapse.

  Just as he picked up the phone, Hartley poked her head in his doorway. “I’m heading out, Dr. Rossi.”

  Hartley had once been a nurse, but now was his office manager. She’d decided about five years ago that the stress of the job had taken a toll on her. He’d supported that decision wholeheartedly, though when she’d first taken over the retiring Ellie’s position, he’d been a little skeptical. He had a fairly big practice and not every patient was a piece of cake. A couple of them, in particular, needed to be handled with kid gloves.

  She’d done an outstanding job, though. He couldn’t imagine his practice running half as smoothly without her.

  Getting to his feet, he said, “Thanks for everything today. I don’t know what the Sullivans would have done without you smoothing the way for them.”

  She shook her head. “That darn assistant administrator at that hospital! She doesn’t listen and is always multi-tasking.” She glowered. “Half the time I want to march right over to her office, turn off her computer, and tell her to stop reading messages while I’m talking to her on the phone.”

  He grinned. “And the other half of the time?”

  “I just want to hang up and try not to ever speak to her again.”