“Who is he?”
“Bart Nelson, Penny’s husband. Bad news.”
Having seen the woman and the condition she was in physically and emotionally, Maddy had to agree. “I’ll let the other people who staff the desk know about the man. Sadly, we have others we have to keep an eye out for.”
“Yeah, the world is in sorry shape.”
The jaded edge to his words touched Maddy. She supposed he saw a lot of the bad side of people because of his job, but as long as the Lord was in the world, there was hope. The light in the dark.
“Have a good day, detective.” She smiled.
He grunted and left, throwing her a puzzling expression right before he shut the outer door.
Sighing, she settled back in the chair and tried for the next hour to get Detective Sean O’Neal out of her mind. She hadn’t been very successful when the outer door opened again. A deliveryman with a bouquet of flowers entered and started for the locked inner door. Maddy rose to intercept him when recognition dawned on her.
He was Penny’s husband.
Chapter Two
“This robbery gang is getting bolder.” Sean strode away from the crime scene—a ranch-style house in a quiet neighborhood.
“Hasn’t even been two days since the last one a street over,” said his partner, David Russell, pocketing his notepad.
“Which means they should move on to another area, but they’ve fooled us in the past.” Stopping at his red Camaro, Sean turned to David. “I went to see Penny Nelson this morning at the shelter.”
“She gonna press charges?”
“Changed her mind from the time she called me to when I showed up.”
David chuckled. “You mean your persuasive charm hasn’t worked yet?”
“Ha. Give me time.” Instantly a picture of a petite blonde popped into Sean’s head. And just as quickly he shoved it away. He had no business becoming interested in any woman after his failed marriage. According to his ex-wife, he’d been married to his job. Maybe she was right.
“I’ll get my sister to help. She’ll convince Penny to put her husband behind bars.”
“Let’s hope. But we’ve both seen Penny’s brand of fear.” Too often.
“I’ll see you back at the station. I’ve got to run by my sister’s. There’s been a minor crisis with my teenage niece. Something about skipping school. I’m not sure what Kelli expects me to do. I’m not married and I don’t have children.” David headed for his car that was parked behind Sean’s.
“I can’t help you there. I don’t know the first thing about kids.” And that was the way Sean wanted it. How could he bring a child into this world when it was so messed up? His ex-wife had wanted children, but the longer he was a cop the more he hadn’t. He supposed that’d been the beginning of the end for them as a married couple.
Sean slipped behind the steering wheel and started the engine. His ex-wife was right. He shouldn’t be married.
As he pulled away from the curb, his cell rang. “Detective O’Neal.”
“This is Maddy at the shelter. Penny’s husband just tried to get in to see her. I stopped him and he left, but he wasn’t too happy about it. Just thought I’d let you know.”
“Lock the outer door. I’ll be there in ten.” Sean pressed his foot on the accelerator and headed toward the women’s shelter. He didn’t trust the man to stay away, especially if he knew his wife was inside.
Ten long minutes later, he pulled up in front of the building and hurried toward the front door. It hung wide open. A crashing sound from inside spurred his steps even faster while he retrieved his cell to call for backup.
* * *
“I’ve called the police. They’re on the way.” Maddy pressed against the side of the desk, using her body as much as possible to shield the button that unlocked the interior door.
The tall man, covered in tattoos with a buzzed haircut, advanced on her, his huge arms slightly curved at his sides with his hands fisted. “Unlock that door or I’ll tear it down.”
Maddy stared into the dilated eyes of Penny’s husband. Rage looked back at her. Fear mushroomed to a fever pitch as she glanced around. She had nowhere to go.
Lord, help.
She sidled away, trying to draw his attention to her face and away from the button by saying, “I don’t know who Penny Nelson is. She isn’t here.”
Suddenly his arm snaked out, and he gripped hers with bruising fingers. He dragged her up against him, thrusting his face into hers. “She’s here. I know it.”
“I’ve never seen—”
The brute slapped her across the face, snapping her head back. Her mind swirled from the force of the hit. Her ears rang.
Through the clamoring of her heartbeat, she heard, “Police. Let her go.”
The man’s nostrils flared, his eyes darkening, narrowing. A tic jerked in his jaw as he whirled around and yanked her in front of him—all so fast it made her thoughts spin.
She faced Sean O’Neal with a gun leveled at them. Her knees went weak. She sagged toward the floor. Bart Nelson wrenched her up against him, one arm across her neck, choking the breath from her lungs.
“If you don’t back off, I’ll snap her neck,” he yelled.
“You aren’t gonna do that because then I’ll be forced to kill you.”
The sight of the detective’s gun wavered before Maddy as her oxygen-deprived lungs screamed for more air. The rapid staccato of her heartbeat added to the pressure building in her chest.
Suddenly from the corner of her eye, Maddy glimpsed the inner door opening.
Her captive loosened his grip on her briefly, turning slightly toward the entrance. She went slack, pulling all her weight down. Her head slipped through the crook of his arm as Sean charged him.
Maddy flung herself to the side, collapsing against the edge of the desk. The scuffling sound to her left drew her attention as Kelli, holding a baseball bat, and several more women poured through the doorway.
Sean pinned her captive against the floor, rolled him over and secured handcuffs around the man’s wrists before Maddy inhaled several gulps of air.
“Are you all right, Maddy?” Kelli helped her to stand upright.
Maddy swayed against the desk and used it as a support. Sean threw her a glance over his shoulder, the concern on his face riveting her to him. For a long moment she couldn’t take her gaze off him. Finally he broke eye contact as he hauled Penny’s husband to his feet.
Bart locked his stare on someone in the entrance to the shelter, and suddenly he tried to hurl himself forward. Sean tightened his grip and the man came to a halting stop.
Maddy looked around and saw Penny in the doorway. She stepped back, hiding behind several other women. Her heart ached for Penny.
“Maddy?” Kelli’s gentle touch finally drew her to her friend.
“I’m okay.” Maddy took another deep breath, the constriction around her chest easing.
Two police officers entered the building, and Sean handed Bart over to them to take down to the station.
Then he was at Maddy’s side, that earlier concern leveled at her. “I’m taking you to the hospital to get checked out.”
“No.”
“That’s not an option. He hit you hard.” His grounded-out words and the hard set to his jawline emphasized his determination.
A shout of rage boomed through the foyer. Sean peered toward the man wrestling with the two officers who were trying to remove him. Sean started toward the trio when finally Maddy’s attacker settled down enough to be taken from the building.
Sean swept his attention, intense and determined, back to Maddy. “After you’ve been checked out at the hospital, I’ll drive you home.”
Maddy stood up, squaring her shoulders. “No.”
Chapter Three
Surrounded by people in the shelter foyer, Maddy faced Sean, tilting up her chin. “No, I won’t go to the hospital. I avoid them as much as possible.” Her husband had spent so much time in one, espe
cially toward the end.
Sean twisted his mouth into a frown. “Then I’ll take you home.”
His commanding presence threatened to overwhelm her. She needed time to quiet her reeling mind and riotous nerves. Clasping her hands together to keep the trembling from showing, she said, “I can take care of myself.”
His frown strengthened into a scowl.
Ignoring the glare, she turned toward the drawer where she kept her purse. The rotating motion made the room spin. She gripped the desk’s edge and slid her eyes closed for a few seconds, then retrieved her bag and dug through the contents for her car keys. As she withdrew them, her hand shook so badly they clanged to the tile floor.
Sean leaned over and snatched them up. “Yes, I can see you’re all right to drive.”
Kelli came to stand next to her. “Please let Sean take you home. You’ve been through a traumatic experience.”
The thought of navigating the noon-hour traffic suddenly swamped her. Her brain shut down, and she nodded.
“I’ll be just a minute. I want to have a word with Penny, then I’ll be ready to take you home.” Sean moved off toward the doorway where the women still clustered.
“Are you sure you’re okay? That you shouldn’t be checked out?”
“Not you, too, Kelli. I’m just shaken.” Maddy clutched her purse to her chest. The thought of what could have happened if Sean hadn’t come when he did knotted her stomach.
“Understandably. This makes it even more important to install a better security system. I don’t want any more incidents like this. I’m gonna call the company and see if they can come this week instead of next.”
Sean approached and took hold of Maddy’s elbow. “Ready?”
She started to tell him she was capable of walking by herself, but the feel of his fingers on her skin sent an awareness through her that surprised her. Calmed her. Suddenly she liked the idea that someone was taking care of her—it had been more than two years since she’d felt that.
Exiting the building, Maddy drank in the sunshine that warmed her face. The hint of fall hung in the air.
Sean guided her to a red Camaro parked out front and opened the door for her. “Where do you live?”
“In Oakcrest Estates.”
He whistled. “Those are big homes.”
“My husband was quite successful.”
“Was?”
“He died two years ago from a congenital heart defect.” She slipped into the passenger side of his vehicle.
“I’m sorry.” Sean slammed the door and rounded the front of the car.
So was she. Will had been a good husband. Her best friend.
When Sean settled behind the steering wheel and started the car, Maddy glanced at his strong profile while his attention was focused on the traffic. A square jaw. A cleft in his chin. A firm mouth. His face epitomized the strength in the man. He’d wrestled Bart Nelson to the floor in seconds.
Thank You, Lord, for that.
“I didn’t get a chance to find out how Penny is,” Maddy said to break the silence, although it was not an uncomfortable one.
He slid a look toward her. “She’s upset. She won’t testify against her husband and what he just did only made her more adamant about that.”
“If she won’t—” the woman’s fear bringing out all the protective feelings Maddy had “—I will. He attacked me. If you hadn’t come...” Her throat swelled around the last words, making them impossible to utter. Through the sheen of tears, she stared out the windshield.
“You will?” Again his dark brown gaze swept to her, a smile on his face until he took in her expression.
She blinked, and a tear leaked out and ran down her cheek. Brushing it away, she averted her head. “Yes. Someone needs to see him go to jail.”
“I was hoping you would say that. I can add your assault to resisting arrest and anything else I can make stick.”
“Did Penny have a protective order against him?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll talk to Kelli about seeing if she can help her get one. I suspect Penny doesn’t know where to turn, but Kelli can help her.” I can help her. No one should have to go through that kind of fear and intimidation.
“Good. I advised her to get one, but she hasn’t done anything. I’m afraid she’ll go back to him eventually.”
“Unless we give her other options.”
At a stoplight Sean shifted toward her, studying her for a long moment. “You’re going to get involved? Most people wouldn’t.”
“I’m not most people. When he held me hostage, he crossed the wrong person.”
He faced forward and pressed his foot on the accelerator. “All I need you to do is come down to the station and make a statement tomorrow. I’ll take care of the rest.”
In other words, don’t get too involved.
Maddy fell silent the rest of the way to her house. Sean pulled into her long driveway that led to her massive two-story house. It was bigger than anything she really needed, but Will had insisted on a large home for the family they would have. Both of them had wanted a lot of children. He’d hoped to live long enough to have a couple. That hadn’t happened.
“You live here by yourself?” On the circular drive Sean stopped near the front entrance.
“No, there are a couple of us that roam around this large place.” She angled around to face him. “I haven’t thanked you for being there for me today.”
His gaze zeroed in on her. “Just doing my job.”
She couldn’t look away. The midnight dark of his eyes held her captive. Her throat tightened and her breathing became shallow.
He reached out and brushed his finger gently across her cheek where her attacker had slapped her. “I should have gotten there sooner. When I heard...”
His whispered words wrapped about her as though he blamed himself and would make sure no harm ever came to her again.
“I’m just glad you were there.” As much as she knew she needed to go inside, she couldn’t look away from him.
Finally he broke visual contact and stared out the windshield. “I’ll arrange for a patrol officer to bring your car home from the shelter.”
With all that had happened, she’d totally forgotten about that. The incident affected her more than she wanted to admit. “That’s okay. My mother lives here with me, and she can take me to pick it up tomorrow before I come to the station to make my statement.”
“Fine.” He exited his car.
Before he’d taken a few steps, Maddy climbed from the Camaro. It felt strange having a man walk her to her front door. No doubt her mother would have questions, and she hated to tell her about what happened. As she searched her purse for her house keys, her mother swung the door open.
“Kelli called and told me about the man at the shelter. Are you all right?” Her mother’s glance strayed to Sean next to her then returned to Maddy.
“This is Detective Sean O’Neal. This is my mother, Shirley Carrington.”
“Come in. Kelli told me you saved my daughter’s life.” Her mother moved to the side to allow Sean inside.
“I was just there to help.”
The sound of a child crying echoed through the house.
“Oh, that must be Carrie up from her nap. Nice to meet you, detective.” Before Maddy could move, her mother scurried toward the stairs.
“You have a child?” Sean turned toward Maddy.
Chapter Four
When Sean entered the shelter three days later, he half expected to encounter Maddy again, but another lady was at the reception desk. While she called to let Penny know he was there, he couldn’t quash his disappointment it wasn’t Maddy behind the desk.
Until he thought about her baby daughter. Not only was Maddy the type of woman who was definitely the marrying kind, but she was a mother, too. She was the type he avoided and had ever since his divorce five years earlier. His ex-wife had certainly let him know he wasn’t the marrying kind.
Yet th
ere was something about Maddy that intrigued him. When she’d needed to, she’d kept her head clear and helped free herself from Bart Nelson.
The door to the main part of the shelter opened, and Kelli came out. “Penny isn’t here anymore.”
“Where is she? She didn’t go back to Bart, did she?”
“No. In fact, she got a restraining order against him. She’s at Maddy’s.”
“She’s what? What’s she doing there? Bart is out on bail.”
“That’s why Maddy insisted this morning that Penny and her child stay at her house. This way Bart won’t know where she is. I was gonna call you later to let you know Penny was gone.”
The realization Maddy had placed herself in danger sent alarm bells resounding through his mind. What if Bart found out where Penny was? A repeat of a few days ago flashed into his thoughts with a different result—one that wasn’t good for Maddy or Penny. He had to convince Maddy that she couldn’t have Penny at her house.
* * *
“Why are you doing this?” Penny paced the length of Maddy’s den.
“Because it’s the right thing to do. You need a friend.” Maddy looked from the woman to the two children playing with some of Carrie’s toys. Penny’s son, Tyler, needed a chance like her daughter. If Penny stayed with her husband, what kind of life would Tyler have?
“But what if Bart finds me?”
“He won’t. Besides, I’ve got a safe room and a great security system. My husband wanted to make sure I was protected.”
Penny stopped in the middle of the room. “I wouldn’t know what that means. I’ve never had that.”
“Well, I’m here now to help.”
“Are you sure this is gonna work?”
Maddy rose and scooped up her daughter, needing suddenly to hold Carrie. “Yes.”
“How?”
“I’ve asked the Lord to help you.” The sound of the doorbell resonated through the house. When Penny stiffened, Maddy hurriedly put Carrie down. “I’ll see who it is.”
She checked the security monitor of the front door. Relief pulsed through her when she saw Sean. For a few seconds she, too, had wondered if Bart had somehow found Penny.
A Mom's New Start (Love Inspired) Page 19