“No. That’s okay. She’s going to pick me up, too.”
Which meant Claire’s one o’clock interview would have to be over in time to pick him up. After what happened at school yesterday when Vic had stood in the doorway of the classroom, his son clearly did not want his father anywhere around today. Something was going on inside him. Vic knew better than to argue with him. After Claire brought him home from school, Vic would drive him to the appointment at the hospital.
Claire had gone over to the stove. “Do you want another pancake, Jeremy?”
“No. I’m full.”
“Okay. Then brush your teeth and we’ll go.”
He ran out of the kitchen. Vic cleared the table and walked over to Claire, who’d dressed in jeans and a lavender lace blouse that did wonders for her figure. “Will you be back here by ten thirty? I need to fill you in on a few things. We didn’t get a chance to talk after you came home last night.”
Her eyes flicked to his. “I know. When I went to his room, I saw you asleep on the bed next to him. It was very sweet the way he was cuddled up next to you.”
“If you’d come in earlier, you would have heard him sobbing because you’re going to leave us. Do you want to know what he said to me? You could scare her, Dad, and tell her that if she doesn’t stay, I’ll run away.”
Vic watched her eyes film over before she looked down in distress. “I—I’m glad he has an appointment with the therapist today,” she stammered.
“Me, too. I have a plan for tomorrow and I want to know what you think about it. Meet me out at the barn after my appointment.”
She nodded. “I’ve been worrying about this weekend, too.”
Before he could say anything more, Jeremy appeared in the kitchen. “I’m ready, Claire. Let’s go.”
“Okay.” She grabbed her purse and they started for the door leading to the garage.
“How about a hug first?”
Jeremy ran over and gave Vic one before following Claire out the door. Vic walked through the house to the front door and waved to them as they backed out on to the street and drove off.
Once they were out of sight, he locked up the house and left for the hospital. Dr. Marshall expected Vic to be punctual. He arrived with no time to spare, wondering what would be accomplished in this session.
“Good morning, Vic. Come on in.”
“Thank you.” He took a seat in front of the doctor’s desk.
Dr. Marshall cocked his head. “How hard has it been not going to work?”
Vic rubbed the back of his neck. “To be honest, my son is going through such a terrible time, all my thoughts have been on him. He knows Claire is leaving us soon, and he’s not handling it well at all. Last night he cried for so long I got worried. He’s threatened to run away, or else go live with my sister-in-law and her husband. I’m hoping Dr. King can help me deal with him. We have an appointment this afternoon after Jeremy’s school.”
“Good. I believe he’s suffering from the same anger issues you have, but he handles them differently.”
“What do you mean exactly?”
“Like you, he feels as if his life is spinning out of control and he’s angry. Dr. King will supply some strategies. But this morning you and I need to explore the reasons for the anger that caused you to step over the line in the course of your work.”
“I was terrified I’d never see my son again.”
“Because...”
Vic’s brows furrowed. “Because he was the only person who could tell me if Jeremy was alive, let alone where I could find him.”
“You were angry for another reason, too. Can you think what it would be?”
“I suppose it’s because my wife and parents were wiped out three years ago and I couldn’t do a thing to save them.”
“That’s one of the reasons. You were at work when the tornado struck and you were helpless to change the outcome. When faced with the possibility of your son being wiped out, you again felt helpless, and that anger caused you to make a mistake you would never normally make.”
Vic nodded.
“But you’re battling another fear that contributed to that mistake. The nanny who has endeared herself to your son is going to leave your employ. How long have you known she wouldn’t be permanent?”
“She was perfectly clear with me about her future plans before I hired her. Her goal was to get a job in her chosen field of chemistry after graduating from the university.”
“So none of this is a surprise to you.”
“No.”
“Yet you’re acting as if she suddenly threw this at you. Has your son known about it all this time?”
“Yes.”
“How long has she been with you?”
“Nine months.”
“So from the moment she started working for you, your anxiety has been building because she’s been a good nanny and you don’t want to lose her. I think because your life has been running well with her on board, you’ve been in denial about her future plans. Then suddenly you were hit with the kidnapping and her imminent departure from your household.”
“Yes.” Dr. Marshall was good. Very good.
“It’s obvious how your son feels about it, but the question is how do you feel about it?”
He sat forward with his hands clasped between his legs. “I wish she weren’t leaving.”
“You had another nanny before her. Was it difficult for you when she left?”
“Not in the same way.”
“What way is that?”
Vic got to his feet, unable to remain seated. “Our first nanny was an older woman with family who needed her. Jeremy accepted it.”
“As did you.”
“Yes.”
“So why is Claire’s leaving so different?”
“For one thing she’s...young and hits it off with Jeremy in ways I wouldn’t have imagined.”
“And she’s a free agent, right? Still unmarried?”
“Yes.”
“Have you asked her to stay on and put off getting another job yet?”
“Yes. I’ve even offered her a salary to match the one several companies are offering, but she turned it down because her mind is made up.”
“How does that make you feel? Think hard to give me the right word.”
Vic didn’t have to think. “Helpless.”
“Like this is another situation out of control?”
“Yes.”
“So when you were interrogating the man who took Jeremy, you were feeling helpless for three distinct reasons, and that helpless feeling turned to anger you weren’t aware had been roiling inside of you. At that moment you lost control.”
Vic was floored. Dr. Marshall had nailed what was going on inside him. How did he do that?
“Our time is up for this session. Monday we’ll get into why losing Claire represents such a personal loss to you. It’s key to the underlying reason why you lost control in the interrogation room.”
Vic left the hospital feeling uncomfortable and all wound up. He needed to channel his energy into something physical. As soon as he got home, he went out to the barn. By the time he’d mucked out the stalls and put the horses in the paddock, Claire had returned. He saw her coming toward him wearing her cowboy boots.
She hung her arms over the fencing. Marshmallow wandered over so she could rub her forelock. Claire had propped one of her shapely legs on the lower rung of the fence, and she made a beautiful picture, all coppery gold and lavender.
“How did it go with Jeremy this morning?”
“He saw Nate and Cory out on the playground and ran to them before the bell rang. I’m glad Nate’s back today.”
“Jeremy’s going to need his friends now more than ever.”
“I have no doubt he’ll have lots of play dates this summer.”
Vic leaned against the fencing. “I have to do something to help him right away. Do you think it would be crazy if I bought him the brown-and-white miniature horse he saw the other day?”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh Vic, he’d love that more than anything!”
“We could drive there tomorrow and make a day of it. If I tell him he has to take total responsibility for it, I’m hoping it might help him deal with the pain of you leaving.”
She pressed her lips together as if she was having difficulty with that concept, too. “You couldn’t have come up with a more perfect plan. He associates those little horses with his mom. Not that he has the memory. But he’s heard you talk about it and it will have more meaning for him than if you bought him a puppy or a kitty.”
“He has Comet, but I’m thinking he needs a pet.”
“That miniature horse will be perfect! He can join a 4-H club when he turns eight. Austin’s 4-H petting zoo was always one of my favorite places to visit when I was little. I bet Jeremy would just love to show off his adorable horse.”
When you gave Claire an idea, she ran with it. Jeremy always said Claire was awesome. That word described her best. “I guess I have my answer.”
Her smile captivated him. “Are you going to tell him tonight?”
“I’ll wait until he’s had his appointment with Dr. King. I’d like to run the idea by her first.” She’d told him the session with his son would be private, but he could email her with any questions or concerns he had.
“I’m sure she’ll think it’s fabulous.”
Not wanting Claire to find an excuse to go in the house, he said, “Why don’t we saddle up the horses and exercise them?”
“I have time to ride for a little while before I leave.” It wasn’t a no, but her usual burst of enthusiasm was missing.
They set out with Vic holding Comet’s lead. He was in a better mood having shared his idea with Claire. She’d turned into a real cowgirl and could saddle Marshmallow herself. He marveled that when she’d first started to take care of Jeremy, she’d only ridden a horse a couple of times.
As she broke into a gallop, her shoulder-length hair floated behind her like a shimmering red-gold pennant in the sun. He longed to bunch it in his hands. He longed to hold her again like he’d done the other night. Astride the horse, she had a stunning natural beauty. It was more and more unthinkable to him that she’d be leaving them soon.
“I’d better take Marshmallow back to the barn and get ready, or I’m going to be late for my interview.”
He’d been so deep in thought about her that her comment jarred him. They’d been riding for almost an hour. “Let’s go. I’ll take care of your horse.”
“Thanks. Come on, Marshmallow. Let’s have one more run.” The horse galloped all the way to the barn. Claire dismounted and hurried toward the house without waiting for him. She was always pleasant and friendly, but since they’d found Jeremy, he could feel her distancing herself from him.
Pondering her troubling behavior, Vic watered and fed the horses. Once inside the house, he phoned Hershel’s about the miniature horse. If it was still for sale, he was interested. There was one extra stall in the barn. They could fit it out for the tiny horse. He’d let Jeremy plan how he wanted it to be. All he could hope was that his son would be so excited about the horse that he would be consumed with taking care of it.
While he was washing his hands at the kitchen sink, the phone rang. When he saw the caller ID, he lunged for it. “Kit—what’s up?”
“Plenty, but I only have a few minutes. Can you talk, or is this a bad time?”
“It couldn’t be better. I’m home alone and thankful you called.”
“How soon will you be back on the job?”
“When TJ tells me I can go back. I have to go through some more therapy sessions.”
“Are they helping?”
“They’re more upsetting than anything.” Dr. Marshall sure had a way of pressing all his buttons.
“That’s good. It means it’s got you thinking. How’s Jeremy?”
“Not good. I’m taking him to a child therapist this afternoon.”
“Nightmares?”
“No, he hasn’t talked about the kidnapping at all, but he’s so upset that Claire is leaving, he got hysterical last night. She’s already had one job offer and will probably get another one today.”
“That’s tough. If you don’t want to talk, I understand.”
“No, no. Tell me your news.”
“I just found out that Jamison Lowell, the school district guy who hired Leroy, was killed in a car accident outside Vail last night. He drove through a guard rail. The police found him dead in his car at the bottom of a ravine. He was alone. I don’t know anything else yet, but I figure someone got to him before he could talk.”
“Sounds like it. This case just keeps getting bigger and uglier.”
“You’ve got to get back to work.”
Vic expelled his breath. “Tell me about it.”
“I’ll try to find out if drugs or alcohol were involved when the autopsy’s done. Sorry, Vic, but I’ve got to get going.”
“Like I told you before, I couldn’t do this without you. Talk to you soon.”
Vic hung up, aware that he had time on his hands. He should send Dr. King an email about the advisability of getting a pet for his son. He went into the den and typed the email, hoping the therapist would receive it before she met with Jeremy.
Once he’d sent it, he got up from the chair and paced the floor. Vic’s next challenge would be to tell Jeremy they were going to see a doctor about the experience he’d been through. His son wasn’t going to like it.
Chapter Six
Claire parked at the side of Pinehurst Elementary to wait for Jeremy. She had a lot to think about. She’d been offered the position at the lab in the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown area. Now she had two positions to choose from, and both companies needed an answer from her next week. She was finally on the brink of the career she’d worked so hard for.
She ought to be dancing on the ceiling, but when she saw Jeremy come running toward her with the animal life cycle diorama she’d helped him make for class, pain stabbed her in the chest, robbing her of breath.
How was she going to leave this precious boy? Something had happened to her during the kidnapping. She’d felt as if she’d lost her own child. When they’d found him, she’d wanted to clutch him in her arms and never let him go, but that was Vic’s right, not hers.
At this point she couldn’t comprehend leaving Vic or Jeremy. How would a career ever compensate for the loss?
But how could she accept Vic’s offer to stay on another year, knowing it would only be putting off the inevitable? With her credentials, she could always find work in her field, but if she remained in his employ, a year from now Claire would be in the same position she was now, heartbroken and looking for a job.
Who knew the changes that could come in another year? Vic might meet someone and fall in love. Claire was surprised it hadn’t happened before now. Then he’d get married and Claire would be let go. Her suffering would be so intolerable, she knew she had to make the break now or pay the price.
“Hi, Jeremy,” she said as he opened the door and jumped in the backseat with his school project. “Did you have a fun party?”
“It was okay. Will you drive me to Nate’s? If I can’t play at his house, can he come over to our house with us? We’ll give Comet a bath.”
“That sounds like a fun idea, but your dad asked me to bring you home because he has plans to be with you.” She pulled away from the curb and started down the street toward home.
“But Nate and I want to play.”
Normally he couldn�
��t wait to be with his father. She took a deep breath. “You can tell him that as soon as we get there.”
“Please don’t take me home.”
Alarms bells went off. Jeremy was up to something. Claire could feel it. Maybe he was planning on using Nate as an excuse to run away. He’d told Vic he’d do it. Was that idea in the back of his mind?
“Jeremy? I promised your father he could always count on me. You wouldn’t want me to break my promise, would you?”
“He won’t care.”
Whoa. “But I care.”
“No, you don’t. You’re going to leave.”
She heard tears in his voice and it broke her heart. Thank heaven she could see Vic on the front porch waiting for them as she pulled into the driveway. It prevented her from having to say anything because he walked toward the car and opened the back door to reach for Jeremy.
“I’ve been anxious to see you, sport.” He picked him up. “How was your last day of school?”
“Stupid. I wanted to go over to Nate’s, but Claire said I had to come home first.”
Vic exchanged a silent message with Claire. “She was right. You and I have plans for the rest of the afternoon.”
“What are they?”
“After you go to the bathroom and wash your hands, come on out to my car, and I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
“Is Claire coming, too?”
“I can’t,” she spoke for Vic, saying the first thing that came into her mind. “My parents are expecting me. But I’ll see you tonight before you go to bed.”
His expression hardened like stone before he wiggled out of Vic’s arms and ran inside the house. “Quick, before he comes back out, Claire. How did the interview go?”
She struggled to remain composed. “I was offered the position.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” He put his hands on the framework of her car while his black eyes studied her features. “Have you made a decision yet?”
Claire wished he wasn’t standing so close and averted her eyes. She could smell the soap he’d used in the shower. He was such a gorgeous man. “No, but I’m leaning toward the company that will pay part of my tuition to get a PhD while I’m working.”
The Texas Ranger's Nanny Page 10