by Alison Stone
Patrick glanced over his shoulder. Danielle stood ramrod straight in the doorway, her bloodless lips pressed into a straight line.
“Why’d I go fishing?” Jimmy scratched his head, sending a tuft of hair sticking straight in the air. “If I had been here she wouldn’t have been out. She wouldn’t have gotten into trouble.” He sucked in a quick breath. “I’ll never forgive myself if she doesn’t…” He glanced past Patrick and seemed to regard Danielle for the first time.
“It’s not your fault.” Patrick squeezed his shoulder.
Jimmy sniffed and ran his sleeve under his nose, finally composing himself.
“When did you get here?” Patrick asked.
Jimmy lifted a hand as if to dismiss the question. “A few hours ago. I drove all night once I heard.” A subtle shudder seemed to course through his body. “Thank goodness I went into town to get some supplies. I checked my cell phone and got the message from my father.”
Patrick clapped Jimmy on the shoulder. “You’re here now. That’s what counts.”
Jimmy nodded, a darkness settling in his eyes. “Guilt is eating me alive.”
Patrick understood that emotion all too well. Guilt and its evil twin what if had nearly consumed him after his wife, Lisa, died. What if he had been around when Lisa first started getting headaches? What if she had gone to the doctor sooner? What if could make a sane man go crazy.
Thank goodness he had his faith to pull him out of the darkness.
Patrick smiled and lifted his palm toward Danielle. “Have you met Jenny’s sister?”
Jimmy’s expression froze for a fraction before an uncomfortable smile tilted his lips. “High school. Junior-year Spanish class, right?”
“It was a long time ago,” Danielle said woodenly. “Nice to see you again. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
“I’m sorry too…for you. She’s your sister and all.” Jimmy twisted around to face Jenny, covering her hand with his. “Don’t worry. I’m back. I’m not going to take my eyes off Jenny again.”
“You talk to your father?” Patrick asked, wondering if Jimmy knew the police department had used Jenny as a drug informant.
Jimmy bowed his head. The fingers on his free hand clenched, then relaxed. Anticipation charged the air. “He told me someone beat her up.” Jimmy turned, revealing his profile. A muscle twitched in his jaw. Jimmy reached over and traced the bandage covering Jenny’s nose. “My beautiful girl.”
“Did she tell you who she was going out with on Thursday?” Danielle asked, her voice sounding brittle. Patrick found himself holding his breath, afraid of what Jimmy might reveal.
“I didn’t have cell phone reception.” Jimmy’s words seemed clipped. “I know she had a lot of homework. Maybe she had a study group. Maybe she met some friends out.” He shook his head, his jaw firmly set
“The police will find out who did this to her.” Patrick chose his words carefully. An upset boyfriend interfering in their case was the last thing they needed. Especially since the boyfriend was the son of the police chief.
“It’s just…” Jimmy hesitated, “…Jenny was stressed out. School. Work. Everything. I told her to quit. The stress wasn’t worth it. I told her I could take care of her.”
Danielle visibly flinched.
“I bought her a ring in September,” Jimmy continued, “but she told me she wanted to finish school first.” He fingered the whiskers on his chin. “Jenny’s got a mind of her own.”
“That’s good, right?” Danielle finally spoke up. A deep pink crept up her neck and colored her cheeks.
One corner of Jimmy’s mouth curled upward. “Except when her ideas conflict with my ideas.”
“So, you never talked to her Thursday night?” Danielle asked, suspicion evident in her voice. Jimmy seemed to watch her closely as she strolled around to the opposite side of the bed and smoothed a hand across her sister’s hair.
Jimmy narrowed his brow as if giving it some consideration. His red-rimmed eyes spoke to his exhaustion. “I did try to call but couldn’t get a connection.” He pushed his fingers through his thick brown hair. “I think I even texted her more than once, but she never replied.” He shrugged. “Who knows if the messages went through.”
“I’m afraid you’re disturbing the patient.” The nurse’s soft voice interrupted Jimmy.
Danielle creased her brow in question.
“We have monitors at the nurses’ station. Jenny’s heart rate has increased.” The nurse slipped her stethoscope from around her neck and pressed the end to Jenny’s chest. After listening for a moment, the nurse draped the stethoscope over her shoulder. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave. She needs quiet.”
Something flickered in Jimmy’s dark eyes. Something Patrick couldn’t pinpoint. Pain? Hurt? Guilt? “Mind if I stay? I promise to be quiet.” Jimmy raised his eyebrows and pressed his hands together in a suppliant gesture.
“As long as you’re quiet, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” The nurse pointed at Jimmy. “But only one of you.”
Patrick lifted his arm, gesturing for Danielle to walk ahead of him out the door. Instead, she slipped her delicate, trembling hand in his. An overwhelming urge to protect her welled up inside him.
The late afternoon sun streamed through Gram’s smudged kitchen window. Danielle glanced up from her cell phone. Deleting e-mails was like swinging a sword at the snakes on Medusa’s head. If she got rid of one, three more popped up in its place. She blinked her eyes, trying to refocus. Tipping her head back, she pressed her fingers to her mouth. A shudder coursed through her as she recalled clutching Patrick’s hand at the hospital. What had she been thinking? Pushing away from the kitchen table, she stood and stretched her arms over her head. Every nerve ending buzzed to life.
In the other room, Gram dozed, her finger keeping her place in the Bible. How many Sunday afternoons had Gram spent reading the Bible as she and Jenny did homework at the kitchen table? An emptiness—a yearning—threaded its way around her heart and squeezed. The Bible had always been Gram’s constant companion, and in times of tragedy, her grandmother clung to it like a life preserver.
Danielle wished she had something to hang on to besides work and worry. The image of her hand warmly nestled in Patrick’s came unbidden. She quickly shook it away.
Suddenly, her skin grew clammy and the walls closed in on her. She slipped on her jacket and stepped out onto the front porch. Filling her lungs, she zipped up her jacket against the chill. She descended the steps and retrieved a rake from the detached garage. Maybe she’d be able to work off some of her pent-up energy. Hadn’t Patrick mentioned something earlier this morning about manual labor allowing his mind to relax?
Why do all my thoughts keep coming back to him?
After about an hour, despite the huge pile of leaves in front of her, Danielle hadn’t made a dent in clearing the front lawn of leaves. But the repetitive work had allowed her mind to drift, but mostly between her sister and her handsome neighbor. She rolled her shoulders, easing out the kinks. Thank goodness Gram hired someone to do lawn and seasonal cleanup. She’d never be able to finish this. Her hands throbbed and her entire body ached, but it had provided a nice release for her jumbled nerves.
The cell phone trilled in her pocket, startling her. She fished it out of her jacket pocket and recognized Tina Welch’s number. Her stomach clenched in response. So much for clearing her mind.
“Hi, Tina,” Danielle said as something forgotten niggled at the back of her brain.
“How’s your sister?” Tina’s voice sounded shaky, uncertain.
“The same. Thank you for asking.”
“I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday.” A deep sigh sounded over the phone line. “Maybe I shouldn’t have called. With your sister and all.”
“What is it, Tina?” A buzzing started in her ears.
“The bank moved the foreclosure proceeding to this Tuesday, 9 a.m..” Tina broke down in sobs.
Danielle felt her shou
lders droop. “You have to be kidding me,” she said, more to herself than to Tina. Softening her tone, she added, “That’s in two days. You should have called sooner.”
Silence stretched over the line. “I tried to reach you on Friday. Your assistant told me you were out of town because your sister had been in an accident.” Desperation dripped from every word.
A dull throbbing started behind her eyes. “I’m sorry I forgot to call you back. With everything going on here—”
“I didn’t know who else to call.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be there.”
“Really?” Tina’s relief was palpable. “Oh, thank you. Thank you.”
Danielle wrapped a palm over the top of the rake and leaned on it. She glanced at Gram’s house. She felt pulled in a million directions. “Of course I’ll be there, Tina. We’ve come this far, haven’t we?”
“Do you really think Dominic and I will be able to stay in the house?” Tina’s voice cracked. “It has so many memories.”
Danielle tucked the rake under her arm and pinched the bridge of her nose. Dominic’s expressive milk-chocolate-colored eyes flashed in her mind. She would not be responsible for allowing this darling boy and his mother to be forced out onto the street.
“I’ll be there, Tina. Don’t worry.”
Danielle snapped her cell phone shut and stared at it for a moment. She tipped her head back and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. If she booked a flight home tomorrow night, she could get back to Mayport by Tuesday afternoon. The pile of work on her desk came to mind. Could she really return to Atlanta without checking in at the law office?
“Hello, Miss Danielle.” She spun around to find Ava standing there, her bright blue eyes taking in the huge pile of leaves.
“Hello there.” Danielle’s eyes shifted to the neighboring house. “Does your daddy know you’re over here?”
“He had to run in to work. Bunny said I should go outside and get some fresh air.” She shrugged. “I’m supposed to stay within sight of the house.”
Danielle gave a quick nod. “I suppose this counts.”
“How’s Miss Jenny?”
“Still the same.”
“Oh.” The little girl lowered her eyes and pushed a few leaves around with the toe of her graffiti-decorated Converse tennis shoes. “I said a prayer for her last night. And they prayed for her in church this morning.”
“That was nice.” Danielle didn’t know what to say. She supposed it couldn’t hurt. “Thank you”
“I always feel better after I pray. God is watching out for us.” Ava shrugged, looking up expectantly at Danielle. “Need help with the leaves?”
Danielle glanced down at her palms. The first signs of blisters marked her soft flesh. “Actually, I was thinking of calling it a day.”
Ava frowned, clearly disappointed.
Danielle hated to think of sweet Ava cooped up in the house all day. “How about you jump in the leaves instead?”
Ava’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
Danielle lifted a shoulder. In a few hours, the wind would destroy any evidence of the work she had done here. Why not let the child have some fun first? “Why not?”
Ava hesitated for only a moment before kicking her way through the pile, sending the rich smell of autumn twirling into the air. After a few times crisscrossing the pile, she stopped and looked at Danielle. “This is fun.” The excitement on her face was contagious. “But maybe I should go. You’re probably busy.”
“Nope, I have nothing else going on tonight.” Danielle leaned the rake against the tree. She charged the leaf pile, kicking up the leaves just as Ava had done. The little girl squealed in delight. Danielle smiled as bittersweet tears pricked her eyes. She and Jenny used to play like this. Ava hung back a second before joining Danielle. They crossed paths, then turned around and ran back toward the pile. Ava, in her eagerness, bumped into Danielle, and the child landed on her backside in the pile of leaves.
Horrified she had hurt her, Danielle extended her hand. “I’m sorry.”
Ava’s serious face broke into a huge smile. She dug her hands under the leaves and threw them up at Danielle. Danielle bent down and scooped up another bunch and tossed them gently over Ava.
“Looks like I’ve interrupted something?”
Danielle spun around. Patrick stood with his arms crossed, a smile playing on his lips. Ava scrambled to her feet and ran past Danielle. “Daddy.”
Patrick planted a kiss on the crown of his daughter’s head and pulled her into an embrace. “How’s my Snugglebugs?”
“Dad…” Ava wiggled loose from his grip. Her cheeks bloomed red.
Patrick’s green eyes locked with Danielle’s. She couldn’t read his expression, but her chest tightened, and she quickly averted her eyes. He picked a dried leaf from Ava’s hair. “Does Bunny know you left the yard?”
“I can see the house from here.” Ava bit her lower lip.
“You know better.” Patrick’s tone made the little giggly girl grow solemn. Instinctively, Danielle wanted to tell Ava it was okay but realized it wasn’t her place. Ava was lucky to have a father who loved her dearly.
Ava opened her mouth to protest, but snapped it shut, apparently thinking better of it. She smiled tightly. “Thanks, Miss Danielle, for letting me jump in the leaves.” She lifted her eyebrows in a way Danielle was beginning to realize was uniquely her. “If you want, I can help rake them tomorrow.”
“Even I know when to surrender.” Danielle smiled brightly, trying to convey to Ava everything was all right.
The little girl’s brow furrowed.
“I’m going to hire someone to do the rest.”
“Oh,” Ava said in understanding. Suddenly her face lit up. “Can Miss Danielle come over for Sunday dinner?”
Patrick’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and then he quickly schooled his expression. “I’m sure Miss Danielle has other plans tonight.”
“No, she doesn’t. She told me she didn’t. And Bunny always makes too much food. She’s always saying she cooks for an army.”
A slight curve tugged at the corner of Patrick’s mouth. “Miss Danielle, would you and your grandmother like to join us for dinner?”
“Oh…” Danielle searched for an excuse in the leaves blanketing the yard.
“Please,” Ava pleaded, her green eyes glowing with excitement. “Dad, come on. Tell her she has to come.”
Patrick lifted an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling. “Ava’s persistent. You may as well face the inevitable.”
Danielle ran a hand across her hair and pulled out a leaf. “Let me clean up at least.”
“Yay!” Ava jumped up and down. “Come over as soon as you can.”
Patrick glanced down at his watch. “Make it six.”
As she headed to put the rake away, she turned to watch Patrick walk hand in hand with his daughter to their house. She felt momentary panic. Her heart raced and her mouth grew dry. Was she actually looking forward to the evening? Or dreading it?
She had two hours to decide.
Chapter Eight
The fragrant aroma from the sauce bubbling on the stove made Patrick’s stomach growl. Unable to resist, he reached for the wooden spoon, and Bunny rewarded him with a swift swat on his hand.
“Don’t you dare,” Bunny said, slanting him a glance. She picked up the spoon and stirred the sauce for good measure. She put the lid back on the pot before stepping away from the stove.
“Just a little taste.” Patrick lifted his hand, holding his thumb and index finger an inch apart.
“You can wait for our guests to arrive.” His mother glanced at the clock on the wall. The big hand had recently swept past the hour mark. “Shouldn’t they be here already?” Annoyance laced her tone, making Patrick wonder if this had been such a good idea.
“They’ll be here soon.” Patrick slipped into the kitchen chair across from his daughter. Ava shot him a furtive glance, then went back to drawing butterflies and flowers with c
halk on a piece of purple construction paper.
“I’m making a picture for Miss Danielle,” Ava announced.
“I see.” Patrick planted his elbow on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. Ava was growing very fond of Danielle. He understood. But what would happen when she left? His daughter would be crushed. Maybe he should put the brakes on whatever it was he was doing with Danielle before anyone else got hurt. Keep it strictly business.
After all the pain his daughter had already experienced in her short life, his heart ached. He wanted to protect her from all of life’s disappointments. But life didn’t work that way, did it?
The doorbell chimed and Ava bolted from her seat, her art project flapping in her hand behind her as she raced for the front door. She undid the lock, tucked the paper under her arm and pulled the handle with both hands.
A crisp breeze whirled into the foyer, and Patrick grabbed the door to stop it from slamming against the wall.
“Hi, Miss Danielle,” Ava bounced on the balls of her feet. “I made you something.” She pressed her masterpiece against the screen door to show Danielle.
“Oh, it’s beautiful.” Danielle stood under the porch light, her auburn hair flowing over her shoulders, billowing in the breeze. She held a large bouquet of flowers in one hand and a covered pie plate in the other. A breath hitched in Patrick’s throat.
“Let the woman in,” Bunny called from the kitchen.
Feeling a little sheepish for staring, Patrick reached past his daughter and pushed open the screen door. Danielle stepped into the foyer and placed the pie on the front-hall table. Separating the bouquet into two bunches, she handed one to Ava. “Thank you for having me.” Ava’s green eyes lit up. Such pure joy.
Patrick glanced down at the remaining flowers in Danielle’s hand. “For me?”
A smile tipped the corners of Danielle’s delicate lips. She held up the pink and purple flowers. “I thought they’d match your eyes.”
Ava frowned, her brow furrowing like it did whenever she got confused. “No they don’t.”