by M. S. Parker
I put my head on my hands and waited to fall asleep.
Chapter 20
I was already asleep when Jasper came home, but him climbing into bed woke me as it always did. I rolled over before he’d even finished settling and pressed my face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around as I breathed in the smell of soap and him. The hair on his chest scratched against my cheek, but I didn’t mind.
“Jenny isn’t Allen’s daughter.” My words were muffled and soft, but Jasper’s arms tightened around me. “Henley called.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Jasper kissed the top of my head.
I nodded. “It’s not over yet. Aime’s not going to give up.”
“Then we’ll face it together,” he said. “But at least we know the truth.”
I nodded again and pressed myself even more closely against his bare skin. I didn’t want to talk anymore. I just wanted to sleep. As if sensing this, he didn’t say another word, only held me until I fell asleep again.
He was still holding me when I woke up the next morning. I still had a few minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off and I spent them looking at him. He’d been working so hard lately.
I brushed some of his hair back from his face, letting my fingers linger on his cheek. I needed to be there for him more, let him know that I supported what he was doing. We were partners in this. It wasn’t all about him supporting me.
But I wasn’t about to wake him to tell him that. He needed to sleep.
I slipped out of his embrace and turned off the alarm before it could wake him up. I made sure to shut the bathroom door all the way and moved about as quietly as possible. It was the first time in a week that I’d been up before him and I left for school hoping that he’d stay in bed for at least a bit longer.
I’d actually slept well last night and now, in the daylight, I could see the positive side of things. Jenny wasn’t Allen’s daughter. That was a fact now. Aime could question it, and if I had to, I’d admit what I’d done to get Allen’s baby teeth, but no one would disparage Allen’s name. And no matter what I went through, Jasper would be there.
Class went well that morning and I texted Jasper at lunch. We managed to have a decent conversation before he had to go and I began to feel like things were finally going to get better. That my life was going to be okay.
I was partway through reviewing the previous day’s math lesson when all hell broke loose.
It started when the door to my classroom opened. I assumed it was Principal Sanders coming in to see how I was doing. He’d done that quite a bit so far this year. Instead of him, however, a petite brunette came in, eyes narrowed and face flushed.
Shit.
“Aime.” I kept my voice calm as I started to walk towards her.
The way my classroom was set up, there were at least half a dozen kids between me and her, and the look on her face told me that I didn’t want anyone in her path, least of all my students. Any anger I had towards her was pushed aside. The kids mattered more than my own issues.
“If you need to speak with me, why don’t we step into the hallway?” I was surprised at how pleasant my voice sounded.
“You bitch!”
The whole class gasped. I was pretty sure some of them had heard the word before, but they all knew it was something they should never say.
“Aime.” I walked faster. I needed to get her out of the class and away from my kids. “Hallway, now.”
“Don’t you dare talk to me that way!”
I grabbed her elbow and steered her back through the door. I closed it firmly behind me and gave her a slight shove so that she was a few feet away. I didn’t want her anywhere near me.
“You’re a vindictive little whore!” She spat out the words. “You stole Allen from me. I’ll be damned if you get his money too. I’m owed that!”
“You need to go.” I crossed my arms over my chest to resist the impulse to slap her. “This is for the courts and lawyers to decide.”
“Like I’m going to let that happen.” She stalked towards me. “I warned you, you cunt, what would happen if you didn’t give me what I wanted!”
“We both know that Jenny isn’t Allen’s daughter...”
I didn’t even see the punch coming. I would’ve thought she’d be more the type to slap and scratch. Instead, she threw a right hook that caught me right across the jaw. I swore as pain burst across my jaw and I stumbled backwards. The second time she swung, however, I was ready and I grabbed her wrist, twisting it up behind her back like Mitchell had taught me years ago. She cursed and struggled, but she was small enough that I was able to keep her contained until the school’s security guards came running.
My school day came to an abrupt end as the security guards took Aime to the principal’s office. I wanted to go back in and calm my class because I knew they had to be terrified after watching Aime. When the principal gave me a strange look, my cheek gave a throb and I remembered that she’d hit me. Yeah, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for the kids to see me like this.
“You’re going to need to get that looked at,” Principal Sanders said. “You’re bleeding.”
I automatically lifted my hand, wincing as I touched my cheek, then bringing it down to see my fingers sticky with blood. Aime must’ve been wearing a ring.
“I’m fine,” I protested, trying to ignore the pain in the side of my face.
“If you want to press charges against her for assault, you’ll want medical records to show what she did.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. And I was going to press charges. It wasn’t just about how this would make Aime look bad in front of the court either. I was seriously worried about Jenny. A mother swearing in front of her daughter was her own business. A mother using her daughter to try to get a pay-off was despicable. A mother with that kind of temper could be dangerous. I had no proof that Aime ever hit Jenny, but after what she’d just done, I wouldn’t have put it past her. She obviously hadn’t cared about behaving violently in front of students. And how the hell did she get in the front doors?
I considered calling Jasper, but as the ambulances were pulling in, I sent off a deliberately vague text instead. He had enough on his mind and it wasn’t like he could do anything right now.
Aime showed up at school. I’ll tell you more when you get home.
By the time the paramedics had finished looking at my cheek and bandaged it, I’d gotten a response.
Stay there. I’m on my way.
Relief went through me. I’d been prepared to deal with this alone, but it was nice to know I wouldn’t have to.
“Shae!” Gina grabbed me in a hug, nearly knocking the wind out of me. “What the hell happened?”
I gave her the brief run-down after disentangling myself from her embrace. I watched as her eyes widened, then narrowed.
“I’m going to kick her ass.”
She started to turn towards the school and I reached out, grabbing her arm. I would’ve found it funny if I hadn’t known she was serious. Considering that before she’d become a teacher, she’d trained as a boxer, I didn’t doubt she could do plenty of damage.
“She’s under arrest, Gina, and I’m pressing charges. It’s all taken care of.”
Gina scowled, her eyes flashing. “I can’t believe Allen ever dated someone like that.”
“It was nearly ten years ago,” I said. A part of me thought she had a point, but I didn’t say that. “A lot can change in a decade.”
She didn’t have time to respond, however, because the school doors were opening and two officers came out with Aime between them. She didn’t struggle as they escorted her to the police car, but she did give me the kind of glare that could only be described as deadly. Another officer came my way and I was relieved to see that he was a regular uniform, not either of the detectives I’d had the pleasure of speaking to before.
“Mrs. Lockwood, a word?”
I gave him a tight smile and nodded. I was reall
y getting sick of having to give statements to the police. I kept mine as short and to the point as possible, unable to keep myself from looking over at the entrance for Jasper’s car. I’d just finished telling the officer about how I’d pinned Aime’s arm behind her back when I saw the car. My heart gave a thud.
“Is that all?” I asked.
The officer followed my gaze and smiled as Jasper got out of the car. “Yes, ma’am. If we need anything else, we’ll call you.”
I barely heard the last part as I was being enfolded in Jasper’s strong arms.
“Oh, baby,” Jasper murmured as he gently touched the side of my face. “We need to get some ice on that.”
“I’m okay,” I said. I tightened my arms around his waist and let the safety I felt with him slide over me. “And you’re here, so I’m good now.”
Before either of us could say anything else, my cell phone buzzed. It wasn’t a text though. It was a call. I would’ve left it, except I was waiting for Henley’s call. I managed to get my phone out without leaving Jasper’s arms.
“Mr. Henley?”
“Shae, you’re not going to believe this. I think I may have just found a huge break. Do you think you can go into work late tomorrow? I need you to come by the office.”
I looked over at Principal Sanders who was talking to the same officer I’d given my statement to. “I think that can be arranged. What time do you want me there?”
Chapter 21
Part of me wished that Mr. Henley had told me over the phone what he’d found, but another part was glad that I didn’t have yet another thing to deal with at the moment. My cheek was throbbing, my nerves frayed. All I wanted to do was go home.
Jasper took me to the house and insisted on redressing my cheek. I didn’t think it was necessary, but I knew it was something he needed to do. He hadn’t been there to protect me, but he could care for me now. After he was done, I told him everything that had happened.
We had a quiet meal and what would’ve been a relaxing evening if I’d been able to stop wondering what Henley had for me. I knew Jasper was thinking about it too, but we didn’t talk about it. We didn’t speculate. We sat on the couch together and tried to distract ourselves from what was coming. It wasn’t until we were in bed, in the dark, that Jasper asked about it.
“Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?” He had his arms around me, his fingers tracing lazy circles around my nipple. It was a hard point under my thin cotton nightshirt. “I’ve got almost everything organized at the clinic. I can go in later.”
I shook my head. “No, you should finish things up this week so you can open next week. Mr. Henley said it was something good.”
“You’ll call me as soon as you leave?” His voice was starting to take on that thick sound that happened just before he fell asleep.
“I’ll call you,” I promised. My own eyelids were heavy.
He made a sound that I interpreted as a thank you and his arms tightened around me as his breathing slowed. I let myself relax back against him and I gradually slipped under.
Mr. Henley didn’t usually start seeing clients until nine, but he’d asked me to come in at eight. I wasn’t sure how long the meeting would take, but Principal Sanders had assured me he’d have me covered for the whole day. I had plenty of sick days so I didn’t have to worry about that. I figured I’d see where things went with Henley and decide then if I wanted to head in to work for the rest of the day. If I didn’t feel like it, maybe I’d go see if Jasper wanted to go out to lunch.
There were two other cars in the little parking lot when I pulled in and I recognized the small red one that belonged to Henley. The other one looked like a rental. I parked next to that one and headed inside. Gloria, Mr. Henley’s receptionist, gave me a wide smile and waved me in to the lawyer’s office. She was on the phone, so I didn’t stop to chat like I usually did. I’d been in here enough over the last few months that I’d gotten to know a bit about her family. She had a grandson in the Marines, a pug named Domino and was going to go on a cruise in the spring.
I knocked on Mr. Henley’s door, opening it after he called for me to come in. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw that he wasn’t alone.
Henley was sitting behind his desk and another man was sitting in one of the two chairs across from him. They both stood when I entered. The other man was tall, easily over six feet, and his lanky frame made him seem even taller. He had that gaunt look of someone who’d lost a great deal of weight in a short period of time. His clothes hung on him despite the fact that they’d obviously been tailor-made for him. They were clearly expensive, but now they were worn, used. His sandy brown hair was short and thinning, his dark eyes intelligent.
“Shae Lockwood, I’d like you to meet Matthew Purcell.”
“Mr. Purcell.” I stepped forward and held out my hand. I wasn’t sure how this man who I’d never seen before was going to help me, but I knew Henley would explain.
“Ms. Lockwood.” His voice was gravelly, but tired.
“Please, sit.” Mr. Henley gestured towards the chairs.
I sat next to Mr. Purcell and turned towards my lawyer.
“I’m going to let Mr. Purcell explain why he’s here.” Henley nodded at the other man.
“Eighteen months ago, I was living in Sacramento with my wife Annabeth and our two daughters,” he began.
I tapped my fingers against my leg impatiently, but I didn’t interrupt. There had to be a point to this. Henley wouldn’t have brought me here otherwise.
“I was the CEO of a large real estate company and was working late, like usual. When I walked outside, there was a woman standing next to my car. I didn’t recognize her right away. Why should I have? She’d been a drunken mistake one night nearly a decade ago.”
My pulse began to pick up. I thought I knew where this was going, but I didn’t allow myself to hope. I had to hear him say it.
“She told me I had a daughter.”
“Jenny,” I said softly.
He nodded. “She had a picture of the little girl. She told me that I was going to take care of them or she was going to tell my wife about the affair.”
I wanted to think poorly of him. He had, after all, cheated on his wife with Aime Vargas...who’d been cheating on Allen at the time. I couldn’t do it though. Something about the way he was talking made me think that there was more to his story.
“I’d already told my wife about it,” he said with a sad smile. “I’d told her the day after it happened. I’d gone to rehab and we’d moved past it after a year of counseling. When Aime found out that she couldn’t blackmail me that way, she said if I didn’t pay her, she’d make sure my girls knew what I’d done. She’d ruin my life.”
I felt an unexpected pang of sympathy.
“I told her to go to hell.”
That was a sentiment I could definitely understand.
“She brought Jenny to see me two days later, and once I’d looked at her, I couldn’t tell Aime to go away again.”
I knew the feeling. It had been the thought of that little girl that had made me try to calm Aime down yesterday.
“So I gave her some money,” Purcell continued. “But it wasn’t enough. She came back for more, saying if I didn’t give it to her, she’d take me to court for back child support. My company was starting to fail and I didn’t have more to give. I still had to take care of my wife and girls. When I told her I couldn’t write her another check, she told me that she’d called an attorney. I’d already decided that would be fine. I wasn’t going to just take her word for it that Jenny was mine. I needed to know for sure.”
I glanced at Mr. Henley, but his face was impassive, not revealing a thing.
“When I told Aime that I wanted a paternity test, she started to get edgy which made me suspect that she wasn’t entirely sure I was the father after all.”
A part of me wondered how many guys Aime had scammed, how many men she’d been involved with while she and Allen had been together. A
flare of anger went through me. Allen had been a good man. He’d deserved better.
“I’d finally gotten her to agree to a test – if I gave her five thousand dollars – when everything went wrong.” He rubbed his hand over his head. “My company tanked. I lost everything. The only assets left belonged to my wife and I wasn’t about to ask her for money.”
“So Aime left,” I guessed.
Purcell nodded. “She ran without a word.”
I looked at Henley. “That means Aime has a history of accusing wealthy men of being Jenny’s father.”
“It’s even better than that,” he said. He nodded at Purcell. “Go ahead.”
I turned back to Purcell.
“I’d had a bad feeling that something was going to happen. Aime hadn’t exactly proven herself to be the most reliable person,” Purcell continued, a sheepish expression on his face. “Before she’d run, I’d managed to get a few minutes alone with Jenny and convinced her to let me swab her mouth with one of those kits.”
My hands curled into fists, my nails biting into my palms.
“I got the results two weeks after they vanished,” Purcell said. “I’m Jenny’s father.”
All of the air rushed out of my lungs and I slumped back in my chair.
I’d already known that Allen wasn’t Jenny’s father, but to have someone sitting here and stating that he, in fact, was...
I looked at Henley.
“I’ve drawn up the paperwork, including a statement from Mr. Purcell to go along with the medical information. I managed to get us an emergency hearing in forty-five minutes.”
“An emergency hearing?” My head was spinning. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Aime had tried to scam someone else and he’d actually turned out to be Jenny’s father.
“I may have lost my business,” Purcell said. “But I still have friends, and a couple of them happen to be in law enforcement. I asked them to let me know if anything came up with the name Aime Vargas.”
“Her lawsuit,” I said as it clicked. “When her name went into the system, someone contacted you.”