by Rita Herron
She threw up her hands. "Well, I gots Jolly Green Giant problems."
She hugged the little girl to her. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
Her lower lip trembled. "My mama don't wants my daddy to see me no more."
Ahh, so that part of Hunter's story had been true. "Why not?"
"She saided his job is dangerous, and that he has sex on TV."
Abby flinched. "Have you talked to your daddy yet?"
"No, he ain't home."
He was probably at the paper writing his prizewinning article about her. Renewed resentment swelled inside her.
"Sweetie, I think your mother is probably just trying to be cautious because she loves you. I'm sure your father and mother will work things out."
"No," Lizzie wailed, her little body trembling with sobs. "She called the lawyer; I heard her."
Abby's chest tightened.
"What else did she say?"
"She saided it's easier this way, on account of Daddy don't like schools with boards and they wants to send me away."
Abby frowned. Something was lost in the translation. "Schools with boards?"
"Yeah, where the kids live without their mommies and daddies. Like a jail."
"You mean boarding schools?"
Lizzie nodded, rubbing at her nose with her sleeve. Abby handed her a tissue. "And she saided that Snarts can't go either. And I wants him with me, even though he's homely, but he won't likes jail either. And neither will Angelica."
Tears stung Abby's eyes but she blinked them away. This problem wasn't hers, but she couldn't ignore it either and watch Lizzie get lost in the shuffle of bickering parents. She'd seen it happen to kids too many times and had heard Victoria bemoan the issue. "Don't worry, Lizzie. I'll talk to your mommy and daddy for you."
Lizzie cuddled into her arms, her little eyes droopy as if she'd exhausted herself. "I know Snarts ain't as cute as Butterballs, Dr. Abby, but he kinda grows on you. And his farts don't stink no more since Daddy gots him real dog food."
* * *
"I want to sue them for false arrest," Hunter snapped at his lawyer as he signed his release papers. "I did not try to bribe that cop."
"Be quiet," Duncan Bailey hissed. "At least contain yourself until you're officially out of here."
Hunter clenched his teeth, exhaustion and anger and worry all colliding inside him. Having to be locked up when he needed to be making amends with Abby and saving his daughter from being taken away from him had been the cruelest form of punishment he could have imagined.
Well, it could have been worse had Bubba decided to act on his obvious attraction to Hunter. Geez, the stench of the place clung to him like a dead animal.
He shuddered, snatching his cell phone as Duncan collected his personal effects from a manila envelope. Praying Abby might have phoned him, or Lizzie might have called, he instantly checked his messages. A frantic one from Shelly, telling him to call her, immediately made his blood run cold.
Had something happened to Lizzie?
Duncan was walking briskly and Hunter followed, ignoring the stares pointed in his direction as they stepped into the morning sunlight. He was too busy punching Shelly's number and worrying to care if he had coffee or food or sleep or a shower, all the mundane things that he had dwelled on the past twelve hours.
"Shelly, what's going on?"
"It's Lizzie." Shelly's normally snotty tone evaporated. "She's missing, Hunter. Is she there with you?"
Here with him? He shook himself, grateful she didn't know he'd been in jail.
"What the hell do you mean, she's missing?" He stopped in the parking lot, his breath coming to a painful halt. Duncan must have realized something was seriously wrong because he stopped, too, his gray brows knitted.
"I mean she's not here. I... I found a note."
"What kind of note?" Hunter closed his eyes on a prayer.
"She said..." Shelly's voice broke, "she said good-bye."
"Good-bye." Oh, God. She'd run away. "You're sure she's alone?"
"Yes. I thought maybe she went to your house."
His stomach plummeted as he looked back at the jail.
"I wasn't home." He couldn't very well tell her about his stint in jail, or she'd use it as ammunition against him.
"How long has she been gone?" Please, not overnight.
"Her bed's been slept in, so she must have gotten up early and left."
And where the hell was Shelly and the damned precious nanny? He gnawed the inside of his cheek to keep from lashing out. "So she's on foot?" Hitchhikers, truckers, rapists... Panic sucked the air from his lungs.
"Actually I think she took a taxi, the same one she and the nanny take—"
His phone beeped, signifying he had another call. "Hang on, Shelly. I've got another call."
"You're leaving me hanging to talk business, or is it that woman—"
"For God's sake, Shelly, it might be Lizzie."
Silence; then she sputtered, "All right, get the damned phone."
He clicked over, shocked to hear Abby's voice. "Hunter—"
"Listen, Abby, I really want to talk to you, but not now."
"Wait—"
"I can't." His voice was choked. He clicked back over to Shelly. "Look, I'll be there as soon as I can and we'll figure out what to do."
* * *
Abby slammed down the phone in a fit of rage. How dare he hang up on her when she was trying to help. Did he even know his daughter was missing? Or had his feelings for Lizzie been a lie, too?
She had a good mind to let him stew. Torturing Hunter would be nice revenge for her, but she couldn't let Lizzie suffer another minute. The little girl nuzzled up to Snarts and Abby's heart broke. No, she needed to resolve this situation for the little girl's sake.
Determined to get through to Hunter, she dialed his cell phone again. He answered on the third ring.
"Hunter, don't hang up this time."
"I can't talk, Abby. I want to, really, I love you and I'm sorry for the way things went down, but—"
"This isn't about us, Hunter."
"Then, I..." His words trailed off. "God, Abby, Lizzie's missing. She might be hurt or worse; if something's happened to her..."
Abby cleared her throat. "Hunter, listen to me. That's why I'm calling. Lizzie's all right. She's here with me."
"What? How did you get her?"
"I didn't get her," Abby said in a tight voice. "She took a taxi and showed up at my place."
"But why would she come there and not to me?"
"She did go to your house, but you weren't there."
He let that sentence linger. Pride kept him from revealing his whereabouts.
The same kind of pride that had forced Abby to keep her secrets from him.
"She brought Snarts here with her. She's upset and she knows I'm a counselor."
"My daughter is five and needs a counselor?"
"Yes, apparently she does, because she has imbeciles for parents!"
That shut him up. "I'll be right over."
"No."
"What?" His voice grew stronger. "Listen, Abby, I know you hate me, but you can't keep me from my little girl."
"I'm not trying to do that." Abby recognized hysteria in his tone. "But she came here because she's upset." Abby hesitated. "I don't want to get into it over the phone. Can we meet?"
"Yes, of course, whatever you say."
Did he really trust her to take care of his daughter?
"I want you and your ex-wife to meet me, Hunter. This situation involves both of you. Can you get her to come?"
"Yes, sure. She was just on the phone with me."
That was a good sign. "All right. Meet me at my office at eleven. If you both agree to it, I'll act as your mediator."
Hunter's shaky breath rattled over the line. "Thanks, Abby. I—"
"I'm not doing this for you, Hunter. I'm doing it for Lizzie."
* * *
Hunter dragged Lizzie into his arms, nearly suffocating h
er with his hugs and kisses. He even kissed Angelica. "Lizzie, honey, I love you; you scared the daylights out of me."
She clung to his neck. "I loves you, too, Daddy. And I don't want to go to jail."
Jail? Did she think just because he'd been in jail she would have to go? He claimed the love seat: in the corner of Abby's office and brushed Lizzie's tousled hair back from her cherub face. "Darling, no one's going to jail."
He caught Abby's eye as she introduced herself to Shelly. "Please sit down." She gestured toward the armchair near the love seat.
"Lizzie, sweetie, why don't you sit here in this chair." Lizzie scooted away from Hunter and settled into a maroon chair facing both him and Shelly. The subtle meaning of the arrangement sank in, and Hunter realized this was Lizzie's show.
Heart pounding, he folded his hands and glanced at Abby, hoping for some personal connection, but she showed none. In fact, she avoided looking directly at him at all.
"What's this about?" Shelly asked, her back instantly up.
"It's about Lizzie," Abby said in a calm voice. "Not you, Mr. Stone, or you, Mrs. Jeffries, or your feelings for one another. It's about not putting your daughter in the middle of your problems or using her as a battling tool."
Shelly gasped.
Hunter clenched his jaw. "I'm not doing that."
Abby held up a hand. "I'd like for you both to listen to Lizzie."
Lizzie's legs dangled back and forth, kicking the chair, her fingers winding one of Aneglica's braids around and around.
"It's okay," Abby coached. "Just tell them what's on your mind, honey."
Lizzie glanced first at Shelly, then at Hunter, then nodded, her eyes wary. "Me and Angelica wants to still see Daddy."
Shelly opened her mouth to argue, but Abby silenced her with a stern look.
"And we wants to keep Snarts. And we don't wants to go to jail."
Hunter shook his head in confusion. How did she know where he had been?
"Why do you think you're going to jail?" Abby asked quietly.
" 'Cause Mommy saided she's sending me to school with boards."
Shelly frowned, and Abby spoke up. "She's talking about a boarding school, right?"
Guilt suffused Shelly's face. "Yes."
"You aren't sending Lizzie to boarding school!" Hunter shouted.
Abby glared at Hunter. "Calm down, Mr. Stone."
"But—"
"I said, please keep your voice calm."
Lizzie crinkled her nose, a sign she was near tears, so Hunter ran a hand over his face and sat back, chewing over this latest bombshell.
"I... I didn't know you heard Daryl and I talking," Shelly explained.
"I don't wanna go." Tears flooded Lizzie's eyes and dribbled down her cheek, plopping onto Angelica's head.
"You don't have to," Hunter assured her calmly. He turned to Shelly, pleading. "What's this about anyway?"
"Daryl and I are taking a three-month trip to Europe in the fall and, well, it just seemed the best idea. The school is well equipped to take care of Lizzie—"
"So am I," Hunter said, furious.
"Really?" Shelly's eyes blazed. "I can't trust you with Lizzie. You got her picture in the tabloids. For all I know you're chasing criminals, and you'd be dragging her along. And you had sex on TV with her!" Shelly pointed to Abby. "What kind of father is that?"
"What kind of mother—"
Lizzie burst into tears, dove into Abby's arms, and buried her head, sobs racking her chest.
Hunter and Shelly both froze, Hunter's heart breaking. He gaped at his daughter in despair, knowing he might lose her. His anger at Shelly didn't matter. He had to do whatever it took to make peace and keep Lizzie in his life.
Even if it meant forgetting about the criminal investigative work.
"Listen, Shelly," he said quietly. "We'll work this out. I admit I've done some things I'm not proud of lately." He glanced at Abby but she avoided his look. "And I haven't been a great role model for Lizzie. But I'm going to change all that."
Shelly seemed to waver, her gaze flitting back to Lizzie, emotions warring in her eyes.
Hunter cleared his throat, his voice strong. "I'll change jobs. I'll do the sports section or something else, so I don't have to expose Lizzie to any more undercover assignments or tabloids or anything dangerous, I promise." Heck, he'd cover dog pageants all day long if he had to in order to keep his daughter.
Abby slowly met his gaze, a smile of approval softening her icy gaze.
Lizzie stopped wailing long enough to look at her mother, tears streaming.
"All right," Shelly agreed quietly. "Then Lizzie and that mangy mutt can stay with you while we're away."
"And you'll drop the custody suit?"
Shelly nodded.
"And we gets to keep Snarts?" Lizzie asked.
"Yes, honey," Hunter said. "We keep Snarts. The most important thing in the world is your happiness."
Lizzie leaped up and ran toward both of them, and they all embraced. Finally Lizzie popped her head up, red eyes questioning. "Daddy, does this mean we can go back and ride Drop Dead, Fred? 'Cause Angelica says she really wants to ride it again."
Hunter ruffled her hair. "Don't push your luck, kiddo. I still have night sweats from the last time."
* * *
Abby stood in the waiting area to her office, her heart clenching at the touching family scene unfolding in the other room. At least she'd learned one thing—Hunter Stone definitely loved his daughter. He was willing to change his job for her; that said a lot. She'd seen the utter fear and devastation on his face at the sight of Lizzie's tears, and heard the fear and sorrow when he thought she was missing.
Darn it, she was not going to go soft on the man again. He had hurt her. Even worse, he'd taken advantage of her at a time in her life when she'd been the most vulnerable.
The sound of footsteps approaching alerted her to the fact that the three of them were leaving the office. Shelly looked shaken but relieved; Lizzie had a parent's hand clutched in each of her own.
"Thank you, Dr. Jensen," Shelly said. "I was really worried about Lizzie."
"No problem." Abby ruffled Lizzie's hair. Poor Lizzie. Just like most kids, she simply wanted security, wanted her parents to get along. Just as she and her sisters had wanted when they were little. "I just want her to be happy."
Shelly nodded, hugging her daughter to her side, oblivious to the tension between Abby and Hunter.
"We gots to come get Snarts," Lizzie said to her dad. "He's playing with Butterballs."
"We'll stop by now, if that's okay with Abby."
Abby steeled herself against him and nodded. "I'll meet you there." Hunter and Shelly said good-bye, and Abby fled to her car, needing to escape the suffocating closeness of being near Hunter. Of remembering how heavenly it felt to be in his arms. Of the pain of his betrayal.
A few minutes later, Hunter and Lizzie pulled into the driveway behind her. Lizzie ran around to the backyard, where they had left the puppies, while Hunter followed Abby inside.
"Abby, can we talk?"
"There's nothing to talk about, Har... Hunter."
He flinched but she forced herself not to care.
"I really do care about you, Abby—"
"Care?" She whirled on him. "The only thing you care about is your story."
"Abby, wait, that's not true; I love you—"
"You cared so much you didn't even bother to call."
"I wanted to but I was detained."
"Another story, I'm sure. Who were you chasing this time?"
"It wasn't like that, dammit.... I got arrested. I spent the freakin' night in jail because I was in the HOV lane—"
"They don't put people in jail for driving in the HOV lane."
"I know." He rubbed a hand through his hair, spiking it. "But the policeman said I tried to bribe him—"
"Oh, please." Abby crossed her arms. "No more lies or stories, Hunter. Just take Lizzie and your dog and go. I may have been
naive and trusting once, looking at life through rose-colored glasses, but no more."
Lizzie dragged the mutt in and Hunter started to say something else, but Abby cut him off with a lethal glare. He bit his tongue, refusing to argue in front of Lizzie and upset her again.
" 'Bye, sweetheart," Abby whispered. "You take care of Snarts, okay?"
" 'Kay, and I'll bring him back to play with Butterballs."
Abby smiled tightly, her gaze meeting Hunter's over Lizzie's shoulder. They both knew that was not going to happen. Then she hugged Lizzie and Angelica for what she knew would be the very last time.
Chapter 27
Rekindling the Romantic Flame
"Is Dr. Abby mad at you?"
A mild understatement. Try hate. "What makes you think she's mad?" Hunter steered the car toward his apartment.
" 'Cause she didn't smile and hugs you like 'afore. And her face gots all red and her eyes pointy when she looked at you."
Very observant. "Well, honey, she's mad because I wrote some articles about her that weren't really... nice."
"You was mean to Dr. Abby?"
"I... I wrote them before I knew her." Her glare scorched him. "Which goes to show you that you shouldn't talk about people before you really get to know them."
"Can't you say you're sorry?"
"I already did." A truck pulled in front of him and Hunter resisted the urge to swear. "But she's still mad."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't tell her truth about who I was."
Lizzie hugged Snarts in her lap while Angelica sat strapped in beside her. "But you said it was okay to lie when you was acting."
She wouldn't let up. "I know, but I was wrong." Finding out a parent made mistakes wouldn't traumatize Lizzie forever, would it? "Lying and keeping secrets from people you love usually hurts them." He placed his hand over hers and patted it. "So if something's bothering you, honey, you can always come to me. You don't have to keep secrets or lie to me if there's a problem."
She tipped her head sideways, her tiny nose scrunched. "So you won't lie no more?"
"No, I won't lie no more. I mean anymore."
"Does that mean I have to tell Snarts he's ugly?" She covered the dog's ears with her hands so he couldn't hear. " 'Cause he kinda is but I loves him anyway. And I don't wanna hurt his feelings."