“Ahhh!” She coddled her forearm with her other hand. “I can’t. It hurts!”
“Let’s go in the house and put ice on it.” He picked her up in a fireman’s carry and gingerly brought her out of the barn and into the elements.
What was he going to do? Was her arm really broken? Once they were inside, he placed her on a kitchen chair and filled a Ziploc bag with ice. He unzipped her coat. When he tried to take her arm out of the puffy sleeve, her scream seemed to pierce his eardrum.
Just then the washing machine stopped agitating. So much for doing laundry and packing. It looked as if they weren’t going to get out of there after all.
“Daddy, it’s broken. I just know it.”
His hands formed fists as he struggled with what to do. The closest hospital was an hour’s drive away. Would the local walk-in clinic even be open Thanksgiving weekend? He found the phone number and dialed. Relief sailed through his body when someone answered. “Thank God. Hey, do you have an X-ray machine? I think my daughter’s arm is broken.”
“Yep.”
Sighing, he knew his next move. “I’m bringing her right now.”
Twenty minutes later, Bella was getting an X-ray while he waited in a room barely big enough for two chairs and an exam table. Wrinkled magazines poked out of a rack attached to the beige wall. On the door was a poster encouraging people to get a flu shot. Maybe they could do that tonight, too. Who knew how long it would be before they were in another doctor’s office? He hadn’t even decided where exactly they were headed.
The door opened and Bella walked back in. She still cradled her sore arm and he was glad he’d brought her for an official diagnosis.
A homely woman in her twenties followed Bella inside. “Mr. Walker? I’m Felicity, a nurse practitioner. Your daughter definitely has a broken arm, so I’m going to wrap it. Would you prefer a water-proof or a traditional cast?”
“Water-proof would be great. It’s so hard to keep them dry when she takes a bath.”
Felicity set some supplies on a tray. She started by wrapping a cushion around Bella’s arm. “So, this isn’t her first broken bone?”
He hesitated, but he’d already pretty much admitted it.
Bella flinched as the woman worked on her arm. “This is the third time I’ve broken my arm!” She almost sounded excited. “Last time I got to have a yellow cast.”
The nurse’s eyes grew wide and she paused to look at him. “Is that true?”
He scooted to the edge of the chair. What should he say? He didn’t know for sure. “She was in her mother’s custody the first time and last time, she fell off her bike.”
“Does she have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“It’s a condition where a person’s joints stretch too far and it’s easy to break bones.”
He shrugged. “Not as far as I know.”
“Any other preexisting conditions?” It seemed as if she were grilling him.
“No. She’s usually pretty healthy.”
The woman kept wrapping the cast. “Uh-huh.” She gazed at Bella as if she were trying to read her mind. “Tell me how this happened.”
His daughter started to speak, but he cut her off. “She fell off a ladder in our barn. She shouldn’t have been up there anyway, but kids will be kids, you know?”
“Why were you on the ladder, Bella?” Felicity asked, still wrapping, but maintaining eye contact with the girl.
“I was looking for Mittens.”
A crease formed between the young woman’s eyebrows. “You lost your mittens?”
“No.” Bella giggled. “Mittens is the momma cat. She just had kittens and they were lonely. I was keeping them company, but I knew I’d have to go into the house soon.”
“So you climbed the ladder and what happened?”
“The rung beneath my foot cracked and I fell.”
He tried to swallow the fear in his throat. “It’s an old wooden ladder that leads to the barn loft.” With all of these questions, he was starting to feel like a bad father. “It’s my grandparents’ place and who knows how old that ladder is?” He’d assumed Bella knew not to climb on it. In fact, he was sure he’d warned her not to.
The cast looked nearly complete, but the nurse kept digging. “And how did you break your arm the last time?” She gave him a stern look. “I’d like to hear it from her—not you.”
His mouth grew parched. His blood pressure spiked. Danger, danger! He watched Bella just as carefully as the nurse did.
Bella twirled her hair with her free hand. “Just like Daddy said. I fell off my bike.”
The nurse pulled out a pamphlet and handed it to him. “Here are some instructions for taking care of the cast. I need you to go out front and fill out some paperwork. I just need a little time here to finish up with Bella.”
Accepting the pamphlet, he hesitated to move. The nurse wanted to talk to Bella alone and was trying to get rid of him. “I can wait here.”
Blinking a little too much, the medical professional offered him a tight smile. “Mr. Walker, it will make your daughter’s evening so much easier if you finish the paperwork now, so she can leave as soon as I’m done. And I’m sure you want to do what’s best for your daughter, don’t you?”
This was a test. He rose. “Of course.” They were so close to escape and yet so close to being caught.
Out in the waiting room, he paid in cash and signed everything the receptionist asked him to sign. Then he took a seat and watched the TV mounted on the wall playing the nightly news. Across the room, an old couple sat with what looked like their grandson, who kept coughing. The boy placed his head on his grandmother’s shoulder and closed his eyes. He looked miserable.
The door to the exam rooms opened with a squeak. “Miller?”
The multi-generational family walked past him and into the hall. Now he was alone. He checked his watch. They’d been there an hour already. The laundry was sitting in the washer right now. Why hadn’t he thought to transfer it to the dryer? If he had, they could skedaddle as soon as it was folded and packed. A frustrated sigh filled his chest.
After he sat there for another twenty minutes, panic completely gripped him. He marched to the receptionist’s desk. “Miss? How much longer will my daughter be back there? It’s getting late.”
“Um, I don’t know.” Her head turned as if to look behind her, but no one was there. “I can go check if you’d like.”
“Yes.” He took a breath and forced himself to soften his tone. “Please.” As she stepped away from the desk, he headed to the coffee maker in the corner. He was already pretty jazzed, but caffeine would help him stay awake at the wheel. If he could get Bella to sleep in the car, he could drive all night.
He took a sip of the stale, black coffee.
The receptionist returned. She avoided eye contact as she fiddled with the paperwork in front of her. “I’m sorry it’s taking so long. Just a little while longer.”
Unsure of what to do, he paced the waiting room and drank out of the Styrofoam cup. What was Bella telling the nurse? She knew better than to reveal too much. Of course, he thought she knew better than to climb a rotten ladder or put metal in the microwave. But she didn’t. She was just a child and her judgment wasn’t that great sometimes.
As he made what felt like his hundredth lap around the waiting room, he saw the door to the parking lot open. A man in a brown uniform stepped in with the swagger of authority.
Shit!
Conner’s heart jackhammered inside his chest as his feet glued themselves to the floor.
The sheriff’s badge glistened in the fluorescent lights. When the man removed his broad-rimmed, ranger-style hat, a bushy beard and familiar eyes appeared.
The coffee cup dropped into the trash. Conner rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. “Frankie.”
Frankie gave him a curt nod as he opened the next door and slipped down the hallway. Why was Frankie there? Was it for the Miller boy o
r for Bella? Conner remained standing until Frankie re-entered the waiting room.
Frankie waved for him to follow. They walked down the hallway and entered an empty exam room. Neither of them took a seat.
Shutting the door, Frankie cleared his throat. “Conner, I hear your daughter broke her arm.”
“Yes. It was an accident. I swear.”
Clearly, Frankie had his game face on. He wasn’t Conner’s friend right now. He was performing an investigation. “I hear this isn’t the first time she’s broken her arm.”
Again, Conner tried to swallow to relieve the dryness in his throat. It didn’t help. “I suppose it might look suspicious to someone who doesn’t know me. But Frankie, you and I grew up together. Bella is just accident-prone.” He tried to create a camaraderie with his body language. Shuffling from side to side, he wasn’t sure how to ease the tension.
“Three broken arms can’t be an accident. The nurse thinks it must be something more.”
Conner shook his head. “I didn’t lay a hand on my daughter. Ask her. I love her more than anything. She wasn’t even in my custody the first time she broke her arm. The second time, she fell off her bike and this time, she fell off a ladder. Maybe the bone never healed properly and that’s why it keeps breaking. I don’t know. I’m not a doctor, but I am her father. A good father.”
Frankie crossed his arms and stared him in the eye. “But you’re not.”
“Not what?”
“You’re not Bella’s father.”
An anvil dropped in his stomach. “Of course I am.”
“There is no record of you as the father of a girl named Bella. I checked.”
Conner could barely breathe. This was it. His whole world was falling apart. All he could do was wait to hear what Frankie said next. He wasn’t going to admit anything.
“Who is she, Conner?”
Sweat started to form beneath his armpits. “She’s my daughter, I told you.” A flash of brilliance occurred. “Bella’s just her nickname. She picked it out. She never did like her birth name.”
“And her real name is. . . .” Frankie wasn’t going to let things go. Even though they’d known each other for forever, apparently he was law enforcement first and friend second.
Did he dare say? Bella, Kaylee, Skye. Which should he offer? “Skye. Her name is Skye.” The truth was both exhilarating and terrifying. His hands began to shake and he shoved them in his pockets.
Nodding, Frankie broke his stare. He stroked his beard as he looked around the room. “I thought so.”
“Can we go now? I need to put her to bed.” Conner suspected this wasn’t over, but he could hope.
“You’re not leaving until you tell me everything.”
“Frankie, we’re friends. It’s Thanksgiving weekend. I’m sure Donna is home waiting for you right now. We can talk on Monday and get this all straightened out.”
Frankie’s stiff posture loosened at the mention of his family. “Yeah, Donna was pissed when I said I had a call. But Child Protective Services’ couldn’t send anyone right away, so I’m here.”
“Thank God you came. You know me, Frankie. This is a big misunderstanding.”
“I’m afraid I can’t let it go. There’s a missing child report on Skye.”
Closing his eyes for a moment, Conner tried to gather his thoughts. What could he say to convince Frankie to let him walk out of there with his daughter? Just a moment of good will and he could disappear again. “It’s her crazy mother. She’s a drunk and a liar. In fact, she was driving drunk with Skye and killed another family. That’s a fact. Did you check those records? The woman’s been in prison serving time for vehicular manslaughter or something.”
“So why would she say Skye had been kidnapped?”
A deep breath. “The woman just got paroled and she thinks she can waltz back into Skye’s life and start neglecting her again. Well, I’m her father and I’m gonna make sure Skye is never mistreated again.”
Frankie tugged on his beard some more. “Who has legal custody?”
“I do.” Or maybe not. He wasn’t sure, which was why he kept running. “Man, you know the courts favor the mother. But she’s my kid, too. And I love her more than that woman.”
“If this was anyone else, I’d. . . .” Frankie didn’t seem to want to finish his sentence.
“But it’s not. It’s me. Just let me take Bella, I mean Skye, home and put her to bed. We can clear this up on Monday.”
“How do I know you won’t take her and run?” When Frankie said it, his eyes narrowed as if he could read Conner’s mind.
“You don’t.” Conner didn’t want to lie to his old friend, but he had to do whatever it took to protect Bella. Skye. It was getting hard to keep track anymore. Now he needed to create new identities and abandon his grandparents’ farm. He hated that. Part of him had longed to put down roots there.
Frankie pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket. “I’m afraid I have to take Skye into custody until the kidnapping charge is cleared up.”
Ignoring the card, Conner shook his head violently. “No. You can’t take her. She’ll be scared.”
“I’ll make sure she gets placed in a good home. Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry? She’s a sweet girl. She’s my girl. Don’t put her in foster care. Let me take her home. Please.”
“I have no choice. Sorry, man. You’re lucky I’m not booking you.” Frankie left the card on the paper covering the exam table. “I’ll make sure she’s safe. Call the number on that card to find out what’s happening.”
As Frankie exited the room, Conner slammed his fist against the wall. A framed diploma from Michigan State rattled. A second later, he hustled down the hall, searching for his daughter. He peered into each room, but they were all empty. “Skye? Where are you? I love you. I promise I’ll get you as soon as I can!” He returned to the lobby and searched for her face.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Her voice came from behind a door labeled “Employees Only.” He ran toward it.
Outside, he heard a car engine roar to life. He pushed open the door just in time to see the sheriff’s car driving away with the silhouette of a little girl in the back seat. A child-sized hand splayed on the window.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When the phone rang at 11 p.m., Melodie knew who it would be. With a smile, she turned off the old L.A. Law DVD she’d been watching. Growing up, she’d dreamed of wearing those fancy suits and bringing justice to the world. Smiling wistfully at her naiveté, she answered the phone. “Johnny!”
“Hey, Sis.” They often spoke late at night after the kids were in bed. It was their only chance to be honest with each other. “How was your Thanksgiving?”
“Confusing. How was yours?”
“Except for the fact that you weren’t here, it was typical. After stuffing ourselves with turkey, the quads played outside all day. One of them scratched my car with their sled. So far, no one has confessed.”
“Oh, no. Is it bad?”
“Probably a thousand dollars to fix it. I won’t bother, though. As soon as I repair it, someone else will ding it.” There was no anger in his voice.
“You’re amazing with them. I don’t know how you stay so calm.”
“If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry. At least that’s what my ex always said. Anyway, I’ll get a confession out of them tomorrow, guaranteed. So, back to you. How exactly can spending Thanksgiving snowed-in be confusing?”
“Well, we weren’t exactly alone.”
“Did you see your handsome neighbor?”
“How do you know he’s handsome?”
“Ha! I knew it.” He laughed and she joined him. “You’re confused because you like him.” His voice had a singsong tease to it.
“Actually, I kissed him.” A ripple of joy surged through her body just remembering.
“How was it? Is he a good kisser?”
When she was little, she’d wished for a sister, but it turned out that her brother was even be
tter. He could offer her advice from the male perspective. Figuring out Conner Walker was definitely something she needed help with. “He knows how to kiss. I might not be so good, though. It’s been a long time since I had any practice.”
“That’s irrelevant. You never forget how to kiss. I’m so happy you’re finally doing something for you. I mean, it’s good that you’re devoted to Zoe, but it’s not healthy to deny yourself a life outside of your kid. So, are you two going on a date? What’s the next step?”
“Here’s the confusing part. I hate how much the kiss meant to me. In fact, so much that I had a guilt dream about Paul afterwards.”
“Aww, I’m sorry to hear that. Paul would want you to move on. I’m sure of it.”
“Thanks.” Her voice was flat. “The kiss might have been a big deal to me, but it wasn’t to Conner.”
“How do you know?”
“Because a couple of hours after we kissed, he stopped by to say he’s leaving town.”
“So? If you didn’t mean anything to him, he wouldn’t have bothered to tell you. How long will he be gone for?”
“For forever.”
“What?!?” The pitch of his voice shot up.
She smiled at his antics. “Exactly. We kiss and boom, he has a job offer in another town.”
“That’s strange. Did you two sleep together?”
“Johnny! Of course not. I haven’t known him that long. I can’t imagine ever sleeping with someone else, to tell you the truth.”
“But you probably never imagined you’d be kissing someone either. Just take it one step at a time.”
“There aren’t going to be any more steps. He’s moving and as soon as I sell this farm, I’m moving, too.”
“Now that would break Paul’s heart.”
“Like you said, he’s not here. He would want me to move on. This farm was his dream—not mine.”
“Are you sure? As I remember, you were pretty excited when you found that place. You talked about going out back to collect eggs and making omelets for breakfast. You talked about how great it would be that Zoe had all of those acres to roam free. You told me you loved the sound of the river.”
She took a deep breath. He was right. “But I don’t know how to farm. And I can’t afford the mortgage without a job. I’ve been trying so hard, but it’s like no one wants to hire someone who’s been a stay-at-home mom for the last five years.” Her voice quivered as she allowed herself to speak her fears out loud. “I think I made a mistake quitting my job.”
A Mother's Conviction (Secrets Series Book 3) Page 14