Noah and Ceejay greeted them in the foyer. Micah, their younger son, clung to his dad’s jeans-clad thigh, and Grace, the Langford’s toddler, studied the incoming adults with a somber expression and a thumb planted firmly in her mouth. With reddish-gold ringlets and big blue eyes, Grace was the spitting image of her mother.
“Hey, Gracie.” Paige touched her niece’s nose. “Look who we brought for you to play with.”
Ryan approached with Sean now straining to get down. Grace’s thumb popped out of her mouth, and a huge grin lit her chubby face. She reached out a hand toward her cousin.
Carlie soaked it all in, the sense of family, community and love filling the Langford house. Good people. A pang stole the smile from her face. She wanted so badly to give Tyler a life like the one the Langford and Malloy children had. Cousins, siblings, aunties and uncles . . . She hadn’t even spoken to her brother since the day she was arrested, and her relationship with her mother and grandmother still held a lot of strain. She’d hurt them all so much. She blinked against the sudden sting in her eyes.
“Ryan and I will keep a close eye on Tyler.” Noah came to stand in front of her. “You don’t have to look so worried.”
“Hmm?” She jerked back to the present. “Oh. I know you will.”
“Any word from the sheriff?”
“None.” She sighed. “Thanks for watching Tyler. With you, Ryan and the two dogs, I’m not worried. My mind was drifting, that’s all.”
“Let’s go, ladies,” Paige said, herding them to the door. “We’re going to be late if we don’t hit the road.”
Paige and Ceejay kept up a constant stream of conversation about their children on the short drive to Boonville, and Carlie settled back, content to listen. They pulled into a small parking lot beside a squat redbrick building with a large glass window in front. She followed the women into the building, taking it all in.
The Warriors’ Den offered a variety of martial arts classes, including self-defense for women. Carlie read the schedule posted on the wall. Kickboxing sounded like fun. The studio consisted of one large room with rubberized floor mats and a number of movable pieces of equipment pushed into a corner. Mirrors covered one wall, and several women were already there, standing alone or in small groups. A few were stretching, loosening up for the class.
“This is Lee Greenwood, the owner.” Cory introduced her to the instructor, a short, balding man without an ounce of flab on him. He looked like he might be in his fifties, yet he was in amazing shape. “Lee is going to be our instructor tonight,” Cory added. “Lee, this is Carlie Stewart. Thanks for letting us add her at the last minute.”
“Welcome to the Warriors’ Den,” Lee said, holding out his hand to shake hers. “The first three lessons are free,” he told her. “If you decide you want to continue after that, I have a brochure listing all of the options.” His eyes settled on her healing lip and blackened eye for a second. “I’m glad you’ve decided to join us.” He rubbed his hands together. “You can fill out the paperwork after you’ve put your things away.”
“Thanks.” Heat crept up her neck to fill her face. Yeah, it was obvious to all she needed to be here.
“Come on, Carlie. The locker room is back this way,” Ceejay said, tugging on Carlie’s jacket sleeve. “I’m so out of shape,” she grumbled. “I hope I can keep up.”
“Is this your first lesson?” Carlie’s eyes widened. She’d assumed the group had been coming for a while.
“All of us are first timers,” Ceejay informed her. “Cory has a leg up because of her military training, though.”
“Not really.” Cory opened the door to the locker room and ushered them into a concrete-floored room holding a few wooden benches and two rows of lockers. “I haven’t done much in the way of exercise in months, and I have to look good in a wedding gown soon. I’m counting on these classes to help me regain some much-needed muscle tone.”
“Oh, that’s right. When’s the big day?” Carlie asked while stuffing her purse and jacket into a tiny locker.
“December nineteenth. Ted and I are spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve on a two-week cruise to the Bahamas,” she said with a dreamy sigh. “Brenda, my maid of honor, would be here tonight, but she had to work. She’ll join us for the next lesson. She’s Wesley’s younger sister. Have you met her?”
“Not formally. She’s been at the diner with Kyle several times, though.”
“She and Kyle are dating,” Cory said with a grin. “They met around the same time Ted and I did. She’s helped me out a lot with the theme and decorations for our wedding.”
Once they’d all stowed their belongings, Carlie followed the three women back to the studio area. She filled out a form and then lined up as the instructor began the class.
An hour later, her muscles were protesting, and sweat covered Carlie’s face. “Oh, I’m going to hurt tomorrow,” Paige groaned as the instructor ended the class. “Who knew kicking butt would be so hard?”
Cory rolled her shoulders. “We should practice together this week so we’re ready for our next lesson.”
“Good idea.” Ceejay plopped down on one of the benches. “Anybody up for going out? I’m not ready to end my child-free evening yet.”
“I don’t drink.” Carlie glanced at her. “But I’d be happy to be the designated driver.”
“Who said anything about drinking?” Ceejay asked. “I was thinking ice cream.”
Paige shut her locker door, her coat and purse in hand. “I’m in.”
“No ice cream for me. I’ll drink tea.” Cory shook her head. “I have a size-six wedding dress to get into soon.”
“Me, too.” Three sets of eyes swung her way, and heat once again flooded Carlie’s face. “I mean I’m in for ice cream, not that I have a wedding dress to fit into.”
“You and Wesley should join us for poker night next Friday. Ryan and I are hosting,” Paige said, her eyes lighting up. “It’s a lot of fun.”
“I don’t know how to play poker, and besides, I’ve heard that’s kind of a couples’ thing in Perfect. Wes and I are not a couple. He’s just helping me out until my ex is caught.”
“Actually, it’s a community thing.” Ceejay led the way out of the locker room. “Gail Offermeyer and I started poker night a few years ago. We did it to get the younger adults in Perfect together. The older folks play bridge, and we wanted to start something similar but more contemporary. Anyone is welcome, whether single or involved.”
Paige slung her purse over her shoulder. “You wouldn’t be the only single person there, believe me. It’s a great way to get to know everyone, and we’d love to have you. Wesley, too, if he’s interested. You don’t have to know how to play. It’s easy enough to pick up as you go, and we’ll all help. We alternate our get-togethers with the older generation’s bridge night.”
“Why’s that?” Carlie blinked in confusion.
“Who do you think watches our kids while we play?” Paige snorted. “Cory’s soon-to-be in-laws watch Sean for me, since Jenny and Harlen take care of Ceejay’s brood.”
“Oh.” If Jenny and Harlen babysat for Ceejay, who could she find to watch Tyler? “It sounds like fun,” she said. “I’ll think about it.”
A large figure hovered outside the front door of the Warriors’ Den. She’d recognize those broad shoulders anywhere. Her pulse raced, and a smile burst free. Wesley. She moved ahead, wanting to be the first to greet him. Cold air bathed her overheated face as she opened the door and walked out to the sidewalk.
His eyes sought hers, and he pushed himself off the wall he’d been leaning against. “How did it go?”
Carlie opened her mouth to reply, but Cory beat her to it. “She did great, Bunny. Do you want to come with us for ice cream?”
“Sure, Squirrel. Carlie and I will follow in my car.”
Carlie laughed. She couldn’t help it. She’d heard the two use their ridiculous nicknames before, so it wasn’t just that. Wes’s brow rose in question. How coul
d she explain? Doing something positive on her own behalf made her happy. Going out with the girls was a new experience for her in Perfect, one she thoroughly enjoyed, and seeing Wesley hovering protectively outside the door was the capper to her perfect evening. “I plan to continue.” She jabbed at the air with her fists. “I’m thinking about taking up kickboxing.” The look of approval in Wesley’s eyes sent her heart gyrating.
“Sounds like a great idea.” He placed his hand at the small of her back, slung his gym bag over his shoulder and walked with her to the minivan. “I’d be happy to watch Tyler while you take classes. The two of us can come with you. While you’re learning how to kick butt, Tyler and I can head over to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal. There’s one down the road a few blocks that has an inside playground. That’ll keep us busy while you take your class.”
Her breath hitched. “You’d do that for me?”
“I’ll support anything that will help keep you and Tyler safe,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Kickboxing, karate . . . the shooting range . . . whatever you need, Carlie, you just let me know, and I’m your man.”
My man. She knew he meant he’d watch Tyler and help in any way he could, but hearing him say the words sent all kinds of crazy yearning racing through her. Months of fantasizing about him were to blame, no doubt. Oh, how she wished he really could be her man.
“You and Carlie should come to poker night, Wes. It’s at our house next Friday.” Paige looked at Wes over her shoulder. “It’s a lot of fun. If you do decide to join us, let me know. I’ve hired one of Ceejay’s cousins to babysit Sean, and she can watch Tyler, too.”
“Maybe.” Wes ran his hand over his buzz cut. “We’ll see. If Carlie’s ex is still on the loose, I don’t want anyone else’s home on his radar. He left a note on Carlie’s car this morning. I suspect he’s stolen another vehicle, and he’s sticking around.”
Carlie’s bubble of happiness popped, and a cold dose of reality chilled her. She searched the shadows between the buildings for any sign that someone might be lurking there. Was Jared watching her right now? If so, seeing Wesley place his hand at the small of her back would send him into a rage. She didn’t want Wesley or anyone else in danger. “I think I’ll pass on poker for now. Maybe once Jared has been caught . . .”
Once he was behind bars again, she’d be looking for a new place to call her temporary home. A new place where she could hide her true identity, along with her past. Her heart aching, she climbed into Wes’s SUV and stared out the window. By the time they pulled up to the ice cream parlor, she’d lost her appetite.
Carlie placed an order on the cooks’ wheel and picked up the coffeepot resting on the burners. Circulating around the diner, she topped off coffee mugs in her section and checked on tables.
No news is good news. That’s what she told herself, anyway, and she was desperate enough to cling to that hope. Her ex had showed up at her place on Tuesday morning, left the note on her car on Wednesday, and today was Friday.
She hadn’t seen or heard a word from her ex or the sheriff since the note. Had Jared figured out he couldn’t get through the safety net Perfect’s residents had thrown up around her and Tyler? Had he given up and left, or was that too much to hope for?
The lunch rush was winding down enough that she could think. If she didn’t hear Jared had been caught soon, she’d have to head out to her house for more of her things. Tyler missed his books, and he wanted more of his favorite toys. They both needed more clothes, too, so she could wash the few they’d brought with them.
Her cell phone vibrated in her back pocket, along with the Sunny Hollow’s ringtone. Moving back behind the counter, she put the coffeepot down and reached for her phone. Ty had complained of a stomachache that morning, but he hadn’t had a fever. Probably stress, or he was angling to stay at Wesley’s apartment all day with Rex. “Hello?”
“Ms. Stewart, this is Amy Hoff. Tyler is safe, but . . .”
Carlie’s lungs seized, and her grip tightened around her phone. Ty’s teacher had never called her before. She’d never had to. “What has happened?”
“I don’t want you to worry. Tyler is here, and he’s safe, but your ex-husband attempted to take him while we were out at recess. Tyler is upset, and he’s asking for you. He’s in the office. Sheriff Taylor will be here any second. I have someone covering my class, and I’ll stay with your son until you get here.”
“I’m on my way,” Carlie choked out. Her hands shaking, she slid her phone back into her pocket. As calmly as possible, she made her way to Jenny, who was saying good-bye to a group of women by the front door. Though she wanted to run like hell, she forced herself to walk. Tyler was safe. “I have to go. Jared tried to kidnap Tyler from school.” She tried to breathe, but tension held her in its steely grip. As she reached for her purse under the register, her mind reeled. “The sheriff is on his way to Sunny Hollow. Tyler is in the office. He’s OK, but—”
“I’ll drive you.” Harlen rose from his stool. “Will you be all right on your own, Jenny?”
“I’ll be fine. The rush is over, Sally’s still here to take care of the few remaining tables, and the cooks can help out.” Jenny gave Carlie’s shoulders a squeeze, her eyes filled with worry. “Go get Tyler.”
Her hands were ice-cold, and she couldn’t think straight. Harlen handed her jacket to her. She slipped it on and followed him out the front door to the diner’s small parking lot. It had been sleeting that morning when she, Wes and Tyler had come to the diner. They’d taken her car rather than have Tyler get soaking wet on the walk over, and then Wes jogged back to L&L.
“Here,” she said, taking her keys from her jacket pocket and handing the Harlen. “Let’s take my car. Tyler needs his booster seat. He’s . . . he’s so little.” She pressed her hand against her mouth, and tears filled her eyes.
Harlen took her keys, and she scrambled into the front seat and buckled up. The sleet had turned to rain as the day wore on, and the sound of the windshield wipers had a hypnotic effect on her. “Tyler’s OK,” she murmured.
“He is,” Harlen agreed, turning onto the main road out of Perfect.
“Thank you, Harlen.” She held out her trembling hands. “As you can see, I’m in no shape to drive.”
“Don’t mention it. Under the circumstances, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go anywhere alone, at least not until Jared is back in custody.”
Why hadn’t they caught her ex yet? She nodded and stared out at the corn and wheat fields that were just stalks now. A quarter mile before the turnoff to Ty’s school, a POP, POP rent the air. Something pinged against the passenger door. “What was that?” She looked back. A cluster of trees, a large boulder and brush formed an island in the middle of the field they’d just passed.
Harlen cursed under his breath, but he didn’t alter his course or slow down. If anything, he sped up.
“Oh, God. Those were gunshots, weren’t they? Jared has a gun.”
“Now, we don’t know that. Might’ve been a stray shot from some hunter.”
“What hunters?” Her heart raced, and her mouth had gone so dry, she could hardly get the words out. “Is this even hunting season?”
“Sure it is, Carlie. It’s always hunting season for some form of game or another. Right now it’s coyotes, raccoons and a variety of game birds, like ruffled grouse. Deer season opens next week. Might be some fool decided he couldn’t wait until it’s legal to hunt deer.” He patted her knee. “Don’t go thinking the worst.”
They pulled up to the front entrance of the school, and Harlen parked her car behind the sheriff’s vehicle. Carlie shot out of her Ford and raced into the building, leaving Harlen to follow. She hurried into the office. There she found her son, sitting in a chair, his eyes wide and tear filled, with the sheriff, the assistant principal and Ms. Hoff surrounding him.
“Mommy!” Tyler scrambled off the chair and ran into her arms.
She lifted him, and he clung to her, burying his face against
her neck. “It’s OK, Ty,” she soothed, hugging him tight. “I’ve got you.”
Harlen had followed her into the office and gestured to the sheriff. The two of them stood off to the side in deep conversation. “We’ll be right back.” Harlen tipped his head toward the bank of chairs against the wall. “Have a seat for a minute, Carlie.”
She knew. Harlen and Sheriff Taylor were going to look at the bullet hole in her car door. Had Jared shot at her? Had his attempt to take their son been nothing but a ploy to get her out in the open?
No, that didn’t make sense. If he’d had a gun, he would’ve used it against her the morning he showed up. He was on the run, an escaped convict without resources. Where and how would he have gotten a gun? Harlen had said more than likely they’d been caught by a hunter’s stray bullet, and she wanted to believe that, too. Harlen and the sheriff were just being thorough, that’s all.
“I w-wanna g-go home,” Tyler stammered. “C-can we go h-home n-now, Mommy?”
Her heart squeezed painfully. Home. She might not be living on the streets anymore, but somehow she was still homeless, still adrift in choppy waters, and she had no idea how to change the direction the current was taking her.
Hadn’t she paid the price for her past already? Would it never end? Her throat closed up, and her ears rang from the pounding in her chest. “As soon as Mr. Maurer and Sheriff Taylor come back, we’ll head to Wesley’s. Rex sure will be glad to see you, won’t he, Ty? That dog misses you something fierce while you’re in school.”
“Y-yeah.” His little arms tightened around her, and he hiccupped. “I’ll sure b-be g-glad to see him, too.”
“Carlie”—Ty’s teacher approached them—“after what happened today, I’ve made arrangements for Tyler to choose a couple of friends and have indoor recess for the foreseeable future. I hope that’s all right with you.”
“Absolutely, Amy. I appreciate it.” She needed to find a way to stop drifting—find a place where her ex couldn’t get to them. Then she’d put down roots and make a permanent home for herself and her son. The how and where eluded her, but she’d figure it out. She had to.
The Twisted Road to You (Perfect, Indiana Book 4) Page 7