To Protect Her Son

by Stella MacLean

  Gayle was surprised by the question. “Have you and Sherri been talking?”

  “About what?” Anna’s expression was the picture of innocence.

  “About Nate and me.”

  “Maybe...”

  She decided to meet Anna’s questioning gaze head-on. “Your brother has been so nice to me, and I haven’t been easy to get along with at times,” she admitted as she helped gather the plates. It was clear that neither of them felt like eating for now. “I have to say, your brother can be very appealing when he puts his mind to it,” she added, remembering those few moments in the doorway of her house. To take her thoughts away from Nate, she helped Anna get the coffee organized.

  Her friend placed an apple crumble and a pitcher of cream on the table. “Would you go out with him?”

  “Oh, no. I mean, he’s very busy and so am I. Besides, I can’t imagine there isn’t someone special in his life already.”

  “Are you fishing for information?” Anna asked as she brought the coffeepot to the table and filled their mugs.

  “No...well, maybe,” she said, realizing that she was sharing her feelings with a woman who could so easily go right back to Nate with whatever she said. “But please don’t say anything to him. It would be embarrassing for both of us.”

  “I won’t mention a word to anyone about anything we talked about here tonight. But for the record, Nate isn’t seeing anyone serious. If there was one thing I would wish for him, it’s that he would move on with his life and find someone to love. A woman who would love him through thick and thin.” Anna cradled her coffee cup in her hands. “My brother has a lot of love to give to the right person.”

  * * *

  NATE DROVE DOWN the narrow street leading to Anna’s house, his mind on the young man he’d counseled this afternoon. It hadn’t gone well, mostly because the parents proved to be very uncooperative, blaming all the issues their son had on him rather than taking any responsibility. He’d had to intercede several times on behalf of the teenager. The meeting had ended with no resolution to any of the areas of conflict between the young man and his parents. In most circumstances, this case being an exception, he was very sympathetic with parents and the amount of responsibility they had to assume from the moment their child was born. In his opinion, kids needed all the guidance parents and society could offer if they were to grow up into healthy, well-adjusted adults.

  A strange restlessness overcame him as he eased around the block toward Anna’s house. Maybe he should have headed over to the gym, done the therapy exercises for his injured leg, but he wanted to see Anna and the boys, find a little normalcy in his life.

  He was thankful his nephews seemed so well adjusted, having lost their father only two years ago. Everyone had rallied around Anna, family and friends alike, and given her all the support they could. He also knew that his connections with the police would guarantee that he be notified of any incident involving either Jeremy or Silas.

  His mind on his nephews, he nearly rammed into the back of a car parked in Anna’s driveway. He was so used to pulling into her yard without thinking that he hadn’t seen the dark vehicle in the low light from the street. His eyes took in the scene in front of him. For some reason Anna hadn’t put on her outside lights, and he couldn’t see anyone moving around through the living room window. He didn’t recognize the car... Maybe he should have called before he came over. Or maybe...

  He parked on the street and went up to the door, knocking gently on the solid wood surface. In a few minutes he heard footsteps down the hall, and the door swung open.

  “Nate, what are you doing here?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to admonish his sister for not checking to see who was at the door before opening it. After Kevin’s death, he’d gone over all the safety precautions he could think of for a woman living alone. But she wasn’t alone...and there were tears on her cheeks. Did Anna have a boyfriend? She’d never mentioned anyone to him.

  “Just thought I’d drop by and visit with you for a little while. But if you’re busy...” He wasn’t going anywhere until he knew who else was in the house. Because someone had made his sister cry. It was his guess that the owner of the car had caused the tears.

  “Nate, don’t be silly. Besides, I invited Gayle over for dinner tonight—my famous Mediterranean stew and apple crisp. Want some?”

  A mixture of relief and pleasure brought a smile to his face. “I’ve already eaten, but apple crisp...” He put aside his cane and hugged her close, making her laugh, a sound that relieved his worry. Whatever she’d been crying about, Gayle had been there for her. The thought that Gayle had been a support for his sister gave him a pleasant buzz.

  * * *

  GAYLE COULD HEAR Nate’s very male voice as he and Anna came down the hall toward the kitchen. She smoothed her hair and wiped her napkin over her lips. She watched the two of them enter the room arm in arm, Nate’s expression one of happiness as he walked with the help of his cane.

  Watching him, she could only imagine what it must be like to always need a cane to walk comfortably. How must he feel every morning when he woke up, knowing that he had to use a cane to get around? Did Nate’s shooter ever learn what he’d done to this man? Or was he like Harry and didn’t really care?

  “I hear you’ve been allowed in on a family ritual,” Nate said.

  “Ritual?” She watched as he came around the table and eased down into the chair next to her.

  “The chance to partake of my sister’s famous apple crisp,” he said, his eyes on her, the air between them suddenly a warm, inviting space.

  “Brother dearest, would you do me a favor before I fix you a huge bowl of crisp and chocolate ice cream?”

  “No job is too great for such a reward,” he replied, although his focus remained on Gayle. His gaze moved over her face so slowly she held her breath, waiting for his eyes to return to hers. When they did, she felt suspended in space, alone with a man who drew her to him with his magnetic force. Her pulse pounded in her head. A rush of heat rose through her, making speech impossible.

  This couldn’t be happening to her. Handsome men with soulful eyes were part of her fantasy life, not her real life. She waited for him to break the contact, to make light of it or simply to turn away. He didn’t. She couldn’t. And so they sat there staring at each other as if neither knew what to do.

  Anna finished putting the plates in the dishwasher before coming over to stand behind her brother, her hands on his broad shoulders as she leaned close and kissed his cheek. “Now would be a good time for you to stop making eyes at my friend and go in and make sure that Silas and Jeremy have settled into bed. Put all the video games in my room for the night, would you?”

  He blinked, gave Gayle a smile.

  “At your service,” he said, climbing out of the chair and heading down the hall toward the bedrooms.

  When Nate had disappeared, she sat down in the seat he’d vacated. “There is one small favor I’d like to ask of you,” Anna said, nervously smoothing the place mat in front of her.

  “Name it.”

  “If I have Parkinson’s, it’s going to be really hard to tell Nate. My appointment with the neurologist is in a couple of days, and Nate wanted to come to the appointment with me. Will you be there?”

  “Your appointment is at the clinic, right? So of course I’ll be there.”

  “No, I mean, with me in the room.”

  “I don’t know if I’d be allowed. I’m not family.”

  “Then would you stay a little longer tonight while I bring Nate up to speed on what’s going on? He doesn’t know about the testing or my appointment with the neurologist. I didn’t tell him.”

  “Why? Are you worried he might not be able to cope?” she asked, feeling drawn into the family, yet not sure she’d be able to handle her own emotions if th
e news from the neurologist wasn’t good. No one had exhibited such a level of trust in her before. As much as she craved having a real family, she was also afraid of what it would be like to share in such an intimate relationship.

  Anna bit her lip in worry. “It’s just that he’s done so much for me, and if I could make this all a little easier for him...”

  “So you’d like me to be here while you tell him that you have an appointment with a neurologist.”

  “If you don’t mind.”

  Gayle had never had a friend who had asked for her help in this way. Sure, she’d driven acquaintances to appointments, picked up their car at the garage, that sort of thing. This was different. Whatever she might feel about sharing her past with any member of the Garrison family, she knew one thing for certain. She wanted to be Anna’s friend. And she would stay for as long as it took for Anna to talk to Nate.

  “I’d be more than willing to be here while you explain to him what’s going on.”

  Anna hugged Gayle so tight she could hardly breathe. “You are such a good friend. This will be so much easier with you here.”

  “Explain what?” he asked as he came into the room.

  “How did you sneak up on me?” Anna asked, her sudden intake of breath audible.

  “The floor is carpeted and my cane is quiet this evening,” he said, tapping it against the chair leg as he sat down.

  “Did you know my brother named his cane ‘Hot Damn’?”

  He gave Gayle a sheepish grin. “I used to swear a lot when I was learning to walk with a cane, and being able to say damn covered for some of the more profane language I wanted to use.”

  Anna arrived at his shoulder with a large bowl. “Okay, here you go.”

  She sat down on the other side of Nate as they watched in disbelief while he motored through the dessert, wiping his lips on a napkin when he finished. “What’s next?”

  “Next?” Anna said, her glance sliding to Gayle and back to her brother. “Oh, you mean on the food front?”

  He looked questioningly at his sister. “I mean whatever...” He put his napkin down. “I know an anxious look when I see one. What are you two up to?”

  Anna leaned her elbows on the table and began to explain about her tests and the fact that she was afraid it might be Parkinson’s. Or at least that was her family doctor’s best guess. She’d been notified by the neurological clinic that she had an appointment.

  As Gayle listened, her eyes were drawn to Nate’s face and the raw worry shadowing his handsome features. As Anna continued to confide in Nate, she began to cry. Nate pulled her into his arms, consoling her with gentle words. He glanced at Gayle over Anna’s shoulder, the raw agony in his eyes stabbing her.

  As his gaze held hers, she felt his pain like a physical force. Her throat went dry, blocking any attempt to speak. She reached for him, then thought better of it. She had never been in a situation like this before where people could love without condition and draw support from one another in a time of crisis. She felt almost ill as the rush of emotion slid through her.

  She had no choice but to leave, to escape this world she had no right to be in. “I have to go,” she said, getting up and grabbing her purse off the counter, her jacket off the hall rack, before rushing out the door.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Gayle headed into work, her thoughts still on Anna and Nate and what she’d witnessed. They must have thought she was crazy to run out like that, but she couldn’t have stayed and witnessed the love and caring that was so foreign to her. Feelings she had never experienced in her life, except where Adam was concerned. During those few moments last evening, Gayle knew she had missed out on so much that was important, or been robbed of it by her parents and Harry. She’d been overcome by the pain of that revelation, and had had no choice but to leave. This morning she knew she’d made the right decision.

  She didn’t deserve to be there with them. She’d been emotionally upset, but it wasn’t only about Nate and Anna. It was also about the jealous feelings she couldn’t seem to control. Jealousy and loss. She had never felt the kind of love Nate offered his sister.

  She’d lain awake most of the night as confusion and fear rolled through her. She kept seeing Nate with Anna, and the kindness he’d shown her. The compassionate way he talked to her, offering her support. Yet he’d had to have been coming apart inside. This was his only sister. He had to be worried and scared for her. Gayle had never known a man like Nate. That someone had nearly ended his life with a bullet was too awful to think about.

  If his shooter had succeeded, Anna would have been left to raise her boys without the support of her brother.

  She had seen how well Nate and Adam got along, and until now she’d thought of it as simply part of his job, a way to gain the confidence of a teen in danger of getting in serious trouble. After last night she was aware of so much more. Nate Garrison genuinely cared about people. She understood so much more about this man who was now involved in her life.

  As she went in through the main clinic doors just off the emergency entrance, she met Peggy carrying a coffee. Her expression was guarded.

  “Oh, Peggy, I’m so sorry about last night. I didn’t think that Adam would mind having a babysitter, but I keep forgetting that he’s a teenager. Teens hate to be treated like kids. I have to remember that he’s desperately trying to figure out how to be an adult.” She fell into step beside Peggy as they approached the phlebotomy department. “I didn’t have your cell phone number. I tried to call you at home, but there was no answer. I left a message. Did you get it?”

  Peggy placed her coffee on the counter of her workstation before turning to face Gayle. “Did you get my message? I left it on your home phone about ten o’clock last evening.”

  “No. I was a little preoccupied when I got home and didn’t think to check. Was there something important you wanted to tell me?”

  Peggy glanced around. There were no patients waiting to have their blood drawn as the clinic wasn’t actually open yet. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out with it. When I got to your house last night there was a car in the driveway. I didn’t recognize who it was, but when I went to the door Adam was there with a couple of teenagers.” Peggy rubbed her forehead. “At least, I assume they were teenagers. They could have been older. Anyway, when I got to the door the two standing just inside the door were quite rude with me, asking me who I was and what I wanted.”

  Gayle’s stomach clenched in dread. “Oh, Peggy, I’m so sorry. I had hoped things had settled down where Adam was concerned. He’s been so good about chores and his curfew... When I left he was watching a game on TV. He promised me he’d get his homework done when he was finished. I don’t understand what could have happened. What were those kids doing there? He didn’t mention anyone coming over, and he didn’t call me. I had my cell phone on all evening.”

  “I wanted to know what was going on. I stepped past the two boys and went into the kitchen. Your son was looking pretty anxious. I asked him to tell me why those boys were there. He said that his friends had brought over some schoolwork he needed, and they were just leaving. I had a hunch he wasn’t telling me the truth. They didn’t seem in a hurry to go, so I stayed until they left. Maybe they returned later.” She shrugged. “I did tell Adam that I hadn’t expected there to be anyone at the house other than him. He said he knew that.”

  Worry tightened Gayle’s shoulders. Had Adam pretended to be asleep when she’d come home so he wouldn’t have to explain anything? “He didn’t mention anything about last night when he got up this morning.”

  “Gayle, I’m really sorry I had to tell you all this, but I felt you needed to know given how concerned you’ve been about him.”

  “And only yesterday I thought that the worst was over, that he’d turned a corner.”

  “And mayb
e he has. Maybe those boys were school friends who happened to drop by to do just what they said they were doing. I don’t have any kids, so I’m not really in a position to say one way or the other. I am certain of one thing—they were not very pleasant and they clearly didn’t think they had to leave your house.”

  Gayle rubbed her forehead in defeat. What else could go wrong in Adam’s life? “Thanks, Peggy. I really appreciate you telling me. I’ll talk to Adam.”

  Peggy’s relief was evident in her smile. “If there’s anything I can do to help, you have only to ask.”

  “I know, and I appreciate it so much. Everyone here is so good to me.”

  “That’s because we care about you, and about Adam. Will you come by and go to lunch with me later? It’s a nice day. We could eat outside if you like.”

  “That would be so nice.”

  As Gayle moved along the corridor toward the clinic doors, her heart hurt. Who were these boys and what did they want with Adam? And worse, what would have happened if Peggy hadn’t come along? She wished she could go home and check on Adam, but that would be pointless, as he was in school today. Or was he?

  As much as she appreciated what Peggy had done, in their one short conversation she’d begun to distrust her son. They had shared everything until the past couple of months when Adam had become so defensive and distant. She’d blamed it on teenage hormones, but whatever it was, she had to know she could trust Adam.

  They’d made it this far together. She had to believe that Adam would tell her the truth when she got home.

  CHAPTER SIX

  AS SHE APPROACHED the clinic area and walked through the glass doors, she was relieved to find Sherri alone at the desk.

  Her friend took one look at her face and rushed over.

  “Gayle, what’s the matter?”

  * * *

  GAYLE AND SHERRI faced each other across the counter. The silence in the empty clinic space was a sharp contrast to the anxious pounding of Gayle’s heart as she told her friend about Adam’s behavior last evening.