Keeping Her Safe

by Sherry Lewis

  Adam lifted a shoulder and turned away again. “You could say that, I guess.” He had no intention of telling Seth about DJ.

  “What?” Seth followed him. “Did you get passed over for a promotion or something?”

  Adam just shrugged and snorted his response.

  “Then what?” Seth took another long drink and studied Adam for a minute. “You know what you’re acting like? You’re acting just like Luke did when Julie left him.”

  Adam glared at him. He most definitely was not acting like his other brother. Luke had been a basket case when Julie walked out. He’d been angry with the world, and he’d taken every opportunity to show it. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Seth stared at him for another minute, but instead of walking away like Adam expected, he laughed aloud. “What’s her name?”

  “Whose name?”

  “The woman you’re so upset about. Who is she and what’s her name?”

  Adam growled at him and strode into the living room. He picked up the stereo’s remote control and turned it on. Immediately, K.T. Oslin’s husky and melodious voice filled the room as she lamented a lost love. Swearing, Adam flicked the stereo off again.

  Seth leaned against the door and took another drink. “Oh, yeah. You’ve got it bad.” He closed the distance between them. “So? Tell me.”

  Adam tried looking away, but he couldn’t. He tried keeping his mouth shut, but suddenly the need to tell someone about DJ overwhelmed him. And Seth, despite his annoying persistence, cared. Even Adam couldn’t deny that.

  “Her name’s DJ Woodward,” he said softly.

  “Where’d you meet her?”

  “On assignment.”

  “The one you just finished?” Seth lowered himself onto the sofa and leaned back.

  Adam nodded.

  “And—?”

  “And I’m in love with her.”

  “Great! It’s about time.”

  “Not great. She doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

  “Well—” Seth cocked his head and grinned “—I can understand why she wouldn’t”

  Adam scowled at him, but he sat on the opposite end of the sofa and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Starting slowly at first, he told Seth everything. About Galloway. About Christina Prescott and Marissa. About DJ’s reaction when she’d learned the truth. Talking soothed something inside. And Seth’s obvious concern lifted his spirits a little.

  “Well, well, well,” Seth said, shaking his head and staring at his empty beer can when Adam finally finished. “You want my honest opinion?”

  Adam nodded.

  “She sounds perfect for you.”

  “She would be if she were even speaking to me.”

  “Have you called her?”

  “Twice. She didn’t answer the telephone.”

  “Did you leave messages?”

  Adam nodded again. “Yes. I even left my phone number for her to call back if she wants. But she probably erased everything the second she heard my voice.”

  “What about flowers?”

  Adam frowned at him. “She owns a nursery, for God’s sake—”

  “Candy?”

  “She’s not the candy type.”

  Seth rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Jewelry?”

  “She’d never accept it. And she already has a dog.”

  Seth laughed. “Okay, so a puppy’s out. I don’t know what to suggest, then. Unless you go see her.”

  Adam let out a huge sigh and shook his head slowly. “I might as well face the truth and get it over with—she’ll never forgive me.” But that wouldn’t stop him from loving her. Or from worrying about her. “Right now, I’d be content to know she and Marissa are safe. That the new guard Chuck’s assigned understands how serious the situation with Galloway really is and that she has someone there with her.”

  Seth shrugged. “Who did Chuck assign to take your place?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Can you find out? It might make you feel better.”

  Adam started to shake his head, then stopped himself. Why couldn’t he?

  He glanced over his shoulder at the cordless telephone on the kitchen table, and his lips curved into a smile. Surely he could find some way to convince Chuck to tell him that much.

  Pushing to his feet, he crossed the room and snagged the receiver from the table. With unsteady fingers, he dialed Chuck’s home number.

  To his relief, Chuck answered almost immediately.

  “Yeah?”

  “Chuck? It’s Adam.”

  “What now?” Chuck didn’t sound at all pleased to hear from him.

  Adam didn’t care. “One quick question. Who have you assigned to guard DJ and Marissa?”

  “Why?”

  “Let’s just say I’m curious.”

  “Let’s not,” Chuck growled.

  “Who’s the officer on duty?” He only needed a name. He had a list of pager numbers for everyone on the crew. He willed Chuck to name Don Meier or Johnny Nitzel—both good men. Both friends who would return a page if Adam called.

  “You blew the assignment, Adam.”

  Adam held back the response that rose to his lips and tried to keep his voice steady. “Thanks for pointing that out. Will you just tell me who the officer on duty is?”

  Just when Adam had about given up hope, Chuck said, “Kenny Masters.”

  “Kenny?” Adam stared at the mouthpiece of the receiver. “Why the hell would you put Kenny on that job? He’s just a kid.”

  “That doesn’t concern you. You’re not on the case anymore, remember?”

  “You mean you left DJ and Marissa down there with nobody but Kenny to guard them? With Galloway still roaming the streets?” Adam’s hand trembled, and his head felt as if someone had tightened a clamp on it.

  Chuck’s tone hardened. “Kenny’s a good officer.”

  “Kenny’s an idiot.” Adam tried and failed to calm down a little. He’d caught Kenny sleeping on duty more than once and he’d had to warn him on several occasions not to get too lost reading his “Star Trek” magazines. Galloway could sneak right past him without even trying.

  Adam drew in a deep breath and forced himself to release it slowly. It didn’t help. “I’m going back.”

  “You’re what?” Chuck demanded.

  Seth sat up straight and stared at him.

  “I said, I’m going back.”

  “Don’t be a fool,” Chuck warned. “Dodge is already furious with you.”

  “I don’t care. I’m going back.”

  “If you do, you’d better not count on having a job with Dodge much longer.”

  Adam was tired of Chuck’s threats. Tired of his sarcasm. Tired of Chuck, period. “Fire me if you want. I’m going back to make sure they’re safe.”

  “What the hell’s the matter with you?” Chuck said. “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking clearly for the first time in my life,” Adam snapped, and before Chuck could say anything else, he flipped off the telephone, grabbed his keys from the hook on the wall and raced out the door.

  He took the steps to street level two at a time and jumped the last three. He unlocked his truck and jumped inside, cranking the engine to life and squealing his tires as he peeled out of the driveway.

  He passed Seth halfway to the street and pretended not to see him waving frantically. Whatever happened next, he would face it alone.

  He’d created the mess; it was his responsibility to take care of it.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  DJ SANK TO HER knees and wet the scrub brush, wincing a little at the temperature of the water and the pain in her leg. She’d used her muscles so much during the past two days, first at the nursery, then at home, they protested when she started scrubbing, but she kept going. The physical pain matched the pain in her heart.

  At least she was free of Kenny, who only made her think of Adam. She’d sent him into town on an errand just to get him out of
the house for a while.

  She sat on her heels and pushed the hair from her eyes, but the instant she stopped working, tears welled up again and her throat tightened.

  Angry with herself, she dashed the moisture away with the back of her hand and glared at the scrub brush. Two weeks ago, her life had been running along smoothly. She’d known what she wanted and where she was going. Now, she felt uncertain and alone. She’d lost her relationship with her mother, she’d lost Laura—and she’d lost Adam. All because Larry Galloway had walked into her life.

  She let herself grow angry with Larry for an instant, but honesty forced her to admit she couldn’t blame him, either. Larry’s appearance in her life had been the catalyst, but he hadn’t destroyed anything.

  She reminded herself she still had Marissa. They’d been fine before Adam walked into their lives, and she tried to convince herself they’d be fine with him gone. But Marissa hadn’t stopped asking for him for two days, and DJ hadn’t stopped thinking about him or missing him. The ache hadn’t subsided even a little. If anything, the emptiness inside her had grown.

  She dropped the scrub brush into the soapy water and sat back on the floor. Covering her face with her hands, she gave in to the tears as they burned their way down her cheeks.

  She couldn’t lie to herself any longer. She’d fallen in love with Adam. No matter who he was or what he did, she wanted to build a life with him. Marissa loved him and needed him as much as DJ did—and she was angry and hurt that DJ had asked him to leave.

  DJ reached for the scrub brush and attacked the floor again, telling herself that Marissa would get over it in time. She’d forgive and forget, and within weeks everything would be back to normal again.

  A nagging doubt formed in the back of her mind, but she pushed it away. Of course Marissa would get over Adam’s absence. DJ had made the only decision possible.

  At least she’d never told Marissa the truth about Larry. At least she didn’t have to deal with losing Adam and a grandfather.

  Holding back another sob, DJ pulled the scrub brush from the water, and the thought replayed itself in her mind. At least she’d never told Marissa the truth about Larry.

  Suddenly nauseous, she dropped her hand into her lap and stared at the bucket. It couldn’t be true! She hadn’t been as guilty as everyone else, had she? Had she hidden the truth from Marissa and justified her lies the same way her mother and Laura had? The same way Adam had?

  Another unwelcome thought nagged at the back of her mind. This time, she felt distinctly uncomfortable. She tried pushing away the self-doubt, but she couldn’t ignore the similarity between her present situation and her mother’s.

  She sat that way for what felt like forever, taking an honest look at herself and the people she loved. Her mother, Laura—and Adam. Maybe they’d made mistakes, but was she any better?

  She thought about what Laura had said that day on the porch in front of Larry. DJ was too stubborn for her own good. And just now, in the harsh glare of her empty kitchen, she wondered if Laura might be right. Suddenly DJ’s reasons for isolating herself from everyone didn’t sound nearly as convincing as they’d seemed at the time.

  Tears filled her eyes. She felt foolish. Childish. Ashamed of herself for being so angry with everyone and so stubborn. She had to apologize. To explain. She needed to let Adam know she understood. She had to break down the wall she’d erected between herself and her mother and set things right with Laura.

  She abandoned her bucket and brush and went to the answering machine. Replaying Adam’s first message, she jotted down his number on a scrap of paper. She began to dial it, then stopped.

  What could she possibly say to him? How could she apologize for behaving so foolishly? What if he’d changed his mind? What if her stubborn refusal to listen to him had killed his love for her? What if he didn’t want her anymore? How could she survive hearing that?

  Again, she caught herself and pulled herself up sharply. How had he felt when she’d sent him away? How could she be so selfish? How could she protect her heart after what she’d done to him?

  Summoning all her courage, she dialed again and waited while the telephone rang once. Twice. On the third ring, someone answered.

  “Adam?”

  “No, this is his brother Seth.”

  Her heart dropped. “Is he there?”

  “No, he’s gone out for a while. I’m just waiting for him to come back. Can I give him a message?” His voice, so like Adam’s, soothed her a little.

  “Yes. Thank you. Would you just tell him…Tell him DJ Woodward called.”

  “DJ?” Seth laughed softly. “This is great! He was just telling me about you.”

  Her heart lurched. “He was?”

  “All.good, don’t worry. As a matter of fact, I think he’s on his way to your place now.”

  “He is?” She smiled. Her heart pounded and her hands grew clammy. “Are you sure?”

  “Pretty sure. In fact, he ought to be there any minute.”

  He was coming back to her. She would have a chance to explain. He hadn’t changed his mind. Her smile grew, and her mind flew this way and that as she tried to decide what to say.

  She turned and caught a glimpse of herself in the kitchen window. Dirty face, messy clothes, stringy hair—she looked horrible. She couldn’t let him see her like that. “Thank you. I…I appreciate it.”

  “No problem.”

  She hung up quickly and ran from the kitchen into her bedroom. She had to change her blouse, wash her hair, clean her face. Did she have time?

  She raced to the closet and rummaged through the blouses hanging there. Which one? Nothing too fancy. Her black sweater. Perfect. She tore it from the hanger and started toward the bathroom just as the back doorbell rang.

  She jumped a little and stared at herself in the mirror. He was here already. She didn’t have time to clean up or make herself look presentable. Checking her reflection, she tried to do something with her hair, but it defied her efforts. She rubbed at the smudges on her cheeks, but they seemed to grow larger instead of smaller.

  The doorbell rang again. Her heart thudded high in her chest and her fingers trembled. She didn’t want to miss him. She didn’t want him to think she wasn’t home or that she didn’t want to see him.

  Tossing the sweater onto her bed, she hobbled past the kitchen, limped down the stairs as quickly as her leg would allow and pulled open the door.

  But instead of Adam, she found herself staring into Larry Galloway’s cold eyes.

  He propped a hand against the door and pushed it all the way open until it banged against the wall. “I di’nt think you were home.” He reeked of alcohol, his eyes looked bleary and unfocused and his speech sounded thick and slurred.

  Dread replaced anticipation in the pit of DJ’s stomach and her heart raced for an entirely different reason.

  He took one drunken step toward her, as if he intended to come inside. “Well?” he demanded. “Aren’t you glad t’see me?”

  She gripped the door with both hands and tried to close it, at least partway. “What are you doing here?”

  Larry shoved the door back open. “I’ve come home.”

  “This isn’t your home. I told you to leave the other day. I don’t want you here.”

  “You can’t stop me from coming home.” He leaned close. Too close for safety. “This is my house.”

  Instinct told DJ to step away from him, but she couldn’t let him bully her. She stood her ground and blocked the doorway. “This is my house, not yours.”

  “Whaddaya mean? You’re my daughter, aren’t ya? This is my house.” He gestured drunkenly. “I can come when I want to.”

  “No, you can’t.” She tried to keep her voice level as she again attempted to close the door between them. She’d seen him angry once—she didn’t want to provoke that anger now.

  But he pushed the door back again, this time with enough force to knock it out of her hands. Snarling, he shoved her hard, making her stag
ger backward into the step. Fresh pain shot from her ankle to her knee.

  “I can come here any time I want,” he repeated. “Nobody’s goin’ t’ stop me.” He swaggered inside and glared around him. “Where’s your wannabe boyfrien’?”

  DJ pressed her back against the wall, trying to stay as far from him as she could in such a small area. She lifted her chin, looked him straight in the eye and lied through her teeth. She didn’t want him to know she and Marissa were alone. “Adam? He’s outside in the front yard.” She prayed furiously that Seth had been right—that he would be here soon.

  “Well? Bring the SOB in here. I wanna kick his royal ass for what he did t’me.”

  DJ backed up the first step without taking her eyes off him. She couldn’t believe he expected her to deliver Adam to him. But he was drunk and angry enough to believe anything. “I’ll have to go get him.”

  “Well, then, go. What the hell’s takin’ you s’long?”

  She backed another step away and tried to think of some means of getting rid of him before he discovered the truth and harmed her or Marissa. But the pain in her leg had grown so severe, she had trouble walking.

  Larry pushed past her and slammed his fist into the wall near the kitchen door. Pieces of plaster fell to the floor and a hole gaped where the wall had been. “Get me a beer and get that boyfrien’ of yours in here. Now!” His voice rose steadily until the last word almost thundered into the silence.

  DJ’s hands grew numb and her heart felt as if it were beating in her throat. “I don’t have any beer.”

  He looked thoughtful. “Whaddaya have?”

  She thought quickly. “Wine.”

  “Wine? What’s that, yer boyfrien’s drink?” He laughed bitterly. “Wine’s for prissies, not men. You got a prissy boyfrien’?”

  She shook her head and tried to sidle past him. She couldn’t let him get to Marissa. She had to keep her child safe, no matter what the cost to herself.

  “Tha’s what it is, i’nt it?” he taunted. “He’s a prissy boy, not a man. Only prissies drink wine. Only prissies let a girl order ’em aroun’ like you did th’ oth’r day.” His eyes seemed to focus suddenly. “Jus’ like your damned mother. Orderin’ a man aroun’. She wanted t’ order me aroun’, but I wouldn’t let ’er. I taught ’er who the boss was. I taught her t’ respect me.”