by Laura Scott
“Until after the holiday,” Derek murmured. “Hopefully by then, my car will be replaced and I’ll be able to hit the road again.”
“What? No. Knock it off, Zack,” Julie said in a stern tone. “I’m thrilled to have Derek and Lexi here. And I told you, we have a mutually beneficial arrangement. He and Lexi get food and a roof over their heads, and in return, I get work done on the townhouse. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Zack muttered darkly.
Derek tried to control a flash of anger on Julie’s behalf. “I don’t like what you’re insinuating,” he said in a clipped tone. “Julie has been nothing but kind. Lexi and I are very grateful for her willingness to give us food and shelter. It’s not my intent to take advantage of your sister. She’s perfectly safe.”
Lexi must have noticed some of the tension in the room because she came over to stand close to his side. He put a reassuring arm around his daughter, hugging her close.
Surprisingly, a spasm of pain flashed across Zack’s features, and he rather abruptly turned away.
“Are you planning to stay for dinner, Zack?” Julie asked in an obvious effort to change the subject.
“No, I have to get back. Thanks anyway.” Zack walked back outside and settled his police hat back on his head.
Derek’s shoulders slumped with relief at the news her brother wasn’t planning on staying, but that didn’t change the fact that he needed to figure out a way to get out of town. And soon.
Before his luck ran out.
___________
Julie followed her brother back to his squad car. “Zack, please consider staying for dinner,” she murmured. “Derek is really a nice guy.”
Zack shook his head, avoiding her gaze. “I can’t. The way he looks with his daughter...” He sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I just can’t.”
She knew how difficult losing Amelia had been for Zack. No parent should have to lose both his spouse and his daughter within a two-year timeframe. She wanted to help ease his pain, tried to convince him to hand his burdens over to God, but Zack refused.
Her brother hadn’t stepped foot in a church since losing Emma and Amelia. Her heart ached for him. They’d grown closer over the years since losing their parents.
“Goodbye, Julie,” Zack said as he slid into the driver’s seat.
She forced a smile. “Bye, Zack. Stop by again soon.”
He gave a terse nod as he twisted the key, bringing the engine to life. But he didn’t back out of the driveway right away. Instead, he lowered the passenger window. “Are you sure you can trust this guy?”
“Absolutely,” she said, as if she hadn’t had the exact same fears just yesterday. But that was before the kiss. Interesting, because a normal woman might be more worried about her safety after a heated kiss.
Except she wanted to kiss him again.
She inwardly shook her head at her foolishness.
Zack grimaced and lifted his hand in a wave as he rolled backward out of the driveway. She stood on the lawn, shielding her eyes from the sun, her heart heavy and aching as she watched him drive away.
She felt something soft brush against her side and glanced down in surprise to see Lexi standing close, they way she usually stood next to her father. It was as if the little girl knew Julie was feeling sad again and wanted to offer comfort.
Her throat tightened with unshed tears, so she simply gave Lexi a hug. But when she glanced up, she noticed Derek was watching them with a frown.
She immediately released the little girl and stepped back, feeling as if she’d crossed a line. Why didn’t Derek want her to be close to Lexi? Because they were leaving soon? Probably. She pulled herself together with an effort. “I better start dinner,” she said in a low voice.
Derek didn’t say anything as she went over to her side of the townhouse, closing the door firmly behind her.
She leaned weakly against the door, blinking back ridiculous tears. Why did she allow herself to get so emotionally involved? You would think she’d have learned her lesson with Andrew. She knew better than anyone how care and compassion did not lead to love.
Besides, she knew Derek and his daughter were only here for a brief stay. His unexpected kiss hadn’t meant anything, except maybe to thank her.
After Andrew’s betrayal, she’d refused to date. Well, to be fair, there hadn’t been many available men to date. And she was afraid of making the same mistakes all over again.
Was she really willing to risk opening her heart to a man who’d made it clear he was just passing through?
No, she wasn’t. With renewed strength and determination, she pushed away from the door and headed toward the fridge, where she’d stored the groceries she’d purchased that morning. She pulled out the chicken and searched for her skewer so she could make rotisserie chicken on the grill. Once the chicken was roasting away, she headed outside to her small garden to pick fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers for the salad.
Puttering in her garden helped her to relax. Once she was sure she’d regained her composure, she went over to Derek and Lexi’s side of the townhouse to see what they were up to and to let them know what time to expect dinner.
Her jaw dropped in surprise when she discovered Derek was standing next to his packed suitcases while Lexi was rocking back and forth in the corner. “Where are you going?”
The flash of guilt in his eyes confirmed her worst fears. “Isn’t it obvious? Your brother is worried about you, and I really don’t blame him. I think it’s best for everyone if Lexi and I move on.”
“Why? How? You don’t even have a car!”
“I know I’ve already imposed enough, but would you mind dropping us off at Billy’s? Harold said he’d rent me a car cheap if needed. If you don’t want to drive us, that’s fine. We can walk. It’s not that far.”
“Don’t go,” she pleaded. “Not yet. Not until you’re feeling better.” Her earlier pep talk vanished in a puff of smoke now that she was faced with the reality of Derek’s intent to leave. “Please?”
He hesitated, looking more worn out than ever before. “It’s really best if we go.”
It took all her willpower not to point out that leaving wasn’t best for Lexi. The girl was rocking back and forth, staring at the floor, obviously upset. She wanted to go over and cuddle the girl close.
Was Lexi the reason Derek was so set on leaving? Because she was bonding too much with his daughter? She couldn’t blame him for wanting to protect Lexi.
“If you really want to leave, it’s best to wait until the morning. That way you’ll have a whole day to travel, rather than just a few hours.” Did she sound as desperate as she felt? Somehow she couldn’t manage to drum up the energy to care. “And it’s one less night you’ll have to pay for a hotel room. Not to mention, I’ve already started dinner.”
Derek stood indecisively, a deep frown furrowed in his brow as he rubbed a hand over his ribs. She imagined the pain was much worse now, considering the amount of work he’d done on the ceiling of her townhouse.
“Lexi, do you like chicken?” she asked. “Chicken roasted on the grill is one of my favorites. Dinner should be ready in less than a half hour.”
“All right,” Derek muttered with a sigh. “We’ll stay one more night.”
She felt relieved even though she knew the morning would be here soon enough. “Great. Do you need help putting the suitcases away?”
“No, but thanks,” he said with a weary smile.
Since she still had the urge to comfort Lexi, she forced herself to turn around and leave. Derek had made his feelings known, leaving her little choice but to honor his wishes.
As she cleaned the vegetables from her garden, she couldn’t help trying to think of a way to make Derek change his mind about leaving in the morning.
___________
Derek rolled the suitcases back to the bedroom he shared with Lexi, wincing at how sore his muscles were. He hadn’t felt t
his bad since waking up in the emergency department of Hope County Hospital.
And he’d hurt Julie’s feelings too, but it couldn’t be helped. Staying one more night wasn’t smart, even if her logic made sense. Lexi’s constant rocking was what had convinced him in the end. He couldn’t bear to drag his daughter out of the townhouse kicking and screaming.
Hopefully Lexi would be better by tomorrow morning, or he might not have a choice. Right now, he imagined Julie’s cop brother was already running a check on him. Normally, he wouldn’t be worried—after all, he didn’t have a criminal record.
But Claire’s parents were rather irrational in their quest for custody. They truly believed he was incapable of raising his own daughter. They’d demanded he hand Lexi over, and when he’d refused, things had turned ugly.
Threats, outrageous accusations—he’d been shocked at how bitterly angry they’d been.
He sank down on the edge of his bed and debated taking a pain pill. Working on the ceiling after finishing the walls had obviously been incredibly stupid. A hint of a smile tugged at his mouth as he remembered Julie calling him a stubborn ox.
Yeah, okay, so maybe he was a stubborn ox. Right now he was a hurting stubborn ox. But the last thing he wanted was for Julie to know how horrible he felt. She’d feel obligated to take him back to the hospital when all he really needed was a little rest. Or maybe a lot of rest.
Surely he could hang on long enough to eat dinner?
Of course he could. Soldiers could do anything.
“Daddy?” Lexi’s fearful voice snapped him back into focus.
“Hey, baby-doll, what’s up? Are you finished with your drawing?”
Lexi stared at him as if to ask who he was kidding. She’d been rocking since he’d explained how they needed to leave. Granted, he knew she might be sad to go, but he’d seriously underestimated her reaction.
For a moment, he doubted his ability to be a good father to Lexi. Maybe Claire’s parents were right? Maybe she’d do better in the long run with more structure?
Maybe he was the idiot for thinking he knew what was best for Lexi?
“Hurts?” his daughter asked, coming close enough to put her tiny hand on his chest. He stared down at her for a long minute, choked up by her concern.
“Not too bad,” he murmured. He reached up and tucked a glossy strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you still mad at me?”
Lexi shrugged and shook her head. “I love you, Daddy.”
Her soft words arrowed straight into his heart. It was as if she knew exactly what he needed to hear.
“I love you too, baby-doll,” he managed, drawing her close and gently resting his cheek on her hair. And suddenly, he knew that it was more than just Lexi knowing what he needed to hear.
It was God guiding him on the path he was supposed to take.
Feeling stronger, he pressed a kiss on top of Lexi’s head and then struggled back to his feet, barely able to suppress a low groan. No doubt about it, he was going to be in a lot of pain tonight.
He forced himself to straighten his spine to walk down the hall into the gutted kitchen and living room. He held the patio door open for Lexi before following her outside to the patio.
Julie closed the hood of the grill and turned toward them. “I think I must have set the gas too high, because the chicken is just about done.”
“I’m ready to eat whenever you are,” he said as he lowered himself carefully into a chair. As much as he knew he should help Julie bring out the plates and silverware, he was afraid he’d only embarrass himself by falling flat on his face. “Lexi, would you please help Julie set the table?”
Lexi smiled and ran over to Julie. Soon they had the table set, complete with small salads.
Julie struggled a little with the roasted chicken, and he pushed himself up to help her. As they wrestled with the bird, Julie began to giggle. “This is why I don’t do this more often,” she said. “Too much work.”
He carried the plate of roasted chicken out to the patio table. They all took their seats, but this time he decided to lead the prayer.
“Dear Lord, thank You for this wonderful food we’re about to eat, and thank You for bringing Julie into our lives. Amen.”
There was a half-second pause before Julie echoed, “Amen.”
The food was delicious, but he must not have hidden the extent of his pain very well, because the moment they were finished, Julie jumped up. “Stay put, Derek. I’m going to get you some ibuprofen.”
“Thanks.” Maybe with the ibuprofen and the pain meds, he’d get some rest.
“Here you go,” Julie said, dropping four tablets into the palm of his hand. The brush of her fingertips was so gentle he had the insane urge to kiss her again.
Bad idea, buddy, he told himself sternly. Really bad idea.
Lexi didn’t have to be told to help Julie clear the table; she seemed actually eager for the task. Sitting and letting others do the work wasn’t easy, but he stayed where he was, closing his eyes and hoping the ibuprofen would start to work.
Soon.
“Derek, why don’t you go lie down?” Julie said. “You don’t look comfortable sitting upright with your head tilted over to the side.”
He grimaced and rubbed the crick in his neck. “It’s too early for Lexi to go to bed.”
“I know you don’t want her to get too close to me,” Julie said in a low voice, “but I thought we could light some sparklers tonight. I was saving them for the holiday, but if you’re leaving in the morning, there’s no point in waiting.” Her sad smile made him feel even worse. “Get some rest, Derek. I’ll bring Lexi in soon.”
“Okay.” He gritted his teeth and pushed himself upright. Julie slid her arm around his waist and helped keep him steady as he made his way inside.
“Take another pain pill,” she ordered.
He was too sore to argue. “Thanks again,” he murmured as he stretched out on the bed. Within minutes, he was sound asleep.
___________
Julie lit sparklers with Lexi, enjoying the way the little girl made sparkly circles by waving her arms. As they enjoyed the pre-holiday celebration, she tried not to dwell on the fact that Derek and Lexi were leaving in the morning.
Hearing Derek give the before-dinner prayer had been bittersweet. His gratitude had warmed her heart, even though she knew he was really just saying goodbye.
When Lexi began yawning, she put the sparklers away and gathered up the burnt sticks, making sure there weren’t any glowing embers left over that might start a fire. The year before, they’d had a terrible drought, and the sheriff had put a ban on all fireworks, including sparklers. But this year had seen more snow and rain, allowing the citizens of Crystal Lake to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with all the usual fun and flair.
“Time for bed, Lexi,” she said.
Surprisingly, the little girl didn’t put up much of a fuss. Julie slid open the patio door so Lexi could step in.
The interior was dark, since there weren’t any lights in the kitchen or living area. Julie felt along the wall to find the light switch.
“Brush your teeth and go to the bathroom, okay, Lexi?” she whispered.
“Okay.” Lexi disappeared into the bathroom.
Julie leaned against the wall but then straightened when she heard a low groan. Derek? She walked farther down the hall until she reached the bedroom.
The door was ajar, and when she peeked in, she saw Derek writhing on the bed in pain, his hand on his chest as he fought against what looked to be a terrible muscle spasm.
Chapter Nine
Julie couldn’t ignore his pain, so she pushed the door open and hurried into the room. “Easy now,” she murmured, placing her hands on his chest and pressing down on the muscles. “Let me try to help.”
Derek let out another low groan, and she knew that even though deep massage was the best way to ease the muscle spasm, it was also painful.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered even as she c
ontinued pressing on his chest. His muscles felt rock hard beneath the palms of her hands, and she felt awful knowing she was hurting him. “Can you turn onto your side?”
He turned over so that his back was facing her, and she continued to massage the tense muscles for him. Lexi came up to stand beside her, looking anxiously at her father. Julie tried to flash a reassuring smile. “Your daddy will be fine in a few minutes. How about if you crawl into bed, okay, sweetie?”
Lexi didn’t say much but did as Julie suggested. She knew Derek must be hurting very badly since he hadn’t tried to reassure his daughter the way he had in the emergency room.
She ignored the straining in her arms and shoulders as she continued her massage. The minutes slipped endlessly by until she felt the muscles in Derek’s body begin to loosen up. But still, she didn’t stop, for fear the muscles might tighten up again.
Another fifteen minutes later, Derek’s breathing evened out, telling her the worst was over. The muscles beneath her fingers were finally relaxed and supple. “You’re amazing,” he murmured.
A reluctant smile tugged at her mouth. “Hardly. I’m a nurse, remember?”
“And an excellent one, at that. Thanks, Julie,” Derek said in a low voice. He rolled onto his back, gently taking her hands in his, giving them a quick squeeze. “I’m feeling much better now.”
When he let go, she stepped back, gently flexing her own wrists and elbows. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” As if to prove his point, he rolled upright so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He gingerly ran his hand down his chest. “I was an idiot. You have every right to say ‘I told you so,’” he muttered.
She let out a heavy sigh. “There’s no point. You obviously figured that out the hard way.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Is Lexi okay?”
“Looks like she’s asleep,” she said, taking a step back so that he could see his daughter. “Do you want another pain pill before I go?”
“It’s too soon. Besides, I’ll be fine.”