by Laura Scott
And then he saw her, sitting on the grassy bank of the lakeshore, hugging her knees to her chest. She must have gone out the front door and slipped down to the lake without his noticing.
He needed to talk to her even though it was too early to send Lexi to bed. Thankfully, his daughter happened to be preoccupied with a video game. “Stay here, okay, Lexi?”
She gave him a tiny nod.
Derek took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he walked down to talk to Julie.
___________
Julie heard Derek’s footsteps swishing against the grass and mentally braced herself as he dropped down beside her.
“I’m sorry,” he said in his deep, soft voice.
She didn’t turn to look at him. “Your personal life is none of my business,” she said in a frosty tone.
There was a brief pause, but she kept her gaze focused on the setting sun. She wasn’t in the mood to talk, and hopefully, Derek would get the message and leave her alone.
“You already know Lexi’s mother died about four months ago,” he said. “I was still in Afghanistan, trying to fight through the red tape to return stateside when Claire told me she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They gave her six months, but she didn’t last that long. I missed her death by a full month, and by the time I returned, Claire’s parents had taken over Lexi’s care.”
She couldn’t pretend indifference to his story. “I’m sorry. That must have been awful for you.”
He nodded and shrugged. “Even though I’d been gone for almost seven months, Lexi remembered me and latched onto me like I was her rock amidst the storm. Turns out that Claire’s parents had very distinct ideas about childrearing, and in fact, they’d enrolled Lexi in a super-strict private school that she absolutely hated.”
Her heart squeezed for the little girl. “At least there’s no school in the summer,” she murmured.
Derek let out a harsh laugh. “There was for Lexi. It was clear Claire’s parents didn’t want her underfoot all day, but when I took Lexi out of the program, they went nuts. Claimed I had no idea how to raise my own daughter. They were...so angry.”
She glanced over, feeling sympathy for Derek and the awful situation he’d found himself in. “I’m sure they were just grieving their daughter,” she said.
“Maybe,” he allowed. “But you have to understand, they never liked me. Obviously because I was irresponsible enough to get their daughter pregnant but mostly because I was nothing more than a soldier in the Army. When I discovered Claire was pregnant, I begged her to marry me, but she refused. I’m sure the last thing her parents wanted was me as a son-in-law. I spent as much time with Lexi as I could and sent most of my paycheck to Claire to help pay for expenses. Right before I was deployed to Afghanistan, I thought Claire was softening toward me. That she might even give a more permanent relationship a try.”
“What happened?”
“Four months into my deployment, she told me she had pancreatic cancer.” Derek’s expression was so bleak she longed to comfort him. “I couldn’t believe it at first, because she seemed so healthy before I left.”
She was all too familiar with the way cancer sneaked up and stole a life when you least expected it. “Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose, and once you have symptoms, it’s almost always too late.”
Derek let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. Anyway, Claire begged me to look after Lexi when she was gone. She arranged for me to have custody and told me that Lexi needed her father more than ever now. I gave her my promise that I would.”
“Oh, Derek,” she murmured. “Of course you and Lexi belong together. I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me this sooner?”
“You didn’t let me finish,” he said dryly. “I think Claire’s parents expected me to drop Lexi into their laps and return to Afghanistan. When I told them I had custody of her, they were furious. Claire’s parents are rich and prominent members of society. They’re best friends with several judges. When they told me they would fight for custody and win, I believed them. So I cashed in what was left of my savings and took off with Lexi.”
“Ohhh,” she said as the picture became crystal clear. “So you’re running away from Claire’s parents.”
“I’m protecting Lexi from Claire’s parents,” he corrected sharply. “They have this, I don’t know, strange idea of what Lexi should be and are determined to mold her into their image of a perfect granddaughter. They buy her all kinds of frilly things and girl toys that Lexi could care less about. They just don’t understand Lexi is perfect the way she is.”
His defensiveness regarding Lexi made her want to smile. “Of course Lexi is perfect the way she is, but Derek, don’t you think Claire’s parents have a right to be a part of Lexi’s life?”
“Not if they threaten to take her away from me,” he muttered harshly.
She sighed and shook her head. “Derek, do you really think a judge, even one who might know Claire’s parents, would take custody away from a child’s biological father?”
“Yes, I do. Especially since the only job offer I had was from Claire’s father, which, of course, magically disappeared when I took Lexi out of that ridiculous school.” Anger shimmered in Derek’s tone. “You can bet they’d take custody away from me in a heartbeat. Which is why I’m asking you to keep this quiet for now. I have to believe that Claire’s parents didn’t call the police on me yet, since Deputy Armbruster didn’t seem at all suspicious. But I also think it’s just a matter of time. And if I can get this job, then I’ll be one step closer to keeping Lexi.”
She had to admit his logic made sense. How could she deny him the opportunity to keep his daughter? Especially since she really didn’t want him to leave.
For selfish reasons, not necessarily noble ones.
“I won’t say anything,” she promised.
Derek nodded and rose to his feet, still favoring his right side as he placed a hand over the right side of his chest. “Thank you.”
She watched him walk back to Lexi, hoping and praying that Derek wasn’t still in love with Claire. Because she was already starting to care about him.
Far too much.
___________
After a restless night, Julie dragged herself out of bed to get ready for her twelve-hour shift in the ER. A quick shower made her feel a little better, although she desperately needed coffee to kick-start her brain.
When she trudged into the kitchen, she was brought up short by the sight of Derek and Lexi sitting at her kitchen table eating bowls of cold cereal.
She blinked owlishly at them. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” Derek’s voice was tentative, as if unsure if she was still upset with him or not. “I made coffee. Hope you don’t mind.”
She forced a smile. “I could use about a gallon,” she said, making her way over to the steaming pot. “Thanks.”
Several sips later, the rush of caffeine cleared her mind. When she turned back toward the table, she realized there was a bowl and spoon already set out for her.
“Um, is the offer of driving you to work still an option?” Derek asked hesitantly. “I thought it would be nice to take Lexi to the parade, but we can always walk if you’d prefer.”
“No need to walk, you can use the car today,” she assured him. It wasn’t necessary for him to keep tiptoeing around her, but she wasn’t sure how to get their former camaraderie back. “We’ll have to leave in about fifteen minutes, though.”
“No problem. Finish your breakfast and leave the dishes. I’ll take care of them.”
She nodded, feeling a little bit like she was taking advantage of him, but there wasn’t time to do anything about it now. As soon as she finished her breakfast, she stood and grabbed her stethoscope. “I’m ready.”
Lexi must have been tired because she didn’t say much as Derek drove the ten miles to Hope County Hospital. When Derek finally pulled up to the front doors of the ER, she glanced over. “I shou
ld be finished by seven-thirty, but I’ll call if I’m running late.”
“Sounds good. See you then.”
She climbed out of the car and waved goodbye. As she walked inside, she told herself there was no reason to worry about Derek and Lexi leaving town. Not today and certainly not on the Fourth of July holiday. After all, Derek was planning on taking Lexi to the parade.
So why did she have this nagging sense of impending doom?
She shrugged off the feeling and did her best to concentrate on the patients that were located on her team for the day. The hospital census was high, which unfortunately meant long wait times for patients who needed to be admitted. One thing she liked about working in the ER was that there was always a wide variety of patients—from minor injuries from burns, heatstroke, and alcohol intoxication to more serious injuries from a four-car motor vehicle crash on the interstate.
Her brother called several more times without leaving a message, so she called him back on her lunch break. He didn’t answer, so she left him a message, explaining she was at work and she’d try to call him when she was finished. Guiltily, she remembered she hadn’t called him last night, either.
She hoped Zack was doing all right and found herself worrying about her brother as her afternoon wore on. Zack had been in a rough place for a long time, but no matter how much she begged him, he’d refused to return to Crystal Lake.
Or to church.
Despite the high level of activity, her shift dragged on for what seemed like forever. There was a brief lull around dinnertime, which gave her hope that she’d actually get out on time.
She called Derek’s mobile phone, relieved when he answered on the first ring. “Hi, how was the parade?”
“Great.” His voice sounded strained. “What time do you want me to pick you up?”
“I should get out of here on time, so seven-thirty is fine. Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. I cooked the pork chops you had in the freezer for dinner. Hope that’s okay.”
“Sure, that’s fine.” All her instincts were on alert. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad had rattled Derek. Since she didn’t really have time to talk, she didn’t push the issue. “See you soon.”
“Sounds good.” Derek hung up before she could say anything more.
She punched out at seven-thirty, and as she walked outside to meet Derek, her brother called again. “Where have you been?” Zack demanded. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the past two days.”
“I was working. Why? What’s going on?”
“We need to talk. Is that Ryerson guy still staying with you?”
“Yes, Zack, I already told you he was planning to stay through the holiday. Why?”
“I was running a search on him and discovered St. Louis has a court order out against him. He’s bad news, Jules. You need to kick him out right away.”
Derek drove up in her car, his expression looking grim. And she knew that her brother had interfered in Derek’s personal business. “Where are you, Zack? Did you drive up here to talk to Derek?”
“Maybe I did drive up to serve the court order. So what? Just because he plans to slap up some drywall doesn’t mean he can use you as a shield against a custody suit. He has seventy-two hours to bring his daughter back to St. Louis or they’ll put out a warrant for his arrest.”
“Look, I’ll talk to Derek, okay? I have to go. I’ll call you back in a little while.” Her mind was racing as she disconnected from the call.
Derek’s car accident was on Friday evening, and it must have been sometime after the weekend that Lexi’s grandparents had gone to court to file the order demanding Derek bring Lexi back to St. Louis.
Yesterday was Monday, and frankly, she was surprised the court order had gone in so quickly. And equally shocked that the Hope County Sheriff’s Department hadn’t known about it yesterday when Derek had applied for the dispatch job.
Although maybe they wouldn’t know until the seventy-two-hour timeframe had passed and the arrest warrant was issued. Her brother’s butting into her business gave them the advance notice they needed.
She walked over to the car. “There’s something you need to know,” he said.
“I already heard from Zack,” she interrupted. “I’m sorry he stuck his nose into your business, but don’t you see? This is actually good news.”
Derek’s scowl deepened. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, just listen to me for a minute,” she said. “At least you were given the court order right away, so there’s plenty of time for us to take action.”
“Take action?” he glanced over at her as he navigated the traffic around town. “Look, Julie, I appreciate everything you did for me and Lexi, but we need to hit the road. The sooner the better.”
Hit the road? Was he crazy? “Derek, there’s no point in running again. Don’t you see? It’s just a matter of time before the police find you. And by then, your reputation will be shot, which will only give Lexi’s grandparents the upper hand.”
“What choice do I have?” he asked.
She gave him an exasperated look. “You can go back to St. Louis and face Claire’s parents. You can convince them to drop this ridiculous notion of fighting for custody.”
Chapter Twelve
“Going back to St. Louis is not an option,” Derek said harshly. He gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles went white, and he had to bite back a flash of anger. Julie had no idea what she was talking about. Why had he thought she would take his side? Hadn’t he known all along that her Christian conscience would force her into turning him over to the authorities?
If he was hurt by her unwillingness to go along with his plan, he had no one to blame but himself.
“Why is running away a better option?” she demanded.
“Keeping Lexi safe is the only option.” He wasn’t going to waste time arguing. Besides, he’d already heard all this and more from her brother, Zack, when he’d slapped the court order into his hand. He’d immediately jumped into action. His and Lexi’s suitcases were packed and ready to go. He’d have already left town except for the fact that he hadn’t been able to get in touch with Henry to snag one of his cheap rental cars. For some reason, he hadn’t expected the old guy to close up on the holiday.
“Derek,” she started, but he cut her off with a stern look.
“Not now.” They’d already said far too much in front of Lexi. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he wasn’t surprised to see Lexi rocking back and forth in her booster seat, a sure sign of distress. “How are you doing back there, baby-doll? Are you okay?” he asked in a cheerful tone.
Lexi didn’t answer, and he battled another wave of helpless frustration. Why couldn’t Claire’s parents leave him alone? Lexi had been doing so well over the past few days. She’d even brought up her mother to Julie. He didn’t like the thought of Lexi regressing back to her protective wall of silence, which he knew would happen once they left town.
He glanced over at Julie, who was staring straight ahead, her lips pressed together in a firm line. She wouldn’t talk any more in front of Lexi, but he knew she didn’t consider their discussion finished.
But it didn’t matter what arguments she was likely formulating in her mind. She didn’t know Claire’s parents. Didn’t have any idea what he was up against. What chance did an unemployed soldier have against a wealthy couple?
None whatsoever.
When he pulled into Julie’s driveway, he was relieved to see that Zack’s squad car was gone. Not that it really mattered, since the damage was done.
“Derek, be reasonable,” Julie pleaded in a low tone after Lexi ran inside.
He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Me? You want me to be reasonable? Didn’t you hear a word I told you last night about Claire’s parents? They have judges on their side. What do I have? Nothing. Claire wasn’t even my wife.” He could barely hold back his frustration. The situation couldn’t get much worse.
He didn’t even have enough money for a decent lawyer.
“We have God on our side, Derek,” Julie said softly.
“We? You’re not involved in this mess; it’s just me and Lexi. I don’t need your help or God’s help, either. Excuse me,” he muttered as he brushed past her to head inside.
He didn’t see Lexi inside and knew she was probably hiding in the bedroom. For a moment, he stood there and stared at the packed suitcases he’d left standing in the center of the room. He really needed Henry to call him back because he wasn’t going to get very far without a ride. And considering their recent argument, he didn’t think Julie would be willing to drive him to the bus station in Madison.
He let out a heavy sigh as he scrubbed his hands over his face. Just a few hours ago, he’d been so full of hope that things were finally going in the right direction. He’d finished tearing down the drywall off the ceiling, leaving the bare studs ready to be covered with new Sheetrock. He felt a stab of remorse that he wouldn’t be able to finish the job.
Small payment for everything Julie had done for him. He suspected she’d keep on giving if he let her, but enough was enough. He and Lexi would figure something out. They’d be fine.
But he couldn’t deny he’d miss Crystal Lake once he was gone. And Julie.
Especially Julie.
___________
“Lexi?” Derek called as he walked down the hall toward the bedroom. He looked in the bathroom and both bedrooms, but Lexi was nowhere to be found.
Panic tightened his chest. Where was she? With Julie? Derek strode outside and rapped lightly on the wood frame of Julie’s patio door. “Julie? Is Lexi with you?”
Julie came over to meet him, a tiny frown furrowed in her brow. “No, Lexi isn’t with me. I thought she was with you. She went into your side of the townhouse, didn’t she?”
“Yes, but I can’t find her. She might be hiding. Can we look around your place?”
“Of course.” She opened the screen door and let him in.