Finding a Hart

by Kay Gordon

  “You’re going to come stay at Nana and Papa’s house for a while. Why don’t we go pack some of your things?”

  Mom, Kate, and the kids headed down the hallway and I stood with my dad, Jared, Austin, and Rhea as we watched. Dad sighed and turned to look at the four of us, taking Lila from Rhea when he did.

  “They kept her overnight to watch for a concussion but she’s okay. Physically, anyway.” He kissed his granddaughter’s head. “We’re making her stay with us for a little while. Stephanie, can you get us some names of counselors she and the kids can see?”

  I nodded and took Chris from my brother when he started to fuss. “Of course. What else can I do?”

  “Just be there for your sister. She’s pressing charges against that prick and we’re going to get things together so she can file for divorce immediately. He better hope that I never see his cowardly ass ever again. I’ll kill him.”

  “I’ll help,” Austin agreed with a growl. “Has anyone told Briana?”

  Dad shook his head. “Kate doesn’t want us to because she’ll leave the wedding if she knows. We’ll talk to her when she comes home this week. Thank you all for being here when we needed you. You’re a good bunch of kids.”

  We stayed at the house for another couple of hours to help get what they would immediately need. I promised Kate I would come back to pack up more of their things and Rhea offered to help me.

  When I finally climbed into Jared’s car so we could go home later that afternoon, I felt completely drained. I had no idea what the future held for my sister but I knew that I would do anything I could to protect her and those kids from her monster of a husband.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jared

  Despite the charges against Eldon, his bail was set at a laughable rate and he didn’t spend more than two nights in jail. He was, however, given a restraining order and strict instructions to stay away from his wife. Due to the nature of the abuse and the fact that he had struck Kate in front of the kids, he was only allowed supervised visitation once a week for three hours, starting immediately after his release. The first week he showed and stayed for two hours but he didn’t even bother seeing his kids the week after that.

  It was for the best, anyway. Keon Swift, Stephanie’s co-worker, had been present during the visitations as well as a detective from the Family Investigation Bureau. Both had said that the interactions that first week were awkward. Stella was scared shitless of Eldon and Tanner refused to even look in his direction.

  Kate hadn’t gone back to the house since the morning she was discharged. She was staying with Elaine and Richard indefinitely and I couldn’t fault her. Stephanie and Rhea had packed up everything she and the kids needed and a lot of stuff they didn’t. Since Kate and the kids weren’t staying there, Eldon was and that meant getting things after the fact would be hard.

  Briana had been livid when she came back home from Maine. She was pissed at Eldon but at her family, too, for not telling her immediately. Marco told me that she ranted and fumed about it in between shedding tears for her older sister. Once she finally calmed down, she and Marco had offered to do whatever they could to help.

  The Gibson family rallied around their second-born and supported her in so many ways. No one ever faulted her or asked her why she stayed. They just accepted that she had been hurt in the most heinous ways and showered her with love and encouragement.

  Despite it all, I could tell Stephanie was visibly shaken. I mean, she knew Eldon was an asshole but the thought that her sister was being physically abused without her knowing left her with a lot of guilt. Whether it was the caregiving big sister in her that felt guilty or the social worker who had seen her share of abuse, Steph was constantly having an internal debate with herself. She never vocalized those thoughts to me, probably because she knew I would tell her that every one of them was unfounded, but I could tell she was thinking them.

  Three weeks after everything had happened, I came out of Chris’s room after putting him to bed to find Stephanie standing at the glass doors to the balcony, just staring out into the illuminated city. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants and one of my old t-shirts and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked so unlike my strong, take-no-prisoners girlfriend.

  No. She looked vulnerable and scared.

  I slowly walked up and wrapped my arms around her from behind. Her body instantly relaxed and she leaned into me, uncrossing her arms so she could cover where my hands were resting on her stomach. She released an audible sigh and dropped her head back to my shoulder.

  “What’s going through that brilliant brain of yours, Vanilla Latte?” I asked, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. She didn’t respond for a moment and when she did, her voice was quiet.

  “I was trying to think back to when we first met Eldon. Were the signs there? Did we all just miss them? Or did he start off a nice guy that changed into the type of man that hits his wife? Like, could the most amazing man in the world somehow morph into an abuser? Where does the line get drawn?”

  I stiffened slightly at her words. She must have felt the change because Stephanie was suddenly turned around in my arms with both of her hands touching my face and her blue eyes full of apology.

  “The words left my mouth without thinking. I’m sorry.” She shook her head and drew my face down slightly until our foreheads were pressed together. “I just suddenly had this doubt in my mind that I’m missing monsters in front of my face. What if Marco turns out to be the kind of guy who lashes out at Bri? Or even Austin at Rhea? How would it start? Would I miss that, too?” She sucked in a long, shaky breath before continuing. “Make no mistake, Jared Hart- I never even once contemplated the same about you.”

  “Good.” I tightened my hold around her middle and pulled her flush against me. “I would never raise a hand to you, Steph. I would do anything to protect you. To protect Christopher. You two mean everything to me.”

  She opened her mouth to speak but I pressed my lips to hers briefly before she could. When we pulled apart, I kept going. “As far as monsters go, I think you know deep down that Austin and Marco aren’t like that. I’m willing to bet Eldon wore a good mask but not that good. You told me that you’ve never liked him, not really, and you’re a great judge of character, baby. I think you just like to believe that even the worst people have some good in them, even Eldon Sinclair. No one wants to think that a man physically hurts his wife.”

  “I guess but… That’s my baby sister, Jared.” Stephanie’s voice broke as she said the words and my chest ached with the need to take away her pain. “The same quiet little girl that I protected on the playground. The one whose bed and closet I checked for monsters just to ease her fears. He was hurting her and I didn’t protect her.”

  “You can’t dish out the what-ifs. Even if you had known, you’ve been around enough abuse victims to know that you wouldn’t have been able to help her until she was ready to accept it. Kate’s accepting your help and protection now, Stephanie, and I know you’ll be there for her every step of the way.”

  “I will.” She shifted until her cheek was against my chest. Several long minutes passed before she spoke again. “I love you, Jare.”

  I slipped one hand under the hem of her shirt so it was up against the smooth skin of her back. Such a simple act and simple touch made me feel more connected to her. “I love you, too. What would you say to some Netflix in bed?”

  “Are we going to Netflix and chill?” she asked with a shameless smirk on her face and I chuckled softly, happy to see her smiling.

  “I honestly just meant watching some Grey’s but I will never turn down the opportunity to chill with you, Vanilla Latte.”

  An hour later, Stephanie was still naked and laying in my arms. Her eyelids were heavy but her face was much more relaxed than it had been before. I knew that her worries and fears were far from gone but I was happy to give her a moment of peace w
hen I could.

  I ran my fingers through her hair and her eyes shut completely. I watched her breathing level out and knew she was asleep. I had no idea how else to help but I knew I would do whatever it took.

  –––

  “What would you say to inviting your family over here for the fourth of July?” I asked Stephanie the next day when we were sitting at the table. She was spooning some baby cereal into Chris’s mouth but paused so she could look at me.

  “Over here?”

  I nodded and gestured to the balcony. “We’ll have a good view of so many of the shows that take place around the city.”

  When she made a face, I knew exactly what she was thinking. It was that thought that kept my sliding doors locked at all times. Stephanie was scared shitless when it came to Chris and that balcony. She made me promise that I would never take him out there and that I would keep the sliding door double locked with the safety bar on the track so there was no chance it could be opened.

  “We can go down to the fifth floor terrace instead of staying up here. The walls are four feet tall and made of that acrylic fake glass so no one can climb them. We can even set up a different barrier for the kids so they can’t get close. We can watch fireworks, barbeque, and swim, sweetheart.”

  “And you promise that no one will go over the balcony?” She wiped the baby’s face with a cloth and I chuckled while nodding my head.

  “Promise.”

  We finished breakfast and I had just pulled the tray to the high chair away when Chris wiggled and held his arms up in my direction. I looked at him for a moment, trying to decide if he knew what he was doing, and he finally dropped his arms. When Stephanie walked back in the dining room, he immediately extended his arms in her direction and I laughed. He was doing it on purpose.

  “Look what he’s doing.”

  Steph turned her eyes on him and a smile immediately stretched along her lips. “He’s reaching out to be picked up.”

  She did just that and swung him around, both of them giggling happily. Every time Chris hit a new milestone, no one was more excited than Stephanie Gibson. When he started sitting up on his own the week before, you might have thought he just won the Nobel Peace Prize. That woman loved my son with every fiber of her being.

  We ended up doing Independence Day at the condo and it was perfect. Even from the fifth floor, we were able to see four different firework shows in the valley. Everyone ate, swam, played games, and just talked. It was a distraction Kate’s older two needed and a fun way for everyone else to relax.

  Stephanie watched Tanner closely that day, though. Even though he was having fun, the little boy was never too far from his mother. He stuck to her like glue and I couldn’t tell if it was because he was scared to be away from her or if he felt the need to protect her. It was endearing and depressing to watch, though.

  Alyssa had joined us, too, along with Dave and his kids, and it had been an experience I had never had in my life. Stephanie had given me so much, including the invitation to be a part of her big, rambunctious family, and I was so thankful to her for that.

  Everything was about as close to perfection as it could be. Famous last words, right?

  Chapter Thirty

  Stephanie

  “No, don’t get up,” Jared groaned a few days after the fourth of July, grabbing my wrist when I sat up and pulling me down so I was splayed across his bare chest. I laughed softly and pressed my lips to the underside of his jaw.

  “Chris is going to be awake any minute anyway and we have to get ready for work.”

  His hands ran down my naked back until they were resting at the top of my butt. “Screw work. This is more important.”

  “We just did this ten minutes ago,” I teased, lifting my chin off of where it was sitting on his sternum so I could touch my lips to his. One of Jared’s hands went to the back of my head, holding me there so he could deepen the kiss. I moved, throwing one of my legs over his naked waist, just as a whimper sounded over the baby monitor.

  Jared and I stared at each other, each of us holding our breath as we waited. After about ten seconds, Chris started babbling sleepily and we both knew it was too late.

  “It’s like he knows.” Jared sighed, quickly rolling our bodies so I was beneath him. He kissed along my jaw, chin, and lips before sitting up. “Get up, lazy. We need to get ready for work.”

  He laughed and successfully dodged my hand when I tried to swat him halfheartedly but I couldn’t help smiling as he disappeared into the bathroom. I stood from the bed and pulled my robe on before heading out to Chris’s room. I touched the lamp, giving the room a dim glow, and laughed softly when I looked into the crib.

  Chris was sitting up with one of his giraffe loveys in his mouth. He chewed on it happily, only pulling it out so he could release a string of adorable gibberish. When he looked up and saw me, he dropped the lovey and immediately started wiggling while giving me the biggest smile.

  “Good morning, Christopher.” I reached into the crib and lifted him into my arms. He put a small hand on my face and let out a happy squeal. I rained kisses along his cheeks, causing him to laugh, and a warm hand pressed against my back.

  “I was going to get him. Go shower.” Jared stole the baby out of my arms and held him above his head, earning another giggle. I watched the two of them for a moment, still unable to believe how much my life had changed.

  An hour later, after a shower and some mushy banana clean up, the three of us headed downstairs. Jared started the car to get the air conditioner running while I ducked in the backseat to buckle Chris in. He kicked his legs happily and I kissed his forehead before pulling back to look at him.

  His blonde hair, like his daddy’s, was completely crazy on top of his head. His blue eyes were still dark and he had a dimple in both chubby cheeks. He kicked his equally chubby legs and I leaned in to press a kiss to his dinosaur-covered chest.

  “I love you, Christopher. Be a good boy today, okay?”

  He just offered me a happy smile and I handed him his lovey with a laugh. Once I was out of the car, Jared wrapped his arms around me and gave me a long kiss.

  “I love you, Steph.”

  I smiled and kissed him one more time before he let me go. “I love you, too, City Roast. See you tonight.”

  Everything at work was about as normal as it could be. I didn’t have anything scheduled outside of the office so I ended up being a slave to my computer all morning. I was pretty sure that the screen was ruining my eyes and the keyboard was giving me carpal tunnel. The job was going to make me a health insurance company’s nightmare and a doctor’s dream.

  “Want to go get lunch?”

  I looked up to my doorway shortly after eleven and grinned at Keon. “Oh, most definitely. I need a break. Are you buying?”

  “You make the big bucks, Gibson,” he replied with a chuckle. “But I can probably swing the dollar menu for you.”

  “Man, I feel special.” I glanced at the clock on my computer screen. “Give me thirty minutes?”

  Keon agreed and disappeared back down the hall as I went back to what I had been doing. I needed to finish the agenda for the next day’s meeting so I didn’t have to take anything home with me. I really just wanted to have a mellow evening with my boys.

  When someone else knocked on my doorway, I wanted to release an exasperated sigh but surprise coursed through me instead when I looked up.

  “Kev. Val. What are you two doing here?” I started to smile until I took in their expressions and any possible joy fled my body. They were both in their usual suits but they had grim looks on their faces. Robin was behind them, an equally unpleasant look on her face, too.

  “Steph.” Valerie grabbed one of the chairs that was in front of my desk and dragged it around until she could sit next to me.

  I shook my head frantically, running through a mental list of the kids on my caseload before settling on my sister and her kids. “What? Who?�
��

  Valerie reached out and took my hand. “About an hour ago, Christopher Hart was taken from the Vandine childcare center by someone who matches Angela Roberts’ description.”

  I stared at her, absorbing her words, and bile rose in my throat. That didn’t make sense. I felt my head shaking quickly, almost like a bobble head, and it was a minute before I spoke.

  “No. They wouldn’t let her take him.”

  “She lied her way in, Stephanie,” Kevin said from where he was still standing. “She came in under the guise that she was touring the facility. She created some diversion in his classroom and slipped out with Chris as soon as she could. We’ve issued an Amber Alert and we have hundreds of people looking for her.”

  “No. What? I… I need to go.” I stood from my desk and grabbed my bag before searching for the heels I had kicked off some time ago. I needed to find Chris. I needed to find Jared. “I need to… Where’s Jared? How’s Jared?”

  Valerie was still clutching my hand in her own. “Jared’s at the station. He wanted to call you immediately but we didn’t want you to find out that way. He’s…” She paused for a second. “You two need each other. We’ll take you to him.”

  I let them do just that. I felt like a robot as they led me out of my office building, into their car, and drove across the city to the station. The two of them led me inside the stone building and I heard my name called as soon as we entered the area where Kevin and Valerie’s desks were.

  I turned my head and saw Jared rushing towards me, his face frantic, and I stumbled in his direction as emotion took over my body.

  “Jared.” When I said his name, it came out as a sob and our arms wrapped around each other the moment they could. He held me to him tight and I could feel his body trembling. Or maybe that was mine. I couldn’t tell.