“Oh, honey. I struggled to make sense of it too. I didn’t think you kids knew what was going on. He never hit me when you were in the room and for that I’ll always be grateful. But in hindsight, I should have left earlier, I see that now.”
“You did what you thought was best at the time. I understand that, Mom. You did what you thought was best. I’m not a child. People talk about these things nowadays. We hear it, you know?”
April reached out and hooked a strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “You’re wise beyond your ears, Tilly, but I still wish you hadn’t been exposed to that.”
“It happened, but it’s over now. I’m glad we moved here and I’m trying to put it behind me because I know he can’t hurt us anymore. You should do the same, Mom. Live your life how you want to. Don’t let anyone hold you back.”
“I thought you were twelve, Tilly. When did you get to be so wise?”
Tilly reached over and hugged April. “Kids these days are exposed to the real world so much more than they used to be with technology and we have classes at school that teach us about what life is really like. Domestic violence, bullying, and what we can do about it. Nothing like being prepared for the future.”
“You’re growing up way too fast.”
Leo skipped up the path, no sign of his earlier bad mood showing.
“Leo, you need to learn to talk about things, not rush off in a temper.” It was hard to be mad at him after what she’d overheard.
He dropped his head for a second and then looked her in the eye, and grinned that impish look that melted her heart. “I had to talk to Drew. He’s a guy, Mom. He gets me.”
April shared a look with Tilly.
“Drew said to take us to school before you go to work ‘cause we missed the bus. It’s okay, he doesn’t mind. He won’t get angry with you, he told me so.” He ran past her into the house and came out with his backpack in his hand. “Hurry up or we won’t have time to play before the bell rings.”
***
Drew heard April come in the back door and waited until she was in her room before approaching her. He’d thought long and hard about what his father said and as much as he didn’t want to agree, he was right. Again.
He knocked on her door and walked in.
“I’m sorry I was late.”
“No, not a problem. That’s not why I’m here. We need to talk, April.”
She turned from him and her shoulders tensed. “I don’t think we have anything to say after last night.”
“I disagree, but that’s only my opinion. I hear that you’re always right because you’re a mom so I’ll be prepared to stand corrected if you can prove to me that I’m in the wrong.”
She made a strangled noise that could have been a suppressed giggle.
“I don’t know how much you heard this morning of my talk with Leo.”
April turned to him, and leaned back against the corner of her desk. “About that—”
Drew held up his hand. “Let me speak.” He sorted out the words in his mind. “Last night should never have happened. It was ill timed and sounded all wrong and I don’t blame you for being upset over it. I told you I wasn’t a retiring virgin. I had affairs but none of them were serious, at least not on my part, and I never went into a relationship without that being known up front.”
“I don’t care, Drew. You had a right to a life. That’s not the problem here.”
“I haven’t finished. I never ever promised more than I was prepared to give. At no point did I ever string anyone along. It was always a no strings attached kind of affair and that was the case with Trina. If she wants more, I can’t be held responsible for that. She’d been drinking last night and got carried away. I couldn’t let her drive home in that state and I’m sorry I had to leave you like that in the middle of dinner. Just for the record, I hadn’t seen her in weeks before you came home.”
“The point of this is not the girls you’ve dated, Drew. I should never have gone against my better instincts and agreed to try to rekindle our relationship. As you saw for yourself today, the children have issues that need to be dealt with first. They’re my priority, not my own happiness.” A swathe of pink tinged her cheeks as she spoke.
“So you admit I make you happy?” It felt ridiculous to be so buoyed up by her words when she was trying her best to tell him it was over.
“Please. Don’t twist my words. You were always good at that.” She huffed out a sigh, but he could see the sparkle in her eyes. It gave him hope. “Drew, I want to work here. I like the job, but I have things to deal with first.” April stared at him with a frown marring her forehead. “I had time to think it over last night. I was upset when I didn’t have the right to be, I get that now. I don’t have any reason to feel as though I own you. But it wouldn’t be fair to either of us to try and start something when it could all go wrong. I need the space to find out who I am and what I want before I start dating again.”
“We’re getting somewhere, finally!” He grinned, a ridiculous warmth settling in his stomach. She wasn’t as immune to him as she tried to make out. “April, about what Leo said. I didn’t know Rob hit you. Why didn’t you tell me?”
A haunted look flashed across her eyes and April turned from him, her shoulders hunching over as she tried to shield herself. Drew reached out and rested his hand on her back. “I’m not judging. I want to help you.”
She turned around, giving him a wan smile. “I made a mistake and paid for it.”
Anger throbbed in his gut. “How is it your fault?”
April stepped away, putting distance between them. He remained where he was, giving her the space to gather herself.
“I didn’t know the children knew what was going on. If I had, I may have left earlier.” She bit her lip.
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“I don’t know. It’s not the kind of thing you want to make public. I’m ashamed of what happened, Drew. Oh, I know what they say. I should have left, and I agree. I should have. At the time it wasn’t that easy. At least I got out in the end and the children are safe here.”
“Look, the children will be fine and I’m not pointing fingers, believe me. I was shocked and I guess it explains a couple of things.”
“Like what?”
“Like how you seem reluctant to get involved. How you seem wary a lot of the time, that guarded look that comes into your eyes now and then, the way you flinch when someone goes to touch you. The children have you backing them up and that’s great. How about I speak to someone in a casual capacity and see what they say? It wouldn’t hurt to have a professional on side in case they need to offload. Not that I mind listening like I did this morning, although you might prefer for someone else to be available for them.”
She tilted her head to one side and regarded him. “There’s someone on the island?”
“Yes. Bradley Honor is a friend of Dad’s. He’s semi-retired now, and sees patients that have been referred. Especially people that are local.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that. Not that I don’t want them talking to you. You did a great job with Leo this morning. It was very sweet, Drew. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, and I’m happy to listen to them anytime. Now about us.”
April shook her head, a smile breaking out on her lips. “You don’t give up, do you? I’m not the person you need, Drew, I have too much baggage and now you know why. Seriously, I should have stuck to my guns when you suggested we hook up again. Please drop the subject and move on. We don’t have a future.”
“I disagree. But as I said, I’m a patient man. I can wait until you’re ready.” He walked over and planted a quick kiss on her lips before she could react and stepped away. “I have patients to see to. Talk to you later.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It was silly but she found herself giggling with happiness when Drew left to return to his patients. She still loved him, hopelessly in fact, but with her history, April wasn’t convinced t
hey had a chance. What man in his right mind would want to take on a battered woman with a ready-made family? She had been prepared to tell him they had no future and to give up trying to win her over. The way he brushed off her excuses had her wondering if she’d made a big fuss over nothing. Sure, Trina could have been a little bit over the top and there was nothing between her and Drew if he was to be believed.
Drew had never been one to lie before, why would he start now? Her biggest problem was her past with Rob. She worried about how it would all look when it came out and she hadn’t told him everything. Had she built it up to something out of proportion that really wasn’t going to be a big deal? She needed to talk it out. Hopefully Aggie would be willing to listen to her muddle on about it. They needed to plan a girl’s night where they could have a heart to heart.
She sent her a text message and then looked at her list for the day. Fairly light. A few dressing changes, measles vaccinations, and a hearing test plus a pregnancy check-up. Good day to do a stock on inventory and place an order. The stock room looked like it hadn’t been topped up for some time and they were running low on some supplies. A spring came back in her step and for the first time in ages, she felt happy, content with the way her life was rolling along. The best move she’d made was coming back to the island with the children. Not that she’d expected Drew to be here waiting for her, but the hope was always in the back of her mind.
They could breathe here, not worry about what was around the corner, or who might be after them for money. Rob’s debts had almost crippled her and his life insurance hadn’t been enough to set them up regardless of what his parents had said. Everything she had was because she worked and saved hard.
The vitriol they had thrown her way still stung. She’d been so embarrassed that Atticus had heard it all, but at the same time, thankful he was there for her. She would have to do something, but still held out hope they would come to their senses and realize their son had problems that went way beyond normal marriage difficulties. The war had left him scarred to an extent that her and the children had paid for it.
By lunch time, April had cleared most of her work away and was twiddling her thumbs. The door opened and Drew walked in, a steely glint in his eyes. Her stomach immediately dropped and she gripped the edge of her desk, ready to back away.
“Don’t look at me like that, April. Relax.”
She hadn’t realized how tense she’d gone when he walked in. “Sorry. The look in your eyes scared me.” A few deep breaths counting to ten and she was fine.
He pulled up a chair and sat down, a letter in his hand. “I thought you needed to see this.”
April reached for it, dread filling her stomach when she saw it was from her ex-in-laws. She began to read. The nasty words and lies about her conduct shouldn’t have shocked her. She knew what they were like and had faced the same accusations in court when they tried to prove she was an unfit mother. Before she got to the bottom of the page, tears filled her eyes. Drew stood up, but she stopped him. “Don’t, please.”
“April, I want to say…
“It’s okay. You don’t need to say anything. I get it. My welcome here has run out. Sooner than I thought, but I won’t make a fuss, I promise.” She dropped the letter on the desk as if it was hot. April closed her eyes willing the tears to stop, but she had no control. All of the pain and frustration her in-laws had caused her came rushing out. Unable to help herself, she dropped her head in her hands and bawled her eyes out.
***
Drew watched her face crumble, the tears overflow down her cheeks, and felt as though his world had turned ugly. How anyone could do this to April was beyond his comprehension. He knew her better than most. She was and always had been an honest person more than willing to help anyone who needed her. It was what made her such a good nurse, and he was proud to have her working in his practice.
How was it possible that her in-laws had such a low opinion of her? She said there were things he wouldn’t like in her past, but surely what they were saying couldn’t be true. He refused to believe it.
Despite her words, he couldn’t let her sit and cry like this. He moved around to her and pulled her up against his chest, his arms holding her tight when she tried to protest. “Shh, let it out. I’ve got you, April. They can’t hurt you if you don’t let them.”
He held her until the sobs faded, ignoring the phone ringing on her desk and the tentative knock on the door. Liam could take care of any issues that arose while he looked after April and tried to sort out the disaster the letter had dumped in their laps.
April pushed him away, moving out of his arms. She reached for another tissue and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I never meant to put you in the middle of this…this awful mess.”
“You haven’t. They have and it has to stop.”
“I’ll leave. It’s the only way to keep you out of this. They won’t stop until they ruin me or take my children. I refuse to let them win.” She opened her drawer and took out her purse and car keys. It looked as though she had every intention of leaving. He wasn’t going to let that happen.
“You’re not going anywhere. We’ll figure this out together.” He took her hand and eased her back into her chair, then knelt down beside her. “You have to take action against them, April. Dad told you that already and I have to agree. They won’t stop and it’s not fair to ruin you like this. If you leave now, they’ll win. You can’t let that happen. I won’t let you.”
“Don’t you believe them?” Her red-rimmed eyes held wonder.
“No! As if you’d steal from your employer, or anyone for that matter. You’re one of the most honest people I know. Besides, I can read you like a book. You’ve never been able to keep a secret. Your face always gives you away.”
“But drugs did go missing from my employer. That’s a fact, Drew.”
He shook his head. “Yes it is, but it’s also fact you didn’t do it. Listen to me, when Liam checked your referee—your old boss—he told him what happened, wanting to reassure us in case it came to light. How the police got involved and how you were cleared without blame. They know Rob stole your keys because he was caught on the security vision and if that’s good enough for them, it’s more than good enough for us. You’re not that type of person, April. I know you too well.”
She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes again. “How can you be so sure? I’ve changed a lot since we were kids, Drew.”
“You haven’t changed that much, honey. You’re still the same girl I fell in love with.” He pulled her toward his chest and held her close.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
He loved her. She glanced up into his face. The proof in his eyes burned raw and intense. So much so it made her heart leap. At his suggestion they try and rekindle their relationship, she’d balked, not ready to take the chance on something that might never come to fruition. Despite that, here he was, finally telling her what she desperately needed to know. This time she believed him. Drew still loved her. Forget the Trina’s of the world she’d worried herself sick over, he only had eyes for her.
Drew stroked his hand over her head. “Hey, how about I take you out for lunch, get us out in the fresh air? I think you need the break.”
She gazed at him. “Would you mind very much if I ducked home instead? I really want to have some time to think this over, what my next move will be, and I can’t do that with you in my space.”
“I knew I affected you, woman.” He hugged her. “Go, take your time. We can deal with anything here for the next hour or so.”
She collected her purse and keys before heading for home. Determined to stick to her plan, she walked into her bedroom and took the box from the closet. April sat on the edge of her bed and took the lid off the shoe box. Dog eared photographs stared back at her, some ripped, a couple with burned edges. She picked up one of herself from a larger photo that had been torn in half. It was the only photo she had left from her wedding day. The only photo that showed the love struck girl she w
as before reality set in.
Rob had destroyed every single photo from that day, firstly by ripping them up and when she tried to save them, he’d set fire to the pile he managed to keep out of her reach. She’d been gutted, but over time, she’d come to expect his vindictive actions. It would seem his parents had the same nasty streak in them as well.
This couldn’t go on. Drew was right. She had a life to build on the island for herself and her children. They deserved some happiness after all they’d gone through and she was determined to see they got it. As much as she hated the idea of going back to court, April had no choice if she was going to move forward.
She put the lid back on the box and picked up her phone. “Hi, Atticus. I wonder if you could give me the phone number of a good lawyer, preferably someone local?”
An hour later, she sat in front of lawyer, David Kroger. “Thank you for seeing me at such short notice.”
He gazed at her with a smile and leaned back in his chair, his calm professional attitude easing her nerves. “Atticus said you needed my help. He told me what happened with your in-laws. How about you tell me what you’d like to do about it.”
She gave him a quick rundown of what they’d been through the last year. “I think it’s time to take out restraining orders against them. I don’t think I can cope with them showing up and upsetting the children again. We came here for a peaceful life and so far it’s not going so great.”
David smoothed his fingers over his neat grey beard. The manicured facial hair and dark suit made him seem as though he should be practicing in Washington amongst the rich and famous. Even his office looked as though it was decorated by a prominent stylist with an eye for clean cut, sophisticated décor she was used to seeing on the mainland. It reassured her that he was a professional. “I can do that.” He made notes on his legal pad. “About your ex-husband, do you still have contact with him?”
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