Captive Hearts

by Gina Leuci

  I needed to stop my self-pity. I was twenty, not a child. It was time to put on my big girl panties and show the world I’m a fighter. I squeezed his hand. “Let’s do this.”

  Then we turned the corner and came face to face with Leland, A.J., Tim, and Phillip. My new-found determination came to a screeching halt.

  “Gentlemen.” Caleb nodded, continuing to move forward taking me along with him. The current Hate Grace Club spread out, blocking our path on the sidewalk. “Is there a problem?” he drawled.

  “Yeah, we’re walking here,” A.J. taunted. “Move to the other side of the street.”

  “Now is that any way to treat your brother?” Caleb drawled, and my skin pebbled at the underlying warning, which didn’t look as though it would be heeded.

  I looked at the row of Caleb’s younger half-siblings, plus Leland, and saw them move into a stance preparing to fight, yet the man beside me remained amazingly calm.

  “You owe Lee an apology,” Phillip insisted.

  Caleb’s lip twisted up. “Is that a fact? For what?”

  Leland lifted his casted arm. “You broke my arm.”

  “Yeah,” Phillip added, “And you stole his girl.”

  Before I could respond, Caleb spoke again. “I can’t steal something if it was never his in the first place. As for the arm—” Caleb stared the pretty boy down—“you got what you deserved.”

  Making a fist, A.J. took a step forward. The large, confident man holding my hand didn’t flinch as he continued speaking. “Did Lee tell you what he did to earn that arm?”

  A.J. thrust his chin up. “He said you interrupted him and Grace as they were making out because you were jealous.”

  I gasped, but a simple squeeze on my hand had me biting my tongue. “Really? As I remember it, he was mad at me and decided to take out his anger on Grace by kicking her in the ribs with his steel-toed boots. That’s why his arm is currently in a sling.”

  All three turned to look at my attacker’s beet red face for confirmation. Tim was the one to speak, “You actually did that? You kicked her in front of the ‘Straight and narrow, don’t disrespect a woman, police chief?’ Jeez. Even I know where to draw the line.”

  Leland began to sputter. “You’re missing the big picture. She was supposed to be mine this summer, and he stole her from me.”

  “Tell you what,” Caleb said. “I’ll let you figure out the true story while we head down to enjoy a little of the party.” He tugged and I followed as his brothers turned on their friend.

  I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “How could you be so calm? It was four against one, and they were ready to pummel you.”

  “I’m hurt you think they could succeed.” He pressed a hand to his heart and gave a bit of a pout. “Besides, it was hardly four to one. Leland is broken and too afraid of disfiguring his beautiful face. Tim is basically a good kid and tends to be a peace maker. Phil and A.J. both have a mean streak, but other than a few scuffles here and there, neither really knows how to fight.”

  “Oh, well,” I scoffed, “when you put it that way, I suppose there was nothing to be afraid of.” I shook my head. “Men.”

  The Square had been transformed overnight into a red, white, and blue spectacular. Banners hung from every storefront. Children waved flags. The school’s band players, who’d marched in a parade earlier, still sported their school colors while carrying around their musical instruments and occasionally starting up their own individual songs.

  Rows of tables were set up by the gazebo in the park area, where a pie-eating contest was currently going on, being judged by the council members. Caleb explained it was the last of the contests usually held as next everyone would be heading toward the school for the firework display.

  It didn’t take long, being amongst the throng of people, for the well-wishers to descend. He leaned down to whisper, “Smile, this is step one in our plan.”

  And God help me, that’s what I did until my cheeks froze in a Joker position. We’d had to have been downtown for at least twenty minutes when I spotted Jake. Hope clung to his arm as she spoke animatedly with her father, while her new husband’s pained expression begged to be saved.

  “Do you mind if I go say hi to Jake?”

  Caleb turned from his conversation with Mark, the teacher from the school. “Of course. See you soon.” He lifted my hand, still ensconced in his and kissed it.

  My eyes followed his lips as they brushed the back of my hand, the gesture completely unexpected. The tiny hairs on my arms lifted at the simple touch, and I swallowed hard.

  This is a farce, Grace. He’s playing to the crowd. Go with it.

  “Of course, dear. I won’t be long.”

  I zipped through the sea of people, needing to escape. Not Caleb, but the surging emotions running through me. He’d only kissed my hand, and for a moment I almost thought it was real. But it was how much I enjoyed his touch which caught me off guard. I thought back to our kiss Saturday night and bit my lip. I couldn’t deny my attraction to him even if I wanted to, so if one little brush of his lip against my skin had me losing my breath, what would happen if he kissed me in public?

  How far would our farce have to go to convince the town council we were complying with their marriage rules? I sprinted toward Jake and threw my arms around him, pulling him away from the woman clinging to him at the same time.

  “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” Hope wailed, but my friend wrapped his arms around me and talked over my head. “We’ll be back.”

  We made quick work of leaving his new wife in the dust and disappearing into the crowd. “Are you okay?” he demanded.

  I was now. This was Jake. My best friend. The one person I could truly trust in this socially-backward town. “I guess. And you?”

  His stare was intense as he looked me up and down. “I have been worried, and no one would let me see you.”

  Guilt hit. I should have talked with him when he came to the apartment. “Sorry, my fault. It all hit, and I went into a bit of a tailspin. I wouldn’t see anyone.”

  “I’m so sorry about everything,” he apologized. “You warned me not to sleep with her and now we’re… you and Caleb… Shit.”

  “It was all part of their plan, Jake, right down to being caught in a compromising situation. Another few minutes alone with Leland, and he would have made sure it looked like he and I were doing more than we actually were.”

  He held his hand to his head. “Oh, there were no doubts on my end. When Roger walked in, our pants were off, and I was riding his daughter like a bronco.”

  I didn’t need that visual. “She played you good.”

  “And that Dr. Todd? Now I know why he freaks you out,” he rambled. “Hope spent the entire meeting discussing her menstrual cycle and asking questions because she wants to be pregnant by Labor Day. Gonna be hard because I ain’t ever touching her again. How do you feel about another escape attempt?”

  “Caleb and I are working on a plan.” I explained about the updated security. “Because we are going to be under strict scrutiny for a while, we’ve decided to pretend to comply and make it look like we are going along with everything, until they lower our security restrictions.”

  He tugged at the tracking bracelet, but there was no way to pull it off. “To what end?”

  “Hopefully, the council will tire of getting alerts every time we leave the general vicinity of the downtown area. We plan to go to the lake and hike and be pretty much obnoxious in a subtle way, but not do anything to raise suspicion. Maybe by the time summer is over, Caleb will be able to get access to our security and disable them to get us out of here.”

  Jake shook his head. “Caleb said that? I thought he was part of the establishment?”

  We pushed through the busy street, talking low so not to be overheard. The sun cast a pink hue in the distant sky. “His eyes have been opened. Helping us is a huge risk. Roger threatened to banish him and keep him from his kids, but he still s
aid he’d find a way to get us out. Trust him, okay?”

  Jake shook his head. “I’m not sure I can, but I trust you. I, however, will not pretend anything but contempt for that vile woman and her family for tricking me,” he scoffed. “And I thought my ex-girlfriend, Layla, was a psycho bitch from hell. I haven’t told you half of what she did to trap me, but she’s got nothing on this one.”

  I spotted conniving witch Hope weaving through the crowd, her sights set on her new husband. “Speak of the devil.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “She reminds me of cotton candy. Pretty to look at, tastes good at first, but too much and you get sick.”

  I held back my laughter as Hope arrived to claim her man, wrapping her arms around his waist and effectively pushing me away. “Jake, honey, it’s almost time for the fireworks. Everyone is leaving now.”

  The petulant siren looked at me, anger evident in every breath. “Shouldn't your find your husband?”

  I tried my best not to cringe. I wasn’t mentally prepared to say I had a husband when I’m only twenty and a college student. Or was a college student. No. Still a college student. I would be returning in the fall.

  Jake gave a pained expression as he continued to look my way. “I’ll see you later?”

  I nodded as he was pulled away, leaving me alone. Oh, how I wanted to take this time to sink back into my hole. To sneak back to the apartment and steer clear of the residents of Wellington. Caleb came my way, and I waited, wringing my hands. I know I said I would play along, but having people actually comment on our marriage was more difficult than I imagined.

  The shuttle buses ran from the side streets to the school, but we followed those walking the few blocks. The heat of the day was dissipating as night began to fall, but it only made the temperature more bearable. I was glad I’d been in an air-conditioned apartment during the afternoon scorcher.

  The football and baseball fields, which adjoined, were filled with families settling down on blankets, while the bleachers filled to capacity. We maneuvered around all the children running back and forth, their laughter echoing in the air.

  Caleb leaned down and scooped his youngest daughter after she barreled into his legs. “Hiya, jellybean.” Shawna squealed as her father nuzzled her neck and hugged her close. “You taste like watermelon. All sticky and sweet. Where’s your Grammaw?”

  “Over there.” She pointed a fat finger, and I saw the red of the fruit juice staining her hand. He gave me a nod to follow as he found his mother.

  Rita jumped up from the grass. “Oh, darling, it’s good to see you. And Grace, too. Welcome.”

  “Hello.” Shy wasn’t the word for the way I felt now. Rita knew I’d hidden away, knew I didn’t want to be married to her son. This should be fun. But the older woman gave a warm smile and motioned for us to find a spot on the blanket she’d lain out.

  Caleb’s oldest started to take a seat on the ground but stopped when she spotted me. “What are you doing here?”

  I gulped. Not the best greeting.

  “Elena.” Her father’s tone lowered to a warning. “Where are your manners?”

  She gave a dark glare back at her parent. “You’re the one who married her. I don’t want another mother.”

  “We talked about this. You need to be polite.”

  I knew what the kid was feeling. I wasn’t exactly ready to jump into the role of mother, either. “It’s okay, Caleb. This is new for all of us.” I looked down at the young girl. “You had a mom, and you loved her a lot. I understand. I have a mom, too. She’s still alive, but I miss her. I am not looking to take your mother’s place, okay? I am Grace. Just Grace.”

  Caleb put a hand on his daughter’s head. “But Grace is an adult, and you will treat her with respect. Understood?”

  She lowered her eyes. “Yes, Daddy.”

  “Good girl. Now, where is your brother?

  She gave a casual, non-committal wave behind her, “He’s sitting with Morgan.”

  He motioned for his daughter to join us. Once everyone was settled, I looked beyond the crowds and across the distance of the field I spotted a sound system with huge speakers.

  Caleb shifted so he was positioned beside me, Elena on his other side, while Shawna crawled onto his lap. “I should warn you, this is not a normal fireworks display you are used to,” he explained.

  “Oh?”

  “Nope. The noise of the fireworks scares all the animals so, many years ago the town decided to do a laser light show to music. They still refer to it as fireworks, but, well, as you know, Wellington has their own way.’

  I grunted. When the music started, I leaned back on my arms, stretched my legs out, and looked up. I wasn’t disappointed.

  The music rocked, and the lights flashed in perfect harmony. Whoever put the show together knew their stuff. It was amazing, and while I almost missed the clap and boom of a real firework display, the light show was highly entertaining and I was grinning when it finished.

  “You liked it?” Caleb asked.

  “I did, actually. Thanks for bringing me.”

  He stood, taking my hand to pull me to my feet. “I have to bring the munchkins back to my mom’s. Are you up for a walk, or do you want to take the shuttle?”

  I looked up at the starry sky and the throngs of people loading on to the buses. “Walk, please.”

  He nodded. Within a moment he had Shawna in his arms and Elena walking beside him. When we located Justin, the young boy was yawning from ear to ear. “I want up, too, Daddy.”

  Caleb easily scooped the boy up in his other arm, and I watched in amazement as he carried the two young children without showing any sign of fatigue.

  Rita fell into step beside me. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

  I gave a non-committal ‘hmm,’ not sure what to say to her. My mind had a lot of questions about her life here and why she didn’t question her husband’s mandate of how her family didn’t want her, but I couldn’t. This was her life, and I didn’t have a right to interfere.

  Although I wish they understood those same boundaries, as Rita continued to speak. “My son is a good man. He’ll treat you well.”

  I wasn’t ready for this conversation. “I believe you. Although, this marriage was as much a surprise on him as it is me.”

  The woman reached over to pat my arm. “Of course. And when the town sees fit, they will locate a home for you, one big enough for the children. Does that scare you?”

  Just the thought had my stomach clenching in a knot. Too much, too soon, but I had a part to play. “More than you know. I didn’t come here this summer to get married or become a parent.”

  She gave my arm a quick squeeze before she finally let go. “That may be true, but you’ll adjust. I was younger than you when I got married and moved here. It took a little while, but I got to know everyone, and they pulled me into their family as one of their own. You’ll find it to be true for you, as well.

  My brain was screaming at the woman, wanting to tell her she was a blind fool. That she’d been tricked into marriage; tricked into staying. As much as I wanted to words to come out, I had an end-goal that I couldn’t compromise. Instead, I turned my fingers inward until my nails pressed painfully into my palms, and I remained silent.

  But when Caleb and I walked back into the apartment after stopping to grab our clothes from the laundry room, I stared at the tiny space. One bedroom.

  How long would he be content to sleep on the floor?

  Chapter Six

  I woke on Wednesday to the smell of bacon. Caleb had slept on the floor in the nursery again, and I’d taken the bed once more. This time, though, I wasn’t staying put. I padded out to the kitchen, watching as he used tongs to flip the frying meat. “Smells great.”

  He threw me a smile. He wore the same clothes as yesterday, and I realized he’d given me my privacy even with all his clothes in the bedroom.

  “Want me to make eggs?” I offered. It was the least I could do.

  For the
next several moments, we worked side by side, cooking, getting plates, silverware, and orange juice. We were easy companions this morning, and I started to relax a little.

  “Only thing missing is coffee,” I muttered.

  His deep chuckle echoed in the room, giving me warm fuzzies. “Still not adjusting? I’m going to teach you about our teas, then. Maybe you’ll find one or two you like.”

  I mentally shook my head, forcing the weird feelings inside away, instead focusing on keeping things light with our new found truce. Last thing I needed was to mix emotions with my ultimate end-goal. “You can try, but I’ve been drinking coffee since I was thirteen. I loves my dark roast.”

  He prepared a simple decaffeinated black tea—for a boost of energy, he said—and I took a sip.

  I made a face at the bitterness. “Needs sugar.” He turned to a cabinet and pulled down a bottle of honey, but I was quick to interject. “Sugar.”

  He conceded slightly, handing me a sugar bowl. “Okay, one teaspoon.”

  “Two,” I bargained. “Trust me, that’s not much.”

  He shook his head as I added the second teaspoon of the sweetener. “How much sugar do you put in your coffee?”

  I tried to hide my response as I spoke into the cup to drink. “Five.” When he groaned, I knew he’d heard my answer. I obviously wasn’t cut out for this town’s healthier living lifestyle.

  As we finished eating, Caleb sipped on his OJ. “So, what would you like to do today?”

  I didn’t hesitate. “I want Roger’s little tracker to ping him constantly. What can we do to annoy him the most?”

  His lip twisted up. “Ahh, yes. I do remember you doing that to me as well. Okay, my first thought is to go for a hike up on White Pine Ridge.”

  “Done.”

  By the way his blue eyes sparkled, I knew I was back to amusing him, but I was eager to get this farce under way and willing to do anything. Caleb seemed a bit more cautious. “It can be a grueling path, are you sure you can handle it?”