To Wed and Protect

by Carla Cassidy

  “My wife. He shot my wife.” Luke had never felt such bleak despair as when those words left his lips.

  “Is she going to be all right?” Broder placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder as if to steady him.

  “I…I don’t know. We’re waiting to hear from the doctor.”

  “I need to get a report from you,” Broder said, but at that moment Dr. Johnny Howerton entered the waiting room and strode toward Luke.

  “We’ll have to do this later,” Luke said, his heart banging in his chest as he anticipated what the doctor might say. “How is she?”

  “She’s weak and she was in shock, but she’s stabilized. The shot was clean and took a dozen stitches, but she’s conscious and she wants to see you.”

  “I’ll stay here with the children,” Sheriff Broder said.

  Luke walked to Jessica and Jason. “This is the sheriff. He’s going to wait here with you while I go in and see Mom for a minute.”

  “But I want to see her,” Jason said, his little face streaked with dirt and tear tracks.

  “I know, buddy. But for now she is in a place where only grown-ups can go in. I’ll tell her you and Jessica love her and to get well real soon, okay?”

  “Is she going to be all right?” Luke asked a moment later as he followed Dr. Howerton down the hallway.

  “She was incredibly lucky. An inch one way or the other and that bullet would have done tremendous damage. As it is, she’s going to have a sore shoulder for a while. I’d like to keep her a day or two for observation.” He stopped outside the door to a semi-darkened room. “Just a few minutes, okay?”

  Luke nodded and entered the room. Her eyes were closed and her face was as pale as the sheet that covered her. He wanted to see her eyes sparkling with life. He wanted to hear her laughter ringing in the air.

  Luke sat in the chair next to the bed and gently took her hand in his.

  “Abby? It’s me, honey. It’s Luke.”

  Her eyes fluttered open, and to his immense relief her fingers tightened slightly around his. “Luke. I have to…I need to…”

  “Sh,” he whispered softly. “You’re going to be all right. You’ve lost a lot of blood, but you’re going to be fine.”

  “I have to go home,” she said, a grimace twisting her features as she tried to sit up.

  “You aren’t going anywhere,” Luke protested and gently pushed her against the pillows. “The doctor wants to keep you overnight.”

  “Overnight?” Her face was even paler than before, and a frown etched its way across her forehead.

  “What?” he asked,

  “The custody hearing…it’s first thing in the morning. You have to go. You have to be there for me. Dress the kids nice…make sure their hair is combed…”

  “I will. I promise,” he said. He squeezed her hand once again. “You just rest and don’t worry about a thing. Everything is going to be just fine.”

  “Justin? It was Justin, wasn’t it?”

  Luke nodded. “He’s in jail now, and there’s no way in hell he’s going to get custody of those kids tomorrow. The son of a bitch took a gamble and he lost, Abby.”

  She closed her eyes, the grimace of pain momentarily easing. When she opened her eyes and looked at him again, her gorgeous green eyes were awash with tears.

  “It’s going to be all right, Abby,” Luke said, his chest tight with emotion. He leaned forward and stroked a strand of her hair. “You want me to sit here with you for a while?”

  “No, I want you to take the children home, feed them supper and tuck them into bed. I know they must be terrified and I want things as normal as possible for them. Please, Luke…promise me you’ll take them home right now.”

  “I promise,” he said, unable to deny her anything at the moment.

  She closed her eyes, and her fingers went lax around his. He waited a moment or two, to see if she would speak or open her eyes again. She didn’t, and finally he stood, leaned over and kissed her cheek, then left the room.

  After telling Dr. Howerton to call him if any problems arose, he left the hospital and took his kids home.

  They ate hot dogs and beans for supper, and while they ate, Luke explained to Jason and Jessica that Abby was fine, but the doctor wanted to keep her for a couple of days.

  When they’d finished eating, Luke told the kids to get ready for bed and he would tuck them in. He let Peaches out to run, then let the dog back in and went into Jason’s room.

  “You all tucked in, buddy?” he asked as he sat on the side of the bed.

  Jason nodded. “Can we go see Mom tomorrow?”

  “You know we’ve got to go see the judge tomorrow morning, but after we’re finished there, we’ll go see your mom.” Luke ruffled the little boy’s hair, kissed him on the forehead, then moved to Jessica’s room.

  Jessica’s big brown eyes pierced Luke’s heart. He saw in their depths fear, and although he repeated that her mommy was going to be fine and would be home in a couple of days and that in the meantime he’d keep her and her brother safe, he wasn’t sure the little girl believed him.

  After tucking in the kids, Luke went into the living room, where Peaches curled up next to him on the sofa.

  Over and over again he replayed that moment when Abby had slumped from her horse to the ground, her T-shirt seeping blood. And over and over again he was filled with a sense of horror.

  He never again wanted to see her so lifeless, so still. Never again did he want to see pain etching lines into her forehead, stealing away the sparkle of her eyes.

  And never had he wanted a drink more than he did at this moment. He knew Abby had a bottle of wine in one of the cabinets in the kitchen. Although wine certainly wasn’t his drink of choice, he knew a couple of glasses would take the edge off, relieve some of the tension that racked his body, erase some of the fear he felt each time he thought of Abby lying so pale, so lifeless.

  He got up from the sofa and went into the kitchen, Peaches at his heels. He sat at the table and stared at the cabinet where he knew the wine was stored.

  The kids were taken care of and sound asleep in their beds. Abby wasn’t home. Nobody would know if he fell off the wagon.

  Just one drink. It would make him feel better, dull all the emotions that thundered inside him. A vision of his father filled his head, a mental picture of the old man pacing the floor, bourbon splashing from the glass in one hand, a belt ready to strike in the other.

  The beatings had always been worse when the old man had been drinking. Luke leaned back in the chair and dragged his hands down the sides of his face. Just one little drink. Nobody would know.

  Except him. Until he took that drink, he was in charge of his life, his destiny. As Abby had told him, until he took that drink, he was a success.

  Abby. He remembered her unshakable belief in him when he’d stumbled home one morning, reeking of alcohol Justin must have poured over him after he’d passed out in the alley. She hadn’t questioned his story, had believed in him like no other person ever had in his life.

  Suddenly the thirst he’d entertained was gone, vanished beneath the need to be the best he could be, not only for Abby, not only for the children, but also for himself.

  “Come on, Peaches, it’s time to go to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.” He put Peaches in her bed, then, instead of stretching out on the sofa, went into Abby’s bedroom. He wanted to sleep in Abby’s bed with her sweet scent surrounding him.

  As he walked into her bedroom, he spied the guitar he’d strung leaning against the wall next to her bed. He pulled down the sunflower bedspread, pulled off his T-shirt, then got in beneath the sheet.

  He kept his jeans on, fearing that Jason might very well have one of his nightmares tonight. As he’d expected, the sheets smelled of Abby, and the room seemed filled with her spirit.

  Closing his eyes, he tried to find sleep, knowing he’d need to be alert and clearheaded in the morning to face the family court judge. But sleep remained elusive. He was still too k
eyed up, too wired by the evening’s events.

  Abby white-faced, falling to the ground. Abby worried about her children despite her wounds. Abby…Abby…Abby.

  He turned on the bedside lamp and grabbed the guitar. Strumming the strings in soft tones, he felt himself start to relax. He’d nearly finished the first tune when Jason appeared in his doorway.

  “What’s up, buddy?” he asked softly.

  Jason shrugged his little shoulders. “I can’t sleep.” He rubbed his eyes. “Could I sleep in here with you, Luke?”

  Luke patted the mattress next to him, and Jason eagerly jumped into the bed. Within minutes Jessica had joined them, cuddling up on the opposite side of Luke.

  “Sing us a lullaby,” Jason said. “Our mommy in Heaven used to sing us lullabies…before our daddy hurt her.”

  Luke’s heart skipped a beat. Abby had told him the kids had never talked about that night, the night they had seen their father kill their mother.

  “You saw your daddy hurt your mommy?” he asked lightly, still strumming the strings of the guitar.

  “Mommy and Daddy were fighting, and she told us to go to our room, but we didn’t,” Jason said.

  “Mommy was crying and Daddy hit her until she wasn’t crying anymore,” Jessica said.

  “Remember that your mom and I talked about going to talk to the judge tomorrow?” Luke asked. He continued to strum the guitar in soft, soothing tones. They both nodded. “You think you could tell the judge what you saw your daddy do to your first mommy that night?”

  They both frowned, obviously disturbed by the idea.

  “It would really help your mommy now if you could do that,” Luke continued. “And the judge would make sure you never, ever had to see your daddy again.”

  “And we could live together here forever?” Jason asked.

  “You and Jessica and your mommy and Peaches could live together forever, and you’d never have to be afraid again,” Luke said.

  Jason frowned for another long moment, then he shook his head. “Then I’ll tell the judge tomorrow.”

  “Me, too,” Jessica said softly.

  “Now will you sing us a lullaby?” Jason asked.

  As Luke began to sing, Jessica and Jason snuggled against his sides. The scent of childhood clung to them, and he was awed by the fact that they had trusted him enough to tell him about the night of their mother’s death.

  Somewhere in the back of his mind, Luke wondered if Nashville could possibly be better than this.

  Chapter 15

  Abby awoke that morning knowing nothing on earth was going to keep her away from that custody hearing. In spite of the doctor’s protests, despite an overwhelming lethargy and muscle aches that ripped through her, she left the hospital wearing a hospital gown tucked into her jeans and took a taxi to the courthouse where the hearing was going to take place.

  She was early so she sat on a bench outside the courthouse, waiting for her family to arrive. Her family. Please God, let them continue to be her family.

  She remembered Luke telling her that Justin was in jail for shooting her, but she was afraid he might somehow wiggle out of that, that even if they settled the custody issue today it would only be a temporary settlement and eventually she’d have to face Justin again…and again and again.

  The sun was warm on her face, and the heat penetrated the gown where her shoulder was bandaged. It felt good, like the warmth of Luke’s hands when they made love…like the warmth of his smile when he gazed at her.

  Luke. Her time with him had been magical, and she wished the magic could go on forever. But he had big dreams, big hopes for finding magic in Nashville, and his future didn’t include her.

  After the hearing, it was time for her to set him free. He’d never intended the marriage to be permanent, and she’d promised him no strings, no regrets.

  She would never let him know how much she would miss him, how much it would ache inside her when they said goodbye. She would never let him know how much she loved him…that she had a feeling she would always love him.

  “Mommy!”

  The cry called her from a half-sleep, and she opened her eyes to see Jessica and Jason racing toward her, Luke, handsome as a devil in a suit, following just behind them.

  “Easy,” she said to the kids as they raced into her arms. She hugged and kissed them, then stood and faced Luke.

  “What on earth are people going to say? My wife sleeping on a bench in a hospital gown?” His eyes were teasing as he drew her against him. She welcomed his support, leaning against him for strength.

  “I’ve never cared much what people say,” she replied.

  “I can’t believe you’re here. Did the doctor say it was okay?” he asked worriedly.

  She smiled sheepishly. “Let’s just say he was not particularly enthusiastic about letting me go. But I couldn’t miss this. I had to be here.”

  At that moment Johnna arrived, gray eyes twinkling as she eyed the group. “This is going to be a cakewalk,” she said merrily. “I can’t believe that man was so stupid as to get himself arrested the night before this hearing.”

  “I just wish it was on a charge that would put him away forever,” Abby said softly.

  Luke held her closer, and Abby fought a sudden burn of tears. She’d once believed she couldn’t live without her children, and now she had to figure out how she was going to live without the man she loved.

  “Come on, let’s go get this done,” Johnna said. “I have a feeling the judge won’t look kindly on a man who would discharge a firearm in the direction of his children. I believe what he did to you is considered attempted murder, and there’s no way he isn’t going to face that charge.”

  Abby nodded, somehow not assured by Johnna’s words. He’d gotten away with murder before…why not attempted murder?

  Together the five of them entered the courthouse.

  Abby wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but the hearing was surprisingly short and rather informal. The judge, an elderly man with a snowy head of hair and piercing blue eyes, indicated that he had a favorable home study report from Sonya Watkins.

  Shock riveted through Abby when Sheriff Broder arrived with Justin in tow. The children became obviously upset, and the judge took them back with him to his chambers.

  As they waited for the judge to return, Luke’s hand grabbed hers, and in a whispered tone he told her what had happened with the children the night before, how they had indicated that they would tell the judge what had happened the night their mother was killed.

  Abby said nothing, but her heart filled with an amazing joy and an intense pain. Luke had proven to Jessica and Jason that he was a good man, and they had trusted him with their secrets.

  They would miss him when he was gone, this man who had sung them lullabies. And her heart would break when it came time for her to say goodbye to him.

  She glanced at Justin, who cast her a cocky smile. The man had tried to kill her. Without a doubt she knew that had been his intention. He’d wanted her out of the children’s lives, permanently out of the way. And she saw in his eyes a promise…the promise that this wasn’t over.

  A wave of hopelessness shot through her. How much time would he get for shooting her? Enough time so that when he got out of jail the children would be grown? Somehow she didn’t think so. She had long ago lost faith in the judicial system and knew it was possible Justin would get off with a slap on the wrist and probation.

  Luke wrapped his fingers around hers, as if sensing her anguished thoughts. Again she wondered what she was going to do without him. Since their marriage, for all intents and purposes they had interacted like a real family. And more than anything, Abby wished they could continue to be a family forever.

  As the minutes clicked by, Abby wondered what was going on between the judge and the children. What if despite what they’d told Luke the night before, they simply couldn’t bring themselves to talk to the judge?

  Finally the judge returned to the be
nch, his features sternly forbidding. “I have just spoken to the children at length. I find them to be bright and articulate, and you are to be commended, Mr. and Mrs. Delaney, for their adjustment to life after their mother’s death.”

  “Your Honor, I appreciate everything that Abby has done for my children in my absence from their lives, but I am their father and I have a right to have my children back with me,” Justin said.

  “Mr. Cahill, even if I were to discount the circumstances involving the shooting last night, even if I were to believe your story that the shooting was accidental and you had no intention of harming anyone, I cannot discount what the children told me concerning the night of your wife’s murder.”

  Justin looked stricken, and Abby knew he had been confident the children would remain too traumatized to ever discuss that night with anyone.

  “I have been in touch with the district attorney in Kansas City, Missouri,” the judge continued. “And in light of this new information, they inform me that they intend to go to trial once again and charge you with first-degree murder. Therefore, in the best interest of the children, I terminate your parental rights and grant permanent custody to Luke and Abby Delaney.” The judge banged his gavel. “Court dismissed.”

  Justin erupted with shouted curses and threats. Luke grabbed Abby and hugged her, and Johnna did the same. Abby clung to them both, unable to believe that it was over.

  Broder led a still screaming Justin from the courtroom, and the judge released the children from his chambers. Again there were hugs all around as Abby told them they were going to live with her forever.

  “I’d love to continue a long celebration,” Luke said. “But we need to get this woman back to the hospital.”

  “No…please. I just want to go home,” Abby said.

  “I’ll call the doctor from there and get all his instructions. Please, Luke. Let’s all go home.”

  Now that the drama of the moment was over, Abby was beyond weary, and her shoulder ached with an unrelenting, throbbing pain.