The Lullaby Sky

by Carolyn Brown

  “Is she going to live?” Hannah asked.

  “Rosie said that she looked like warmed-over hell on Sunday morning. He’d used the buckle end of his belt and steel-toed boots. If she dies, he does. Plain and simple. I don’t mind spending the rest of my days in prison,” Aunt Birdie said.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  It looks worse than it is,” Liz said through a lip with three stitches. “They won’t let me go home, Hannah. It’s going to be all over school and the county.”

  “It needs to be.” Darcy had a firm hold on Liz’s left hand. “And you will press charges. Rosie heard him say that he’d kill you before he let you leave him.”

  Hannah reached through the bedrails and held Liz’s right hand. Not crying was even tougher than that day in the courtroom. If she broke down, Liz would be compelled to comfort her, and this wasn’t about Hannah. She’d had her day of friends gathering around for support. Now it was Liz’s turn. Still, seeing Liz with taped ribs, butterfly strips on her forehead and cheek, and a busted lip brought tears to her soul.

  Liz squeezed Hannah’s hand. “It’s all right, Hannah. I was never unconscious. I faked it so he’d stop and so he wouldn’t overpower Miss Rosie and kill her.”

  “Why didn’t you fight him harder?” Aunt Birdie asked.

  “He said Hannah getting a divorce caused this and he was going to take care of her and Sophie next. I still had my phone in my hip pocket, so I dialed nine-one-one. I couldn’t let him hurt that precious baby girl,” Liz answered.

  “Miss Rosie called them,” Hannah said.

  “She was only there five minutes before they arrived.” Liz tried to smile and flinched. “Don’t tell her.”

  “Enough talk. You sleep and we’ll be right here when you wake up,” Aunt Birdie said.

  Liz nodded once and shut her eyes, but she did not let go of either Darcy’s or Hannah’s hand.

  Travis awoke to the aroma of coffee and bacon. He couldn’t sleep the night before, so he’d written two chapters on his work in progress. He was ahead of schedule despite the construction job, and that made his agent and publishers very happy. He liked writing, all of it, from the beginning sentence in a novel to the last page. What he didn’t like was not being able to talk about it with Hannah. But it was best this way. Only his agent, his editor, and his publisher knew his real identity. Hannah would look at him with disgust if she knew the whole reason he was independent and could work at whatever he wanted was because he wrote romantic suspense novels.

  He hurriedly shaved and dressed in a pair of better jeans and what he deemed a decent T-shirt and made his way to the kitchen. Cal looked up from the waffle maker and nodded toward the coffeepot.

  “How are we going to play this one?” he asked.

  “You mean as in temporarily or permanently?” Travis poured a cup of coffee and took a stack of plates down from the cabinet.

  “For today, right now. We’ll worry about the other if they let him out of jail.”

  “I thought maybe you and I would go to the hospital for an hour or so.” Cal removed a waffle from the iron and laid it onto a plate. Miss Rosie added half a dozen strips of crisp bacon to the side.

  She pointed toward the waffle maker. “You can make yours now, Travis. I’ll keep frying bacon.”

  Travis poured half a cup of batter into the iron. “The folks here will be fine for a couple of hours with Miss Rosie. Then I’ll bring Aunt Birdie home with me and you can stay with Hannah through today. Darcy had to go in to work this morning, but she’s making arrangements to leave as soon as she can and stay the night.”

  “I figured you’d want to stay with Hannah yourself,” Cal said.

  “I do, more than anything in the world, but Hannah will want me to be here as much as possible. Maybe Liz will only have to be there for a day or two.”

  “And Hannah,” Miss Rosie said, “is Liz’s strength right now. She’ll want her by her side until she comes home.”

  Jodie yawned as she made her way across the kitchen toward the coffeepot. “Good mornin’. I’m sorry I wasn’t up to help, but I haven’t slept like that in years. Bella only woke up one time all through the night, and she’s still asleep. It’s amazing.”

  Miss Rosie smiled at her. “A place without fear does that to a person. You can have the waffle machine after Travis gets done.” She went on to tell her where Hannah was that morning and the plans for the day.

  “No.” Jodie shook her head. “You stay with Hannah, Travis, and you, too, Cal, if you want to. I’m very comfortable with Miss Rosie and Aunt Birdie. For that matter, I could take care of myself in this wonderful house. But I think that Sophie will be happier if someone she knows well is here. I’d feel better if y’all don’t treat me like company. Please let me help out so I’ll feel like I’m earning my keep around here. I may have a busted leg, but I can still work.”

  “Are you sure?” Cal asked.

  “Very. I haven’t felt like this since I left the hills of Kentucky. I had a gut feeling that I was making a mistake when we crossed the border into Tennessee, but I wanted my baby to have a father. I’ve found out since there’s worse things for a child.”

  Travis removed his waffle, and Jodie started another one.

  “I’m so, so sorry about your friend—Liz, right? It must be big comfort to have all of you to help her through this mess. I hope her husband dies in prison.”

  Miss Rosie chuckled. “I like you, girl.”

  “The way I see it is like this,” Jodie said. “The Good Book says, ‘Do not kill,’ but that was a commandment for a man’s family, for his brethren that he was traveling across the desert to the promised land with. It was not given for his enemies, and anyone trying to kick a woman to death is an enemy.”

  “Amen,” Travis said.

  Darcy sneaked back into the room in the middle of the morning. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “Of course I am.” Liz opened her eyes. “I just have to heal and then this will never happen again.”

  Darcy clenched her hands into fists. “I should have gone with you to tell him that you’d left him. We never should have let you go alone.”

  “Shhh,” Liz said. “It’s over. I’m glad you are here, but I’m so sleepy. It must be the medicine they keep putting in that IV.”

  Darcy gently patted her shoulder. “You need to rest so you will heal.”

  Liz shut her eyes again and began to snore softly. Darcy pulled up a chair and sat down beside her, taking Liz’s left hand in hers.

  “Thank you,” Hannah said very softly. “I need to go to the bathroom, and every time I let go of her hand she gets agitated.” Hannah eased her hand out away from Liz’s and tiptoed out of the room.

  All the stalls in the bathroom were empty, so she chose the one closest to the door and sat there with her head in her hands long after she’d finished using the toilet. Tears bathed her face as she prayed desperately for Liz to be all right, to move on past this horrible experience.

  Finally, she pulled up her underpants and jeans and left the stall to wash her hands. Holding them under the warm water, she noticed that they were still shaking. She was one of the lucky ones. She’d only gone to the emergency room one time with cracked ribs. That time she’d lied and told people that she’d fallen down the stairs. After that, Marty was careful with his abuse, leaving bruises only where most folks couldn’t see them. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and immediately reached for paper towels. She couldn’t go back into the room with tearstained cheeks and swollen eyes. Liz didn’t need that on her plate in addition to all the emotional baggage she would be carrying around for months, maybe years.

  She finally got control of herself enough to push open the bathroom door and head back down the hallway to Liz’s room. She’d only taken two steps when the sound of the elevator doors opening caused her to look over her shoulder. There was still a fear in her heart that Wyatt would make bail and come back to finish what he’d started.

  Bu
t two policemen, along with Cal and Travis, stepped out. Travis caught her eye immediately and waved. She stopped walking, and they quickly caught up to her.

  “We thought we’d let Aunt Birdie go home and stay awhile with y’all,” Cal said.

  Travis nodded toward the police. “This is Officer Dale and Officer Brody. They are here to talk to Liz.”

  Hannah nodded. “Aunt Birdie does look tired. It’s been a long night.”

  The four men crowded into the small hospital room. Liz opened her eyes and sighed. “He made bail, didn’t he?”

  One officer nodded his head. “We booked him on domestic abuse, and his girlfriend showed up and bailed him out.”

  The tears dried up, and Liz’s jaw worked like she was chewing bubblegum for a few seconds before she spoke. “I feel sorry for his girlfriend. I want a restraining order, and I have faith that karma will come around and bite him on the butt. Maybe this girlfriend has more fire than I did and she’ll shoot him the first time he whips off his belt.”

  “That’s not good enough. Rosie was there and gave you her statement. He would have killed Liz if she hadn’t held that man off with a gun.” Aunt Birdie’s voice had gone high and squeaky, which meant she was about to blow.

  “He says that Liz brought that gun to the house and threatened him with it. He threw her off the porch and the gun went flying out into the yard. Then the elderly lady picked it up and held it on him until we got there. I don’t believe a word of it, but that’s his statement. Have you filed on him before for abuse?”

  Liz shook her head.

  “I don’t give a damn. I want him tried for attempted murder,” Aunt Birdie said. “Not pay a fine for domestic violence and do a few hours of community work.”

  “Let it be,” Liz said. “He can sweet-talk the pantyhose off a nun, Aunt Birdie. If he’s got a girlfriend, he’ll stay away from Crossing. I’m good with him being out of my life forever.”

  “But I’m not,” Aunt Birdie huffed. “He should be dead or in prison.”

  “Ma’am,” Officer Brody said, “if it helps any, the woman who bailed him out of jail didn’t look to me like she’d take sass off nobody. He might end up dead if he does this kind of thing to her.”

  “And if you want to go through with it, you’ve got a good chance of putting him away with the pictures the doctors took and that lady’s testimony about the gun. She seemed like a credible witness to me,” Officer Dale said.

  “I’ll think about it. Right now I just want to sleep.” Liz flinched when she yawned.

  “You let us know. If you want to proceed with it, we’ll bring the papers when you go home, along with the restraining order,” Officer Dale said.

  Liz nodded and drifted back to sleep as the officers exited the room.

  “Give me your keys, Hannah,” Aunt Birdie said when the officers left. “I’ll drive myself back to Crossing. Y’all have got two vehicles here, so you’ll be fine. And two people at a time are enough in this room. Travis, you take Hannah to get some food in the cafeteria and let her rest an hour or so out in one of the cars. She’s not even closed her eyes all night.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Travis said.

  “And when y’all get back, Cal and Darcy can go out for two hours. That way you all won’t get plumb wore out.”

  Hannah fished in her purse for the keys and handed them to Aunt Birdie. “Thank you for staying with me all night. I really thought he’d go to jail for this.”

  “I had my doubts. I’ve worked with Gina a long time.” Aunt Birdie shook her head. “One set of y’all come home tonight. She don’t need a roomful with her. Since Sophie is going to need you, Hannah, you might come with Travis tonight and then let Darcy and Cal have tomorrow off while you stay with Liz.”

  “You sure are bossy.” Hannah smiled.

  “Yes, I am. It takes a bossy person to take care of the bunch of you.”

  “I love you, Aunt Birdie. I’m so glad that . . .”

  Aunt Birdie threw up a hand. “I love you—all of you. Now do what I say or I might change my mind.” Her tired old eyes glittered as she left the room.

  “So, are you going to listen to her?” Cal asked.

  “Yes, we are.” Hannah yawned. “It’s ten thirty. Aunt Birdie left her tote bag, and it’s full of cookies and goodies if y’all get hungry. We’ll be back at one and you can leave for a couple of hours.”

  “A word?” Darcy asked. “Alone.”

  The two guys stepped out into the hallway.

  “Why don’t I go with you,” Darcy said. “I’m not sure about spending so much time in the room with Cal.”

  “This might be a blessing. How often do you two get to spend time alone?” Hannah said.

  Darcy wiggled in her chair and skewed up her face. “I’m scared.”

  “Fear begets fear. Shake it off. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” Hannah left the room and motioned for Cal to go back inside. “Just call if Liz needs us.”

  Cal handed Travis his van keys and went back into the room. Travis pocketed them and then picked up Hannah’s arm and looped it in his, keeping his hand over hers afterward. “I’ve had breakfast, but I could sure use a cup of coffee while you eat.”

  Just the touch of his hand on hers erased the anxiety in her heart. “She’s strong, right? She’ll pull through this.”

  “She will. Even though it doesn’t look like it, it could be worse. The busted ribs didn’t pierce her lungs or rupture any internal organs. The rest will heal. There might be a few faint scars, but the bruises will go away.” He pushed the “Down” elevator button. “It’s not the physical that worries me about her any more than it does about you. It’s the way it’s affected y’all in other ways.”

  They joined an elderly couple in the elevator, who smiled sweetly at them. “We pushed the wrong button for the maternity place. Our great-grandson was born last night. Y’all here to see a baby?” the gray-haired lady said.

  “No, ma’am. Just here for a friend,” Travis said.

  “Well, you sure make a cute couple,” the lady said. “Maybe someday you’ll be here havin’ a baby of your own.”

  “Now wouldn’t that be something.” Travis grinned.

  The elevator stopped, and the old couple got off, leaving Travis and Hannah alone. She wanted to say something—to tell him that she had developed something akin to feelings for him, but the words stuck in her throat. Even though she trusted him, anything concerning that kind of relationship terrified her.

  “Cute old folks,” Travis said.

  Saved by the elevator doors and the scent of food coming from the cafeteria not far from them, she sniffed the air. “I think that’s hamburgers I’m getting a whiff of. I bet they’ve stopped serving breakfast altogether. I’d rather have a cheeseburger and fries anyway. Didn’t realize I was hungry until now.”

  “Don’t be so nervous.” Travis led her in the direction of the aroma of fried onions.

  “I’m not nervous,” she protested.

  “Yes, you are. You talk too fast when you are, just like you did when we were kids.”

  “You know me too well,” she said.

  “We need to talk, but you are too tired to discuss anything. Let’s get you fed and then go out to Cal’s van. I’ll put all the backseats down and you can stretch out for a nap.”

  She didn’t realize how tired she was until she started to chew. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier, and she had to force herself to stay awake to finish half the burger and a few fries. “I’m so sorry. The adrenaline rush is circling the drain,” she said. “Oh! I need to call Miss Rosie and check on Sophie.”

  “I did that just before we got to the hospital. She and Laurel had breakfast together and now they are dressed in Frozen costumes and playing in her room. She’s in good hands,” Travis said. “And so are you, Hannah. I’m going to take care of you, I promise.”

  He cleared her tray, then returned and held out his hand to her. “Nap time. I don’t think I’ll even have to tell
you a story.”

  “Not today.” She put her hand in his and wasn’t a bit surprised at the little twinge of heat that crept up her neck.

  A nice breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees around the hospital as they stepped outside. The warmth felt good on her face, but Miss Rosie’s sweater was suddenly way too hot. She removed it and threw it over her shoulder.

  “I’ve got an idea.” Travis unlocked the vehicle and got in. “Wait right here while I turn this rig around.”

  She leaned against the big tree trunk and watched him pull the van out and then back it into the parking spot.

  “Aha,” she said.

  “We can catch the breeze. I don’t think anyone will bother us,” he said as he circled around to the back. He swung the doors open wide and quickly pushed the seats down. “Our first time to sleep together. I had something different in mind, but it is what it is.”

  She giggled. “That’s a horrible pickup line. No wonder you don’t have a woman in your life.”

  “I’ve been waiting a long time for the right woman, darlin’,” he answered as he motioned for her to crawl in first. “Sorry I don’t have a pillow, but I can offer you my arm.”

  “I could sleep standing up in a broom closet right now.” She put a knee on the hard carpeted surface and crawled inside. Then she stopped and turned to look over her shoulder. “What did you just say?”

  He came in right behind her and stretched his long, lanky frame out on the other side. “You heard me. I don’t want just any woman in my life. I want the woman of my dreams, and if I can’t have that person, I will do without.” He slipped an arm under her and pulled her effortlessly to his side. It felt right and comfortable to lie on his chest and shut her eyes, to listen to his heart beat steadily.

  For the second time in only days, she wondered if she was that woman. It simply couldn’t be. If that was the case, he would have spoken up years ago, wouldn’t he?