by Barbara Gee
***
Maddy decided to hang out at the office until Tuck got off so she could ride back to the ranch with him. That left Ryan and Libby on their own.
“I’ll drive this time,” Libby offered. “I really am a good driver, I promise.”
He handed the keys over without an argument. His brain was so fried he just wanted to close his eyes and retreat into himself for a while. As if she knew what he was thinking, the normally chatty Libby was silent for the whole first hour of the drive. Ryan knew she had dozens of questions, but she kept them to herself and let him process everything he had learned in his own way. In silence.
After that hour, Ryan felt like he was ready to interact again. He rubbed his gritty eyes and stretched his tense shoulders. “What are you thinking over there?” he asked finally. He knew he was opening himself up for questions he might have a hard time answering, but he had involved her in this, and he felt like he owed it to her to be straightforward about it.
***
Libby looked over at him, trying to assess his emotional state after such an incredibly taxing day. She didn’t want him to feel pressured to talk to her—she’d gladly be quiet the rest of the trip if that’s what he wanted. But he met her gaze openly, seemingly ready to discuss it. Maybe even needing to.
“What am I thinking?” she repeated his question thoughtfully. “Well, for one, I’m thinking that even though he doesn’t know it yet, little Henry Ryan is a very lucky little boy to have you coming to his rescue. I know it won’t be all roses, not at first, but it’s going to work out. I don’t doubt that for a second. You need to believe that, too, Ryan. Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t question your ability to be a dad, because you’re going to do great.”
“I hope so,” Ryan said gruffly. “I didn’t even know he existed until a few hours ago, but I already feel like part of me is missing. And here I am, thousands of miles away when he needs me.”
“You’ll be there when he’s removed from Anthony’s home. That’s what’s important.”
“I’ll get my plane ticket tonight. Patrick thinks he can arrange to have Hank picked up day after tomorrow, so I’d like to get there by tomorrow night. Just to make sure no delays cause me to miss it.”
“Good plan,” Libby said. “And Ryan?”
He looked over at her. “Yeah?”
She looked back at him sternly. “Make sure there are two seats available on your flights. I’m going with you.”
He let out a low groan and rubbed his eyes. “I can’t ask you to do that, Libby. I appreciate it, I really do, but I have no idea how this is going to go. I don’t know if Anthony is going to concede defeat, or go totally crazy. We might not get enough on him to arrest him immediately, and what if he says to heck with it and comes after me just because he’s already going down and has nothing else to lose? I don’t want you caught in the middle of something like that.”
“Not even for Hank?” Libby asked softly. “You heard Patrick, and what he said makes a lot of sense to me. If having a woman there will make it just a tiny bit easier for your little boy, I will gladly go. I want to go.”
Ryan looked out his window, obviously torn. “I’m in a tough spot here,” he said finally. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to make this decision.”
“Then don’t,” Libby said. “Let me make it.” She reached over and put her hand on his arm. “I’m gonna say it again, Ry. Make sure there are two seats available on your flights. Then tell me the numbers so I can get my tickets.”
He was silent for a long time. When he spoke his voice was resigned. “I’ll buy your tickets. It’s the least I can do.”
“Thank you.” Libby smiled and grabbed his hand. “I can’t wait to meet your son.”
He nodded slowly. “Neither can I, but it also feels so daunting. I don’t know what to expect. Is he easy going or high energy? Will he look like me, or like Eve? Does he like sports? Video games? Legos? Does he have any pets? Was he happy, before Eve died? Will he ever feel happy again?” His voice broke a little bit on the last question and Libby squeezed his hand.
“He will be. He’ll be so happy with you.”
Ryan grunted. “I don’t even have a house to take him to. I’m going to have to find something quick, but I won’t have time to make it feel like a home. I’d like it to feel warm and welcoming and lived in, not sterile and thrown together.”
“I’ll help you,” Libby said readily. “We’ll make sure he has a home.”
He lifted her hand and pressed the back of it to his lips, holding it there for a moment before slowly lowering it and then letting go as she parked beside the ranch house. “Thanks for everything, Libby. I’m not used to needing help. Usually I don’t even recognize when I do. I’m grateful to you guys, for everything. I hope you know that.”
She smiled. “It’s what friends do.”
“You and I have only been friends for a week and a half,” he reminded her, a hint of a smile on his own lips. “You’re going above and beyond, considering.”
“You saved my life once, maybe twice, so that accelerates the friendship.” Libby grinned and got out of the car, waiting for him to follow. “You ready to fill Virgil and Kay in?”
He nodded. “Maybe telling the whole story again will make it seem more real. I’m still having trouble believing I have a son.” His jaw clenched. “And knowing he’s still under Anthony’s roof is almost more than I can handle. I hope I can keep it together until we get him out.”
“Soon,” Libby assured him. “You’ll have him soon, Ryan. Now let’s go talk to Kay and Virgil. If anyone can make you feel better, it’s them.”
CHAPTER 15
“I can hardly believe it,” Kay said when Ryan finished telling them everything he had learned that afternoon.
“You aren’t the only one,” he said. “Part of me is thrilled and part of me is scared to death. Maybe a little more of the latter, to be honest. I have no idea how to be a dad to a five year old who probably doesn’t even know I exist.”
Kay took both of his hands in hers, her voice both soothing and totally confident. “You’ll learn quickly, Ryan. You’ll take one look at that little boy and realize nothing is more important than him, and you’ll be a fantastic father. Having a child is a gift not everyone is blessed with. I’m happy for you, Ryan.”
“But there’s so much I’ve missed that I’ll never be able to get back. I know nothing about him. All I know, literally, is that his name is Henry Ryan Tamblyn and he’s five years old. How sad is that?”
Libby blinked back tears as Ryan bared his heart to Kay, the most giving, loving, maternal woman she knew, in spite of never having been a mother herself.
“You’ve missed a lot, it’s true,” Kay said. “But you don’t have to make up for it. I have to believe that when his mother was alive, little Hank was happy and well loved. He might be suffering right now, missing his mom and no longer in a loving home, but he’s young. Resilient. And it hasn’t been long. His memory of these bad weeks will fade in time, Ryan, and he’ll have you to help him. He still needs to grieve his mother, but he’ll have you now, and he’ll get through it.”
Virgil stood and walked over to where Libby sat, dropping a fond kiss on the top of her head. “I’m glad you’re going with him, my dear. He shouldn’t be alone.”
“I’m glad he’s letting me go,” she replied, smiling at Ryan. She looked at Kay and saw the concern in her eyes. The woman knew of Libby’s feelings for Ryan, and she was worried that this trip would only make her fall that much harder. “Need any help with supper, Kay?” she asked.
“I have a potpie in the oven, but you can help with the fruit salad for dessert.”
“I’d love to.”
Once in the kitchen, Libby turned to Kay before the other woman could say anything. “I know, I know. I know you’re worried about me, and quite frankly, I’m worried about myself. But little Hank is the one who’s important right now. I can handle this. I will handle it.”
“I don’t know, Libby, it’s a lot to ask of yourself. Spending so much time with Ryan, and going through something as intimate as him meeting his son for the first time? It’s going to bring you two even closer together, and I feel like it’ll be a lot for you to walk away from. Maybe too much.”
Libby shook her head. “I trust I’ll have the strength for whatever it is I’m meant to do, Kay. And right now, I feel I need to go to North Carolina with Ryan.”
The older woman smiled gently. “You’re needed there, I do believe that. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I’ll be okay. I might need to cry on your shoulder a few times when I get back, but I’ll be okay.”
“My shoulder is always available to you, my dear. Now let’s get at that fruit. Tuck and Maddy will be back soon, then we can all sit down and talk some more over a good meal. Like families do.”
“I love our family,” Libby said contentedly. “And I love your potpie. Now hand me that pineapple. I’m a pro at pineapples.”
***
Soon they were all seated at the table enjoying the meal Kay had prepared. Tuck and Maddy seemed glad to hear that Libby was going to be accompanying Ryan to North Carolina, but then she saw them exchange a look and her senses went on high alert. She narrowed her eyes at Maddy, wordlessly asking for an explanation. Her friend looked at Tuck, who nodded ever so slightly. Maddy cleared her throat and looked at Ryan.
“Tuck and I were talking on the way back here,” she began. “We don’t want to insinuate ourselves into your life beyond what you’re comfortable with, Ryan. You have so many decisions to make regarding your little boy, and only you can make them. But we don’t want you to leave without letting you know that we would love, and I do mean love to have you bring Hank back here to the Full Heart for a while. As you probably know, I had a less than stellar childhood myself, and if someone had whisked me away to a place like this, even if it was only for a little while, I would have been in heaven. So when you meet Hank, if you feel he could benefit from getting away from it all, I know I can speak for the others in saying you would both be welcome to come and stay at the ranch for as long as you need to.”
It took Ryan a moment to absorb Maddy’s heartfelt invitation, but then his lips curved up into a slow smile. “That’s the longest speech I’ve ever heard you make, Maddy,” he said, lightening the mood with his teasing.
“When she feels strongly about something, she’ll talk until she’s blue in the face,” Tuck said fondly, laying a hand on his wife’s back.
“I appreciate it, I really do, and I’ll give it some thought. Honestly, I don’t think I can make any firm decisions until I spend some time with Hank. I want to get him to a safe place, and then take care of putting Anthony away, where he can’t hurt any of us anymore. And then I’ll try to get a feel for what would be best for Hank and me. If that seems to be the Full Heart, I’ll gladly take you up on the invitation.”
Kay added her two cents. “Wide open spaces and horses might be just what that little guy needs.”
Ryan’s smile was warm and grateful. “It just might be,” he agreed. “And now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go book our flights. Do you have a preference for when we leave, Libby?”
“Nope. Just tell me when and I’ll be ready.”
“I’ll drive you to the airport,” Maddy offered.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
Ryan left and the rest of them finished their dessert.
“How long do you think you’ll be gone, Lib?” Tuck asked.
She shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m sorry to leave you guys in the lurch here. I’m hoping I can get quite a bit of work done remotely. I figure I’ll have some down time while Ryan meets with Patrick and the cops, and whoever else gets involved. I want to be there through the court process and getting Hank settled in with Ryan, but after that I’ll come on back so they can get used to each other without me being a distraction.”
“Don’t worry about trying to work. Ryan and Hank are what’s important right now,” Maddy assured her.
“I’ll just have to see how it goes.” Libby planted her palms on the table and pushed herself to her feet. “I need to get some laundry done before I can pack, so if it’s all right with you all, I’m gonna skip out on clean up. Catch you guys in the morning.”
They said their good nights, and she headed upstairs. It was the first time she’d been alone all day, and she tried to gather her thoughts as she walked down the hall to her room. In less than twenty-four hours she’d be flying out with Ryan to get his son. Who would have ever guessed the day would turn out like this? Of all the possible outcomes to the mystery of who was after Ryan and why, this was the last thing she would have guessed. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how Ryan must be feeling.
Kay was right to be worried. Libby was worried, too. Ryan was her weakness, and going to North Carolina with him could be one of the hardest things she’d ever done. But in spite of her apprehension, she felt at peace about her decision to do what she could to make the transition easier for a scared little boy, and his scared, worried dad. One way or another, she’d get through it.
Her phone buzzed and she picked it up to see a text from Ryan.
I need your middle initial, license number, and birthday for the tickets.
She sent them to him, and her phone buzzed again.
Just curious, what does the ‘B’ stand for?
She smiled and answered. Belle.
Libby Belle? Love it. We take off at 10:40.
Technically it’s Elizabeth Belle. That makes it sound less like I’m named after an old cracked bell in Philadelphia. I’ll tell Maddy about the flight. We should leave here by 8:00.
Sounds good.
You’re not over there freaking out, are you?
What do you think?
I think you are, but try not to. It’s a shock, and scary, but also pretty cool. Daddy.
That’s going to take some getting used to.
You’ve got the rest of your life to do it.
Yeah I guess I do. Thanks. Not sure how you do it, but you always manage to settle me.
Any time. Sweet dreams.
You too, Libby Belle.
Libby sighed and gathered up her laundry, wondering what the next week was going to bring. Wondering what kind of shape she’d be in when it was over.
CHAPTER 16
Ryan came through the front door of the house in Chandler, and Libby put aside her computer and stood up anxiously. “Is everything set?”
He nodded, shoving a hand through his hair, tension radiating off his body. “Two hours. We need to be at the courthouse in two hours. The social worker will bring Hank there to meet us. His grandfather was having some heart palpitations this morning and went to the ER to get checked out, but he’s okay. They’re going to be late, but they’ll be there to take him back to their hotel overnight.”
“Thank goodness. I’m so glad he doesn’t have to go with strangers. And if things go okay with the social worker and the judge, he’ll be here with us the next night.”
“Yeah. I definitely owe Olivia for letting us stay here.”
They were both thrilled with the house Ryan’s friend Olivia had set them up in when she’d learned of their situation. The house belonged to her fiancé, and they’d planned to put it on the market soon, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. It was clean, homey, and mostly furnished. So much better than a hotel or a hastily arranged apartment.
Ryan paced across the living room. “Anthony still seems to be oblivious. He’s at work, and the babysitter is with Hank. They’re going to pick him up before Anthony gets home, so Hank doesn’t have to watch his so-called ‘dad’ being taken away in a police car.”
Libby nodded approvingly. It had been a tough call, but after meeting with Patrick the night they’d arrived in North Carolina, Ryan had decided to delay picking up Hank by one day. That had given Ryan and Patrick time to meet with the Jonesbur
g police department to lay out their case against Anthony. The detective they met with agreed there was enough evidence to bring him in for questioning, and with the extra day, they’d had time to get a search warrant for Anthony’s house. The police would wait for Anthony to get home from work, then immediately execute the search warrant. Ryan was hopeful they would find the evidence they needed to arrest him and keep him locked up while building the case against him. If he was in jail, preferably without bail, he wouldn’t be able to do anything stupid when he found out he wasn’t going to get Hank back.
Ryan was counting on the local cops taking care of all that, but the FBI would also be available if needed. The federal agents had set up the short-notice protection for both Hank and Patrick’s family by coordinating with the Jonesburg cops, and they seemed a very capable department. Ryan felt confident that the PD could handle things from here on out, and the FBI agreed. They would pull off the case unless things changed.
He told Libby the local guys were taking over, and she was fine with that. “They’ll get Anthony, I’m sure of it,” she said. “There’s no way he hasn’t left evidence after all the crap he’s pulled. Everything from threatening Eve to murdering Stuart. There has to be a trail.”
“I hope you’re right. It all depends how smart he is, and if he has a history of criminal activity. He might be a lot more adept at covering his tracks than we think.”
“I guess we’ll find out.” She looked up at him, determined to hide her worry. “Can I make you a sandwich? I walked to that little store on the corner and bought a few groceries this morning. It might be a long afternoon, so you should probably eat something while you have the chance.”
“Uh, sure, I guess I could eat.” He followed her to the kitchen. “I’m glad you’re here, Lib,” he said, leaning against the counter as she took sandwich supplies from the fridge. “I normally prefer handling things on my own, but I’d be bouncing off the walls right now if I didn’t have someone to talk to. Thanks for pushing your company on me,” he added with an easy grin.