Before he opened the door, he turned back around to face the sheriff. “Oh and Sam, after the funeral, I’ll stop by your office so you can brief me on your investigation into Garret’s murder. For your sake, I hope you’ve done a thorough job because I’m going to examine all of the information pertaining to his death.”
“That case is still open and I don’t have any intention…”
Gage dismissed the sheriff’s words with a roll of the eyes and a quick sign of the bird.
“You do still have the blow up mattress, right?” Gage quietly asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She hadn’t even noticed she was shaking until he whispered in her ear. “Don’t let him know you’re intimidated. He’ll use it against you.”
Brooklyn pulled her shoulders back, held her head high, and followed Gage into the garage.
****
Gage deliberately walked away from the so called sheriff. He’d wanted to make it clear he didn’t have any use for the small town sheriff with an ego the size of New York. His mind raced through every single word said. What incident were they talking about? Why had Brook called for emergency help and why had she been in the hospital? Obviously a lot transpired he had no knowledge of. As soon as he had the chance, he’d speak with his parents to get more information. But at the moment, he needed to get the mattress set up so his nieces could have a place to sleep.
“The camping gear is in the attic. Gage, did you hear me?” Brook’s voice brought him back to the present.
“Yea, I heard you. I’ll get up there and find it,” he remarked over his shoulder as he began to climb the ladder.
“Turn the light on as soon as you’re at the top of the ladder. We have a small leak in the roof and I wouldn’t want you to fall through the ceiling.”
The second he flipped the switch, the enormousness of the leak was obvious. There was a gigantic water stain on the particle board at least six feet in diameter. “How long has the roof been leaking,” he called to Brook as he knelt down to inspect the wood.
“It started around a year and half ago. Until recently, I used the girl’s blow up pool to collect the water but it’s been so hot lately I had to bring the pool down so the girls could cool off.”
He couldn’t believe his brother hadn’t taken care of the leak as soon as it started. With a cursory look around, he immediately noticed the attic was surprisingly bare. Four years back, he’d spent one long day helping Garret lay the flooring and carry a ridiculous amount of junk up to the attic. Where had everything gone? The only thing left was some well used camping gear. In the back of his mind, he knew everything was somehow connected to Garret’s death, but he’d have to figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together when he was finished cleaning up the mess. The mattress was conveniently setting on top of the tent, he grabbed it and descended the ladder rungs.
“I’m so glad it was still up there,” Brook quietly mumbled as she reached for the mattress.
“Let me blow this up and then we’ll clear a spot on the floor so you and the girls can sleep tonight,” he announced as he walked to the far corner of the garage. He came to an abrupt stop when he noticed Garret’s nice air compressor was missing. “Where’s my brother’s air compressor? Was it one of things pawned?” He asked with an accusatory tone.
She didn’t make a sound rather she just nodded one time.
“That wasn’t yours to sell. Dad bought it for Garret and you had no right to sell it and take the money. Did you sell all the other stuff from the attic, too? Here’s a thought. If you were hurting for money, maybe you should have gotten a job.”
Brooklyn looked him straight in the eye and shook her head. “I didn’t hock Garret’s things, but I would have if there had been anything left.”
“What are you trying to say?” He bent forward knowing full well he became extremely intimating. In the past few years as a mercenary, he’d perfected his intimidation skills.
“It doesn’t really matter because you wouldn’t believe me anyway.” She sighed and bowed her head in defeat.
It was imperative he didn’t lose his temper with Brook. If she shut down, he might never get the answers he desperately wanted. “Do you have another pump I could use?” He questioned through gritted teeth. He didn’t have time to play games with anyone especially the woman who cut his brother out of his own daughter’s lives.
“We have an old bicycle pump. I’ll get it for you.” Gage followed Brook with his eyes as she retrieved the pump. Even after three kids, just the sight of the woman brought his dick to attention. At his age it was damn embarrassing walking around with a hard on but that wasn’t the worst part. The mere sight, sound, or fragrance of the maddening woman opened an ache deep in his soul. After all these years and what she’d done to his brother, he still wanted her. He was an incredible ass all the way around.
“You can use this to blow up the mattress. Is there something wrong? Hello?”
A hand waved in front of his face thankfully ending his torturous daydream. “Thanks. Why don’t you let my parents know they can come in while I take care of this?”
“I don’t think the sheriff is finished with the investigation yet. He won’t want them in the house.”
“He’s not competent enough to know his ass from a hole in the ground,” Gage muttered.
“With all the shards of glass, splintered wood, and who knows what else on the floor, I don’t think it’s a good idea for the girls to stay here tonight. I’d rather they stay with your parents. They can come back home tomorrow after I’ve cleaned everything up,” she softly suggested as she dropped her gaze to his chest.
“You’re probably right. I wasn’t thinking. Do you want to stay here tonight or not?”
“I’m going to spend most of the night cleaning, so I probably won’t need the blow up mattress now that I think about it.”
“I’ll need something to sleep on while I’m…”
The sheriff popped his head through the door. “Brooklyn, I need a number where I can reach you if I have any further questions.”
She absent mindedly twisted a thick strand of hair and cleared her throat before she answered. “I don’t have one currently. Mr. Jones doesn’t mind delivering a message to me. You can call him and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Gage looked down at his ex-sister in-law. “Why don’t you have a working phone? With three young children, you should know better than to…”
Brooklyn walked away as if he hadn’t been talking to her.
“I’ll come inside so I can get the phone number from my purse. Is it alright to let Daniel and Marie bring my children in?”
Gage threw the old rusted air pump down on the garage floor. Why does this have to be so damn difficult? I had such conviction in my hatred of Brook on my way here, but now I’m wavering. She must have broken Garret’s heart by kicking him out of their lives. She’s the main reason he’s dead now. I can’t forget that fact, Gage whispered to himself as he gained control of his thoughts.
****
It was two forty five a.m. and Brooklyn found herself in a familiar spot, sitting on the master bathroom shower floor with her arms wrapped around her bent legs and her head resting on her knees. Since that miserable night a year ago, she’d found it nearly impossible to get a decent night’s sleep. Late at night, when everyone was sleeping was always when Brooklyn’s anxiety, depression, loneliness, and often times utter despair reared its ugly head. The first couple of months the loneliness had been bad. The third trimester was when the depression kicked in. But the absolute worst had been after the baby was born. Taking care of three small children with minimal sleep night after night had triggered a despair so deep Brooklyn thought she’d never crawl out of it. It was difficult to decide if the change in hormones, Sadie’s colic, or sleep deprivation had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did get worse and here she sat once again, sobbing as she held onto herself tightly,
her only comfort the hard shower floor.
There wasn’t time for a pity party. Tomorrow was Garret’s funeral and if that wasn’t going to be hard enough, the stress and lack of sleep would only compound the issue. “Suck it up, buttercup.” She repeated the words Garret had always used when she was upset. For the girl’s sake, get yourself together. You need to get up, dry off, find a night shirt that isn’t shredded, and crawl into bed so you don’t collapse tomorrow and make a fool of yourself in front of the whole town. And somehow she found the strength to do just that.
Chapter Three
It rained so seldom in Nacogdoches, Texas, during the summer that usually most everyone welcomed the rain. But on this particular day, it was just one more pain in the ass for Gage to deal with.
Gage and Brooklyn worked late into the night meticulously cleaning the floors in the house. By the time they decided to stop and try to catch a few hours of sleep, it had been well after two in the morning. His parents had taken the grandbabies home with them in fear one of the three would get injured in all of the debris. Brook had bedded down on the inflatable mattress in the master bedroom while he’d fashioned a pallet on the family room floor. He might have stretched out and rested on his makeshift bed in the early hours of the morning, but he hadn’t slept so much as a wink. Absolutely nothing made sense. There were too many unanswered questions clouding the situation. Who killed his brother and what possible reason could someone have to torture him? Garret might have been a total fuck up but that was no reason for someone to blow his brains out. Who destroyed the house and what were they looking for? The sheriff mentioned an incident some months back. What was that about? Yet the question causing the most conflict was why couldn’t he control his feelings toward his former sister in-law? It was imperative that he get far away from the bewitching woman so he could think clearly. He had every confidence he’d solve the mystery because he was brilliant when it came to figuring out how all the pieces fit together in a puzzle. That’s what made him so good at his job.
“If you don’t hurry up, we’re going to be late to the funeral,” he barked as he pounded on the master bedroom door.
To his surprise the door immediately popped opened. Brooklyn stood a mere two feet in front of him with her head tilted back so she could make eye contact. “I’m ready,” she whispered.
Her body was hidden under a black, short sleeve, fitted dress. Her glorious blonde hair was twisted in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Even though she hadn’t applied an ounce of makeup, her beauty stood out. As he inspected her from head to toe, he couldn’t help noticing how her dress hugged her sensuous curves just a little too tightly for his liking. “One would think the day a woman buries her husband, she could find a dress a little less provocative,” acid dripped from his words.
Without missing a beat she bit back. “One would think a thirty five year old man would understand his sister in-law hasn’t lost all of her baby weight yet so her clothes might be a smidgen snug.” She stepped around him and walked away.
Gage growled, turned on his heel, and marched out to his truck. Why in the hell did having her stand up to him make her all the more desirable? Hopefully the less time he spent near her would help keep his head clear and his hands off her. For some agonizing reason the image of Brook’s succulent, delicate neck popped into his head. It would feel so sensual to nibble… Dammit! There wasn’t time for erotic daydreams. The most important mission was to hunt down Garret’s killers so he could get back to the business of protecting the scum of the earth and earning an incredible amount of money. He didn’t belong in mainstream society. He’d witnessed and committed too much evil in his life to be saved. If he still even had a soul, it was surely as black as coal.
****
Once the short shower ended and the sun came out, the climate became miserably muggy. Daniel and Marie brought the girls to the funeral with them and Brooklyn was relieved to have her babies with her. Since the split with Garret, the only company she could tolerate for more than an hour or two was her three young daughters. She no longer felt whole unless they were at her feet. Thankfully, her in-laws purchased the adorable dresses the girls were wearing because heaven knows she didn’t have the money to buy anything except the bare necessities. All three were dressed alike in navy blue, eyelet dresses with matching navy sandals. Marie had even styled their hair with navy blue bows.
Ollie was more of a tomboy and usually didn’t want to wear a dress. She was comfortable in shorts and t-shirts she wouldn’t get in trouble if she got dirty exploring the outdoors. She always insisted Brooklyn pull her long strawberry blonde, slightly curly hair up in a high ponytail because she couldn’t be bothered with it sticking to her skin while she played with her Tonka trucks in the dirt.
Makynlee was her sister’s exact opposite in every way. She adored frilly clothes and accessories. If she had her way, she’d be dressed in her Sunday best every day of the week. Several times a day the stinker would drag a piece of furniture into her room so she could climb on top to reach the hanging rod in her closet. There’d been numerous instances when Brooklyn almost had a heart attack finding her two year old balanced on a make shift platform of irregular shaped objects. Eventually Brooklyn had given up and lowered the toddler’s dresses so she could reach them without risking life and limb. That’s when the fashion show was born. Multiple times a day, Makynlee changed her outfit and modeled for anyone willing to watch. Makynlee couldn’t stand to be dirty or sweaty. She used to climb on the kitchen counter and rinse off in the sink until Brooklyn put a stop to it. Currently the little diva was twirling around so she could show her mother the way her dress ballooned up and out.
Thankfully Sadie was still too young to make any other demands on her mother than the regular feeding and diaper changes.
“Brooklyn, I’m really sorry for your loss. Garret was so young. Does the sheriff’s department have any idea who did this?” The elderly woman asked as she filled her plate with food the Hennessey’s friends and family felt compelled to bring.
“Not yet,” Brooklyn answered for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past two days. She quickly filled two plates and retreated to the other room so Olivia and Makynlee could eat in peace.
“Dat don’t taste tood, Mommy,” the toddler announced bringing her mother back from her quiet daydream.
“You love macaroni and cheese.”
“Dat no tood,” Makynlee repeated as she spit it back out.
“She’s right, Mommy. It doesn’t taste like the kind you make. The person who made it must not make it with love like you do,” Olivia explained.
“You don’t have to eat it. Finish the rest of the things on your plate while I help Grammy clean up. Hopefully we’ll be able to go home soon.”
****
Brooklyn wasn’t sure how much more she could handle. The last two days seemed like an eternity born of hell. The stress of making the funeral arrangements and listening to the entire town talk about what a shame Garret’s death had been was about to do her in. She’d maybe gotten a measly hour of sleep last night and the intense headache that had plagued her all day was on the verge of sending her into a meltdown. When the last person finally left her in-laws house, she’d practically cried with relief. Finally they could go home and try to put her family’s life back together.
“Daniel, could you possibly take us home. I rode into town this morning with Gage and I haven’t seen him in the last couple of hours. I was hoping you could give us a lift.”
“Of course but you know Marie and I’d love to have you and the grandbabies stay here with us tonight. We hate that you’re all the way out there by yourselves. It might be safer if you pack a couple of bags and stay here until Sam finds the people who tore your house apart.”
“I really do appreciate your concern, but I honestly feel the girls need some consistency in their lives right now. They’re so confused and I don’t want to make it any harder on them. I hope you understand.”
“Of course we do, honey. You go round up those beautiful granddaughters and I’ll meet you at the car,” Daniel remarked as he turned to go get his keys.
Less than half an hour later, they were home. Even though there wasn’t much left in the house once she and Gage removed all the damaged furniture, fixtures, and photos, it still felt good to be together as a family, alone, without having to put on a façade of being strong. It was the biggest joke of all time. She was exactly the opposite of alright. She was a disaster! But now wasn’t the time to fall apart again. She needed to get it together for her beautiful girls.
Around six o’clock, the summer heat finally inched up past unbearable. In the last month, a nightly routine had developed. When they couldn’t take the heat any longer, Ollie and Makynlee put on their swimsuits and everyone headed out back to cool down in the kiddie pool. On this night, Sadie was secured in a papoose wrapped around her mother while Brooklyn hung the wet laundry on a rope she’d strung from the house to the back fence.
With a squeal of delight, Makynlee clapped and high stepped it in the shallow water. “Daddy, wook. Kynwee pway in water wike a big girw.”
****
The backyard looked more like a jungle with the excessively tall grass. There was probably all types of critters living in the overgrown brush. Once he got closer, he could tell a small area of the lawn from the back door to and around the inflatable pool had been mown recently. Ollie and Makynlee were dressed in tiny polka dotted swimsuits splashing around in the pool while Brook watched. Once she turned around, he noticed Sadie tucked snuggly into some kind of stretchy material wrapped around Brooklyn.
“Makynlee, that’s not Daddy. Remember?”
“Hey there muffin,” Gage said as he knelt down beside the pool.
Once again, the toddler placed her hands on each side of his face and did a thorough investigation. “No, you wong, Mommy. Dis Daddy,” she corrected right before she gave him a slobbery kiss.
Abandon: The Unloveable Series Book One Page 3