Finding Us (Pine Valley Book 5)

by Heather B. Moore

  Felicity wiped at her cheeks. “I’ve thought about that, and as morbid as it sounds, if she hadn’t died, I would have probably ended up one of those little homeless kids.”

  “True, and no matter how painful it was for your grandparents to raise you, I’ll bet they wouldn’t have wanted you on the streets or in foster care.”

  “I don’t know,” Felicity murmured.

  “You know it in your heart,” Livvy said. “They provided for you, and they cared for you in the only way they knew how to.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Felicity,” Livvy said. “You have to believe they love you, even if they haven’t showed it in words or affection.”

  Felicity exhaled. Her throat felt raw, and her stomach was knotting up again. “You’re probably right. I just have to wrap my mind around it.” She gave a half-laugh, half-sob. “And stop feeling sorry for myself.”

  “You have every right to feel sorry for yourself,” Livvy said. “To grieve over losing your mom and a life that every little kid deserves.”

  Livvy’s words weren’t doing much to stem the tears.

  “And don’t forget, that I love you,” Livvy said. “You’re my best friend, and the best thing that ever happened to me is when you moved onto my street.”

  “I thought Slade was the best thing that ever happened to you,” Felicity said, feeling the weight slowly lifting from her shoulders and heart.

  Livvy laughed. “He thinks he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. But we girls have to stick together.”

  Felicity turned onto her side and pulled a pillow against her chest. “Thank you, Liv.”

  “I would come over, but I don’t want to break into your time with Mr. Hottie.”

  “Funny.” Felicity exhaled. “Leo told me that we could be friends—since, you know, I pretty much told him that I couldn’t be in any relationship when my head is a mess.”

  “Well, friend or boyfriend,” Livvy began. “I’d take either. If, you know, Slade wasn’t in the picture.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell Leo that,” Felicity teased.

  “If you do, then I have plenty of other secrets I can tell Leo as well.”

  “All right,” Felicity said. “I’ll keep your deep, dark secrets to myself. For now.”

  Livvy’s laugh was soft. “Call me any time. In the middle of the night, even. I’ll leave my ringer on.”

  Felicity felt like her heart had just expanded. “Okay, thanks.”

  “Love you.”

  “Love you, too.” Felicity hung up and didn’t move for a moment. She watched the changing colors on her walls as the sun sank deeper. The house was so quiet that she heard the padding of General’s paws as he walked into her room.

  “Did Leo kick you out of the kitchen?”

  The dog stopped in front of her, looking at her with those soulful eyes. Felicity patted the bed, and the dog climbed up on the covers. She scratched him, and he settled next to her.

  Felicity realized that Leo must have heard every word she’d said to Livvy, but she didn’t care. He’d heard most of it before.

  General closed his eyes as she scratched him. Had Leo left?

  Even though Felicity felt like she could fall asleep then and there, she climbed off the bed. General watched her movements but made no effort to follow her. It seemed her bed met the dog’s approval.

  Felicity walked down the hall. The house had grown dim with the fading light outside, and no lights had been turned on. Everything was so silent that she guessed Leo had left and didn’t want to interrupt her conversation. So, she’d have to lock the front door. She was about to cross to the door when she saw Leo asleep on the couch.

  He hadn’t left. Just like he said he wouldn’t.

  Leo lay on his back, his arms folded over his chest. His phone and keys were on the coffee table on top of one of the folders.

  Felicity gazed at him, unsure what to do. Should she wake him? Or let him sleep?

  She locked the front door, and the sound of the lock sliding into place made him stir. But he didn’t wake up. So Felicity grabbed a blanket, draped it over him, then went back to her bedroom. Maybe he’d get a phone call and wake up that way.

  She left her bedroom door open so General could go out if he wanted. Then she pulled a blanket over herself and fell asleep with the dog softly snoring next to her.

  The ringing of the phone woke Leo, and for a moment he wasn’t sure where he was. He sat up and grabbed for the phone, finding it on Felicity’s coffee table. Which meant that he’d fallen asleep at her place. The bit of light coming in through the curtains was a dull gray, making him guess that it was around 6:00 in the morning.

  He answered the phone automatically, not even checking the caller’s name. “Hello?”

  “Leo?” his mom’s voice came through.

  Immediately panic shot through him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong, sorry to call you so early,” she said in an apologetic tone. “The car won’t start, so I was wondering if you could take Angelo to work. He doesn’t want to be late.”

  Leo moved the cell away for a second to see that it was 6:15 a.m. “Okay, I’m on my way.”

  “Are you sure? You sound tired.”

  Leo wasn’t going to tell his mom he’d fallen asleep at Felicity’s. “I’m fine. Tell Angelo to be ready.” He hung up, then set aside the blanket that had been draped over him. He stretched and wondered how in the world he’d fallen asleep. He’d washed off the plates while Felicity was on the phone with Livvy. He could tell she was unloading everything, and it brought him relief that she could do so with her friend.

  He’d gone into the garage and looked at her car. He wasn’t an expert, but he was pretty sure it just needed engine oil. The thing was bone dry.

  Then he’d come inside to find that Felicity was still on the phone. So he must have lain down on the couch and fallen asleep. Granted, he hadn’t slept much the past week. Now, he walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water, and General came trotting in. “Want to go out back?”

  Leo walked down the hall, passing Felicity’s room. He paused in the doorway. Her dark hair spilled over a pillow, and she had a blanket pulled up nearly to her chin as she faced away from the door. Leo was glad she was getting some rest. He let General outside, then about ten minutes later, he called for the dog to come back in. Leo didn’t want to interfere with Felicity’s routine. When he passed by her bedroom, she still hadn’t moved.

  Leo fed the dog, then decided to write a note to Felicity instead of texting her. It would be more personal. He found a pad of paper in one of the kitchen drawers, then sat down to write the note.

  Dear Felicity,

  Thanks for the couch. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I guess those omelets were more work than I thought they’d be. I fed General, so don’t let him tell you differently. Heading into work soon, and I hope you’ll call me if you need anything. Truly. I meant everything I said last night.

  Leo

  There were other things he wanted to say, but he refrained. Today would probably be another hard day for her, but at least she had Livvy, and hopefully she’d not hesitate to call him either.

  Leo left the house and climbed into his car. The drive to his parents didn’t take long, and Angelo was waiting when Leo pulled up.

  When Angelo climbed in, Leo noticed that his cousin had cut his hair short and looked neater and more put together than usual.

  “How’s Dad doing?”

  “Pretty good,” Angelo said. “The nurse will be here soon, and I made sure to fix breakfast for your mom before I left.”

  “Thanks.”

  Angelo nodded. “I should be thanking you. You and your family have been generous, even during such a hard time for your dad.”

  “Mom says you’ve been helping her out in the evenings,” Leo said.

  Angelo nodded, and Leo could tell he was pleased with the compliment.

  “How’s the job with Grant going?” Le
o asked.

  “He’s working me hard, but I’m learning a lot,” Angelo said. “He said he’d write me a letter of reference to include in my file for my court appearance.”

  Grant was a good man, Leo thought. “That’s Monday, right?”

  “Right.”

  The two men fell into silence the rest of the drive.

  “You know, I’m really sorry about what I did,” Angelo said after a while. “Your mom told me you’re dating the woman who works at the bookstore.”

  Leo said, “Yep,” even though he had no idea what his status was with Felicity.

  “So maybe there was one good thing that came out of my screw-up.”

  Leo threw him a sharp glance. “You’re taking credit for me meeting Felicity because I was the officer on the call?”

  “Well . . .” Angelo shook his head. “No, of course not.”

  Leo slowed in front of the house where Grant’s company had been working on a renovation. “Let me know if you need a ride back to my parents’ later. My shift ends about 8:00 p.m.”

  Angelo nodded, looking too cowed to say anything more. He climbed out and shut the door.

  Leo pulled away from the curb. He had time to go run on his treadmill for an hour, then he’d shower and stop in quickly to check on his parents on the way to the police department. He hoped Felicity would reach out to him at some point today. In the meantime, he’d keep as busy as possible. He felt pretty good, considering. His neck was sore from sleeping on the couch, but his mind was clear.

  He really wished he knew how to help Felicity. He’d never felt so at a loss; the emotions she was dealing with went all the way back to her earliest memories and encompassed her childhood.

  It turned out that running on his treadmill for a few miles, then lifting weights, was just what he needed. Maybe he should try to get Felicity out of the house—away from all the memories that must be surrounding her at her grandparents’, or technically her great-grandparents’.

  Around 8:00 a.m. he stopped by his parents’ after texting Beck that he’d be to the station by 8:30.

  His mom greeted him at the door with a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you until tonight.”

  “I’m on my way to work right now, so I thought I’d stop in.” Leo walked into the house. “How’s Dad?”

  “He’s with the nurse, but you can go in and tell him hello,” his mom said.

  Leo headed down the hallway and walked into the master bedroom.

  His dad was sitting up in bed as a nurse fed him his breakfast. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a clip, and she wore pale pink scrubs.

  She turned with a smile, and he noted that she was a pretty woman; he guessed her to be a couple of years younger than he. “You’re Officer Russo, right?”

  “Right,” he said. He’d never met her before, but more people knew him in Pine Valley than the other way around.

  “Your mom has told me all about you.” The nurse set down the bowl of oatmeal she was holding and held out her hand. “I’m Brooke.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Leo shook her hand, and it was then he noticed it. Maybe it was because Felicity had teased him so much, but Brooke had that gleam in her eyes . . . similar to Lesli’s and Crystal’s. He wanted to groan.

  Brooke tucked some hair behind her ears, keeping her smile on her face. “It’s so great to meet you finally.”

  Finally?

  “I mean, I’m sorry it has to be because of your dad’s stroke.” She picked up the bowl and spooned another bite into his dad’s mouth, almost missing.

  “Uh, yeah.” He stepped up to the bed, feeling Brooke’s gaze on him. He reached for his dad’s hand. “Hi, Dad. It’s Leo. I wanted to say hi.”

  His dad’s gaze connected with Leo’s, but he didn’t say anything.

  Leo’s heart twisted. “So, I’m on my way to the station now, but you’re in good hands here.” He squeezed his dad’s hand but got no return squeeze. His throat was feeling tight, and Brooke was again watching him. He’d have to come back when the nurse was gone.

  “I’ll see you soon, Dad.” Leo released his dad’s hand and stepped away from the bed. “Thanks for everything,” he told Brooke.

  His mom was sitting in the living room, flipping through a magazine, when he passed by.

  She rose to her feet, but Leo said, “I can let myself out. Call me on my cell if you need anything.”

  “Leo,” she said, coming toward him. “Do you think Felicity would like to come to dinner Sunday night?”

  “I think you have enough things going on,” Leo said.

  “I need something to look forward to.”

  Leo exhaled. “Angelo will be here.”

  Her eyes rounded. “Yes, I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Things are kind of complicated with Felicity’s family right now,” Leo said. “She might not want to be around a whole lot of Russos.”

  His mom nodded, but her eyes still held questions.

  “Gotta run,” he said, bending to kiss her cheek.

  Once inside his car, he checked his phone to see that there was nothing from Felicity. Hopefully she was still asleep.

  Fifteen minutes after he reached the station, they received a call that was one he always dreaded. Pine Valley was peaceful for the most part, but abusers lived everywhere. When it involved kids, Leo wanted to skip the entire judicial process and book the child abuser straight into jail.

  When Leo hung up with the dispatcher, he told Beck, “We’ve got a domestic on Rain Street. There are children involved.”

  Beck was out of his chair in an instant, grabbing his things, and the two of them hurried to the patrol car.

  “The chief’s already on his way,” Leo said. “He’ll probably get there first.”

  Beck nodded. When it came to these calls, there wasn’t much to say between them on the drive over.

  The neighborhood was in the oldest part of town. A lot of the houses were rentals, and they attracted lower-income families who had a whole host of challenges. The chief’s patrol car was parked in front of the house, and as Leo pulled up, Chief Waring climbed out.

  “Do you know the family?” Leo asked.

  Chief Waring shook his head. “They’ve only been in the house for a few weeks, according to the neighbor who called. They moved from Sacramento and have small kids. They haven’t paid any rent, so they’re being evicted. Child Protective Services is on their way.”

  Leo approached the door and knocked while Beck and the chief stayed off the porch, keeping a close watch.

  The door cracked open, and a heavily pregnant woman stood there. She had an old bruise below one of her eyes, but the blood on her cracked lip was fresh.

  “Mrs. Peters?” Leo said. “I’m Officer Russo, and I’m here to check on your family.”

  The woman started to cry.

  “Ma’am, is your husband at home?”

  “H-he’s passed out on the bed,” she said. “He was drinking and . . .” She covered her mouth with her hand and closed her eyes.

  “Can we come inside?”

  She nodded and opened the door wider.

  The smell was awful, and Leo tried not to gag. How some people lived was beyond him, but the pathetic state of the crying woman made him swallow back judgment.

  The kitchen table was scarred with cigarette burns and filled with containers of old food and empty beer cans.

  “Do you have kids?” Leo asked as the chief and Beck surveyed the front rooms.

  “Two, and one on the way,” Mrs. Peters said in a quiet voice.

  “How are they doing?” Leo asked.

  “They’re . . .” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They’re scared of their daddy.”

  “Did your husband hit you, Mrs. Peters?”

  Her eyes widened, but Leo kept his gaze on hers and hoped she could see the compassion in his eyes. He wasn’t here to make her life worse, only better. If she accepted his help.

  “Yes,” she finally said.

&nbs
p; “We have a women’s shelter here in Pine Valley,” Leo said. “You and your children will be safe there until you figure out where you want to go next.”

  She blinked back new tears. “What about Dale?”

  “He needs to get his life in order,” Leo said. “And as awful as it sounds, sometimes pressing charges is the best thing that can ever happen for a man who’s in his situation. He’ll get the help he needs, and you and your kids will be safe.”

  Mrs. Peters wiped at her face. “I don’t know if I can do it. He’ll be so angry.”

  “I understand,” Leo said, although he didn’t want to understand. “Think about what you want for your kids. Do you want them to be scared all of the time? And what about your baby? Do you want your baby to be in danger?”

  “No.” A moment passed, then two. “I’ll press charges.”

  Relief pulsed through Leo.

  Someone knocked on the door, and Beck opened it. Two women stood on the porch, both from Child Protective Services. Things went into full motion from there, and soon Beck and the chief had Dale Peters in handcuffs, going out the door, protesting the whole way.

  It was over an hour later that Leo and Beck finally left the property. They’d seen Mrs. Peters and her kids on their way to the women’s shelter.

  “I’ll see you boys back at the station,” the chief told them.

  Leo and Beck climbed into the car, and Leo took a final look at the sad, lonely house before pulling away from the neighborhood.

  “I’m starving,” Beck said. “Want to swing by the Main Street Café?”

  “How can you eat after being around that?”

  Beck exhaled. “I’m a stress eater, I guess. What do you do with stress?”

  Good question. “Stay busy. Lose sleep. Run on the treadmill.” That pretty much described his entire week.

  “Well, normal people eat comfort food,” Beck said. “Turn here. I’ll run in and grab something. You don’t have to come in if you don’t want.”

  “Maybe you can get me one of those giant muffins.”

  “Not a protein shake and a pack of trail mix?” Beck asked.

  Leo cracked a smile. “Do they have that at the café?”