by Kay Correll
“That was a stupid thing to do.” Kurt yanked away, took two steps toward the corner, and grabbed Bobby’s baseball bat leaning against the wall. “Really stupid thing to do.” He twirled the bat in a lazy loop then tightened his grasp on it, stepping closer toward AJ. He raised the weapon, but it stopped mid-arc as he swung it behind him.
“I’ll take that.” Eddie stood in the doorway, Bobby’s bat firmly in his hand.
Kurt whirled around. “You again,” he growled. He lunged at Eddie and caught him with an uppercut.
Eddie shook his head and rubbed his jaw. “Yes, me again. I’m not sure you quite understand the definition of a restraining order.” Eddie’s words were calm as if talking to a child. “It goes like this. You broke it. Your bail is going to be revoked. And I’m adding in assault charges along with kidnapping and anything else I can think of.”
“Right, old man. Like you’re going to stop me.”
“If he doesn’t. I will.” AJ circled over to stand by Eddie’s side.
“Gentlemen. I’ll take over.” The sheriff stepped up behind them. They moved aside and let him through. “I thought we’d seen the last of you, son.”
Kurt looked around the room, searching for an escape.
“Pretty sure the odds of you getting out of here without handcuffs are nonexistent.” The sheriff held out a pair of cuffs.
Kurt lunged toward the door, and AJ threw himself at the man, taking him down in a thud of limbs and bodies. Eddie caught one of Kurt’s arms, and the sheriff clicked the cuff on his other wrist. They dragged him to his feet, and the sheriff fastened the second cuff.
“I’m getting pretty tired of hauling you off. Let’s make sure you just stay in jail from now on, what do you say?”
The sheriff led Kurt out the door. Kurt let out a stream of curse words in his wake.
Eddie turned to AJ. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” He rubbed his cheekbone, fairly certain he’d be sporting a black eye.
Eddie put his arm around AJ’s shoulder. “Thank you for getting here so quickly. For helping my family. Come on. Let’s find Courtney and Bobby and make sure they’re okay.” Eddie paused. “And I’m going to make it my mission in life to make sure that man never sees a day out of his jail cell ever again.”
AJ thought that was probably the best life mission statement he’d ever heard.
Chapter 20
Courtney stood in the middle of the courtyard outside the bungalow with Bobby held tightly in her arms. She savored the feel of him, the scent of him, the way his hands clutched around her neck. She thanked God, the universe, her lucky stars, and anyone else she could think of that this sweet boy was back in her arms.
And she especially thanked AJ.
She looked across the parking lot, watching the sheriff stuff Kurt into the back of his deputy’s car. Kurt sent one more menacing glare in her direction.
Tally put her arm around Courtney’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry about him. We’ll make sure he can never come after you again.”
“Mr. Hamilton.” Bobby wriggled out of her arms and raced across to where AJ and Eddie walked across the courtyard toward them. He threw his arms around AJ.
AJ scooped the boy up and hugged him. “Hey, kiddo. Glad to see you’re okay.” He frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m a tough guy. Kurt doesn’t scare me. And Grams said he’s gone for good this time.”
“He will be. I’ll make sure of that.” Eddie’s words couldn’t have sounded more certain.
AJ walked over to her and let Bobby slide to the ground. She couldn’t help herself. She knelt down and pulled Bobby into her arms again.
“Courtney, I’m so sorry.” AJ’s face twisted with guilt.
She shook her head. “No, this wasn’t your fault.”
“Of course it was. I shouldn’t have let Bobby out of my sight. Any grown person knows that much.”
Before she could stop AJ’s apology, Bobby wrestled free from her grasp and turned to look at her. “Momma, you’re gonna be mad at me.”
“Oh, honey. I’m not mad at you.” She hugged him then trailed her hand along his cheek.
“But… I saw Kurt the other day. On the beach when I was playing with AJ. I saw him, but then I thought I was just ’magining it. I should have told you, then he wouldn’t have gotten me.”
“Oh, Bobby. It’s not your fault. None of this.”
“It was Kurt you thought you saw?” AJ’s voice sounded incredulous, and he looked even more guilty if that were even possible. “I had no idea. I thought… it was just part of our game. I should have listened to you better. I messed that one up, too.”
“None of this is your fault or Bobby’s fault. And I’m just grateful you showed up when you did.”
“It should never have happened.”
“Stop it.” Courtney looked up at him. “This is Kurt’s doing. Not yours.”
Bobby looked up at AJ then, his eyes no longer filled with fear, the tears dried on his face. Her heart finally released its death grip on her breath. Bobby was going to be okay. He’d probably have nightmares again, but with Tally’s and Eddie’s help, they’d make sure that once again he’d feel safe.
“You saved me again, Mr. Hamilton. You’re like a real hero.” Bobby grinned up at AJ, his face covered in an adoring smile.
Somehow, AJ didn’t feel like anyone’s savior. He felt like a screwup. Kurt should never have been able to get to Bobby, especially when Courtney had entrusted her son to him. And look how that had turned out.
He looked down at the bright red streak across Courtney’s face and the swollen lip. Her shirt was torn at the neck. His heart shattered into tiny pieces. He shouldn’t have let this happen. “It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been so—”
“Tell you what. How about we take Bobby to Magic Cafe. I think we could make him up a vanilla shake. How about that?” Tally looked pointedly at him and Courtney. “Courtney, why don’t you and AJ go back inside? See if…” She paused and looked down at Bobby. “You might want to clean up. And you two should talk.”
“That’s a good idea.” Courtney stood up shakily.
He wanted to rush over and help her, hold her steady. But he held back, unsure of himself.
“Bobby, you go with Eddie and Tally, and I’ll meet you there soon.” Courtney kissed Bobby on the top of his head.
“You going to have ice cream too when you come over?”
“You bet. Save me some.”
“You should bring Mr. Hamilton, too. You get hungry when you save people, you know.”
Courtney gave the boy a tired smile. AJ watched her stand silently as Tally and Eddie took Bobby away. She didn’t move until they were out of sight then turned to him. “Come on in.”
He did as she asked. The least he could do was help straighten up the mess in her apartment before Bobby got back.
They walked inside, and he saw a broken vase on the floor. A framed photo rested amid a sea of broken glass. A chair was overturned, and Bobby’s bat sat on the floor, no longer a menacing weapon, just a small boy’s sporting equipment. “I’ll clean this up.”
“I’ll be out to help in a moment. I’m just going to go put on a clean shirt and wash my face.” She turned and slowly walked down the hallway to her bedroom.
He straightened the room as best he could, picking up the broken shards of the vase, the pieces of glass, and righting the bat in the corner with Bobby’s glove. He paused in his chores and froze in place. The sound of muffled sobs drifted out from Courtney’s bedroom.
The tiny pieces of his shattered heart grated inside of him, shredding him raw. He set aside the dustpan and walked down the hallway. “Court?” He knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”
“I—okay.”
He pushed the door open. She sat on the floor at the end of the bed, her eyes rimmed in red, tears flowing down her cheeks. He swallowed, trying to catch his breath, trying to survive the surge of pain stabbing throu
gh him.
“Ah, Court. I’m so, so sorry.” He slipped onto the floor beside her and gently put his arm around her.
“I… I just can’t pull myself together.” A small sob escaped her swollen lips.
“I don’t think you have to. You’ve been through a lot today. Bobby was missing. And there was Kurt and…” He reached out and, ever so gently, as light as a feather, touched her reddened cheek. “I wish I could have stopped this from happening.”
The guilt crushed him, sucking all the oxygen from his lungs. If only he’d kept Bobby with him, held his hand. Or even if he’d asked Bobby more questions when the boy had seen Kurt on the beach. Not just pushed it off as his boyish imagination. AJ just kept making mistakes, and Courtney had paid dearly for them.
She leaned against him, and slowly her sobs subsided. She wiped a hand across her face, streaking the tears, and smiled weakly at him. “There, see. I’m all better.”
“You don’t have to be better for me.” He tried to soothe her with his words.
“I am going to get up now and wash my face and change my shirt. I don’t want Bobby to see me like this.”
He stood and reached a hand down for her. She slipped her hand in his, which only reminded him that he should have been holding Bobby’s hand today.
Every. Single. Minute.
He turned away and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him, knowing what he had to do.
Courtney gave one last look in the bathroom mirror. Her cheek was a bright rosy red, her lips swollen, and a small split was evident on her upper lip. There wasn’t much makeup could do to hide it, and the thought of touching her face to put makeup on was more than she could bear. A clean-washed face was it for now.
She shrugged off the torn shirt and held it in her hands, staring at it. In a fit of fury, she balled it up and tossed it in the trash. Bruises showed on her bare skin where Kurt had grabbed her. She shuddered as she rubbed her hands softly up and down her arms.
Hopefully, now he truly would be out of their lives. With one last look at the marks Kurt had left on her body, she hurried out to the bedroom and grabbed a clean shirt, carefully pulling it on, her muscles and bruises screaming in protest.
She was going to be okay, though. She was. So was Bobby. Kurt was not going to ruin the life they had here. He wasn’t. She’d do everything in her power to make sure he never, ever got a chance to get near Bobby again.
Feeling empowered with her new resolution, she headed back out to see what damage was done to the apartment and get it straightened up before Bobby got home.
AJ stood by the window, looking out. The room was all picked up, everything back in place. No sign of anything broken. No sign Kurt had ever been here.
“AJ, you didn’t have to do all that, but thank you.” She crossed the room and stood by him. When he didn’t answer, she softly rested her hand on his arm. “I’m so grateful you showed up when you did.”
He turned to her, his face a picture of torture. “But I didn’t get here soon enough, did I? And I was the one who left Bobby alone so Kurt could get to him. And I didn’t listen to him about seeing Kurt on the beach. So many mistakes.”
“It’s not your fault.” She didn’t know how to reassure him and how many times she’d have to repeat herself.
“But it’s a consequence of my actions, my mistakes.” He let out a long breath as if he was letting out all the air in his entire body in one pain-filled whoosh. “My father is right about me. I’m just one mistake after the next.”
“AJ, don’t say that.”
“But it’s true.”
“Come on, let’s go get that ice cream at Magic Cafe. We just need time to relax and put this behind us.” She pulled on his arm.
He looked straight into her eyes with a stare that seemed to pierce her very soul. “I will never, ever get over this. Not what happened to you. Not what Bobby went through. I think it’s best…” He turned away, breaking their connection and leaving her instantly adrift. “I think it’s best I just leave you two alone. I… I can’t do this. My irresponsibility and mistakes… I can’t make mistakes that hurt others.”
“But—”
He put a finger to her lips and shook his head. “It’s for the best. Tell Bobby goodbye for me.”
He turned and walked out of the bungalow, closing the door firmly behind him, the sound echoing across the room. She stood by the window, alone, in aching loneliness.
Chapter 21
Courtney looked over at Bobby playing at a table in the corner of Magic Cafe. Eddie had brought a board game, and the two of them laughed as they played and drank large glasses of lemonade. Courtney hadn’t been able to bear to let Bobby go to his sitter’s, and Eddie had watched him the last few days, often hanging out at the restaurant together.
Courtney wandered back to Tally’s office to see if she needed any help. Tally looked up from the computer and smiled. There was so much love in Tally’s eyes that she grabbed the doorframe in support. That instant love and acceptance, it still caught her off guard. This whole having a family was so new and special and almost magical at times.
“Come, sit. Take a short break.” Tally patted the chair next to her desk.
“I came to see if I could help with anything. My waitress shift is over, but I could help out in here with business things. Eddie and Bobby are immersed in a game of Chutes and Ladders. I think they’re both cheating.” She smiled as she sank onto the offered chair.
“Probably.” Tally shoved aside a stack of papers she’d been working on. “So, are you doing okay?”
“I am. At least, I think so.”
“The offer still stands to move in with Eddie and me.”
She had to admit the offer sounded better and better. Maybe if they’d moved in with her grandparents, all this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe her fierce need for independence had contributed to all the trouble with Kurt.
“I recognize that look. You’re feeling guilty. Stop it.” Tally pushed her chair back from the desk.
“I… I just want to make it on my own. But I know Bobby would love living with you. But I do like our bungalow, and Bobby has friends living only a few doors down.” She could probably overthink her decision for hours…
“Well, you decide what you think is best. We fully support any choice you make, you know that.”
“Thanks.”
Tally sat up straight. “So, tell me. I haven’t seen any sign of AJ in a few days. How’s he doing?”
“He… I haven’t seen him.”
A frown crossed her face. “Is he out of town?”
“No… he thought it was better if we don’t see each other. I… I think he thinks we’re—Bobby and me—too much responsibility. He feels guilty about Kurt taking Bobby and me getting hit.” She reached up and touched her cheek, knowing an ugly yellow bruise covered her cheekbone, even though she tried to hide it with makeup.
“I’m sorry he feels so responsible.”
“I just… well, I shouldn’t have let Bobby get so close to him. Bobby keeps asking where AJ is. And… I don’t know how to explain it to him. He’s hurt and confused.”
“It’s a tough thing for a little boy to understand. All the twists and turns of adult relationships.”
“Well, I won’t make the same mistake again. I really have no desire to date, but if I ever do, I won’t let Bobby get involved with whoever I date. I’m not going to let him get hurt again. And AJ didn’t even say goodbye to him.”
Her heart grabbed in her chest, and exhausted anger pulsed through her, along with guilt for letting Bobby befriend AJ. Now Bobby looked at her with sad eyes when he asked each day if AJ was going to watch him again and play starfish invaders. She learned a powerful lesson at Bobby’s expense.
Just how many mistakes could she make with Bobby? She’d made so very, very many. And all she’d ever wanted was to provide him with a better childhood than the one she’d had.
Tally looked at her granddaughter. She was
lost in her own thoughts. Tally was pretty sure Courtney was beating herself up about AJ and Bobby. She stood and reached out a hand. “Come on. Let’s go out and have some lemonade with Eddie and Bobby. See how their game is going. I bet you’re tired and would like to head back to your bungalow.”
They went out to the deck and over to where Eddie and Bobby were sitting.
“Hi, Momma. Guess what? I won the last two games.”
“You did?”
“Yep.”
She and Courtney sat down at the table, and she poured them lemonade and watched while Eddie and Bobby continued their game. Courtney sat still lost in thought.
Tally looked up to see Delbert Hamilton and Camille standing beside the table. Delbert smiled a wide, good-to-see-you smile. Camille—not so much. Her smile was artificial with a hint of annoyance.
“Good to see all of you.” Delbert turned to Bobby. “How’ve you been, Bobby?”
“I’m fine, Mr. Hamilton. Did you know you have the same name as Momma’s Mr. Hamilton?”
Delbert smiled. “I do. He’s my cousin.”
Bobby frowned. “I don’t think I have any of those, do I, Momma?”
“No, afraid not.”
“Well, good, then there won’t be so many people with the same name as me.” He turned back to the game.
“Say, how about you all come to Camille’s party this weekend? It’s Saturday. I know it’s short notice, but we’d love for you to come, wouldn’t we, darlin’?”
Tally was pretty sure the expression on Camille’s face said she didn’t agree with him.
“Oh, I don’t know. The cafe is so busy on the weekend.” Tally shook her head.
“Oh, but we’d love for you to come.” Delbert glanced at Camille.
“Well, if they’re busy…” Camille didn’t even try to hide her relief at the excuse.
And that annoyed Tally. “Well, I bet we could probably find someone to run the cafe that night. What do you say, Courtney? Wouldn’t it be fun to go out?”
