Always the One

by Tara Randel

  Yes, Derrick ought to go.

  “Look, Derrick, I think you should leave now.” She walked to the couch where he’d dropped his jacket. “Mom and I are fine. You can take off now that your curiosity’s appeased.”

  “It’s more than that and you know it.”

  “That’s all it can be.” She handed him his jacket and crossed to open the front door. The freezing night air sent shivers over her skin, the cold waking her up to reality. She jutted her chin, hoping it made her look tougher than she felt. “You don’t deserve to be in our lives after what you did.”

  “Correction, after what your father did. And I only just found you.”

  “I don’t want you here.” Yeah, it was a lie, but his standing here was a reminder of what she’d lost. What they’d lost. No amount of hoping was ever going to change what had transpired in their past.

  He didn’t move.

  She opened the door wider, not taking no for an answer.

  “Fine,” he said, fisting the jacket in his hands. “But until I find out who sent that stone, until I get answers, I’ll be around.” He brushed by her and marched into the frigid night. His words sent tremors over her that had nothing to do with the weather.

  * * *

  SIX DAYS LATER, Derrick stood outside the front entrance of Ponderosa Day School, dressed in an official security guard shirt, jeans and boots, watching students file into the tan building after being dropped off in the car zone. He’d gotten more than one curious look. Most of the kids were expecting to see an older man, Glen Harvey, on duty, but today and until he solved the gem situation, they’d get Derrick.

  After talking with Hannah on the first night he arrived, Derrick was legitimately concerned about her. Not only because of her mother’s health issues, which she was handling admirably, but also because of the fact that at some point her father had taken off. That in itself raised red flags. He needed to find out if they were still under WITSEC protection since Hannah gave so little information. After settling into a hotel room, he had checked into the school where she worked, looking for a way to stay close. He discovered that the private school hired guards from a local security firm. Armed with the name of the company, Derrick applied for a position with the security company the next morning.

  Using an alias, he’d created for the occasional undercover FBI op, Derrick Fields was vetted through a background and fingerprint check, then hired. When he showed up for his first day of work, he went through an orientation and then came the conversation about where he would be assigned. He made sure to point out that he thought working at schools was a high priority and had noticed that Ponderosa Day School was in the middle of a security upgrade. Relying on his innate power of persuasion, he asked to be sent there to assist the lone guard during the system upgrade. Thankfully, the owner agreed.

  Now Derrick was on duty, bright and early on a clear and crisp Monday morning, good to go.

  Until Hannah found him here. Then he expected fireworks.

  He nodded at a group of girls. A buzz sounded and then a click as the door opened. Their laughter faded when the heavy door closed behind them. It was another freezing day, even with the sun shining. He rubbed his hands together and blew on them as a young boy strolled right up to him.

  “Where’s Glen?”

  “In his office.”

  “You taking over?”

  “No, just helping out.”

  “You got training?”

  Derrick fought back a grin. “Extensive.”

  The boy nodded as if satisfied.

  “I got my eyes on you,” the kid said, leveling Derrick with a serious gaze.

  “Then I hope to live up to your expectations...?”

  “Tommy. I run this place.”

  “Do you? Then I’ll see you after school for a report.”

  The boy’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

  “Those of us who watch out for this place should compare notes.”

  A bell rang. Tommy shifted his backpack. “I’ll be there.”

  The boy hurried inside and Derrick allowed himself a small smile. As more children entered, he found he approved of the remote lock system. Those outside the building had to press a button to be allowed inside. A camera installed high in the corner at an angle facing the entrance offered the office staff a view of whoever wanted to gain admittance. Since this was a smaller school, the principal had informed him that the staff knew the parents or those permitted to come into the school on a child’s behalf. In the aftermath of school tragedies, Derrick was glad this administration implemented serious security.

  Shaking off the cold, he scanned the parking lot. Fewer students were arriving now that the last bell was about to ring before classes. A gray sedan pulled into a slot and Hannah emerged from the car, wearing the same coat as yesterday. She zigzagged through the cars as she hurried up the sidewalk to the main door. She stopped abruptly when she saw him.

  “Good morning, Miss Rawley.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Working.”

  “You have a job.”

  “Yep. Security officer at Ponderosa Day School.”

  “No,” she glanced around and stage-whispered, “with the FBI.”

  “I told you I wasn’t leaving until I get the entire truth out of you.” He held out his hand to shake. “Derrick Fields. Additional help until the new security system here is in full working order.”

  She barely contained an eye roll.

  He wanted to laugh but couldn’t. Apparently, she’d forgotten how tenacious he could be. There were holes in her story, which he was desperate to fill in. And her father leaving? Why would he do that? From what Derrick could remember, he’d doted on his wife and daughter. There was more she hadn’t revealed and he was the guy to get to the bottom of things.

  And then there was the boyfriend issue. Or fiancé? He glanced down to find a bright, shiny diamond on Hannah’s ring finger. His heart lurched. Yeah, he hadn’t quite decided how to react to that piece of news.

  “You’re unbelievable,” she muttered through clenched teeth.

  “So I’ve been told.”

  She blew out a breath. “Derrick, you can’t stay here.” She looked down at her finger. “It’s complicated.”

  “You keep telling me that, but, put simply, I want to help.”

  She met his gaze, heat flashing in her eyes. “No one asked you.”

  He shrugged. “Never stopped me from inserting myself anyway.”

  “Fine. Suit yourself.”

  As she passed by, he fell into step beside her. “Hannah, you have the look of a woman who has too much on her plate. Even though you think I’m where I don’t belong or I’m a huge inconvenience, please let me hang around for a while to assure myself you’re okay. Is that too much to ask?”

  They stood in the bright sunlight, eyes locked. Yesterday when his vision had been blurry, he’d missed the smattering of freckles scattered over her nose and cheeks. Standing this close reminded him of the times they would disagree and have a silent standoff until one of them conceded. The bell rang again and she blinked.

  “I need to get to my students,” she said, sweeping past him to enter the building.

  Since she didn’t argue with his decision to be here, he took that as approval. He remained at his post for five more minutes. When no additional students showed up, he went inside. The warmth of the building made his fingers tingle. He’d never been a fan of the colder weather, even though he lived in DC, preferring tropical climates instead.

  He turned the corner to head to the main office. He’d already gone over the layout of the school and where Hannah’s classroom was located. After hanging his jacket in the small room that served as the security office, he checked the schedule on the desk. Time to patrol the halls.

  Just before he left the room
, his cell phone rang. He smiled when he glimpsed his mother’s name on caller ID.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Derrick. So glad I caught you. I wasn’t sure if you’d answer the phone since you’re on vacation.”

  “For you, always.”

  “Here’s the thing,” she said getting right to the point. “I’m busy planning the wedding. It’s only weeks away and I’ve decided I want your opinion as I go along.”

  “Mine?”

  “Not just yours. Your brothers’, too.”

  “Why?”

  “This is such a big deal. I never imagined I’d ever get remarried. I thought your father and I would grow old together.”

  His throat went tight at the sorrow in his mother’s voice.

  “But here we are. And since things with James got off to a rocky start, I’d feel so much better if I could chat with you from time to time about my ideas.”

  How could he say no? This was an unexpected gesture he realized he couldn’t turn down. “Sure. Contact me any time you want.”

  He heard her sigh of relief. “Thank you. I know you’re off on some grand adventure, so I promise not to bother you too often.”

  “I mean it, Mom, any time.”

  “You’re a wonderful son. I wish you could find a woman to love.”

  “Mom,” he warned.

  “I know, I know, stay out of your love life. But still, a mother worries.”

  “Focus that energy on your wedding. It’ll be better spent planning the details.”

  “You’re right.” She drew in a breath. “Okay, panic over. Now, how is your trip?”

  “You know, same old.”

  “That doesn’t tell me a thing.”

  “Nothing to tell.” Yet. He hoped that would change in the near future.

  “Where—oh, James just walked in the door. I should run.”

  “Bye, Mom.”

  He hung up, thinking that despite the moment of sadness in her voice, his mother sounded good. Must be the excitement of the upcoming nuptials. He chuckled at the thought of his mother wanting his input. His steps echoed off the concrete walls as he walked down the deserted hallway lined with lockers. The familiar smell of paste, chalk and rubber erasers, mixed with the stringent odor of cleaning supplies, had him recalling his school years.

  He’d had a great childhood. Parents who had loved him, brothers who were his friends. His father had made sure to engage in an activity with each of his boys, making them feel connected in a special way. He and his dad had bonded over woodworking, his father teaching him how to use specialized tools to create mini works of art out of chunks of wood. The skill also came in handy when he had to make repairs around the house.

  It wasn’t until Hannah that he understood the meaning of romantic love. And the pain of losing that love. Hannah’s leaving had not only torn his heart apart, it had put a huge strain on his relationship with his father.

  When Derrick had confronted him after finding the Rawlings family gone, his father had remained silent. Derrick railed, asking if he had taken the information Derrick had confided in him and used it against the Rawlingses. His father had justified his actions by saying he was looking out for the best interests of the family. That he was a police officer sworn to uphold the law. Even though he never revealed what happened, they’d argued and a wide chasm had formed between them, lasting right up until the day his father suddenly died. Derrick had never repaired the relationship and it had haunted him ever since. He didn’t want that for himself and Hannah.

  He shook off the bitter memories as he stopped at the door to Hannah’s classroom. Peeked in through the window. Chalk held by slim fingers, she was writing on the board, teaching a math equation, it looked like. She wore a slim-fitting green dress and tall black boots. The fluorescent lights shone down on her beautiful hair, pulled back again, only today a few reckless curls escaped confinement. He could just make out the lilt of her voice through the barrier between them.

  The walls were covered with various posters, the desks lined up in straight rows. He noticed two types of students: those studiously writing down the information Hannah presented, and the others, talking to their neighbor or gazing out the window. One industrious student hurled spitballs at the girls seated in the desks in front of him. Like every teacher in the world who had eyes in the back of their head, Hannah turned a stern look on the children, bringing the group back to order.

  He wished she’d called him the night she left. Did she even try? The Marshals wouldn’t have allowed it, but he and Hannah had such a close relationship—or at least he thought they did. Couldn’t she have found a way? It still hurt that she hadn’t let him know what was going on. Surely she could have snuck around the authorities? He would have if their positions had been reversed.

  Realizing these were questions to be posed at a different time, he continued his rounds. By the time the lunch buzzer sounded, he was ready for some action.

  The large cafeteria was bustling with activity, noise echoing off the high ceilings. The hot lunch aroma had his stomach growling, but he stood in the designated spot to observe as the kids found their places at the tables. He might be here to get the truth out of Hannah, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take this job seriously.

  As the kids got busy eating, Derrick noticed a motion out of the corner of his eye. The young boy from earlier, Tommy, stood by his table and wildly waved his arms. Curious, Derrick headed his way.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “The guys don’t believe I’m working with you.”

  Derrick swallowed a chuckle. “Well, technically, you’re a student.”

  “So am I working with you or not?”

  “In a limited capacity.”

  “What does that mean?” asked a smaller boy with glasses and a serious expression.

  “It means I do the work, but I will listen to Tommy’s report at the end of the day.”

  Tommy puffed his chest out, fist-bumping the boys around him. The serious boy motioned Derrick to come closer. Leaning over, the boy whispered in his ear, “Tommy is mean.”

  “Really?”

  “He thinks he’s the boss of everyone.”

  Derrick sent Tommy a narrow-eyed glance. The kid suddenly looked unsure of himself.

  “Can you make him stop?”

  “I can certainly try.”

  This earned him a big grin and a serious case of hero worship. He wanted to show these kids how to get along without taking advantage of their places in the power structure. He’d hated that hierarchy when he was in school and imagined it hadn’t changed much.

  The lunch hour ended and Derrick spent the afternoon doing various security tasks: patroling the campus, going over the surveillance equipment with Glen, monitoring some of the student activities. With only a half hour left of classes, Derrick headed to his position outside the front door to watch over the lineup of cars for student pickup. He hadn’t gotten far when he heard a ruckus come from the direction of Hannah’s room. He took off on a brisk run and skidded in front of the door. The voices were louder now, more alarmed. He pushed the door open to step into bedlam.

  Girls were running about, checking inside desks and cubbies. Boys scurried around the perimeter of the room, rummaging through bookshelves. Hannah was calling them to order, without much success. Tommy stood before a cage, the door wide-open, a grimace on his face.

  Hannah finally noticed Derrick and came over.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, his tone sharp, his reflexes ready to take control of the situation.

  “Sally is missing.”

  His instincts to protect a child kicked in. “Can you give me a description?”

  “She’s stout and short legged, with short brown hair, a bit fuzzy, wearing a pink ribbon.”

  He gaped at Hannah as she described her stude
nt.

  “Sally’s our class guinea pig and she’s escaped her cage.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  HANNAH LEFT HIS SIDE, her brow puckered in concern, and hurried to the young boy, who looked close to tears.

  “I was cleaning the cage. It had you know and she got loose,” Tommy explained.

  She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Sally can’t have gotten far.”

  Skirting the kids running around the room, Derrick came to her side. “What can I do?”

  She shot him an amused glance. “You’re the federal agent. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

  Was she purposely goading him? That satisfied smile sure said so. How he’d missed her sassy attitude. And her eyes, sparkling like she was keeping a secret only the two of them were privy to. He couldn’t tear his gaze from her. Until she pointed to the students. Right. Back to work.

  Hands on hips, he surveyed the room and came up...empty. He’d stared down criminals, avoided gunshots and been in a high-speed car chase. But this? Children, escaped animals and a beautiful teacher were not covered in the usual job description. He needed to get it together and figure out a way to be useful.

  Before he could come up with a plan, Hannah clapped her hands. “Class, quiet down. You’ll only scare Sally.”

  The volume level dropped. Hannah barked out orders like a seasoned drill sergeant. Impressed, Derrick walked the perimeter of the room, his eyes peeled for movement. He’d just started another circuit when he heard a young voice cry out, “Found her!”

  A small girl cradled the guinea pig in her arms as she carried her back to the cage. She elbowed Tommy out of the way and placed the animal safely inside. “That’s how you take care of Sally,” the girl informed him with a huff.

  Tommy opened his mouth but quickly shut it. Wise move.

  Hannah clapped her hands again. “Okay, class. Let’s get ready for dismissal.”