by Nan Dixon
Footsteps pounded down the hallway. Cheryl called out, “Josh?”
Josh launched himself out of Abby’s arms and into his mother’s. “I don’t want to go with Uncle Levi. Don’t make me,” Josh sobbed.
Levi shifted, reaching for the mother and child.
Abby moved next to Gray. Shoulder to shoulder, they formed a barricade.
“Cheryl, it’s time you came home.” Levi’s voice boomed in the foyer.
“How did you find me?” Cheryl’s voice shook as she tried to shield her son.
“I want you off my property,” Abby said, forcing her voice to be firm. “Now.”
“Not until my sister-in-law comes with me,” Levi rocked back and forth, eying Cheryl and Josh. “I want my money!”
“Cheryl, take Josh in the kitchen and call 911,” Abby said. “Lock the door.”
She heard their footsteps move away, heard Cheryl talking to the dispatcher. But Abby didn’t take her eyes off the man glaring at her.
“Go help Cheryl.” Gray’s arm moved around her shoulder. “Please, love.”
“This is my home. My business.” She wasn’t letting some bully threaten anyone in her home.
“I want to talk to Cheryl.” Levi shuffled sideways, but she and Gray continued to bar the hallway. “She owes me.”
Levi lowered his shoulder and rammed into Abby. She blocked him with her arms just as he hit her. She staggered and fell. Her head smashed the wall, black spots filling her vision.
Gray punched the man in the gut. The hit didn’t even rock the man. Her heart thudded. Levi could kill Gray.
Abby used the wall to help her stand. She needed some sort of weapon. She couldn’t let Gray be hurt.
Levi threw a punch. Gray ducked, danced back and jabbed again. This time Levi’s breath whooshed out.
Abby grabbed the vase from the console table and moved closer to the wrestling men. She needed a clear shot at Levi’s head.
Gray hit him again. Levi stumbled. Fell.
She raised the vase over her head, but Gray was right there, sitting on Levi’s chest.
“Don’t,” Gray gasped. “Cops are coming.”
Sirens wailed, growing louder. She moved around the two men and propped open the door, still holding the heavy vase. Two policemen hurried up the walk.
“In here,” Abby called. “The man on the floor tried to take a little boy.” That should hold Levi for a while.
Levi tried to buck Gray off. Gray rammed his knee in Levi’s groin and Levi squealed.
Gray eased away. He was almost on his feet when Levi kicked him in the arm. Gray fell half on the floor and half on Levi.
“Gray,” she called, her heart pounding. She knelt next to him.
Gray pushed up to sitting position. “I’m okay.”
The police cuffed Levi and pulled him to the door. He glared at Gray and Abby. “I’ll get my family back.”
“You’ll have to come through me,” Gray said, standing and helping Abby up.
“And me,” Abby added, stumbling a little.
Gray wrapped an arm around her, supporting her. “You’re hurt.”
She curled into his shoulder. Even with the hot air pouring in from the open door, she was shivering. “I hit my head.”
He gently examined her head. “Abby, you’ve got a bump back here. You need to go to the hospital.”
She shook her head and saw stars. “I’m fine.”
“I’m getting you some ice.”
She started to refuse again, but he was already explaining to the cop and heading down the hall.
Abby moved into the small parlor and sat on one of the sofas, wrapping her arms around her legs to get warm.
Gray returned with a baggie of ice and Cheryl and Josh. The little boy clung to his mother like a monkey.
Gray sat next to Abby and held the bag to her head.
“I can hold it,” she said.
He touched his forehead to hers. “Let me help, please.”
Abby caved. She should be pushing him away, but she couldn’t. He wrapped his arm around her so she was almost sitting on his lap. Abby leaned back against his chest, and he held her tight.
Cheryl and Josh held on to each other on the love seat, talking to one of the cops.
“Levi was my brother-in-law,” Cheryl said.
“Was?” the young cop asked.
Cheryl brushed her tears away. “My husband, Brad, was killed in Afghanistan.”
Abby’s heart ached for her.
“When we had to move off base, Levi invited us to move into his house.” Cheryl pulled Josh closer to her. “It was okay for a while. But then he wanted my checks.”
“Checks?”
“My dependency checks.” Cheryl rested her head on Josh’s. “He made me sign them over to him.”
“He hurt me,” Josh said, pointing to a scar on his arm. “I pulled him away from Mommy. He made her cry.”
“You were so brave,” Cheryl said, tucking him closer. “You saved me.”
Abby squeezed Gray’s arm. What had they gone through?
Tears dripped from Cheryl’s eyes. She looked at the cop and then at Abby and Gray, her face so pale Abby worried she might pass out. “He said I needed to sleep...” She shook her head rather than finishing the sentence. “I couldn’t. We ran.”
Abby left the warmth of Gray’s arms and hurried over to sit on the coffee table in front of Cheryl. She took the young woman’s hands and warmed them with hers. “You could have told me. Maybe I could have helped in some way.”
Cheryl squeezed her hands. “I thought I was safe. I don’t know how he found us.”
“He was waiting outside the condos,” Gray said, a frown on his face. “I saw him there. He must have followed us.”
“How would he...” Cheryl’s eyes opened wide. “I changed the address with the military last month. I thought it would be confidential.”
The cop asked a few more questions, took statements from both Abby and Gray. Finally he stood. “I think we can hold him for a while. We’ve got plenty of charges.”
Abby helped Cheryl stand while Gray walked the cop to the door.
“You’re staying here tonight,” Abby said.
Cheryl shook her head. “I couldn’t.”
“This isn’t an option, this is an order.” She tried to remember what rooms were booked. “Lucy Hayes is open.” And the room had a Wii in it if Josh needed a distraction. “Can I pick up clothes for you and Josh? Would you let me do that?”
Cheryl’s lip was starting to quiver. “Yes. Thank you.”
“You go rest now.” Abby hugged her. “Does Gray have a key to your apartment?”
Cheryl nodded.
When Gray came back in, Abby gave him a quick update.
“Cheryl and Josh are spending the night here.”
“Good.” He watched them walk up the stairs. Rubbing his knuckles, he said, “I wished I’d gotten in a couple more shots at the guy.”
“I’d like to give him a kick, too.” They were alone in the foyer now. She had to fight the urge to brush back the hair that was falling on his forehead. “I told Cheryl I would pick up some clothes. If you trust me with the key, I can run over there.”
He cupped her face. “Let’s go together.”
She wanted to argue, wanted to keep things strictly professional but couldn’t. Gray had just saved Cheryl and Josh from someone terrible.
She called Marion and asked her to stay for the wine tasting. Then they headed out the door.
The heat took her breath away. Light-headed, she grabbed the rail to keep from falling.
“You should stay.” Gray caught her shoulder. “I’ll go.”
“It’s just the heat. I’ll
be fine.” She forced a smile on her face but couldn’t look him in the eye. He was confusing her again. She’d told him actions spoke louder than words. What were his actions with Cheryl telling her? “It will be easier for Cheryl if a woman goes through her things.”
She saw him nod from the corner of her eye. “You’re right.”
He took her hand. She tried to pull away, but he held on. “If you go down, at least I can keep you from cracking your head again.”
They made the trip in silence. She should have been uncomfortable. She’d walked away from him. Walked away from the man she foolishly loved.
Instead of taking the steps, he guided her to the elevator. “Thanks,” she said, her legs still wobbly.
He let her into the warehouse and then a small first-floor apartment.
The place wasn’t spotless, but it was clean. Two pair of shoes sat on a mat, one for Cheryl and one for Josh. In the kitchen, Josh’s pictures covered the fridge.
The kitchen table, the sofa and television in the living room, even the beds, were all new. “You furnished their apartment, didn’t you?” she asked.
Gray shrugged.
She moved to the closet and the drawers. “Can you find a suitcase?”
He nodded and left the room while she pulled out underwear, shorts and a top for Cheryl. Then she moved on to Josh’s room. Bunk beds with Spider-Man sheet sets. Had Gray bought those, too? Had he noticed that Josh loved Spider-Man? She grabbed the same array of clothes for him.
Gray came back with a duffel bag, pulling off the tags as he approached.
“You bought that for them?” She hadn’t heard him leave the apartment.
He shrugged again. “They don’t have any luggage. I found this down the street.”
She packed everything away. “I think that’s it.”
He took the bag from her. There was blood on his knuckles, which were swollen and red.
“Your hand.”
He started to shrug.
“Don’t you dare shrug this off,” she hissed. “You were holding ice on my head when you should have been taking care of your hand.”
He grinned—and shrugged.
She shook her head and stomped out the door. Gray was so confusing. First acting like a hero and then an ass.
* * *
GRAY HELD BACK a wince as Abby held his hand on the walk back to the B and B. Both his hands ached, but he wasn’t letting go. Maybe they could rebuild their relationship.
“Will Levi stay in jail?” she asked.
If Gray were in Boston, he’d be able to call a family friend in the district attorney’s office. But this was Savannah. “I got the cop’s card. I’ll check with him later.”
“I should have locked the front door.” She looked sideways at him. “Just in case they let him go.”
“He won’t be out that quickly.”
She nodded, releasing a big breath. “I knew Cheryl was afraid. I should have asked more questions.”
“I could have, too.” This wasn’t Abby’s fault—or her responsibility.
“She doesn’t trust men.” She bumped his shoulder, hitting a bruise. “She can barely look at you, even with everything you’ve done for her and Josh.”
“That’s true.” Was that Abby’s problem? No, Abby’s problem was about letting other people help her. She wouldn’t ask for help or accept it when offered.
Her fingers squeezed his and then relaxed.
When they came through the B and B’s front door, Marion was waiting for them. “I can’t believe it. Are you okay?”
“We’re good,” Abby said.
“I settled Cheryl into her room. The poor thing. She said you two are saviors.”
Marion hugged Abby, then Gray, and hit a bruise. He couldn’t hold in the groan.
“You’re hurt.” Abby lifted up his sleeve. “Why didn’t you say something?”
There was a large patch of red that was starting to turn purple on his arm, probably where Levi had kicked him.
“We need to get ice on this.” She tugged him back to the kitchen, Marion in the lead.
At least he knew he would get to see the inside of her kitchen again. Maybe not the invitation he wanted, but this worked.
Marion held open the door as though they were two wounded warriors.
“Abby needs ice for her head,” he said. “You didn’t pass out, did you, Abby?”
“No, I’m good.”
“You almost fainted when you walked into the heat,” he reminded her. “You could have a concussion.”
“I don’t. I’m fine.”
“Both of you sit.” Marion pointed them back to the sitting area.
Abby moved toward an armchair, but Gray took her hand and led her to the love seat. She didn’t fight him. Maybe the five days she’d had to think about things since walking away had changed her mind.
Marion came over with two bags of ice, both wrapped in towels. “I need to get the wine opened. The two of you stay put. I’ll come back and throw together soup for all of you.”
Abby started to stand. “I can...”
Marion pointed a finger at her. “You will let me help you.”
Abby sank back down in her seat. “Yes, ma’am.”
Marion laughed as she left the kitchen.
Gray helped Abby adjust her ice and then held his bag against his arm. Was that what it took to get Abby to cooperate, a stern voice and a pointed finger?
If he tried, he’d probably lose his finger.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Rule #26—It’s the small things: baskets for newlyweds and anniversary couples, and wine—lots of wine.
Marion Winters
ABBY EASED HERSELF off the love seat, trying not to wake Gray. Marion might have ordered her to stay put, but she could cut vegetables. She grabbed a couple of aspirin to fight the headache.
“You should be sitting down,” Marion said as she came into the kitchen. “Accept a little help, girl. And keep that ice on the lump on your head.”
“I iced it when the police were here.” Gray had insisted. She swallowed, remembering his kindness. “I thought I could cut up veggies. If I get tired, I’ll sit.”
“Fine. You’ll be having chicken-noodle soup and you’ll like it.”
There was a loaf of homemade bread in the freezer that would go with soup. Abby set it on the counter to thaw. “Gray fell asleep,” she whispered.
Marion nodded. “I’m glad he was here to help Cheryl and Josh. He’s been a good friend to them.”
He had been, coming up with a place for them to live, furnishing their apartment, buying Josh thoughtful gifts. All things money could buy. But he’d also fought to keep them safe. Actions that were more important than his words or money.
Abby cut up onions, celery and carrots, handing them over to Marion. “Handmade noodles?”
Marion studied her intently. She must have looked okay, because the older woman nodded.
Abby pulled out semolina flour, salt and eggs. She mixed the dry ingredients and dumped them on the counter, forming a well. Cracking the eggs, she whipped them with a fork, enjoying the mindless process of pulling the flour in from the side until she had a ball of dough.
She needed to stay away from Gray. Her body wanted to curl up right next to him, even though her head knew he was dangerous.
He’d bought their mortgage and made an offer on Carleton House when he knew how much she needed it. She couldn’t forgive him for that.
She cleaned the counter and then dusted it with flour. She kneaded the dough, pounding, pushing. A little zing of pain ran from her shoulders to her head each time she worked the dough, but she ignored it. She pushed and pulled the soft ball, working out the bubbles, but couldn’t seem to wo
rk out her own problems.
Cooking was so simple. Why couldn’t life be that way? Why couldn’t love be simple?
“I think that dough’s ’bout ready,” Marion said.
“Oh.” It was already firm. How long had she been kneading it?
She set the dough in a clean bowl and covered it with a plate. “Do you want some sweet tea?”
“Sounds good,” Marion answered.
Abby pulled out glasses and filled them with tea and ice. She glanced back to the sitting area. Gray still hadn’t moved. She went back to check on him.
His ice pack had melted. She slipped it out from under his hand. Judging from the shadows under his eyes, he wasn’t getting any more sleep than she was. She refused to feel sorry for him. He’d ruined everything.
Marion checked on the guests in the library, and then they worked together on the noodles and finishing dinner.
“You wake Gray,” Marion said, “I’ll get Cheryl and Josh.”
Abby wanted to say she would run upstairs, but Marion had already gone.
Gray was a guest. A guest who’d fought for one of her employees.
“Gray,” she said, standing next to the love seat.
He didn’t move.
“Gray,” she said, a little more loudly.
He stirred but didn’t open his eyes.
She took a deep breath, leaned over and touched his shoulder. “Gray. Supper.”
His eyes fluttered open. His hand tugged her forward. “Hi.”
He kissed her. Heat pulsed through her body.
Kissing Gray wouldn’t solve anything. “No.”
He groaned, curling into his shoulder.
“I’m sorry.” She didn’t mean to hurt him, she just couldn’t kiss him.
“It’s fine.” He reached up and brushed her hair off her face. “Abby...”
“No, Gray.” She stepped back. “Nothing’s changed.”
* * *
CHERYL FOLLOWED MARION into the kitchen. Josh clung to her like lint on a black sweater.
Would Abby fire her? She should. Cheryl was the reason Levi had come here, the reason Abby and Gray had been hurt.
