Her P.I. Protector

by Jennifer Morey

  Her eyes widened a fraction before she covered her reaction.

  Sawyer looked at his uncle and then at Julien and Skylar. At last, he walked toward them.

  “Your things?” Skylar said.

  “They’re by the door. My uncle wouldn’t let me unpack.”

  Julien looked back at Conner. “Do you have any kids?”

  “Hell no.”

  “Good.” With that, he followed Skylar and the boy out the door.

  * * *

  Back at her house on the ranch, Skylar couldn’t believe how her life had taken a sudden left turn. Just days ago she had gone through her everyday routine, enjoying the ranch and occasional outings with friends. She hadn’t thought about men or the need for one. She hadn’t thought about having children.

  She hadn’t been shot at, either.

  But now, here she was, living with a handsome man and a fourteen-year-old boy who had been exposed to living conditions no child should ever be. She felt out of sorts, like she was living another woman’s life, or had supernaturally shifted onto a different course. Where would this lead? Skylar had never not known what direction she would go. She had always been certain ranching and not rushing on getting a man in her life was right for her. And she had always thought a man suited for her would come along naturally.

  Julien had come along naturally, but he hadn’t seemed suitable. She wondered, then, why she even contemplated such a thing. She had just met him.

  Skylar took the pizza from the deliveryman and brought it to the kitchen. Placing the box on the table, she dished out slices for each of them.

  Sawyer had been quiet the whole time. He was clearly not comfortable around strangers and Skylar had the distinct impression he feared being returned to his parents, which pierced her heart.

  She and Julien had called Child Protective Services, who had agreed he could stay with them for the night. At least they could give him a night without having to worry about going back to his dysfunctional home.

  “Come and get it,” she said.

  Julien encouraged Sawyer to come to the table. He did, eyes low and avoiding her and Julien.

  They ate in silence for a while. When Sawyer finished, he drank several gulps of milk and put down the glass. He eyed first Skylar and then Julien.

  “What happens now?” Sawyer asked.

  “That depends,” Julien said. “I had to report your whereabouts to Child Protective Services. They’re going to want to talk to you. Are you okay with that?”

  “Do I get to stay here?”

  After a moment, Julien said, “They’ll be here in the morning to interview you. I told them I didn’t think you were safe at your own house.”

  “Why do they have to talk to me?” Sawyer asked.

  “They’re going to need to document your living conditions and environment. Get to know you a little, and what your life is like with your parents.”

  “What are they going to ask?” Sawyer sounded scared.

  “Don’t worry,” Skylar said. “They care about your safety above all else.”

  “If they really care, they won’t make me go back.”

  “You should tell the case worker that when they get here,” Julien said. “Be honest. Don’t make up anything. False accusations are a serious matter.” When Sawyer didn’t respond, Julien asked, “Do you understand?”

  The boy nodded. “I don’t have to lie.”

  Skylar’s stomach pitched, dousing her appetite. That did not sound good.

  “They’ll talk to your parents, too,” Julien said. “They’ll ask about their financial health, marital problems, substance abuse issues.”

  “They’re gonna lie about all of that.”

  Skylar feared the boy knew his parents did have those problems.

  “CPS will know if they’re lying. They deal with people like your parents every day. Your parents will be asked to take drug tests. If they refuse, it will be assumed they are doing drugs.”

  Sawyer wrung his hands, his head down.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Julien said. “If CPS doesn’t protect you, then I will.”

  Whoa. Skylar heard the strong conviction in Julien’s tone, which left no doubt he would do exactly as he said. She felt herself gravitate closer to him spiritually. A man like Julien would not back down, and he would not be afraid.

  “My stepfather said he’d...”

  Skylar waited for him to go on but he didn’t.

  “What did your stepfather say?” Julien asked in a calm voice.

  After several seconds, Sawyer glanced up at him and then lowered his head again. “If I ever went to the cops he’d...”

  “Why does he think you might go to the cops?” Julien asked.

  More seconds passed before the boy spoke again. “He...he hits me sometimes.”

  Julien looked at Skylar and she saw the murderous gleam in his eyes. She almost felt sorry for Sawyer’s stepdad. Almost. But she didn’t. Anyone who hurt children deserved the worst life could throw at them.

  “And...” Sawyer continued, “he tells my mom I lie about it because I don’t like him.”

  “Is that the truth, Sawyer?” Julien asked.

  The boy nodded.

  “Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re telling the truth.”

  Sawyer looked up and Skylar didn’t need to hear any more. Pure torment, and anger, and deep, deep pain consumed his eyes. He was telling the truth and it broke her heart.

  “It’s okay,” Julien said. “I can see you are.”

  Sawyer lowered his head again and ran his hand over his eyes, no doubt fighting tears. “Is it all right if I go to my room?”

  “Of course.” Skylar had shown him to the guest room, where he had put his things.

  Sawyer stood and walked away.

  She watched him until he disappeared at the stairway, then faced Julien.

  “You would make a really great dad,” she said.

  “It isn’t hard to be a good parent if you love them.”

  “There’re different levels of good parenting.” Skylar had not been hugged very much as a child and often wondered if that’s why she wasn’t comfortable when people hugged her. A romantic relationship was different, however.

  “Skylar, I don’t want him going to a foster home. Moving him around so much will do more damage than has already been done.”

  “You want to foster him until they find a permanent home for him?” she asked.

  He hesitated. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

  Julien wasn’t considering adopting the boy himself, was he? How could he make a decision like that when he had just met the boy today? But he was a caring person, with an empathetic heart. That made sense to her because of the passion he had for his work, helping victims and bringing justice to bad people.

  “Why don’t you sleep on it?” she said. “See how the interview goes tomorrow?”

  He met her eyes for long seconds before nodding. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”

  She could see he would spend much of this night awake and thinking about Sawyer’s situation.

  Skylar thought she might stay up with him. Something about Julien made her want to be with him, to comfort him. More. But she wouldn’t go there now.

  * * *

  The woman from Child Protective Services was a forty-year-old named Tracy Compton who didn’t smile. Julien had spoken with her prior to their meeting and explained all Sawyer had said to him last night. He wanted the boy to have every advantage out of his interview.

  Julien watched Sawyer sit at the kitchen table and eye the woman warily as she came to sit beside him.

  Julien took a seat next to Skylar, across from the other two. She glanced at him and for a moment their gazes met and that mysterious spark of attraction hit him. That’s how it happened with her. Out of
the blue, sexual chemistry rushed forth.

  Tracy and Sawyer chatted about little things for a while before Tracy asked, “Why did you run away?”

  Sawyer lowered his head. “My parents were fighting. I hate it when they fight.”

  “Yelling? Or was it more than that?”

  “Yelling.”

  Julien began to sense that Sawyer was hesitant to elaborate.

  Tracy moved on with her questions. “Do they ever yell at you?”

  “Yeah. When I do things wrong.”

  Julien glanced at Skylar, who met his look with equal bewilderment.

  “What kind of things?” Tracy asked.

  “Don’t do as asked, like clean my room or get home late from school without telling them.”

  That all sounded normal. Why wasn’t he telling Tracy everything?

  “Has either of your parents hit you?”

  Sawyer’s hesitation dragged out longer than previously. “No.” He bobbed one of his knees up and down.

  Julien knew he was lying. As a PI and a former detective, he had gotten very good at recognizing lies when he heard them.

  Tracy asked Sawyer more questions, to which Sawyer answered in a way that painted his family life as normal.

  When she’d finished and prepared to leave, the CPS worker signaled Julien to join her at the door.

  Out of earshot, she told him, “I’ll keep the investigation open based on what you told me, but without any real evidence of abuse or neglect, there isn’t much I can do.”

  “What are you saying? That he has to go back there?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Tracy looked grim.

  “He’s lying. You know that.”

  “Sometimes they do that out of fear of repercussions. He probably doesn’t trust anyone to get him out of that house.”

  “So he’s afraid of what his parents will do.”

  “Most likely.” Tracy sighed. “I don’t want Sawyer back at that house any more than you do. Get me evidence.”

  What kind of evidence? A beaten and bleeding boy? He felt like punching a hole in the wall.

  Tracy put her hand on his arm. “I’m headed over to his parents’ now for their interviews. Maybe something will come up there, like Sawyer’s mother confessing. If that doesn’t happen, then I’ll be back to take him home.”

  Julien didn’t hold much hope of any confession. “I can take him. He was my missing person case.”

  “All right. Give me a couple of hours and then I will call you.”

  Julien closed the door and went back into the kitchen. Sawyer looked at him shyly.

  Sitting in the chair Tracy had vacated, Julien folded his hands on the table. “Why did you lie, Sawyer?”

  “I didn’t.”

  He cocked his head. “Yes, you did. What are you afraid of?”

  Sawyer banged his hand on the table, making Skylar flinch. “I’m not afraid!” He stood and marched toward the guest room.

  Julien hated seeing a child suffer that way. Sawyer’s heated reaction only cemented his belief that there was abuse going on in his house.

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Skylar said. “He’s dealing with his situation the best he can.”

  “I’m not going to let him walk back into that dangerous house.”

  “What can you do?”

  Julien bowed his head. He could set up surveillance, but what good would that do if he couldn’t see through walls? He could give him a business card and tell him to call if he needed help. But would he call?

  Skylar got up and walked around the table, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Maybe it’s best this way. You can’t adopt every kid you find in a missing person case.”

  While she did have a valid point, something about Sawyer felt different. And he had seen how Skylar responded to the boy. She wasn’t as anti-kid as she seemed. She wasn’t anti-kid at all. Julien realized her cold family just hadn’t exposed her to the power of parental love.

  Chapter 5

  Skylar walked with Julien and Sawyer to the small ranch house that was in marginal disrepair. Tracy had phoned to ask that they bring the boy there. His slow tread contradicted his interview with the social worker. She couldn’t fully comprehend how much his predicament meant to her, much less her deepening emotions for Julien. Nor did she want to. This wasn’t a good time. She had too much on her mind already, what with a potential killer having targeted her twice.

  The boy stepped up onto the cement porch and Tracy opened the door and ushered him inside.

  Stepping into the living room, Skylar waited near the door with Julien. Sawyer’s parents sat on the couch and stood as Sawyer approached them.

  His mother crouched before him and took him into an embrace. “We were so worried about you. I’m so glad you’re all right.” She leaned back and planted a kiss to his forehead.

  Her reunion appeared genuine to Skylar, but behind the touching display, Sawyer’s dad stood with his hands in his jeans’ pockets, a grim line to his mouth.

  “I’ll be back to check on you,” Tracy said to the trio.

  Sawyer’s mother looked up at Julien. “Thank you for finding him.”

  Julien gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

  Then she looked at Skylar. “And for taking care of him.”

  “Of course,” Skylar said.

  Julien turned his gaze to Sawyer’s dad. There was no mistaking the warning in his eyes.

  Tracy walked to the door and said to Julien, “There’s nothing else we can do here. Let’s step outside.”

  Skylar took Julien’s hand and gently urged him out the door before he did something rash. They walked behind Tracy toward their cars.

  Tracy stopped and faced them. “As you can see, nothing of significance came up in the interview. I spoke with them separately and then together. John Larkin didn’t say much. He gave one-word answers and had a brooding look about him the entire time. He let his wife answer all the financial questions during the couple’s interview.”

  Julien pinched the bridge of his nose.

  “Melissa seemed nervous, but honest,” Tracy said. “She didn’t appear to have been coached prior to the interview. When I told her the things Sawyer said to you, Julien, she didn’t believe it. She said her son made that up because he doesn’t like John.”

  “What about bruises?” Julien asked. “Did you ask her if she ever saw any?”

  “Yes, and she said Sawyer told her they were the result of fights at school.”

  “Sawyer told her that?” Julien said dubiously.

  “Most likely Sawyer was threatened to say that.”

  Julien muttered a curse.

  “Don’t worry,” Tracy said. “I will be visiting regularly and I’ll be looking for anything suspicious.”

  “Thank you for trying,” Skylar said.

  Tracy gave a nod and turned to go.

  Skylar caught sight of the front window of the ranch house and spotted John standing in the window. He was watching them like some spectral being. The man made her skin crawl. To think Sawyer had to live with him made her heart sink. It also shocked her, because she had a feeling her deep concern would surely involve her as much as Julien.

  She shook her head. Ever since she had met him, her life wasn’t the same. She’d discovered things about herself she had no idea existed.

  Looking at Julien, she saw him observing her. Grimness still surrounded his eyes, but he seemed to regard her with solemn curiosity. A fleeting thought of how it would be to have kids with him gave her a jolt. She didn’t know this woman who was emerging. Julien—a handsome, strong, righteous man—stimulated that growth. He appealed to her on so many levels when he shouldn’t. Or had she been wrong about that?

  * * *

  On the way back to Skylar’s, her phone rang and Julien was gla
d for the distraction. He didn’t want to analyze how much Sawyer affected him. Or how Skylar’s increasing affinity for the boy affected him, too. He sensed her struggle with the change herself. Maybe she was kid material, after all. Dare he hope?

  “My brother Corbin is up at the main house. I need to go talk to him.”

  Julien didn’t ask why. “I’ll go with you.” He hadn’t let her out of his sight since he’d come here and he wasn’t about to now. He’d been sidetracked by the missing person case and finding Sawyer, but her predicament had never left his mind and he’d been vigilant.

  Nearly back at the ranch anyway, they arrived in just a few minutes.

  Julien entered Skylar’s parents’ large home behind her and heard voices in the kitchen. As they appeared, Skylar’s mother—Francesca, he remembered—looked up from the table, a teacup in front of her. Julien presumed the man across from her was Skylar’s brother. He bore a striking resemblance to Cal with his dark hair and light blue eyes.

  “Mom said you were having a meltdown,” Skylar said.

  “Hello, Julien,” her mother said.

  “Ma’am.”

  “Ambrosia’s divorcing me,” her brother said. “Everything was going fine until one day I came home from work and she had all my clothes packed. My clothes, not hers. She said she didn’t love me and never had. All very coldhearted, blurting it out like our marriage or I didn’t matter. She then proceeded to inform me that she wanted the house and the Mercedes, half my retirement and alimony.” Corbin shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.

  “What did you think you were getting into when you married her?” Skylar asked. “She isn’t exactly a hometown girl. She’s materialistic and shallow. But all you saw was her looks. Correct me if I’m wrong.”

  He just stared at her.

  “Let me guess,” Skylar continued. “Was she married before you? Was the guy wealthy? Has she ever worked a day in her life?”

  He lowered his gaze. “Her first husband was a lawyer. And I don’t think she ever had to work.”

  “There you go.” Skylar lifted her hand in an aha gesture. “You can’t keep picking that kind of woman, Corbin. You won’t find true love that way.”