She turned back and pointed to her mouth. "I don't want to kill you."
"That's an old excuse." He held her close and kissed her squarely on the mouth.
She could feel him against her, and he was definitely aroused. Her own body tingled, and she anticipated being with him that way again. She couldn't remember the last time she felt that way about Mel.
"Man, you feel good. I better get up, if I still can."
Snickering, she watched him stand and make the necessary adjustments. "Can you believe we actually fell asleep last night?"
"That means we owe each other a roll in the hay."
"You're on, fella."
"That means you'll go out with me again?"
"What do you mean again?"
Charlie hesitated. "I guess I owe you a real date, don't I?"
"Yep. And I'm going to hold you to it." She got up and smoothed the wrinkles in her blouse. "Do you want to take a shower, or have some coffee?"
"Naw. I think I'll go home and clean up there before I go to work."
Ellen walked him to the door and they embraced. "Thanks again, big guy."
"I can tell you're still concerned."
"Does it show?"
"You're holding on awfully tight, and your body's pretty tense."
"You sure know how to read people."
"That's my job."
"I think it's more than that. You're a sensitive man."
"Don't tell anybody, or it'll ruin my reputation as a bad-boy cop."
She gave him a playful jab. "You're a funny cop, too."
"Look, I'll call you when I get to the station," he said. "I'll check on our friend's status and let you know what they've done with him. That way you and Libby can rest easier. I'm going to check in with you every hour. If you go out somewhere, you call me and let me know where you are. Leave a message. Okay?"
She saluted him. "Yes, sir."
"I mean it. And keep the doors locked, and don't answer the doorbell for anyone you don't know. I don't trust that joker."
"You're a jewel." She reached up and gave him a quick kiss.
He picked up his duffel bag and left her lingering in the doorway until he drove away.
When she turned around, Libby was standing back behind her in her bathrobe and slippers. "Has Charlie gone?"
"Hi, honey. Yeah, he's gone home and then he's going to work, but he's going to keep tabs on us. Did you sleep well? Let me look at you." Ellen examined Libby's face. "It's going to be okay. Just a little bruising. The ice helped."
"It's still sore. I had a hard time calming down last night. I kept seeing his face."
"A real nightmare, wasn't it? Let me make you some tea." Wandering into the kitchen, she said, "Looks like Charlie and I are going to see each other again."
"I guess there is some good to come out of all this."
The phone rang, and they both jumped.
"I'll get it." When Ellen picked up, she was relieved to hear Charlie's voice. Afterward, she told Libby, "Charlie found out that they got Dan on a DUI. He won't have a license for a while. So, we can rest easy."
Libby sighed. "Maybe that will be the end of it."
Ellen debated whether or not to tell Libby about her and Charlie's earlier discussion concerning Dan, and how Charlie thought Dan might be focusing on Libby again, but she decided not to upset her. "We both think Kipp should know."
Libby frowned. "I'm not his concern, Ellen. I'm not sure I ever will be."
* * *
CHAPTER 32
Kipp rose early Thursday morning, anticipating Tanya's arrival. He had mixed feelings about her coming so soon, since he would have preferred more time alone with their daughter. Kelly seemed to accept him, but he wished he had more time to cement their relationship before adding another person to the mix, even if that person was her mother. Tanya wasn't the most grounded person in the universe, and he feared her flightiness would somehow upset the child, who, more than anything, needed stability.
Before taking a shower, he looked in on her. He had moved his computer desk into a corner of the living room and made up the extra bed for her because he wanted her to have her own room as she'd had in Connecticut. She was sleeping soundly, clutching the toy bear. His heart swelled to the bursting point. In that moment, it was as if no time had gone by at all.
He dressed, made his bed, and straightened up the living room. He was in the kitchen washing dishes when he heard the patter of little feet cross the linoleum floor. When he turned, Kelly was next to him. He wiped his hands on a towel and knelt beside her. She hugged his neck. He swept her up in his arms and swung her around, producing a spattering of giggles, a sound he had not heard in a very long time.
"Where's my mommy?"
He showed her Tanya's picture. "This is Mommy, and she'll be here soon."
Kelly held the photo, then cocked her head. "Where's my other mommy?"
This took him by surprise. If he'd anticipated her questions, he hadn't prepared the answers, and he wasn't sure what to say. He thought of Libby and wished she were here to coach him. She had warned him Kelly might need extra help adjusting.
He sat her on the couch and decided to wing it. "I'm going to tell you a story." He cradled her with his arm. "Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived with her daddy in a house far away from here. One day she went to stay with some people who loved her very much. They took good care of her until her real mommy and daddy could bring her home." He cringed at his feeble attempt, wishing Libby were here to help him.
Kelly stared at him with widened eyes, the hazel color reminiscent of her mother's.
"You're that little girl, honey, and your other mommy was taking care of you for me until I could bring you home. Do you understand?" Feeling totally inadequate, he held his breath and waited for her response.
"Oh." She climbed off the sofa and took his hand. "I'm hungry."
Relieved for the time being, he let her lead him into the kitchen. She certainly had a way of bringing simplicity to chaos. Still, Libby's warning about the need for counseling lingered in the back of his mind.
Kelly climbed up on a stool. Kipp fixed her a bowl of Cheerios and resumed washing the dishes. She used to be chatty and animated, but now she only asked a few questions before lapsing into silence. Her behavior, even though normal under the circumstances, concerned him, and again Libby came to mind.
"Where's Libby?"
The timing of her question astounded him. "Libby's at her house."
"Can we go there?"
"Not today, honey. Your mommy is coming soon."
The doorbell rang. Kipp grabbed a towel and headed for the door. Kelly swiveled around to look. He turned the lock, and Tanya barged through the doorway in hot pink jeans and tee shirt and gave Kipp a quick hug. When Kelly slid off the stool, Tanya bounded toward her and scooped her up in her arms. "My baby. My baby." Kelly let out a high-pitched wail, struggled to the floor, and ran to her room. Tanya gasped and began to cry.
With Tanya's grand entrance, Kipp's fears were materializing before his eyes. He didn't know which one to comfort first, but he ran after Kelly, who was sitting on the bed, clutching the bear. He sat beside her and rubbed her back. "It's okay, sweetheart. Daddy's here."
Tanya stood in the doorway, sniffling.
Kipp cast Tanya a stern look. "This is your mommy, Kelly. She missed you very much. She didn't mean to scare you. If she promises to tiptoe over here very slowly and hold out her hand, will you say hello?"
Kelly nodded, staring at the floor. Tanya knelt in front of her and offered an open palm. Kelly tentatively laid her hand in Tanya's.
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry I scared you. I'm your mommy, and I love you." But Kelly wouldn't look at her, and Tanya glanced at Kipp, hurt.
Kipp gave Kelly a squeeze. "Do you want to finish your cereal?"
Kelly skirted Tanya and dashed out of the room.
"God, Kipp, I didn't realize how bad it was."
"What the hell did you thi
nk it was going to be like? I tried to warn you, but you had to charge in here like a--"
"I don't want to argue with you."
"Just take it easy, okay? Be sensitive for once in your life, and think about your daughter for a change."
"I've thought about her every day for two years."
"What about the first four years of her life?"
Tanya stood tall, her shoulders back. "I'm not going to have this discussion, Kipp. So drop it, and go get my bags."
Glad for the breather, Kipp brought in Tanya's luggage. Tanya tagged along to his bedroom.
"I'll take the couch."
"The couch?" She laid her arms on his shoulders. "Don't you think we should sleep together?"
He brushed her arms away.
"What about Kelly?"
"What does Kelly have to do with our sleeping together?"
"If she sees her mommy and daddy together, it will feel more like the real thing, like before."
He held her at arm's length. "Aren't you forgetting about the years you weren't living with us before she was kidnapped? That's what's normal to her."
"But, Kipp, I've missed you, and I want us to be a family again. This is the perfect opportunity to get back together, you and me."
"And what about Kelly?"
"You know I meant the three of us. We could be a family again."
"And how many men have you slept with in the last six months? No, I take that back. In the last two weeks."
"Oh, stop it, Kipp."
Kipp huffed. "I'm taking the couch."
Tanya watched in silence while he gathered his clothes from the dresser drawers and stacked his tee shirts and underwear on the upper shelf in the closet. He pushed his shirts and slacks aside to make room for her clothes.
"You didn't tell me how you found her."
Kipp weighed just how much to tell her about Libby and decided to remain cautious. "Remember the psychic I told you about?"
"You didn't!"
"She gave me the direction to go in."
"Who is this psychic?"
"She works for the FBI." He lied so he wouldn't have to explain anything else about her.
"She? Was she with you when you found her?"
"Jesus, Tanya, what difference does that make? She saved our daughter."
Tanya's lips fell into a pout.
Kipp placed his hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "Listen to me, okay? We need to think about Kelly now. Nothing else matters. Let's try to be civil to each other and stop arguing, for her sake."
"Tell yourself that." Tanya pushed his hands off and exited the room, pulling her hair into a ponytail.
* * *
In the morning Kipp opened the blinds to the backyard. Several chickadees were hopping the branches of the maple tree and flying into the birdbath.
He squeezed the muscles in his neck, working out the kinks from the cramped, lumpy sofa. Even though Tanya had fussed about the sleeping arrangements, she'd given in and slept in his bed alone.
Tanya's silvery, oversized purse was plunked in the middle of his desk, and her white jacket was splayed over his leather chair. She had been here less than twenty-four hours, and already the two-bedroom house was beginning to feel crowded in more ways than one.
Kelly traipsed into the room in her pale pink nightgown and tugged on his jeans. He took her in his arms and pointed outside. "See the chickadees in the birdbath? They like to take baths, too."
When she tired of watching the birds, she rubbed the stubble on his face, as her toddler-self used to do, which warmed his heart. "Where's Libby?"
"Remember I told you she's at her house?"
"Why can't I go see her?"
"She's busy right now. We'll visit her again one day. Why do you want to see Libby?"
"She's nice."
"So is your mommy."
"Not like Libby."
He kissed her cheek. "Let's get you some breakfast." He turned and faced Tanya, who was standing on the far side of the room in one of his tee shirts.
She held out her arms. "Come here, baby. Let me make you some eggs."
"I don't like eggs."
"Fine. Cereal, then." Tanya spun around and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Go with your mommy." Kipp put Kelly down, and she wandered silently after Tanya.
He left them in the kitchen and went into the bedroom to get a shirt. He was rummaging through his clothes and picking out socks and underwear when he sensed Tanya's presence in the room.
She closed the door. "What's with this Libby person?"
Kipp pulled a cotton shirt off a hanger, ignoring her.
"Who is she?"
"I told you. She's an FBI agent."
Tanya stationed herself in front of him and searched his eyes. "You're lying. I just had a little talk with our daughter, and she told me you've been to this woman's house. What FBI agent would let you do that?"
"So what if she's not an agent?"
"What are you doing taking Kelly to another woman's house when you knew I was coming? All she talks about is Libby. Libby this and Libby that. Did you sleep with her?"
"That's none of your business."
"Kelly said the three of you rode in the car together and went to her house. How many days were you with this woman?"
"She helped me bring Kelly home."
"And now she's trying to take my place."
"Don't be absurd."
"Well, I'm not going to compete with her or anybody else." She stormed out of the room.
Kipp jogged after her, worried she might upset Kelly. He glanced in Kelly's room. It was empty. In the living room, he panicked. She was nowhere around. His heart quickened.
"What's wrong with you?" Tanya was rummaging in her purse.
"Where's Kelly?"
"She's in the backyard."
He rushed to the window and spotted Kelly circling the birdbath. "And you left her out there alone? What the hell were you thinking?"
"Don't raise your voice to me. She's fine."
"I don't want her out of our sight, especially when she's in the yard."
"You're overreacting."
Kipp gazed at Tanya in disbelief and slammed the door on his way outside.
* * *
A week later Kipp was drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen, waiting for Tanya and Kelly to wake up. The house was dismal on overcast days, and he snapped on the overhead light.
He reflected on the week past, evaluating Tanya's reunion with their daughter. Kelly's initial reluctance had given way to an acceptance of sorts. Tanya had actually spent an entire afternoon in the bedroom, playing dolls with Kelly. Kelly seemed to warm up to her mother, but Kipp had a hard time believing it was anything beyond a superficial attempt on Kelly's part. In that respect mother and daughter mirrored each other.
But Kelly hung on to her memories of Libby. He thought she would forget in time, but daily she reminded him that Libby had been a part of their lives, and these little reminders kept Libby in the front of his mind, not just the way she looked--although that was high on his list of how he remembered her--but the way she could reach into his soul and understand him.
Since Tanya's arrival, he'd taken it upon himself to get up early to be alone without any distractions. If he could not be with Libby in person, at least he could capture her in his thoughts.
This morning Tanya and Kelly were sleeping in, and it was almost nine. They had been out late the night before. At Tanya's insistence, he had taken them to dinner at the Space Needle in celebration of Kelly's return.
He listened for any stirrings, but there were no footsteps or voices. Satisfied they were still asleep, he called his editor. The polygamist community was going to make a very interesting story. Jerry answered on the second ring.
"It's your long-lost writer."
"Kipp?"
"The one and only."
"How goes it? You sound pretty chipper."
"You bet I do. I found Kelly."
"You found her? Where? Is she okay?"
"She's doing as well as can be expected. At least she's not hurt."
"That's great. That's great. Where the hell did you find her?"
"That's what I want to write about." Kipp told Jerry everything about the religious cult and Kelly's rescue. "I want to blow that community wide open."
"That is one remarkable story. How soon do you think you could have your article ready?"
"The FBI is involved now, and I don't want to do anything to hinder their investigation. I also want to be careful about how much personal detail I put into the story. I have to protect Kelly. I'll have the story ready as soon as they give me the green light."
"You've got to give me some lead time."
"You'll have it. I'll keep in touch."
Kipp gave him a rundown on Kelly's progress before he hung up. Then he called Charlie, who asked him about Kelly.
"I think she's making progress, but she's still timid. She has her moments."
"Are you going to register her for school this year?"
"She's still getting oriented to being home. She'll need to be evaluated, but I'll probably homeschool her this year."
"Did Tanya ever show up?"
"Yeah, she's here."
"How's that going?"
"Not so well at first. You know how she is. But Kelly's beginning to accept her."
"How about you? Has she wormed her way into your bed?"
"If there wasn't a child in the house, I'd tell you to f-off."
"I guess that answers my question, and I'm glad. You don't want to get tangled up in that mess again. Have you heard from the FBI?"
"No, but I'm worried about when they do catch up with Kelly's abductors. If they want her to testify, it will be too traumatic."
"They know how to handle those matters in a delicate way. I don't think you have to worry."
"I sure could use Libby's advice. Kelly sure misses her."
Charlie laughed. "That's a good one."
"She does."
"Yeah, and who else misses her?"
"You know, you're taking advantage of my no-swearing dilemma. But I admit it. I do miss her. Have you seen her lately?"
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