You Send Me

by Jeannie Moon

  Lina couldn’t believe how fast the old gossip had circled around to Bella. “Oh, for Pete’s sake. She dumped him because she found out he was cheating on her. Caught him red-handed. As far as the ring? The man wouldn’t take her calls. After a while, she sold it, donated the money, and that’s when the Stanleys started to make noise.”

  “Don’t believe everything you hear,” Janet warned. “Especially when Helen Stanley is involved.”

  Lina nodded. “Chase’s mother. New around here. Not a nice person.”

  “They’re not new, Lina,” Janet said flatly. “They’ve lived here for twenty years.”

  “Hmm.” Lina wasn’t impressed. “A drop in the bucket.”

  Bella’s eyes went wide. Standing right next to them, was Nick.

  “Morning, ladies. Look at the three of you sitting here.”

  “Nicky, what brings you in?” Bella grinned nervously when Nick bent down and kissed her cheek.

  “I’m on my way to work. Thought I’d pick up a sandwich for later since I won’t be home until eight.”

  “Oh! What would you like? I’ll get it for you. Bella, move.” Lina gave her daughter-in-law a little push with her hip.

  “No need, Nona. I already put in my order at the counter. So,” he said, motioning for Janet to scoot over so he could sit. “What are we talking about?”

  “Oh, nothing,” Janet said. “The weather. Every day the sun is out is a relief after the two storms we had.”

  “Riiight.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “Look, you busybodies will stay out of my affairs, okay? Jordan and I are dealing with a lot right now. We don’t need any help—or hindrance—” he looked at his mother “—from any of you.”

  “Busybodies! Hmpf.” Lina feigned offense, but she could see her grandson wasn’t the least bit moved.

  “Oh, come on. I heard you talking when I walked in. The whole café could hear you.”

  Amare Jenkins, the new attorney in town, turned around and nodded. “I heard the whole thing. These ladies have some strong opinions, Doc. You’d better watch out.”

  “You, hush, Amare. Eat your breakfast.” Customer or not, Lina treated everyone the same.

  “Thanks,” Nick growled.

  “Nick,” Bella said. “I just worry. You’ve been through so much, I want you to make a good choice. She’s a bit of a mystery, that’s all. I just want to know why you chose her.”

  “What kind of question is that?” he snapped.

  A good one, if Lina thought about it. There were a lot of questions that needed answering, but Nick wasn’t about to give anything away just yet.

  Lina had to admire that. Her grandson knew what he wanted. And a group of old women weren’t going to tell him what to do.

  “I’ll see you later.” And that was it. Nick didn’t let them respond or defend themselves.

  “Well,” Janet said with a grin. “He told us.”

  Lina agreed. “Yes, he did.”

  “He’s a good man. He was always one of my favorite students.”

  Lina laughed at her old friend. “Janet, they were all your favorites.”

  Bella shook her head. “He’s not thinking clearly. To talk to us like that? Something isn’t right about this.”

  “He’s fine,” Lina assured her. “Nick is a man with a mission. We’d best stay out of his way.”

  *

  Nick made the right out of the café and walked two blocks down Main Street to Cove Pediatrics. Founded fifty years ago, the practice had changed hands a number of times, and now it was owned by two sisters. Twins. Thank God, they weren’t identical.

  No, Michelle and Christine Galetsky couldn’t have been more different. Both were top doctors, both were wonderful with the kids and parents, but while Michelle was a peppy, pretty, pulled-together brunette, Christine was a fireball, with a sleeve tattoo, deep red hair, and a big personality. They drove each other a little crazy, but there was no doubt they adored each other. Add Jimmy, the nurse practitioner, and Betsy, the receptionist, into the mix and it was a fun place to work.

  It was a fresh start for Nick, who had easily settled into the office routine. There was no adrenaline shot while checking swollen glands, or doing well-baby checks, but his patients and their parents provided him with a purpose and allowed him to be part of the community.

  The practice was in an old Victorian house just off Main Street. It had a front porch where patients would sometimes wait when the weather was good, and a yard that faced out toward the town. The offices took up the entire first floor and Michelle lived in the apartment that claimed the upper two floors of the house.

  Christine, who was engaged to a graphic designer, lived in Brooklyn, and made the trek east every day.

  Still, it worked. Michelle was there for patients first thing in the morning, Chris came in a little later to avoid traffic and stayed later. Nick, since he also lived locally, could take whatever hours they needed him.

  It was the perfect arrangement.

  The waiting area was bright and welcoming, with the walls painted a sunny yellow. Red and blue accents peppered the room and a box of books and games sat in the corner. Nick set a cup of coffee on Betsy’s desk and she smiled.

  “You are a charmer, Dr. Rinaldi. You know a way to a girl’s heart is through a large dark roast with just a little half and half.”

  He chuckled. “Right, I use that on all the ladies.”

  “Must have worked at least once.” She winked and smiled.

  “So, anything I need to know about?”

  Betsy pointed to the corner of the waiting room closest to the door. There sat a dark-haired little boy with a girl who could have been an older sister. If his memory served, the kid was in Jordan’s class. Nick remembered him. He’d asked a lot of questions.

  “He only wants to talk to you. Asked for Dr. Nick, specifically.”

  “No parents?”

  “Nope. Believe me, I tried. Michelle tried…”

  “Hmm. Got it.”

  Setting his sandwich and drink on the shelf behind Betsy’s desk, he approached the two kids.

  “It’s going to be okay,” the boy tried to soothe the girl with him. “He’s nice. He’ll help us.”

  “We should be home.”

  “Lacy, no…”

  “He’s going to be mad.”

  “Hey, guys. Mind if I sit down?” Nick didn’t wait for an answer and scooted into a chair next to the girl, whose name, he now knew, was Lacy. She was nervous as a cat, her blue eyes darting around wildly, and not happy about him sitting next to her.

  His Spidey senses told him to give her a little distance, so he moved over one chair. “So, I heard your name is Lacy, and I know you’re in Ms. Velsor’s class because I met you a couple of weeks ago. Eric, right?”

  Nick stuck out his hand. The boy shook it like he meant it. He and the girl had the same bright blue eyes, but there was a spray of freckles across the boy’s nose that made him look like a kid who knew how things went in this world. “Yes, sir.”

  “Eric, nice to see you again. What brings you in?”

  The girl’s eyes were open wide, and she was trying to signal her brother to stop talking.

  “Lacy, I’m sitting right here, and I’m going to let your brother talk, so you need to relax. Okay?”

  He wasn’t going to be mean, but she needed to understand he wasn’t clueless. “What’s going on?”

  Eric looked around, he was nervous. “My father hits my mother.”

  Boom. That was not what he expected. He knew there was something up with this kid when he met him a few weeks ago, but the bombshell was a shocker.

  “Okay. Have you told anyone? Maybe your teacher?”

  “I was going to, especially after last night, but Dad didn’t get us out for school this morning. He said we didn’t have to go.”

  “Where’s your mother?” Nick wanted to get the woman help if she needed it.

  “She’s at work,” Lacy finally spoke. Her voice was a
shaky, but at least she found it. Drawing a watery breath, she went on. “She’s hurt.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. That was a smart thing to do.”

  Nick was making a mental checklist in his head. Mom was being abused, kids had a neglect situation. “Was your father home when you left?”

  “No, he went out. We walked here,” Lacy replied.

  And he was going to be plenty pissed off when he found they’d gone missing. “Does he hit either of you?”

  Please say no. They both shook their heads. Thank God.

  “He yells a lot. A lot.” Eric was looking down now. Nick took the opportunity to signal Betsy to call the police. “I wish he’d hit me instead of my mom. He’s a bully.”

  Nick had a few names for their father, and bully wasn’t one of them. Personally, he’d like to hang him up and beat him like the heavy bag.

  “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to take you into a treatment room while we figure out what to do to help your mother. I’m going to ask Dr. Michelle to examine you, Lacy. And I’ll have a look at you, Eric. We should make sure you’re both okay.”

  Betsy returned to her desk and gave Nick an almost imperceptible nod.

  “Do we have to?” Lacy’s voice trembled with fear. Young as she was, the girl realized they’d gotten their father in trouble and it could come back to haunt them. No child should have to be afraid, ever.

  “Yes, I think it’s a good idea.”

  Michelle joined him in the waiting room. “Hi guys, I’m Doctor Michelle.” She reached out to Lacy and waited for the girl to take her hand. When she did, Michelle smiled, but Nick could see the worry in her eyes.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Michelle said. “You’re safe here.”

  Abuse cases were the absolute worst, and Nick had to tamp down his own anger. The kids may not have been physically hurt, but emotionally, this would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

  Like his sister, Eric was starting to show strain. Making this call had been a tall order for a little guy. “You called the police to come, didn’t you?”

  Nick nodded. “Yes. When you tell me, I have to report it to the police, and to the people who make sure kids are safe.”

  “Oh. Oh, I didn’t know that.” Eric’s voice cracked, and Nick saw the bright little boy visibly start to shake.

  Fear. He saw fear, just like he saw when the gunman shot up the clinic in Afghanistan. Nick’s heart thudded in his chest as he thought through his response. He would not let these kids down. He couldn’t.

  Both kids were silent for a few seconds, processing what they’d done. They’d started something that was now out of their control. Finally, Lacy looked up. She nodded and stuck her hand out to her brother. “Okay. Come on, Eric. Let’s get this over with. Mom always says to finish what we start.”

  The little boy stood and tentatively took his sister’s outstretched hand.

  Without another word, they went back into the treatment area. Nick anticipated a long day.

  Michelle stopped at the desk and gave Betsy instructions. “Cancel all our patients this afternoon or reschedule them for tonight. I’ll stay late. This is going to take a while.”

  *

  At ten past nine, Nick pulled his car into the long driveway that sat between his grandparents’ house and Jordan’s cottage. Lights were on in the kitchen of the big house and he thought he saw his father move past the window.

  Nick was so tired, he wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

  The living room light was on in Jordan’s cottage, and he imagined her reading, or watching TV. Looking at the clock again, he tried to convince himself it was too late to drop in. But he wanted to see how her father was doing. Yeah, that was a lie. He just wanted to see her. He hoped being close to her would help his mind settle. Those kids and their mother had been through hell.

  He wanted to tell her what had happened. To unload the story and clear the pictures from his head. But he couldn’t.

  As the story unfolded through the afternoon, it became clear that given the chance, Eric and Lacy’s father would have beaten their mother to death. It was just a matter of time.

  Making a quick decision, he grabbed his jacket and instead of going to his grandparents, he went to Jordan’s house, hoping that she wouldn’t think he was a colossal pain in the ass.

  Gertie must have been asleep because she didn’t bark until he’d knocked on the door, but as soon as he did, she was at the window howling in greeting.

  Jordan looked out as well, and immediately he heard her throw the dead bolt. When the door opened she looked worried. “Hi. Is everything okay?”

  “Not really. Can I come in? I had a shit day.”

  She stepped back, and the way the light from the living room was backlighting her, she looked otherworldly. Her blonde hair was pulled to one side and braided. She was wearing the same pajamas he’d found her in when the tree had fallen on her car. Blue knit pajama pants and a long-sleeve T-shirt that outlined every curve. Her face was scrubbed clean, her skin pink and creamy, her eyes warm and welcoming.

  The day had left him drained and exhausted, and as she led him through the house to the sofa, he felt the weight of what had happened to the kids bear down. He barely knew where to start, so he figured he’d ask her how she was doing first.

  “How was your father today?”

  “He had a good day today. He ate a little and didn’t get sick. The pain is being managed.”

  “That’s good. I’m glad. With all the different drugs on the market, there’s no reason for him to be in pain.”

  “I know. For now, he’s okay. He also asked me when he was going to get measured for his tux?”

  Nick burst out laughing. “Did he? Holy crap.”

  “I know I did the same thing. Yesterday he was completely out of it. If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.”

  Quiet settled around them, and it was begging for one of them to say something.

  “You want to tell me what brought you here tonight?”

  He nodded. “I do want to tell you, but I can’t. More than anything. Privacy laws…” The corner of her mouth dropped, and he felt wrong keeping the information from her, especially since she was going to find out tomorrow. But the law was clear.

  “Okay.” Hooking her arm through his and leaning her head on his shoulder, Jordan’s warmth seeped into him. It quieted him, and made him feel like everything would work out. One way or another, it would work out.

  “Anything else you want to talk about?” she asked. “Crazy relatives, maybe?”

  “You don’t want to know. But you passed muster with my grandma Toni. That’s not easy.”

  “Your mother, though… I have a feeling she’s not convinced I’m a good bet.” When he didn’t answer, Jordan picked up her head and looked at him. “Distraction isn’t working, is it?”

  “I wish, but thanks for trying. And don’t worry about my mother.”

  It was going to take him a while to unpack things, but just the images in his head of the kids’ mother—her hand was bandaged, there was a bruise on her jaw she’d tried to hide with make-up, and a set of screaming bruises that were on her left side from her armpit to her waist. The woman had been pummeled. It turned out she had three cracked ribs, and any one of them could have punctured a lung.

  “I’m trying to wrap my head around the way people treat each other. I don’t understand. I just don’t understand how someone could hurt a person he claimed to love.” He was enraged, so angry he wanted to put a hole in something. “I don’t understand.”

  Pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes, he knew he’d just said too much. He should have gone home and beat on the heavy bag, but Jordan was the only person he wanted to see.

  What happened next was unexpected. Moving slowly, Jordan straddled his lap, setting her knees on each side of him, and took his face in her hands. With slow, steady movements, she applied gentle pressure and massaged his temples, allowing him to relax. Then she mov
ed to his scalp, and then his neck.

  The movement of her hands was steady, rhythmic. The gentle pressure lulled his senses, quieted his mind. For the first time since he arrived at work, his brain rested.

  Nick’s head slumped back, supported by the very soft sofa cushion, when he felt Jordan’s lips touch his Adam’s apple. Fire shot to his groin, and when she did it again, and again, Nick realized something between them was about to change. Not content to stay in one place, she nibbled on his neck, his ears… then she was unbuttoning his shirt and leaving soft, seductive kisses each time more skin was uncovered.

  “Let me help you feel better. Let me make it all go away.”

  “Jordan…”

  “Come to bed with me. I’ll help you forget. I’ll make it better, at least for a little while. Whatever it is, I want to help.”

  “I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he whispered.

  “Everything.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jordan stood and pulled Nick from the couch with both hands. He’d never seemed bigger or stronger than he did at that moment, but all she wanted was to take care of him, to love him, to tend to his needs.

  Her desire, raw and scorching, had been balled in her belly for days, but this was something else. He was in pain, and Jordan wanted to ease his mind, help him forget whatever was weighing on him. This man was more important than she ever thought he’d be, and at that moment, his needs were all that mattered.

  She led him to her room and turned down the bed. Seeming to be unsure of what to do, Jordan took his hands when he started to unbutton his shirt. “Let me.”

  He stilled and watched as she finished releasing the buttons. He was breathing hard already, a flush crept over his skin. When she pushed the shirt off his shoulders, she kissed the strip of hair at the center of his chest, and drew in his scent. Even after a long day, the essence that was so clearly him, like rain and the woods, pulled her in and made her crazy.

  Moving to his belt, she unbuckled it and undid his pants. Lowering the zipper slowly, she finally slipped her hand inside and felt his erection. He was smooth and silky, a hard mass of flesh that was all hers. Easing his pants to the floor, Jordan got a good look at the man who was going to be in her bed. He was perfect, and she was sure she was in love with him.