“Please, Aunt Millie. Please don’t make me leave, yet. I have to make sure Eli’s OK.”
Kelsey looked at Tallia with puppy-dog eyes.
Blake’s expression looked more like a poker face. He wasn’t backing down.
“Fine.” Tallia blew out an exasperated breath.
“Thank you,” Blake said. “I’ll be right back.”
5
Blake skirted the crowd and crossed the street.
A small snowbank, left over from the storm a week earlier, ran along the length of the road. Ugly and gray, it acted as a border separating the road from the sidewalk. A stream of melting snow ran alongside it, topped with a thin layer of ice trapping various pieces of trash—a cigarette butt, a candy wrapper, and a paper bag with a clear, glass bottle sticking out.
Blake hopped over the sloshy mess onto the sidewalk.
The music began to fade into the background. Further down the street, the lights from the park dimmed.
Would he find Eli?
He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. A man was propped against the building up ahead. His head lolled to one side. An old, tattered coat lay over him like a blanket. An empty syringe lay beside him.
Was it Eli?
He stepped closer, studied his face, and saw days old stubble and wrinkled skin. Definitely not Eli.
This place was playing tricks with his mind. Surrounded by evidence of loss and shame, junkies—it brought back too many memories. He shuddered and walked on.
Not that he’d spent a lot of time in places like this. His drug deals took place in swanky LA nightclubs. The crack houses were upscale hotels and Beverly Hills mansions.
But he had been as much a junkie as the homeless man. He’d just been a junkie with a job.
The brownstones that lined the streets had once been lovely single-family homes, now converted into apartments.
The building he was passing had bricks missing from its façade. One of the stair railings was tilted at an odd angle and looked as if it could fall at any time.
He reached the far edge of the building and stopped to peer into the alley. He took a few steps in, and then called, “Eli?”
No answer.
He walked through the alley to the other side, peered around the equally run-down street, and turned back.
No sign of his son. What if he’d gone inside with someone?
Blake would never find him.
Oh Jesus, lead me!
Back where he started, he passed a building in worse condition than the previous one and stopped at the mouth of another alley. He stepped into the darkness. He’d taken a few steps in, just reaching a line of trash cans when he heard a creak. A door opened and light spilled into the thick darkness.
Blake pressed against the brick wall and hoped the darkness would hide him.
Someone stepped out, propping the door open. Definitely male. Not tall—maybe five-five or six. Slight frame with a short-cropped haircut.
Something hung from the kid’s right hand. It glinted. Metal. A wrench? A tire iron?
A knife.
Blake’s heart hammered.
From inside the door, a quiet voice said something Blake couldn’t make out.
The figure in the doorway looked away from Blake, deeper into the narrow space. When he spoke, it was with the young voice of a teenager. “Yeah, the kid’s still there.”
Who was still there? Oh please, Jesus, please don’t let it be...
“You ready?” the figure asked.
Blake crouched behind the trash cans, felt around on the ground until he found a small rock. He threw it towards the mouth of the passage. It bounced off the brick of the neighboring building and skidded onto the asphalt.
“What was that?”
Blake waited and prayed.
The kid spoke again. “Someone’s on the street. Two more minutes.”
Blake heard the door close, leaving only darkness.
He checked the space outside the door. Empty.
The kid had gone back inside.
With a surge of adrenaline, Blake rushed down the alley. Unlike the first one he’d checked, this one had a chain link fence as a barrier between this block and the one behind it. The only way out was the way he came in.
Right past the kid with the knife, just inside the door.
Blake reached the chain link fence and looked around where the space opened up near a dumpster.
“Eli?” He whispered.
Nothing.
“Eli?” He said a little louder.
Movement to his left caught his attention. Blake wheeled around.
A figure stepped out of the shadow cast by the dumpster and into the pale light. “Dad?”
Eli, his son, safe and sound and healthy.
Blake took a step forward and threw his arms around him. “Thank God you’re OK.”
“What are you—?” Eli pushed him away
“Come on. We have to go.” Blake whispered.
“Go? No, I’m not—”
Blake grabbed Eli’s arm and pulled, heading towards the street. “Be quiet. Someone inside that building is watching you.”
“Yeah, I know. They’re…I was just—”
“I know what you’re doing,” Blake said.
That shut the boy up long enough to exit the alley.
They weren’t safe yet, though.
Blake crossed the sidewalk and stepped over the snowbank, pulling Eli along.
They were halfway across the street when Eli stopped and yanked his arm away.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.
“Looking for you.” Blake reached for his arm again, but Eli stepped away. “Come on. Those guys could come out any time.”
“Yeah, I know. I was waiting for them.”
“Waiting for them to sell you drugs?”
“It’s none of your business what I was doing!” Eli shouted.
Blake looked towards the alley, expecting those kids to appear at any moment.
“How did you know I was here?”
Blake looked back at his son. “Can we talk about this later, please?”
“What? Are you scared of a scrawny teenager? Gimme a break.”
“A scrawny teenager with a friend. And a knife.”
Eli blinked.
“They were watching you just now. They only went back inside for two minutes.”
“Right. And how would you know that?”
Blake spoke through gritted teeth. “Because I heard the kid say, ‘two minutes’!”
“They were just gonna—”
Blake grabbed Eli’s arm and yanked, pulling him off balance, and all but dragging him along. “Gonna what? Sell you pot? I don’t think so.”
His son’s naivety was going to get him killed.
“I think they were going to kick the crap out of you and steal your money, those two hundred dollar sneakers, and probably your jeans, too. And the coat. Definitely the coat. And leave you for dead.”
“You’re insane.”
“The kid had a knife in his hand.” Blake dragged his son towards the park.
Eli stopped and yanked his arm out of his father’s grasp when they reached the grassy area. “How did you know where I was?”
“I found the flyer in your backpack.”
“You went through my stuff?”
“You sneaked out of my house!”
“You had no right!”
“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s go.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Eli took a few steps away.
“Yes, you are.”
“I’m here with someone.”
“Yeah. Kelsey. I know. She’s going to ride home with her aunt and you’re going to ride home with me.”
“No. I’m not going with you. I’ll ride with them, or I won’t go.”
Eli, at five-nine, was still six inches shorter and skinnier than Blake. Blake could take him without breaking a sweat. “Listen, son, you can ei
ther walk with me and keep a little dignity, or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“No.” Blake stepped closer to him. “You wouldn’t.”
They stared at each other.
After a tense moment, Blake spoke. “Come on. Let’s find Kelsey and her aunt.” He turned away, praying his son would be sensible.
Eli was still for an eternity before he fell in step beside his father.
When they turned the corner around the makeshift stage, Blake saw Tallia and Kelsey, and his heart dropped to his knees.
The girls stood together with their backs to Blake, Kelsey holding tightly onto her aunt.
In front of them stood two men, very close, with leering smiles on their faces.
The one ogling Tallia had a bushy brown beard and a chubby round face. Six feet tall, maybe six-one, he wore an army-green canvas coat over faded jeans and work boots.
Beside him, a shorter man, wearing a red parka, was all but drooling over Kelsey.
Blake picked up speed.
Eli swore under his breath.
As they approached Tallia and her niece, Blake decided he’d talk to Eli about his language later.
Blake placed a hand on Tallia’s shoulder.
She flinched and looked around, a relieved expression crossing her features.
Eli did the same with Kelsey.
“Making some friends?” Blake locked gazes with the larger of the two men, but kept the tone light.
“You’re back.” Tallia’s voice was too high, too chipper. “You found him. Good.” She turned back to the men, who were now eying Blake and Eli. “Well, looks like we found our friends, so we’re going home.”
The bigger man looked from Blake to Tallia. “But we were just getting started. Come on over and have a little drink with us.” He dipped his head towards the crowd.
“Not tonight,” she said. “Thanks, anyway.”
The man stepped a little closer.
Tallia backed up, bumped into Blake, and pressed against him.
Blake could smell the liquor on the man’s breath as it combined with the floral scent of Tallia’s hair. “I appreciate you keeping an eye on our ladies for us,” he said. “We’ll just be going now.”
The man inched a little closer.
His friend smiled, eyes shining with anticipation.
Blake grabbed Tallia’s waist and shifted her towards Eli, stepping between them. He yanked his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Eli. “Take the girls. Get in the car and lock the doors.”
Eli nodded and grabbed the keys.
The three of them walked away.
“What’s your problem?” The big man turned to Blake.
Eli and the girls started to jog to the SUV.
Good.
“The ladies wanted to leave,” Blake said in an even tone.
“Maybe she wanted to leave with me,” The man said.
“Maybe.” Blake balled his hands into fists.
Eli, Tallia, and Kelsey climbed in the car and the engine roared to life.
“We’ll never know.” Blake took a step back and walked around the men towards the vehicle.
Every muscle in his body was tensed for a fight. Turning his back was stupid, but staying wasn’t a better option. He walked fast, refusing to run—or to turn around and take them both on—and praying he’d hear warning footsteps if they decided to rush him. He yanked open the passenger door and climbed inside.
“Drive.”
Eli slammed down on the gas and they lurched forward.
Blake breathed a word of thanks that they’d made it out unscathed and met Tallia’s gaze. “You two OK?”
“I…I think so.”
“Did they…?” He swallowed. “Did they touch you? If they—”
“No, they didn’t. They were just…they just wouldn’t leave us alone. It was…scary. We’re OK.” Tallia sat back and covered her face. She took a deep breath and dropped her hands. “Thank you, Blake. And Eli. We were…I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t shown up. Thank you.”
“That was the guy who was watching me earlier,” Kelsey said. “Not the big one, the other one. Every time I saw him, he was watching me.”
“Sorry, Kel. I shouldn’t have taken off like that.” Eli turned down a narrow alley and pulled the SUV to a stop beside a red car.
She nodded and dropped her gaze.
“Thanks for the ride, for…everything.” Tallia opened her door. “Come on, hon. I’m driving.”
The girl nodded.
Everyone climbed out of the car.
Blake watched Tallia walk away without a backward glance. No surprise there. She seemed to think he was a pothead corrupting minors. Any chance for a friendship or…whatever…was long gone. She didn’t trust him, something he was very familiar with. Not that he deserved her trust—or anyone’s trust, but it hurt all the same. Regardless of how she felt about him, he would make sure she made it home all right. “Why don’t you follow us out of here?”
“OK. Thanks.”
He got in the driver’s side and tapped the navigation system to lead them home.
He looked up to see Eli and Kelsey locked in a hug.
Blake drummed his fingers against the wheel and started counting. If he got to ten, he was getting out.
Apparently, Eli would walk away from this night with his relationship intact.
And Blake would have neither his son’s friendship, nor Tallia’s.
He was rounding eight when Eli gave Kelsey a quick kiss and headed for the passenger door.
“Is she all right?” Blake asked when Eli had settled in his seat.
“No. Not really. She will be, though.”
Blake slid the transmission into drive and started down the narrow road.
6
Tallia pulled away from the curb and followed the SUV, thankful to have Blake leading the way.
She reached across the front seat to pull Kelsey’s hand into hers, forcing away the memory of Blake doing the same thing less than an hour ago. She felt a flash of guilt and then shoved it away.
His father smokes pot all the time. It’s no big deal.
Could that be true, though? She didn’t know Blake that well, but from what she’d seen tonight it was really hard to believe the man was still doing drugs. Maybe she’d jumped to conclusions, but she couldn’t take any chances. Surely, Eli knew his own father well enough to know the truth. On the other hand, according to Blake, Eli had been handfed half-truths and outright lies about Blake for years. Maybe he didn’t know his father at all.
Kelsey’s sobs broke through her musings.
“It’s OK. We’re safe now.”
“I know.” The girl sniffed and dried her tears on her coat’s sleeve. “It’s just…how did it all go so horribly wrong? It was supposed to be fun and romantic. We were just going to sit together on a blanket and…oh, no.”
“What?”
“I forgot all about the blanket. It’s still there.”
“We can’t go back. Does it matter?”
“It was yours. That blue fuzzy one. I found it in the cabinet in the bathroom.”
Tallia had bought it for ten dollars. She started to tell Kelsey not to worry about it, but then thought better of it.
“We’ll consider it a contribution to the homeless. You can pay me back.”
“OK.”
“So you didn’t see the night turning out this way?”
“No! I thought…I didn’t think it was that big a deal. We’d sneak out, come down, listen to some music, and get home before you ever knew we were gone. It was supposed to be an adventure.”
Kelsey. The adventurous one.
Tallia had always been so careful and practical. The most daring thing she’d ever done was quit her teaching job, and at the time, she’d been pretty sure her parents would die of shock.
“But that park and this whole area is so…yucky. And the music wa
sn’t that good. And Eli was so angry.”
“What was he mad about?”
“His father, of course.”
“What did Blake do?”
“I don’t know. I guess they decorated a Christmas tree and his dad made spaghetti. It actually sounded like a good night, but Eli…I don’t know. I guess he thinks his father has ulterior motives.”
“Like …?”
“He thinks his dad moved here to clean up his image. That he’s going to move back to Hollywood as soon as he can convince the world he’s a family man. He thinks his dad’s trying to get a part or…I don’t know.”
Tallia’s heart picked up speed.
“I just feel sorry for Eli. This wasn’t my idea, but he wanted to get away from his dad’s house. I thought it would be OK.”
“Why do you feel sorry for him?”
“His mom’s remarried. And he feels like a third wheel there, like they can’t wait for him to grow up and get out. I’ve met his mom, though, and I don’t think she makes him feel that way. I think he just…does. And of course his dad is, you know,” she sniffed, “Blake Carmichael.”
“Has it ever occurred to Eli that his father moved here because he loves him and wants to be with him?”
Kelsey seemed to consider the question. After a moment, she said, “I don’t know. I doubt it.”
“I guess it would be hard for him to believe if he’s still smoking pot. That makes everything else he says suspect.”
“Yeah…” Kelsey sounded unsure.
“That’s what you said, right? That Eli said his father smokes in front of him?”
“Well, not exactly. He said he thinks his father still smokes pot. But I don’t think he’s ever actually seen him do it. And, well…”
“What?”
“He also said that his father wouldn’t care if he sneaked out. That he’d be mad if his mother found out, but his dad probably wouldn’t even find out, because why would he check on him? And if he did, he wouldn’t care. But tonight, he didn’t seem like a guy who didn’t care, did he?”
“No.” Tallia remembered the accusations she’d hurled earlier. Her heart dropped. She remembered the hurt look in Blake’s eyes after she yanked her hand away in the car, remembered how that look had lingered into the park while they’d looked for the kids. She’d been so quick to judge and so very wrong. “He definitely cared. He was scared to death for both of you.”
One Christmas Eve Page 4
