Caught by the Sheriff--A Clean Romance

by Rula Sinara

  Carlos took her hand and warmth seeped through her skin. The calloused pad of his thumb sweeping across her knuckles made her heart beat faster. She kept her eyes on the horizon. The sound of waves and bird cries a reminder that everything could wash away...fly away...at any time.

  “I assure you, Faye. You’re a giver. We all work. We all have to earn a living. Veterinarians get paid, don’t they? So do doctors. But getting paid to do something we love and having every day come from the heart? That’s a gift. And you sacrificed it all at the drop of a pin to do what was right for Nim. I think that’s one of the amazing things about you.”

  He thought she was amazing? She closed her eyes briefly. She had given everything up and would do so all over again, but he still didn’t know Nim wasn’t hers. He still didn’t know she wasn’t the innocent, abused mother he thought she was.

  “We should slow down, Carlos.”

  He pulled his hand back and rested his arms on his knees.

  “I’m moving too fast. I’m sorry. It’s just that, it feels like we’ve known each other for longer than we have. And I want to protect you, Faye. Help you.”

  “Please tell me this isn’t about pity.”

  “Of course it isn’t. You think that kiss we shared was pity?” He took a deep breath and stood.

  “No. I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t.”

  She wanted to tell him so badly. Lean on him. Let him love and protect her. Count on him.

  Like you tried to count on your parents when you decided to open a business? You took a leap of faith, thinking they’d be proud and that they’d help you fund the start-up. A loan that you assured them you’d pay back, even if they could afford for you not to. And what did they do? They rejected you when you told them what the business was. They didn’t approve of it...didn’t think it was prestigious enough a profession... So they tried to control you by not giving you a dime. Your own parents turned their backs on you. What if Carlos does the same when he finds out the truth?

  “Faye, we have something here. Maybe it started with me being concerned—No, actually. It didn’t. If I’m being honest, something happened the first time I laid eyes on you. I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I told myself it was out of a sense of duty, but it wasn’t only that. I know it. You know it.”

  “Alright. I do. But I won’t be here forever.”

  “You can be. If you’d let me help you. Tell me all I need to know to go after him. The whole truth this time.”

  “I explained that I can’t. I told you what I can.”

  “Faye. I’m not new at this. My gut tells me you’re not telling me everything. The part about him being an abusive jerk, I believe. But there’s something you’re not saying.”

  She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the sound of the waves crashing ashore. Of the gulls celebrating their freedom. The beach and ocean spun like a whirlpool. Not around her, but in her head. She curled her fingers into the sand and it ran through them. The sands of time...of life. She had no hold on it. Couldn’t hold on.

  Her parents hadn’t helped her and she still succeeded. She built a business on her own from scratch. Maybe she could take Jim down on her terms too. She could give Carlos the information he’d need to go after him and find her sister, but Faye would disappear again before he made the connection. Before he gathered enough information to realize she wasn’t Nim’s mother. Before he got cornered by Jim or his minions into arresting her. Maybe Eve would be willing to help her get away. But Eve used to help women and their children. Not women who kidnapped children.

  She rubbed at the tension in her neck and looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. You’ve got this.

  “I have a sister. A twin. Clara.”

  Everything, even the water and wildlife, seemed to go silent. He wiped his hand across his mouth, then crouched next to her.

  “Identical or fraternal?”

  He sounded like the sheriff again. Doing his job. Interrogating. Not her Carlos.

  “Identical.”

  “What does she have to do with this?”

  “He has her. Somewhere. I don’t know where.”

  “As in he mistook her for you? So you’re afraid he’ll treat her the way he treated you?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, not correcting his assumption. She got up on her knee and rubbed the sand off her palms.

  “Why didn’t you report him?”

  “I told you, he’s blackmailing me. He has power and connections. People who would believe any lies he told about me, as a mother. He refuses to accept that I have M—Nim.” That was close. And not exactly untrue. She stopped Nim from tasting a fistful of sand, then looked up. “If I don’t give him his child, he’ll hurt my sister. He’s making me choose between my twin sister, who means the world to me, and my child, who is my life.”

  “I have my own connections. People I trust. Some who go much higher than the police force.”

  “Any move and he’ll figure out where I am.”

  “Faye. How do you know he hasn’t figured that out already? You can’t live your entire life looking over your shoulder. And the longer your sister is missing, the worse her chances are.”

  He was referring to missing persons stats. The worse her chances of being found alive. That’s what he meant.

  “He left a cryptic message online. I’m sure she’s alive. At least she was when he posted it.”

  “You’re safe here. I’ll start an investigation into where your sister might be. I’ll need to know details. Everything about him down to his work address, property or properties, friends.”

  “Not friends. Don’t talk to anyone. They’ll only protect him.”

  “Let me protect you. Give me what I need to know to do this as swiftly as possible.”

  “But what if he gets to someone in town?”

  “The residents of Turtleback are like family. We have each other’s backs. No pun intended. Trust me, Faye. He can’t get to them.”

  “He always does. I’m telling you. Whether through bribery or blackmail—all done in a subtle, slick manner—he always gets his way.”

  “Not this time.”

  “Carlos, he has my sister. He’s appealing the custody ruling and is intent on winning. And who knows how he’ll treat Nim after that. Even if he has enough heart to provide for her now, when she’s old enough to challenge him, who’s to say he won’t take his temper out on her? I can’t risk it.”

  “But you want to find your sister too, don’t you?”

  “Yes, of course. I’d give my life for her. I would have already done so if Nim wasn’t in the picture, but she is. I’ve had to put her first.”

  “I know that. I’m not blaming you for anything. What I’m saying is that if you’ll trust me and trust that the men and women I count on are on the straight and narrow, then we can beat him at his own game. You can have Clara, Nim and your life back.”

  Could she? Maybe this could all end. Carlos would discover the truth, and the two of them would be over, but he’d also find her sister and enough evidence—maybe—to put her brother-in-law away and toss out any charges against her on the grounds that she was protecting her niece. Either Clara would testify that she’d asked Faye to help, or, if it was too late... Maybe they could find a recording of her words. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. Please be okay, Clara. She picked up Nim and held her tight.

  “His name is Jim. Jim Beauchampe.”

  Carlos swore under his breath.

  “You’re kidding me. The one I’m thinking of? The Jim Beauchampe? The one running for attorney general in the next election?”

  “Yes. Him.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE ROAD TO Eve’s cottage and Carlos’s had no streetlamps. Twilight cast its last ribbons of light across the road as Faye made her way back and forth to the car. I
t didn’t take long to pack their things. There wasn’t much to pack, but it took a couple of trips to get the playpen and stroller loaded. At this point, she didn’t care that her registration had expired. She had set a plan in motion and there was no turning back. Carlos would be following through with the information she gave him right now. He had enough to go on to find Clara, but Faye needed to get Nim out of town. She couldn’t risk her niece being taken into custody while investigations were made. She had to hide her until Clara was found and Jim was charged. And if Carlos failed and that didn’t happen, well, then she’d keep moving and changing names and vehicles. She’d do whatever she had to do.

  She closed the trunk on the car and the side door, then panicked. Where did she put her keys? She rummaged in her jacket pockets and found them. Thank goodness she hadn’t locked them in the car. She’d have been stuck at Eve’s. A sitting duck. Nim was over at Castaway Books, where Eve was hosting a bedtime-story session. It would have wasted too much time for Faye to drag the toddler all the way back to the cottage with her. She hadn’t told Eve everything, but she did say there was a chance her ex knew where she was and not to let Nim out of her sight. She needed to hurry and pick up Nim. She was really regretting the whole one-road-in-and-out-of-town setup with the Outer Banks. It was like playing hide-and-seek as kids. Closets and enclosed areas felt safe, but if you were found, you were cornered.

  Something stirred in the reeds off the road and she slapped her hand to her throat when a feral cat meowed and ran in front of her, disappearing into the night.

  Just a cat.

  Then why did she feel like she was being watched?

  You’re just worried because you told Carlos more than you have before and he’s acting on it. Trust him.

  She jogged up the steps, looking behind her as she unlocked the door and not exhaling until she’d bolted it from the inside. Maybe it was a good thing Nim wasn’t with her right now.

  The duffel bag was all that was left. She started for the bedroom to grab it.

  There was a scraping at the lock behind her. The sound of a key being inserted. Her pulse skyrocketed. Who had a key other than Eve? The image of the key copier at the hardware store flashed in her mind. Nim had dropped her key. Mr. Krinks had found it. Darla had mentioned that he’d been in a bad mood. She remembered her conversation with Carlos.

  “The residents of Turtleback are like family. We have each other’s backs. No pun intended. Trust me, Faye. He can’t get to them.”

  “He always does. I’m telling you. Whether through bribery or blackmail—all done in a subtle, slick manner—he always gets his way.”

  It all happened in a flash of a second. She reached for Eve’s salt lamp and prepared to throw it.

  Eve walked in the door and froze.

  “You’re going to kill me with a salt lamp?”

  Faye lowered her arm.

  “You scared me. You’re supposed to be at the shop. Where’s Nim?” Her pulse wouldn’t stop racing.

  “Jordan has her there. I’m going right back. We needed more diapers and wipes. Trust me. It’s an emergency. It couldn’t wait and it was safer not to move her. The mess would have been everywhere.”

  “You promised you wouldn’t leave her!” Faye rushed out the door with her bag. All the diapers and wipes were in it, but she didn’t care what condition Nim’s diaper was in. They needed to leave town.

  “Faye, I wouldn’t have left her with anyone else. Jordan won’t let anything happen to her. He understands,” Eve yelled after her. Faye didn’t respond. She got in her car, backed out and headed into town. Eve’s headlights were close behind hers. Her mouth felt dry and her head buzzed. She stepped on the gas. Castaway Books wasn’t far.

  She just hoped Nim would still be there.

  * * *

  CARLOS LOWERED HIS head into his hands. The truth was right in front of him. Glaring at him from his computer. The station bustled with officers switching out their shifts. Some going and some arriving. Marg came by with a stack of mail.

  “You okay, Sheriff?”

  He jerked his head up.

  “Just a headache.”

  “I keep a bottle of aspirin in my desk. I’ll be right back,” she said.

  Aspirin wasn’t going to help this one.

  Had he told Faye that nothing was too complicated for him to handle? Boy was he wrong. Love was too complicated and risky. Maybe she was right. He clearly hadn’t known her long enough for her to trust him with the truth.

  She wasn’t Nim’s mother. He sat back and scrubbed his face. She’d never been married, let alone divorced. The hair color. The lies.

  “Here you go.” Margie handed over the bottle of pills and returned to her desk.

  “Thanks,” he said, belatedly.

  He had told her he’d protect her no matter what. That she could trust him. Had he been lying too? Had he promised more than he could follow through with? She had him between a shark and a hurricane. Both dangerous. Now that he had this information, not taking Nim into custody would go against the law he was sworn to uphold. But he trusted her. She may have withheld the whole truth, but she must have had a reason. She wasn’t a bad person. He’d have felt it. He’d have known.

  He thought about her dog walking. Dogs had good instincts too. Especially that Laddie.

  He needed to think. There had to be a way to protect them all...before it was too late.

  * * *

  FAYE PARKED HER car and hurried to the Castaway Books front door. It was locked but she could see Jordan, in jeans and a sweatshirt, sitting down with Nim in his lap, holding her under her armpits like he was afraid she’d move. She could hear Nim crying. Eve, who was only thirty seconds behind her, ran up and nudged her aside to unlock the door.

  “I locked it because I was leaving. I told you I would be careful,” Eve said.

  “I’m sorry,” Faye mumbled.

  “What about diapers?” Eve asked.

  “In the car. The duffel on the back seat. Don’t bring it in. Just grab one from it. The wipes are there too,” she said, handing her the keys. One of the suspense movies Faye had watched years ago, which had kept her awake all night, involved a killer hiding in the back seat of his victim’s cars. The thought of Jim hiding in hers sent prickles down the back of her neck. “Please lock it back up,” she added, as she ran inside.

  Eve didn’t question why she didn’t get them herself. She doubled back to Faye’s car as Faye ducked into the bookstore.

  The place stunk to high heaven. Nim’s crying got louder when she saw Faye. She stretched her little arms out for Faye to hold her.

  “It wasn’t me,” Jordan was quick to point out.

  Faye wasn’t sure if he was referring to Nim’s bawling or the smell. Either way, she had no sense of humor left in her. She reached out to grab Nim, who buried her tear-streaked face into the crook of Faye’s neck. The poor kid wasn’t feeling well.

  “Maybe that tooth that’s been bothering her finally erupted. One of the moms who brings her kids here mentioned that once when her baby was crying,” Eve suggested, as she returned with a diaper, changing pad and a container of wipes.

  “It wasn’t the only thing that was erupting,” Jordan quipped.

  “Maybe,” Faye said. “It’s not her normal poop smell, though. Nim must have eaten something that upset her stomach. Sand. She may have eaten sand at the beach while she was playing. Who knows what bacteria were in it.” Please don’t be sick. Let this be one bad poop. If Nim ended up with diarrhea and needed antibiotics, that would require a doctor’s visit. Of all the times for this to happen.

  “Only a mother would clue into her kid’s potty scents,” Eve said.

  “I would be careful if I were you. She’s leaking,” Jordan warned. Faye lifted Nim up, unfazed.

  “Can I change her here?” The small bathroom in the place wasn�
��t big enough to lay her down in. She’d learned that the last time she’d tried to change a wet diaper there and ended up having to do so with Nim standing. That wouldn’t work with diarrhea.

  “Yes, go ahead.”

  She changed Nim’s diapers as smoothly as though she’d been doing it from the day she was born and put the garbage in a plastic bag that Eve handed her. She didn’t want to leave the room but she had to wash her hands.

  “Eve. Do you mind?” Faye asked.

  “Of course not,” Eve said, picking Nim up and rubbing her back soothingly.

  “That smell is potent birth control,” Eve said. Jordan’s face fell. “I’m kidding. I mean, it is, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want a family. Eventually.”

  “Eventually,” Jordan repeated, pointing a finger at her as if he was going to hold her to it.

  Faye ran to the bathroom to wash up. Jordan’s cell phone was buzzing when she returned. His brow furrowed. “I need to take this.” He went into the back room.

  He’s a cop. He got a call. He looked serious. What if it was Carlos or some other officer telling him not to let you leave the place?

  Her heart hadn’t beat this fast since the two double shots of espresso she had the day she stole Nim.

  “I’m sorry for freaking out on you, Eve. I am. And I appreciate all that you’ve done for us, but I need to go.” She took Nim, who had calmed down slightly, from Eve. She could hear Jordan talking in a low voice on his phone, but couldn’t make anything out.

  “What do you mean? You’re leaving? Town? Faye, it’s not safe. You won’t make it across the Bonner Bridge and be able to clear the Outer Banks without being stopped for your tags. Besides the fact that you’re not calm and it’s dark out. You said that you only suspect your ex knows where you are. You don’t know for sure. I can hide you here in town. We’ll watch for any newcomers asking questions. Then, tomorrow, I’ll drive you out of here myself.”

  “No. It’s too late for that.” Eve didn’t know that Carlos could be on the phone giving Jordan orders to arrest her. That Nim would suffer for it. She gave Eve a quick hug. “I’m sorry. Just remember that.”