Trinity's Trust (Sawyer Brothers Book 5)

by C. A. Harms

  Trinity nodded her head as she continued to closely watch Nan’s movements.

  I still remember Nan’s reaction when I told her Trinity was pregnant. She smiled wider than I think I’d ever witnessed before. “Why the hell you look so damn surprised to find me joyous over the news?” she asked. “I may be a rotten old woman who likes peace but I am a woman. And babies can soften even the hardest of souls, boy.”

  It was great to see Nan and Trinity together.

  I still hadn’t shared the news with my mother or father, but when I left Texas, neither of them were entirely happy with me. They felt I’d betrayed them by rushing to Nan’s side. Their hope was that if no one came to help her she would cave and give in to all their demands of money and property.

  They were selfish people and honestly at this point I didn’t feel they were worthy of the news.

  Not one of them had called to check on Nan, or me for that matter, in the last year. So we didn’t need their poison tainting our happiness.

  “Smells good in here,” I said as I finally stepped into the room.

  Both woman looked over their shoulders at me and smiled.

  “Chicken noodles,” Nan announced. “Just teaching your girl here the family recipe. I figure she’ll need to know how to make my grandbaby the best when they get old enough to eat the good stuff.”

  Trinity was still a little thrown off by the fact that she was actually pregnant. I’d accepted it, and had fallen in love with the idea of being a father already. I think I had the moment I heard the heartbeat the day before they let her come home from the hospital.

  I knew I’d wanted kids one day, and I knew I wanted Trinity. So what if it was sooner than I’d imagined? Now I couldn’t wait to be a father.

  ***

  By the time I crawled into bed that night after getting Nan settled, Trinity was softly snoring. She had been up since I’d left for work that morning before 6:00 a.m. and spent the day helping Nan.

  I crawled into bed at her side and she instantly curled her body toward mine, placing her hand on my chest. “You always smell so good,” she whispered and I smiled.

  “I thought you were sleeping,” I said in return.

  “How could I possibly stay asleep with you this close,” she replied as she opened her eyes and looked up at me.

  I brushed her hair back from her face as I took a moment to just look at her. She tucked her chin toward her chest and I continued to watch her. “You are so much more than I bargained for,” I confessed, which gained her attention.

  “I knew I wanted to know you, that I had to. There was just something about you that no matter how hard I tried to shake it wouldn’t dissipate. But never in a million years did I realize I would fall so hard.” I let my thumb trail lightly over her lip. The wound was healing and was less sore but it still angered me that she had to face that night.

  “I love you,” I said as my gaze wandered back to meet hers. I could see the unshed tears that formed in her eyes as she smiled up at me.

  “Not just because you’re carrying my baby, but that was the turning point that made me realize the love I had for you. It was the moment I truly understood just how much I want you in my life. I want it all with you, the house, the babies, the growing old together and bickering about what to watch on Sunday night television.”

  She laughed as she blinked and the tears ran along her cheeks.

  “I love you,” I repeated. “And I love this baby,” I assured her as I rested my hand against her stomach.

  “I love you,” she said in a whisper as her tears continued to fall. “And I want all those things too. But just so we’re clear, I get to control what we watch on Sunday nights.”

  I didn’t argue; how could I when she wore that smile? She was happy, so fucking happy. And that was all I wanted. It was what I craved. Her smile, her laughter, it was as if those were the only things of importance with the acceptance of her safety, because never again would anyone hurt her or my child.

  That was a promise.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Trinity

  “I’m pulling in the drive now,” Olivia said through the receiver. “Gran is coming in, and I need to get you to the station. I’ve already been called three times by Dad telling me to hurry my ass up,” she practically growled. “I swear that man is part bear.”

  I think all the men in our lives were part bear—vicious, dominant Grizzly bears ready to lay down hell whenever it was needed and sometimes when it wasn’t.

  “Okay,” I said with a laugh. “I’m coming out.”

  I ended the call and grabbed my things as I exited Chase’s room and moved toward the living room. “Nan, Olivia is here to get me,” I said as I rounded the corner and found her engrossed in her soap opera playing on the television. “Tammy is here for a few hours, so you’ll be entertained with cards and gossip.”

  “Nana loves her juicy gossip,” she said with a grin, still not taking her eyes from the television.

  “I’ll see you in a couple hours,” I assured her.

  “Okay Mom,” she said, finally looking away from her TV. “I’ll be good and stay out of trouble.”

  She was a feisty little lady and I secretly loved just how she’d accepted me into her life and her home. I never imagined when I first heard of the wicked ole lady Willard that she would one day be one of my very favorite people. But that day had come. I adored her and all her sassiness.

  “Don’t you try to fool me, Nan.” I cocked a brow at her and gave her a matching smirk. “We all know your middle name is trouble.”

  “That it is darlin’,” she chuckled. “That it is.”

  I pulled open the door and was immediately engulfed in a loving hug from Tammy. I didn’t see her nearly as often as I liked to lately, but I swear Chase had me in a plastic bubble. He didn’t like that the guy who attacked me was still out there somewhere. Neither did I, but I couldn’t keep hiding away.

  He would have to accept that one day soon, I would be going back to work and my apartment.

  He and the guys still spent hours staring at video after video looking for any clue as to who this guy was. In fact that was what they had me doing, coming to the station to look at some mugshots and video they analyzed. The same videos that have been seen a million times and still they were determined held some piece of information that would lead them to the one responsible.

  “How is my sweet girl?” Tammy asked as she pushed back, still keeping her hands on my forearms as she looked me over.

  “I’m good,” I assured her.

  “That boy taking care of you?” She cocked her head to the side. I knew if I said “No” just to be ornery, she would storm off to find Chase and raise some hell. Sometimes I thought Tammy was worse than all three Sawyer boys put together. That woman could get mean when necessary.

  “He’s taking care of me,” I assured her. “He’s a good man.”

  She nodded as she released her hold on me. “Well that’s good, because I didn’t want to have to get my new nails dirty.” She winked. “I would have beat that boy senseless had you said otherwise.”

  “I know you would have.” I surely knew she had no problem telling anyone off who mistreated any member of her family.

  “Well you better get going.” She looked back over her shoulder and laughed. “Looks like poor Liv is already getting another call from her father.”

  “Hasn’t he figured out by now that tormenting her only makes matters worse?” I thought he loved to fire her up.

  “You’d think so,” Tammy said, turning back to face me. “I’ll see ya later child, I have some stories for Nan I can’t wait to share.” She hurried past me.

  I loved how close Tammy had gotten to Chase’s grandmother. The entire Sawyer family, for that matter. They’d all adopted her as one of their own, just like they had me.

  ***

  The ride to the station was filled with Olivia threatening to beat her father for all the hell he’d put her throug
h over the last hour. I tried not to laugh, I truly did, but those two bickered like a couple of old men over a game of poker. It was comical.

  When we entered the station, no time was wasted as Chase looked up and noticed me, moved toward me, and wrapped me in his arms.

  He didn’t kiss me, but just buried his nose in my hair and simply breathed me in. I loved when he did that, because it made me feel treasured.

  “You feeling okay?” he whispered near my ear and I nodded my head.

  I’d had a little bit of unexpected morning sickness earlier before he left for work. It was the first time I’d experienced it and I could tell he felt horrible for leaving me in that state.

  “It didn’t last long,” I assured him.

  “Okay you two, separate and let’s look at some scumbags.” Ryan sounded so authoritative. Almost like being scolded by a parent.

  No one argued as we all moved toward the room at the back of the station. As I entered I looked around and suddenly felt guilty. The room was littered with half empty bags of chips and other assorted junk food. The table at the side held two coffee pots both half full and the garbage can just to the side was filled with Styrofoam cups that had once held numerous ounces of coffee.

  They had been working countless hours looking for the guy responsible for hurting me, day after day, night after night. It had just dawned on me that I had not thanked any of them, not even once.

  I stood in the doorway as they all moved around the area and got settled.

  “Thank you,” I said, which caused all of them to look up at me.

  “It just hit me that I haven’t said thank you to any of you. I didn’t thank you for getting me help that night, or for each one of you being there for me while I was in the hospital.” I scanned the room as Noah, Ryan, and Chase all watched me. Olivia stood at my side still waiting to join the guys.

  “All the hours you’ve each put in here at the station trying to find even the smallest clue to locate this guy. And I know it didn’t stop there because Chase brings it home with him each night, just like the two of you have.” I swallowed past the lump that formed at the base of my throat. “Thank you all. I love you guys more than I could ever express and I just wanted you each to know how thankful I am to have you in my life.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chase

  I sat at Trinity’s side, with my hand resting on her thigh. I just wanted to be touching her in some way.

  We all remained quiet as she scanned over each mugshot Ryan had printed out. Nothing seemed to trigger any memory from that night.

  She shook her head as she laid the last of the pictures down. I could sense her disappointment and in some way I felt as if we’d failed her.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered and my stomach tensed.

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” I assured her as I placed my arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close. “We’ll find him.”

  I wished that I knew that was true, but even I was beginning to doubt myself.

  Ryan leaned back in his chair and placed his hands over his eyes as he rubbed at them. He was trying to alleviate just some of the tension I knew we were all feeling.

  Noah had his head in his hands as he pulled at the ends of his hair. But when my gaze moved toward Olivia, there was something about the way she was staring at the monitor that made my heart race.

  There was a picture of the attacker up on the screen, frozen. It was the only image we had that was remotely clear. When he exited the store and looked back over his shoulder one last time, it was as if the streetlight from outside gave a hue effect from behind him. It highlighted the clothes he wore and his pleased smile as he left behind the woman I loved and the destruction he created.

  Olivia tilted her head to the side as she squinted her eyes.

  Without saying a word I stood up and moved around the table as I knelt down beside her. “What do you see?” I asked, because I could already tell she saw something she must have recognized.

  I heard the sounds of chairs moving against the floor behind me but I remained exactly where I was.

  “I can’t be sure,” she whispered as she moved in closer.

  “But you see something,” I replied. “Don’t you?”

  “Liv?” Ryan said, making her jump as she looked back over her shoulder toward her father.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  There was a moment of silence as she turned back to the computer. “That jacket,” she whispered. “Charlie wears a jacket like that.”

  Ryan and Noah both leaned in close trying to see what she saw.

  “That’s the jacket all the football players got the year they won the state championship. It was designed for them, and the only difference on each was the number on the right side.” She pointed toward the screen. “There is no mistaking that is 00. That was Charlie’s jersey number all through high school.”

  “Are you sure?” Noah asked.

  She nodded her head. “I saw him a few days before the attack. He was wearing that jacket,” she said with certainty. “I remember because he was flirting with me and it made Keeton irritable. After he walked away, Keeton made a comment about what kind of joker still wore a football jacket from his glory days.”

  “Charlie?” I asked, feeling completely lost with the conversation.

  “Charlie Whitfield,” Noah was the first to reply. “He’s a kid Olivia went to school with and he’s always had a thing for her. She went off to college; he went off to work at the factory with his dad.”

  “He’s stayed out of trouble for the most part until the last couple years,” Ryan said, now standing up straight and moving toward the other computer.

  He took a seat and began typing on the keyboard.

  “He got into some trouble last spring with a group of guys over a bet he’d made, and when he lost he couldn’t pay what he owed them. They messed him up pretty bad.” Ryan tapped enter and the screen filled with a picture of a younger guy, sandy blond hair. He looked strung out.

  “We arrested him later that same spring for possession of a controlled substance and it all went downhill from there,” Ryan said as he looked back toward me.

  “What do you mean downhill?” I asked.

  “Drugs, heavy drinking. Hell, his own father even threw him out after he stole some stuff from him to pay for drugs.” Ryan took in a deep breath. “I don’t even know where the kid is living these days.”

  “Well I suggest we start checking around for this Charlie person,” I said, standing up and moving toward the table.

  I leaned over and kissed Trinity on her forehead. “You have Olivia take you back to Nan’s.”

  I could almost see the argument coming from her, only I didn’t wait around to hear what she was gonna say. At that point I had one goal and that was to figure out how the hell to find this Whitfield kid.

  He and I had a long overdue chat coming.

  ***

  With Noah driving one cruiser and Ryan driving the other, I and another officer, Raymond, rode along.

  We tried Charlie’s dad’s house first only to find out he hadn’t seen Charlie in close to three weeks. He gave us a few possibilities after finally admitting that he’d given up on his son. He was remorseful; you could see it when he hung his head after speaking those words.

  “A man can only take so much before he’s forced to admit that the help his child needs is well beyond his reach.” I made a vow right then that never in my life would I ever give up on my child.

  Never.

  We came up empty at every place we checked.

  The last thing I wanted to do was go home to Trinity and know that once again I had failed her. I wanted to keep looking—hell, I wanted to start knocking on every damn door in town in search of this kid, but Ryan refused.

  “There’s no reason to work up everyone in town,” he said. I disagreed, but kept that to myself.

  So after Ryan made it very clear that if I didn’t agree to go home and
get some rest, he would drive my ass home himself, I gave in.

  But it didn’t mean I wouldn’t be back bright and early tomorrow ready to go again.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Trinity

  I could almost feel the tension rolling off Chase. He was quiet and I often found him staring off to some distant place as if lost in his own thoughts.

  I knew he was upset that they had not found this Charlie guy. And if I was honest with myself, I was also disappointed. Not that I thought they hadn’t tried, because I knew that was not the case. I knew they had done all they could.

  My disappointment came from being ready to put this whole matter behind us.

  I wanted to be able to get back to my life and back to the way things once were between Chase and me. He was just so wrapped up in his own thoughts all the time that it made me miss him even though he was right next to me.

  “Boy, you need to wipe that scowl off your face.” Nan was the first to mention Chase’s sour mood.

  I watched as he wrinkled his forehead as if to say she had no idea what she was talking about.

  “Don’t go playing that game with me. You are one cranky asshole tonight and that girl sitting at your side is just too kind to say anything about it. But we all know already that I’m a sour puss,” she said with a smirk. “So I’ll say it.”

  I could see the fiery flame of orneriness burning in her eyes.

  “You need to pull your head out of your ass and be thankful for today.” I pressed my lips firmly together as I hung my head and waited for Chase to respond.

  I was already planning my escape to the safety of the bedroom in my mind.

  Two bullheaded people in the same room. One of them in the worst of moods and the other being unwilling to back down. It was a disaster in the making.

  “You’re right.” I looked up in shock when Chase spoke.