by Jen Talty
* * * * *
“Lacy…look at me.” Frank tried to slow his pulse to something one could consider calm. At this rate, the woman was going to hyperventilate on him. “Relax, honey.”
“Relax?” She brushed her hair from her pale face. “I…I…just…just…” She hiccupped, gasping for air. “I can’t…breathe.”
“Take deep, long breaths or you’re going to pass out.” He stared at her wondering what the hell had happened and how he was going to fix it. “That’s it, just breathe with me.” Her chest rose up and down in unison with his. He waited. If she didn’t catch her breath soon, he’d have to call for help. That wouldn’t look good. He checked her pulse, which felt okay, and the color in her face had started to return.
“Water, please.”
After slipping on his pants, he leapt from the bed and tried to pull back the door to the tiny room, but it didn’t budge.
“Locked.”
With trembling hands, he fumbled with the handle until the door finally flung open. He raced through the family room and into the kitchen, his heart still in his throat. Now he was starting to hyperventilate.
He ran a hand across his head and then pulled down two glasses and filled them with cold water. “Shit,” he mumbled.
“Here,” Lacy said.
He jumped, knocking the water onto the floor. “Damn it. You shouldn’t have snuck up on me like that.” She held his clothes in one hand and held her robe tight with the other. When he looked at her, standing there, he realized Patty was right. Lacy was going to kill him when she found out he was the cop who’d taken her sister’s call that night.
“Go back to bed,” he said taking his shirt and slipping it over his head.
“I’ve got to get Andy up in an hour and you really need to leave,” she said as if she hadn’t just completely lost it only moments ago.
Shaking his head, he glanced at the clock. He stifled the urge to take her into his arms. A little bit of distance, that’s what they needed. Things were happening too quickly, that was all there was to it.
“What happened back there?” No matter how hard he tried to fight his desires, he couldn’t, but when he tried to pull her close, she pushed him away.
“Being with you, even for one night, here like this, could ruin everything. It was stupid.”
“That’s not true.” Deep down, he knew the score. Even if what they did wasn’t wrong, Taylor could find a way to make it seem as though they’d both been reckless. Add Frank’s ties to the case and she had a point. A very valid point. Dating was one thing, but a sleeping arrangement, in front of the kid, was an entirely different story.
“You don’t understand how nasty Taylor can get.”
“Enlighten me.” He felt his blood pressure rise to dangerous heights. If Taylor had ever laid a hand on his Lacy, he’d kill him. “Tell me what he’s done.”
“Oh, Christ, the list goes on a mile long, but the bottom line is that he has a knack for making me look like shit and he comes out looking like a diamond.”
Frank chugged his water, and then slammed the glass down on the counter. “Then how come the courts gave Andy to you and not his father?”
“That was temporary, and only because he didn’t have custody when Hannah died. Her will left instructions for me to raise Andy, but that obviously doesn’t matter since he’s filed for full custody and the judge is willing to hear his side.”
Of course the judge was willing to hear his side. The man did have some rights under the law, even if he was scum. Frank moved to the door and glanced across the trailer park. All he wanted was to help her, not screw it up for her or Andy. Andy would be the only loser if he were removed from Lacy’s care. But how did he help her? How was he going to prove that Taylor had something to do with Hannah’s death? “I’m not going to let him take Andy from you.”
“I don’t think that is up to you.”
He turned to her. “Maybe so, but I’m not willing to give up without a fight and neither should you.”
“It’s not your fight.” At least the fire in her eyes had returned. He hated that she could look so lost at times and other times as if she could do anything.
“Yeah, well, I’m not going anywhere.” A vow he not only made to her, but silently to Hannah. “I’ll meet Andy at the launch in less than an hour.” Unable to resist her, he drew her close and pressed his lips against hers, slipping his tongue between them. A groan rumbled in his throat as she ran her hand across his chest, fisting his shirt in her hand. He couldn’t really tell if she meant to push him away, or pull him closer, but it didn’t matter. “I’ll have my cell phone if you need me.”
He kissed her temple before snagging his keys and flip-flops. He slipped into his truck and headed for his parents’ house. He’d promised his brothers and Andy, but he wanted to go into the office and do a little more digging. There had to be something he was missing.
* * * * *
Lacy’s day couldn’t have gone slower if the world had stopped. She’d completed her cleaning duties in record time, even though it felt like forever, and now she sat at the public launch and waited for Frank to return with Andy. A few boats hummed across the lake as the sun tried to peek out from behind the grey and white clouds casting gloom over the clear blue waters. She still couldn’t bring herself to go in the lake. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t put more than her feet in.
A cool breeze chilled her skin. She wrapped her arms around her middle and tried not to think about Frank, making love with Frank, or the embarrassing panic attack after. Nothing about last night made any sense. She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. She didn’t want to like him, but she did. Andy liked him, too, and that just made matters worse.
What am I going to do? If she asked him to stay away, it would hurt Andy, and she couldn’t do that. But having Frank show up all the time would only lead to another last night and that was something she couldn’t afford to have happen again.
“Well, now, lookie what I found,” she heard Taylor’s voice echo behind her.
Her body immediately tensed. “How is Chad?” she asked as Taylor appeared in front of her dressed in jeans and a tattered sweatshirt.
“He’s holding his own, but still unconscious.” Taylor’s words were clipped. His dark blue eyes full of anger and animosity. He hadn’t shaved in a while, and frankly, he looked like shit. Very uncharacteristic for him. “What do you know about it?”
“I heard about the accident.” Taylor normally looked the part of the clean-cut boy next door, even though he wasn’t. Today he looked out of sorts, and it wasn’t just his attire. He actually appeared tired and worn out. Maybe the man did have a heart after all.
“I bet you did.” He narrowed his shark-like eyes and stepped closer.
“What the hell does that mean?” She knew she should’ve kept her mouth closed. Picking a fight with Taylor would only end up causing trouble. Trouble she didn’t need. Trouble she couldn’t afford.
“You know the accident happened between here and the village.”
“And?” she questioned, wondering where he was going with all this.
He gave her a smug grin. “The cops think it was done on purpose.”
Tell me something I don’t know. “That’s terrible.” She searched the lake for any sign of Frank’s boat, even though she had no idea what it looked like. “What do you want?”
“Where’s my son?” Taylor bellowed.
“Fishing.” She hugged her knees to her chest to stop from shaking. She toyed with the hem on her jeans. The fabric wasn’t as soft as her fleece, but it was better than nothing. Taylor didn’t have a heart. He was probably coming off a bad night at the bar. He didn’t really care about Chad, just his stupid truck. And fucking up his son’s life.
“With who?”
Someone who is going to make sure you rot in hell, you bastard. She felt Taylor hovering over her like a vulture. The acid in her stomach smacked her tonsils before flo
ating back down, leaving behind a rancid taste. Taylor was slime.
“A friend.” She smirked at him. “You know, someone who gives a shit.”
“I’ll bet he gives more than that. You slut. You just made this a little easier for me.” He had the audacity to laugh.
“Excuse me?” She glared at him wanting to slam her knee to his balls. “Need I remind you as of right now, you don’t have visitation, nor are you supposed to be anywhere near Andy without social services present. So if Andy gets back anytime soon, I can have you arrested.” She wondered if Frank could do that when he was off-duty. Probably. That might be fun to watch.
“Not true,” he said with a smug grin.
Slowly, she rose, taking in a deep breath. She needed to calm herself down before she really said something she’d regret. “If you see Andy without the counselor present, you’ll screw yourself.”
“I’m just a lonely father who desperately wants to see his son during a time of crisis.” He gave her a fake pout and patted his chest.
“You’re despicable. I can’t believe you’d use what happened to Chad as an excuse to see Andy. You don’t even want Andy, so I have no idea why you are hell bent on gaining custody. Do you have any idea what it’s going to be like to raise a kid?” She swallowed. Pushing this man’s buttons was stupid on her part, but he had a way of making her crazy.
“He’s my kid.”
“What’s his favorite color? Favorite car? What movies does he like?” Her pulse picked up speed and she knew continuing this conversation was dangerous. “Come on, Taylor, tell me.” But there was no way in hell she’d let Taylor have the upper hand with her ever again.
He stepped closer and she stepped back. “Afraid of me, are you?”
“I think you should leave.” She heaved in a breath and held her ground. He wouldn’t dare do anything so openly…would he?
“This is a public beach.” He folded his arms across his chest and leaned closer to her. “We can end this right now, if you want.” His eyes dropped to her lips, then lower. “Just give me what I want.”
“I don’t have anything you want.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, honey,” he whispered. “We could be a family, like we should be. Hannah would have wanted us to band together to make a decent life for my son.”
“Why are you doing this? You haven’t been a father to him for years, much less supported him. I’d rather die before ever letting you touch me.” Ever since she could remember, Taylor had made sexual comments toward her. Most of them would be considered crude by any standard.
He leaned a little closer. “Then maybe you should put yourself out of your own misery.”
She wanted to back even further away, but knew that would be a mistake. Taylor thrived on power and control, thrived on making other people feel small and less than adequate. Something she refused ever to feel again.
“Fuck off,” she managed with a shaky voice.
A slow smile drew across Taylor’s face. “You’re going to lose him. You’ll be all alone, with nothing to show for your trouble. Stupid bitch.”
Her heart stopped and she gasped for air. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She hated that Taylor could reduce her to a trembling, scared rabbit. She didn’t want to be that way. She needed to be strong for Andy. Squaring her shoulders, she said, “I’m not losing anything, so buzz off, asshole.” In the background, she could hear boys laughing over the puttering of an engine. She glanced over her shoulder, grateful to see Frank and a boatload of boys. “He’s a cop, you know.”
Taylor stepped back, raking a hand across his head. “Ms. Lazzery isn’t going to like the fact that a man, regardless of profession, walked out of your trailer at six this morning, kissed you while you were half-naked, and Andy was right there.”
She wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face, but she couldn’t move. She just stared at him as he turned and walked to his truck.
“Tell my son I miss him.” He waved before slipping into his vehicle and driving off.
Her stomach lurched and gurgled while her heart pounded against her ribs. What have I done? If she screwed this up and lost Andy to that piece of shit, Hannah, even dead, wouldn’t be able to forgive her.
“What did he want?” Frank asked.
She jumped, letting out a little yelp when she felt Frank’s arm loop around her middle. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“What the hell just happened?” Frank’s voice rumbled through her body calming her and making her nuts at the same time. The tone should’ve scared her, but there was a protective edge to his words that made her feel safe. She resented him for it.
“I’m so screwed.” She stepped from his embrace and brought her hands through her long hair, pushing it behind her shoulders. “I can’t believe I messed up this badly.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Now tell me why he was here.”
As Frank stepped closer, she held out her hand stopping him. She needed her wits about her for this talk and didn’t need his male charisma messing with her mind. “He saw you this morning.”
“So. Lots of people saw me this morning.”
She closed her eyes and took in a deep calming breath. She could feel the blood race through her system, and if she weren’t careful, she’d end up either panicking like this morning or back in his arms. Besides, she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. When she opened her eyes, she glanced to Andy, who was still getting things off the boat with two young boys who looked just like Frank. “He saw you leave the trailer, and he’s going to tell social services that I had a man spend the night when Andy was with me.” And she wouldn’t be able to deny it.
“I was there picking up Andy.”
“He saw you kiss me,” she said softly. “He saw me in my robe and he saw you leave, alone.”
“All of that can be explained away. Remember, we are dating now.”
“Dating is fine, screwing is something el—” she started but got cut off by one of Frank’s brothers.
“Hey, Frank, Mom said I needed to mow the lawn before tonight. We gotta fly, bro.”
“Aunt Lacy!” Andy yelled as he and the other brother came barreling across the beach. “Can Jake stay for a little while and maybe swim or something?”
“I’m sure he needs to get home,” Lacy said.
“Nah, my chores got done last night. Maybe Andy can come to the cookout tonight.” Jake hit Frank’s arm. “Can I use your cell to call and ask?”
“Sure.” Frank tossed him the phone and then glided his hand across Lacy’s back.
Once again, a warm, comforting sensation flittered to every nerve ending in her body. “If your little brother wants to stay, that’s fine. I just need to know where and when to take him home.” She should’ve told them all to take a hike. She needed to figure out how to deal with what might happen when the judge found out what a hussy she’d turned out to be.
“I’ll come get him if that’s the case.” He glanced around the parking lot and then rested both his hands on her shoulders. Briefly, she contemplated shrugging them off, but she didn’t. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“At dinner tonight—”
“Whoa, wait one minute. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“If Andy is, then so are you.” He arched a brow, almost daring her to say otherwise.
“A family picnic? Nuh-uh. No way. Not going.” She couldn’t go hang out with his family. What the hell was he thinking? She needed to get a hold of her lawyer and figure out what to do. Taylor couldn’t win, that could only mean bad news for Andy.
“Yo, Frank. Mom wants to talk to you,” Jake said, holding out the cell.
Frank took the cell and stepped away, mentioning something about Lacy, dinner and other crap Lacy had no plans to deal with. Hadn’t he heard what she’d said about Taylor? Her stomach soured and acid slammed into the back of her throat.
“Can I go, please, Lacy?”
>
“Probably,” she whispered. No reason he couldn’t enjoy himself. Jake seemed like a nice enough kid, better than the morons Andy had been hanging around. “I’ve got some phone calls to make anyway.”
“See you then, Mom,” she heard Frank say as he approached. “Mom said you can stay, but I’ll be back to get all of you around five.”
“I can’t.” She made sure her tone sounded firm, but by the look on Andy’s face, she just sounded like a bitch. “But Andy can go. No problem. Just tell me when and where to pick him up.”
Frank lifted his baseball cap and ran his hand across his head. “Take a hike. I need a minute with Lacy.” He turned the hat, putting it on backward and watched both boys glance at each other, shrug, and then dart off toward the other side of the parking lot.
“It’s nice of you to take Andy tonight, but I really need to get a plan going here. I can’t lose Andy. Don’t you understand? I’ve got to talk to the lawyer. I’ve got to make this all right again.”
“I’ve got an idea. Just trust me.”
Life had taught her that blindly trusting someone would only dig the hole deeper. “Without knowing this idea of yours? I don’t think so.” But right now, she felt like she had to trust someone.
“I don’t think we need to go telling everyone what happened.”
She opened her mouth, but he covered it with his hand.
“Did you ever think about how Taylor is going to have to explain why he was at your trailer in the wee hours of the morning when he’s not supposed to be there?”
Damn Frank for having a valid point. “He’d figure out a way to make it look plausible.” When his arm wrapped around her waist, she leaned in and followed him toward the lake. Part of her believed Frank would do everything in his power to help her. Probably because he was the one who got her into this mess in the first place, but that same power frightened her. She didn’t want to use him for the sole purpose of making sure Taylor didn’t get his hands on Andy, but the alternative was too ugly to consider. “I need to call the lawyer and find out what he wants me to do first.”
