Fire and Granite

by Andrew Grey

  “I can’t…,” she sputtered, seeming unprepared for him to make this kind of case.

  “Has a complaint been made that they have been mistreated? Is their home a danger? Their mother has a health issue, and as a family member, I am stepping in to care for the kids. I’m designated by their mother. So there is no need for you to be involved further, and the kids are in capable hands.” He knew the game they played and was having none of it.

  “The hospital referred us—”

  “You are now being unreferred. The children have been delivered to a responsible family member. Your duty is discharged. That is the end of your involvement.”

  She grimaced but turned toward the stairs.

  He followed her upstairs, provided what she needed, and then looked over what she wanted him to sign. “You have a nice evening,” he said as he sent her on her way looking a little confused and overwhelmed.

  “What was that?” Clay asked as he and the kids joined him in his sister’s living room. The floor looked like it hadn’t been vacuumed in a while, and toys were scattered everywhere. “I don’t think she knew what hit her.”

  “CPS in Baltimore is a racket. The department and the entire system is so overloaded and designed so that once kids enter the system, they never leave. They have a tendency to overstep, and that’s what she was doing. Auburn and Duane have been delivered to a designated, responsible family member. Their duty is discharged.”

  “Uncle Andrew, I really like the doggie,” Duane said, still petting Petey, who was eating up the attention.

  Auburn stood next to Andrew, and he hugged her tightly. They both needed some reassurance, and he needed to make some decisions.

  “What’s going to happen?” she asked.

  Andrew gaped, not having any immediate answers.

  “You and Duane are going to go live with your uncle,” Clay explained gently.

  “But I want Mama,” Auburn said, holding him and crying.

  Andrew stroked her back. “I know you do, sweetheart.”

  Her tears got Duane upset, and within seconds, Andrew had both kids in his arms, holding, comforting, and having very few answers.

  Chapter 5

  WHILE ANDREW calmed the kids, Clay stood in the messy apartment, checking out the front window for the third time. “Andrew,” he said softly.

  Andrew looked up from hugging the kids. “Can you get some of your favorite toys together?” he asked quietly, and Duane and Auburn nodded, brushing their eyes with their fists. “Thank you.”

  They went to the bedroom, and Clay sat down next to Andrew. “Those poor babies,” he said gently, and Andrew hugged him.

  “What am I going to do?”

  They both jumped at a sharp noise from outside.

  “We need to get the kids home. Pack up their things, and we can take them to my house.”

  “But what about the whole thing with Harper?” Andrew seemed so unsure of himself.

  “It’s a war zone out there. There have been gangs of kids wandering in front of the house. That last bang wasn’t a gunshot, but I’ve heard them. Get some things packed for the kids—toys, clothes, whatever they need—and we’ll get them home tonight. They’re going to be safer there than they are here. They can play in the backyard, and you can give them those bikes you have for them.”

  “Okay.” Andrew bit his lower lip. “But so much change for them all at once.”

  “You can ask them what they want to do. Explain things to them. I bet Duane will follow Petey anywhere, and Auburn just needs to feel settled for a while.”

  “All right,” Andrew agreed. “Let’s get them packed and their things down to the car. We’re going to have to find the car seat for Duane.”

  “There are booster seats by the back door. We can use them for both kids. I’ll go get them installed, and you help them pack.” Clay grabbed the seats and went out to the car.

  A group of kids stood across the street, smoking and watching him. He sat in the driver’s seat and flipped on his lights, letting them flash red and blue. They seemed to get the message and moved on down the way. It was probably a cheap trick, but it did the job and hopefully signaled that they were to be left alone. Clay then got the seats installed and went back inside. Two plastic tubs of toys sat by the door. He carried them down and slid them into the trunk. By the time he returned, he found Andrew helping the kids get clothes they liked into Dora and Cars suitcases.

  “Is Petey coming with us?” Duane asked, crouching down.

  “Yes. He’ll probably sleep with you,” Clay told him as gently as possible. “And you can take your toys, and when she’s better, you and Auburn can visit your mom. Your uncle and I promise.” Clay reached into his pocket and pulled out his shield. “I’m a sheriff’s deputy back home, and I always tell the truth.”

  “You do?” Auburn asked from behind him.

  “Yes. Both your uncle and I do. I can promise you that.” Clay met Duane’s intense gaze and wondered how much this four-year-old had already seen in his life. Duane’s eyes looked like those of someone so much older than his years.

  Auburn stepped out of Andrew’s embrace and came over to join Duane on the floor with Petey. They were so quiet, it broke Clay’s heart.

  “What can we do?” Andrew asked.

  “Let’s get them….” Clay lifted his gaze. He was going to say home, where it was safer, but that wasn’t necessarily true. “I wish we had a vacation house, somewhere away from Carlisle that we could go to and just get away. Buy the police the time to catch Harper, and we could be well away.” That would be the ticket.

  “How about the Poconos?” Andrew asked and grabbed his phone. He made a call. “Mom, it’s Andrew. … Yes, I’m aware, and I’m with Auburn and Duane. Mary asked me to watch the kids for her. But there are complications….” He listened for a while. “Is the house in the Poconos rented?” Andrew relaxed. “Excellent. Call the rental agents and tell them we’ll be up tomorrow to pick up the keys for a week. I’m going to take Auburn and Duane there. They can play and run around all they like. We’ll go boating and fishing, and they can ride horses. All the things I used to do when I was their age.”

  Clay noticed that both kids listened intently.

  “Tell Dad what you like. I’m tired of all this fighting. He isn’t going to change, and neither am I.” Andrew paused. “I love you too, Mom. And thank you.” Andrew hung up, slumping onto the old sofa that groaned as though it were going to give up the ghost at any second. “We have the house tomorrow. And I’ll let work know that I’m not going to be in for a few days.”

  “Then let’s get moving.” Clay got the suitcases and carried them down to the car. The city was full of sharp sounds, making him more and more nervous. He locked the car once the bags were inside and went back up to find the kids each carrying a backpack. Auburn seemed nervous, and Andrew lifted her into his arms. Clay did the same with Duane, his slender arms sliding around his neck. “It will be okay. I promise you that.”

  They turned out the lights, locked the door, and Petey followed them to the car. As soon as the kids were in their seats, Clay got in the car and pulled away from the house, heading for the freeway as quickly as possible.

  The kids were quiet, and Andrew kept looking back. Clay checked them in his mirror, wondering if they had fallen asleep, but no. They were both staring out the window, eyes as big as saucers, saying nothing at all. It scared him, and Clay wondered if they had been so traumatized by everything that had happened that they might be shutting down.

  “I’m hungry,” Duane whined softly.

  “What did you have for dinner?” Andrew asked gently.

  “That lady, she made us sammiches…,” Duane whimpered, and Auburn did the same.

  Andrew sat next to him, nervously quiet.

  “There’s a McDonald’s in ten miles.” Clay sped up, putting on his lights. He was pressing things, but he wasn’t going to make these kids wait any longer than possible. He didn’t have a bubble o
n the top, but he did have lights in front and back. They were enough to signal people to get out of the way. “Can you wait until then?”

  Andrew placed his hand on Clay’s leg and squeezed gently. “Thank you.”

  “Can you make the siren go?” Duane asked.

  “I don’t have one. Just the lights.” And eighty miles an hour was as fast as he dared for safety’s sake.

  They crossed out of Maryland, and he drove the few miles to the exit, turned off the lights, and headed to the restaurant.

  “Petey needs to stay here. He’ll be okay.” It was dark, and Clay rolled down the windows enough that Petey would have fresh air. They got the kids out and inside, both of them hurrying to the bathroom, with Andrew taking Duane, and Clay standing outside the bathroom for Auburn. When they were finished, they walked up to order.

  “Auburn, what would you like?” Andrew asked, and she shrugged. He lifted her into his arms, holding her. “It’s okay, honey. You can have whatever you want. Ice cream, a shake, chicken nuggets?”

  She nodded at the nuggets.

  “French fries?” Andrew asked, and ended up ordering her a Happy Meal with a chocolate shake.

  Duane wanted a cheeseburger, and he got a Happy Meal as well.

  “What do you want?” Clay asked Andrew. “I’ll finish the order if you want to sit down with them.”

  “A large aspirin,” Andrew said quietly. “But get me a Coke and I’ll munch on what the kids don’t eat.” He definitely seemed to be winding down.

  Clay got some nuggets and fries for them to share, as well as drinks, and paid for the food. He took everything to the table, where Duane dove right in, talking a mile a minute as he ate, asking a million questions about Petey.

  “I always, always, always wanted a dog. Mama said we couldn’t have one because it would be hard for us to let him out to poop.”

  “You said a bad word,” Auburn said, and Duane looked at the table, downcast.

  “Just eat. It’s okay. We need to be nice and talk nice.” Andrew pushed the cheeseburger a little closer, and Duane recovered, eating once again.

  Auburn ate a little, leaning close to Andrew. She seemed shy, picking at her food but drinking most of the chocolate shake. After some coaxing, she ate two nuggets and a few fries. Andrew ended up eating some of what Clay’d gotten to share, which was fine with him.

  After bundling the kids back into the car, they got back on the road and both of the kids dropped off to sleep.

  “Is Auburn usually so quiet?”

  “No. She’s usually as energetic as Duane. I think this is confusing to both of them. They don’t understand what’s happening and they’ll react to things differently. Mostly we need to get them stable and in a routine as much as possible.” Andrew wrung his hands in his lap, and Clay could feel the nervousness washing off him.

  “It’s okay. Whatever happens, I’m here to help.” There was no way in hell that Clay was ever going to back away from Andrew at a time like this.

  Andrew turned to him, smiling a little. “Thanks.”

  “Is that part of the worry?” Clay asked.

  “Of course it is. You didn’t sign up for two kids, and….” Andrew turned to look out the window. “I mean, things were only starting, and you aren’t under any obligation….” He sighed. “I’m just saying that I’ll understand if this is too much.”

  “Hey….” Clay patted Andrew’s leg. “Just relax and take things one step at a time, okay? I’m not the kind of guy to run for the hills at the first sign of trouble. I’m a cop. If I did that, I’d have run the other way at the first gunshot and become an accountant or something.” Clay flashed a smile and turned back to the road. “Take a few deep breaths, and you and I can talk once we have the kids in bed for the night.”

  Clay drove, but Andrew’s discomfort and tension filled the car. Clay wanted to reassure him as much as he could, but the conversation the two of them needed to have was best done in private.

  The rest of the drive took forty-five minutes, and finally Clay pulled into the garage. “We should get your car tomorrow from the lot and stow it in my garage before we leave. We should also check on the house just in case.” He turned off the engine and sat back a second. “I want to check things out before we go inside.”

  Clay quietly opened the door and left the garage, with Petey right behind him. The dog headed out, checking his spots. Petey didn’t seem alarmed about anything, and Clay went inside to a dark but quiet house. Petey raced past him, going right to his dish and crunching some of the dry kibble, then continued on. Clay returned for Andrew and the kids, and he carried Duane in the house.

  “Let’s get them inside, and then we can bring in the suitcases and get them in bed.”

  Clay set Duane on the sofa and covered him up with a blanket, while Andrew did the same with Auburn. They were adorable as they rolled over, getting comfortable.

  “I’ll get the rest.” Clay left quietly and got the rest of the kids’ clothes. When he returned, Petey had joined them on the sofa, making himself a bed with the kids.

  “He’s watching over them.” Andrew carried the bags up the stairs, but stopped at the top. “Where did we want to put them?”

  “I have the room over here.” Clay opened the door to the room he sometimes used as an office. It had a daybed, and he pulled down the covers. “We can put Duane in here, and Auburn can have the room you’ve been using for tonight.” He waited for Andrew’s reaction, but saw only relief. “We need to get them settled. They’re so tired.”

  Andrew took the suitcases into each room. He spent time in the room he’d been using, presumably to get it ready for Auburn, as Clay returned downstairs. He lifted Duane into his arms, and the little boy hugged him as he carried him up the stairs to the bedroom.

  “You need to get your pajamas on and then you can get into bed.” Clay opened the suitcase.

  “I do it,” Duane said, pulling out pajamas with dinosaurs on them. He took off his shoes and got undressed, still half asleep. Clay helped him, and once he was finished, held up the blankets for him. Duane slid in, and Andrew came into the room, kissed Duane good night, and tucked him in.

  “Leave the door open.”

  “Yes. Petey might come in to sleep with you.” Andrew left the room, and Clay followed, Duane already falling back to sleep.

  “Let’s get her settled too. Then maybe we can find something to drink,” Clay offered.

  Andrew nodded. He carried Auburn upstairs and joined him fifteen minutes later.

  Clay had mixed a couple of martinis and handed one to Andrew. “What a day.”

  “I know.” Andrew sipped the drink and sat down. “Everything happens so quickly and all at the same damn time.” He sighed. “This is a whole lot to put on you. It’s one thing to keep me safe, but add two kids and, God, this is impossible.”

  “The vacation is a good idea. I need to call the sheriff and tell him that we’re going out of town. I think he’ll understand.” Clay sat next to Andrew on the sofa. “You and I can keep the kids safe, and it’s going to be easier if we’re not in Carlisle.”

  Andrew shrugged. “Somehow I think nothing is going to be easy from now on. Thankfully it’s summer, or I’d have to worry about the kids going off to school and who could be watching them.” He closed his eyes and sighed. Clay put his arms around him, holding tightly. “What the hell was I thinking? What do I know about kids?”

  “You feed them, water them, exercise them…,” Clay began with a smile.

  “You make them sound like Petey,” Andrew barked, and then must have realized Clay was kidding because he huffed out a breath, smiled slightly, and took another drink. “I was being serious.”

  “I know. All you need to do is love them. Play with them, give them attention and care. We can do that until we know more about what’s going on with your sister.” Clay scooted closer, taking Andrew’s glass and setting it on the coffee table, along with his own. He turned, looking into Andrew’s huge, sl
ightly confused eyes. The man was wonderful—strong and yet vulnerable—and that was all he could think of for a few seconds. Those brown eyes, as deep and warm as hot chocolate, took his breath away every single damn time… and to be the center of their attention had Clay’s heart beating faster within fractions of a second.

  “I know that. But there’s so much more. How do I help them deal with their mother? And… they were so sad, and…,” Andrew stammered, and Clay thought it adorable as he leaned closer. “This isn’t a good idea.”

  “Probably not. It may be the worst idea with the world’s worst timing….” Clay slid his hand around the back of Andrew’s neck, slipping his fingers up into his soft hair, gently tugging him closer. “Sometimes I think everything to do with you is one bad idea after another. Then I look at you, and….” He stilled, looking into Andrew’s gorgeous eyes as the energy between them shot through the roof, taking his breath away.

  Andrew closed the distance between them, tugging Clay nearer. His lips tasted of salt and bitterness, probably lingering from the drink. But, damn, that bite was intoxicating. The bitter morphed to underlying sweetness that was Andrew, and God, he wanted more of that candy. Clay deepened the kiss as Andrew leaned against him, his arms wrapping around Clay’s waist, leaving a trail of heat that intensified with every touch.

  He pressed forward, drawing his hips closer, pants tightening, desire building quickly. Clay’s heart raced, beating the loud staccato of a drum in his ears. Everything in him said to take Andrew upstairs to his bed. The pull to Andrew grew by the second. Clay moved back and stood, taking Andrew’s hand. They turned out the lights and quietly went up the stairs.

  Andrew checked on both kids while Clay waited in the hall. Auburn was sound asleep, curled in a little ball in the bed. He went inside to tug the light covers up around her neck. She relaxed and rolled over in her sleep. When Andrew turned away from her to rejoin Clay, the worry on his face was enough to make Clay hug him tightly, just to try to alleviate some of that stress.

  Duane was out like a light. Petey lay next to him, with Duane’s hand on him as though he were afraid that if he weren’t touching Petey, he’d go away and leave him forever.