The Twisted Road to You (Perfect, Indiana Book 4)

by Barbara Longley

  “Yeah.” Tyler bounced over a seam in the sidewalk. “Can Rex come, too?”

  “Of course. He’d never forgive us if we left him at home while we’re at the park.”

  “Can Toby come, too?”

  “I hadn’t thought of asking him, but we can call the Langfords after breakfast.” Wes’s stomach rumbled as they reached the door to the diner. He opened it and hustled Tyler inside. The delicious breakfast smells made his mouth water.

  “Morning,” Harlen greeted them from his customary place behind the cash register. “I like the hat, Ty, but it’s a little large. Don’t you think?”

  “Hi, Mr. Maurer. Wes says I’ll grow into it eventually.” He beamed. “It’s my hat now.”

  “Is that so?” Harlen’s eyes widened, duly impressed. “Carlie reserved your regular table. You two can seat yourselves, and she’ll be with you shortly.”

  “Thanks.” Wes guided his charge by the shoulders toward their corner table. He could get used to this—Saturday mornings with his buddy Ty, having breakfast at the diner. He got that familiar jolt the moment he caught sight of Carlie. He could get used to that, too. Maybe.

  “What’s with the hat?” Carlie turned Wes’s coffee cup over and filled it. A container of cream, a small box of crayons and a kid’s place mat had already been set on their table.

  “His hair isn’t cooperating this morning.” Wes snatched Ty’s cap off for a second.

  “You need a haircut, my boy.” Carlie sighed.

  “Can I get my hair cut like Wes’s?” Tyler asked.

  Wes couldn’t keep the stupid grin off his face. Carlie’s laughter washed over him, and once again the deep feeling of contentment filled him. Dangerous. It won’t last, and then what?

  “Sure. It’ll be a lot easier to manage. I’ll take you to the barber after school on Monday.”

  “I can clip his hair for him,” Wes said. “I do mine all right. In fact, we’ll take care of it right after breakfast.”

  “If you insist.” Still grinning, Carlie pulled out her order pad and a pen from her apron. “Do you two know what you want this morning?” She gazed at her son, her face glowing with love.

  He wanted that look turned his way, and if he were honest with himself, he’d admit that he wanted a lifetime of mornings like this. He could almost see it. Tyler grown and on break from college, the two of them heading to the diner together . . .

  The e-mail his ex sent him flashed through his mind, followed by the stunned look on the young Marine’s face as he collapsed on the desert road. The acrid stench rolling from the burning Humvee, and the grisly sight of charred bodies swamped him. Gunfire and the sound of RPGs detonating echoed inside his skull.

  His heart pounded, and sweat beaded his forehead and dampened his palms. Bitterness at his screwed-up state rose like acid to burn him from the inside out. He took a deep breath and rode it out while Ty told his mom what he wanted.

  Carlie turned to him, her expression filled with concern. “Are you OK? You’re . . . a little pale.”

  “Yeah. Sure. I’m fine, just hungry.” He studied the menu, like he didn’t have the entire thing memorized. “I’ll have a bacon, cheese and spinach omelet, a side of fresh fruit, and make the hash browns—”

  “Extra crispy with onions,” Carlie finished his sentence. “Got it.” She scrutinized him for a second. “I’ve given it some thought, Wes, and I’m glad Tyler has you to look out for him. It’s just that . . . I don’t want to take advantage of you, and—”

  “I know. We’ll talk about it later.” He gripped his coffee cup. “Kyle, Ted and Kenny are coming over this afternoon,” he said. “Rex will be with us, too. Are you OK with Ty going to the park with three men and a dog to protect him?”

  “Sure.” She placed her hand on his shoulder for a second. “I trust you to watch over him.” She patted his shoulder and walked away—with his battered heart in her apron pocket.

  Tyler hummed while he colored the cartoon characters on the place mat, bringing Wes back to a calmer state of mind. Thanksgiving was this coming Thursday, and he wanted to execute the flush-out-Jared mission the week after—if the guy hadn’t already been captured by then.

  The bell over the door chimed, and the two marshals walked in. They took places at the counter, nodded a greeting and then ignored him. How would they react to whatever he and his men planned? What would he do if they didn’t go along with it?

  He’d go through with it anyway, that’s what he’d do. He and the guys would hand Jared over to the marshals once they had him, and that would be that. Carlie would move back to her house, and maybe he’d risk asking her out again. Poker night had gone well, but thanks to her ex, it had ended badly. No. Not entirely true. He’d slept with her, holding her in his arms all night.

  The sense of contentment he felt with Carlie only made the threat of loss worse. The closer they got, the more he had to lose. His gaze strayed to her, like it always did, like it had since the day he’d first laid eyes on her.

  The guys were right. He couldn’t undo what was already done and there was no middle ground. He only had two options: advance . . . or retreat.

  After breakfast, he and Tyler walked back to L&L. Wes opened the front door, ushered Tyler through. He set the alarm, and they climbed the stairs to his apartment. “You ready for your haircut, Ty?” he asked as he opened the door to his living room.

  Tyler nodded. “But I still get to keep the hat, right?”

  “Of course you get to keep the hat,” Wes said, hanging their jackets in the closet. Rex gave them both an enthusiastic tail-wag greeting and followed them into the living room. “You think I’m the kind of man who would give you a gift and then take it back?” He feigned a scowl. Tyler shook his head and grinned. “Good, because I wouldn’t do that. I’m going to go get the clippers and a towel. Go to the kitchen and pull a chair to the middle of the room. I’ll meet you there.”

  Tyler ran off with Rex at his side, and Wesley went to his bathroom to gather his cordless clipper and a towel to wrap around Tyler’s shoulders. He made his way to the kitchen and found Tyler with a rope toy, playing tug-of-war with Rex. “Ready, Ty?”

  “I guess.” Tyler dropped the twisted rope.

  Wesley lifted him into his booster seat and wrapped the towel around his shoulders. He ran his fingers through the kid’s unruly hair and turned on the clipper.

  “Is it going to hurt?” Ty asked in an alarmed tone.

  “Not if I do it right.” Wes studied the kid’s head. “Hasn’t the barber ever used a clipper on you?”

  Ty shook his head.

  “As long as you stay still, there shouldn’t be any problems. Tuck your chin down to your chest.”

  The little guy tensed as he tilted his head down. “The man who used to be my daddy hurt my mommy,” he whispered.

  Wesley’s heart squeezed. He shut off the clippers and set it on the table. “I know he did, Ty.” He brought a chair around and sat in front of Tyler. “You want to talk about it?”

  Ty shrugged, and his eyes filled.

  Wes swallowed hard. Tricky territory, and he probably wasn’t the best person to have this discussion with a six-year-old boy. As a Marine, Wesley had killed, so what could he say without sounding like a hypocrite? He sucked in a long breath and let it out slowly. “It was wrong for him to hurt your mom. You know that, right?”

  Tyler nodded, his face a mask of misery and confusion.

  “It’s never OK to use violence . . .” And here’s the hypocritical part. He’d certainly seen more than his share of violence. He racked his brain for the truth—the truth as he saw it, anyway. “OK, you’re probably too young for this, but here goes.” He placed his hands on Tyler’s shoulders. “You know I’m a Marine. We talked about that, didn’t we?”

  “I’m gonna be a Marine, too.” Ty nodded. “When I grow up.”

  “Well, that’s a good goal to have, because Marines are all about protecting freedom, our country and the people who live
here. What your dad did to your mom, that’s unacceptable, partner. Totally unacceptable. If someone threatens to harm another person, like you or your mom, it might be necessary to use violence to protect them, but it’s never OK to use violence as a means to control or coerce someone. Good people don’t use violence just for the sake of hurting others. Does that make sense to you? Do you understand there’s a difference?”

  Tyler’s eyes met his, and the look of fierce determination on the little guy’s face brought a lump to Wes’s throat. Tyler’s chin came up. “I’m going to protect my mommy, like you do, Wes. We can protect her together, can’t we? ’Cause we’re brothers.”

  “Yeah,” Wes managed to rasp out. He drew Tyler in for a tight hug. “We can do that, bro.” He had to struggle to pull himself together. Shaving the kid’s head with shaking hands was not a good idea. “You ready to have your hair clipped now?”

  Tyler nodded against Wes’s shoulder.

  “Good. Let’s do this, then.” He stood up, unbunched his shoulders and went for the clippers. “Look down and hold the towel. I’m coming in.” He turned the clipper back on, held Tyler’s head forward and began.

  Tyler shivered and giggled. “It tickles.”

  “Hold still, because if I nick you, that’s not going to tickle.” Blond hair fell to the kitchen floor and covered Ty’s shoulders. Wesley changed the clipper length once he’d done the sides and back so he could leave it a little longer on top. A few more passes and he finished. “Let’s clean up here, and then you can take a look.”

  “OK.” Tyler ran his hands over his head. “Feels weird.”

  Wesley took the towel from Ty’s shoulders and brushed his neck with it. “I’ll sweep, and you hold the dustpan,” he said, lifting the kid from his booster seat. They made quick work of cleaning up, and then the two of them headed for the bathroom down the hall. Wesley flipped on the light. His eyes were drawn to Carlie’s things—the makeup sitting on the counter, her hairbrush and hair dryer. A couple of bras hung from the shower curtain rod. Plus, the room smelled like her. Whatever perfume or shampoo she used lingered in the air. He inhaled, liking that her presence filled the space.

  “Ready?” He gripped Tyler around the waist.

  “Yep.”

  Wesley lifted him to kneel on the edge of the sink so he could look into the mirror. “What do you think?”

  Tyler turned his head back and forth, studying his reflection. “I like it!” He met Wesley’s eyes in the mirror and grinned, his eyes shining. “I look just like you.”

  Another lump clogged his throat at the obvious adoration in the kid’s eyes. “Yep. Practically twins.” It was going to slay him when Tyler and Carlie moved back to their own place. He lifted Tyler back to the floor. “We have a while before it’s time to go to the park. What do you say to a game of checkers?”

  “I don’t know how to play checkers.” Tyler reached for Wes’s hand. “Can we build a fort with my Legos?”

  “Sure. We can do that.” He let Tyler lead him to the living room, his heart full and aching at the same time.

  Tyler had found a couple of friends from his school at the park, and they were playing on the monkey bars with Rex circling the playground equipment in an effort to keep the kids herded into a tight knot. Wesley kept an eye on Tyler, and he and Ken patrolled the perimeter of the playground.

  “Here’s what I’m thinking,” Ken began, his tone eager. “We get a bunch of the guys together. You, me, Noah, Ryan, Kyle, Ted and maybe one or two others. We know Baumann is watching Carlie, and we can use that to our advantage. So, Kyle, Ted and Ryan head out of town to Carlie’s house in the afternoon. Baumann won’t take any notice, because only you, Carlie and the kid are on his radar. Have the guys hide their vehicle somewhere close, and then lie low in the brush behind Carlie’s house.” He glanced at Wes. “There is brush out there, right?”

  “Sure. There’s plenty of cover.”

  “Good. You, me and the kid leave town a little later. Hopefully Jared will see us leaving, so he’ll know you’re not with Carlie. We’ll head toward Noah’s place and drop Tyler off there. Then, we’ll take a back route to Carlie’s. We can ditch the car a half mile or so away, and we’ll take the front of her house. Once it gets dark enough to ensure our presence will go unnoticed, Carlie will take off from your place in her Ford and head to her house. She’ll go in the front door and leave immediately from the back.” Ken used his hands to illustrate what he talked about. “Ted will be responsible for getting her away. He’ll take her to Noah’s house and stay there with her and her kid.”

  He shot Wes a determined look. “And then we wait. Jared will believe Carlie’s alone inside her house. Her car will be parked out front, and she’ll turn on a few lights inside. Once he shows up, we’ll do a citizen’s arrest on his ass and turn him over to the authorities. Done. Simple.”

  “Simple?” Wes shook his head. “He’s armed.”

  “So? We’ll be armed, too.” Ken’s eyes took on a feral gleam. “He’ll be surrounded and outnumbered. We’ll disarm him easily enough, and I’ll bring some of those zip ties to cuff him.”

  “I intend to share the plan with the marshals and Sheriff Taylor. I’d rather they make the arrest.”

  “That’s a big mistake.” Ken jammed his hands into his jacket pockets. “They’ll only muck it up.” He shot Wes a pointed look. “Or worse, they’ll tell us we can’t get involved in police business.”

  “Still, I want to be on the up-and-up. A lot can go wrong.”

  Ken growled. “Don’t do it, man.”

  “Have to.” It wasn’t so long ago that Wes had been the authority in command. “Do you miss it?” he asked, knowing Ken would understand what he meant.

  “Hell, yeah, I miss it. I miss the adrenaline rush, and that feeling you get when your team executes a successful mission. I miss the brotherhood, knowing the guy next to me has my back, just like I have his.” He kicked at a pebble, sending it skipping across the dry grass. “I’ll tell you what I don’t miss, though. I don’t miss seeing my buddies going home in flag-draped coffins, and I don’t miss IEDs, suicide bombers or the paranoia.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, wait. The paranoia’s still with me.”

  “Would you have stayed in if you hadn’t been injured?” Ken’s hip had been shattered by an IED, and he’d also suffered traumatic brain injury when the IED detonated. His hip had been put back together with pins and an artificial joint, and he suffered with migraines and irritability from the TBI. Still, Ken was one of the lucky ones. He could still think clearly, still function fairly well.

  “I doubt it. If I never see another Taliban insurgent or al-Qaeda again, that’ll be just fine with me. And I’m over the whole primitive-desert-living scene.” Ken stopped walking and scanned the area. “Anyway, it’s a moot point, since I was given a medical disability discharge.”

  Kyle and Ted walked toward them across the park, the two of them deep in conversation. Wes and Ken moved closer to where Tyler played with his friends and waited for the two men to join them.

  “Little prick sure did a number on Carlie’s car.” Kyle shook his head. “Thankfully, he only damaged the body. He didn’t mess with the engine. It won’t take much to fix it. New tires, glass, headlights and taillights. I can call a few friends still in the bodywork business and get what we need at wholesale.”

  “Carlie only has to pay for the parts,” Ted added. “We’re happy to help her out. And anyway, the job will only take a couple of hours max with the two of us working together.”

  “Thanks. I owe you.” Wes scanned the area for anything suspicious, and then he and Ken went over their plan briefly with the two. “What do you think?”

  “I’m in,” Kyle said. “But I agree with Wes. It’s better to bring in the sheriff and the marshals. I’ve got way too much going on right now to risk getting into trouble. I’ve just been accepted into Pacific University’s PA program.” Kyle straightened. “I start classes in May, and I’ll be moving to
Oregon in April.”

  “Good for you, man,” Ken said, punching Kyle’s shoulder.

  “Does my sister know?” Everyone knew Kyle had been taking prerequisite classes for the past year so that he could get into a physician’s assistant program. Why hadn’t he found a program closer to home? Brenda’s heart was going to break if she and Kyle were separated.

  “Of course she knows. I’m hoping she’ll come with me.”

  “Oh.” More changes in his life. Great. He and his youngest sister had grown a lot closer since he’d retired and moved back home to Indiana. Would Brenda leave her home and family for Kyle? And what about her job? He’d miss her if she decided to follow Kyle.

  Rex barked, bringing Wes’s thoughts back to the issue at hand. “I’ll arrange a meeting with Sheriff Taylor and the marshals.” He checked his watch. “Carlie’s off work in ten minutes. I should run this by her first before talking to anyone else. She might not agree to take part.”

  “In that case, once it’s dark enough, we could drive her car out to her place ourselves, turn on a few lights and hope Jared thinks she’s there. If we’re lucky, he won’t be able to see who’s driving the Ford.” Ken rubbed his hands together. “We might not flush him out the first time. It’ll probably take a few tries.”

  “You’re way too eager.” Kyle huffed out a laugh. “And it’s making me nervous.”

  “Have you talked to Noah?” Ted asked.

  “I did, and I mentioned something about it to Ryan, too. Noah had some stuff going on today and couldn’t meet us, but he’s in. So is Ryan.” Wes glanced at the playground. “I’ve got to get going. Thanks, guys. I appreciate your help. When you know what the cost is going to be for Carlie’s car, let us know.”

  “Will do,” Kyle said. “Ted and I will tow her car to the farm today. We brought cables with us.”

  Wes turned back for a second. “Do you need the keys?”

  “Nope. No windows,” Ted reminded him. “We’ll need the keys to drive it back, but not now.”