The Good Race: Book One of the Grayson Falls series

by A. M. Mahler

  Suddenly, the slow lane had become much more appealing.

  JACKIE PRESSED HER hands to her lower back and stretched. It had been a hell of a day. Her regular patient schedule was full, but there had been several walk-in complaints and a set of stitches to deal with. It may have been a small town, but the hospital really could benefit from another doctor, even a part-time one. She’d have to go over the budget to see if she could finesse some money to get some extra help. There was a covering practice from a larger city, but that was only to give her some time off. During the actual workday, she was totally on her own.

  She had a few nurses and they were extremely competent. They could handle just about anything, and most of the time, she just needed to come in and review their work. But there were other days when patient needs went beyond their skill set.

  “We’re all set,” came a voice from the door.

  She jumped and gave a little yelp.

  “Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  Jackie chuckled and looked over at Natalie, who was her nurse today. Natalie was new to the hospital. She’d started shortly after Jackie did. She was younger, from Pennsylvania somewhere. She reminded Jackie a lot of Ryan in her mannerisms, and when she smiled. Jackie often found her presence soothing. She liked all three of her nurses, but Natalie had quickly become her favorite.

  “It’s okay. I think it’s just the long day getting to me.”

  “I get a little nervous at night myself,” Natalie admitted, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. “Hey, the rumor mill today was saying that your man is going to be the new police chief?”

  “Yes,” Jackie confirmed. She closed the blinds, then turned to power down her computer. “The current chief is looking to retire and he thinks Danny’s experience would bring a lot to the force.”

  “I think it’s a pretty small department, only ten or twelve officers in all. That’s probably going to be quite different for a guy that worked in New York.”

  “And Boston,” Jackie said. “But he’d go crazy with nothing to do. He already is.”

  “I bet the amount of emergency calls made by lonely women is about to go up,” Natalie smiled. “They’ll all be hoping Chief Hottie shows up.”

  “Chief what!?”

  “That’s what Megan the librarian said all the women in her book club were calling him at last night’s meeting.”

  “Well, that’ll fly like a lead balloon when he finds out about it,” Jackie muttered.

  She shut off her office lights, and then she and Natalie headed for the back door and the parking lot. Natalie had finished earlier, but she’d hung around and stayed with Jackie until she was done updating her patient charts. It was a nice gesture and Jackie appreciated it.

  “Do you have plans tonight?” she asked as they headed across the lot to their cars.

  “Just a hot bath and a smutty book.”

  “How’d you like to have dinner with us? My brother is in town, and an old school friend is coming over for dinner. She owns the general store. I’ll introduce you, since you’re new in town, too.”

  There was a slight hesitation on Natalie’s part before she agreed. “That sounds like fun.”

  “You can follow me over,” Jackie said.

  She got into her Jeep and started it up. She normally took the path between her property and the hospital each day for the exercise, but it had been raining this morning, and she just didn’t feel like getting wet.

  She thought about Natalie on the short trip to the house. She was a nice woman and very good at her job. She didn’t talk about herself much, and no one had much to say about her, which was odd for a small town. She kept to herself, which was why Jackie was slightly surprised when she’d accepted her invitation. Being new to town with no friends or support network was hard. Maybe tonight would help. If there was anything Jackie was an expert on, it was being an introvert surrounded by extroverts.

  Seventeen

  DANNY LOOKED OUT the window to see who the hell was pounding on their door at ten o’clock at night and wondered what was so desperate. The hospital usually called when they had a problem and Ryan had gone back to New York to wind things down.

  “It’s Eric,” he said, surprised, when he pulled the door open.

  His jaw dropped as Eric strode into the house. He had a large duffel bag over one shoulder and a toddler sleeping on the other.

  Jackie walked in and arched an eyebrow. She didn’t know too much about Eric—only that he had been Danny’s partner in New York and they’d known each other in the Army.

  “I got more in the car,” Eric announced, dropping his bag on the floor.

  “Whose kid is that?” Danny demanded.

  “Mine.”

  “I saw you three months ago, dude. You didn’t have a kid.”

  “Long story short. When you lived in Boston, I dated a chick named Tracy. We had fun for a bit, but she was kind of crazy, so I called it off. This was about four years ago. Last week, she showed up on my doorstep, shoved this kid at me, and said she’s mine. Tracy is a lying-ass bitch, which is why I broke up with her, but it was hard to deny that the kid looks likes me, so I got a DNA test. Turns out, she actually is mine. Then Tracy goes underground.”

  “And are you going to find her?”

  “No.”

  “So, what, you’re just going to be a dad?”

  “Dude, take another look at the toddler on my shoulder. I am a dad. And stop talking so loud or you’ll wake her up. She gets real pissed when you wake her up.”

  “Just like her old man,” Danny muttered.

  “She looks sweet,” Jackie smiled, approaching the child and running a gentle finger down the girl’s cheek. “What’s her name?”

  “When Tracy dumped her with me, she left me court papers terminating her parental rights, so I’m currently in the process of legally changing her name to Emma and giving her my last name. The name she came with was ridiculous, and she actually seems to like Emma.”

  “Or maybe she actually likes you.” Jackie looked up at Eric and smiled. “Can I take her?”

  “Um, I guess,” Eric replied. He was amazed at how smoothly Jackie transferred his sleeping daughter from his shoulder to hers. He had only met her the one time in Danny’s hospital room, and that had been a brief encounter. But right then, watching her gentle demeanor with his daughter, he suddenly envied his friend.

  Danny watched Jackie walk around the room, rubbing the sleeping girl’s back with a contented smile on her face. In that moment, he knew that he was going to give her a whole barrel of kids if she’d let him. He’d never given it much thought before. In all of his dreams and fantasies—when they’d been together and apart—it was always just the two of them. But, as he watched her now, he could see she was put on this earth to become someone’s mom. And since he’d be dead and buried before he let any other man give that to her, he supposed that made him her kids’ dad. As he considered the thought a bit more, he wasn’t as weirded out by it as he assumed he’d be.

  “Would you like me to set up a room for you both?” Jackie asked Eric. “You could have the one down here. That way, if you need anything at night for her, you won’t have to come downstairs. It has its own bathroom and it’s also close to the kitchen.”

  “Well, yeah, I guess,” Eric stumbled. He was in awe of Jackie’s hospitality. She hadn’t even asked where he was staying. She just opened up her home to him and Emma. “This is all still really new to me, so she doesn’t even have a bedroom at my place. She’s got one of those portable cribs in the car. Tracy didn’t leave her with any stuff, instructions—nothing. I’ve never hit a woman before, but I swear to God, if I ever see her again, I’m going to smack her. Just once. That’s all I’ll need.”

  Jackie chuckled lightly, then gently laid the little girl down on the couch, being sure to move her to the far inside. She also set up pillows on the floor in the front of the couch just in case she got too close to the edge.

&
nbsp; “I’ll get that room ready. Danny, perhaps you could help Eric bring in whatever else he’s got in the car?”

  Danny immediately turned for the front door. Eric followed along, chuckling. “Dude, do you do everything she says?”

  “Pretty much,” he replied as they walked out of the house and down the steps to Eric’s SUV.

  Eric pulled open the hatch and Danny arched an eyebrow at all the stuff inside. It looked like his friend was planning to stick around for a while.

  “I don’t think she needs the stroller tonight, but we definitely need the crib thing. That’s her bag there, and that one has some toys in it. She needs more, I know. I need to find someone who knows about this stuff, or a book or something.”

  “What’s all this other stuff?” Danny asked, eyeing up the boxes and bags beyond the baby’s things.

  “I took a six-month paternity leave from the force. I thought I might kick around with Emma up here by you for a bit. We’ll find someplace small to rent and get to know each other more. Then I can think about what comes next. I can’t be a city cop with a toddler, you know? I have no family except for my sister, and now I’m all this little girl’s got. I need to be out of the fast lane.”

  Danny dropped a hand on Eric’s shoulder, squeezed once, and took it away. “I’m still reeling a bit from these new developments, but I like this fatherhood thing on you, man. I like that you’re wrapping your head around it and getting in the game. Now, all you need is a woman.”

  “Maybe eventually,” Eric replied, pulling out the crib while Danny took the bags Eric pointed to, including the one with food specifically for Emma. “Right now, I need to get me and Em settled in and figure that all out before I go hunting for some woman.”

  “Funny thing about women, they tend to help you with this kind of thing,” Danny said as they trudged back to the house.

  “If that’s all I wanted, I’d hire a nanny. Hey, do you think Jackie would give Emma a physical?”

  “Sure. You didn’t take her to a pediatrician yet?”

  “I didn’t know where to start. I trust Jackie.”

  “You don’t even know her.”

  Danny took Eric back to the downstairs guest suite and pointed out the closet and bathroom. There was plenty of space to set up the baby’s portable crib, and enough dresser room for them both.

  “She saved your life,” Eric finally replied. “So, I trust her.”

  “Okay. We’ll talk to her,” Danny said. “I’m sure she can fit you in over at the hospital.” He grinned when he heard Eric’s big sigh. “And welcome to Grayson Falls. There ain’t shit to do here.”

  “That sounds good,” Eric nodded. “That sounds real good.”

  Danny laughed and left the room.

  After a few frustrating minutes, Eric had the crib set up. He added a pillow from the bed and Emma’s favorite blanket, then he went out to the living room and gently picked his daughter up from the couch.

  “Come back out when she’s settled,” Jackie said from her place at the table.

  She and Danny had a wine bottle between them, and there was an empty glass waiting for him.

  He wasn’t really a wine guy, but what the hell. Jackie had taken him in without question. If she wanted to have some wine, he could choke it down.

  After he’d settled Emma in her crib, he sat down on the edge of the bed and peered over the railing at his sleeping daughter. He watched her for a few minutes, still not believing she was there with him. “It’s just you and me now, kid,” he said softly, leaning down and stroking her hair. “It’s just you and me.”

  He was surprised to realize that he’d be perfectly content to sit there and watch her sleep all night, so he heaved himself off the bed and went to join Jackie and Danny.

  A COUPLE HOURS later, Eric and Danny watched Jackie climb the stairs for bed. After checking in on Emma, they settled down at the table with their beer, chips, and salsa.

  “So, what have you learned so far about what I asked you to look into?” Danny asked when he was sure Jackie was out of earshot. He wanted to hear what Eric had to say before he told her what he’d asked his friend to do.

  “A fucking lot, let me tell you. Daisy Dolan was a piece of work, and Jackie and Ryan have a few more siblings.”

  “How many?”

  “Four,” Eric replied, holding up the appropriate number of fingers. “Three brothers and a sister. I’ve actually spoken to all of them except one. The sister wasn’t easy to track down, but I finally got a lead on her. I’ll talk to her next.”

  “Holy shit. Four?” Danny rubbed a hand down his face. He hadn’t known what to expect from Eric’s report, but it sure as hell wasn’t four more siblings. “All right. Give it all to me.”

  “Well, most of my intel on her comes from her youngest son, Zach. He’s the one she actually kept. Good old Daisy finally settled down with a man named Doug Porter and they had a son.”

  “Zach Porter. Sounds familiar. Why do I know that name?”

  “Shortstop for the Mavericks,” Eric said. “And a dead ringer for Jackie.”

  “Holy shit. I don’t even want to know how you got close to him.”

  “Wasn’t very hard. He’s the one that led me to the rest. As you can imagine, Daisy’s not all there in the head. She’s got a personality disorder. She didn’t always remember she had other kids. Zach’s father is a psychiatrist. He recognized the symptoms and got her into treatment. In one of her more lucid moments, she told Zach about the rest of the kids.

  “Sebastian is the oldest. He’s a surgeon in Chicago. Then comes the sister, Sarah. She was the most difficult one. She volunteered with a relief organization and witnessed an assassination by a drug cartel, so she’s in witness protection. You don’t want to know how I found her. Next comes Ryan, then Jackie. After Jackie is Ethan. He’s just been discharged from the Marines. And then there’s Zach.

  “So that’s the happy family. Zach assumed none of the others knew about each other. When I told him Jackie and Ryan did, he seemed surprised. Anyway, Zach, Sebastian, and Ethan are all going to be dropping in. I’ve been in communication with them, and they want to know their siblings or at least meet them. Sebastian’s a bit of an asshole, though. I think he mainly wants to check out the new skeletons in his closet. He’s got some siblings by his father and stepmother. Zach and Ethan are only children.”

  “And the girl?” Danny asked.

  “Well, now, this is where the situation gets pretty delicate.”

  “Oh, this is where it gets delicate?”

  “Remember, she’s in witness protection. Exposure could be deadly for her and anyone she’s associated with. I don’t know how she found out about Jackie and Ryan, but she did. She’s already in contact with them, and you, too.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Danny sat straight up, his body tensed. “That’s pretty fucking bold of her, bringing her shit to our front door.”

  “She’s in witness protection. She shouldn’t be bringing her shit anywhere.”

  “You found her,” Danny pointed out.

  Eric simply shrugged.

  Danny didn’t know how Eric had been able to run down someone in witness protection, but if he could do it, someone else with the right talent and resources could, too.

  “I’m going to keep her identity to myself for now until I talk to her,” Eric hedged. “I’m sure you can respect my reasons for that. It should be up to her whether or not she exposes herself. I don’t know why she’s here yet, but I can assure you she’s in a non-threatening position. And since I know her true identity and I’m going to be around for a while, I can keep an eye out.”

  “Okay,” Danny sighed. “I’ll agree to this for now, as this is a lot to process, and you’re not finished investigating yet.”

  “Cooper Eden,” Eric continued. “Graduated Harvard Business School and went to work for Mommy and Daddy. He handles acquisitions of new properties and resorts and is being groomed to take over for his dad. He’s bas
ed out of Chicago and travels all over the world. Last check, he was in Hong Kong. Next stop is the Bahamas. No wife or kids. No committed relationship. He’s got a lot of friends with benefits. Most of them are clamoring to be the next Mrs. Eden Towers Hotels when the reins are passed over.”

  “He got a rap sheet?”

  “Not so much as a parking ticket.”

  “Well, that’s boring.”

  “Jimmy Reilly was a paranoid son of a bitch,” Eric went on. “Not only was Jackie’s governess independent security, but so were some of his crew. He also had sponsor trouble. Not that he was trying to keep them, but that he was trying to shake one. Mason Energy. I’m not done digging there, but Jimmy was aggressively trying to disassociate himself from them. They wouldn’t let him off the line. Toby Willis is so clean, he squeaks. So far. But I’m still digging on him.

  “Back to Jimmy’s crew. Most of them got jobs with other crews—the ones that weren’t security, and a fat lot of good they did—but one guy, Lewis Gibbons, sort of fell off his rocker. He idolized Jimmy. He went on some crazy, destructive bender when Reilly died. Really lost his shit. He’s got a rap sheet a mile long, which includes stalking, kidnapping, and sexual assault as the highlights. His legal troubles only happened after Reilly died. He just sort of snapped, and I can’t find him.”

  “Well, that makes me feel all sorts of happy,” Danny sighed. “It sounds like you’ve been pretty productive.”

  “You got a lot to dump on your girl,” Eric replied.

  “Yeah, but first I’ve got to dump it on her brother.”

  Danny fished his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Ryan’s number.

  “Miss me already?”

  “Not so much. Listen, you and I have to talk, ASAP. I’m coming down to take care of my apartment and my stuff soon, so I’m staying with you.”

  “You’ve got news.”

  “Oh, that’s a big 10-4.”