“Sure thing. Hop in, I’ll be right there. But, no stealing the covers or I’ll make you sleep in the bathtub.”
Jason laughed at me as he climbed into my bed. “Would you really make me sleep in the tub?”
“Oh yeah. And I’d fill it with worms, too,” I teased, giving a mock shudder.
“Mom, stop joking around. That’s gross.”
“Okay, I wouldn’t make you sleep in the tub. I’d make you sleep in the dog house.”
“We don’t have a dog,” he reminded me.
“Oh well, then you’re safe.”
“Can we get a dog? I’m old enough now. I can help. I would clean up after it,” Jason begged.
Me and my big mouth. Why did I have to say anything about a dog house? So, so, dumb.
“We’ll see,” I answered, then for shock value I added, “you’ll have to clean up all the poop from the backyard.”
Jason’s face scrunched up just like I knew it would. “That’s so gross.”
Ha! Maybe that will curb the puppy talk for a few more months.
Jason was fast asleep within minutes while I remained awake. My mind wouldn’t shut off. I had a thousand things to figure out now. I could go a few months without working. However, I didn’t want to dip too much into my savings. Steven’s life insurance and death benefits were still sitting untouched in an account I was saving for Jason. I needed to find a new job, something I was passionate about.
It was after one a.m. when my phone chimed. I rolled to grab it off the nightstand to find a text message from Lenox. I was surprised he was here. Earlier tonight when Lily texted me, she said that the guys had a hiccup at the office and were more than likely having to pull an all-nighter to get the computers straight.
“Hey,” I greeted when I opened the front door. “I didn’t think you’d make it. Lily said a computer crashed or something.”
“Or something,” Lenox grumbled. “It was taken care of faster than we thought.”
“Sorry to make you come all the way out here. I’m sure you want to get home.” Movement behind Lenox caught my attention and Jasper came into full view.
What the hell was he doing here? After the way he left the bank today, I figured I’d never see him again. I thought I was doing the right thing letting him off the hook by declining his offer to drive me home. He had only offered to be nice. I remembered the way he reacted when he found out I had a son; his face went hard and all joking stopped. It was obvious he didn’t like kids. I didn’t hold it against him, even though it stung.
“It was no trouble at all. Hope we didn’t wake you,” Lenox said, offering me my keys.
“No. I was awake.”
“Is everything okay?” Jasper asked coming to stand beside Lenox.
Why did the man look hotter every time I saw him? His hair was messy like he’d been running his hands through it in frustration. It was longer than the other guys’; he was pushing Army regs, which didn’t surprise me at all. He didn’t look like a man who liked to play by the rules. I could see him pushing and testing limits. The new scruff on his face made him look even sexier.
“Yea, everything’s fine.” I tried my best to smile. However, I must’ve failed because it had Jasper taking another step closer.
His smell assaulted my senses. Man and sweat, with a hint of smoke. I narrowed my eyes and wondered if they were really at the office. Jasper smelled more like a bar. I quickly dismissed the thought. Jasper might be a player, but there was no way that Lenox would ever lie to Lily. He was a good man, and I didn’t really think Jasper would condone lying either.
“You sure? We could look around if you’d like,” he offered.
“Look around? I’m fine. I was in bed going over my long to-do list. You know it’s what us moms do. Plan and worry.”
As if on cue, Jasper stepped back. It might’ve been a bitchy thing to do, using my son that way, but I was too tired to argue with Jasper. I figured he was used to getting his way, and I knew the mention of me being a mom would send him running for the hills.
“Alright. I hope you get some sleep.” Jasper turned and walked down the driveway.
Wow. It was like I had a cool superpower. I could make Jasper disappear with one word.
“Listen, Emily, he doesn’t…"
“It’s fine. I don’t take offense. He’s a nice guy. Some people don’t like kids. I’m cool with it.”
“It’s not like that. He just…” Lenox stumbled his words.
I cut Lenox off again. “It’s not my business. It’s fine really. He’s never around when Jason and I are at your house. As long as he isn’t mean to my son, everything will be fine. Besides, I’ll probably never see him again.” I offered Lenox a smile – a real one this time.
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” he said under his breath.
“Huh?”
“Nothing. If you ever need to talk about what happened today, Lily and I are here for you. The Army is trying to keep this under wraps until they finish their investigation. But you can talk freely to me or Lily,” Lenox offered.
“Thanks. I’m fine,” I lied.
“Try and get some sleep.” Lenox waved and walked down the drive. He waited until I shut my door before he got in his car.
That night I fell asleep replaying Lenox’s words in my head. I wouldn’t bet on it. What did that even mean? Jasper ran every chance he got. I was the one with some weird fascination with the playboy, not the other way around. Jasper would be happy to never see me again.
Chapter Four
Jasper
It had been a week, yet here I was sitting in front of Emily’s house again like a stalker. The first two days were to gather intel: what time her son got off the bus, what time she picked him up from her mom’s, where she went grocery shopping, what stops she made, and finally what time the lights went out in her house. I thought I had her routine down when tonight a man showed up with flowers around dinner time. I hadn’t expected that. Though I should’ve. She was a beautiful woman, why wouldn’t she date? What bothered me, though, was the man was in her house with her son there.
It was none of my business, and I shouldn’t have passed judgment, but I didn’t like it. My gut was still screaming at me that something wasn’t right. She was in danger. I still hadn’t talked to Lenox about my suspicions. It would’ve thrown up red flags; he was the equivalent of a human lie detector and could smell bullshit a mile away. He’d ask questions I didn’t want to answer. I could’ve told him I was only concerned because she was a nice girl and Lily’s friend, but he’d see right through that. I couldn’t get her out of my head. The last thing I wanted was my team knowing that. I’ve tried. Over the last week, I had scrolled through the numbers of hundreds of beautiful women who would jump at the chance to go another round. Yet, none of them were appealing. They only wanted what was on the surface, which was hypocritical of me to fault them for that because that was all I wanted from them. The crux of the issue was that none of them were her.
My heart came to a full stop when Emily’s front door opened and she and her son stepped outside. Jason. Christ, the boy had a name, yet I couldn’t get myself to use it. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen the boy. I thought seeing him would get easier, but it hadn’t. It didn’t matter that I was attracted to her and felt some strange pull toward her. I had to put a stop to it. She deserved better, and I was a hundred percent sure that Jason deserved a man in his life who hadn’t played a part in the death of his own child. I was surprised that Lenox and Lily allowed me in the same room with baby Carter. He was six months old, and I had yet to hold the kid. I was a complete asshole. I loved that they had a family. Hell, I was jealous. There was a time I wanted a wife and kids. Now, I whore around finding women who only want me for one thing – a good time. It’s mutually beneficial for both, then I move on. No attachments, no hurt feelings.
The man hugged Emily and knelt in front of Jason pulling him into a hug, too. This must not be a first date then, or the guy is
a total weirdo hugging the boy the first time he meets him. I didn’t like him touching either one of them. What the hell was wrong with me?
***
The last three Friday nights the same man had shown up at the same time. Only tonight he was late. Maybe they had broken up. Last week I promised myself that if he showed up again that next week, I wouldn’t come to sit on Emily’s house until after ten p.m. That’s when he left. The third guy from the robbery still hadn’t been found, and his identity was unknown. Every night I sat in front of Emily’s house watching, making sure that she and Jason were safe. I was beginning to think that my gut was wrong; I was overreacting. Nothing had happened so far, and it had been a month since the robbery.
The team was getting ready to go out of the country, and as much as I didn’t want to leave them unprotected, I felt a little bit better with each passing day.
A car pulled into Emily’s driveway. Not Mr. Casanova that brought flowers each week. This was a piece of shit beater car. A man stepped out and looked around, his eyes landing on my car. The heavily tinted window provided me cover from him seeing in. Yeah, you’re being watched asshole.
The man approached Emily’s door and knocked. Emily opened the door and immediately tried to close it, but the man’s hand shot out and caught the door before it could close.
I quickly folded out of the Camaro and jogged across the street. I wasn’t silent in my approach. I wanted my presence known before the man could do anything stupid.
“Hey, sorry I’m late.” I pushed past the man nudging his shoulder when I stepped around him. I heard him grunt as he pulled his right arm closer to his body.
“It’s okay,” Emily stammered.
She definitely didn’t want this man on her porch if she was playing along. I cast a hard stare in the man’s direction waiting for him say something.
“Hey man, what happened to your shoulder?” He was still holding his right arm. I’d had enough dislocated shoulders to know what that particular injury looked like.
“Nothing. Emily, I need to talk to you in private,” he demanded.
“No, you don’t. You need to leave. I have nothing to say to you.” She shook her head for emphasis.
I could’ve easily removed the man right then and there, but I was hoping he’d say something that would explain Emily’s behavior. When I wrapped my arm around her waist, she was shaking.
“I think you want to hear what I have to say to you.” His brow lifted and a smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. “Why don’t you step outside so we can talk in private?”
“Not gonna happen. She said she didn’t want to talk to you.” I stepped in.
“Mom, who’s at the door?” Jason yelled from behind us. I scooted over so the man in front of us couldn’t see into the house. No way I wanted him to get a look at the boy.
“That must be Jason.” The man’s smile got bigger.
“I didn’t get your name,” I prompted.
“None of your business. Last chance Emily.”
“We’re done here. And I don’t ever want to see you come near Emily or her son.”
“Is that a threat, soldier boy?” He laughed.
I let go of Emily and stepped closer to the man.
“Sure as fuck is. I hear you even breathe in their direction, it will be the last breath you ever take. And friend, that’s not in the proverbial sense, I mean that literally. They do not exist to you.”
“We’ll see about that. You have something that belongs to me, Emily, and I’m back to collect. I’ll admit, at least he’s a step up from that…”
“I wouldn’t finish that sentence. You do not disrespect her husband.”
“Her husband. Yeah, okay. If that’s the story she’s telling.” He laughed.
I stepped back into the house, pushed Emily back a step, and slammed the door.
“Who’s this?” I heard a soft, shaky voice behind me.
Fuck, Jason. I inhaled trying to stop myself from bolting out the door. At this point in time, I would’ve rather taken on fifteen Taliban warfighters than turn and face a six-year-old boy. What kind of pussy did that make me? The boy was scared, and as much as I actively tried to avoid any situation where I came into direct contact with children, I couldn’t allow him to be scared.
“Jason, right?” I turned and stuck my hand out in a fist. “I’m Jasper.”
Jason smiled and balled his little fist up giving mine a bump. “Yeah, I’m Jason.”
“Cool. I came over to talk to your mom a minute. Sorry to barge in on you. Hope I’m not interrupting.”
“No. Mom said it was bedtime,” Jason groaned.
Emily still hadn’t said anything. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. What do six-year-olds like to do? I needed Jason safely tucked away so I could talk to Emily alone.
“Have you seen the new Battlestar Empire game yet?” I asked pulling my phone out of my pocket. Kids liked video games, right?
“No. All my friends play it, but I don’t have a phone to download it,” he said. “Is it alright, Mom?” He looked at Emily with big hopeful eyes.
“Sure, honey,” Emily mechanically answered.
I quickly disabled the messaging app and call feature before handing it to Jason. “Why don’t you play it in your room? You’ll need the sound up,” I suggested.
Jason looked at Emily when she nodded her head and took off to his room with my phone in hand.
I waited a few seconds before I turned to Emily. “Why don’t we sit down?” I offered.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she angrily whispered.
Narrowing my eyes, I took in her defensive posture, and my hackles raised. “Why is that, Emily?”
“Why are you here? How are you here?” She asked, but didn’t answer my question.
“I was driving by and thought I’d check in, see how you were doing.”
“You were driving by? What? One of your women live in my neighborhood?” Was that jealousy I detected? And why did that please me so much? I didn’t answer her. If I said yes, she’d shut down. If I told her the truth that there had not been a single woman since I met her at Lily’s house, she’d likely call me a liar and kick me out.
“Let’s sit. Who was at the door?” I asked.
Fresh tears fell from the corner of her pretty blue eyes.
“I can’t. I don’t want to talk about it. Everything’s fine. You should go, just forget what happened.”
Not so fast, sweetheart.
“That’s not gonna happen. Nothing is fine. You’re shaking like a leaf.”
“I should get to Jason,” she said, squaring her shoulders.
She obviously thought that if she reminded me about Jason, I’d run, just like every other time her son’s name was mentioned. Not this time.
“Jason’s fine.” I smiled when her shoulders slumped forward.
She had no idea how long I could wait her out. I had all night to stand here.
“We have to leave.” She frantically grabbed her purse and started for her cellphone on the coffee table. I grabbed her hand to stop her.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Not you. Me and Jason. We have to go.”
“Calm down a minute. You need to tell me what’s going on.”
Emily plopped on the couch and covered her face with both hands and started to sob. She struggled against me when I sat next to her and pulled her to my chest. “Stop, Emily.”
She finally settled in and allowed me to wrap my arms around her. She felt good pressed up against my body, she felt right.
“I’m sorry,” she cried and squeezed me tight. My heart pounded in my chest, and something clicked. I couldn’t put a name to the emotion but feeling her holding onto me looking to me to offer protection and comfort did strange things to me.
“I am begging you to trust me. I can help you, but I need to know who that was, and why you are so afraid of him. I swear to you, you and Jason will be safe.”
Self-do
ubt started to creep in. There was one other time in my life that I had begged. I begged God not to take Alesha from me. I couldn’t stop my own child from dying, how could I promise Emily I could protect her and Jason? I had failed once before. I let Liz down, and Alesha was gone because of me and my shortcomings.
“Steven Jenkins was a good man,” she started, only further reminding me that I couldn’t be the man that Emily needed. Jenkins was a hero. I was a coward.
“Everything he did was to protect me and Jason. It was all my fault.”
“Okay. I agree, but I’m not tracking.”
I continued to wait until she finished her story.
“Steven’s not Jason’s biological father,” she whispered. “I was pregnant when he married me.”
That didn’t explain why she had implied there was wrongdoing and it was her fault. Steven marrying her even though she was pregnant with another man’s child only proved he was a good guy. Unless he didn’t know.
“I knew Steven before he went into the Army. He was friends with my brother. Well, they were until my brother got involved with drugs. Steven distanced himself from Brian, but he’d still come around to check on me. Even after he went to college and enlisted. Every time he was home on leave he’d find me and make sure I was okay. The last time he… he found me…” Emily stopped and started to cry again. “He found me at my worst. Brian had OD’d, and I was lost, and lonely. I started dating one of Brian’s friends. He was – not so nice to me.”
“What do you mean, not so nice?” My blood boiled at the thought of someone hurting Emily.
“This is so embarrassing.” Emily buried her face in my shirt and her hair fell curtaining her face. I gently brushed it away from her cheek and tucked the strands behind her ear.
“There’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about. You did nothing wrong.”
“Yes, I did. I stayed with him, even after he started hitting me. When Steven found me, I was pregnant and beaten. I was at my absolute bottom. Steven cleaned me up and went in search of Liam. When he came back a few hours later, his hands were cut up, and he told me I was leaving with him. When we got back to Georgia, he pulled up to the courthouse told me that as far as the world would know the baby was his, and he married me.”
Freeing Jasper Page 4
