Standing Fast

by Maggie K. Black

  She reached for the side door. He stepped in front of her. “Tell me you’re not involved with Chase McLear!”

  The words flew out of his mouth, more like an order than a question.

  “Excuse me?” Who did this man think he was? She drew herself up to her full height, even as she knew how slight it was. “My personal life is none of your business!”

  “Well, maybe it should be.” He stepped closer. “There’s something bad going down on base and you need someone to protect you.” His hand touched her shoulder. “And it should be me.”

  * * *

  There were too many cars and people around the front of the school, Chase thought as he pulled his truck past Sunny Seeds. His eyes scanned the road. In the back seat, Allie was chirping away to Queenie in a silly little made-up language of hers that only the dog seemed to understand. If only he understood her as well as his own canine partner did. His heart ached and he let it turn into a prayer for wisdom.

  Help me. Please. I feel like I’m all alone, not knowing what I’m guarding, being attacked on all sides and not knowing what to do. Help me to remember that You are my sword and my shield of protection.

  “Daddy! We go pass Sunny Seeds!” Allie’s voice piped up from the back seat.

  “I know, Sweet Pea,” he said. He palmed the steering wheel around the corner. “We’re just running a little late and I need to find a place to park.”

  Truth be told, he’d been hoping to keep Allie home and spare her the chaos.

  Coming so close to losing her—and knowing how close he still was to losing Queenie—had made him wake up determined to hold her close to his chest and never let her go. Instead, she’d been so insistent on going to see Maisy, she’d practically dragged him out the door once he’d gotten her fed and coaxed her into wearing summer clothes.

  Honestly, he couldn’t blame her. Something inside of him understood the desire to be around Maisy. If he’d been a different man, in a different place in time and not facing all that he was going through, when he’d collected a sleeping Allie from her arms in the living room the night before, he’d have asked Maisy out on a first date. And when they’d been sitting all alone in the backyard, with his hands enveloping hers and her eyes looking into his, he might have even asked if he could kiss her.

  Instead, the blog post Preston had angrily waved in his face had been a glaring reminder that all he could bring to Maisy’s life was pain and conflict. She deserved better. She deserved better than a man like him, in a mess like his life was in, and better than the further chaos he’d bring to her life.

  There were far more people around the front of the preschool than usual and his heart lurched with worry as he pondered the reason.

  He eased his vehicle around the corner, looking to park on a side street. Then he heard shouting. He looked out the window and what he saw made his foot hit the break as hard as he dared without jolting Allie and Queenie. Preston, standing with his chest puffed out and hands raised, was yelling at Maisy. Chase couldn’t make out his words but it didn’t matter—there was no way he was going to just sit there and watch her get berated.

  He opened the door and leaned out, one boot hitting the pavement the moment he cut the engine. “Hey! Leave her alone!”

  Preston turned sharply. His face went red, like a cartoon steam engine barely managing to contain itself from exploding. Maisy’s eyes met Chase’s for one long and grateful moment, and his breath caught at the vulnerability in her face. Then she turned and disappeared through Sunny Seeds’ side door.

  Preston’s hands balled into fists. He started across the grass toward where Chase still sat, halfway out of his truck.

  Chase glanced back at Queenie. “Stay! Watch Allie!”

  He stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the door open, and leaned against the back door, creating a physical barrier between Preston and his precious daughter. He slid his hand behind him through the open window and felt for Allie’s tiny shoulder, so she’d know her daddy was there.

  “What are you doing here?” Preston demanded, punctuating the question with a swear word that snapped from his lips so suddenly it was like a whip cracking in the air.

  “Watch your language in front of my daughter,” Chase said, “and lower your voice.”

  “You should get back in the truck and take her home.” Preston scowled. Something about what Chase said must’ve tweaked something inside Preston’s conscience because his voice lowered. “It’s not right for you to be here when you’re under criminal investigation. There’s a letter going around from people demanding that Maisy suspend Allie from school and that you be banned from school property until your name is cleared.”

  He wondered if it was started by Preston. Something twisted like the tip of a knife in the pit of Chase’s stomach. How dare anyone try to punish a little girl for something they imagined her father had done? But then, the lieutenant added something that made the pain cut even deeper. “They’re also demanding that Maisy be fired from Sunny Seeds because they suspect she must be helping you, which would mean that either knowingly or unknowingly, she’s also helping the Red Rose Killer. Not that I personally think she’d ever intentionally do anything criminal. She’s too sweet and innocent to get messed up in crime on purpose. But parents are demanding the preschool director do something and the base commander has been threatened with large-scale protests in front of Canyon.”

  Chase felt his right hand slide over his heart. No, they couldn’t threaten Maisy. Not because of him. Her job was the most important thing in the world to her and she was incredible at it. Surely, her boss knew that. That anyone would harass her, threaten her or try to take anything away from her because of him hurt him deeply. Liz had always accused him of robbing her of the life she’d really wanted and now he was going to do the same to Maisy. He slumped back against the vehicle, as if his legs no longer knew how to hold him. Then he felt Allie’s hand reach up, grab his fingers and squeeze him tightly.

  “I can’t believe you’d do that to Maisy,” Chase said. “She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

  Preston’s chest rose and his face was a mixture of both pride and absolute certainty. There was nothing worse than someone who thought he was right all the time. Chase wondered what it was like to go through life that confident. He supposed it would make life easier for him, but harder for everyone around him.

  “I’m doing this for Maisy,” Preston said. “I care about Maisy way more than you could ever understand. She needs me to protect her from herself.”

  Did she now? Chase nearly snorted. He couldn’t believe it. Preston thought he cared about Maisy. He might even think he loved her. Because he was selfish enough to think the fact that he was attracted to her meant something. For a moment, the question of whether Preston’s determination to find Chase guilty had something to do with Maisy hovered in Chase’s mind. Except Chase and Maisy had never so much as gone out for coffee together, let alone had a personal relationship, and Preston’s furious grilling of him had happened before the barbecue.

  Besides, how could anyone be foolish enough to think a woman as smart, kind and beautiful as Maisy would ever be with a man like him?

  Something soured in Preston’s gaze, as if reading Chase’s mind.

  “Believe it or not,” Preston said, “I’m only after the truth.”

  No, he didn’t believe it. “I’m sure you think that’s true. But I don’t.”

  He watched as Preston’s fists clenched even tighter and wondered if he was going to have to block a physical punch in front of his little girl. But then, Preston turned and stormed off with a determination and anger that left Chase with no doubt he’d be back with an even harder and more impactful blow.

  Chase waited until he disappeared around the corner, then he opened the vehicle door and pulled Allie into his arms.

  “He was loud, Daddy,” she said.

&nbs
p; “I know, Sweet Pea.” He sighed. “I’m so sorry you had to hear him.”

  Her little hand brushed his cheek. “You okay, Daddy?”

  “No,” he said honestly. “His yelling made me sad. But you and I and Queenie are going to play together in the grass for a bit, while we wait to see if Maisy is okay.”

  She nodded wisely. “Maisy is im-por-tant, right, Daddy?”

  He hugged her tightly. Yes, Maisy was important. She was important to him in ways he didn’t know how to put into words. And what kind of person was he to bring such pain and chaos into her life? His first impulse yesterday had been right. He had to pull Allie from Maisy’s school. He had to disappear from her life completely until the dust settled and stop making his problems hers. He’d wait until the crowd cleared, then he’d quietly speak to Maisy in person and tell her what he’d decided. He’d do it before she could ask. He owed her that much.

  He didn’t have that long to wait. He and Allie had barely started their fourth round of I Spy when the side door opened and a small blonde figure slipped through. Instinctively, he stood and his arms reached for her. “Maisy, are you okay?”

  “No.” Her gaze traveled past him to the horizon. “I’m on vacation. I had some time available to use up and when I realized just how challenging it would be for my students if I dug my heels in, I offered to take it. My boss agrees it’s the easiest way to calm the situation down short term. She will get a really good supply teacher to come in to help Esther cover my class, and I’ll come back later this evening, once the school is closed, to lay out lesson plans for the next few days.”

  “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

  Her eyes turned toward him and he realized she was fighting back tears.

  “Yes, Chase, please take me somewhere, anywhere, far away from here.”

  TEN

  The words hung in the air between them, her incredibly honest plea waiting to be answered.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not sure where that came from. But there’s still a crowd of people out front, and the base commander warned me more press might be coming...”

  Her words faded on her lips as Allie ran across the lawn and threw her arms around Maisy’s legs in a tackle hug.

  “Don’t be sad, Maisy,” Allie said. “Daddy says you’re im-por-tant.”

  “You and your daddy are important too,” Maisy whispered, as she reached down and ran her hand over Allie’s curls. Then she looked up. Chase was looking at her, with that same intensity that she’d seen in his eyes the night before. For a moment, they just stood there, looking at each other, as if neither of them knew what to say.

  “There’s a wonderful little waterfall, on a very public path, just half an hour off base,” Chase said. “I was thinking of taking Allie and Queenie for a hike. Obviously, I’ll call Captain Blackwood to tell him before I leave base. But it’s got good trails and it’s far away from anywhere investigators think Boyd Sullivan might be hiding out. We could pack a picnic. What do you say? Do you want to join us?”

  She could feel the smile that spread across her face as something exploded inside her chest like a shower of sparklers on the Fourth of July. “That would be lovely. If you don’t mind swinging by my house first, I have a basket we could use.”

  “Sounds good.” Half a grin curled up at the corner of his mouth, with a look that was somewhere in between handsome and cute. Then he glanced down at Allie. “If that’s okay with you, Sweet Pea?”

  Allie nodded. She slipped her hand into Maisy’s, and they walked back to the truck. Maisy helped Allie get settled in as Chase made a quick phone call to Justin.

  “All clear,” Chase said. “He agrees with my assessment that the trails by the waterfall are far too public for someone like Boyd Sullivan to be camped out near, and they’ve been well-monitored by police recently. We’re good to go.”

  They took his truck and left her car parked in front of Sunny Seeds, still surrounded by people on the sidewalk, gawking, gossiping and demanding answers that neither of them had.

  “I’m guessing you know about the blog?” Maisy asked after a long moment.

  “I do.” He nodded. “I know about the letter the parents wrote too and the calls to the base commander.”

  “And you know about Frank Golosky’s brother, Drew?” she asked softly.

  “I do.” He nodded gravely. “I was questioned about it this morning.”

  She should’ve known he would be. “Is it possible he’s the ‘hurt man’ Allie has been talking about?”

  “I don’t see how that could be possible. Allie’s been having these nightmares for weeks,” Chase said. He eased the truck to a stop at a stop sign and glanced at her. “Are you okay?”

  “Not really,” she said. “I just want a break from all this—from the fear, the suspicion and the panic. It’s like we’ve been in perpetual crisis mode for months, and I just want it to stop.”

  “I understand,” he said. He reached over and brushed her hand. “So let’s give ourselves a break, just for today, and let ourselves have fun.”

  “I’d like that.” She felt a smile cross her lips. Then she glanced up at the rearview mirror at the little girl in the back seat. “And how do you think we should have fun on our picnic, Allie?”

  She listened as Allie chatted happily about all the random and interesting thoughts going through her mind. Chase drove them through the checkpoint gates and off the base. She directed them to her little bungalow and felt an odd mixture of nerves and pride as she invited them into her home, with its brightly colored walls and beautifully messy framed artwork by former students. They set up shop in her sunny yellow kitchen, where she turned on the radio to something upbeat, put a brightly handled picnic basket on the kitchen table and filled the counter with breads, cheeses, cold cuts and vegetables. She left Chase and Allie to get started making a picnic and went to get changed.

  “Maisy’s happy,” Allie chirped as Maisy turned the corner into the hall. “I like it when Maisy is happy!”

  “Me too,” Chase said.

  Joy swelled in Maisy’s heart like an old friend that she’d thought she’d lost forever. She was truly and deeply happy in a way she never thought she’d feel again.

  Lord, how can I be happy when my world is falling apart? How can I feel this happy when all our lives are in crisis and the base is under a constant shroud of fear? How can both joy and sadness—hope and fear—coexist inside my heart?

  She emerged a few minutes later, in well-worn jeans, a short-sleeved blue plaid shirt and a pink bandanna holding back her hair. Her eyes ran over the mess that man and child had made of her usually pristine kitchen. Chase’s mouth opened and then closed again. His hand ran over his head and his face reddened slightly.

  “Are you all right?” she said. “Look, if it’s about the mess, don’t worry about it. It won’t take us long to clean if we work together.”

  “It’s not the kitchen,” Chase said. His shoulders straightened. “You just look really good. Better than good. Beautiful.”

  The feelings that crowded her heart swelled so suddenly she gasped to breathe. Did he have any idea how attractive she found him? How impressive he was in her eyes? Not just the outer shell, with his broad chest and strong arms, his kind mouth and the way his green eyes dazzled like a lake in the sun. But the way he cared for his daughter. The way he held his head high and didn’t let himself fall into either anger or self-pity the way so many other men would in his situation. The way he’d come to her rescue when she’d needed a hero, if even just for a day.

  “You look im-por-tant,” Allie added.

  Maisy smiled.

  “Thank you,” she said, pulling her eyes away from the father and focusing on the daughter. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a second bandanna. “I was wondering if you’d like to wear one of these too. I thought we c
ould match.”

  “Yes!” Allie wriggled off the chair and ran toward her. Gently, her fingers brushed Allie’s curls back behind her ears, her heart suddenly aching for the toddler. They sang silly songs as they cleaned the kitchen and packed the last of the food. It was a half-hour drive to the trails and yet, there was something about being there in Chase’s truck with him and Allie that seemed to make the drive fly by.

  When they reached the trails and climbed out of the truck, Chase clipped the lead on Queenie’s harness, slung the picnic basket over his shoulder and then, to her surprise, reached for Maisy’s hand. His fingers brushed hers. Her hand slipped instinctively into his. Then Chase seemingly caught himself and pulled away. “Sorry... I wasn’t... I didn’t...”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’m a preschool teacher. Somebody’s always grabbing my hand.”

  But even as she said the lighthearted words, her heart skipped a beat to realize just how natural the movement had been for her too.

  “I like holding hands!” Allie announced, stepping in between them. She grabbed her father with one hand and Maisy with the other, holding them tightly, like the tiny link joining them.

  Maisy squeezed her hand gently. “Thank you, Allie. I like holding hands with you too.”

  They walked through the trees and down the wide path, exploring rocks, stumps and the streams that were all but dried up in Texas’s July sun. When that sun had risen high in the sky, they reached the bottom of the waterfall, spread Chase’s old military blanket and Maisy’s quilt side by side under a canopy of trees and shared a happy, simple meal together.

  There was a four-foot tall lean-to made of crisscrossed sticks propped up nearby that looked like it had been made by a previous family with small children. After Chase had checked it thoroughly, making sure it was well-constructed and clean of debris, he agreed to Allie’s pleas to let her play house inside it. Queenie lay across the entrance, her eyes closed and ears twitching at every happy noise the child made. Maisy reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a spare set of plastic cutlery and dishes. Then she pretended to tap on the side of Allie’s hut. “Knock, knock.”