by Carolina Mac
Rob resisted the temptation to touch his Seal knife.
As he sat and listened to the story unfold, he became more and more agitated. Who was this Sid asshole who was after Grace? He must have been super pissed at her to kill a guy and stuff him in the back seat of her truck.
I’ve known guys like that, and that won’t be enough for him. He’ll make another move against her.
DEPUTY KUCHMA LEFT and with him went Darlene. “I’m staying at a motel in town, so I can follow the investigation,” she said as she left. “I’ll be in touch. Nice to meet you, Grace.”
When they were gone, Grace glanced out the front window at the activity around her truck. A tow truck was hooking on to tow her diesel to the forensic garage. “What a nightmare. I never should have moved here.”
Rob flopped down on the sofa and motioned her over. “Gracie, come sit with me and tell me the whole story. I have about a million questions I need answers to, but I don’t want to upset you more than you are already. I can tell by your face, how stressed you are.”
Grace cuddled into him and kissed his neck. “Now that you’re home, I can face anything. You are my strength, Robbie.”
Joey came toddling down the hall, looking sleepy. “Can I have a drink, Mommy?”
“Sure, you can, honey. Look who’s home. It’s Daddy.”
“He’s never seen me, Grace,” Rob whispered.
“It will be okay,” she whispered, “Lon’s been gone a long time. He wasn’t much more than a baby.” She held out her arms and Joey toddled towards her.
“Where were you, Daddy? I waited for you.”
Rob felt tears burning behind his eyes and fought them back. “Want to sit on my knee?”
Joey nodded and climbed up, still clutching his teddy.
“I’ll get you a drink.” Grace went to the fridge and called over her shoulder, “Want a beer, sugar pop?”
“I sure could use one. Been a tough day for me,” said Rob, “emotionally, that is. Don’t think I cried since I was a baby.”
Grace smiled as she handed him a Lone Star. “Can’t wait to have you back in my bed, Robbie,” she whispered, “Been a long time for me.”
Rob chuckled. “Longer.” He tipped up his beer and chugged half of it.
Joey eyed Rob and tipped up his cup of juice.
“I better round up some dinner for my two guys,” said Grace with a smile. She put water on to boil for spaghetti and opened a tin of meat sauce. “I should have bought more groceries. Joey and I don’t eat too much.”
“As soon as we get the truck back,” said Rob, “we’ll load up on everything you need.”
After dinner, Grace bathed Joey and tucked him into bed. He seemed to have accepted Rob without question. She returned to the kitchen and opened a couple of cold beers. “Now we’ll have a chance to talk. I know you have questions.” She pointed, “Let’s sit on the sofa and unwind.”
“Deputy Kuchma called you Mrs. Chandler,” said Rob.
“I went by that name because Lon insisted.”
“Did you tell Lon we were married?”
“Not at first. I didn’t promise him anything, and we started out taking it one day at a time. Joey took most of our attention and Lonnie was a dedicated father. Have to give him that.”
“I figured he’d want to get married—he was that kind of a guy,” said Rob. “I worried about how you would handle it.”
“Not well. I didn’t handle it well.” Grace’s eyes welled up. “We had a huge fight and he demanded that I divorce you and marry him.”
Rob inhaled a big breath and held it. “But you didn’t?”
Grace turned and smiled at him. “Of course not. How could I? You’re the man I love—for always.”
“It was my fault that he hurt you again. My fault for insisting that you make him man up and take care of you while I was away.” Rob shook his long black hair. “I’ve made a few bad decisions that screwed up our lives, Gracie.”
“You thought it was the right way to go.” Grace touched his face. “You’re twice the man Lon Chandler was.”
It took a couple of hours for Grace to explain how her relationship with Lonnie had deteriorated during the months preceding his death. “I didn’t know him anymore,” she said through her tears. “He was drinking heavily every night, and his anger was consuming him.”
Rob pulled her closer and wiped her tears. “Did he… hit you, Gracie?”
“A few times, near the end. I realize now, he was losing control. He should have had treatment of some kind, but he wasn’t open to suggestions. Not at all.”
“Is that why Joey is so quiet?” Rob asked.
Grace nodded. “During our time with Lon, he was a baby, and then a toddler, but he could feel the tension and the bad vibes around him. I tried to protect him as much as I could, but it wasn’t enough.”
“Can I play with him, now that I’m home? Will that help?”
“It will. He needs to see the softer side of a male role model. You can make a huge difference in his life.”
After Grace brought him up to date on Lonnie, Rob encouraged her to give him more details on Sid. “So, this Sid guy who lives in the next trailer, came over and volunteered to change your tire? Was that his opening line?”
“Yep. I didn’t even know I had a flat and after the way everything turned out, Mike pointed out that Sid might have slashed the tire on purpose.”
“Probably saw you move in and figured out where you were vulnerable.”
“Vulnerable?” Grace began to sob. “Without you, Robbie, I’m fair game for any asshole. I’m virtually defenseless and I hate it. I want to learn some skills to defend myself.”
Rob nodded. “Okay, that might be a good idea. I can help with that.” He tipped up his beer and finished it. “That’s enough talking for tonight, Grace. It’s bed time.”
ROB SHOWERED IN the small bathroom next to Grace’s bedroom. He stood under the hot water, and tried to wash off the stress of the day. The vibes in this park were familiar to him—too familiar. Something was going down and he did not want Grace and Joey anywhere close to it.
His hair was still damp as he slipped between the sheets and pulled Grace’s naked body into his arms. “I’ve dreamed about this for the past four years,” he whispered.
Grace covered his face with kisses, then worked her way down his neck, down his chest and lower, as he lay on his back and relished feelings of pleasure that were almost foreign to him. “I missed you, Robbie.”
She stroked his erection, as she worked her way down his muscular, tattooed body, and he whispered a gentle warning, “I’ll be a minute man tonight, Gracie. I’m out of practice.”
She giggled as she mounted him, thrust down twice and his prediction became a reality.
“I’ll make it up on the second round.” He rolled her over and made love to her for hours.
AFTER GRACE WAS breathing evenly beside him, Rob got out of bed, pulled his boxers on and stood on the front step to smoke. Ted sat silently beside him, peering into the darkness.
Rob was ready to go back to bed when a low growl came from Ted’s throat. “What, boy. Do you hear something?”
Rob looked up and down the narrow gravel road running between the mobile homes and saw nothing. No movement at all. Almost all the trailers were in darkness. A few outside lights were on, insects buzzing around, but there was no sign of life. The park was sleeping.
Sid’s Harley was chained to the tree on the patch of grass next door, his trailer in darkness.
Wonder where the murdering asshole is? How often does the patrol come by?
“If I had someone to stay with Grace and Joey, you and I could take a look around, Ted.” He stroked Ted’s head, then pushed the door open and went back inside, “We’ll work on that in the morning.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
ROB ROSE BEFORE dawn, leaving Grace sleeping. He tiptoed out of the bedroom, explored the kitchen cupboards, found what he needed, and made a pot of coffee.
When it had brewed he filled a mug and added cream. He took Ted and his coffee outside, sat on the front step, lit up a smoke and called Darlene’s cell.
“Why are you waking me up, asshole?”
Rob grinned. “I want to.”
“Piss off. I’m hanging up.”
“Don’t. I want to run something by you. Drive up here for breakfast.”
“I don’t take orders from you, Robbie.”
“Do you want to make points with Kuchma? I saw you drooling over his law-abiding ass.”
“Shut up, asswipe.”
“Get dressed.” Rob pressed end and went back inside to refill his coffee.
“Were you on the phone?” Grace wrapped her arms around him in the kitchen and kissed him.
“Uh huh. I had an idea. I’ll tell you about it right after we get up.”
“We are up.”
“The next time we get up.” Rob picked Grace up and carried her back to the bedroom.
“Do you know how many times I’ve thought about this, Robbie?” Grace asked as she took off her clothes and climbed between the sheets. “You and me in our trailer in Paradise Park and what it used to be like? Every day I’d work on my book and I couldn’t wait for you to get home from work. I’d have supper ready, but most nights we couldn’t wait. I’d turn the stove on low and we’d make wild, crazy love before dinner because we missed each other so much.”
Rob rolled on his side to face her, the clean, fresh smell of the sheets making him a little dizzy. “Nobody ever loved me before you did, Gracie. Nobody. And I don’t want anybody else, ever. You are my one and only since the first day I laid eyes on you.”
Grace rolled over on top of him and gently eased all of his considerable manhood inside her. The flowery smell of her, what was it? Her shampoo, her perfume, whatever it was, her scent was what he’d been missing the past four years. The scent of his wife was what he craved. It made him insane with wanting.
Rob groaned as she moved slowly, taking her time, kissing his neck and licking him. “Oh, my God, Gracie, you make me so crazy. I couldn’t love you any more than I do.”
DARLENE PARKED HER orange Jeep in the driveway at ten after nine. Rob and Joey had finished breakfast together, and Joey had gone to his room to play.
Grace stood at the stove with more pancakes and sausages at the ready. Rob would probably eat again with Darlene. It seemed impossible to fill him up.
Rob answered the knock, opened the door and let Darlene in. “Bout time you got here. What took you so fuckin long?”
One foot in the door, Darlene took a stance—hands on her generous hips. “I’ll take as long as I damn well want. You’re not my boss.”
Rob laughed at her and pointed at the table. “Grace made breakfast.”
“Thank you, Grace,” said Darlene. “I can see where you’re the kind, smart and sensible one in this unlikely union—beautiful author marries testy ex-con. Your tolerance level must be super high too, to put up with this piece of work.”
Grace smiled and stroked Rob’s hair. “I adore Robbie.”
Darlene shook her red bob. “Got to give it to you, Grace. Don’t think I could put up with him for the first twenty-four.”
Grace laughed. “He grows on you.”
“Hey, girls. I’m right here.” Rob held up his empty mug and Grace filled it.
“What’s this great idea you had that’s gonna make Kuchma hot for me?” asked Darlene as she covered her stack with syrup.
Ted sat next to Darlene with his big head resting on her leg. She cut the end off a sausage and put it in his mouth.
“Ted doesn’t make friends easily,” said Grace. “You must be special.”
“Animals and kids are all over me,” said Darlene. “Good looking guys—not so much.”
Grace smiled, and Rob didn’t. He got right to the point. “I want you to stay here for a couple of days with Grace and Joey while I check out what’s going on in this hell-hole of a park.”
“Yeah, and why should I do that? The cops are doing it already. They’re working on their DTD, interviewing every low-life that lives here. You’ll be in their way.”
Rob shook his head. “Nope. Won’t. I’m gonna do my snooping at night when soft pansy-ass cops like you and your new friends are sleeping. That’s why I want you here in the trailer with Gracie.”
Darlene shrugged off the insult with a smirk. “How’s that gonna get me on the good side of the Kuchma stud?”
“When I find out something solid, you can pass it on to the brown-eyed uniform and make a good impression. Maybe he’ll show his gratitude in a way you’ll like. Maybe give you more than the respect you’re so high on.”
“That’s kind of sketchy and I’d rather be in on the action.” Darlene accepted another pancake from Grace. “I’m not a babysitter.” She colored slightly and apologized to Grace. “Didn’t mean it that way.”
Grace smiled.
Rob leaned in closer. “Who knows better than me, Miss Unnecessary Force, how you enjoy shooting people?”
Darlene made a face. “I wouldn’t say I enjoy it.”
“I would,” said Rob. “I saw your face when you pulled the trigger.”
Grace raised an eyebrow.
Darlene pointed her fork across the table at Rob. “If you weren’t such a fuck up with an ugly scum following, I wouldn’t have shot anybody.”
Rob snorted and changed the subject before Grace had questions. “Have the cops come up with any evidence against this Sid guy yet?”
“If they have, I didn’t hear about it. They haven’t finished tossing the vic’s house.”
At the mention of Mike, Grace turned her head and brushed a tear away. “Did Deputy Kuchma find out about Kiley? Has she ever called for help?”
“Don’t know that either,” said Darlene. “Tell you what. I’ll spend the morning at the station seeing what I can find out, then come back later and we can work out a plan for tonight.”
“While you’re there, can you find out when Grace’s truck will be released?” asked Rob. “She needs it for the grocery store.”
“Yep,” said Darlene. “That I can do.” She turned to Grace, “Until then, Grace, give me a list. I can pick up what you need.”
“LET’S TAKE A walk.” Rob wrapped his arms around Grace while she stood at the sink cleaning up the breakfast dishes. “I want to get the lay of the land for later.”
“Sure, a walk will be nice. As soon as I’m done here, I’ll get the stroller off the back porch.”
Ted was on his feet, tail wagging, when he heard Rob say the magic word. Rob clipped the blue leash on Ted’s collar and waited outside.
Grace stood at the front door with Joey in the stroller and waited for Rob to lift him down the steps. She was dressed in denim cut offs and a red tank top, with a Rangers ball cap on her head. She locked the door and shoved the key in her pocket. “Ready.”
“Ready, Daddy,” said Joey.
Rob teared up every time Joey said the ‘D’ word. He couldn’t help it. His homecoming had left him emotionally strung out.
They strolled past Mike’s place next door. The crime scene van was still parked in the drive and yellow tape surrounded the perimeter.
“I can’t look.” Grace turned her head as they passed. “I wonder if his family will be having a service for him?”
“We don’t know any of these people, or anything about them, baby. It’s hard to say.”
“Maybe Darlene can find out while she’s at the police station.”
“Uh huh. Remind me when we get back and I’ll have her check for you.”
“She seems nice,” said Grace. “A little rough on the exterior, but nice underneath. Why is she with you? You never told me how you met her.”
“She thinks she’s a super cop or God’s gift to law enforcement—something like that. Always looking for trouble and wanting to make a bust. She gave me a hard time when I stopped to buy a gun at her dad’s gun shop, and I almost had a coronary wh
en she ran my ID.”
“I wondered how you got across the border.”
“I had to call in a favor.”
“It’s not ‘Eastman’ on your passport?”
Rob shook his head. “Robert Dakota.”
“Good to know, so I don’t go blabbing ‘Eastman’ all over the place.”
Rob grinned. “Yeah, I had a few problems, and once she found out I couldn’t find my wife, she decided to help me. I told her I didn’t need help and I didn’t want her following me, but I couldn’t shake her. She’s like a fuckin red-haired bulldog.”
“Did she have… other interests in you?”
A smile spread across his face and he winked. “I love it when you’re jealous, baby. Doesn’t happen very often.” He leaned over and kissed her. “And, yeah, maybe she did. She might have had an interest, in the beginning, but I had none. I never do—how could I, Grace?”
“And was she helpful?”
Yeah, she helped with Frobisher’s guys. Hope they’re history.
“She helped with a couple of things.”
Grace stopped pushing the stroller and turned to face Rob. “You’re glossing something over, cowboy. At breakfast, you said she shot somebody. What’s going on?”
“I didn’t want you to worry. A carryover from Millhaven. Got into it with a couple of guys and they want payback. That’s all it is.”
Grace shook her head. “If they followed you to Texas, it’s not minor, Robbie. You’re in danger.”
“I can take care of it.”
“Who are they? I know there are gangs in prison.”
“Aryan brotherhood. My cellmate was black. Not a big kid. Practically defenseless.” Rob shrugged and started walking.
“You’re one of the good guys, sweetheart. I love you greatly.”
Joey pointed to the swings when they passed Sky Brady’s trailer. There was no sign of Kiley or Merrilee.
“Merri’s not outside yet, honey. Maybe later.”
“No sign of life,” said Rob. “Maybe the girl wised up and moved on.”
Grace nodded.
