My Heart is Home

by Barbara Gee

  The house was actually fairly close to where we were now. Ironically, it was the home of another of Haley’s high school friends, who was now a small-time opiate dealer and probably her supplier. JP knew where the house was and admitted it had taken everything he had not to drive by it, in spite of Talbot’s warning to stay away until he came for him.

  My whole body went limp with relief and renewed hope. Please, please, Lord, let this be over soon. Let Lily be unharmed and resilient. Let JP have his little girl back to live happily ever after.

  Camilla and Ava started laying out lunch while JP gave Louise a call to let her know they had a promising tip so she could pass the news on to Adalyn. Then he gave us more details. He said as soon as Rosie came to the door and saw him standing there she’d broken down in tears. For a long time all she would say was, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  JP, Talbot, and Jude—who’d been allowed to go in—had waited her out, and when she’d calmed down, JP had begun telling her about Lily. He hadn’t held back, describing her sweet trusting personality, and how terrified she must be right now with a complete stranger taking her away from everything familiar.

  Jude broke into JP’s narration then. “JP handled her like a master. His emotion was real, obviously, and that alone was killing her, but he said all the right things, too. Rosie was weakening, we could all see it, and then JP sealed the deal. He said—and these are pretty much his exact words, ‘Haley’s using the child you helped trick me into fathering as another one of her pawns, and I can’t believe you’re okay with that.’”

  Jude gave his brother an admiring smile before continuing. “Then he said, ‘You’re not okay with it, are you, Rosie? You weren’t okay with her drugging me either, you just didn’t know how to say no. But you can make that up to me now, Rosie. Haley’s using you. She doesn’t even care that she might get you into trouble. This is your chance to stand up and do the right thing, and I’ll be grateful to you forever if you help me get my little girl back.’”

  We were all listening raptly, and when he finished, Janna asked, “So then she told you where Haley is?”

  JP took over again. “She was smart enough not to admit she’d actually spoken to Haley, although it was pretty obvious she had and was feeling guilty about it. She just said she knew Haley didn’t have many options, and if she had to guess, she’d expect her to be at Jason Hatter’s, because even though he doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, he’d make an exception for Haley. And he has enough connections to help her get out of town.”

  “Do you think she’s still there?” I asked worriedly. “If he doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, wouldn’t he want to get her out of there as soon as possible?”

  “I pushed Rosie on that,” JP said, “and she said it was possible that Jason’s first effort had fallen through and he’d had to make some more calls.”

  “Oh my word,” Janna said in disgust. “She knows exactly what’s going on. She might as well admit it.”

  JP nodded. “Yeah, she’s definitely in contact with Haley. Which is fine with me, as long as she keeps us informed.”

  “Do you think she will?” I asked.

  “Talbot left his deputy with her to make sure we hear about any communications,” Jude said. “And of course to make sure Rosie doesn’t immediately call Haley to warn her. But I don’t think she will. She’s on JP’s side now.”

  “So what now?” Hank wondered. “How do you find out for sure if Haley’s at this Jason character’s house?”

  “The city cops will scope things out. It could be as easy as finding her car in his garage.”

  I helped carry the subs over to the table. I was hopeful, but also worried that Haley was getting more impatient with each passing minute. Surely she knew that the longer she stayed in Garnett the worse her chances got. What would she do if she got desperate?

  JP met my gaze and I saw my worry reflected there. He was trying to stay positive, but he knew there was a lot that could go wrong when dealing with someone like Haley.

  We ate lunch, but I’m not sure any of us actually tasted the sandwiches. We got quieter and more tense as the minutes ticked by. What was taking so long?

  When JP’s phone rang I think every one of us jumped a foot. He grabbed for it, his thumb poised to swipe and answer, and then he stopped, his body going completely still.

  “It says Adalyn,” he said tightly.

  Jude leaned over to see the screen for himself, then frowned. “Haley took her phone, right?”

  “Yeah.” JP’s voice was grim. He looked around the table at all of us, then answered.

  He didn’t have to put it on speaker for us to hear what Haley said. Or should I say screamed.

  “I hate you JP Keller! I know you got to Rosie and you’re going to regret it! I was going to leave Lily for you, but not now. Now you’ll never see her again.”

  She hung up and JP and Jude rose as one and sprinted from the kitchen.

  “Call Talbot!” JP called out before they hit the front door.

  We sat there wide-eyed for a few seconds, hearing the roar of JP’s truck as they left.

  “Call the sheriff, Myla,” Hank said softly.

  I grabbed my phone and brought up my call list, only to realize I’d used JP’s phone to call before and I didn’t have the sheriff’s contact information in my phone. I quickly looked up the main number for the department and dialed it, asking for Talbot and saying it was regarding the Lily Knight case and it was urgent.

  When the sheriff came on the line, I told him Haley had made a threatening call and JP and Jude were on the way to Jason Hatter’s house.

  “I’ll alert the police,” Talbot said shortly. Then he hung up.

  I lowered my phone, hands shaking, feeling like I was going to lose what little lunch I’d eaten. Four pairs of eyes were staring at me.

  “He’s going to let the police know,” I said.

  “There are cops already watching the house, right?” Janna asked. “Hopefully that’s a good thing. They can stop Jed and Jude from doing anything rash.”

  Hank disagreed. “I’d rather they just let the boys take care of it,” he said heatedly. “If Haley’s on a rampage, we don’t have time to make sure all the I’s are dotted. The cops have to follow protocol, but the boys don’t. They can act now to get Lily and worry about the other stuff later.”

  I actually agreed with him, but my throat was paralyzed with fear. What if they were too late? What if Haley had already escaped with Lily…or done something much worse?

  Chapter 36

  “W

  e need to pray,” Camilla said, her voice thick with tears. “Hank. Please. Will you lead us?”

  We all joined hands and cried quietly as Hank led us in a heartfelt prayer, entreating the God we loved and depended on to keep his sons and granddaughter safe, returning them to us whole and unharmed. He also prayed for the first responders, that they would make the right calls and also stay safe.

  Hearing this man of God pray for his beloved children calmed me. My fear wasn’t completely erased, but I was able to keep the panic at bay.

  We sat there at the table, surrounded by the debris of our lunch, waiting once again. Minutes ticked by. Five. Ten. Fifteen. We tried to talk, but every conversation we started soon petered out. At the twenty-minute mark I pushed away from the table and walked to the fridge for a fresh bottle of water. I wasn’t especially thirsty but I needed to move.

  I was about to ask if anyone else wanted water when my phone rang. I practically dove back toward the table for it, but then Ava held up her hand.

  “Wait, it’s mine. It’s Jude.” She put it on speaker. “Jude? Are you guys okay? Do you have Lily?”

  He sounded out of breath. “Yeah, we’re okay and we got Lily. She got knocked around a little when Haley was trying to hide—they fell down some stairs. The cops sent her to the hospital to have her checked out, but I think she’ll be fine. Jed’s with her.”

  “Thank God, Ava said f
ervently. “What about Haley? Is she in custody?”

  “She’s on her way to the hospital too. Uh, like I said, they fell down the stairs, and Haley was unconscious. I’m heading over to the hospital to wait with Jed. I figure you all will want to come too. It’s the big hospital in the middle of town. Dad, do you remember where that is?”

  "I sure do.”

  “I know where it is, too,” Ava said. “We’ll leave now and find you in the emergency department.”

  We quickly cleaned up the sandwich wrappings and left. Janna rode with her parents and I got in with Ava.

  She fastened her seat belt before reaching over to pat my knee. “It’s almost over, Myla.”

  I nodded and tried to smile. “I just hope Lily’s okay. What do you think happened at that house? That Jason guy could’ve been armed. Do you think Jude and JP just went charging in?”

  “Jason might have been armed, but my guess is JP was too. He and Jude both have concealed carry permits and keep hand guns in their trucks.”

  I grimaced. “I doubt that went over very well with the cops.”

  “And I doubt JP cared. He knew he had limited time to get Lily. Honestly, Myla, when I heard what Haley said, I was so afraid she’d hurt her before they could get there. Or worse.”

  “Same,” I admitted. “They had the element of surprise at least. Rosie couldn’t have warned her, not with the deputy right there with her. I’m guessing Haley called her and Rosie refused to help and that was enough for Haley to know something was up. Then her next call was the one to JP.”

  We drove in silence for a while, then Ava asked the hard question. She was good at that.

  “So what are we hoping for as far as Haley? Do we want her to recover?”

  I swallowed hard and stared out the window, wrestling with feelings that were new and scary. Ava didn’t push and it wasn’t until she parked at the hospital and turned off the truck that I finally answered.

  “I imagine at some point, after I know for sure that Lily and JP are going to be okay, I might find the will to root for Haley’s recovery simply because I know it’s the right thing to do. But I’m not there yet. Right now, I have to admit that if we go in there and find out she didn’t make it, I won’t be sorry.” I let out a shaky breath. “That makes me a really bad person, doesn’t it?”

  Ava leaned over and put her arm around my shoulders, squeezing me tight. “It makes you human. We lash out at those who threaten the ones we love.”

  “You don’t. I remember when you told me about the girl who tried to have you abducted and got Jude shot. You grieved when you found out she’d killed herself.”

  Ava nodded. “I did grieve, but it’s different. I’d worked with her for a long time and I knew her pretty well. I grieved for the person I knew she could have been if she hadn’t let jealousy take over. With Haley, you don’t know of any redeeming qualities she may have. All you know is that she’s the woman who drugged JP so she could have sex with him, which ruined your own relationship with the love of your life. Then she came back wanting money and threatening to go for custody, and now she actually kidnapped her own child and got her hurt. So there’s a big difference. She hasn’t done anything that would make you want to pull for her.”

  “But she’s still God’s child, and she’s not saved, so being indifferent about her death is wrong. I should be better than that.”

  Ava gave that some thought. “You want to be rid of the threat she poses. That’s different from wanting her to die.”

  “Is it, though? If she dies, we’re free of her forever, and that’s exactly what I want.”

  Ava raised her brows. “If we walked into that hospital and a doctor came up to you and gave you the choice as to whether Haley lives or dies, you’d tell him to let her live. You know you would.”

  I hunched my shoulders. “I hope I would.”

  “Trust me, girl. I’ve known you since you we were eight years old. You’d choose life for her.”

  Our gazes locked and I saw her confidence in me. Was it warranted? So many problems would be solved if Haley died, and yet…

  Ava was silent as I turned to look straight ahead, staring out the windshield. I needed a long moment of soul searching to come to terms with my turbulent emotions. I acknowledged my anger, which I viewed as righteous, but I also remembered who I was and the values I held dear.

  I finally released a deep sigh and let my head fall back against the seat. “You’re right. No matter how angry I am, I would choose life over death. But I wouldn’t be opposed to a nice long jail sentence.”

  “None of us would,” Ava said emphatically. “Crime has to have consequences.”

  The others were standing by their car, patiently waiting for us. We all went in together and found Jude, but JP was still in with Lily. After a round of hugs, Jude informed us that Haley had broken her neck in the fall. She hadn’t survived.

  It took a moment for his words to register. Haley was dead?

  Feeling shocked and numb, I turned immediately to Ava and she wrapped her arms tightly around me. I closed my eyes and held on, so grateful for this faithful friend.

  “Thanks for making me work through things before we came in,” I whispered. “I didn’t realize until now how much I needed that.”

  “God knew,” she whispered back.

  I drew in a shaky breath. “I think what you said is right. I can be relieved to have the threat gone, but still be sorry she died. They’re different things. And I am sorry. I thought maybe I’d feel vindicated, but all I feel is sad.”

  She nodded. “I understand exactly what you’re saying. Let’s hope JP is on the same page. He’s going to feel even more mixed up than you, I’m afraid.”

  ***

  While we waited for JP and Lily, Jude told us what had gone down at Jason Hatter’s house.

  He and JP had decided to go in hard and fast in order to take Haley by surprise. They hadn’t been worried about Jason having a gun. Rosie had said he wasn’t the kind to get his hands dirty, so the chances of him taking any risks to protect Haley seemed slim. The bigger concern was Haley hurting Lily, and the guys didn’t intend to leave her any time for that.

  They’d jumped out of the truck and made it halfway to the house when the city cops, who were already on site watching for signs of Haley, stopped them and hustled them behind a fence to keep out of sight. The cops didn’t agree with the brothers’ plans at first, but JP had explained his reasoning, and in the end the police officers had agreed that getting Lily out sooner, as opposed to setting up surveillance on the property, was the way to go. Only they’d be the ones going in, because there was no way they could authorize civilians to do it.

  They’d hit both the front door and the back door at the same time, two cops at each location, with JP and Jude close behind, even though they’d been told to wait outside.

  As the cops burst into the house, Haley had gone for the basement stairs. Jason kept a hidden room down there, where he kept all the paraphernalia of his trade, and it appeared the plan had been for Haley and Lily to hide out there if the cops came knocking.

  Only they hadn’t knocked, and Haley had been frantic to get hidden. She’d tripped at the top of the stairs and gone tumbling down, dragging Lily with her.

  I shuddered to think what could have happened to the little girl. What if she’d suffered the same fate as Haley? How could JP have possibly handled such an unspeakable tragedy? The thought made me nauseous and I walked a few steps away from the group, trying to put it out of my mind. I couldn’t let myself get caught up in “what ifs” right now. Lily was going to be okay and that was what I needed to focus on.

  We were all huddled up in the corner of the waiting area when JP came through the double doors carrying Lily. My heart squeezed tight when I saw him cradling her so tenderly, his face tilted down toward her, lips moving as he soothed her. Her face was buried in his neck, one of her little arms holding onto him as tight as she could. She was still wearing her pajamas, a
nd as they got closer I could see her blue horse squashed between their bodies.

  JP raised his head, his eyes searching the room. We moved toward him in a wave and he saw us, his jaw clenching with emotion. We surrounded the two of them, trying not to overwhelm Lily even though every single one of us wanted to take her and hold her tight.

  JP held out an arm to me and I stepped into him, letting him draw me close.

  “Hey there, Lily,” I said softly, rubbing her back lightly. “We missed you, sweetheart. I’m so glad you’re with your daddy again.”

  She moved her head enough to peek at me. “Hi, My-My,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “I fell down the steps but Daddy got me.”

  “I know. Did you get hurt when you fell?”

  She held her elbow out toward me. “My arm got a hurt. But the doctor said it’s gonna get all better.”

  “She banged her elbow and it’s a little swollen, but not broken,” JP told us. “They took x-rays to make sure.”

  Lily turned her head farther to see who else was there, then burrowed back into her dad.

  “Are you ready to go get Grammy?” JP asked. “So we can all go home together?”

  Lily nodded and he explained to us that Adalyn was also being released. He’d promised to bring Lily up to the second floor to see her, and then he’d drive Louise and Adalyn both back to the house.

  He looked at me, his eyes showing the strain he was under. “Could you come up with me?” he asked softly, cradling Lily’s head against his chest and covering her exposed ear with his hand. “I want to let Adalyn see Lily, then I need you to take her for a little bit so I can tell Adalyn about Haley. She knows Lily is safe, but that’s it.”

  My heart hurt for him. Regardless of his feelings toward Haley, it wouldn’t be easy to tell her mother she was gone. And even though Adalyn had had many years with long periods of not knowing whether her daughter was dead or alive, it would be tough to hear that it was now final.