A Valentine's Loves (The Valentine's Trilogy Book 3)

by Sam E. Kraemer

  When the FBI received the results for the three charred bodies in the warehouse in El Paso, it turned out to be Nathan Jones, Hector Dominguez, and Jeremy Corner. We had no idea how Corner ended up with the other two, but it was closure for Derek and me because justice (although a little dirty) had been served. It also took out the threat against the boys, so we were relieved.

  "Hey, Danny," Derek greeted with a one-armed hug.

  The man turned to me and smiled. "Hey, Gray. How've you been?" he asked as he hugged me, not for the first time. I always thought he had a thing for Derek, but he'd been respectful of our relationship so I wasn't worried.

  "When's your last day?" Danny asked. They'd kept in touch, apparently, so Danny knew about Derek's impending exit from the Ranger's Division.

  "My last day is the end of the month. I'll start at the Sheriff's office after the first of the year. We're hoping to be settled in Clearwater before the end of the year so we can get the boys into school when the new semester starts.

  "Have you heard anything on the sentencing phase of either case? I'm going to guess Josh is going into WitSeg with a new identity before he serves time out of state for tampering with evidence," Derek suggested.

  Danny nodded his head. "He’s in WitPro and he won't even see jail time. He's been given time served and probation and he’s been relocated. Cary won't see the inside of a jail for very long for the drug charges. He actually sang like Celine Dion to avoid hard time for possession and distribution. He's in WitSeg and will be relocated somewhere away from Josh to protect both of them from whoever Corner was connected to that killed him."

  I glanced up at Derek, seeing he was immediately nervous. "Damn, that's a shame. Look, it's great to see you, but we gotta eat and get back to the courthouse. I'll give ya a call before we go back to Waco for the holidays and we can get a beer or something. I'll see if Lt. Baxter can join us," Derek joked.

  Craig had been promoted when Carla George was promoted to Captain. I was happy for our friend. He deserved the accolades because he was good at his job.

  Dan Offer said goodbye, and Derek ushered me toward the door of the restaurant. The rest of the family had gone inside without us because it was a rainy, windy day. I stopped Derek. "Why did you get so nervous about Danny's mention of Cary's sentence? Was it because Corner is dead?" I asked.

  "We'll discuss it later. Let's get through this shit, okay?" he asked as he took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I nodded. What else could I do? He was my man and I supported him.

  Nineteen

  Derek

  Yeah, I was shaken up by the mention of Jeremy Corner's death because no one knew the connection between those three bodies. Inez and Proctor knew Nathan Jones and Hector Dominguez had been a threat to the Vaughn brothers, but they knew nothing about Jeremy Corner. The only other person who knew what tied those three men together was the man who'd killed them…or ordered them killed because Raul Morales didn't get his hands dirty. How he found out about Corner I had no idea, and I had no plans to question it. Moving to Florida was the best fucking idea in the world.

  "Gramma, you gotta have somebody cut your hair who knows how to do it right or they mess it up," Rashad complained as we took seats at the table. I knew the argument. "Derek, my grandsons need haircuts before the holidays. I want family pictures this year, you know. Quinn takes his family every year to give Miri pictures. I have three grandchildren and I want a family picture." I'd already heard it.

  "Mom lay off. We have bigger fish to fry today. I'll talk to Tyrone about where to get their hair cut and what to look for in a barber. They're fine for right now," I complained, hearing a bite in my voice I didn't intend to use to address my mother. She stared at me for a minute and then backed off, thankfully.

  We settled with menus, and the waiter brought drinks and breadsticks which the boys declined, letting me know they were also nervous as hell. Perry's phone rang, and he checked the number. "Excuse me. Go ahead and order without me. I'll be right back," he stated.

  After he left the table, I glanced up at my dad to see him looking awfully worried. I had to lighten the mood before we all had snapped. "Okay, what's everyone want? Boys, I'll share lasagna with somebody if you’re interested. The servings here are huge, and I'd like to get a salad as well. Takers?" I asked as I glanced between the two of them.

  I saw Dee smile. "I'll buy half that," he stated as he pulled out his ever-present bag of change. We all looked at each other and started to laugh. That kid and his zip bag of dimes, quarters, and singles were infamous in the family. Pennies and nickels went into a piggy bank at the house he'd bought himself at a dollar store one day. "I'm saving for my retired-ment," he'd said. It was the cutest damn thing in the world. The bigger denominations were in a plastic bag in his pocket any time he left the house.

  After we finished laughing, we settled on food choices and I waved over the waiter so we could order. Just as he approached with tea and water pitchers, Perry walked back to the table and took a seat. After everyone but Perry ordered, he looked at me and Gray. "Can I speak with the two of you outside?"

  We excused ourselves, and I gave a wink to Mom, who began speaking with the boys about Christmas in Waco. They wanted a real tree because they'd only ever had a tiny fake one when Rhonda was sober enough to remember the holiday, and they were excited for an old-fashioned Christmas like they saw in movies and cartoons. If it ended up being anything like Thanksgiving had been, it would be fantastic. It was a huge celebration, and the boys told us they'd only celebrated holidays the few years they lived with their grandmother while their mother was in jail. In true Addy Valentine fashion, she made Thanksgiving truly memorable.

  "What are y'all doin'?" I asked as I walked into my mother's dining room on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. There was construction paper and glue and glitter spread out over the table, and my mother had Dee, Michael, Nita, Tina, and Sila at the table making something that looked somewhat like hand turkeys, feathered headdresses, and pilgrim hats. I knew that couldn't possibly be right because my mother hated Thanksgiving and only prepared a meal because of my dad.

  "We're makin' decorations. Sit down and I'll measure your head. You'll be our chief," Dee told me.

  I glanced at my mother. "And what will I be chief of?"

  She stuck her nose in the air and scoffed at me. "Oh, knock it off. It's the first Thanksgiving I get all my grandchildren together, and it might be a little racist, but over the years I can teach them about our Cherokee heritage. This Thanksgiving is about love and family. Suck it up!"

  All I could do was laugh. The next day for dinner, the house was decorated with paper hand-turkeys, headdresses, and pilgrim hats. Mom even made every kid sign them, and that night when we were cleaning up the mess, I saw her covertly collecting everything and taking all of it up to the box in the attic. Seemed even Addy Valentine could embrace the innocence of a child's intentions with Thanksgiving decorations. I was sure it was only a matter of time before she scared the shit out of them with the plight of our people years later, but that one day, they were all happy.

  Gray grabbed my hand and we followed Perry outside. We stepped over to a narrow alley out of the doorway of the restaurant, and we stood staring at the man, waiting for his news.

  He took a deep breath. "That was the Judge's clerk. Rhonda Vaughn is at the courthouse waiting to see the Judge. I'm going back and I'm calling Mrs. Flores to be there. I don't want a protracted bunch of bullshit. That woman was found unfit to care for her children, and they were removed from her custody. I want to make sure nothing overturns that ruling in any way. She has no right to have those kids," he stated vehemently.

  "Okay. What should we do?" Gray asked.

  "Eat, keep the boys calm, and be back at the courthouse by 1:15. Hopefully, I'll know more by then. We don't need to panic yet, so don't. Kids sense it, I'm sure. Just stay calm," Perry ordered. We shook hands and he took off.

  I looked into the eyes of the man I loved and saw the
tears. "Nope! Not yet. We don't know what's going to happen, so don't get upset. Let's try, for once, to imagine the good guys winning. Come on. We need to go inside and make sure our sons eat before we go back. They have to come first," I told him as I reached into my suit pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. I wiped his eyes and then kissed them.

  I didn't contemplate the desolation we'd feel if the Court gave Rhonda back her sons. One thing at a time.

  ~#~

  After we ate, and I convinced Rashad he didn't need to get a go-bag for the remainder of his spaghetti, "I hate to waste food, Vali. You never know when…" I stopped him right there. I knew in the past they'd gone without food, which was another thing I'd throw at that Judge if she considered returning them to their drug-addicted, whore of a mother, but we didn't have time.

  "I realize that son, but we can't have the courtroom smelling like garlic. This one time we can leave it, okay?" I coaxed.

  He glanced at his plate again when the waiter took it, but he acquiesced. That was something we'd been dealing with…their fear of being in the same situation again as they’d been with Rhonda. The boys tended to hide food in their room at our little house in Waco.

  One day when I was hanging up their freshly laundered school clothes, I saw a bundle tucked into a corner of the closet. They were at school, so I pulled it out and opened the rope tied around an old blanket.

  Inside were peanut butter crackers, pop tarts, tins of tuna and saltines, and rolls of sour candy from Halloween. There were two large trash bags, a few pair of boxers (Rashad) and some little superhero briefs (Dee), and four empty water bottles. I'd already found the bottles of water they hid under the dresser in their room. Gray and I decided not to mention it to them, but we were both surprised to learn they were still so afraid they kept an emergency kit in the closet.

  I rolled it back up and returned it to its rightful place, adding a flashlight and a few story books. If something ever happened which made them feel they needed to hit that closet, I wanted them to at least have what they needed until they felt it was safe to come out. I also installed a hook and eye lock on the inside of the closet for them. They never mentioned anything, and I didn't either, but they seemed to be more confident in us every day thereafter.

  As we all started walking down the street, Gray and Mom walked ahead with the boys. Mom was holding Dee's hand while he jabbered about getting his picture with Santa, and Gray had his arm resting on Rashad's shoulders. The boy was nearly as tall as Gray, and he was only twelve. He was gonna be a big guy when he got older.

  "What was up with Perry?" Dad asked as he wove his arm through mine. He was getting older, and I knew he hadn't been well recently. He didn't feel well at Thanksgiving and barely ate. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with high blood pressure. The meds they'd given him were still being regulated, or so Mom had told me. It took time, apparently, but I was worried nonetheless.

  "Seems Rhonda's decided to show up. He went back to find out why and try to head off any potential problems. All this time she's had notice that her boys were taken from her because of the way she treated them, but the whore waits until today? That fucking…" I faded, seeing Gray glance over his shoulder at me with the evil eye. I was a little loud, I supposed. I didn't want to worry Ray or Dee, so I shut up.

  We found Perry sitting on a bench outside the courtroom with a white woman sitting beside him. I saw Rashad freeze in his tracks and grab Dee by the back of his coat. "No. No, we ain't," Rashad complained loudly as he took his brother by the hand and looked around nervously.

  I quickly grabbed him. "What's wrong?" I asked as I bent over to his eye level. Dee broke loose from him and ran to the woman. "Momma!"

  The woman stood and swept him up in her arms while tears rolled down her face. She was thin, and her hair looked unnatural. Like it wasn't attached or something. She was holding the boy like a child held a favorite teddy bear, and I could see Gray tense. It had to be Rhonda Vaughn.

  "I ain't goin' back with her, and you can't let her take Dee. We ain't goin' back to that life, Vali. We're gonna move to Florida, and I'm gonna play basketball. Dee's gonna start Boy Scout's and we're going to be a family. You can't let her take us away. I'll take him and run away if they give us back to her," Rashad threatened as tears began to pour down his face.

  I grabbed him and pulled him into my chest, holding him as he struggled to get away from me. There was no way I'd let her get them back. We'd gone through Dee's bedwetting over nightmares from his past and the rebellion of Rashad as he learned to not only follow the rules we set out for him and Dee but let us be the adults and take care of the two of them. We had them both in therapy, and I wasn't about to let a cracked-up whore undo all the good we'd been able to do with them.

  Perry walked over and stood next to me as Mom and Dad walked over to somewhat surround the woman as if she was going to run down the hall with Dee. I could just see Rick Valentine tackling a woman of about five-six. He loved Dee and Ray as much as anyone else in the family.

  "What the fuck is going on?" Gray asked as I continued to try to comfort Rashad.

  "Here's the deal. She's willing to sign over custody to the two of you and give up her parental rights if you allow her to speak with them. She met with the Judge and I was there. There are…" he glanced down at Rashad.

  I pulled him back. "Bud, why don't you get a drink of water and calm down? Take deep breaths. We'll figure it out, just like we always do." He nodded and walked down the opposite side of the hall from where Rhonda was speaking quietly with Dee, his eyes on the woman the whole time.

  "What the fuck is going on, Perry?" I asked impatiently.

  "She's sick. She's been in rehab and in and out of the hospital for the last six months. All she'll disclose is the disease isn't hereditary, and it developed after she gave birth to the boys. It's not contagious with casual contact, and she's undergoing treatment," Perry explained.

  "HIV or AIDS?" I asked.

  "Maybe. Could be Hep-C or some sort of cancer. She's not required to disclose it because she's not seeking custody. Give her fifteen minutes with the boys, with Mrs. Flores and a bailiff present and she goes away. The Judge said she'd support your decision if you decided against it," he explained.

  I looked at Gray. "It's gonna break their hearts, but if she's dying or something, I'd rather she said goodbye now and leave them to for us to raise without any chance she can change her mind. I know you're thinking ‘no way in hell is she getting her hands on our sons’, but if she'll go away and leave them be, I'd say it's worth it. Mrs. Flores will be there. What do you think, baby boy?"

  He glanced up and me, reaching up to place his hand on the left side of my face. "I trust your judgment, Derek. If you think it's okay then I'll go along with it. If we get to take them home at the end of the day, it's all for the best, right?"

  His beautiful eyes were looking into my soul, and it rocked me to my foundation as it always had. I'd married the right one for me, whether the people liked it or not. "Let's do it. We've gotta get a tree and decorations, and then we've gotta start house hunting in Clearwater. Lots to do in a little bit of time," I stated with confidence. Something had to work out for those boys. They deserved a break.

  Twenty

  Derek

  I walked down the hallway to the boys' room, knocking on the door. We afforded them privacy because it seemed as if they'd never had it. They'd insisted on sharing a bedroom when we rented the house in Waco, so we got them twin beds. Dee wanted bunk beds, but Rashad put down his foot. "After I go to college, you can stack 'em, but I ain't sleeping in a bunk bed." Gray and I had laughed.

  "Come on in if you ain't Gray," Rashad yelled. I opened the door to see the two of them wrestling with a tube of gift wrap and a roll of tape.

  "What are you doin'?" I asked. Gray was shopping with Cara to put together Christmas Eve dinner at our house. We were all going to Mom and Dad's for Christmas Day, but Mom and Dad had plans to go to a party with Miriam and
Tom Tucker on Christmas Eve, so Quinn's family, Cara and Sila, along with Perry Carmichael and Keith Edwards, were coming to our little house for a Christmas Eve gathering in three days.

  The house would be bursting with guests when all the Tucker kids took over. QJ had a girlfriend, and Marie had a boyfriend, along with Cody, Michael, and the twins, Nita and Tina. Add Gray, Dee, Rashad and me, we would number eighteen. The more the merrier, I guess.

  "We're tryin' to wrap a gift for Gray," Dee explained as he continued to try to tape the paper together where it was ripping because they didn't have enough and they were trying to make it work.

  We had been named permanent guardians for Rashad and Dewayne Vaughn after their mother signed over her parental rights and agreed with the guardian ad litem we were the best choice to care for them.

  "I love my sons, but I know I'm not the best person to raise them. I believe those two men would love them and raise them with a good sense of values. Better than I had, anyway."

  The Judge signed the Order, mandating we continue to report to the Court for a year regarding their progress since we were moving out of state. If the social workers we'd been assigned in Florida provided continued proof of progress regarding the boys' well-being and socialization, after a year, we'd be able to petition to adopt them in Florida. That was the best news of all.

  Rhonda had wanted to apologize to them regarding the way in which she'd treated them their whole lives. It seemed to me she was trying to make amends with her maker before she drew that final breath, but I kept it to myself. If she had a soul, she'd never outrun the devil over the way in which those boys suffered, even still. I was just happy she was gone from their lives.

  Dee had taken her departure hard, but he'd kissed her good-bye and he hadn't spoken to Gray or me about her. We offered the option for him to write to her if she'd give us her address, but he declined. "It's for the best," he told us in a voice far too wise for his now eight years.