“Seth, let’s go over here for a minute. We need to calm down. Look at me, honey.” She took his chin in her hand. “Look at me”
Seth looked at her, his eyes dark with rage and worry.
“This isn’t the time, Seth. Think of Hannah—you are here for Hannah. Getting in a fight and doing something silly won’t help her. Okay?” She hugged Seth and felt him breathe deep. “They have some coffee over there so grab a cup and calm down. I’ll be right back.”
Seth nodded and did as he was bid, knowing she was right. He watched as Kayla walked over to the cop who had his back to them, filling out his report. As he sipped his coffee he saw Kayla talking to the officer and pointing at Kirsten. The guy listened, then nodded and then walked over to Kirsten and Dominic.
Seth crossed the room back toward them to see what was going on.
“I need you to come with me ma’am. It will only take a moment.” The cop stood in front of Kirsten.
Dominic took Kirsten’s arm. “She’s not going anywhere. What’s all this about?”
“Sir, I just need to talk to the lady for a few moments about the accident. I’ll only ask you once to let her go.” Being at least six-foot-three, and built like a truck, the cop had no trouble taking control of the situation.
They went into an empty office, but Seth could see them through the window. As the officer and Kirsten talked she became visibly upset, bursting into tears. The cop did his best to calm her down.
Seth leaned over to Kayla. “What the hell did you tell him?”
“Just watch.”
Dominic seemed very agitated and paced nervously while the little discussion went on. The officer kept taking notes. Then he looked around and pulled the blinds down over the window, putting the two of them out of sight. Dominic got even more tense.
A doctor walked out into the waiting area. “Seth Gaines? Mr. Seth Gaines?”
Rushing over to her he answered, “I’m Seth Gaines. How is she?”
“She’s fine. She hit her head pretty hard on the window and she’ll have a good bump and probably a headache, but there was no sign of any concussion or fractures on the x-rays. Kids are pretty resilient. She has been asking for cookies and milk a lot. Which is good because I think she’s trying to get extra perks from the staff.” The woman grinned. “She’s a cute kid. But as I said, she’s fine and will be out here in a few minutes. I want you to watch for the usual things, of course, and I’m going to give you a list along with a recommendation for a child’s pain reliever in case she has any other aches and pains from the crash. But right now all she wants is for our intern to give her a ride in the wheelchair.”
“Thank God.”
“Mr. Gaines.” The doctor put a hand on his arm, her tone suddenly serious. “You should know that your daughter had what we refer to as suspicious bruises on her arms. I’m telling you because she won’t tell us anything. I know her mother brought her in but she doesn’t want to see her and kept asking for you.” She took a breath. “As near as I can tell, they are very recent. And Hannah is, overall, a healthy and well-adjusted child. I see no need to report this as a case for investigation, but you need to know about it.” She gave him a stern gaze. “Fix this, Mr. Gaines. I don’t want Hannah back in my trauma unit.”
Kayla could almost hear the parental warning alarms going off in Seth’s head, and he had to fight to thank the doctor. It was up to Kayla to say all the right things, which she tried to do. The protective, caring and overwhelming desire to pummel someone was rising in Seth and she could see it clearly. He went to turn but Kayla hung on to his arm, holding him back.
“Not now Seth, not now.”
“Daddy?” A voice rang out in the waiting room and Seth melted.
“Hey Hannah. Oh my big girl.” She jumped into his arms and suddenly everything was better. “Thanks again, doc.”
The doctor shook his hand, tapped Hannah on the nose and turned away.
Kirsten walked out of the office and saw Hannah with Seth. Dominic walked up to her side and Kayla saw Hannah cling even tighter to her father, like she was afraid.
Her eyes filling with tears, Kirsten reached out for Hannah, “Baby, I am so sorry. It will never happen again. I’ve made damn sure of it, this time.”
Hannah turned her head away. “Daddy, D-D-Dominic shook me again. It hurts when he does it. Then Mommy was trying to get me away and we crashed the car.”
“I don’t know what she’s talking about. She must have hit her head. Tell them, Kirsten. You know I’d never hurt a kid.” Dominic slowly walked back stopping only when he hit a six-foot-three wall made of police officer.
“Dominic Melville, I am detaining you under the suspicion of abuse and child endangerment. You will be formally charged at the station.” The officer’s voice echoed in the room as he read Dominic his rights. Then Officer Washington forcefully grabbed his arms and ratcheted the handcuffs on him. He wasn’t gentle about it either.
“Here, hold Hannah.” Seth gave Kayla his daughter and rushed forward at Dominic.
“You mother-fuc...” Seth raised his fist to hit him.
“Sir, I can’t let you do that.” The officer calmly stepped in front of Seth.
They both spun around at the loud choked scream and thunk Dominic made as he fell to the floor. Kirsten had kneed him in the balls. “I put up with you hurting me for all these years, you piece of shit. Nobody hurts my daughter.” She quickly kicked him in the balls once again and started to cry.
Kayla felt for her. She knew the pain of being hurt like that, and the embarrassment of the bruises that one couldn’t always hide. She could understand Kirsten feeling humiliated and ashamed. So she walked to the other woman and put her arms around her. Even though they didn’t really know or like each other.
They both knew.
IN THE CAR HANNAH QUICKLY fell asleep in the back. Kayla held Seth’s hand as they drove.
“How did you know?” Seth asked.
“Does it matter? I saw Kirsten’s bruises. You don’t forget hiding those things.”
Seth sighed, “Well I’m sorry you went through that. But thank you.”
“You couldn’t know he shook Hannah. That’s scary and a child is afraid to tell. It doesn’t make Kirsten less of a bitch, but no woman deserves to be treated like that. Yes, it’s one of the reasons why I came back home. I got so tired of men.”
“Uhh...”
Kayla smiled, “Not all men.”
“What did you say to that officer?”
“Rodney? I told him I wanted to file a report for domestic abuse. He was going to grab you but I told him it was for Kirsten. He was very concerned and did the right thing. It’s been so long since I saw him. He certainly turned out okay.”
“Wait, you know the cop?”
“Uh, duh. Rodney Washington? Linebacker for our school? Was All American at Nevada State? Played in the NFL. I swear you guys know all the stats and numbers for the players but never pay attention to the details. Like how big and strong and handsome they are. We dated a couple of times. He was such a gentle man.” She sighed. “Soooo gentle, mmm.”
Seth’s mouth had flopped open like a stunned fish. “Wait, that was the Rodney Washington? You dated Rodney Washington? He had nine sacks his rookie year. Eleven the next. Would have been in the Hall of Fame but got his knee torn up in the playoffs.”
“I think I’ve made my point. By the way, he said Dominic would be getting a little payback in jail. I guess Rodney had to break up a bar fight earlier with some of his old teammates and they’re all in the same cell, drunk and pissed off.”
She knew she was smirking. And she could see Seth’s lips curve into exactly the same sort of smile.
“Gotta love justice,” he commented.
A Few Months Later:
SETH STEPPED OUT OF the shower. He was still dripping wet because he forgot to put a clean towel out for himself. He found a washrag and dried the necessities. Hanging it on his boner made him feel macho. It also lo
oked ridiculous.
He had been serenading Kayla, who slept in the bedroom, with his awesome version of Somebody To Love by Queen. It sounded great in the shower, and at times he felt he’d missed his calling to be a singer. The cats meowing and dogs howling just jealous.
Things were good now. He had full custody of Hannah and Kirsten had moved back East after meeting another man. She had done right by Hannah, and accepted that being with her father was the best thing for her. She still got alimony from him, and she was still a bitch, but that wasn’t important. Hannah was.
Kayla had left the cottage behind the Benson’s house and moved into Seth’s place. She had her own room that she never slept in because of Seth’s tendencies toward being a sex maniac, but it turned out to be a great small office for her to do work and relax.
He looked into the mirror and smiled. This reflection before him—it was finally making sense.
“Hey babe, why don’t you come back to bed?” Kayla called from the bedroom. “I have a little surprise for you.”
Seth put on his robe and decided he was going to do his best Hugh Hefner impersonation.
Opening the door, he struck a GQ pose against the door jamb. Kayla was under the covers. Then a little head popped up next to her.
“Hello, daddy...”
Life starts now.
If you’re interested in some of S.L. Carpenter’s other books, here’s a sneak peek at one of his most popular stories.
Letting You In
S.L. Carpenter
Content © S.L. Carpenter 2019
EXCERPT:
Aaron lay in the ruffled bed and watched Alesha dress. She fastened her bra and turned it around, then slipped her arms through the straps. With a jiggle and some adjustments with her hands she got it settled. He found himself admiring the way she had to put herself back together to feel normal, yet never complained. All the preening and fuss over her hair, make-up and the smallest details—like making sure her skirt fell smoothly over her hips and legs.
“I don’t know why you bother so much, you’re beautiful.” Aaron was being honest in his comment.
With a grin she turned to him. “You must be trying to get a bigger tip.”
“No, just telling you what I see.”
Alesha pulled some money from her purse then set the bag at the foot of the bed. She walked up to him where he lay with his head propped up on one hand.
“Here, honey...” she kissed him lightly, leaving him with the taste of her freshly applied lipstick, “...I’ll give you a call next time I’m in town. The room’s paid for so you can just leave when you feel like it. Thanks for... Well, just thank you.”
He watched her leave, closing the door behind her. He enjoyed the time and company of the women who paid for his services. Most of them were nice to him and he liked making them feel good.
The bed was still warm, and Alesha’s scent still lingered in the pillows as he ruffled them up to get some sleep. His life was pretty good. Aaron had everything a man wanted in life. He made a lot of money, had a nice home, there was nothing holding him back and he had sex with beautiful, rich women all the time with no strings attached. This was living the dream.
But when he lay back in the bed he noticed something missing. Something most people took for granted had evaded him. There wasn’t a warm body next to him.
He was alone.
(This story is also part of the Love, Lust and Laughter print anthology.)
About the Author
S.L. Carpenter is a born and raised Californian. And yes, he IS a guy in case you were wondering. The creative gene got a double whammy when he came along, since in addition to writing wickedly warped stories, he’s also the creator of countless magnificent cover art images. Both skills travel comfortably together with him wherever he goes, since not only do readers recognize his name from his off-beat backlist of nearly thirty novels, but writers welcome him as a friend who clothes their ‘children’ and helps sell their books.
Married to the same wonderful woman for over three decades, and the father of three kids, Scott describes his wife as his “inspiration”. High praise indeed, since he’s been inspired to write unique erotic tales, ranging from the misadventures of lustful cavemen, to improbable goings-on in outer space. His favorite genre is that of contemporary romance, and in that section you’ll find humor (always), alongside a touch of heartbreak and a strong helping of redemption. And sizzling hot sex, of course. Scott’s realistic characters and unusual storylines have helped him develop a voice that stands out from the crowd. He’s not afraid to take chances, keep his characters real and deal with things like the after effects of burritos during intimate encounters. Yep, that’s real!
If you’d like to know more about S.L. Carpenter and his writing, he’d like to invite you to check out the following resources:
His website:
S.L. Carpenter (www.slcarpenter.net)
List of books, biography, odds and ends...the usual stuff, but helpful if you’re looking for anything in particular.
His Facebook page (www.SL-Carpenter-Author)
Feel free to like his page and enjoy some of the funniest stuff out there.
Books by S.L. Carpenter
(Please note: At the present time, Scott is working on updating several of his older works. If you’re looking for a favorite of his and don’t see it, drop him a line? Odds are good it will be back out in circulation soon.)
Love, Lust and Laughter
(Print Anthology)
Word Play
(The Muse Series, Book 1)
Love Notes
The Muse Series, Book 2)
Desires of the Soul
Desires of the Flesh
Letting You In
Chasing Dreams
Toy Story
Big Book of Lust
Happy Endings*
Feels So Right*
Full Service (Working Stiffs Book 3)
Whole Lotta Love Series*
So Into You*
It’s Alive
Remember When
Hired Help* (Working Stiffs Book 1)
Tech Support* (Working Stiffs Book 4)
*Co-written with Sahara Kelly.
Some titles are available in print. Please check S.L. Carpenter’s Website for more information. (www.slcarpenter.net)
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