by Debra Kayn
His chin lowered, and his shoulders heaved. She grasped his forearms, ready to keep him with her if he tried to leave.
She'd fallen in love with him.
Neither one of them had spoken about having anything long-term. They'd been seeing each other exclusively for almost six months. They shared dinner as a family at least four nights a week. She not only fell for Wyatt but also his kids.
Wyatt's head jerked up, and his eyes narrowed. He moved his hands to her face, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. "You're crying."
She sniffed, blinking hard. There were a few times after her grandpa had died that she shed a bucketload of tears. But since meeting Wyatt, the sadness had gone away, and more happiness than she'd ever had filled her life.
His hesitation at not accepting her offer to have him and the kids move in with her felt a lot like he was slipping away from her.
"Ah, tiger..." He brought her forward and surrounded her with his arms, holding her close. "I build houses for a living. I've rented my whole life because it was never a good time to make myself a home. When I only had the kids every other weekend, I was waiting for...I don't know what. Maybe it never seemed right to move on with my life, settle down, have a home, and then have to say goodbye to my kids come Sunday night, knowing I wouldn't see them for a couple of weeks."
She closed her eyes, feeling his pain. He was such a good dad and the guilt of not having his children in his house every day, and every night was buried deep inside of him. Her heart pounded. How could she deny him his dream now that he was raising his kids on his own?
"Sh." She kissed his neck. "I understand."
"I'm not being fair to you." He rubbed her back. "If it was only me, I'd be in your bed, and my shit spread all around your apartment, but I can't do that to my kids."
She tried to push away the feelings that she wasn't enough, but the panic still built up inside of her. She wouldn't want him to put her first and the kids second. That wasn't who she was or how she believed. The way Wyatt loved his children and focused his life around them was part of the reason she fell in love with him.
"Let's not worry about it now. It's not like I'm moving out tomorrow. It takes time to build a house, and I’m obligated to other business contracts that need to come first. Besides, who the hell knows what's in the future," he said.
A car pulled into the parking lot. Wyatt's body shifted. She held on to him tighter.
"The kids are home." Wyatt kissed the top of her head.
Knowing she'd go to her apartment and he would go into his, she straightened. There was no sense in drawing out a bad situation. Wyatt had succeeded in warning her that he planned to move away. They weren't breaking up. But she knew deep in her heart, it wouldn't be the same.
Between her schedule and his, they'd be lucky to see each other a couple nights a week. And like he'd said, the future for them was questionable.
Hearing him say that broke her heart.
She sniffed, rubbing her palms over her cheeks and climbed off his lap. Standing on the sidewalk, she focused on Jess and Travis getting out of the car, saying thank you, and bounding toward them.
Banks' wife rolled down her window and waved to them. She lifted her hand as if she belonged by Wyatt's side.
Jess came to her and whispered, "I had such a fun time. You won't believe what happened. Tyler asked me out on a date. You have to convince Dad to let me go. Please. Please, Joey."
Her broken heart crumbled. She wanted to be Jess's friend, her confidant, her supporter. But she had no idea what tomorrow would bring. Jess could be full of excitement over the idea of moving into a new house, getting a new room, going to a new school or living closer to Tyler.
"Please, Joey." Jess held on to her, practically bouncing in front of her.
"I'll try." She hugged Wyatt's daughter. "I'm glad you had a good time."
Jess pulled away. "Did you win?"
"Yeah, honey, I won." The logistics of playing a different tournament and only winning half the pot no longer mattered. She won because she got to know the lovely girl in front of her, and she would never feel differently.
"Alright, you two. Into the apartment and go to bed. It's late." Wyatt looped his arm around Joey.
Together, they watched the kids go inside. Her chest, tight and aching, barely hid the emotions bubbling to the surface.
She hugged Wyatt to her side. "I need to go to bed, too."
He turned her and kissed her deeply, taking a little longer, going a little slower. Her eyes burned, and she closed her eyes, trying not to cry.
Wyatt pulled back and smoothed her hair off her face. "We good?"
She mustered a smile and nodded. "Night, Wyatt," she whispered.
"Night, tiger," he whispered back.
She walked away, her chest trembling. Aware of him standing where she'd left him, knowing that something significant happened tonight between them, she failed to understand the deeper meaning. She unlocked her door and shut herself away from everyone.
Chapter 26
Wyatt
THE SHARP SHRILL OF the Skilsaw cut out the music playing in the empty house. Wyatt measured the window frame again, marking the measurement on the two by six. He needed to be within a half of an inch for the new window to fit.
"Boss!"
He turned, found Roddy with his arm up, motioning for him, and slipped the tape measure in the pouch on his toolbelt. On the other side of the room, he cupped his ear. "Yeah?"
"Phone call." Roddy put the satellite phone in his hand.
His adrenaline spiked. He stepped out the front door and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Daddy?"
His body hardened at the sound of his daughter crying. "What's wrong?"
"Travis ran off. We can't find him." Jess sniffled. "I was watching him, and he was in the rec center with me. Then, he was gone."
"Calm down, baby." He paced. "Where's Joey?"
"She's searching for him."
"Where are you?"
"In Joey's apartment. Mrs. Danski and Mr. Baste are here, too."
He inhaled deeply, thankful for Joey looking out for his daughter. "I'm going to take off. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"Hurry, Dad."
"We'll find him." He pushed the button, disconnecting the call, looked up, and found Roddy standing by.
"Travis ran off." Giving the phone back, he never hesitated to ask for help. "Are there any Tarkio members around to search for him?"
"Of course." Roddy punched numbers into the phone. "I'll have Darren finish putting in the window, and Matt and Rocky can gather the tools. Where am I sending Tarkio?"
"To the apartment. That's where Travis was last seen," he said, walking backward toward his Harley.
"Go." Roddy lifted his arm.
He swung around and jogged the rest of the way. Travis had stopped running away. He was doing good. His mood had improved over the summer, and he was acting like a normal teenaged boy.
Speeding through the residential area, he hit the main street heading into town and opened the throttle. He'd asked Joey to stay in the apartment and protect the kids if anything happened. Knowing she was outside alone, frantically looking for his son, only made the situation worse. Now he had two people to worry about.
By the time he arrived at the apartments, ten Tarkio members waited in the parking lot for him. He jumped off his Harley and jogged toward them.
"Did someone find my son?" he asked.
"There's a dozen Tarkio members out looking for him." Priest walked with him toward Joey's apartment. "I have four guys on foot around the apartment."
"Is Joey with them?" Sweat rolled down his back.
"She's taking Paco and Curley around to every hiding spot they can find within the complex. My men know not to let her out of their sight as she helps." Priest grabbed Wyatt's arm, stopping him from going into the apartment to check on Jess. "Miller was sighted last night and we lost his trail on Interstate 90 near the Haugan exit. I've notified Rona
cks Motorcycle Club and Moroad Motorcycle Club near the Montana/Idaho border to keep their eyes open and let us know if he's sighted."
The only concern he had was finding his son. He reached for the door handle.
Priest stopped him again. He lashed out, his hand going for Priest's throat when hands grabbed him, pulling him away from the president of Tarkio Motorcycle Club.
"Nobody is going to stop me from checking on my daughter and finding my son." His muscles strained against the hold the other members had on him. "Dean Miller can fuck off until then."
He fisted his hands, ready to get through anyone who stopped him from getting to Jess, finding Travis, bringing Joey home.
"Keep your head, my friend. Emotions are high. Don't make a mistake you can't take back." Razor stood between him and the Tarkio president.
"Let him go. The man has a right to worry." Priest turned the knob and swung the door open. "He needs to see his daughter. We'll be out here when he's ready."
He stared down Priest, not trusting anyone. Stepping inside, Jess sprung from the couch and lunged for him.
Catching his daughter, he held her tightly. "Are you okay?"
Mrs. Danski and Mr. Baste stood in the living room, looking on in concern. He pried Jess off him and held her at arm's length, looking her over. Besides the upset, physically, she was okay.
"Stay here. If Joey shows up, with or without Travis, tell her to stay with you. Let her know that I'm going to look for your brother, and there are more Tarkio members searching." He straightened, dipped his chin to Jess's teenager-sitters, and walked back outside.
He looked to Priest. "Let's go."
Leading the others, he issued directions for them to cover all the ground from the apartments to five blocks in all directions. Forcing himself to calm down, he rode slowly. Every yard, garage, house, a possible hiding place for a teenage boy.
In the back of his mind, the incessant guilt of failing as a father sent his blood pressure sky high. What was he missing? Not wanting to limit the kid since losing his mother, he'd allowed Travis to set his own schedule. He put few rules on him, and those were necessary to keep him safe while Dean continually threatened to go after custody of his kids.
A boy rounded the corner riding a bicycle. Wyatt's hand tightened on the throttle until he realized Travis gave up riding a bike years ago and the kid was a couple years younger than his son.
Going by the school, he rode his motorcycle to the playground. Several kids were hanging out at the swings, filling their summer days with nothing more than conversation and childish dares.
He stopped beside them. They backed away. Cutting the engine, he said, "Have you seen a kid about this tall?" He held out his hand. "Black hair. His name's Travis."
The kids shook their heads. He turned the motorcycle around and caught up with Priest. The other bikers slowed, going down side streets.
"Does he have money on him?" yelled Priest.
He shook his head. If he had anything, it was only a couple of dollars. His kids never grew up having an allowance. Chores were part of being a family. If they needed or wanted something, they asked, and he usually got it for them if it was reasonable.
"Let's stick to the residential areas." Priest pulled ahead and turned to take the next block.
He'd rushed out the door that morning and couldn't remember what shirt Travis wore or if he'd even dressed after rolling out of bed before Wyatt left for work. Wanting to get the windows installed on the remodel that day, he'd left the apartment early.
The more time passed, and there was no sign of Travis, he began to worry more. He couldn't ignore Tarkio's involvement and determination to go after Dean. What if Travis got caught in the middle of Dean's troubles?
As a stepdad, Dean had never involved himself in the kids' lives. Jess and Travis would often give him hints and insight into the life they had at home when Claudia was alive. Because Dean had distanced himself and never took an interest in the kids, he always believed Claudia's behavior was the main problem. The biggest conflict was making sure his ex-girlfriend stayed clean and cared for the kids like they deserved.
So why would Dean want shared custody now that Claudia was out of the picture?
The only way he was going to get some answers was by finding the asshole. Or, finding Travis, and getting to the real reason why he kept running away.
Chapter 27
Joey
CURLEY CAUGHT UP TO Joey. She leaned forward, bracing her hands on her knees. Her heart pounded, and the heat from the afternoon nauseated her. She felt like throwing up.
"We've checked every area twice." Curley steadily looked around. "Why don't you go down some water and cool off?"
She waved her hand, unable to speak. Unable to believe that one teenage boy could disappear and an apartment complex full of people hadn't seen him, she felt herself panicking.
Wyatt trusted her to watch the kids. Not twenty minutes earlier, they'd both checked in with her and said they were going to the rec center. Then Travis up and disappeared.
She had to find him.
Straightening, she inhaled deeply, trying to gain her second wind. "I don't know where else to look."
Never had she experienced such fear. Imagining all the terrible things that could happen to children, not to mention he could be hurt or lost. She was going to wring his neck after she hugged him so tight, he wouldn't know what hit him.
"Yoo-hoo," yelled Mrs. Danski, waving in front of Joey's apartment.
She glanced at Curley, shrugged, and walked over to the older lady who was staying with Jess.
"Our boy is coming home." Mrs. Danski wiped the corners of her eyes with a white hankie.
Relief swept through Joey. She pressed a hand to her chest and grabbed Curley's arm to stay on her feet. "Where was he? Who found him? Does Wyatt know?"
Mrs. Danski reached out and hugged Joey. "I don't know all the details. Jess, the dear child, took the phone call. One of the bikers, I forget his name, they all sound like nicknames, you know. Why they don't use the name their blessed mother gave them is beyond me, called and is bringing Travis home. That's all I know."
She turned to Curley. "Can you get ahold of Wyatt?"
"If Tarkio has him, Wyatt will know." He motioned toward the apartment. "Go inside and get out of the sun and relax."
She walked inside, and Jess talked her ear off, repeating the phone conversation. Besides Travis being okay, and on his way back, they knew no other details.
Hugging Jess to her, she said, "Do you want something to eat? Drink?"
"I'll wait. Today, I don't even care if Dad brings home pizza." Jess laughed.
She rubbed Jess's back. "I can't stop shaking. Let's sit down."
Mr. Baste and Mrs. Danski quietly left. Curley went outside to wait with Paco for the others. Alone with Jess, Joey let her head fall back on the couch. The day, which had started out quietly, ended in total chaos.
Surprisingly, calling Roddy to get ahold of Wyatt had started a chain reaction. The next thing she knew, Tarkio members had found her and started a search party. Thank God, there were people willing to look.
"I hear motorcycles." Jess jumped up from the couch.
Anxious to see Travis and hoping Wyatt was with them, she went with Jess to the door and peered out. At first, all the bikers arriving overwhelmed her. She couldn't spot Wyatt, and Travis never materialized until he slid off from behind one of the bikers she hadn't been introduced to yet.
Jess took off, running to her brother. At a slower pace, simply because she had the chills and knew she'd overexerted herself, Joey reached Travis second and gathered both of the kids in her arms.
"I'm going to punch you next time you run away, twerp." Jess pushed Travis away as only an older sister could do and still show the protective love flowing through her.
"Stop," he mumbled, glancing at Joey. "Sorry."
Joey shook her head, unable to find it in herself to lecture him. "I'm just glad you're home. You sc
ared me to death."
Travis lowered his chin and looked at the ground. Joey blew out her breath. Today had taken everything out of all of them. She was exhausted.
Looking around for Wyatt, she couldn't relax until he was back. She never should've relied on the kids to check in with her every hour. There was a lot that could happen in sixty minutes.
Her wish granted, a loud rumble, coming at a high speed in the parking lot, parted the crowd standing in the grass in front of the apartment. She spotted Wyatt rolling in, stopping on a skid, and enlarging to his full size as he threw his leg off the motorcycle and stormed in her direction.
Wyatt's gaze flashed over Travis, Jess, her. She held her breath, recognizing the emotions, the fire, the fear all coming out at once. He never stopped and went directly to his son, engulfing Travis in his arms.
Travis's feet came off the ground. She covered her mouth with her hand, oversensitive at that point in the day. This was her fault. She should've watched over Travis and Jess better. During the day, she missed the warning that Travis was going to run. If she would've talked to him more, took more of an interest in his plans, looked for some kind of hint about how he was feeling, she could've kept him from making a wrong decision and saved everyone from what was happening right now.
Wyatt's eyes closed as he cupped the back of his son's head, holding him tightly. The blatant emotions displayed in front of her squeezed her throat. She repeatedly swallowed, trying to keep the tears at bay.
He opened his eyes and over Travis's shoulder, looked at Jess, Joey, and then he set his son on his feet. Wyatt's arm came out, and he backhanded his son across the chest. Joey gasped in shock. The sudden change in Wyatt more dreadful than tears.
Travis stumbled back, lost his balance, and fell to his butt on the grass.
Wyatt pointed. "The next time you run off, I won't be asking for help in finding you. I'll call the police and have them plant your ass in juvie until you get your head screwed on straight. There's no excuse for scaring me half to death, son."
Jess inched her way over to her brother. Wyatt nailed his daughter with his gaze. "Don't baby him. It's time for him to grow the fuck up."
