Chapter 15
15
W hile Clara put the kids down for an afternoon nap, Heath brewed a fresh pot of coffee. He’d need the extra zip of caffeine to push him through the rest of the day. Between scrubbing the kitchen, constantly tidying up, and entertaining two rambunctious kids, he was exhausted.
But a good exhausted. The kind that fed the soul.
His mom sat at the table, her purse in her lap and cane by her side.
“Do you want to take any coffee with you?” he asked. “I can put it in a go-cup.”
She waved away the offer with a flick of the wrist. “Too much of that stuff’s bad for my ticker. If I’m tired when I get back, I can catch a nap like the little ones are doing. I sure do love having them here.”
He leaned against the counter and waited for the pot to fill. “I figured you would. Sorry I’m not driving you to your appointment.” A pinch of guilt gnawed at his chest. He’d escorted her to every doctor visit since she’d fallen. Passing that responsibility over to Mila didn’t sit well with him, but he also didn’t want to leave Clara and the kids alone.
“Don’t you worry about that. You’re right where you belong.” She reached out her hand for him to take.
He bit back a smile and walked toward her, capturing her hand in his.
“And I don’t mean just for now. This family, that woman…they’re special. You light up when you’re with them. I hope to see a lot more of them in the future.”
The doorbell rang, and he helped his mom to her feet.
“Oh stop your fussing,” she said. “I hardly even need this cane anymore. But I might carry it around just because it makes me look fancy.” She shot him a wink then made her way to the front door.
Snatching her coat from the hook, he waited for her to open the door before helping her shrug into the warm jacket.
“How’s everyone doing?” Mila asked.
“Pretty good,” he said. “Clara’s trying to get the kids to sleep.”
“Hopefully it works. Then you two can enjoy some quiet while your mom and I hit the town.”
Sally cackled. “I like the sound of that. Let’s get going.”
He watched them make their way to Mila’s silver sedan then closed and locked the door. Mila would take good care of his mom, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to sit and enjoy a little peace and quiet.
“Do I smell coffee?” Clara padded into the living room and fell onto the couch.
“Sure do. Want a cup?”
“More than anything. Can you add?—”
He held up a finger. “A pinch of sugar and splash of milk?”
Her mouth parted in a tiny o of surprise. “You know how I like my coffee?”
“I pay attention.” He shot her a wink then hurried into the kitchen to fill two mugs and ferry them back into the living room. He handed her the drink then settled in beside her. “Kids asleep?”
She tucked her feet beneath her and shifted to lean against him. He couldn’t help but think back to when Davey had leaned against him the same way.
Which reminded him about his conversation with Owen.
He hadn’t had a chance to speak with Clara. They’d been busy with the kids, and no way he’d bring up Mitch in front of them.
“I spoke with Owen earlier.” He set his mug down and tucked her closer to his side, draping his arm firmly around her shoulders.
Her body stiffened. “Any luck finding Mitch?”
“No. All available deputies and city cops are searching for him. He’s the number one priority in the county. Owen’s spoken with Mitch’s parents, but they claim to be unaware of his whereabouts. Would they lie to protect him?”
“His dad would, absolutely. His mom, I’m not sure. Their marriage is a lot like Mitch’s and mine was. He’s the boss, she falls in line. I don’t think she’d contradict anything Fred said, at least not in front of him.”
Heath tucked that information in the back of his mind before continuing. “What about friends? Anyone he’s close enough with to let him crash at their place?”
She shook her head and strands of her long hair brushed against his chin. “Not really. The only people he spent time with were at Town Tavern, but those were drinking buddies. Not really good friends. But then again, I can’t say I know what he did when he left the house. I was always just thankful I didn’t have to be around him. Prayed that one day he’d just never come home.”
When her voice quivered, he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“I’ll worry until he’s caught.”
He wished he could tell her she didn’t have to, that everything would be fine. But it’d be a lie. And if he knew one thing for certain, he’d never lie to her.
Instead, he wrapped his other arm around her and held her tight. He could feel every beat of her heart, sense the unease clinging to her skin. He grazed his fingertips along her biceps, and her body shivered.
She glanced up. “I’m not worried when I’m with you. Even knowing he’s out there. I know you’ll keep me safe.” Her gaze went to his mouth, and she moved a little bit closer.
His pulse raced and an army of butterflies flapped their wings in his stomach. He wanted to kiss her, to taste her, to show her how deep his feelings had grown. But he didn’t want to rush her, to move too fast and scare her away.
As if reading his mind, she fisted the material at the neck of his t-shirt. “I’d really like you to kiss me now.”
He grinned. “You sure?”
“Only if you want to.”
“Honey, I’ve wanted to do nothing else for weeks. But I don’t want to rush anything. You’re worth the wait. All three of you are.”
“Well, the wait is over. For all of us.”
Not needing any more encouragement, he kissed her lips and stars exploded behind his closed eyelids. His body screamed to take more, to kiss her harder, but reason held him back. Told him to take his time—build the anticipation and prove to her he’d cherish her always.
A small moan purred from her throat and almost tore his restraint to shreds. She shifted, sliding her arms around his neck and her breasts pressed against his chest.
His nerve endings sparked with lust, heat pooling in his core. Dear God in heaven she was amazing.
“Mama?” Davey’s voice floated down the hall seconds before the patter of little feet reached Heath’s ears.
Clara broke the kiss, her forehead resting on his for a second before shifting to face the hallway. “Baby, you’re supposed to be sleeping.”
Davey rubbed his eyes and climbed into Clara’s lap. “Avery and I can’t sleep. We’re too hungry.”
The expression she shot Heath was filled with an apology that was completely unnecessary. Clara was a package deal. A package that he was thrilled to have, inconvenient interruptions and all. “Can I drink my coffee before I make you lunch?”
Avery ran down the hall next, catapulting herself onto Heath’s lap. She rested her head on his chest and popped her thumb in her mouth.
“See,” Davey said. “She’s so hungry she’s eating her thumb.”
Heath couldn’t stop his chuckle at the little boy’s serious tone, implying the two of them were starving. “How about we order a pizza?”
Davey straightened. “Really?”
“Really.” He fished his phone from his pocket and pulled up the website to his favorite local pizza shop. “Pepperoni okay?”
“Cheese, please,” Avery sang.
“Two pizzas it is. I’ll pay for it on the app because I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any cash on me.” He plugged the information into the site and submitted the order just before his phone rang, showcasing his mom’s number. Frowning, he answered. “Hello?”
“Heath, it’s Mila. We’ve been in an accident. You need to come to the hospital to see your mom. Now.”
* * *
Alarm straightened Clara’s spine as the color drained from Heath’s face. She grabbed Avery off his lap and held both the kids close. “Do you two want to watch a cartoon?”
“Yes!”
She scooted them to the den and situated them in front of one of their favorite shows then hurried back to the living room.
Heath paced across the colorful rug. “Okay. I’ll be right there.”
She waited in the doorway and bit her thumbnail. Her mind spun as she wondered who was on the other line and what news they’d delivered that had gotten Heath so worked up. She kept her questions to herself while he ended the call and shoved his phone back in his pocket.
Facing her, Heath tunneled his hand through his hair. “That was Mila. They were in an accident and ran into a tree. Mom was taken to the hospital.”
“Oh my God.” Clara pressed a shaking hand to her mouth. Sally had been so sweet and accommodating. She hated to think of her injured or scared, all alone in a hospital bed. “You need to go see her.”
A tortured expression twisted the features on his face. “I don’t want to leave you and the kids.”
She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. “The kids and I are fine. Pizza’s on the way, a cartoon’s on the television, and I’m still hoping they’ll fall asleep once their bellies are full. If not, they’ll be terrors later.”
He rested his chin on the top of her head and wrapped her up tight. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
He kissed her forehead then pulled back to stare down at her. “I won’t be long. I promise. I just need to see with my own eyes she’s okay.”
Going up on her tip toes, she kissed him, ignoring the burst of excitement licking up her belly as she stepped out of his embrace. “Go. We’re safe here.”
He yanked his jacket off the hook and shrugged into it. “I’ll call Owen. See if he has a deputy he can station outside the house just in case.”
“I appreciate it. Now go. Give love to your mom and Mila.”
“Lock up as soon as I close the door.” He pressed another kiss to her lips before heading outside and jogging to his cruiser.
She waved then did as he said by turning the deadbolt. Drawing in a large breath, she leaned against the hard wood door. She’d hoped to grab a few peaceful minutes with Heath after the chaos of the morning.
Maybe even steal a few more kisses.
Rubbing her hand over her heart, she sighed. Lord almighty the things that man did to her. No one had made her feel this way in years, no man had ever shown her children so much love and kindness. She was falling hard and fast and a little trickle of fear wedged itself inside the joy. If things didn’t work out, if she jumped in headfirst and got burned, she wasn’t the only one who’d get hurt.
Her kids had suffered too much—been inflicted with too much pain in their short little lives. Before she took a nosedive off this cliff, she needed to slow down and make sure she and Heath were on the same page. Make sure they both understood everything that was at stake.
A knock at the door took her out of her head and made her stomach growl. Coffee had sounded amazing before, but now the thought of gooey cheese and spicy pepperoni was calling her name. A quick peek out the window showed a delivery car parked on the side of the road. “Pizza’s here!” she shouted and swung open the door.
Mitch stood in the doorway, a sneer twisting his face. “Hello, Clara.”
She tried to close the door, but Mitch charged inside, slamming it shut behind him.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?” he asked, grabbing her by the back of her neck. His meaty palm pinched her skin and yanked at her hair. “I told you this wasn’t over. You dumb bitch, thinking you can take my kids away. That you could toss my ass to the cops, leave me to the wolves, then skip happily away with some dipshit deputy. He’s just trying to get into your pants, Clara. But that’s all you’re good for anyway.”
He shoved her aside, slamming her into the wall. “Now where are my children?”
Fear pitched so high in her throat she thought she’d vomit. A part of her wanted to curl into a ball and cry, to scream, to bemoan stupid fate who’d created this life for her.
But she couldn’t do any of those things. Adrenaline surged through her system, pushing her back to her feet. She lunged for him, hands balled into fists, and attacked his back with full force. “No! Leave them alone!”
Snickering, he pivoted and backhanded her across her face.
Pain erupted up her cheekbone and she stumbled backward.
He stalked over to her. “You want to play this game again? I thought you’d learned your lesson. That you’d realized there’s no way you can possibly beat me. No way that you can win.” Threading her long strands in his fingers, he yanked her toward him and pressed his face inches from hers. “I. Always. Win.”
All the anger and terror and shame he’d heaped on her shoulders for years combined in the pit of her stomach. She wouldn’t let him beat her, wouldn’t let him intimidate her and take control of her life.
Take her children.
With all the force she could muster, she hiked up her knee and connected it with his groin.
“Sonofabitch!” His grip on her hair loosened.
She lunged away from him and fumbled to get her phone from her pocket. Heath couldn’t be too far.
A roar of rage tore from Mitch. He stomped forward, grabbing her wrist and forcing the phone from her hand. “Big mistake.”
Before she could open her mouth to scream, to warn her babies, a fist slammed against her jaw, knocking her head back. She fell to the ground, agony sending shockwaves through her system.
He stood over her and kicked his booted foot into her ribs then couched low. “I’m taking my kids, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ll never find them, you useless piece of shit.”
With the speed of a rattlesnake, he pressed a taser to the side of her neck. A jolt of electricity shot through her system. Her eyes slid closed, and her world went black.