27. Gideon
27
Gideon
I watched Ryan walk home with the two youngest of his siblings, both still in diapers. They couldn’t have been more than a year apart.
“Hey,” Ryan greeted me, his face lighting up with happiness and surprise.
“I thought we could get to know each other,” I said. “I have a cabin on the lake. You and the kids can stay there if this gets too much.”
Ryan shook his head, his smile fading slightly. “That’s really generous, but it’s too far. I walk the kids to school, and I don’t have a car or a license. My grandpa was teaching me to drive before... the accident. I’ve got college classes starting at ten, so I have to make sure the little ones are in a safe place first.”
I followed him inside as he headed to the kitchen, starting to prepare food for the kids.
“Let me help you,” I offered. “I’ll feed the kids, and you can get your computer ready for class.”
He eyed me skeptically. “Do you even know how to feed kids?”
I chuckled. “You’d be surprised how many kids I’ve fed. On missions overseas, we often come across children who’ve lost their parents. We do what we can to help them until proper care is available. What are these two called?”
“This is Lily, and that’s Jeramy,” he replied, softening. “They’re good kids, but I have to stay here to protect them. She’s... not good to them.”
“Who has custody of the kids?” I asked.
Ryan hesitated, his jaw tightening. “I guess my grandparents did. When I turn eighteen, I’ll take custody. That’s the only reason we’re here. When Brenda found out they’d died, she sold their house. That left us homeless. Nobody wants to rent to a seventeen-year-old with four younger siblings. She blew the money in Vagas in two weeks.”
“Is it okay if I hang around for a few days?” I asked.
“Sure,” Ryan agreed, surprising me. “That would be great. My classes end at one forty-five. Maybe you could pick us up, and we can hang out at the lake.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll make you guys dinner tonight.”
I drove to the larger grocery store in the next town, stocking up on essentials. Diapers cost more than I expected, so I bought ten boxes, along with other necessities.
When I returned to pick them up, I heard shouting as I approached the house. Brenda’s drunken voice cut through the air, and the sound of crying children twisted my gut. I stepped inside to find her hitting Ryan while the little ones screamed in terror.
“Stop!” I barked, striding toward her. “Get away from him. Who do you think you are? Being drunk doesn’t give you the right to attack my son and these kids. You don’t deserve them.”
The kids flinched at her every movement, their small faces streaked with tears. Fresh bruises marred their skin—marks they hadn’t had this morning. Fury surged through me.
“I’m taking them with me,” I said coldly. “If you so much as touch these kids again, I’ll make sure you end up somewhere where you can’t drink for a long, long time.”
“You can’t threaten me,” she slurred.
“That’s not a threat,” I replied, my voice hard. “It’s a promise.”
Brenda stumbled back, her drunken bravado faltering.
I turned to Ryan. “Are you ready?”
“Let me grab some diapers,” he said.
“No need—I already bought some.”
“Then yeah, I’m ready.”
“You can’t take them!” Brenda screeched, nearly falling in her drunken haze. “They’re my kids!”
I stared her down. “You haven’t raised these kids. Ryan and your parents did. You didn’t even raise my son; I’m grateful for that. If you ever want help, call me. I’ll pay for you to go to a clinic. But until you’re sober, you won’t see these kids. Otherwise, you can go to jail for child abuse.”
Brenda’s defiance crumbled, replaced by something that almost looked like regret. “You’re a bastard, Gideon Archer,” she muttered. “But I know they’re better off with you. Take care of them.”
I ignored her as I guided the kids to the car. Thankfully, I’d already installed car seats. Once everyone was buckled in, Ryan sat up front with me.
“We’ll stay at the cabin tonight,” I said. “Tomorrow, we’ll head to my home. I’ll help you, Ryan. You deserve to go to college and have a life full of laughter. And these kids deserve a safe, happy home.”
Ryan didn’t respond right away, but when he did, his voice was filled with quiet gratitude. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Dad, what about the kids? Who will take care of them if I’m in college?”
“I’ll hire a nanny and a housekeeper to help with the kids,” I assured him. “They’ll live with us, and those kids will get all the love they need. You don’t need to worry about a thing. I also bought a bunch of supplies at Walmart. Tomorrow, we’ll stop and get your computer—I know it has all your important stuff on it.”
“I grabbed it on the way out,” Ryan said, “but the kids don’t have any clothes.”
“We’ll stop at Walmart tomorrow and buy them some,” I replied.
“What about Laney? Will she be upset we’re staying with you?”
“No,” I said with certainty. “Laney will be thrilled that all of you are with me. Don’t worry about anything. I’m happy we’re finally together as a family. Ryan, I didn’t know about you before, but I want you to know I love you. You’re my son, and I’ll always love you. Laney loves you, too. We’re both so excited you’re part of our family.”
“You live in Carlsbad, California?” he asked as we drove through the town.
“Yes. Have you been here before?”
“When I was younger, my grandparents used to bring me here on vacation. They’d always say they wanted to buy a vacation home here. Then Brenda started having the kids and bringing them to my grandparents instead. Grandma used to joke that Brenda must’ve stolen the kids because she claimed Brenda was ‘fixed’ after I was born.”
“Have you ever seen their birth certificates?”
“No. My grandparents knew everyone in town, so the school let her register the kids without them. Brenda was supposed to get the certificates from Mom.”
“What? Where were you born?”
“I was born in Sacramento, California.”
“Do you think Brenda could’ve... taken the kids?”
“I wondered about it before,” Ryan admitted. “When we first got Trina, she was four years old and told us her name was Tammy. She said Brenda wasn’t her mommy. That was two years ago. Brend said Tammy was her invisible friend.”
A chill ran down my spine. Something felt terribly wrong. “How old was Lily when you got her?”
“Lily was a newborn. Grandma said she wasn’t more than three weeks old. Brenda brought Jeramy first—he was around three months old—and then Lily six months later. I think Grandpa confronted her about it. I saw them arguing. I overheard him saying she could go to prison for her actions.”
“And then a few months later, the accident happened.”
“Grandpa had a heart attack while driving.”
“I’m so sorry, Ryan. That must’ve been so hard, losing your grandparents like that.”
“It was. I miss them every day, and the kids miss them, too.”
“Ryan, would you be okay if we ran a DNA test on the kids?” I asked carefully. “It’s bothering me that your grandpa mentioned prison. What if Brenda did take these kids?”
“Yeah, I was stolen,” a small voice between us said.
I turned, stunned, to see Trina looking at me wide-eyed.
“She took me from my mommy at the park,” she continued matter-of-factly.
“Trina, do you remember that?” Ryan asked, his voice tight.
“Yeah. Remember how I told you my name was Tammy?”
“And Brenda said Tammy was your imaginary friend,” Ryan murmured. He looked at me, his expression troubled. “I love these kids, Dad. If you find out they were taken, I want you to investigate their families to make sure they’re good people before anything happens.”
“We can do that,” I said firmly. “We’ll handle it that way. Here we are.”
Ryan stared at the house as we pulled in. “This is nice. I’m... a little nervous,” he admitted.
“Don’t be nervous.”
“Who’s that?” Ryan asked, spotting someone through the windshield.
“That’s Kat. She’s part of our team.”
I pulled into the garage just as Laney opened the door to put a fishing pole away. When she saw us, her face lit up. She clapped her hands and ran to the truck.
“I’m so happy you’re all here!” she cried, tears streaming down her face.
“You’d better hug her,” I said with a grin. “Or she might flood the garage.”
Ryan climbed out of the truck, and Laney embraced him tightly. “Ryan, I’m so happy you’re here. I want you to know I love you. This is your home now. Please think of it as your own.”
She wiped her tears and smiled. “Let’s get the babies out of the truck. I’ll start dinner.”