33. Kendra
33
KENDRA
K endra wasn’t sure what broke her more, Alan’s steadfast support, or Amy’s innocent acceptance of Alan as a father figure. She felt safe in his arms, despite her head warning her that he was only more to lose. Alan would protect her. Alan could find a way to make everything all right, even when that seemed impossible.
She cried herself out quickly, wiped her eyes, kissed Amy on the forehead, and fished her phone out of the trashcan. Fortunately, there was nothing too questionable in the waste bucket, and the phone had landed on top of the commercial property fliers that Kendra had dropped there.
“What should I do next?”
“You were right to hang up,” Alan assured her. “Don’t say a word to him without a lawyer. I’ll get my phone and set you up with the best guy we’ve got. What’s his full name? Where did he work?”
“Charlie—Charles, probably—Taylor. There’s no knowing if that was his real name, though. He worked IT for a pharmaceutical company, but I don’t know which one.”
“It’s a place to start.” He passed Amy into her arms and the little girl cried to go back to him just as sincerely as she had just cried to go to Kendra. Alan kissed her on the forehead and hopped back over the gate. He easily strode over the kids who were playing with blocks, and got his phone off a tall cabinet in the back. He flashed Kendra a reassuring smile, scrolled through his contacts, and made a call, turning away to talk.
Would Charlie call back? Kendra turned off her phone. She could block the number, but would that look suspicious? Why was he lobbying for custody now ? What did he know about her? The laundromat address, obviously. That she had the baby he hadn’t wanted her to have. Did he know she was living in a van like a hippy? She had the same phone number she’d had then, even if he didn’t.
Amy wanted to play with the phone, squalling when Kendra kept it out of reach. “It’s turned off,” Kendra said, bouncing her on her hip. “Sleepy time.”
Amy still wanted it, and Kendra was doing her best distraction routine when Alan returned. “I’ve got the research team on Charlie the jerk,” he said, stepping back over the gate to draw her into his arms again. Kendra sighed into his comfort. Amy still wanted the phone and attempted to use their distraction to grab it.
“Dinner tonight?” Alan offered again, catching Amy’s hand and shaking it officiously. She wasn’t fooled and continued to reach after the phone, huffing in disappointment when Kendra put it away.
“I have to check in with Bernard tonight first,” Kendra remembered. “I want to give him another dose of antibiotics.”
“I’ve actually gotten some traction on his case and found some help,” Alan said. “Can you have him meet up with me and an agent I know on Saturday?”
“I’ll tell him,” Kendra said. “How about I bring dessert tonight?”
“I would love seconds of last night’s dessert,” Alan said with a cautious grin.
Kendra kissed him, and it was an easy, familiar kiss, like they’d already moved past that honeymoon stage of courtship. Then he touched her face and Kendra thought maybe they hadn’t, because it set her on fire so fast.
They were interrupted by a ring at the door, and Addison must have checked her phone before Alan could, because Vivian was buzzed in and Tara came running for the gate.
Kendra ducked out with Amy in the chaos, and carried her to the rig. There was a tingle of warning and she had to remind Amy, “Fingers and feet, sweetie. Fingers and feet.”
Amy sighed and the tingle went away.
She didn’t particularly want to be buckled in, but Kendra distracted her with a bag of gummy animals and then climbed into the driver’s seat.
Bernard was waiting in the gravel pit, pacing impatiently. Kendra left Amy in the passenger seat and swung out to greet him. “Alan’s got someone who can help you. Can you come back on Saturday and meet up?”
Bernard rolled his eyes and lifted a leg like he was looking at a watch. Kendra couldn’t quite figure out the charade until he made a show of scuffing once in the gravel, pausing, scuffing again, pausing, scuffing a third time, and then doing his awkward bull-shrug. “Oh!” He probably had no idea what day of the week it was. “It’s Thursday. So the night after next.”
Bernard nodded his big head, then let Kendra inspect his injured leg. “It’s looking better,” she said, unwrapping the wound and prodding the tissue. “I’m going to give you another dose of antibiotic to make sure that infection doesn’t rebound, but I think we should leave it uncovered. It’s not open now, but the skin will be a little more delicate for a while, so avoid tangling with more barbed wire. Walk for me?”
Bernard pranced and tossed his head until Kendra laughed. “Yeah, you’re definitely on the mend. Stay out of trouble and I’ll check back in with Alan and his friend on Saturday.”
The bull sighed and gave Kendra a friendly butt with his nose. “You’re welcome,” Kendra said, patting him.
It wasn’t until she got back in Rita to drive away that she remembered that he was a murderer. At this point, murderer was much further down her list of objections than jerk who was trying to take her child away .