Chapter 3
Chapter Three
R eed followed behind Lauren’s car, his head swiveling from his review mirror to side mirror, making sure they weren’t being followed. Thankfully Patrick had gotten the message and left. Although that wasn’t going to be the last time they saw him, Reed was sure of that. There’d been a determination in Patrick’s eyes that Reed hadn’t liked. It was almost as if it didn’t matter what Lauren said or did, he was going to get what he wanted and that appeared to be Charlee.
From what Steve had said to him before they’d returned inside the café, Tabitha didn’t know too much about Lauren’s life prior to her coming to work for her. All he’d said was that Lauren had been inexperienced but eager, and Tabitha had decided to take a chance on her. A decision that had proven to be beneficial to them both.
It had taken everything in Reed not to call Wilt, Power Security’s computer guru, the second he got into the car and ask him to do a background search on Lauren. What stopped him was he didn’t want Lauren to think him untrustworthy. He wanted her to know that she could count on him. That he would always be there when, and if, she needed him. Like today. Like right now. She hadn’t even argued when he said that he would follow her.
He slowed his vehicle and parked on the road as Lauren pulled into the driveway of a two-story house. As she got out of the car, she glanced over to where he was, holding up her hand in acknowledgement and mouthed five minutes . He nodded and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while scanning the area to make sure it was still safe. The street was quiet, and there were no cars heading in his direction or coming up behind him.
His phone pinged with an incoming message. He grabbed it and saw it was from Wilt.
Wilt
Heard there was some drama at Tabby’s. Need me to do anything?
Again the temptation to get Wilt to use his skills to give Reed the answers he wanted welled up, but he ignored it. However, there was nothing stopping him from getting Wilt to check into Patrick. Find out who the guy was. Where he was from and where he’d been the last few years since Charlee was born.
Reed
Yeah, can you look into a guy named Patrick Stringer. Don’t know anything else but he was the guy who harassed Lauren. He’s also Charlee’s father.
Writing that last sentence didn’t sit well with Reed. Charlee deserved a father who was much better than her biological one.
Someone like you?
Reed ignored his inner voice, even though there was an element of truth to it. He’d been captivated by Lauren from the moment he’d seen her when he’d installed the camera system at Tabitha’s old café. She hadn’t looked at him. In fact, had gone out of her way to avoid any contact with him. The fact she hadn’t argued with him and his declaration that they were engaged indicated how much Patrick’s appearance had affected her.
Would Lauren look his way when she came out with Charlee?
Would she tell her daughter that he was there and would be following them home?
Or did she think that once he’d seen that Charlee was safe with her, he’d leave? If she thought that then she was much mistaken. He would be following her home.
Wilt
Leave it with me. I’ll get back to you in a couple of hours.
Reed sent back a thumbs up emoji. Whatever Wilt found out, Reed knew it would be thorough, and if there were any skeletons hiding in Patrick’s closet, his friend would dig them out.
He put his phone back in the cupholder as Lauren came out with Charlee beside her. The little girl was chatting and smiling wide, as if the story she was telling was a big event. Lauren was nodding as her daughter spoke and had to encourage Charlee to get into the car.
Reed straightened when her gaze found his again, even with the distance between them he could see the question in her eyes— are you going to follow me home? It was something Reed wanted to do, so he gave her a thumbs up and a small smile played across her lips. One that he would like to see turn into a full one, free of the stress that was bracketing her mouth.
Whatever this situation was with her ex, Reed planned to do whatever was necessary. He didn’t care how long he had to play being her fiancé, he would. It was no hardship. The words had come out of his mouth so easily and naturally. He liked Lauren and had wanted to get to know her better, but she’d held herself back. After meeting her ex, he could understand why she was wary of the opposite sex.
Lauren pulled out and headed in the opposite direction of where he was facing. Once she passed him, he executed a turn and followed her.
The drive didn’t take long, and it made sense that she lived in the area as, from what he’d ascertained, Charlee attended a school near Tabby’s Café, but the house she slowed down in front of was a surprise. It was a nice single story red brick house with large windows facing the street and an immaculate garden. A big house for two of them. Lauren turned into the driveway. He stopped by the curb and got out, heading toward her. He wasn’t going to assume that she would invite him in, but he wanted to make sure that her place was safe and Patrick wasn’t waiting for her.
It didn’t matter that there wasn’t another car in close vicinity, Reed suspected that the guy would want the element of surprise on his side so would do everything to not give away that he was close.
As he approached he could hear Charlee still chatting and smiled. He would bet that she’d spent the whole trip talking Lauren’s ear off.
“Reed! Hi!” Charlee had noticed his presence and rushed up to give him a hug. As she’d been a flower girl at Tabitha and Steve’s wedding he wasn’t a stranger to her, but he was surprised at her enthusiastic greeting.
“Hey there Charlee-Girl, did you have fun with your friend?”
“I did. Why are you here?” She looked up at him with her big blue eyes.
Reed looked at Lauren to see how she wanted to handle the question. He was sure she didn’t want her daughter to know that her biological father was lurking in the shadows.
“Umm, I, umm had some car trouble. Reed was making sure that I got to you and home without any issues.”
As excuses went it was a good one and very reasonable.
Charlee’s nose scrunched up. “Oh okay. Are you staying for dinner too?”
“That’s up to your mum,” he said. He lobbed it back to Lauren not wanting to make any assumptions.
“Mum, can Reed eat with us, please?” She drew out the last word, and Reed hoped that Lauren fell for the plea in her daughter’s voice. If she didn’t he would accept it, but he’d be disappointed for sure.
Lauren came up and laid her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. Her attention darted to the small dwelling at the end of the driveway for a few seconds before moving back to her daughter’s upturned face. She hesitated, chewing her bottom lip. Finally, she sighed giving her daughter a small smile, but Reed could see that it was strained.
“If he doesn’t mind homemade pizzas then sure, he can stay.” She looked at him, almost daring him to reject her offer.
Not happening.
If the meal that was being offered had been sandwiches he’d be saying yes, because Lauren had invited him in and that was all that mattered to him. “Homemade pizzas sound delicious.”
“Yippee!” yelled Charlee and grabbed Reed’s hand. “Let’s go.” She started to drag him toward the shed-like building and not the main house. Now he understood Lauren’s reluctance. It didn’t matter to him where she lived, but he could tell it mattered to her.
They reached the door and had to wait a couple of seconds for Lauren to arrive. As she went to put the key in the door, he laid his hand over hers. She glanced at him, questions in her eyes. “Thank you for letting me stay.” He’d pitched his voice low so that only Lauren could hear. She nodded and then opened the door.
With the exuberance she’d shown when dragging him to the front door, Charlee pulled him inside. The room was small and had been divided into clear spaces. A small kitchen at the back wall. Sitting area to the right of the kitchen. A two-seater sofa plus a comfy looking chair faced a small cabinet which had a television on top. There was a closed door in one corner and another in the other corner of the room. He figured one would lead to the bathroom and the other to a bedroom.
Colorful cushions were perched on the couch and a throw rug was laying over the back. There was a vase with some flowers on the kitchen table that looked very similar to the ones in the garden at the front of the house.
“It’s not much, but it’s home,” Lauren said quietly.
“It’s perfect and welcoming. What more could you ask for in a home?” he said, meaning every word. He’d been in some places where he’d been too afraid to sit down because they’d felt so sterile and perfect. And he’d been in some real shitholes when they’d been overseas on a mission. Places where he’d wondered if the roof over his head would hold on for the night.
“More space. A room of my own.” Lauren pressed her lips together as if she hadn’t meant to blurt out those words.
Reed wanted to tell her that she was doing a great job as a single mum. That Charlee was happy and healthy. Thriving. But he didn’t want to come across as condescending or insincere, so he kept his words to himself and when the time was right he’d tell her all those things and more. For now, he’d enjoy the evening they were about to share together, because he didn’t know if there would be another opportunity after this one.