Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
R achel had seen nothing more wonderful than the ranch when it came into view. She sat straighter, but Nick’s arm stayed around her shoulders and she didn’t want to dislodge it. She was safe, a feeling she hadn’t felt for a very long time.
All she wanted to do now was to hug Jake and tell him the nightmare was over. She couldn’t say it that way, but she would emphasize his father couldn’t hurt them anymore. That he was gone and wouldn’t come back. She closed her eyes. How do you tell a child that his father is dead, killed in self-defense, by the man you love?
Reggie pulled into the garage. After he turned off the SUV, he exited and opened Nick’s door.
Nick cupped her jaw with one hand and turned her to face him. “Are you ready to get out? We can stay here as long as you need.”
She turned her head and kissed his palm. “Thank you for today, for rescuing me in more ways than one. You’ve freed me, Nick. Something I haven’t been since before I married Greg. You kept me safe and Jake, too. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
He cradled her face with both hands, then lowered his head to hers before whispering, “Your gratitude is enough. It’s always been enough, Rach. Always.” He closed the distance to her lips and kissed her, pressing his tongue against hers and taking everything she offered.
When they broke apart, she rested her cheek against his chest and felt a twinge of pain from where Greg had hit her. His heartbeat was as wild as hers. The sound soothed her for some reason.
Nick wrapped his arms around her and held her, just held her.
He couldn’t have done anything more perfectly. He didn’t push her faster than she needed; yet, he was there. Nick was always there—if not in person, then in her heart and her dreams. She shifted her gaze up to his. He looked down at her...seemingly content. Was the same expression on her face, in her eyes? Rachel pulled back.
He let her.
“I’m ready. Let’s go see our kids. Hopefully, they had a good time while we were gone.”
Nick chuckled. He’d escorted her through the garage and into the kitchen.
The children in question were sitting at the island, chowing down on ice cream sundaes. In between bites, they were regaling Sarah with the events at school that day.
“Mommy!” Jake jumped off his stool and ran to his mother, hugging her tightly.
She leaned over, kissed the top of his head and hugged him back. Then she straightened. “How was your day? It sounds like you were telling Sarah what a good day you had.”
He nodded, then he looked up. “Did my father do that?” He pointed at her face.
She nodded. “He did, when he took me from the school bus stop.” She thought hard about what to say and decided to be straightforward. “Did you see me go with your father this morning?”
Jake nodded, and his eyes teared up. “I saw, but I couldn’t do anything. I thought maybe he was trying to convince you to go back to him. You said no , didn’t you?”
“Yes. I said no . What happened next?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I guess I just hoped if you did go back to him, we’d live here not in New York. But I don’t want to go back. Please, Mommy, don’t make us go back.” Jake wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her stomach.
She held him and rubbed his back. “Don’t cry, Jakie. We’re never going back to him or back to New York. We’re staying here. I promise.”
Jake’s lip trembled. “Really?”
Rachel smiled at her baby boy. “Yes, really. Now, dry your eyes and finish your ice cream.” She wiped her thumbs under his eyes to remove his tears.
He gazed at her. “I love you, Mommy.”
She hugged him tightly. “I love you, Jake, more than anything.”
He ran back to his stool and climbed up to eat more of his treat. He took a bite.
“We’re gonna?—”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, sweetie.” Rachel sat next to him, picked up his napkin, and wiped the corners of his mouth.
He swallowed. “Sorry. We’re going on a field trip to the Natural History Museum. You have to sign my permission slip, and we have to have a sack lunch that day.”
“Okay. What day is it?”
“Friday,” said Bailey, “I have one for you, too, Daddy.”
“We’ll be sure and get the slips signed.” Nick sat next to Bailey. “I’m sure Sarah will come up with something good for your lunches.”
“Of course, I will.” Sarah turned her gaze between Nick and Rachel. “I see you two have had a productive day.”
Nick nodded. “Everything turned out perfectly.”
Sarah lifted a brow. “I’m glad to hear it. Do you have any requests for dinner tonight?”
“Hamburgers!” shouted Jake. The meal was his favorite and he’d have it every night if he could.
“Steak,” said Nick.
Bailey looked up at him and shook her head. “You always want steak.”
Nick laughed and ruffled her hair. “We live on a ranch. Of course, I want steak.”
“I think pork chops,” said Rachel. “We haven’t had those since Jake and I have been here. What do you think?” She tapped Jake’s arm.
Jake nodded. “I like pork chops. Can we have mashed potatoes and gravy, too?”
“I think that sounds like a good idea.” Sarah looked up at Nick. “You’re out voted. Pork chops it is.”
Nick sighed and then shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I like pork chops, too.”
Sarah smiled at Rachel. “I’m glad your day went well.”
“Yes, it was...interesting.” Rachel couldn’t say anything in front of Jake, yet she knew Sarah wanted to know what had happened. She looked at Jake’s bowl and saw it was empty. Bailey’s was, as well. “Do you two have homework to do?”
Bailey nodded. “We have numbers and spelling. We’re supposed to test each other on the words.”
“Why don’t you go to Bailey’s room and work on that? We’ll call you in time for dinner.”
Jake shrugged and hopped down from the stool. “Okay. Can we swim after dinner?”
“We’ll see. If you finish all your homework and eat your dinner, then yes, we can go swimming. Homework first.”
Jake hugged her. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you, too, Jakie.” Rachel was so relieved. She would never again have to worry about Greg’s impact on their lives or their safety.
Bailey hugged Nick. “I love you, Daddy.”
He bent his long frame over and hugged her back. “I love you, too. What’s up with you two?” He stood but left a hand on Bailey’s back. “You’re awfully lovey-dovey this afternoon.”
Jake and Bailey looked at each other and nodded.
He spoke first. “One of the kids in our class was absent today. The teacher said her father had passed away, and she wouldn’t be in class for a while. The teacher said we should let our parents know how much we loved them. Bailey and I just want you to know how lucky we feel and that we love you.”
Nick smiled at his daughter. “I’m sorry for that little girl. But your teacher is right. We should always tell those we love that we do. Never take anything for granted. Remember that.”
“I will, Daddy.” Bailey squeezed him again and then turned and headed toward her bedroom.
Jake hugged Rachel and then followed Bailey.
When they were sure both kids were gone, Rachel and Nick took the kid’s stools at the island.
“Well, tell me what happened?” Sarah had cleared the dishes away and wiped down the counter.
“Let’s just say that Greg Bennett will not be a problem any longer,” said Nick.
Rachel still wasn’t sure how she felt about Greg’s death. She was happy because he couldn’t kill her now, but what would she tell Jake? How would he take it? “I need to tell Jake his father is dead. I don’t know how.” She rested her head in her hands for a moment, then sat straight again. “How do you tell someone his father is dead? That he won’t be a problem any longer?”
Nick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and eased her closer. “How did your mom tell you? With Jake, you just have to be honest. He saw at least some things that Greg did to you. He’ll be happy the man can’t hurt you anymore. I’ve seen how protective he is of you. This news will allow him to go back to being just a little boy, instead of someone who believes he should protect his mother.”
She let out a deep breath. “It’s different with me. Larry and I were there when Daddy died. I remember it as if it were yesterday. We were coming home from visiting Uncle Keet. Daddy didn’t feel well, so Mom drove home. He sat in the middle, and I was next to the passenger door. Larry was curled on the floorboard. It was before seat belts were required, and he loved to curl up down there because it was so warm.
She looked into her lap, not really seeing what she was doing as she pulled at her skirt. “Daddy was feeling terrible. I got his medicine from the glove compartment so he could take some. I know now that it was nitroglycerin, but it didn’t help. Mom stopped at a little restaurant and bar that was close to the house. We knew the owners. A few of the men brought Daddy in from the car and laid him on two tables they had shoved together.
“The owner of the bar, Mrs. Feeback had Larry and I sit at the bar and gave us Cokes and candy to keep us busy from looking at what was happening. Finally, she took us downstairs to their apartment. After a while Mom came down and took us home. She said Daddy wasn’t coming home. That he’d passed away and was in Heaven now. That’s all I remember until the graveside service. I couldn’t see, so Mom’s brother, Uncle Frank, put me on his shoulders so I could see them bury Daddy.”
She looked up at Nick and brushed the tears from her cheeks. “As for Jake, I thought I was the only one who saw how protective he is of me. I never wanted him to be the one to protect me. Everything I did, I did for him...to protect him. He’s my baby, Nick.” Hot tears resumed rolling down her cheeks. “How could I have waited so long to leave? What was the matter with me?”
“Ah, Rach, it’s not your fault. Greg played you like a piano, and he was the only one with the music. You were vulnerable, and he took advantage of that. He was a predator. You’re not the only one he terrorized. He preyed on others before you and during your marriage. I know you probably won’t like it but I had a file worked up on Greg the moment you returned. I found things that you would probably rather not know, but that I think you need to. You weren’t the only woman he was terrorizing. At least two others suffered, and both were grad students assigned to him. He used them for his pleasure and then threatened them with physical injury if they ever said anything about it.”
“At my first thought, I’m not surprised. I’m sorry for those women, but I don’t know what I could have done for them had I known.”
“Nothing you could have done. He didn’t physically harm them to my knowledge, or if he did they never reported it.”
“Trust me, he harmed them. He enjoyed it. I found that out too late, too. I was so dumb. I should have known better.” The last words were a sob.
Nick pulled her against him. “Don’t, Rach. None of this was your fault. Nothing you did could have prevented this outcome. He was destined for this end, whether it was you or another woman. We’re lucky he didn’t kill someone before now.”
She fought to get the words out from her tight throat. “If I’d been smarter?—”
“No, Rach, no. Don’t even think that. It’s not true. You have your life back. You can live it without fear. Jake is safe, and he won’t turn into someone like Greg. Not with you as his mother. You’re strong. You stayed strong for him.”
“I know. He saved me. Jake was the one who gave me the strength to leave. I couldn’t bear the thought Greg would have anything to do with raising him. He never wanted him, so he didn’t even try for joint custody. Greg was happy to be rid of him, but not of me.”
“Come on. Dry your tears and let’s see what we can help the kids with. Then we’ll have dinner and go swimming. It’s a family night, and nothing will stop us from having our family time together.” He lifted a brow. “Right?”
She smiled. Nick could always make her smile. Maybe that was part of the reason she loved him so much. “Right. I need to get changed. My pants are torn.”
He looked her up and down. “Why didn’t I notice that?”
“It’s hidden. He tried to rip them from me and couldn’t. Thank God.”
Nick looked like he was about to explode. His teeth clenched, and his eyes narrowed. “If he wasn’t already dead, I’d rip him apart with my bare hands.”
She slid off the stool, wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her uninjured right cheek against his chest. “I’m glad you won’t ever have to.”
He rested his chin on top of her head. “I’m glad, too. Do you want to tell Jake alone? Do you want me there?”
“I think I should do it alone. He loves you, but the feelings he has for his father are...well...complicated. I get that. I think it will be a relief, but he’s still going to have some questions.”
“Okay. You go change and talk to Jake. I’ll take Bailey to the family room and, if she’s finished with her homework, we can play a rousing game of Candy Crush.”
Rachel chuckled. “Does she beat you as often as Jake beats me? Which is like always.”
He smiled and nodded. “She does. I don’t think I play it enough to beat her, not that I would if I could, but it would be nice to win once.”
She leaned up and kissed his mouth. A soft kiss...a kiss of thanks and maybe of promises for things to come.
He moved his hands to cradle her head and kissed her back.
Not a hot kiss, not a sexy kiss, but one that conveyed so many more emotions. Did he love her like she did him?
They needed to have a long talk...tonight after the kids went to bed. If he didn’t ask her to marry him, maybe she’d ask him. At the thought, she smiled.
“What?” he asked. “You seem to have something on your mind.”
“Just some plans for later. Let’s go talk to the kids.” She turned toward the living room and the stairs.
The closer she got to Bailey’s room and Jake, the more her insides clenched. What if she was wrong and he would be upset that his father was dead? That couldn’t happen, down deep she knew that, but that didn’t stop the fear of telling him.
* * *
Jake and Bailey were quizzing each other for their spelling test. Rachel stood at the door to Bailey’s room The way they interacted with each other did Rachel’s heart good. Jake had gone so long without a friend, and though Bailey knew the kids at school better than Jake did, she never left him on his own. Rachel knew this because Jake had told her Bailey was his best friend, but it was a secret because she wasn’t supposed to have a boy as a best friend. But they decided it didn’t matter because Nick and I were best friends.
Rachel told him she thought that was wonderful.
Jake had been happy to hear it and ran off to play with Bailey after he’d shared the secret with his mother.
Rachel shook her head. What a wonderous time being eight was. So many new things to discover and learn even what it meant to have a best friend.
She walked down the hall into her bedroom and changed into a pair of jean shorts that showed off her legs, which she thought were her best feature. Then she slid on a purple t-shirt and tucked it into the shorts before slipping on a pair of mule sneakers. After assessing herself in the long mirror on the back of the door, she headed back to Bailey’s room.
The little girl and Jake were still quizzing each other. Nick stood next to them and helped on the harder words.
“Jake, honey, I need to talk to you. Would you come to my room, please?”
He looked up at his mother, a vision of herself looking back at her.
She was glad that he looked like her from her red hair to her green eyes. He had nothing of his father in him. Rachel hoped that his hair would darken and his freckles would fade. She hated the thought that he might get teased because of his hair.
He followed her to her room.
She shut the door. “Why don’t you sit on the bed with me? I have something to tell you, and I’m not sure how to do it.”
“It’s best to rip off the bandage. I heard Sarah say it to Smitty when he was talking about one of the cowboys.”
She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Okay. Well, your father is dead. He won’t ever bother us again now.”
Jake was quiet for a bit, his brows knit together and his mouth in a firm line. “Are you sure? Maybe he’s like a zombie and he’ll come back and eat our brains.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “When did you see anything about zombies? Have you and Bailey been watching TV you’re not supposed to?”
He looked at the floor. “Maybe.” Suddenly, he looked up. “Don’t be mad at Bailey. She was surfing through the channels and I made her stop. We didn’t watch very long.” His eyes widened and his brows lifted. “It was gross and scary.”
“Well, despite that, your father is not coming back. Never. Do you understand?”
“Yes. He can’t ever hurt you again.”
“That’s right. Never again.” She put her hand on his knee. “Are you okay?”
He thought for a moment and then nodded. “I’m glad. Does that make me a bad person?”
She thought about him worrying about being a bad person and how very different he was from his father. “No. Not at all. I’m glad, too. Do you think I’m a bad person?”
He shook his head. “You are a good person. You’ve always protected me. I love you, Mommy.” He threw himself into her arms.
She hugged him close for thirty seconds or so.
He pulled away. “Can I go play with Bailey now? We finished our homework.”
Rachel chuckled. “Yes, you can go play with Bailey until dinner. Then, afterward we’ll go swimming and play in the pool. Maybe we’ll play water polo. You and Bailey, both like that.”
Jake grinned and hugged her again. “I love you.” Then he whispered, “We’re gonna beat you.”
“I love you, too.” Her eyes glistened and she knew she needed to let him go before she cried. He wouldn’t understand she was so very proud of him. He’d grown up too fast. He’d had to. Now, though, he could be a kid. Nick had done that—kept them both safe and ultimately saved her in more ways than one. Now, she could concentrate on being the mother that Jake deserved. If only she knew what to do about Nick. Did she dare risk their friendship for something more?