Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Joe had just parked across from the grocery store when he noticed Ally’s car pull into the parking lot. He was here to get a few things he’d need while staying in the hotel. He’d been surprised to see them. Surprised and happy.
He watched Charlotte’s bright pink hat bob beside her as they entered the store. It should’ve been a normal stop, a mom and daughter picking up dinner, but the moment he spotted the man who followed them inside, he knew it wasn’t going to be normal.
Peterson. Roy Peterson was his competition in the business. The man was shady as hell and had several complaints about his tactics, including a few lawsuits. He was a shark. Someone who didn’t stop until he got what he or his clients wanted.
Joe’s gut clenched. This was obviously the man Ted had hired to sniff around Ally now. He was probably the one who had seen him go to dinner at Ally’s place the other night and reported it to Ted.
Without hesitating, Joe left his car and entered the store, scanning the aisles until he found them in the frozen section. Ally was clutching Charlotte’s hand while Peterson loomed close to her, his voice low but sharp.
“…just a few questions, ma’am.”
“I don’t think the lady wants to at the moment,” he said evenly as he approached them. His tone was calm but carried enough weight to make Peterson step back.
He’d only met the man face to face twice, but Peterson knew who he was.
Peterson turned and Joe saw his jaw tighten. “Dalton?” His eyes narrowed. “Stay out of this.”
“That’s not going to happen. This conversation is over.” Joe’s stance was casual, but his eyes didn’t waver. “You’re upsetting the kid. I think it’s time you backed off.”
“She’s a potential witness in an ongoing case I’m working,” Peterson said, trying to sound official. “I have the right to—”
Joe stepped closer, cutting him off. “You have the right to walk out of this store. May I remind you that even private investigators can’t cross legal lines.”
That seemed to land. Peterson’s nostrils flared, and he turned without another word and stormed out, the automatic doors hissing shut behind him.
He watched him go and tried to get his muscles, which were coiled tight, to relax. Then he looked back at Ally. Her face was pale and her hands were trembling slightly on Charlotte’s shoulders.
“Are you two okay?” he asked gently.
She nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah. I just… he came out of nowhere.”
Charlotte clung to her leg. “Mommy, he was a bad man.”
“No, he was just trying to do his job, but he was doing it wrong.” Joe crouched to the little girl’s level. “You did great, kiddo. Some people forget their manners, that’s all. Were you guys grabbing dinner?” He glanced at the frozen pizza in the cart. “Oh, it’s a great night for pizza.”
Charlotte’s eyes lit instantly. “We’re having movie night. Mama says we can get popcorn and maybe ice cream.”
“I didn’t say ice cream.” Ally chuckled, and he saw her relax a little.
He grinned. “Wow, what a great way to spend a Friday night.”
“Can Joe come to movie night, Mommy? Please? Please, please, pleeease?” She turned to Ally, pleading.
Ally blinked, still processing everything, then laughed weakly. “I, uh, well, if Joe doesn’t have plans… and wants to watch Frozen.”
Joe met her eyes. “I think I can make time for movie night. I love Frozen. I’ve seen it at least six times. How about you?” he asked Charlotte as the little girl took his hand in hers and tugged him toward the ice cream.
“More than that!” Charlotte squealed. “You can pick the ice cream flavor. No peanuts though.”
“Right, because you’re allergic.” He let her lead him toward the freezer aisle. “That’s a lot of responsibility, picking the flavor,” he teased. “I guess I’d better choose wisely.” He glanced over at Ally who was smiling now.
The tension began to melt as they picked out another frozen pizza, some popcorn, and a big container of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
He was happy when Ally’s color returned to normal, and she even smiled when Charlotte insisted on getting sprinkles.
When they reached the checkout line, Joe caught sight of the black SUV parked across the street. Peterson was still watching them.
He said nothing, just shifted his stance so that his body blocked Ally’s view and took the grocery bags from her hands. “I’ll follow you back,” he said quietly. “Just to be safe.”
She hesitated but nodded.
The drive back to the lighthouse was uneventful, though Joe never let Peterson’s SUV out of his sight and kept his car between it and Ally’s.
When they turned up the long drive, he was thankful when the vehicle didn’t follow them in.
Still, he didn’t relax until he’d carried the groceries inside and heard Ally lock the door behind them.
Charlotte ran off to change into Elsa pajamas.
“Thank you,” Ally said softly, setting the pizza on the counter. “You didn’t have to—”
“I did,” he interrupted gently. “You and Charlotte shouldn’t have to deal with that. I’ll handle Peterson.”
“Is he the one watching us now?”
Joe nodded. “It appears so. His tactics are… less than conventional.” He leaned closer.
“I’d make sure you lock up when you leave the house.
He’s been accused of breaking in when people aren’t home.
” Her face went pale again. “I’m not saying this to scare you.
” He took hold of her shoulders when he saw her sway.
God, he was a fool. He should have waited to tell her until she was sitting down.
“Easy.” He nudged her over to the chair, then rushed to get her a glass of water. “Here, drink this.”
She drank a few sips. “He won’t break in while we’re here, while we’re sleeping, will he?”
“No. But he might try to plant hidden listening devices or cameras around the place.” He motioned around. “I know that your brother installed a security system when the diamond was found...”
She nodded. “I… I keep forgetting to set it.”
“Do so now.” He followed her to the keypad and waited until she hit the button to arm it. “Whenever you come and go, do that. You do know the code right?”
“Yes, its…” He stopped her by holding up a hand.
“Don’t tell me. Don’t tell anyone else,” he warned her, and she paled again.
She was so trusting that it ate at him. Hell, hours ago, he’d been working for the enemy. Now she was willing to put hers and her daughter’s lives in his hands by telling him the security code.
“Right.” She nodded. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” he said softly. “Just promise me you’ll keep it armed.” She nodded. “Good, now what do you say we heat up some pizzas?”
Later, as rain fell against the windows, Joe sat cross-legged on the floor beside Charlotte, balancing a paper plate full of pizza on his lap. Ally had dimmed the lights, and the opening notes of Frozen filled the cozy room.
Charlotte’s head leaned against his arm as they watched the movie on the sofa.
After they finished their pizza, they moved on to the ice cream and a bowl of buttered popcorn.
He watched her eyelids grow heavy as her body went lax next to his.
Ally caught his eye across the sofa. Her smile was soft and full of something that surprised him—interest.
By the time that the movie had ended, Charlotte was fast asleep on the sofa, her small body curled between them. One of her fists was tangled in the edge of his flannel shirt.
He didn’t move for a while. In truth, he didn’t want to. Rain was falling outside and had continued in the last hour steadily.
The glow from the TV flickered across Ally’s face as she watched him.
“I really appreciate what you did for us earlier,” she said softly, turning slightly toward him as she hit mute on the television.
“Anyone would have stepped in.”
“No, you’d be surprised. My neighbor…” She shook her head.
“Go on,” he encouraged her.
She shifted and rolled her shoulders for a moment.
“My old neighbors, when Ted and I were together, they never stepped in. It wasn’t until days later, when they overheard that he was going to get full custody of Charlotte and that he was having me committed, that Nancy finally provided her Ring camera footage to my lawyers.
Without that footage, I would have been locked up, and the chances of me ever seeing my daughter again…
” She looked down at her sleeping girl now. “I would have lost all hope.”
“I’ve read through the court files. Up until that video appeared, he was trying to claim that you were having a nervous breakdown and trying to harm yourself and Charlotte.”
She nodded slowly, her eyes still glued to her daughter. “I would never hurt her.”
“No,” he agreed. “There are also a few reports from the agency who oversees his visits with Charlotte. They claim that he neglects her during the visits and spends his time working. That the visits are almost always in an environment that isn’t child friendly.
The last time he’d had visitation on Charlotte’s birthday, he hadn’t even remembered, and, double the hit to the gut, he ordered her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
The case worker stepped in and stopped Charlotte, who was two at the time, from eating it. ”
“She is just a tool that he can use to get to me,” she said. “My counselor says it’s a narcissistic tendency. I didn’t even know what a narcissist was until I started seeing her.”
“You were in a coma for a while?” He’d been pissed about that fact once he’d watched the video of what her husband had done to her, especially knowing the man hadn’t spent even one night behind bars for slashing her wrists and making her fall to the hard ground with her daughter in her arms.