Chapter 2 #2
“Okay, maybe you can see if you can bring one home.” Jagger rustled Kaden’s hair.
“Here. Give her one of these in return.” Jagger jogged over to the nearest oak tree where an explosion of bright-colored blooms grew.
He picked a few tulips, knowing their time was coming to an end soon, and thereby reducing the risk the gardener would chew him out.
He started to give them to Kaden but realized his hands were full.
“I’ll put them in your backpack, but remember they’re there so they don’t get squished. ”
“Okay.” Kaden stopped to let Jagger slip the buds into his pack.
“Are you going to miss school?” Jagger patted Kaden’s pack to let him know he was done and they started toward the road again.
“I’m going to miss Miss Beemer. When can we go to pizza again?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”
They arrived at the end of the drive, standing far enough back for safety but close enough the bus driver could see they were there. The driver pulled up and opened the door.
“Have a great last day of school, Kaden.”
“Okay.” Kaden’s little legs somehow made it up the tall steps of the bus.
Jagger waved to Kaden and the driver and watched as the bus pulled away and headed up the road. His life was good.
He made his way back to the house, planning to have another cup of coffee before heading to the stables.
A new horse arrived the other day from a farm raided by local animal law enforcement.
It had broken his heart to see a magnificent animal reduced to skin wrapped around bones.
Fortunately, his vet assured had him they could return the mare to health.
Jagger hadn’t set out to take in rescue horses.
His grandfather had bought the farm during the 1970s when Secretariat was the rage.
For a few years, his grandfather worked to produce a Triple Crown winner.
By the time Jagger was born and old enough to visit during the summers, the farm was more known for breeding than training racehorses.
As a boy and teenager, Jagger visited the farm with his grandfather and often on his own.
He enjoyed the country and space. He enjoyed the horses.
Once Jagger was a teenager, his interest in them had waned, and he spent most summers running around with Mitch and Brian.
Eventually, Jagger’s grandfather ran out of interest in the horses as well.
While the house remained in the family, the horses had been sold.
Then last fall, needing something to keep him occupied while Kaden was at school, Jagger decided to reopen the farm.
He wasn’t interested in training or breeding horses.
Instead, he’d decided to focus on retired racehorses.
He’d only taken in a couple of horses when word got out about his new project, and animal control started calling about horses they’d rescued from abuse.
Although the Talbot family had the money to run such an operation, Jagger knew his father would work to put an end to what he’d see as frivolous and wasteful.
So, six months ago, Jagger started a foundation to raise money that would not only help care for the rescue horses but would also be available to other rescue centers.
Jagger nearly made it to the front steps when he heard a car pulling up the drive.
He turned to see a small, old, beat-up sedan coming toward him.
Must be lost. He stepped back out into the drive, prepared to give the driver directions.
When the car pulled closer and he was able to see the woman in the front seat, his insides went cold. She parked and stepped out of the car.
“Hi, Jagger.”
He heard the tentativeness in her tone but didn’t care. The cold was now replaced by white-hot anger. “What are you doing here, Tanya?”
“I…uh…I was hoping to talk with you.”
Jagger shook his head. She wasn’t slurring her words and her eyes were clear, so at least she’d shown up sober. But that didn’t mean he’d give her any of his time. “You’re not welcome here.”
She sighed. “I know you hate me, but I’m better now. I’m clean. I’ve been clean for nearly a year.”
Tanya had no right to be there. Not after what she’d done to Kaden.
“I don’t care.” He contemplated physically putting her in her car but wasn’t sure he could do it without hurting her. “Please, Jagger. Just hear me out.”
“No. The only reason you can be here is to see Kaden.” Thank God, he was heading to school. He didn’t need Kaden seeing her. “But you gave up that right when you chose to run off with your abusive drug-dealing boyfriend.”
“I know.” She looked down.
Her remorse and shame appeared real, but he had no sympathy for her.
She looked up at him again. “I messed up. You know what I was going through—”
“It doesn’t matter what you were going through. If you were any kind of mother, you’d have endured it and more. You abandoned him, choosing drugs instead. You left without a single thought.”
“I knew you’d care for him.”
“I have and I’ll continue to care for him. I’m his parent now, Tanya. So get in your heap and drive back to whatever hole you climbed out of, because I will not let you back in his life.”
She bit her lip, her expression suggesting she was thinking of her next words. “I’m his mother, Jagger—”
“No—”
“I am. I’ve been working hard to get myself together, and I want to make it right with you and Kaden.”
“You’re two years too late. He doesn’t even remember you.” Jagger wasn’t sure if that was true, but if it got her to leave, he’d say it. He’d do whatever was necessary to keep her away.
“I’m going to do this. If I have to get a lawyer, I will.”
Rage and terror roiled in Jagger’s gut. “I’ll ruin you if you try. Don’t think I won’t make sure everyone knows every sordid detail of your life.”
“You’re not perfect either.” Her chin lifted in defiance, but her voice quivered.
“No. But I don’t use drugs or abandon my responsibilities, especially to family. Since the day Kaden was born, I’ve been there.” He thumped his fist over his heart. “Since you abandoned him and his father died, I’ve been there. Biology doesn’t make you a parent, Tanya.”
“I know I’ve made mistakes. But I am his mother, and I will have him back.”
His hands clenched at his sides as he stepped toward her. Her eyes widened and she scrambled into her car. She glared at him through the window as she started the engine. Dirt billowed as she drove off.
Jagger watched for a moment as the anger dissipated into satisfaction at running her off. He hoped she headed out of town and never came back.
“I will have him back.” Her words came to him and with that, panic erupted. He grabbed his phone from his pocket, thankful he’d set an auto-dial for Kaden’s school. While he called, he ran into the house.
Grayson stood in the foyer. “Who was—”
“My keys.” Jagger headed toward the kitchen, where he knew Grayson stored his keys.
“I’ll get them.” Thankfully, Grayson understood the gravity of the situation without needing an explanation.
“Yes, this is Jagger Talbot.” He continued behind Grayson as the school secretary greeted him on the phone. “I need you to check on Kaden Talbot and make sure no one besides me takes him.”
“Only people on the approved pick-up list—”
“You don’t understand. Someone, a woman, Tanya Gilson…she might say she’s Tanya Talbot, may try to get him. Under no circumstances are you to let her have him.”
“I assure you only people on the—”
“She may not check in.” Good Christ, how could she not hear the desperation in his voice? “Someone needs to have eyes on him at all times.”
“Mr. Talbot—”
The sigh of annoyance set him on edge. “Put the principal on.”
“I’ll pull the car out.” Grayson jangled the keys and then headed to garage.
Jagger nodded and followed him out.
“She’s—”
“You know what? I think I’ll just call the police.” He was about to do it too, but then the secretary acquiesced.
“There’s no need for that. I’ll get the principal.”
Jagger slipped into the Porsche Cayenne, barely giving Grayson time to get out.
He’d always wanted to see just how far and fast he could push the luxury SUV, but he hadn’t thought he’d do it trying to prevent Tanya from abducting Kaden.
He pulled the door shut and put the vehicle in gear, not bothering with his seatbelt.
He bolted down the drive, barely stopping before pulling out onto the rural road.
“I understand there is a concern regarding Kaden’s safety—”
Jagger didn’t let the principal finish. “I need someone to check on him now and keep eyes on him until I get there.”
“There’s no need to come down, Mr. Talbot. I understand your concern. The busses are just arriving here at school and we’ll make sure no one other than you—”
“I’m coming. Check on him now.” He hung up, not wanting to listen to more patronizing. The schools made such a big deal about safety and parent involvement, but boy did they make it hard sometimes.
He made a circle around the school, looking for Tanya and her car. Not seeing them didn’t alleviate his dread. He parked and ran into the school, making a beeline to Kaden’s classroom.
“Mr. Talbot.” A tall, lean, middle-aged woman in a navy dress stepped out from the office as he made his way past. She held out a paper. “Kaden is fine, but you’ll need this visitor’s pass to go to his class.”