The Soldier And The Single Mom
Lee Tobin McClain
A Second-Chance FamilyWhen Buck Armstrong rescues Gina Patterson and her baby from a dark country road outside of town, he intends to keep his distance. Gina and little Bobby remind the handsome veteran too much of all he’s lost. The vulnerable single mom seems equally wary of getting involved. But things change once Gina and her son settle into his sister’s boarding house. Being with Gina and Bobby makes Buck question his plans to leave town for a fresh start. Suddenly, he has dreams of forging a new family, even though it will mean risking his heart. But can he escape his past for a chance at a happy future?Rescue River: Making forever families
A Second-Chance Family
When Buck Armstrong rescues Gina Patterson and her baby from a dark country road outside town, he intends to keep his distance. Gina and little Bobby remind the handsome veteran too much of all he’s lost. The vulnerable single mom seems equally wary of getting involved. But things change once Gina and her son settle into his sister’s boardinghouse. Being with Gina and Bobby makes Buck question his plans to leave town for a fresh start. Suddenly he has dreams of forging a new family, even though it will mean risking his heart. But can he escape his past for a chance at a happy future?
“I like it here, Buck,” Gina said.
“I think God may have sent me and Bobby here for a reason. I’m thinking maybe I’d like to stay.”
His ambivalence must have shown on his face, because she cocked her head to one side and spoke. “That bothers you, doesn’t it? How come? Is it about my resemblance to your late wife?”
“Somewhat.” Actually, he was starting to wonder how he’d ever mistaken her for Ivana. She had a plucky strength and determination, a set to her chin and a way of holding herself that were all completely her own. Still, he had questions.
“Look,” she said, “I’m sorry if I bring up memories for you. Maybe I’ll get on my feet quickly and be able to get out of here. But meanwhile…”
“Meanwhile, what?” He was holding her baby in the rainy twilight, looking at her and finding her beautiful, and feeling like he might be stepping into the biggest mess of his life.
Lee Tobin McClain read Gone with the Wind in the third grade and has been a hopeless romantic ever since. When she’s not writing angst-filled love stories with happy endings, she’s getting inspiration from her church singles group, her gymnastics-obsessed teenage daughter, and her rescue dog and cat. In her day job, Lee gets to encourage aspiring romance writers in Seton Hill University’s low-residency MFA program. Visit her at leetobinmcclain.com (http://www.leetobinmcclain.com).
Dear Reader (#u33fc0a0e-9e06-5298-b48e-cb2d1d60b816),
I hope you’ve enjoyed this latest trip to Rescue River, Ohio—a fictional town that incorporates some of my favorite things about my home state. For this book, I dug into the history of the Underground Railroad in Ohio. I also researched renovation and decor of historical houses...and veterinary tools...and twelve-step programs. I love all the things I get to learn about as I write my books. Yes, I’m a nerd!
Buck Armstrong first appeared in Rescue River as a minor character with a drinking problem, back in Engaged to the Single Mom (http://www.leetobinmcclain.com/books/rescue-river-books/engaged-to-the-single-mom/). At that point, I certainly didn’t envision him as a hero with his own romantic story. But as people keep telling Buck, and as he finally comes to believe, people change...with God’s help. When he can embrace the fact that he’s a new creation, he can be the husband Gina deserves and the father little Bobby needs.
If you would like to keep up with all of my news and book releases, stop on by my website, leetobinmcclain.com (http://www.leetobinmcclain.com). Sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll get a free story as a gift. And please come visit Rescue River again to read about Buck’s sister, Lacey, whose story comes out later this year.
Blessings,
Lee
The Soldier and the Single Mom
Lee Tobin McClain
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.
—2 Corinthians 5:17
To Porter, the real-world model for Spike. Rescue pets rule!
Contents
Cover (#u1310d95a-cd7a-58de-9718-34a2c1608ff2)
Back Cover Text (#u8cd09c9b-b62d-51e3-8982-16df2c21e454)
Introduction (#u5a717c5e-3c09-5aca-a161-4ccfd7baca51)
About the Author (#u27876bf6-ef69-535b-b3fe-36bb025f54a3)
Dear Reader (#uef0665d0-911d-59dc-8fef-609736416af1)
Title Page (#u0be24532-5971-5769-b594-df66e4d62064)
Bible Verse (#u6cfbc301-aecc-5ecd-88b4-6d63c2382c55)
Dedication (#u629cb59f-51e1-5ff5-bb8b-9ab926287a5e)
Chapter One (#uc0d7b076-b837-53bd-a8a1-f78b958f4a09)
Chapter Two (#uc5d5f43b-d12f-58c8-8056-f5d8991dd1f1)
Chapter Three (#u642cb07a-8ee5-5670-a3af-05f6ea948b32)
Chapter Four (#ud64a80d1-64f8-5cba-9e85-0f016925af32)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Dear Reader (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#u33fc0a0e-9e06-5298-b48e-cb2d1d60b816)
It was 2:00 a.m. on a mild March night when Buck Armstrong saw his dead wife walking toward the town of Rescue River, Ohio, carrying their baby on one hip.
He swerved, hit the brakes and skidded onto the gravel berm. On the seat beside him, Crater—his chosen companion for the night—let out a yip.
Buck passed his hand over his eyes. It wasn’t real—couldn’t be. He’d made similar mistakes before, when he was tired, when the war memories came back too strong. Tonight, driving home from assisting in an emergency surgery out at the dog rescue, he wanted nothing more than to keep driving past the turnoff to the liquor store, lock himself in his room and shut it all off until morning.
He looked again, squinting through the moonlit fog.
They were still there. But they were running away from him, or rather, his wife was. Baby Mia was gone.
Where was the baby? He scrambled out of the truck, leaving the door ajar. “Stay!” he ordered the dog automatically as he took off toward his wife. “Ivana! Wait!”
She ran faster, but Buck had gotten back into military shape since he’d quit drinking, and he caught up easily. Was relieved to see that the baby was now in front of her, in some sort of sling.
His hand brushed against her soft hair.
She screamed, spun away from him, and he saw her face.
It wasn’t his wife, but someone else. A complete stranger.
He stopped, his heart pounding triple time. Sweat formed on his forehead as he tried to catch his breath. “I’m sorry. I thought you were—”
“Leave us alone,” she ordered, stepping away, one arm cradled protectively at the back of the baby’s head, the other going to her oversize bag. “I have a gun.”
“Whoa.” He took a couple of steps back, hands lifting to shoulder height, palms out. A giant stone of disappointment pressed down on him. “I don’t mean you any harm. I thought you were... Never mind.”
A breeze rattled the leaves of a tall oak tree beside the road. He caught the rich scent of newly turned earth, plowed dirt, fields ready for planting. Up ahead, a spotlight illuminated the town’s well-known sign, kept up and repainted yearly since Civil War days: Rescue River, Ohio. All Are Welcome, All Are Safe.
Ivana had been so proud of their hometown’s history as a station on the Underground Railroad, its reputation for embracing outsiders of all types, races and creeds.
The good people of Rescue River had even put up with the damaged man he’d been when he’d returned from war, until he’d repeatedly broken their trust.
“Go back to your truck,” the woman ordered, hand still in her bag. Now that he could see her better, he realized she was sturdier than Ivana had been, with square shoulders and a determined set to her chin. Same long tawny hair, but fuller lips and big gray-blue eyes that were now glaring at him. “Do it. Back in the truck, now.”
He should do what she said, should turn around right now and get on home before the memories that were chasing him caught up.
Should, but when had he ever done what he should? “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night, ma’am? Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
She laughed without humor, shaking her head. “No way, buddy. Just drive away. We’ll all be better off.”
He had to admire her courage if not her common sense. There was no good reason for a woman with a baby to be wandering the countryside, but she was acting as if she owned the whole state.
“Sure you don’t want me to call someone?” Truth was, he felt relieved. He could go home and crash and try to forget that, just for a minute, he’d gotten the crazy hope that Ivana and the baby were still alive, that he’d get a second chance to love them the way they deserved.
“We’re fine.” She ran a hand through her hair and patted the baby who, somehow, still slept against her chest. He caught sight of wispy hair, heard that sweet, nestling-in sigh of a contented little one.
Pain stabbed his heart.
She did seem fine, perfectly able to defend herself, he argued against the faint whisper of chivalry that said he shouldn’t let a woman and child stay out here in the middle of the night. After all, he wasn’t much of a protector. He’d lost as many people as he’d saved in Afghanistan. And as for Ivana and Mia...
The sound of a mournful howl silenced his thoughts. Crater. “It’s okay, buddy,” he called, and the scarred rottweiler bounded out of the truck’s cab. As Crater jumped up on him, Buck rubbed the dog’s sides and let him lick his face and, for the first time since seeing the woman, he felt his heart rate settle.
“Let’s go home,” he said to the dog. But Crater had different ideas, and he lunged playfully toward the woman and baby. Buck snapped his fingers and the dog sank into a sitting position, looking back toward him. The deep scar on the dog’s back, for which they’d named him out at the rescue, shone pale in the moonlight.
“That’s a well-trained dog.” The woman cocked her head to one side.
“He’s a sweetheart. Come on, boy.”
The dog trotted to his side, and as they started back to his truck, Buck felt his heart rate calm a little more. Yeah, his shrink was right: he was a prime candidate for a service dog. Except he couldn’t make the commitment. As soon as he’d paid off his debts and made amends where he could, he was out of here, and who knew whether he’d end up in a dog-friendly place?
“Hey, hold on a minute.” The woman’s voice was the slightest bit husky.
He turned but didn’t walk back toward her. Didn’t look at her. It hurt too much. She was still a reminder of Ivana and all he’d lost. “What?”
“Maybe you could give us a hand. Or a ride.”
Buck drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, sure,” he said, trying not to show his reluctance to be in her company a moment longer. After all, he’d made the offer, so courtesy dictated he should follow through. “Where are you headed?”
“That’s a good question,” she said, lifting the baby a little to take the weight off her chest.
He remembered Ivana doing that very same thing with Mia. He swallowed.
“What kind of a town is Rescue River?”
“It’s a real nice town.” It was, too. He’d consider staying on there himself if he hadn’t burned so many bridges.
“Think I could find a cheap room? Like, really cheap?”
He cocked his head to one side. “The only motel had no vacancy, last I saw. My sister’s renovating what’s going to be a guesthouse, but it’s not open for another few months...”
“Does she have a room that’s done, or mostly done? We don’t need much.”
Buck wanted to lie, would have lied, except he seemed to hear Ivana’s voice in his head. Quoting Scripture, trying to coax him along the path to believing. Something about helping widows and orphans in their distress.
This woman might or might not be a widow, but to be out walking the rural Ohio roads in the wee hours surely indicated some kind of distress.
“She’s got a couple of rooms close to done,” he admitted.
“Do you think she’d let me rent one?”
He frowned. “I don’t know. Lacey’s not the most trusting person in the world. A late-night guest she isn’t expecting won’t sit well with her.”
The comment hung between them for an awkward moment. It was the simple truth, though. Or maybe not so simple. The fact that the pretty stranger had a baby would disturb Lacey. A lot.
The woman gave him a skeptical look, then straightened and turned away. “Okay. Thanks.”
Squeezing his eyes shut for just a second, he turned and tried to head back toward his truck. She wasn’t his responsibility. He had enough on his plate just to keep himself together.
Nope. Like a fool, he turned around. “Hey, wait. Come on. We’ll try to talk Lacey into letting you stay. At least for the night.”
“That would be wonderful,” she said, a relieved smile breaking out on her face.
Wonderful for her, maybe. Not for him. The last thing he needed was an Ivana look-alike, with a baby no less, staying one thin wall away from him.
“My name’s Gina, by the way.” She shifted the diaper bag and held out a hand.
“Buck Armstrong.” He reached out, wrapped his oversize hand around her soft, delicate fingers and wished he’d driven home another way.
* * *
Gina Patterson climbed into the backseat of the handsome stranger’s extended-cab pickup, her heart thudding. Please, Lord, keep us safe. Watch over us.
Don’t let him be a serial killer.
But a dog wouldn’t be that friendly with a serial killer, and a serial killer wouldn’t act that loving with a dog. Would they?
“Air bags,” she explained when he looked over his shoulder, eyebrows raised. “Can’t sit in front.” Technically, she shouldn’t even bring Bobby into the truck, not without a car seat, only she couldn’t figure out what else to do. She couldn’t give Buck the keys to get her car seat from her out-of-gas SUV, and she certainly couldn’t leave Bobby with him while she walked the three miles back to her vehicle.
They were safer in the backseat, she figured, safe from him as well as from any kind of car accident. If he tried to kidnap them, she could at least hit him in the back of the head with her shoe.
She was ready to drop with fatigue after three long days of driving, and it was getting colder by the minute. Buck’s arrival had to be the blessing she’d prayed for. Although he seemed pretty gruff for a rescuer.
“Right, I knew that. It’s less than a mile,” he said, and his dog panted back over the seat at her, smiling in the way happy dogs did. It made her miss her poodles, but she knew her best friend back home would take care of them.
She scratched the dog’s ears for a minute and then let her head sag back against the seat, thanking God again for keeping her and Bobby safe during their journey.
Well, mostly safe. She’d been foolish to leave her bag on the sink while she’d changed Bobby’s diaper. Who’d have thought there’d be a purse thief in a rest area in rural Indiana? Fortunately, she’d filled her tank just before the theft—with cash—so she’d kept going as far as she could, leaving the interstate so there’d be less of a trail.
The debit card she’d kept in her jacket pocket might help in the future, once things back home cooled down, but she didn’t dare use it now.
After the theft, she’d gotten scared and timed things all wrong. She’d thought she could make it to a hotel she’d seen advertised in a larger town up ahead, but the SUV was a gas hog and had sputtered to a stop a few miles back.
At which point she’d realized she didn’t have enough cash for a hotel, anyway.
“All set?” Buck looked back at her and Bobby, brows raised over eyes the color of the ocean on a cloudy day.
Man, those were some haunted eyes. “We’re set. Thank you for helping us.”
She studied the back of him as he put the truck into gear and drove into the town. Broad shoulders, longish hair and stubble that made him look like a bad boy.
What had he been doing out at 2:00 a.m.? The question only now occurred to her, now that she and Bobby were safe, or seemed to be. “Excuse me,” she said, leaning forward, “but you haven’t been drinking or...partying, have you?”
His shoulders stiffened. “No. Why?”
Whew. She hadn’t smelled alcohol on him, but alcohol wasn’t the only thing that could mess you up. Her husband had been an old hand at covering his addiction to cocaine, right up until he’d lost control on a California mountain and skied headlong into a tree. The drugs had shown up in the autopsy blood work, but when he’d left the ski chalet an hour earlier, she hadn’t even known he was impaired. Yet another mistake her in-laws had laid at her feet.
Her throat tightened and she crammed the memories back down. “Just wondering.”
So maybe she’d done the right thing after all. When Bobby had started to cry, she’d decided it was better to risk walking than to stay with her vehicle. She’d scraped together change from the floor and found her emergency twenty in the bin between the driver’s and passenger’s seats. So at least she could get Bobby some food. At ten months, he needed way more than mother’s milk.
Hopefully, she could find a church that would take her in, because calling in her lost wallet might put the police on her trail. She chewed on her lower lip.
How had she ever gotten into this situation? She tried to tell herself it wasn’t her fault. While she’d committed to stay with her husband, she hadn’t married her in-laws. Once he was gone, so was her obligation to them. When Bobby was old enough to know the whole story, he could choose to reconnect in a safe way if he wanted to.
“Guesthouse is right up there.” Buck waved a hand, causing Gina to look around and realize that Rescue River was a cute little town, the kind with sidewalks and shops and glowing streetlamps, a moonlit church on one corner and a library on the other. The kind of safe haven where she might be able to breathe for a little while and figure out her options.
Except that, without ID and with just a twenty and change, her options seemed very limited. Worry cramped her belly.
The stranger pulled up in front of a rambling brick home. The outdoor light was on, revealing a porch swing and a front-door wreath made of flowers and pretty branches.
“I’ll have to wake up my sister. You can wait here in the truck or out front.” He gestured toward the house.
Well, okay, then. No excess of manners.
Except that, actually, she was the stranger and he was doing her a service. “I’ll wait on the porch. Thanks.”
He seemed able to read her mind as he came around to open the truck door for her. “Sorry to leave you outside, but my sister is sort of touchy,” he said as they walked up the narrow brick walkway. “I can’t bring a stranger in to set up shop without asking permission. It’s her place.” He paused. “It’s a very safe town, but I’ll leave Crater out here if that will make you more comfortable.”
“It will, thanks.” It had been the dog, and the stranger’s reaction to the dog, that had made her decide he was a reliable person to help her.
That, and the fact that she was desperate.
In her worst moments she wondered if she’d done the right thing, taking Bobby away from her in-laws’ wealth and security. But no way. They’d become more and more possessive of him, trying to push her out of the picture and care for him themselves. And she kept coming back to what she’d seen: her mother-in-law holding Bobby out for her father-in-law to hit, hard, causing the baby to wail in pain. Her father-in-law had started to shake Bobby, she was sure of it, despite their vigorous denials and efforts to turn the criticism back on her.
Once she knew for sure, she couldn’t in good conscience stay herself, or leave Bobby in his grandparents’ care.
When she’d first driven away from the mansion that had felt increasingly like a prison, relief had made her giddy. She’d not known how oppressed she had felt, living there, until she’d started driving across the country with no forwarding address. Realizations about her dead husband’s problems had stacked up, one on top of the other, until she was overwhelmed with gratitude to God for helping her escape the same awful consequences for herself and Bobby.
As she’d crossed state lines, though, doubts had set in, so that now her dominant, gnawing emotion was fear. How would she make a living? What job could she get without references and with few marketable skills? And while she worked, who would watch Bobby? She wouldn’t leave her precious baby with just anyone. She had to be able to trust them. To know they’d love and care for him in her absence.
Inside the house, a door slammed. “I’ve about had it, Buck!”
She heard Buck’s voice, lower, soothing, though she couldn’t make out the words.
“You’ve got to be kidding. She has a baby with her?”
More quiet male talk.
The door to the guesthouse burst open, and a woman about her age, in a dark silk robe, stood, hands on hips. “Okay, spill it. What’s your story?”
The woman’s tone raised Gina’s hackles, whooshing her back to her in-laws and their demanding glares. The instinct to walk away was strong, but she had Bobby to consider. She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, a calming technique from her yoga days. “Long version or short?”
“I work all day and then come home and try to renovate this place. I’m tired.”
“Short, then. My purse was stolen, I’m out of gas and I need a place to stay.”
The woman frowned. “For how long?”
“I...don’t know. A couple of days.”
“Why can’t you call someone?”
That was the key question. How did she explain how she’d gotten so isolated from her childhood friends, how she’d needed to go to a part of the country where she didn’t know anyone, both to make a fresh start and so that her in-laws didn’t find her? “That’s in the long version.”
“So...” The woman cocked her head to one side, studying her with skepticism in every angle of her too-thin frame. “Are you part of some scam?”
“Lacey.” Buck put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “If you’re opening a guesthouse, you need to be able to welcome people.”
“If you’re serious about recovery from your drinking problem, you need to stop pulling stunts like this.”
Buck winced.
Gina reached up to rub her aching shoulder. Great. Another addict.
The woman drew in a breath, visibly trying to remain calm. “I’m sorry. But you’re blinded by how she looks like Ivana. Stuff like this happens all the time in big cities. We have to be careful.”
Bobby stirred and let out a little cry, and as Gina swayed to calm him, something inside her hardened. She was tired of explaining herself to other people. If she weren’t in such dire straits, she’d walk right down those pretty, welcoming porch steps and off into the night. “You can search me. All I’ve got is this diaper bag.” She shifted and held it out to the woman. “It’s hard to run a scam with an infant tagging along.”
Buck raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment, and scarily enough, she could read what he was thinking. So you don’t have a gun in there.
Of course she didn’t.
The woman, Lacey, took it, set it down on the table and pawed through.
Gina’s stomach tightened.
Bobby started to cry in earnest. “Shh,” she soothed. He needed a diaper change, a feeding and bed. She could only hope the trauma and changes of the past few days wouldn’t damage him, that her own love and commitment and consistency would be enough.
“Look, you can stay tonight and we’ll talk in the morning.” With a noisy sigh, the woman turned away, but not before Gina saw a pained expression on her face. “You settle her in,” she said to Buck. “Put her in the Escher.” She stormed inside, letting the screen door bang behind her.
* * *
Buck felt tired, inescapably tired, but also keyed up to where he knew he wasn’t going to sleep. “Come on,” he said to the beautiful stranger.
But she didn’t follow. “This isn’t going to work out. I’ll find something else.”
“There’s no place else.” He picked up her bag and beckoned her inside, with Crater padding behind him. “Don’t worry, Lacey will be more hospitable in the morning.” Maybe. He knew what else had bothered Lacey, besides the fact that she’d rescued him one too many times from some late-night escapade: Gina’s little boy. Just last year, Lacey had miscarried the baby who was all she had left of her soldier husband. Seeing someone who apparently wasn’t taking good care of her own child had to infuriate her.
He wasn’t sure his sister’s judgment was fair; Gina might be doing the best she could for her baby, might be on the run from some danger worse than whatever she’d be likely to face on an Ohio country road.
He led her through the vinyl sheeting and raw boards that were the future breakfast room, up the stairs and into the hallway that housed the guest rooms. “Here’s the only other finished one, besides mine,” he said, stopping at the room called the Escher. He opened the door and let her enter before him, ordering Crater to lie down just inside the door.
Gina looked around, laughing with apparent delight. “This is amazing!”
The bed appeared to float and the walls held prints by a modern artist Buck had only recently learned about. The nightstand was made to look like it was on its side, and the rug created an optical illusion of a spiraling series of stair steps.
“Lacey was an art history major in college,” he explained. “She’s hoping to coordinate with the new art museum to attract guests.”
“That’s so cool!” Gina walked from picture to picture, joggling the baby so he wouldn’t fuss. “I love Escher.”
He felt a reluctant flash of liking for this woman who could spare the energy for art appreciation at a time like this. He also noticed that she knew who Escher was, which was more than he had, until Lacey had educated him.
His curiosity about Gina kicked up a notch. She appeared to be destitute and basically homeless, but she was obviously educated. He scanned her slim-fitting trousers and crisp shirt: definitely expensive. Those diamond studs in her ears looked real.
So why’d she been walking along a country road at night?
She put the baby down on the bed and pulled out a diaper pad. “Sorry, he needs a change.”
“Sheets and towels here,” he said, tapping a cabinet. “There might even be soap. Gina already let one couple stay here for a honeymoon visit.”
She turned to him, one hand on the baby’s chest. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
“No problem.” Though it was. “I’ll be right next door if you need anything.”
She swallowed visibly. “Okay.”
Unwanted compassion hit him. She was alone and scared in a strange place. “Look, Lacey is a real light sleeper. She’ll wake up if there’s any disturbance. And... I can leave Crater here if you want a guard dog.”
“Thank you. That would be wonderful.” She put a hand on his arm. “You’ve been amazing.”
He didn’t need her touching him. He backed away so quickly he bumped against the open door. “Stay, boy,” he ordered Crater and then let himself out.
And stood in the hallway, listening to her cooing to her baby while a battle waged inside him. He wanted a drink in the worst way.
He reached down, but of course, Crater wasn’t there to calm him. He took one step toward the front door. Stopped. Tried to picture his recovery mentor.
Wondered whether the bar out by the highway was still open.
Ten minutes later, after a phone call to his mentor, he tossed restlessly in his bed. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Two (#u33fc0a0e-9e06-5298-b48e-cb2d1d60b816)
A hoarse shout woke Gina out of a restless sleep.
Instinctively, she reached for Bobby. She found him in the nest she’d made with rolled blankets and towels. Thankfully, he slept on through more shouted words she couldn’t distinguish in her sleepy state.
Sweat broke out on her body as she lay completely still, just as she’d done so many nights when her husband had come home drunk or high. Hoping, praying he’d sleep downstairs rather than coming up in the mood for some kind of interaction, whether affection or a fight. None of it ever ended well when he’d been using. Sometimes, his rage took physical form.
A knock on the door made her heart pound harder, but then she realized it came from the next room. She heard the clink of an old-fashioned key in a lock. A woman’s murmuring voice: “It’s okay, Buck. It’s okay. You had another nightmare.”
It all came clear to her: the guesthouse. The unfriendly landlady. Buck’s haunted eyes.
Sounded like he’d had a nightmare and his sister had come to wake him out of it.
She drew in a breath and rubbed Bobby’s back, comforted by the steady sound of his breathing. She’d landed in a safe place for the moment. The edges of the sky were just starting to brighten through the window, but she didn’t have to deal with her day just yet. She could sleep again.
There were more murmurs next door. A hall door opened and closed. A toilet flushed. Then silence again.
Surprisingly enough, she did drop back to sleep.
* * *
“Good morning!” Gina walked into the kitchen the next morning with Bobby on her hip. He’d woken up hungry, and she’d nursed him and fed him her last jar of baby food. It was time to figure out her next step.
“Hey.” Lacey’s voice sounded unenthusiastic. She wore scrubs and sat with a cup of coffee in front of her. Her eyes were puffy and underlined by dark shadows.
No wonder, given last night’s drama.
Lacey obviously wasn’t going to make conversation, so Gina soldiered on. “Thank you so much for giving me and Bobby a place to sleep last night.”
“Sure.” Lacey glanced up from her newspaper and then went back to reading an article on the local news page.
“You headed to work?” Gina asked. “What do you do?”
The woman tried to smile, but it was obviously an effort. “I’m a CNA. Certified Nursing Assistant. And yeah, I leave in half an hour.” A large orange cat wove its way between her legs and then jumped into her lap, and she ran her hands over it as if for comfort.
“You want me to fix you breakfast?”
That made Lacey look up. “What?”
“I’m a pretty good cook. If you’re going to work, you need more than coffee.”
Lacey let out a reluctant chuckle. “Is that so, Mom?”
Buck walked into the room, stretching and yawning hugely. He wore a plain, snug-fitting white T-shirt and faded jeans.
Gina swallowed hard. Okay. Yeah. He was handsome. At least, if you didn’t look into the abyss that seemed to live permanently behind his eyes.
“How’s everyone this morning?” he asked in a forced, cheerful tone.
Lacey pointed at Gina with her coffee cup. “She offered to cook breakfast.”
“Sounds good to me,” Buck said. “I’ve got comp time at the clinic from last night, so I’m gonna work on the house today. Could use some fuel, for sure.”
Lacey waved a hand toward the refrigerator and stove. “Knock yourself out,” she said to Gina.
Gina shifted Bobby and walked over to Lacey. “Any chance you could hold him? His name’s Bobby, by the way.”
Lacey scooted away so fast that the chair leg scraped along the freshly polished wood floor, leaving a raw scratch. “No, thanks. I... My hands are full with Mr. Whiskers.”
Buck was there in a fraction of a second, concern all over his face. “I’ll take him.”
Gina cocked her head at the two of them, curious. She’d never met a woman who wasn’t charmed by her son, especially when he was newly fed and changed, cooing and smiling.
Buck, on the other hand, held Bobby like a pro, bouncing him on his knee and tickling his tummy to make him laugh.
Gina rummaged in the refrigerator and found eggs, some Havarti cheese and green onions. It was enough to make a good-tasting scramble. Thick slices of bread went alongside, and she found some apples to cut up as a garnish.
When she placed the plates in front of the two of them a few minutes later, they both looked surprised, and when Lacey tasted the eggs, she actually smiled. “Not bad.”
“I like to cook.” Gina cleared her throat. “Is there any work you need done today? I have to find a way to get some gas out to my car, but other than that, I’d love to spend a few hours working around here in exchange for your letting me stay last night.”
Lacey waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. This breakfast is payment enough.”
“Truth is,” Gina said, her face heating, “I might need to impose on you for another night. So we could consider it advance payment.”
The other woman studied her thoughtfully. “Can you handle an honest answer?”
“Of course.”
“I have a hard time trusting someone who can’t afford a hotel but can afford shoes like that.” She gestured at Gina’s designer loafers.
Gina looked down at the soft leather and felt a moment’s shallow regret. She wouldn’t be wearing shoes like this anymore, that was for sure.
“She could work this morning while I’m here,” Buck interjected. “We need cleanup help, and anyone could do that. And this afternoon, she can work on getting her car and whatever else she needs to do.”
Gina gripped the edge of her chair for courage. Asking for favors wasn’t her favorite thing, not by a long shot, and she hated pushy people in general. But for Bobby, she’d do whatever was necessary. “What do you think about our staying tonight?”
Lacey’s jaw hardened. “I’m not going to throw you out into the street right away,” she said, “but you need to figure things out. Surely there’s people you can call, things you can do. I don’t want this to become permanent. The last thing either Buck or I needs is a stranger with a baby around here. You’re poison to us right now.”
Gina recoiled, shocked by the harsh words.
Buck held up a hand. “Lacey—”
“What? You know that’s why you had a nightmare last night. Because she looks like Ivana and she’s got a kid. It’s too much for either of us.”
“I’m sorry,” Gina said, her heart going out to them. Underneath Lacey’s brusque exterior was real pain that kept peeking through.
As for Buck, he’d looked down at his plate, but the set of his shoulders told her he wasn’t happy. Something had happened to him, maybe to both of them, and Gina couldn’t help wondering about it.
“I’ll help this morning, if you’ll allow it,” she said, “and then work on doing what I can this afternoon with my car so I can move on. Maybe there’s a police officer who can run me out to where it is. I’ll need to take some gas.”
And she’d need to rely on God, because twenty dollars wasn’t going to buy much gas or baby food, and it was all she had.
* * *
Buck heaved a sigh as he put the last stroke of paint on the breakfast-room wall. Having Gina here was even more difficult than he’d expected.
She worked hard, that was for sure. She’d single-handedly cleaned one of the guest rooms that had been finished but a mess. Carried out vinyl sheeting and masking tape, swept up nails, scrubbed the floor on her hands and knees, polished the bathroom fixtures to a shine. Now she was removing the tape from the area he’d painted yesterday.
The only time she stopped working was when Bobby cried. Then she’d slip off, he assumed to nurse the baby or to change his diaper. She’d put together a makeshift playpen from a blanket and pillows, and he crawled around it and batted at a couple of toys she had in her diaper bag.
She was resourceful, able to compartmentalize in a way few women he’d known could do. Certainly, in a way Ivana hadn’t been able to do.
Unfortunately, in other ways, it was way too much like having Ivana around. Some of their best times had been working around the house together with the baby nearby. They’d felt like a happy family then.
So having Gina and Bobby here now brought back good memories, but alongside them, a keen, aching awareness of all he’d lost. All he’d thrown away, really.
He shook himself out of that line of thought. He had a mission, and he needed to stick to it. Find out what you can about her, Lacey had told him.
He was curious enough that the job didn’t rankle. Not only would they find out whether she could be trusted to stay in their house another night, but he could maybe get rid of the crazy impression that this woman was just like Ivana.
“Do you want me to help with the trim?” She came in now, a little out of breath, with Bobby on her hip. “Or I could work on the kitchen cabinets. I noticed they need cleaning out.”
“I’d stay out of Lacey’s stuff. You’d better work on the cabinets in here. Do you know how to use a screwdriver?”
“Sure.”
She set Bobby up in the corner of this room and went to work washing the cabinet fronts, removing the handles, humming a wordless tune.
It was a little too domestic for him. “So, how are you gonna punt here?” he asked, his voice coming out rougher than he’d intended. “You got a plan?”
She looked up, and her eyes were dark with some emotion he couldn’t name. “I thought I’d try the churches in town first,” she said. “Where I lived before, some of the churches had programs for homeless families. Just until I can get on my feet and figure out what to do next.” She paused. “I’d prefer finding work, but I don’t know what’s available.”
So she thought of herself as homeless. That suggested she wasn’t just traveling from point A to point B. Something else was wrong. And it was weird, because she did have that rich-girl look to her. Her clothes were stylish and new, her haircut and manicure expensive looking. But she also looked scared.
“Not sure if you’ll find anything formal around here, but the churches are big on outreach. I can take you to ours. And then...you mentioned talking to the police about your car?”
“They’ll want to get it off the road as much as I do.” She frowned. “I just hope they won’t put my name in some kind of system.”
“You hiding from someone?” he asked mildly.
Her eyebrows went together and her eyes hooded. “I... Yeah. You could say that.”
“Boyfriend? Husband?”
She shook her head. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
That figured. A woman as pretty as she was had to have a partner, and Bobby had a father. Had someone abused her? “I’m not asking you to tell me everything, but I can help you better if I know your situation.”
Her cheeks flushed with what looked like embarrassment. “Thanks.” She wasn’t saying more, obviously.
“Where were you headed, originally?” he pushed on as he finished painting the crown molding.
She didn’t answer, so he repeated the question.
“I don’t know,” she said finally. “Anywhere. It didn’t matter. I just had to leave.” She studied the cupboard she was sanding, one of the old-fashioned and charming parts of the breakfast room, according to Lacey. “I wouldn’t mind finding a place to settle for a while. As long as it was safe.”
Not here, not here. He didn’t need any complications in Rescue River, and this woman seemed like a complication. “Safe from what?”
She shook her head. “Too long of a story.” Her voice sounded tense.
“Okay, then, what would you like to work at? What are you shooting for, jobwise?”
“My line of work was being a housewife, but obviously I need to find something else.”
Hmm. From the little she’d told him, he’d guess she’d been abused. And the last thing he and Lacey needed around here was an angry husband looking for his wife and child. She didn’t show any bruises, but maybe they were hidden. “What are you good at?”
“Organizing things. Raising kids. Planning parties.” She shrugged. “The type of thing housewives do.”
He’d have said that housewives washed dishes and cooked meals. He had a feeling about what kind of housewife she’d been—not an ordinary one. With that breakfast she’d cooked, he could imagine her catering to some wealthy husband, giving brunches for country-club ladies.
So it was very interesting that she’d run away.
* * *
Gina was bone tired after her short, broken sleep and a morning of physical work, and stressed out about the eleven messages she’d found on her phone, her in-laws demanding that she return Bobby to them immediately. Of course she’d disabled the GPS on her smartphone, but she was still worried her in-laws could somehow find her.
But Buck had offered to drive her around and, tired or not, she needed to seize the opportunity. Once she had her vehicle nearby with some gas in it, she’d feel better. She’d have an escape route and she wouldn’t be quite so dependent on the kindness of strangers.
When she went out to Buck’s truck, he was leaning in through the rear door, adjusting something.
“Wow, where’d you get a car seat? That’s wonderful!”
He cleared his throat. “It was sitting around here.” He reached out and took Bobby from her arms without meeting her eyes, then settled him into the infant seat and expertly adjusted the straps.
Mr. Tough Guy continued to surprise her.
They stopped first at the grocery store, a small, homey market a quarter the size of the superstore she’d shopped at back home. The aroma of rotisserie chicken filled the air, and bushels of produce, labeled as locally grown, stood in rows just inside the front door. Gina held Bobby in his sling, facing out so he could see the people passing by, which he loved. Buck waved to a cashier and pounded a bagger on the back as they walked toward the baby aisle.
When they got there, she picked out six jars of the cheapest baby food available. She looked over at the diapers and bit her lip, hoping the single one remaining in the diaper bag would last until she got to the box in the SUV.
Buck held a plastic basket for their purchases and studied the shelves. “Look at this stuff. Turkey with pears. What self-respecting baby would eat that?”
“I know. We used to see the weirdest baby food at World Gourmet. Avocado risotto, vanilla bean with spinach...” But that was a lifetime ago, when she’d been able to shop at the most expensive healthy foods emporium in her California town.
“Buck Armstrong, is that you?” came a woman’s husky voice.
They both turned. There in the food aisle of the Star Market was the most beautiful woman Gina had ever seen. Tall, super skinny, with high cheekbones and long shiny stick-straight black hair.
A little intimidated by the woman’s breathtaking looks, Gina could only offer a smile.
“Amy Franklin?” Buck reached out and hugged the woman, then held her shoulders to look at her, a genuine smile on his face. “It’s been a lot of years. Welcome home!”
“It’s nice to be back. Kind of.” The woman wrinkled her nose. “And this must be your wife and baby! I heard you’d married. He’s adorable!” She reached out to tickle Bobby’s chin.
“No, I’m not—”
“No, this isn’t—”
They both broke off. Bobby reached out to grab for the woman’s gold necklace.
“No, sweetie.” Gina loosened his fingers from the shiny chain and took a step back. “I’m just a friend he’s helping,” she said to the woman.
“Oh! My bad.” The woman looked apologetic. “I have a little one, too,” she said, turning her attention to Gina. “I’m raising my nephew, Tyler, and he’s about this one’s age. Maybe we could get together for a playdate sometime.”
“That would be great. I’m...” She paused, wondering how to describe her uncertain status. “I’m just in from California and I don’t know anyone. Well, except Buck and his sister.”
“I’m originally from California, too! We should definitely get together!”
Gina felt a surge of warmth. The idea of making mom friends on her own, rather than having acquaintances who were part of her wealthy in-laws’ power network, was just what she hadn’t known she was hungry for. “That would be great! Where’s your nephew now?”
“Oh, I’m trying out a babysitter, so I came to the grocery to give her an hour alone with him. And it’s killing me! I should go back, but give me your phone number and I’ll be in touch.”
They punched numbers into each other’s cell phones, and then the woman gave Buck a quick wave and left.
“Wow, is this town always that friendly?” she asked Buck.
He nodded and tried to smile, but his eyes were hooded and lines bracketed his mouth.
“Buck?” She touched his shoulder.
He shook his head very quickly a couple of times. “We done here?”
“Um, sure. I think so.”
“Let’s go.” He turned and walked toward the checkout, rapid but stiff.
She hurried after him. “What just happened?”
“Nothing. I think I’ll go ahead on out, wait in the truck.”
“But why?”
He stopped so quickly that she ran into him. “You look a lot like my wife. My dead wife. People who don’t know me well and don’t know what happened are going to think you’re her.”
“Ooh.” Realization dawned. “And your baby? What happened to your baby?”
“Dead in the same car accident.” His words were clipped, toneless. “Let’s go.”
It was what he didn’t say that haunted her through the checkout and the ride to their next stop, the church. She longed to ask him more about it but didn’t dare push the issue.
Obviously, his pain was raw. And having her around was like salt in the wound.
Too bad, because she was really starting to like Rescue River.
Chapter Three (#u33fc0a0e-9e06-5298-b48e-cb2d1d60b816)
When they arrived at the church on the edge of town, Gina was captivated. Its white steeple shone bright against the blue sky, and the building was surrounded by a grassy lawn. A creek rambled alongside the church, and several long picnic tables stood under a shelter. It was easy to picture small-town church picnics on that lawn.
Gina hoisted Bobby to her hip and followed Buck toward the church. As they walked up the steps, the door opened and several men came out dressed in work clothes, followed by another in a police uniform. Everyone greeted Buck, and the police officer tickled Bobby under his chin, making him giggle. That close, Gina could see the name tag that indicated he was the chief. Her stomach tightened. For the first time in her life, she felt like law enforcement officers were her enemies, not her friends.
Buck introduced her and briefly explained her story, even though Gina was willing him to be quiet with all her silent might.
“Car broke down, eh?” Chief Dion said. “SUV? White?”
“That’s the one,” she said faintly.
“Saw it this morning. Ran the plates.”
Gina’s heart thudded like a doom-filled drumbeat. Had her in-laws reported her car missing?
“Our computers aren’t communicating too well with those in California, so I couldn’t get any information,” he said. “Glad to know it’s got an owner. Need any help getting back on the road?”
“It’s just out of—”
“We might,” Buck interjected. “We’re headed out there in just a few minutes.”
“Call me if there’s any problem,” Chief Dion offered. “In fact, I might be able to meet you out there or have one of our officers meet you. Make sure everything’s okay.”
“Sounds good.”
As soon as Dion was gone, she turned to Buck. “Why’d you tell him we might need help? It’s just out of gas. And I’d...rather not have police involvement.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“It’s complicated.” He’d been very helpful, and yet she couldn’t fully trust him. She’d yet to meet the person who couldn’t be swayed by her in-laws’ money and power. The police detective she’d consulted privately about their unnecessary roughness had brushed aside her concerns and seemed more interested in how to get the wealthy couple to donate even more money to the local police department.
No, it was her and Bobby against the world. She headed on into the church, welcoming the dark, cool air.
“Come on—pastor’s this way.” As he took the lead, his shoulder brushed against her in the narrow hallway. An awareness clicked into her, something she hadn’t felt since well before her husband had died. Whoa. What was that?
As they approached a doorway marked Pastor’s Study, a middle-aged man stood up from behind the desk and came out to greet them, shaking Buck’s hand heartily and then turning to her. “What a pleasure! Buck, we don’t see you here often enough these days. You just missed the men’s prayer group, fixing up one of the elementary classrooms. What brings you here?”
“This is Gina,” Buck said. “She’s looking for some help. Gina, meet Pastor Ricky.”
Heat flushed Gina’s face. She hated being in this position: helpless, homeless, asking for what amounted to a handout. It’s for Bobby, she reminded herself.
The pastor invited them in, and Gina sat down, cuddled Bobby to her chest and explained their situation to a minimal degree. Homeless, purse stolen, looking for work and a place to stay.
The pastor nodded sympathetically. “The church isn’t really set up for that,” he said. “When we need places for people to stay, we usually ask families to put them up. In fact, Lacey, Buck’s sister, has helped us out a few times.”
“It would work better if she stayed somewhere else,” Buck said.
Ouch! Gina had been an interloper back at her in-laws’ place, where she’d been tolerated because she had given birth to the heir to the empire. But that feeling of always being on the outside, a burden, was a part of what she’d been fleeing.
The last thing she wanted was to feel that way at Lacey’s place, but Buck was making it obvious that he didn’t want her there.
“Let’s see. There’s Lou Ann Miller, but I think she’s away visiting her sister. Maybe Susan Hayashi? Except her mom and brother are here visiting, and they’re doing some renovations on Sam’s house. Getting ready for the wedding, you know. Such a nice couple.” He looked at Buck’s impatient expression and waved a hand. “But you don’t need to hear about all that. You’re sure Lacey’s place isn’t an option?”
“Like I said, somewhere else would be better.”
“Sure enough. I’ll ask around. And I’ll check the balance in the emergency fund.” The pastor studied Buck with a level expression, obviously wondering what was going on. “I’d take you in myself, except we have a houseful of teenagers for the Artists for Christ Concert over in Mansfield. Not very quiet for your baby.”
As if on cue, Bobby wiggled hard, trying to get down to the floor, and she gave the place a quick check for hazards and then set him down. “Do you know of any jobs?” she blurted out before she knew what she was saying. And wondered when Rescue River had become a viable place to live. “I don’t want charity—I want to work, and I’m willing to do anything. I’m good at decorating, cooking and event planning, and I’m really organized. And I have most of a college degree.” Her voice cracked a little on the last word. She’d been thinking about her job skills ever since she left her in-laws’ place, and figuring out how to package her housewife background into something more impressive. Still, it was hard to brag about herself.
“Hmm. Again, we’re a very small town, so I don’t know of much. But what about Lacey? She’s doing all that renovation. Surely she could use some help...”
“That’s not going to work.” Buck’s words were flat, firm and final.
And that irked Gina. She scooped Bobby back up into her arms. “I’m sorry I remind you of your ex. I’ll get out of your hair as soon as I can. But I have to do my best for my son. Why are you so against my working for Lacey, if I can talk her into it?”
He lifted an eyebrow, clearly trying to play it cool. “Because you’re on the run and we know nothing about you.” He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “And...look, Lacey’s not as strong as she acts. Let’s leave it at that.”
What could she say? She nodded, feeling like there was more to the story.
The pastor put a hand on each of their arms. “Let’s take it to the Lord,” he suggested, and Gina felt ashamed she hadn’t done more praying about her situation. She’d been too tired and too worried, but that was exactly when she needed to turn it over to God. Buck and Gina bowed their heads, and the pastor uttered a short prayer for Gina to find shelter and work and for everyone to get along. Something like that. Though she felt too upset and flustered to focus on the words, the pastor’s heartfelt prayer offered a tiny sense of peace.
At the gas station, Buck pulled out a couple of five-gallon gas cans. “We’ll fill both of these,” he said to the attendant who came out to help, even though they were at a self-serve pump.
Gina touched Buck’s arm, embarrassed. “Um, could we just fill one? About halfway? That should do me until...” She trailed off, her face heating. Never in her life had she been completely broke, not able to afford more than a couple of gallons of gas at a time.
He waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll fill both.”
“No, I’d rather just do what I can afford.”
“I said don’t worry about it.”
“Trying to get me as far away as you can, are you?” She was half joking, and then she saw on his face that she’d guessed exactly right. “Fine, fill both.” She slammed back into Buck’s truck, feeling unaccountably hurt.
There was no particular reason why Buck should like her or want her to stay. Just because he’d rescued her last night, he didn’t have responsibility for her future or Bobby’s. That was solely on her shoulders.
The thing was, as she rode around Rescue River, even now as she watched the gas-station attendant clap Buck on the shoulder and help him lift the heavy gas cans into the back of his pickup, she liked this place. She could picture herself and Bobby playing in the park and attending the church and getting together with other friendly people. She could imagine herself a part of this community.
On the other hand, the idea of the man beside her resisting every moment of her presence was disconcerting. She hated not being wanted. She’d grown up feeling that way, and she’d married into a family where she felt like an outsider. Was she continuing her same sick pattern?
Rescue River was where the Lord had led her. It seemed like the perfect place to stay, at least for a while.
She just had to convince Buck not to block the whole idea.
* * *
Buck helped Gina fill the gas tank on her loaded, late-model SUV, continuing to wonder what her story was, continuing to get distracted by the lemony scent of her hair. Dion was there, too, helping and subtly questioning, observing everything.
It was early evening, but Buck could still hear the steady chink-chink-chink of a rotary tiller off in the distance. Probably Rob Richardson, trying to get his field finished before the rain came on. Sun peeked through a bank of dark clouds, illuminating the freshly plowed acre beside them. Buck inhaled the sweet, pungent zing that indicated a storm was headed their way.
Gina thanked them both politely, strapped Bobby into the car seat and headed back to the guesthouse. Buck was about to climb into his truck when Dion gestured to him. “Stay back a minute, would you?”
Buck turned toward the police chief. “Sure. What’s up?”
It wasn’t like he was eager to get home. He was half hoping that Gina, now that she had a tank of gas and some baby food, would hightail it to the next town. Or the next state.
Then again, what would she do if she left Rescue River? Alone without money and with a baby to care for, what were the odds that she’d survive, let alone do well?
He didn’t want to worry about her, because being around her disturbed him on so many levels. Her resemblance to Ivana evoked all kinds of feelings he’d had during his marriage. That initial attraction. Anger at how Ivana’s love for him had cooled. Fear that he’d made a lifelong mistake in marrying her, and guilt that he’d let his feelings show.
Horrible guilt about how everything had ended. And with that, the way his drinking had spiraled out of control.
“We have a little bit of a problem,” Dion said.
“With the car?”
“More so with the baby. Did you notice the bandage on his arm?”
Buck nodded. “She said it’s a scratch.”
“Mmm-hmm. Have you seen any other marks on the kid?”
Buck stared at Dion as the puzzle pieces started moving into place. “You’re thinking...what? That somebody abused the baby?”
“Could be.” Dion nodded, not looking at Buck, staring out over the fields. “Could be her.”
“No.” Buck reeled back against that accusation. “I’ve seen how protective she is. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. I more got the impression that she’s running away.”
“That’s my gut instinct, too, but she’s a pretty woman and a mother, so guys like us can be a little distracted. Keep your eyes open for it, would you?”
“Did you find out something against her?”
Dion frowned. “Not officially. But I have a few friends in law enforcement on the West Coast. Apparently, someone tried to report the car stolen, only to find out that it’s not even eligible for unlawful use for another four days.”
“Unlawful use? So...”
“So she took a car that belongs to a family member or friend. Maybe she had permission to use it, but not to take off in it.”
“What are you saying? What do you want to do?”
“I’m thinking she’s either a woman in trouble, or she’s trouble herself. Either way, that baby’s the victim.”
“So we should...”
“We should try to get her to stay in Rescue River, is what I’m thinking.” Dion frowned, rubbed a hand over his chin. “No, it’s not exactly our problem, and we can’t make her stay, but it would be a good thing for her to stick around here until I can make some phone calls, find out what her story is. It’s safe here, and I can monitor the situation, make sure she’s not the abuser and maybe prevent those who are from finding her.”
Something primal raised the hairs on the back of Buck’s neck, and he gave Dion a narrow stare. “You like her, don’t you?”
They weren’t exactly friends. Dion had pulled Buck out of a couple of fights in his role as a cop, when Buck was drinking. Nowadays, Dion was more likely to evangelize him, which was almost worse. But at least it meant that Dion didn’t think he was unredeemable, like so many in town did.
Maybe they had the beginnings of a friendship, but it wasn’t enough to quell Buck’s irrational twinge of jealousy at the thought of Dion liking Gina.
Dion’s eyebrows came together. “What’re you talking about, man? I don’t even know her. I just see a Christian duty, and a judicial one, to watch out for her. And to watch her. Asking for your help as a citizen.”
Buck chuckled, feeling relieved. “That’s a first. You asking me to help you on the right side of the law.”
“People change.” Dion gave him a level stare. “Remember that, my man. People change.”
* * *
Buck pondered that thought all the way home, and it gave him a spring to his step as he trotted up the guesthouse stairs, trying to stay ahead of the rain that was starting to fall. People changed. Maybe even him.
Just before he touched the door handle, he saw a movement on the far side of the porch.
Gina. Rocking gently on the porch swing, pulling a blanket over her shoulder, probably to shield Bobby from the sound of Buck’s footsteps and the flash of lightning.
He walked quietly toward them, mindful of what Dion had said. He wanted to watch how she handled Bobby with Dion’s questions in mind. If Gina was in trouble, he wanted to help her somehow. He couldn’t push her away, no matter how disturbing it was to be around her. She could be in real danger.
“Hey,” he said, keeping his concerns out of his tone. “You made it back okay? Vehicle’s running well?”
She nodded. “Yes, and Lacey said we can stay one more night. Only one, though. Then we have to be on our way.” She sounded sad.
“Do you...want to stay more?”
She adjusted Bobby with a tender care and private, loving smile. Then she looked out at the rainy twilight. “I like it here, and it feels safe. Like a good place to get my bearings.”
“That’s the town’s history and reputation,” he said. “Rescue River’s always opened its arms to those in need.”
“It feels welcoming.” She shot him a glance. “Well, mostly.”
Buck decided to be honest. “I feel for your situation, but...” He trailed off as she adjusted Bobby again, and he realized exactly what she was doing.
She was nursing him.
He stood up quickly. “Whoa, I’m sorry to intrude. I didn’t realize...”
“It’s okay,” she said, chuckling. “It’s a natural thing and I know how to cover up. I’ve fed Bobby in all kinds of places.”
“That’s...pretty cool.” He’d never been one of those guys who was turned off by nursing or pregnancy or childbirth. Just the opposite, in fact. He’d never loved Ivana more, never felt closer to her, than when she was in the height and glory of womanhood, pregnant with his child or feeding little Mia from her own body. The whole thing amazed him. God’s creativity in action.
Rain was pounding hard now, bringing with it a fresh, clean-washed smell and cooler air.
He felt himself looking at Gina in a new light. His heart warmed toward her in a visceral way: that ancient male reaction to a mother and child in need. Yes, having her here was disturbing, but he thought he could handle it, at least for a short time.
And after all, he wouldn’t be here for long himself. He was putting every penny he had into making restitution, repaying money he’d borrowed, getting back on his feet. Living here with Lacey rent-free in exchange for his renovation work. He didn’t have the means to leave town, not yet, but he would soon.
“I like it here, Buck,” Gina said. “I think God may have sent me and Bobby here for a reason. I’m thinking, maybe, I’d like to stay.”
His ambivalence must have shown on his face, because she cocked her head to one side and spoke. “That bothers you, doesn’t it? How come? Is it about my resemblance to your wife?”
“Somewhat.” Actually, he was starting to wonder how he’d ever mistaken her for Ivana. She had a plucky strength and determination, a set to her chin, a way of holding herself that were completely her own. Still, he had questions.
She frowned and looked down at Bobby, who was starting to show signs of being done nursing. She turned a little away and wiped his mouth.
“Want me to burp him?” he asked before he could stop himself.
She quirked an eyebrow. “Can you?”
“Sure.” He leaned down and picked up the baby boy and held him against his shoulder. He was sturdier than Mia had been. Gina had mentioned that Bobby was ten months. Mia had made it only eight.
But propping a baby with one hand, flipping the burp cloth over his shoulder, patting the baby’s back, that all came right back to him. Like riding a bike. You didn’t forget.
He pulled Bobby a little closer, breathing him in, cherishing the feel of the baby, pretending he was Mia. Pretending his little daughter was still alive and well and happy. That he hadn’t driven Ivana from their home in a moment of anger and desperation.
If only none of it had happened.
“Look,” she said, “I’m sorry if I bring up memories for you. Maybe I’ll get on my feet quickly and be able to get out of here. But meanwhile...”
“Meanwhile what?” He was holding her baby in the rainy twilight, looking at her and finding her beautiful, and feeling like he might be stepping into the biggest mess of his life.
And then, as he adjusted the sweet little bundle in his arms, Bobby’s pajama leg came up and he saw it.
A bruise the size of a beer coaster. Or a man’s fist.
“If it were just me, I’d leave for your sake,” she said. “But this looks like the perfect safe place for Bobby, and I have to put him first.”
He concealed his reaction to the bruise and stroked the baby’s downy hair, his heart pounding. “Of course you do.”
“But I don’t know why I’m even talking to you about it. Your sister’s the one who’s determined to get rid of me.” She was looking up at him with troubled eyes as the wind blew a strand of hair in front of her face. “I don’t know what to do.”
He could see that it cost her to admit that, to ask for advice. She’d do it, though, for her son. He could already tell she was that kind of woman.
He didn’t think she could possibly have injured Bobby, which meant that someone else had done it. Someone she was running from?
And if so, what right did he have to push her away? Especially if it resulted in this little one being hurt again?
He patted Bobby’s back until a loud burp made them both laugh. Then he sat down in the rocker across from the porch swing, still holding Bobby.
“Want to tell me about Bobby’s father?”
She drew in a breath and let it out again, slowly, seeming to consider. Finally, she spoke. “Hank was...smart and handsome. And rich.”
He smiled. “Bodes well for Bobby.”
“Yes. I just hope he doesn’t inherit a couple of the other genes.”
“Like?”
“Like the addiction-prone one.”
“Oh.” Buck looked away, feeling ashamed. Addiction was considered genetic by some, but more of a character flaw by most. And it was a flaw he shared. “Did your husband ever do AA or anything like that?”
“He was more into cocaine,” she said, “but sure, he did NA. Plenty of times.”
“It never took?” That was discouraging. “You’re talking about him in the past tense. Is he dead?”
“He died not long after Bobby was born. Ski accident.”
“Drugs?”
She nodded. “Yes. He was high, skiing one of the most dangerous double black diamond slopes in California. He didn’t have a chance.”
“I’m sorry.” Why did a guy do drugs when he had a wife and baby who needed him?
Then again, why did any addict do what he did?
“So that’s not who you’re running from.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s...my in-laws.”
“Your husband’s family? What’s the problem there?”
She sighed. “Abuse, if you must know. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Buck’s pulse rate shot up. There it was. He’d like to get his hands on those people. “If they abused you or Bobby, they should go to prison.”
“They should, but they won’t,” she said with complete certainty.
“They’re that powerful?”
“They’re that powerful.”
The sky was black velvet now, the air cooling more. She huddled under the blanket she’d been using as a nursing cover. She looked so pretty. So vulnerable. So in need of protection.
As was the little baby now sleeping in his arms.
He wasn’t going to let anything happen between him and Gina, no way, but he had to let her stay. Dion had asked him to, and he had a lot to report to the police chief. And maybe, just maybe, it was a way for him to get over Ivana, move on. Maybe this was part of the restitution he was trying to practice in his recovery.
He was to make amends for wrongs he had done. Well, he was doing that with bar owners around town, with friends he’d borrowed from. With Lacey, who’d had to put up with a lot from him during his two-year drinking spree.
But the people he’d wronged the most were dead.
Could he make restitution through Gina and Bobby? Give something to them, and that way right the balance with his wife and child, who were beyond earthly help?
And once he’d made his restitution and saved up a little money, he’d leave. Leave, with a clean slate, and start over somewhere where nobody knew his past. It was what he wanted. All he wanted. All he was working for.
The wind blew the cool farm air toward the house, fragrant with fresh-plowed earth. Crickets sang out in a chorus. Streetlights flickered on down the block, where the shops were.
He slid one hand away from the baby and into his pocket where he carried his recovery coin. Six months sober. He could handle this new challenge.
“I’ll talk to Lacey,” he said gruffly. “Try to get her to let you stay awhile. And you can work on the renovation with me.”
Chapter Four (#u33fc0a0e-9e06-5298-b48e-cb2d1d60b816)
Later that night, Gina had just closed her eyes when her phone buzzed. She grabbed it, not wanting to risk waking Bobby.
When she saw it was her friend Haley, back in California, she sat upright. “Hang on,” she whispered and slipped a robe over her lightweight tank top and shorts.
Grabbing her phone, she hurried down to the small alcove on the landing of the stairs. It was one of the few public areas in the guesthouse that was finished, with lace curtains and a braided rug. She settled into the window seat, pulled her feet up underneath her and leaned back against comfortable cushions. She could see the half-open door of her room at the top of the stairs, so she’d notice if Bobby stirred.
“Okay, I can talk,” she said quietly. “How are you? I miss you so much!” Ever since she and Haley had shared a room on the maternity floor, their babies born within hours of one another, they’d been close friends. Haley was the only person in whom Gina had confided about her plans to leave town.
“I miss you, too, but that’s not why I called.”
“Are the dogs okay?”
Haley laughed. “They’re bad, and spoiled, but you know I love them. No, that’s not the problem.”
“Did you find anything out?” She was hoping, though not expecting, that Haley had figured out a way she could gain access to some of the money she should have inherited as Hank’s widow.
“It’s not good news.” Haley cleared her throat and went into business mode, not a problem for her since she worked in a bank. “I’ve been nosing around, and it sounds like assets in probate can be tangled up for a year, eighteen months if the estate is complicated.”
“Which it is.” Hank’s parents, seeing the mess Hank had made of his life after Bobby was born, had put most of his inheritance in trust. Gina even suspected that they’d gotten Hank to sign some CDs over to them when he was high.
“I talked to my manager—in confidence, didn’t identify you—and she said that because there wasn’t a will, there’s no way around this long process. I’m so mad Hank didn’t protect you and Bobby!”
“I know.” Gina’s chest ached, as it always did when she thought of Hank. He’d been so much fun when they’d first met; he’d swept her off her feet, had loved her madly. In the first two years of their marriage she’d realized his partying went further than it should—sometimes much further—but they’d still had a base of love and care for each other.
Bobby’s arrival had changed everything. The responsibility of fatherhood had overwhelmed Hank, and Gina, sleep deprived and cranky, hadn’t been as understanding as before. He’d gone off the deep end, dug into his bad habits and made the leap from recreational drug user to addict.
“He wasn’t thinking straight,” she said to Haley and left it at that.
“The good news is, within a few years, when it’s all straightened out, you and Bobby should be okay.” Haley’s voice didn’t sound all that reassuring, though.
“It sounds like there’s a but in there somewhere.”
“There is.” Haley’s voice sounded shaky. “Gina, there’s a big problem.”
“What? Tell me.” Gina’s heart felt like a stone. She wanted to start a new life, for herself but even more, for Bobby. But right now, it seemed like she’d never get free.
“It’s your in-laws. When I saw Hank’s cousin this morning, she told me they’re going to report your car as stolen.”
“What?” From the downstairs kitchen, Gina heard what sounded like an argument and lowered her voice. “That car’s mine! Hank gave it to me!”
“But is the title in your name?”
Gina squeezed her eyes shut as if she could block out this unwelcome news. “No. It was in Hank’s name.”
“And since the estate’s stuck in probate...”
Gina leaned her head back against the window, staring up at the ceiling. If they’d reported the car stolen, she was essentially a common criminal.
“Gina? Honey?”
Gina blew out a breath. “I’ll be tracked down for sure, then, because the police department here has my vehicle information. What am I going to do?” Her voice broke on the last couple of words, and she swallowed hard, determined to maintain control.
“I’ve already thought about that. You’ve got to give it back, that’s all.”
“Give it back? When I’m here and they’re in California?”
“Yep, and I’ve figured out how. You use one of those driving services. They load your vehicle on a truck and drive it across the country. It’s done all the time.”
Gina was still wrapping her mind around the facts: that her car wasn’t her car, and that she was a wanted criminal. “It’s got to be expensive,” she said finally. “I’m almost out of money.”
“Didn’t you say you had a debit card?”
She did. “But it’s not safe to use it.” It wasn’t as if there was a lot of money in the old joint account—Hank had drained most of it away in the months before his death—but there was something. Something for Bobby’s future, if they could make it through the first couple of months.
Haley sighed audibly. “No. No, it’s not safe, especially now that you’re a wanted person. The police could track you to where you are.”
Gina felt a sharp rush of shame that she had no savings of her own. If only she hadn’t acquiesced to staying home with Bobby... She glanced up toward her room. No, she couldn’t regret that decision. They’d both agreed that since they had the means, it would be best for her to spend Bobby’s early years at home with him.
She shoved open the window, letting the rain-soaked breeze soothe her hot face.
“We’ve got to hire you a transportation service, have you send back the car. The way I see it, you don’t have a choice.” Haley cleared her throat. “I talked to Josh. We...we can pay for it.”
“No.” Gina couldn’t let her friend do that. She and her husband had tons of student debt and no family money. Although they both worked, the high cost of living in their part of the state made it so that they barely scraped by every month.
And yet Haley was right. Staying out of trouble with the law was a bigger priority even than a financial safety net.
“Look, what if I mail you my ATM card? That way you can take the money out of my account, and if it’s traced, it’ll be local, not here.” Gina couldn’t believe how quickly she was able to flip into criminal mode when it was Bobby’s safety in question. “If I do that, can you set it up for me? Do we just send the SUV to them? I’m afraid they’ll find out where it came from and track us down.”
“Nope. Overnight the card to me, and I’ll get it all set up right away. As soon as the SUV arrives, I’ll drive it over to your in-laws’ place and leave it.”
“How? In the middle of the night?”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll figure out some explanation.” She paused. “I really want this to work for you, Gina. I miss you, but you did the right thing. Bobby comes first.”
“Thank you so much. You’re an amazing friend.” Her throat tight, she chatted for a couple more minutes and then ended the call.
How was she going to manage without a vehicle? And yet, what choice did she have?
She looked out the window at the streetlights of Rescue River. The main street glistened with today’s rain. She could see the market, the diner, the library.
She could see them, which meant she could walk to them. She looked up at the stars. “You knew what You were doing when You put me here, Father,” she murmured in a low voice.
She let out a sigh and slid her feet down to the floor...only to shriek at the sight of a large figure standing a couple of steps down from the landing. When she recognized Buck, her heart rate settled a little.
He flicked on the hall light. “Sorry to startle you. I was talking to Lacey about your situation. Coming upstairs to my room.” Unnecessarily, he gestured toward the upper floor. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
She remembered the raised voices she’d heard. “Let me guess,” she said. “Your talk with Lacey didn’t go well.”
“I’m afraid not.” He sat on the other end of the curved window seat, his face barely visible in the glow of a streetlight. “She’s just not comfortable having you here. She said you could stay for a couple more days, through Monday, Tuesday if you really need to, but that’s all.”
The weight of her responsibilities pressed down on Gina. She couldn’t stay, then, not unless she found another job. But she couldn’t go, not with her transportation being taken out from under her.
“Hey, I’m sorry.” He reached out a hand and patted her shoulder.
Surely he meant it as a friendly touch, but to Gina, the warmth of his large hand made her want to hurl herself into his arms. He seemed so strong and competent and kind.
And she couldn’t give in to that desire to be rescued. “Thanks for trying. With God’s help, I’ll figure out something.”
Rather than nodding and moving away, he gave her shoulder another pat and looked into her eyes. “When I met you, I thought you were one of those ladies who lunch, someone who never had a problem. But that’s far from the truth, isn’t it?”
“Miles away.” She couldn’t handle the compassion in his eyes, but she couldn’t look away, either.
“If I wasn’t knee-deep in problems of my own, problems of my own creation, I’d try to help you more.” He squeezed her shoulder once and then pulled his hand away.
“Thanks.” She actually believed him.
“One thing I can offer,” he said, “is an invitation to church tomorrow. Nine o’clock. It’s a great community church, the one we stopped by before, and who knows, maybe someone is hiring or can put you up.” He sounded doubtful. And she couldn’t tell whether he wanted her to stay or not. Probably not.
He was offering her solace, and shamefully, church didn’t seem like a lot of help right now. But it was what she had, and she knew, intellectually at least, that God was big enough to handle any problem.
And she also knew that staying here in the dim moonlight, talking to a very handsome and compassionate man, wasn’t the solution to anything. She stood and turned toward the stairs. “I’d love to go. Thanks for asking.”
* * *
Minutes after Gina went into her room and closed the door, Buck trotted downstairs. He was putting on his coat when Lacey came out of the kitchen, holding her orange cat in her arms.
“Where are you going?” she asked. “It’s late.”
“Need some air.” The conversation with Gina had thrown him off balance in more ways than one, and he knew he wouldn’t sleep anytime soon.
Not to mention he was worried about the baby. Earlier tonight, when Gina had gone inside to fetch his binky, Buck had snapped a photo of Bobby’s bruise to show Dion.
His sister cuddled the cat closer and studied him, her forehead wrinkled.
“It’s just a walk, Lace.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes!” Then, ashamed of his sharp tone, he put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. He shouldn’t be mad at her when she’d bailed him out of so many problems. Between her own tragedies and his bad behavior, his waiflike younger sister had been forced to grow stronger than any woman should have to be. “I won’t be out long and I won’t do...what I used to do.”
“I know.” She leaned into his side. “I just got in the habit of worrying about you, know what I mean?”
“I know. But I’m fine.”
At least, he hoped he was fine, he thought as he stepped out the door. In the past, he’d have for sure gone on a bender just because he felt mixed up about that encounter with Gina.
He was worried about what he’d overheard, but that wasn’t all of it.
Turned out God had a sense of humor. He was attracted to the pretty, maternal stranger.
Buck blew out a sigh and strode through Rescue River’s small business district. A farming community to the core, the town shut down early. The diner and the shops all had doors closed and lights off.
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