Chasing Second Chances (18 page)

You can’t stop now, Kate.

She ran to the car, where she slipped into the driver’s seat, started the engine and reached to open the glove compartment.

Just then, her phone rang.

Lt. Paulson.

She debated whether or not to answer it but decided on impulse on the latter. “Lieutenant, I’m sorry I left without…”

“We know where your children are, Ms. Evans.”

She looked at the piece of paper in her hand. “22 Silver Tree St.?”

“Yes,” Lt. Paulson answered. “How did you…?”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She hung up and drove off, ignoring the crack of thunder that was louder than the last.

I’m coming, Lena, Jack…Mommy’s coming…

Chapter Twenty-three

Something was going on, Lena thought.

A few seconds ago, she had woken up to the sound of Vicky shouting and then running down the stairs, followed by the slamming of a door. Now, Jack was crying, seemingly angry that his sleep had been disturbed, and there was a lot of noise in his room. A minute more and Mrs. Curly entered Lena’s room, opening drawers and trying to fit as many of her clothes into a garbage bag.

Lena sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes.

What was going on?

“It’s good that you’re awake,” Mrs. Curly said. “We’re leaving.”

Lena blinked. “Leaving? Where?”

“No questions,” the woman told her. “We have to go now.”

Lena didn’t really understand why they were leaving, nor did she want to leave, but after her failed escape, Bill had told her that the next time she caused trouble, he would put her in a small cage like a bunny, and she didn’t want that.

Slowly, half because she was still sleepy and half because she was hesitant to leave, she got out of the bed and walked after Mrs. Curly who held a yawning Jack in her arms, following her down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, they all stopped, a group of police officers in the living room.

“Mrs. Lawrence, put the child down and put your hands behind your head,” one of the police officers said.

The woman did nothing.

“Mrs. Lawrence.”

Slowly, the woman looked around and then put Jack down. As soon as she did, a police officer came to get him.

“No! Wait!” The woman screamed, trying to go after Jack, but a police officer pushed her against a wall, while another approached Lena.

“Are you all right, Lena?” the police officer asked. “I’m Lt. Paulson.”

Lena nodded at the officer, thinking that she liked the way he spoke. “Is my Mommy here?”

“She’s outside,” he answered. “Come on. I’ll take you to her.”

* * * *

Kate stood on the sidewalk, one arm folded across her chest and the other hanging limply on her side, her fingers curling into a fist and then uncurling, once in a while tapping on her thigh.

 She was nervous, more than she had ever been in her life, and with each passing second, she felt herself becoming more impatient, wanting to see her children badly that she had to summon all of her self-control just to keep herself from barging into that house.

Patience, Kate. Just a little more…

The rain had stopped. The thunderstorm had passed. And still, she was cold and shaking.

Please let them be there. Please let them be all right.

Finally, after several minutes, a police officer emerged from the house, carrying a boy with brown hair and blue pajamas.

She could almost feel her heart stop at the sight of him.

“Jack!”

She ran to him, taking him in her arms, hugging him tightly. It was almost like the day she first held his tiny body in her arms after a long and exhausting labor, when she looked into his angelic face and knew that her life would never be the same again.

“Oh, my little boy…”

“Mommy!” A familiar voice made her look up.

“Lena!” She stretched out her arms to welcome her little girl, hugging her, as well. She felt thinner than she remembered and her hair smelled different, but Kate had no doubt that this was her little girl, the same little girl that had smiled up at her on the day she was born.

“My babies…”

“I missed you, Mommy,” Lena mumbled into her shoulder.

At the words, Kate felt the tears she had been holding back begin to flow, though for the first time in the past few weeks, they were tears of joy.

“I missed you, too, darling. I missed you both more than you know.”

For a while, she just held them, planting kisses on the top of their heads and hugging them tight, close to her heart where she knew they had always been and would always be.

The nightmare was finally over.

Chapter Twenty-four

“Mr. Marrick’s awake and will see you now,” the nurse announced.

Nodding, Kate went inside the room.

Lloyd lay on the hospital bed in a light blue hospital gown, his leg heavily bandaged and a tube attached to each arm. He looked pale and tired, but smiled when he saw her.

“Kate,” he spoke her name softly, tenderly that she almost wanted to hug him, but she held herself back, reminding herself that she was here for answers, not to offer Lloyd comfort.

She sat on the chair beside the bed.

“How are Lena and Jack?”

“Good,” she answered. “Anne is watching over them in the hotel room.”

“Anne’s here?”

“She rushed over this morning when I called,” she explained. “She said it was the least she could do for me.”

“That’s good,” he said. “Are the police still there?”

She shook her head. “Lt. Paulson said there was no longer any reason for police protection because Bill Owens is dead and both Mrs. Lawrence and Victoria Roland are in custody.”

He looked up at her. “They managed to get Vicky too?”

She frowned at the familiar way in which he referred to one of the culprits but nodded. “She tried to run when she realized things had gone wrong but she didn’t get very far.”

“That’s good.”

“I’ve heard her confession,” she went on.

“And what did she tell you?” he asked curiously.

“Everything. That she and Charlene were friends. That Charlene told her she was babysitting some rich kids, which she in turn told her boyfriend, Bill, and that it was Bill’s idea to kidnap them.” She paused, trying to remember what else Charlene had confessed to. “She also said that they never meant for Charlene to be killed but that Charlene had made Bill lose his temper and so he killed her inside the car and dumped her body in the woods. The sedatives were Vicky’s mother’s and the jacket Charlene wore was her older sister, Elsa’s, which was why it had the initials E and R.”

Lloyd only nodded.

“She also said that she and Bill were simply thinking about running away with the two million after getting it,” she went on. “Said they never intended to harm the kids.”

“Perhaps she never did,” Lloyd said. “Though I’m not sure about Bill.”

About that she had to agree, remembering the threats Bill had made. It made her feel more grateful that he was dead, as unsettling as the thought was.

“And Mrs. Lawrence? What did she say?”

“That all she did was take care of the kids,” she answered. “It seems like she never had kids because her husband died while in the Army three years after they were married, and she’s always wanted kids, too. When her nephew, Bill, asked her to take care of the kids, she was more than delighted so she didn’t really ask questions. She grew attached to them, in fact, and she keeps saying that they’re her children now and that she wants them back.”

She let out a sigh. “I didn’t really talk to her. I didn’t want to because I feel sorry for her, and because I was afraid that she would say something hurtful like Charlene’s mother, something along the lines of me not deserving to be a mother.”

“Shh.” Lloyd reached for her hand. “Now that you have the children back, you should stop thinking of such negative things and just keep doing what you used to do, keep being a great mother.”

She nodded slowly. “Thank you, Lloyd. I didn’t come here to hear you tell me that, though. Now that I’ve heard what Victoria and Mrs. Lawrence have to say, I want to hear your story.” She looked him in the eye. “What happened, Lloyd?”

He let go of her hand, placing his on his chest. He looked away from her, swallowing.

She stood up. “If now is not…”

“No,” he cut her off. “You’re right, Kate. You deserve to know the truth.”

She sat back down.

“Bill contacted me, telling me he had kidnapped the children and demanding ransom. At that time, I didn’t even know the children were missing so I didn’t believe him, I thought it was a prank, but then he let me hear the children’s voices and he let me speak to Charlene and so he convinced me.”

“When was this?”

“I think it was Friday,” he answered. “Friday afternoon.”

“The day we were supposed to return from the cruise,” she whispered.

“They gave me two days to put the money together—one million,” he continued. “And I was already preparing the money, but then you called. You sounded like you really needed me, like you really wanted me to be with you. Ever since we got divorced, you never sounded like that, and it made me really happy. It made me realize how sorry I was that I lost you and how I wanted us to get back together. I saw a chance for that to happen.”

She said nothing, just listening, trying to stay calm so she could understand him.

“I called Bill up, told him I would give him more money if he waited a little more. I thought if I could just have some time, even just a little time, with you, I could make you realize that we could still be together.”

“So I could have had the children back already but you postponed it just so you could have a chance to get me back?” she asked him in disbelief.

“Now that I think back on it, it was a terrible thing to do,” he admitted.

“Very,” she agreed. “It’s the most selfish thing anyone could have ever done.”

“I realize now how wrong I was, how stupid.”

“Very stupid, and almost unbelievable coming from someone who’s as intelligent as you.”

“I guess it only goes to show how we can all do stupid things for love.” He looked at her. “Not that I’m blaming you of course, nor am I expecting you to forgive me, Kate. In fact, I can understand if you never wish to speak to me again or never want to let me see the children again.”

She shook her head. “I wouldn’t stop the children from seeing you. You’re their father, Lloyd. Nothing can change that.”

“Now, I realize even more how selfish I’ve been.”

“As for me forgiving you, I don’t know if I ever can. I may not feel angry right now, mainly because things have ended well, but I still feel hurt.”

“I’m sorry, Kate.”

“Not only did you keep the kids from me knowing how much I was dying to be with them, but you tried to tear Bryan and me apart,” she continued. “And the sad part is that you succeeded.”

“He came after you in the warehouse, Kate,” he told her. “He still loves you.”

“That doesn’t mean he’ll take me back,” she said. “It’s not that simple.”

“I’ve never known you to be a quitter, Kate.”

“No, I’m not a quitter,” she agreed. “I will get Bryan back if it’s the last thing I do.” She stood up. “In fact, I think I’ll go to him and start trying right now.”

“Good luck, Kate.” He smiled at her. “Be happy.”

She stopped to look at him, seeing not only his smile but the sadness behind it, which weighed on her heart, but she ignored it, giving him a smile of her own as she squeezed his hand, knowing that while she had once loved him, there was another man her heart belonged to now, the only one she could truly find happiness with.

“Goodbye, Lloyd.”

* * * *

As soon as she left Lloyd’s hospital room, Kate headed to a few stores to get some presents she hoped Bryan would like then went to Bryan’s hotel room. A few seconds after she rang the doorbell, he answered, a look of surprise on his face when he saw all the things she had brought with her.

“Kate? What’s all this?”

She handed him the bouquet in her hand. “I know it’s unusual for a girl to give a guy flowers but I bought flowers because I remembered that the flowers you used to give me always made me feel better and I was hoping they’d do the same for you.”

“And I brought red velvet cupcakes because I know you love them.” She handed him the box of cupcakes and then another box. “And I bought you flip-flops because I realized you probably left home in a rush and didn’t bring yours with you, and I know how much you love them.”

He accepted the presents but gave her a puzzled look.

“Oh, and I bought this for you, too.” She took a small box out of her purse. “It’s a small glass crane which I was told was a symbol of fidelity.”

He looked at the box. “You didn’t have to get me all of these things, Kate. I…”

“Oh, they’re not bribes,” she interrupted him. “I mean, I didn’t buy them and give them to you so you would forgive me or take me back. They’re presents to let you know how I feel about you.”

She took a step back. “I know I hurt you and I don’t deserve your forgiveness and…”

He suddenly grabbed her hand, making her stop in the middle of her sentence. She looked up at him curiously, hopefully.

“Bryan?”

“I said you didn’t need to give me all these not because I had no intention of forgiving you,” he told her, his brown eyes gleaming with warmth. “But because I’ve already forgiven you. I was going to go see you in a while, in fact.”

“You were?” She felt her heart begin to race. “You’ve already forgiven me?”

“Anne called me, telling me I should forgive you.”

“She did?”

“And then Lloyd called me just now, saying that the…the kiss was really all his fault and that he’s sorry. He said he’s letting you go and that he hopes I can really make you happy.”

She placed a hand on her chest. “He said all that?”

Bryan nodded. “Even before all that, though, I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?”

“That I don’t really want to leave you,” he confessed. “I love you, Kate. Yes, you hurt me. You hurt me real bad. But I love you and I’ve realized that that love is greater than any pain, that even if you did something wrong, we can still both make things right because we love each other.”

“Oh, Bryan.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I love you so much. I promise I’ll never hurt you again.”

“I love you, too, Kate,” he whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair. “And I’ll never leave you.”

They kissed each other then, their lips conveying everything else that was still unsaid as they met tenderly, hungrily. Then, after the kiss broke, they hugged each other, remaining trapped in each other’s arms for a long moment as if they wanted to just stay there forever.

“You know what?” Kate spoke against Bryan’s chest.

“What?”

“I think we should celebrate.”

“I don’t see why we can’t,” he said. “What about another vacation, with the kids this time?”

Kate smiled. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”