Read Second Chances: A PAVAD Duet Online
Authors: Calle J. Brookes
Tags: #romantic suspense, #stalking, #mature heroine, #single mother romance, #older heroine, #older hero, #mature hero, #fbi romance, #pavad, #womanindanger
“
Because Mother and I will
never get along. And I refused to let her blackmail me into doing
what she wants.” Emma shrugged. Ally had never seen anyone with
such total disregard for her own mother before. What the girls must
have gone through for Emma to feel that way… “Mother keeps Kelly in
line by threatening to keep Gracie away from her. I refuse to play
Mother’s game.”
“
And how did you get your
sister here?” Dan asked, from where he stood next to Ally. He had
to be hurting, the hand he clutched the stone mantle with shone
white around the knuckles. He stood so tense.
“
Borrowed some of Kel’s
clothes. Walked right in and signed her out of the school.” Guilt
flashed across the girl’s face as she pulled an ID badge from the
purse at her feet.
Ally took it, recognizing
it as the security badge Kelly had lost months ago. “Emma...your
sister got into serious trouble for losing this.”
“
I know. But I needed it.
I’ll apologize.” Emma smiled, an attempt at innocence. “But it was
for the greater good. Kel will understand.”
“
And what do you plan to do
now?” Dan asked. “I take it you’re officially on the
lam?”
“
Not anymore,” Gracie said
from her perch on the couch’s arm. “Em’s finally got the stuff we
need, so that I never have to go back to Mother ever.”
“
Ok, girls, explain.” Dan
finally sat. Ally sat beside him, the loveseat just big enough for
the two of them. She had a feeling the other parent in the room
needed the support.
Emma sighed. “It’s really a
long story. Too long to get into right now. I’m sure she’s called
back and browbeaten Kelly into confessing by now,
anyway.”
“
Go on,” Dan said. His
shoulder brushed Ally’s briefly.
“
Gracie?” Emma looked at
the younger girl, who quickly pulled a thick manila envelope from
her backpack. She handed it to her father. Emma waited until he
opened it before continuing. “That’s everything you need to ensure
Mother never gets near Gracie again. It took me eight months of
planning, research, and calling in favors to get it. But it’s
done.”
Dan skimmed the envelope’s
contents, face going first white then the red of anger.
Ally recognized the papers
for what they were. She’d seen enough in her career. She waited for
him to say something. He finished reading the paperwork before
looking at his daughters. “Does your sister know you have
these?”
“
No. And I’d prefer she
never does.” Emma’s eyes were old, clear, as she looked at the
father she’d not seen in fifteen years. “She’d not want you―or
Allison―to know this.”
Gracie grabbed Emma’s hand.
“Mother hates Kelly. Always has. But if Kelly doesn’t have to worry
about me anymore, then Kelly won’t ever have to speak to Mother
again. See why I had to run away? Don’t make me go back!
Please!”
Dan looked into two sets of
identical green eyes―eyes just like his own. “Sweetheart, you will
always have a place with me. You and your sisters. Your mother will
never be able to stop that.”
If his ex-wife had been in
the room right then, Dan wasn’t entirely certain he wouldn’t have
killed her for what she’d done to his children.
Knowing the medical reports
he held had his child’s name on them hurt him in ways he’d never be
able to articulate.
“
Was it just Kelly?” He
had to know. He looked at his hands as his mind filled with images
of his oldest as a little girl. His hands trembled. He’d never once
lifted a hand to his girls, not even to spank them. The doc covered
one of his with her much smaller, paler hand. He looked at her
briefly―having almost forgotten she was even there. He saw the
understanding in her face―the understanding of a parent who’d
realized that they’d failed to protect their child in the most
important of ways.
He turned his hand over and
squeezed hers quickly. She smiled. She was a sweet woman.
Beautiful, inside and out.
“
Mostly,” Emma looked out
the window, watching J.T. and Josh for a moment. Then she looked
back at her father. Ally’s breath caught at the memories in the
girl’s eyes. “Mother isn’t...right...at times. Blames her problems
on everyone else.”
Dan nodded. Beth had always
been like that. It had taken him a while to realize. “Go
on.”
“
She’d say things―horrible
things. Kelly would argue at first. After a while, it’s like Mother
forgot about you―and focused on Kelly instead. And then as we got
older and Uncle Ted left Mother snapped. Blamed all of us―even
you―for her unhappiness.” Emma shivered once. Gracie sank down on
the couch beside her sister. “Things got worse then. Kelly
protected Gracie and me. Got Mother to agree to boarding school for
us. I only had a few years left. Gracie was nine. But Mother has
been manipulating Kelly ever since. Using Gracie.”
“
Not anymore.” Dan rose as
quickly as he could. “I need to make a few phone calls, girls, doc.
Please join Josh and J.T. before they blow up my grill―again.
They’re extremely bright boys―but household appliances and J.T.―not
a real good combination. I’ll only be a few moments. Then we’ll see
what we can do.”
“
I should be going,” the
doc said. “I don’t want to intrude, and I need to get my children
from Marianna.”
Dan protested just as a
dark blue minivan pulled into the driveway, followed by Paige’s
familiar Ford Escape.
The doc followed his gaze.
“Never mind, looks like Mari brought them to me.”
“
Please stay. I’ve plenty
of steaks, and I’ll send J.T. and Josh for some potato salad and
kid-friendly foods.” Dan wrapped one hand around her elbow as his
daughters rushed outside to meet his eldest―who’d just climbed from
Paige’s vehicle. “It’ll help Kelly, I think, to have you here.
It’ll help me, too. I’ve not been a parent in fifteen years―and
frankly, I’m terrified. What do I do with them?”
“
You love them.” It was
all she said. “That’s all you can do.”
“
I already do.”
She sighed, her expression
soft and sweet, before nodding. Then she surprised him by
stretching up and placing a soft kiss on his cheek.
“Congratulations, Daddy. You’ll do fine. I have complete faith in
you...now...I should go get my own daughter...”
Her words trailed off as
her brows rose. Dan followed her gaze. His eldest stood holding a
tiny elf of a girl―with bright strawberry blond hair. But what
surprised a laugh out of him was the grape-purple streaks running
through the child’s curls.
“
Doc, does your daughter
always have purple hair?” he asked.
“
God, no.” The doc laughed.
“It must be contagious.”
They shared a smile then
stepped outside together―to greet their purple-haired
daughters.
Dan didn’t know how it
happened, but by the time he’d gotten his mind around all the
changes that had suddenly taken place, his house was full of
people. Not only were his daughters―his daughters, for
crissakes―milling around with wary expressions on their pretty
faces, but the little doc and her kids, Dr. Glendower and her kids,
and even Dennis and little Mattie were waiting on Josh and J.T. to
finish up on the grill.
The kids didn’t even seem
to realize something earth-shattering had just happened―at least to
Dan. The little doc stayed right by Dan’s side almost
unconsciously. At least when her children weren’t pulling her
away.
They were good kids, polite
and articulate. Even the little girl, who he’d guess to be barely
four. She spoke clearly, no lisping. She was also quite the little
flirt. Dan had already held her―she’d come right to him from her
mother’s arms with a chirpy hi. Probably because he’d been
introduced as Aunt Kelly’s daddy.
The boy was a little slower
to warm up. He was small for his age, Dan figured, but still taller
than his best friend Ted Glendower. He was skinny and had the look
of his mother, though his hair was a darker reddish blond. He eyed
Dan and all the other men suspiciously, especially when they spoke
with his mother. Protective. Of his mother and sister, and even
Kelly. He alternated between staying by his mother or Kelly’s sides
and running around with the rest of the boys and his little
sister.
He eyed Dan warily every
time they got near to each other.
Dan put thoughts of the boy
aside when J.T. and Josh announced the hotdogs and hamburgers were
ready.
As everyone ate, Dennis
pulled Dan aside. “What’s going to happen next?”
Dan shot an eye over to
where his three girls sat talking to the two docs. “We move on. I
deal with their mother, somehow, and take it day by day. That’s
what the little doc said.”
“
Yes. And good luck.
Teenage girls and single fathers―even under the better of
circumstances―it’s not always easy.”
“
I don’t know my children.”
Dan kept his voice low. “How can I deal with that without causing
them more harm than good?”
“
Do the best you can.”
Dennis paused a moment as his grandson ran up, followed closely by
the youngest Glendower boy. The kid had the look of his mother, all
dark hair and big bright eyes. Dennis patiently examined the frog
the boys had caught then reminded them to let the creature go when
they were done playing with it so it could return to its family
before he turned back to Dan. “You need anything―a good lawyer,
anything―call me.”
Dan knew Dennis―like the
majority of older agents―possessed a law degree. So did Dan. “I
will.”
“
Good, in the meantime, let
me clear out this crowd, and you get your kids settled.”
In less time than Dan would
have thought possible the other man had accomplished just that,
ushering first J.T. and Josh, and then rounding up the Glendower
family. Then the Dennises were gone and it was just Dan, his girls,
and the doc and her two kids.
Dan walked the Brewsters to
the door, thanked the little doc for her help, impulsively dropping
a kiss on her cheek, then closed the door.
He turned back toward his
daughters and swallowed.
Kelly was cleaning his
kitchen, gathering all the silverware and putting it in the sink.
She moved quick, jittery and avoiding his eyes. Emma was sitting
deceptively still, eyes wary. Gracie was tired, nerves on her
pretty face.
“
Girls.” He paused, then
began again. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you all so
much.”
“
Even me?” Gracie asked.
His heart melted―this was the child he’d known the least. The one
he’d missed the most with.
“
Even you, kiddo. Would
you girls like a tour of the house? You can pick out a bedroom or
two―or three. I’ve plenty of room.” His eyes met Kelly’s, but she
was already shaking her head.
“
I can’t,” she said, and if
he wasn’t mistaken a bit of guilt hit her features as she looked at
her sisters.
“
Why?” Emma
asked.
“
I can’t leave Ally yet.”
Kelly looked back at Dan. “She’s had it rough the last six months.
With her husband walking out. She needs me.”
Dan nodded. A part of
him―the selfish part―didn’t like it, but if she was a help to the
little doc, why would he begrudge that? “You do what you have to
do, Kelly. But just know that there will always be a place for you
with me. And the door will always be open for any one of my
kids.”
She looked away, and it
didn’t take any profiling skills to see that she didn’t believe
him.
Ally was exhausted. She’d
stayed much later than she’d intended, and that meant there were
two irritable and tired children when they pulled into the driveway
of the small Craftsman she’d rented. She carried Aislin to her
bedroom and tucked her in quietly. Ryan shuffled his way to his own
room.
It was nearly midnight and
the kids had been up since six a.m. But they had had a great time.
Dan’s home had so much room that the kids―hers and Marianna’s―had
been free to run and spread out without tripping over each
other.
As for Kelly and her
sisters, it was a probably one of the strangest nights of their
lives. Ally felt for each and every one of the girls, but mostly
for Gracie. She was so hungry for a parent’s love, yet so leery of
her father that it broke Ally’s heart. Emma, on the other hand,
seemed to feel like Dan was never gone. As if now that they’d found
him, it was all going to be different. Unrealistic expectations in
Ally’s opinion.
Kelly hadn’t said much,
just eyed everyone as if she expected blows. Ally had seen her act
that way before, just never on quite so grand a scale. But Ally had
faith that Kelly would adjust to the rapid changes that had
occurred. It would just take her time. And all Ally could do was be
there when Kelly needed her. Like Kelly had been for
her.
Ally would be the first to
admit she’d leaned on Kelly a lot since Jack had left. Kelly helped
her with babysitting, errands, housework. Even with the kids when
needed. And to Ally’s shame―Kelly had sometimes helped out with
groceries and utilities. Jack had taken all their savings, and had
it not been for the generous relocation allowance each member of
the team had been given, Ally would have been facing some serious
economic hardships while she waited for the court’s decision on the
bills she and Jack had shared.