A Promise to Protect (Logan Point Book #2): A Novel (23 page)

“Only the raised voices.”

Heat rose to her face once again, and she walked to the side of her bed and sat down, leaning against the headboard. “I almost told him about TJ.”

“What stopped you?” Sarah sat in the tapestry-covered chair.

“We got into a stupid argument about what I could and could not do. But even as I was yelling at him, I knew it was because he’s worried about us.”

“Oh, Leigh, you have it bad.”

She passed her hand over her eyes. “Ben doesn’t want me. He as much as said so.”

“Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand him?”

“I’m sorry. I
have to leave.”
Leigh shook her head. “I understood exactly what he meant.”

She smoothed the satin pillow that matched the satin bedspread. Her gaze flitted around the room that was decorated with designer bedspreads and expensive rugs and original art. “I don’t belong here. Not in this house and not in Logan Point. I don’t belong anywhere.”

“What are you afraid of, child?”

She stilled her hand, and the words slipped out. “That no one will ever want me. They’ll all be like my mother. She never wanted me.”

“I’m sure you’re wrong about that.”

Leigh shook her head. “I heard her tell my dad once I was a mistake, and he didn’t correct her.” She stared at a spot on the expensive rug. “And the mistakes I’ve made have proven it.”

“You listen to me, young lady.” Sarah’s firm voice filled the room. “God doesn’t make mistakes. He knew you before he formed you. That means he’s loved you always. Do you think he was surprised when you were born? Or when TJ was born? No!”

She gave the older woman a thin smile. “Too bad my mother
wasn’t more like you. Sometimes I think she took that overdose just to get away from me.”

Footsteps clattered up the stairs. “Mom! Where are you! I gotta tell you what we did!” Her door burst open and with it TJ, his face flushed and his eyes wide. “We made a clubhouse!”

Leigh’s heart warmed, and she pushed aside thoughts of her mother. Her son was back to talking in exclamation points. She hugged him, and over his head, her gaze caught Sarah’s. She wished she could believe her friend’s words.

“Mom?” TJ’s voice worked its way into her consciousness. “Mom, it’s church day.”

Leigh groaned and rolled over in bed, peeking at the clock on her dresser. Eight in the morning? She sat up. Her son stood at the foot of her bed, dressed in a pair of navy pants and a white shirt. She didn’t remember buying those. “Good morning. You look nice.”

“Granna bought these that day we went shopping.” He pulled at her hand. “Come on. We’ll be late.”

Granna. She would be at church. Tom too, if he was up to it. Could she talk TJ out of going? Or at least maybe she could stay home. One look at his excited face gave her the answer. “Do I hafta?” she asked, mimicking TJ when he didn’t want to get up.

“Mom!”

“Oh, okay. Let me get a shower.” She threw back her blanket and climbed out of bed. “Are you okay with losing the ball game last night?”

He shrugged. “Win some, lose some.”

Her heart caught. TJ sounded just like Tony. The back of her eyes burned as she swallowed down the ache in her chest.

“Hurry, Mom. Miss Sarah says we have to call Ben to come get us.”

Leigh blinked away the sting of unshed tears. She would not be calling Ben. It was hard enough trying to erase the memory of his
kiss Friday night without being around him. At least she hadn’t had to deal with him yesterday. Andre had escorted them to and from TJ’s ball game. Maybe Ben would send his deputy again today. “Doesn’t Andre or Wade go to . . .”
What was the name
of the church TJ’s been attending? Crossroads? No.
“Center Hill. Maybe one of them will come and get us.”

“I want Ben to come get us. I miss him. I wish we still lived with Granna and Pops, and I could see him every day.”

Leigh stood frozen to the floor. “I thought you liked it here. You can play with the twins whenever you want.”

He shrugged his thin shoulders. “It’s not the same. Granna’s house smells . . . it smells like somebody lives there.”

Yeast bread. Cakes and cookies. Yeah, the Logan house did indeed smell like someone lived there. She mentally promised to stop by the grocery on the way home from church and pick up a few items. Not that she was great at cooking, but anyone could open a cake box and follow the directions.

Four hours later, Leigh reflected on the morning as the closing hymn ended. Ben had escorted her and Sarah despite her desire otherwise, while TJ had ridden in the truck with him. It might be the last time for her son, though. She was pretty sure TJ was responsible for the short siren blast that pierced the quiet Sunday morning.

Sarah preferred to sit in the sanctuary during Sunday school, but when Leigh ran into Cathy from the hospital, she ended up in her class. Leigh mostly kept quiet while the other women engaged in lively discussion.

She enjoyed being around the women who were her age and promised to return. She liked the young pastor and found herself agreeing that parents should not neglect teaching biblical principles to their children. It was time for her to step up to the plate and not rely on someone else—and that reminded her of Tony. Would there ever be a time she could think about him and tears not be ready to spring from her eyes?

After the benediction, she stood and motioned for TJ to leave the twins and join her. There had been no gracious way out of sitting anywhere other than with the Logan clan.

“Mom! Granna wants us to come eat dinner with them. Can we?”

Church, then Sunday dinner. A Logan ritual, and she should have been expecting the invitation. “I thought we’d pick up a bucket of chicken and eat in the gazebo in the backyard. You and Miss Sarah and me, and then we’ll go down to the pool at the rec center and swim. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“Mom, please.” His eyes pleaded with her.

“You’re more than welcome,” Marisa said. Emily nodded her agreement.

“Thank you, but I think the three of us need a little family time.”

Marisa patted her arm. “I understand. Maybe next week.”

“Yes, that sounds nice.” Leigh would think of an excuse before Sunday. She glanced around, wondering who would escort them home.

Emily spoke up. “If you’re looking for Ben, he went back to his office after Sunday school but said to tell you he’d be in the parking lot when church let out.”

So the sheriff didn’t stay for church.

Outside, true to his word, Ben’s truck sat blocking her Avenger. “Can I start the car, Mom? And see if Ben wants to have a picnic with us?”

She handed over her keys. “I imagine Ben will want to eat with his family.” At least that’s what she hoped.

Two hours later, Leigh shooed Sarah in out of the heat while she cleaned up the remains of their picnic. As soon as TJ gobbled down his food, he’d left them to sulk about not having the twins to play with. So much for family time. But at least Ben had declined, saying he had paperwork at his office to finish. He’d probably
realized what a bad idea the gazebo was with the heat and humidity wrapping around them like a sauna. She fanned herself with one of the disposable plates. Time to have a heart-to-heart talk with TJ. Tell him they were moving to Baltimore.

Leigh climbed the stairs to her son’s room, rehearsing her words. At his door, she hesitated, then knocked and entered. TJ lay on the bed, his eyes glued to her iPad. Ignoring the fact he’d taken it without permission, she took it from him and sat on the side of the bed. “I realize you wanted to go to the Logans’ after church—”

“The twins were going to be there, and I wanted to show Pops a new game I found that will help him talk.”

“You need to quit bothering him.” Next week she’d see about sending TJ to his babysitter again.

“But—”

“No, listen to me. He has trained therapists helping him. Let them do their job. I have something else I want to discuss.”

He crossed his arms across his chest. “When you talk like that, it’s always bad.”

“What do you mean?”

“You sound just like you did when you told me we were moving to Logan Point.”

She felt a headache coming on. “Has this been so bad?”

He cocked his head and pursed his lips. “It was at first. I didn’t have any friends.”

“But now you do. You’re friends with the boys on your baseball team, and you have the twins, and the ones in your Sunday school class. Making new friends wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

He shook his head.

So far, so good. She took a quick breath. “I’ve been offered a new job.”

TJ’s eyes widened. “You mean at Ms. Emily’s clinic? I know about that.”

“No, this is a really important job in Baltimore, and—”

“No! I don’t want to move again.” He flopped back against the headboard.

If he poked his lip out any farther, he’d trip over it. “You’ll like Baltimore. There’s lots of interesting things to do. We can go to the ocean, and there are lots of museums.”

“I don’t want to go to no old museum. I want to stay here with my friends.”

“I’m afraid that’s not an option. I’ve accepted the job.”

“You didn’t even ask me what I wanted to do! It’s always about your job. What’s wrong with staying here?”

“Timothy Jackson Somerall, I am not discussing this with you if you take that tone.” While she understood his feelings, she would not allow him to talk with disrespect. His lip quivered, and she softened her tone. “I have to do what I think is best for us. I promise, you’ll make new friends, just like you did here.”

“But I don’t want new friends. I want the ones I have.”

His wail pierced her heart. She should not have brought the move up today when he was already upset, but she wanted to prepare him. From the sound of it, she was going to need every day between now and September fifteenth.

Leigh sighed and walked to the door. “We’ll discuss this again later.” Before she left his room, she looked back. “TJ, it’s going to be all right. You’ll make new friends.”

He turned his head and stared out the window.

Leigh closed the door and leaned her head against it. Maybe things would look better after a nap.

Her cell phone rang, waking Leigh from a dead sleep. She grabbed it from her nightstand and glanced at the number. Private. Frowning, she answered. “Dr. Somerall.”

An organ played what sounded like funeral music. She hovered her thumb over the disconnect button.

“You have something that belongs to me.”

The deep, slow words sent chills racing over her body. Leigh lifted her hand to her throat. “Who is this?”

“I want—” The crescendo of the organ drowned out the eerie voice.

“I can’t hear you! What are you talking about?”

“Mind your own business, or your son will pay.”

Then, dead silence filled the airspace.