Bad Traveler (23 page)

“If you’d let me be her father, I wouldn’t have had to do this.”

“I want to see her.”

“You can see her on that little Internet video thing you and Mom do.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“Yeah, I know, but—”

She shut off her phone, not wanting his explanation. “Taxi!”

***

Babs Nolan looked out the window, waiting for the mother of her grandbaby to arrive. She didn’t like this mess one bit. Her son, her youngest, had pulled a number of stunts in his time, but this was ridiculous. He’d lied, gave her a scare, and kidnapped a child. If someone else had done even one of these things, she’d be screaming at the judge to throw the book at him, yet when Cody appeared with young Chloe in his arms, she forgave him. He wasn’t a good parent, not yet anyway, but he tried hard. Sitting in her kitchen, she rummaged for a jar of applesauce to quell the baby’s appetite and listened as her son explained himself. How could she not forgive him when it all came down to love?

He knew she missed her grandbaby, so he brought her Chloe because he loved her. More than that, he had an epiphany en route to Alaska. He realized that his “life was shit”—his words, not hers—and had been ever since he blew it with Gwen. Once she left, Cody fell into a pattern of not enough discipline and a lack of follow-through. He’d skipped the firefighter test to train to be an ultimate fighter, but was so awful, he quit after a few weeks. He squandered his small lottery winnings on who knew what and then went off to try and get rich crab fishing.

Gwen had forced him to stay on the straight and narrow, grounding his cockamamie schemes with her practicality. She kept him calmer than the meds did. He said he loved her and had to get her back. She’d agreed, biting back the urge to tell him how he should have gone about rescuing his relationship. Instead, she’d gone against her better judgment and agreed to help him, hoping that it would all work out.

She opened the door to her ranch home as she saw that dark-haired dynamo of a should-be daughter-in-law climb out of the taxi. Why did she waste her money like that? She’d have been happy to pick her up if she’d called.

“Where’s my baby?”

“She’s with my baby, picking up a few things she needed at the store.”

“Fine. I’ll call the police while I wait.”

“Please don’t. He messed up, but his heart was in the right place. We’ll work this out. I just hope you can forgive him. For this, if for nothing else. He acted out of love.”

Gwen scoffed, one of her uglier habits.

“I love Chloe very much. So does Cody. So do you. For her sake, let’s make this right.”

“Chloe nurses. She does not drink formula. Taking a baby away from her food source? That’s just not right no matter how you slice it.”

“Neither is taking a baby halfway across the country without letting the father and other family members have their day in court to make custody arrangements.” She watched a wave of emotion roll across the younger woman’s face. Time to switch tactics. “I can’t blame you for leaving. But he’s been trying so hard. He wants to make things right. You owe him a chance to try.”

The sound of squealing car wheels drew her attention to the window. She grabbed the ringing phone, listening intently.

“He says he’ll bring Chloe to see you, but not here. Where are you staying?”

Gwen rattled off the name of a hotel near the airport, and she relayed the message to her son. “We’ll head over now.”

***

Gwen paced the lobby. This was the first hotel that came to mind, even if check-in time wasn’t for hours and she intended to en route home by then. She rushed Cody, reaching for Chloe as soon as they entered. He held on tight, though when he caught sight of Babs, he released the girl into her arms. Chloe clawed at her shirt, eager to be reunited with her favorite pacifier. Drape in hand, they settled into an armchair, nesting as only a mother and child could. Nerves made it hard for her to relax, but she needed those calming nursing hormones almost as much as Chloe needed milk.

“Stop leering.”

“I don’t want her out of my sight.”

“Neither do I. You did a very bad thing.”

He’d shifted the conversation to be about him, as he always did. “The solution is simple. You want to see her, I want to see her, but I also want to see you. We’ll get married and be a family. I’ll get a job and everything.”

“No!” Her sharp cry brought a fresh round of pain as Chloe bit her nipple and cried out as well.

“I love you, babe. You have to stay. You have to give us another chance. Chloe needs both of us. Fathers are important. I read that in one of those books you left in our apartment.”

She focused on the fact that Cody had read something rather than the more disturbing declaration of love. Slack-jawed and eyes narrowed, she sat, incapable of forming words.

“Maybe taking Chloe was wrong, but I had to get your attention.”

“You certainly managed to do that.” Chloe stopped nursing, pushing at the drape covering her head. Her timing was terrible. The longer she nursed, the safer they would be. Cody couldn’t grab her away again if she were at the breast. Cupping her head, she stroked her soft brown hair, in an effort to encourage an extended meal. No such luck. There had to be another tactic.

“Babs, come here. I want a witness.” Her ringing phone interrupted her and flashed Kyle’s number. Her heart pounded. “Hello?”

“It’s so good to hear your voice. Where are you?” He sounded rough with lack of sleep.

“Phoenix.”

“Yeah, but where?”

“The Hampton Inn by the airport.”

“Great.” A horn blared in the background. “Oops. Gotta go.”

He hung up without a good-bye. Cool air on her bosom shocked her into realizing her drape had slid dangerously low. Chloe gripped the fabric. She fumbled to cover up and struggled with the clasp of her bra, but the unwelcome audience flustered her. He wouldn’t see her body ever again. She cradled her girl in an effort to use both hands to secure the clasp, but Cody knocked her arm aside and pulled Chloe from her grasp.

“Chloe!” No longer concerned with the bra, she leaped from the chair, but it was too late. He handed the baby to his mother.

“Run!”

There was no excusing Babs’s willingness to slink off. She tried to follow, but Cody restrained her arms, squeezing them tighter than a blood-pressure cuff. Her legs kicked, but she couldn’t nail him in the groin. He pressed her against his chest, wrapping one arm across her and tugging down her shirt over her stomach. Where was the desk clerk, or someone who could call the police?

“I don’t like covering you up, but I don’t want anyone else getting ideas. Anyway, it’s okay. You’ll see her again after we get married. Mama’s going to take her shopping for a pretty dress while we make this thing legal.”

Her mouth opened to scream, but he clamped his hand across her face. There was no one to help her. Where was everyone? Shouldn’t there be more people milling around? Moving her head to try and break free, she spied her sole salvation—the red light of a security camera.
Please be real, please be real, and please let someone be watching
.

***

Having secured the perimeter, he turned his full attention toward the prisoner struggling against her captor. His forced neutrality ensured his emotions remained in check. The brute hadn’t spotted him yet, so he slipped behind the couch nearest the mêlée, shooting hard looks at the infant’s kidnapper to keep her in check. He commanded her to wait by the potted plant. He didn’t know if there was a weapon involved, but in the worst-case scenario, a knife was more likely than a gun.

Half dragging his prisoner, the captor moved toward the door, stopping short when the kidnapper stood still.

She screamed, “Look out,” giving both captor and captive a slight pause. Perfect. He rushed the duo, no longer concerned with his presence being known. With two swift movements, he secured the prisoner against his own body, forcing back the emotions when she turned her pretty face upward, lips parting as she spoke his name.

“Get your hands off my woman.” Feral rage filled the captor’s eyes.

Kyle brushed his right knuckles against the side of his wrinkled navy suit pants, inspected his cuticles, and slowly guided the prisoner around his left side to shield her body. “No.”

“I don’t want to fight a cripple. Ain’t a fair fight.”

He nudged the prisoner with his hip, giving her shoulder a slight push toward the corner. His left hand was more interesting than the other man’s face. “Yup. Getting your ass kicked by a cripple won’t be good for that fighting career you mentioned.”

Cody moved in closer, teeth bared. “Gwen is mine. She needs a real man. We’re getting married today. Ain’t that right, Gwennie?”

Not on my watch
. “Really?” He shouted over his shoulder. “Did you pack a white dress?”

“She doesn’t need anything too fancy for our courthouse wedding.”

“It’s a Sunday, dumbass. The courts are closed. Anyway, Gwen and I are getting married.” He glanced at the security cameras, making sure the telltale light got every moment for the courts to review later.

The opponent took the opportunity to swing a sucker punch and try to knock out his prosthetic. He smirked at the other man’s predictability. His countermove began as soon as he looked toward the camera. Some al-Qaeda operatives had been tough, but getting this muscle-bound idiot to the floor was child’s play—even slowed down by his missing leg. He asked the hotel clerk to throw him a rope or anything to secure the prisoner.

Relaxing into civilian mode, he assessed the lobby anew. Gwen held Chloe, both beautiful in spite of the tears and fear. His lack of sleep, the risks, and stiff back from the long drive meant nothing compared to her. Gwen turned her face upward, meeting his gaze as tension eased from her features. She sauntered toward them. When Cody called out to Gwen, he drew immense satisfaction from pressing his knee farther into his back.

She stood several feet away. “Kyle, thank you so much. You are my hero. I have my little girl back in my arms.” Tears burst through her words. He wanted to reach out and brush them away, but until the police arrived, the prisoner might try something stupid. By the sound of the sirens, he wouldn’t have to wait long.

Her voice took on a defiant tone. Something wasn’t right. “I want you both to know that I’m not getting married today. Not to either one of you.”

The arrival of the police shifted the tenor and the location of the conversation. It didn’t matter. They could get married tomorrow.

***

On the hard bench in the police station hallway, after he’d been cleared to leave at least, Kyle explained how he’d driven all night in a rental car after speaking to her parents, with a brief stop to pick up a car seat that looked like the one she had at home.

“I have to take the car back to Vegas. It’s a long drive, but we can get married there quick before going home and working on adoption paperwork. Cody won’t be in any place to contest the adoption, not for a few years anyway.”

There was that M word again. She stared at the floor as Chloe chewed on her finger. She must be getting another tooth. “Why?”

“My steady income and status as a vet will help you keep custody of Chloe. We’ll be a stable family unit. Together. Cody can’t offer that.”

After all the times she daydreamed about being his wife, it could become a reality. But not like this. Both men claimed the marriage was for Chloe’s sake, but the one who professed his love was delusional. She loved Chloe too much to raise her in a marriage of convenience, or worse, one-sided love. Chloe wasn’t the only one worthy of love. Saying the right words pained her.

“Given all he’s done, I doubt any judge would grant him custodial rights. I don’t need a quickie wedding to prove I’m good caretaker. Besides, leaving the state might not be the best idea until the legal stuff is sorted out. You’ve done enough to help, and for that I am grateful, but let’s not be rash.”

“Rash?” His eyes narrowed, and the green darkened, the first flicker of emotion she’d seen in them all day.

“Rash.” She kept the emotion out of her voice.

His hands slammed on the bench and created a vibration that pulsed through her. He stood and stormed across the room. In the doorway, he paused then walked back to her. Her heart fluttered. This time he would offer love, and she’d say yes. Instead, he tickled Chloe under the chin, kissed her hair, and then, without a word to her, spun on his heels left the building.

***

After a week, Gwen returned home, legal custody papers and a restraining order against Cody in hand. She should have felt at ease. Her parents, sister, and part-timer kept the bakery open as much as possible. Keira had even set out a coffee tin to collect contributions for a legal-defense fund. The community’s outpouring of support warmed her heart.

When she returned to the counter, customers brought flowers, teddy bears, and balloons, and bought cookies in record numbers. If only she and Kyle could go back to how things were. Her heart ached knowing he loved the idea of her more than her.

They’d spoken once on the phone since she’d turned down his proposal. The legal outcome pleased him, even though his mind seemed elsewhere. When he came to the Sweet Spot for the coaches’ meetings, his smile no longer made the charming crinkles around his eyes. His hand no longer brushed against hers when paying because he dropped the bills on the counter. She missed the morning flutter in her heart that small, almost incidental touch used to bring. As she brought the carafe to their table, she sensed his sorrow, but couldn’t understand why. Hadn’t she saved him from another marital mistake? Love hadn’t been a big part of his previous marriage. If he married again, it should be for love. She wouldn’t marry for any other reason. The Phoenix debacle taught her that.

She brought up her concerns with her sister as they did prep work. Keira stopped the mixer and sat her older sister down on a chair.

“You do understand the problem, don’t you?”