Feels Like Summertime (11 page)

A
note stuck
to the door lets me know that Dad and Adam have taken the little kids to the store to get baby supplies and food.

J
ake waves
at me from his perch on the golf cart. “Everything okay?”

I hold up the note. “My parents took the two little kids to the store. They’ll be back soon. I think I might take a nap.” I yawn into my fist. I
am
tired and my back is killing me.

“Sleep well,” he calls, and then he drives away.

I let myself into the cabin. I haven’t locked the door since we got here. But the moment I step inside, I freeze.

The afghan that’s usually flung haphazardly across the back of the couch is now folded neatly. And the games are all stacked on the table, all with their names facing out, in alphabetical order. The dishes that were in the sink have been washed and put away. And I bet that if I look in the bathroom, all the towels are folded in thirds on the shelf.

My heart gallops in my chest. I turn to run back out the door, but a big body steps out from behind the door, slamming it before I can get out.

“Hi, Katie,” he says.

I take two steps back. “Cole, what are you doing here?”

“Is that how you greet the father of your child, Katie?” he asks. He steps toward me and I force myself to hold my ground, even though I really want to throw up. “It’s nice to see you looking so healthy and relaxed.”

“How did you f-find me?” My voice betrays me with a slight warble, so I clear my throat.

“I followed your dads,” he says. He shrugs. “It was pretty easy.” He takes my chin in his palm and tries to force me to meet his eyes. I look everywhere but at him, until he squeezes my chin so hard it hurts. “I can’t believe you thought you could go without leaving me a forwarding address.”

“I just needed some time–”

“Time’s up,” he says, clapping his hands in my face. “It’s time to go home. I already packed your things.”

A pain clenches across my belly. “What about the kids?”

“I packed their things too.”

I close my eyes tightly.

“What’s the matter, Katie?” he taunts. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

I step back and he lets me go. I feel like a mouse caught in a maze. No matter where or how I turn, he’ll catch me. I’m certain of that.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I turn toward the kitchen on wobbly legs.

He sits down on the couch and puts his feet on the coffee table, then cups the back of his neck with his palms. He knows I’m trapped. “Who was that man?”

“What man?” I pretend to look in the fridge for something to drink.

“The one who just brought you home,” he clarifies. He’s being friendly. Too friendly.

“Oh, that’s Jake. His dad owns the cabin. He was working on the roof next door.”

“What were you doing with him?”

“He gave me a ride up from the shore. That’s all.”

“Should you be taking long walks in your condition?” He lets his eyes fall on my belly. “That’s my baby in there. I hope you’re taking care of him.”

I try to laugh it off, but vomit crawls up my throat. I swallow fiercely. “The baby is doing great. Only two more weeks. Are you excited?”

“To hold my son?” he asks. “Of course I’m excited.”

A knock sounds on the door of the cabin. My heart jumps into my chest.

Cole takes his feet down off the coffee table. “Who is that?”

“I don’t know. Do you want me to get it?” I know I need permission to answer the door.

A knock sounds again, this time more insistent.

“I don’t think they’re going to go away,” I warn.

He nods. “Answer it.”

I walk to the door and open it all the way. I can run from here. I can run like hell. “Oh, hi Jake,” I say, trying to be cheery.

Cole fills up the space behind me, and lays a hand on my hip. The other he puts on my shoulder, where he squeezes so hard tears form in my eyes.

“Hey, you forgot your sandals,” Jake says. He looks from me to Cole and back, his brow furrowing. Then he sticks out his hand. “I’m Jake,” he says. “Nice to meet you.”

“Who are you?” Cole inquires.

“I’m an old friend of Katie’s. I’m staying with my dad up at the big house.”

“Swanky,” Cole says. He doesn’t look toward the big house on the hill. He just stares at Jake, until he finally takes Jake’s hand and shakes it.

“Yeah,” Jake says. “Swanky.” He looks hard at Cole. “Your name’s Jeff, right?”

I wince. Cole hates to be compared to my husband. “No,” Cole bites out. He doesn’t say any more, but his hand slides under my hair to cup my nape. He squeezes painfully. “Have you known Katie long?” Cole asks.

Jake smiles. “Only eighteen years or so.”

“So you two have been catching up.” Cole’s hand grows ever tighter, until I can’t stand it and I step away. Cole reaches for my hand and grabs it instead. Then he pulls me in to his side and wraps his arm around me. “That sounds nice.” He glares at Jake. “You had better run along. I haven’t seen my girl in a while. We have some catching up to do too.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Jake says easily, nodding his head.

“Oh, wait, Jake,” I say, stalling. It’s not fair to Jake. Not fair at all. “I have that pie dish your mom left here the other night.” I go to the kitchen and rumble around in the cabinet until I find a dish that will work. Then I walk back to the door where Jake is waiting. “Cole, his mom makes the most amazing pie. You would love it.” Jake’s eyes search mine, so I avoid his gaze. “Will you tell your mom thanks and that the pie was delicious?”

He doesn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, of course. She’ll be thrilled you liked it.” He waves the dish at us as he turns to leave.

Then the door closes and I’m left alone with my worst nightmare.

I
need my gun
. I’m afraid to leave Katie, but I need to call the police, and I need to get my gun. My heart thunders in my chest as I hop on the golf cart and take it back to the house. I let myself in, my hands shaking as I unlock the gun safe in my dad’s closet. I take out his Colt .45 and check to be sure it’s loaded. Pop says an unloaded gun is worthless. I stuff it into the waistband of my pants at the small of my back. Then I grab my own gun, which I’d locked up when I first arrived. This one I hold in my hand.

I hear gravel churning as I walk back outside, and I see my truck pulling up to the house. Right behind it is Dan and Adam’s car and I know they have the kids with them. I flag them down, waving my arms frantically to get them to stop.

“What’s wrong?” Pop asks as he gets out of the truck.

“Take the kids inside.” I nod toward the other car. “Take them too. Lock the door. Don’t come out unless you hear my voice.”

Dan and Adam get out of their car. “What is it?” Dan asks.

“Who is Cole?” I ask without preamble.

Dan runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “The father of her baby. Is he
here?
”

“I thought her husband’s name is Jeff.”

“Her husband’s name
was
Jeff.”

“Not important,” Adam interjects. “We’ve got to get Katie away from him before–”

“Before what?”

“Before he kills her.”

Dan shakes his head. “He’s not going to kill her as long as she’s still pregnant.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t hurt her. It’s his favorite game. Teasing, taunting, and pain. He’s a cold, sadistic bastard.”

I had run into quite a few of those while on the force and it wouldn’t be the first time I brought one down. “Drugs? Alcohol?” It’s best to have as much information as possible going in. An abusive ass is one thing; someone hopped up on something is twice as dangerous.

“No, nothing like that. Just mean as hell.”

“
Cole
is who she’s running from? He’s why she’s here?”

“He won’t give her up without a fight, or unless he’s dead.”

“I can do dead.” It can be arranged. Easily.

“Jake.” Adam grabs my sleeve. “I’m going with you.”

“You’re staying here.” I look him in the eye. “Someone should have told me,” I say as I turn toward Katie’s cabin.

“Jake,” Pop calls.

I look behind me and see Pop shooing all three of the kids into the house. He turns back to me. “Be careful,” he says.

“You too.” If there’s anyone I could leave those kids with and not have to worry about them, it’s Pop.

Dan grabs my sleeve. “You’ll take care of her?”

“Yes.” I nod toward the house. “Keep the kids inside. Stay with Pop. He’ll keep them safe.
Stay here
,” I warn. I point at Pop, because I know I can trust him to keep a level head. “Call the police, Pop.”

I am the police. And someone who is very dear to me is in trouble. She told me the only way she knew how. Now I have to get back to her.

Dan tries to follow me but I jerk him back. “You stay here. Watch the kids.” Gabby is sobbing at the window, and she has Alex and Trixie standing in front of her. “Get them away from the windows. Do you understand?”

Dan nods and runs up the steps. “Jake,” he calls back, his voice frantic.

“What?” I check my gun. The clip is full. I only need one. The rest are insurance.

“Take care of her.”

I will.

I’ve faced a lot of bad stuff in my time on the force. But I have never been so scared in my whole life as I am right now. The door is open when I step onto the porch. I hide behind the edge of the door and look inside. I see no one. Then I hear a scream from the bedroom and my blood runs cold.

I steady my gun and use all the training I’ve ever received. I walk quietly to the bedroom, trying not to clomp my feet, but it’s damn hard. I need to get to Katie.

I push the door open slowly with one hand while pointing my gun with the other, and I find Katie standing facing me, directly in front of Cole. He has a knife at her throat and his hand is clenched in her hair, pulling so tightly that her eyes are bulging. There’s a fresh handprint on the side of her face.

“Put it down,” Cole says, his voice as cold as his heart.

I lower the gun very slowly and lay it on the floor in front of me, holding my hands up in surrender.

“Kick it over here,” he says with a jerk of his head. Katie winces and I see his grip on her hair tighten.

“You know I won’t do that,” I say. If I give him the gun, he’ll kill her. He might kill her anyway. I kick it under the bed instead. “Why don’t you let her go so we can talk?”

“Why don’t you go fuck yourself?” he snarls.

“Oh, if only it was that easy,” I say with a levity I don’t feel. “Whole lot easier than finding a woman, fucking myself. God, why didn’t I think of that?” I knock the heel of my hand against my forehead.

“You think you’re funny?” he says, and he pushes the knife a little harder against Katie’s throat. A drop of blood wells up and runs down her pale skin. She closes her eyes. “Step back,” Cole says.

I do as he says, walking backward all the way across the room. He comes forward, pushing Katie in front of him. “Out on the porch.”

I open the door and step outside, all the while holding my hands out at my sides.

“We’re going to go get in that car and leave, and you’re going to step aside.”

“If that’s what you want.” I step gingerly down the stairs, walking backward.

I know, though, that if I let him take Katie to a second location, I’ll never see her again. I will kill him before I let that happen.

Suddenly, I feel a rush of air beside my legs and a big brown beast runs up the steps, all fangs and hair standing on end. “Sally, no!” Katie screams.

I reach to grab for the dog, but he’s quick and fast. He’s gone from lazy and slow to dangerous and quick. Sally snarls and leaps, grabbing onto the arm that’s holding the knife against Katie’s throat. Sally jerks down and thrashes his head back and forth, and Cole screams.

The knife clatters to the porch. Cole lets Katie go so he can shake the dog off his arm, but Sally isn’t letting go. Cole screams and curses, and I grab Katie, shoving her back into the cottage. I pull the hidden gun from my waistband, ready to shoot the man, but he and the dog are one big blur.

Sally pulls Cole into the yard, and Cole scrambles free. I fire off a shot as soon as the dog is out of the way, and then another, but I refuse to shoot into pitch-black darkness, and I’m afraid I’m going to hit something aside from the asshole. “Sally!” I call. Sally comes toward me and sits down at my feet, staring up at me, his big, goofy body smeared with Cole’s blood. He looks up at me like “Anything else I can do for you?” He licks his bloody lips, his great big tongue lolling out of his mouth as he pants.

The police and ambulance arrive at exactly the same time. I identify myself and present my weapon. I need to get to Katie, but know I have to explain quickly about Cole, the dog, and the shots that I fired, but I don’t even know if I hit him. Now it’s up to the cops to find that bastard. After all that, I finally get to go inside to check on Katie.

Katie’s clutching her middle. “Hey, Jake,” she says softly.

“Hey, Katie,” I say back. My eyes fill with tears, because I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my life.

“I think I’m having a baby,” she whispers. Her eyes meet mine. Then I notice she’s standing in a puddle of clear liquid.

I rush toward her and lift her into my arms. “It’s okay. We got this.”

“We do?” A tear tracks down her cheek.

“Oh hell yeah,” I say. I walk onto the porch, carrying her all the while. “We totally got this,” I tell her. But this time, it’s more for me than for her.

She points behind her. “Get the dog, Jake,” she cries. “He’s a good dog.”

“The best dog ever.” I kiss her forehead as the paramedics take her from me. Her parents rush forward and her kids flank them.

“I’m keeping that dog, Jake,” Katie says.

“You can have the dog. But I get visitation.”

“Deal,” Katie says, and I finally get a grin out of her.

They load Katie into the ambulance.

“We need to go,” the paramedics say. “In or out?”

“In,” Katie cries. She wants me.

I climb in with her and she takes my hand in a grip so tight it hurts.

“We’ll follow you in the car!” her dad yells. “The kids are fine! And we got the dog!”

Katie finally takes a deep breath. “Did you kill him?” she asks.

“I don’t think so.”

She lies back against the gurney and heaves out a breath. “I was hoping you did,” she says on a tired sigh.

“Me too.”