Authors: Francis Ray
“Have I ever given you that impression?”
The hurt in his voice was so unexpected her head came up. “N-no.”
“And I never will.” He turned to Sierra. “We’ll follow you in my truck.” Setting Kayla to her feet, he reached for Naomi’s arm, his hand gently closing on her forearm.
He could blame Sierra’s bodyguards or her ex, but Richard was afraid this time the blame rested squarely on his shoulders. And it made his heart clench to know Naomi was afraid of him, even if it wasn’t physical
Her eyes widened, but she allowed him to take her arm and gently lead her to his truck. Feeling her shiver, he wanted to curse again. If he ever saw her ex again, he was taking a shot at the bastard.
* * *
Sierra turned to Aaron. “Mentioning Rio was low.”
“And effective,” he said, his expression unchanged.
Sierra’s eyes narrowed. She’d push, but the results would be the same. They didn’t want to have a “chat” with Rio, and she didn’t want to have one with Blade. “I don’t suppose it would do any good to tell you to back off since Richard is going.”
“It’s nice you know us so well, Mrs. Navarone,” Aaron said.
Sierra’s brow arched. They might call Blade by his last name, but she preferred to be called Sierra, which they usually did. Addressing her as Mrs. Navarone was a none-too-subtle reminder of whom she was married to. She’d never forget that she was blessed to have the one man she’d love through eternity, but she did enjoy having her way and calling the shots.
“And since Dr. Youngblood will be following you, I don’t suppose you’ll go through any lights on caution,” Aaron went on to say.
Sierra stuck her tongue in her cheek. “Just keeping you on your toes. It must be boring guarding me.”
Aaron grunted. So did the man standing a short distance away.
Laughing, Sierra got inside her SUV. Richard backed up for her to pull out, but she waited until her two shadows were in the Mercedes. She never thought she’d get used to men watching her every move, but if it made Blade’s life easier, she’d do it. And have a bit of fun in the process she thought, already planning to “test” her bodyguards before she returned home.
* * *
“I did a drawing for you, Dr. Richard. It’s in my art book.”
“You did? Thanks, pumpkin. I’ll look at it when I take you and your mother home,” Richard said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naomi start.
“That isn’t necessary,” Naomi said, staring straight ahead at Sierra’s SUV.
“I think it is.” He glanced at the Mercedes keeping pace with him. He’d forgotten about the bodyguards. All he’d been thinking about was keeping Naomi from leaving him.
“How was school this week?” he asked.
“It was the best,” Kayla said. “A lady came to the school to interview me and took a picture of me and my classmates and everything. I wanted to call and tell you about it.”
Naomi threw a glance at Richard, swallowed and looked away. Kayla was innocently revealing her mother’s lies.
“I read the article,” he said, signaling to turn behind Sierra. “You did a good job on the interview. I was proud of you.”
“Fallon helped me cut out the article. I saved it for you. I just knew that you wouldn’t be too busy and come back.”
Naomi had always wanted Kayla to be open, proud of her intellect and vocabulary. She hadn’t thought it would come back to haunt her.
Richard glanced over to see Naomi’s fingers digging into the purse in her lap. He had to grip the steering wheel to keep from reaching over and placing his hand on hers, telling her it would be all right.
“How are the puppies?” Kayla asked.
“Getting fat,” he said, pulling up behind Sierra. Her bodyguards’ car pulled in front of her. She started to get out, but one of the man reached her first. He could see her roll her eyes when Aaron held out his hand. After a few seconds, she placed something in his hand.
Going up the cracked sidewalk, he opened the front door and went in. The other man hung back on the sidewalk. They weren’t taking any chances.
Richard didn’t mind the wait while they checked out the house. “With your mother’s permission, you’ll have to come see them.”
“Mama said if we get a house she’d think about letting me have a puppy.” Kayla unbuckled her seat belt and scooted forward. “I told her I’d take real good care of it.”
“Like Teddy, a puppy would be happy to come live with you.”
Aaron came back to the front door, handed Sierra the key, then stood to one side of the wide porch.
Unbuckling his seat belt, Richard opened the back door and helped Kayla out. Naomi was already standing on the sidewalk.
“This is the first of the three houses today,” Sierra said as she met Naomi on the sidewalk. “It’s a three-bedroom, one-and-a half bath, Seventeen hundred square feet. It’s in need of the most repairs, but it’s the least expensive.”
Naomi could feel Richard watching her. Usually he wasn’t so obvious.
“Let’s go see, Mama.”
“I like a woman who knows what she wants,” Sierra said with a laugh. “Come on, Kayla. Let’s go see if you and your mother like this one.” Kayla and Sierra disappeared inside the stucco-and-wood house.
Naomi started after them, very much aware that Richard was behind her. She should be excited about the house, but what kept coming back were the lies she’d told her daughter.
“I think we’re falling behind.”
She turned. It had to be said. He could have outed her and he hadn’t. “Thank you.”
“I want what’s best for you and Kayla. Remember that.”
“Come on, Mama.” Kayla came back to the front door. “There’s a fireplace in here.”
“We could roast marshmallows,” Richard called, stepping around Naomi and going into the house.
Standing there, she wasn’t sure why she felt so alone. This was what she’d wanted.
“Coming?” Richard asked, one foot on the porch, and one on the cracked sidewalk.
“Yes.” Naomi hurried into the house.
* * *
None of the houses was what Naomi was looking for. She almost hated to tell Sierra. She just had a vague idea of what she wanted. She was horrible at decorating so she couldn’t visualize how her furnishings would look or how to turn the place into something warm and inviting, like Catherine’s house. “I’m sorry, but none of them seem right. They’re in my price range, but…” Her voice trailed off.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sierra said as they stood in front of the last house. “You’ll know it when you walk inside. Sometimes it’s fast, but it could take months. We’ll find the house. I want you to find a house that you and Kayla will love, not one that you’ll regret buying.”
“And a place for a puppy,” Kayla interjected.
Sierra smiled. “You remind me of me when I was your age.”
Naomi was a bit startled by the compliment. Her facial expression must have showed it.
“She isn’t swayed from what she wants,” Richard explained.
“Exactly.” Sierra hugged her iPad case to her chest. “I had a lioness for a mother and four strong brothers. As the baby of the family, I had to assert myself.”
“You were headstrong and would dare the devil if I remember correctly,” Richard reminded her. “You still are.”
“Yes, I was and look how fantastic my life turned out.” Sierra bent to eye level with Kayla. “Always go after what you want. It makes life more interesting.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kayla said.
Naomi wasn’t sure if she liked the advice Sierra gave her daughter or not, but considering how Naomi had tried to please everyone at the expense of her own happiness, perhaps Sierra’s way was the best. More than anything, Naomi wanted her daughter to be happy.
Sierra straightened and turned to Naomi. “I can take you back to your apartment.”
“Thanks—”
“No, Mama,” Kayla interrupted, no longer smiling as she stared up at her mother. “Dr. Richard is going to take me to see the puppies. Remember?”
“I can’t compete with that.” Sierra laughed. “Good-bye.”
Naomi watched Sierra walk down the sidewalk. All she had to do was say something. She couldn’t. Kayla wasn’t going to suffer because of her mother’s insecurities.
“Come on, Kayla.” Richard held out his hand. Kayla immediately grasped it. “Let’s get you buckled up.”
Once again, he walked away, leaving Naomi behind. Slowly she followed, trying to figure out why he was keeping his distance from her. Worse, since that was exactly what she wanted, why was it making her so unhappy?
Opening the front passenger door, she climbed inside. He seemed more interested in Kayla than her. He’d moved on. She should be glad, she thought as he pulled away from the sidewalk.
Somehow, she wasn’t.
* * *
Richard was totally aware of the furtive glances Naomi keep throwing at him, her furrowed brow, as if she was trying to figure him out. Good. Perhaps giving her the space she obviously wanted was making her realize that that wasn’t really what she wanted. Hovering over her certainly hadn’t helped.
Unlocking the door to his clinic, he snapped on the light and shut off the alarm. Kayla had eagerly followed him. Naomi looked as if she wasn’t sure what to do next.
“You can wait here, if you want,” he told Naomi.
“Don’t you want to see the puppies, Mama?” Kayla asked. “You could get one, too, so it would have someone so it wouldn’t be lonely when I’m at school.”
A small smile curved the corners of Naomi’s mouth. She stepped inside and brushed her hand across her daughter’s head. “The puppy isn’t definite and I think one is enough—if I decide to let you have one.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Kayla’s head fell.
“It wouldn’t hurt to go look, I suppose,” Naomi said.
Kayla’s head lifted. She grabbed her mother’s hand. “Mama is going with us, Dr. Richard.”
“This way.” He went to the back were the animal cages were kept. He didn’t have any animals boarding at the time. Opening the door, he turned on the lights. “The mom and her litter are in the second cage.”
Releasing her mother’s hand, Kayla rushed to the cage, her eyes wide as she sank to her knees. “Oh, Mama, aren’t they beautiful?”
Naomi edged closer. “And just as fat as Richard said.”
She’d said his name.
Progress
.
The five mixed-breed puppies were snuggled against their mother, sleeping. He’d told Kayla about the puppies, not that the mother had been tied to the front door of his clinic in labor. It was well known around town that he’d take in pets the owner no longer wanted. The inhumane treatment of humans of one another and of animals never ceased to amaze and anger him.
“Can I hold one?” Kayla asked.
“When they’re older. Now it’s best that they’re handled as little as possible.”
Kayla turned her attention back to the puppies. “They don’t have a daddy, either.”
Naomi gasped, bit her lower lip. It took considerable control for Richard not to pull her into his arms. He knew, more than anything, she blamed herself for marrying the wrong man. She believed that she’d failed Kayla as a mother.
“They don’t need a daddy when they have a good mother. She loves and takes care of them,” Richard said.
“Just like me and Mama.” Kayla said, then stared back at the puppies. “Can I come see them again?”
“Anytime,” Richard said.
“Kayla, we need to go so you can get to bed.” Naomi held out her hand. Kayla was slow in getting up to take it.
“We’re ready to leave,” Naomi said quietly.
“I’ll follow you to the front and set the alarm.” Richard watched Naomi hurry to the front. She was backing away again. It wouldn’t do her any good. He had no intention of letting her push him out of her or Kayla’s life.
* * *
As soon as Richard stopped his truck in front of her apartment, Naomi unbuckled her seat belt, got out, and opened the back door to get Kayla. Her hand firmly in her daughter’s, she hurried to her door and unlocked it. “Thank you, Richard. I need to get Kayla her bath and into bed for school tomorrow.”
“I’m not sleepy,” Kayla wailed.
“You will be.” Naomi said gently urging Kayla inside, then turning to face Richard. “Good night.”
“It’s not over,” Richard said, then he returned to his truck.
She gulped and hurried inside. By the time she heard his engine starting, Naomi was halfway across the living room with Kayla.
“I wanted to show him the picture I drew,” Kayla protested.
“You can when you see him again,” Naomi said.
“When is that?” Kayla wanted to know.
“I’m not sure. Now let’s get your bath and into bed.” Naomi was relieved Kayla didn’t ask any more questions, because she didn’t have any answers for either of them.
* * *
Naomi had another restless night. She might not want Richard in her life, but her subconscious certainly liked having him around. She freely admitted as the day wore on that forgetting Richard was going to be more difficult than she had imagined. She decided work would help and kept busy during the day at school.
Naomi had her arms full of material to be copied and her mind on the coming science fair when she entered the main office. Science fairs were always hectic, but fun. Naturally, Kayla wanted to do one on animals. Which reminded her that they needed to stop by the store to pick up the supplies for Kayla’s project. Thank goodness the last hour of the day was her planning period and she could work on getting the never-ending paperwork done.
She smiled at the secretary and clerk as she passed the curved desk counter. Neither acknowledged her. Their gaze was fixed on the door leading into the school clinic. Puzzled, she glanced in that direction to see the broad-shouldered and hulking build of a man, and a petite woman.
“You’re just stupid!” yelled the man.
Naomi froze, clutching the books and papers to her. The angry voice hurtled her back into the past.
“I’m sorry, Jessie. I just forgot to give the school the new phone number.”
“Forgot!! You’re as useless as they come!” the man continued. “You don’t work! All you have to do is keep the house and take care of one child, and you can’t even do that!”
“Your daughter only had a slight temperature elevation,” the school nurse said soothingly. “I have your new phone number now, so if anything else comes up, I should be able to reach you. I’ll also give it to Lisa’s teacher and place it on her record. It shouldn’t happen again.”