Catch 'n' Kiss (Are You Game?) (18 page)

Dan’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “But he knew the papers were filed and would be processed in due course.”

“Again, beyond my comprehension.” Jody took a deep breath and let it go slowly. “Okay, let’s get this over with. I want to get home to Leigh and Amy.”

“After you.” He swept his hand out to indicate she lead the way.

She smiled but didn’t quite feel it. The sadness that settled over her wouldn’t shift. It was extremely depressing to think her marriage had come to this. She’d had such high hopes and dreams for so many years. And for a while, she thought she’d found them only to have the rug pulled out from underneath her when she’d discovered Colin’s cheating. Even then she’d stuck it out, listened to his apologies and promises. Until she’d been confronted by the blonde. There was no way to ignore the fiasco that was her marriage then.

Of course, she hadn’t walked or even insisted Colin leave even after that confrontation. No. He’d walked. And for that she would always hate a part of herself. But that was in the past and she wasn’t going to let him ruin any more of her self-esteem or her life—or the girls’. With that in mind, Jody made her way back to the interview room and the papers that would sever all ties she had with her ex and keep him away from Leigh and Amy until they reached the age of eighteen.

Dan stood behind Jody as she signed her name to legal papers that would remove her arsehole of an ex from her life. He should be thrilled with this development, and part of him was, but there was also the complete sadness radiating off her that ate at his gut. She’d been forced into this by her ex’s actions, and no matter how right it was, she didn’t like doing it.

He’d understood the basics of what Mackenzie was advising even with all the legal jargon the man had used. And Luc trusted the guy, so Dan was inclined to do whatever he suggested. Except it wasn’t up to him to make the decision. Jody hadn’t agreed immediately. She’d been full of questions, and only after thirty minutes of asking did she agree to lodge the documents to prevent her ex from seeing her or the girls. She made sure there was a provision for the girls to change their mind before they were adults but their father had no say in it and couldn’t contact them until they reached eighteen.

Dan thought it was a good compromise considering both lawyers wanted her to block all contact between now and when Leigh and Amy were older. She signed the last paper and the officer who’d been in charge of the domestic-violence case added his reports and the two suited lawyers left them to file the paperwork with the court.

“Please, take my card, and if you need anything further from me, don’t hesitate to get in contact.” The officer handed over a business card before he left the room.

“I guess that’s it then.” Jody glanced around. “I thought I’d feel more relieved than I do.”

“Give yourself some time. It’s been a crazy twenty-four hours.” Dan helped her from her seat. “Let’s get you home to the girls.”

“Thanks.” She grabbed her purse from the table. “Where did Luc go?”

Dan didn’t want to lie to her, but he also didn’t want to reveal where her brother had gone. “He said he had something to do.”

She eyed him wearily. “He better not be doing anything that will jeopardise the papers I just signed.”

He smiled. She knew her brother well. “Haven’t a clue.” With a hand to her lower back, he ushered her out of the police station and down the street to where they’d parked hours ago.

Luc was there, leaning against the hood of his black Explorer, arms crossed, dark shades covering his eyes, in a tough-guy stance that had people veering right to the edge of the sidewalk near the building to avoid him. As they got closer, Jody tensed until she all by vibrated beside Dan.

“Do not tell me you did something I’m not going to like,” she said when they were a few feet away.

Luc straightened to his full height. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

“Lucas!”

“Relax. All I did was make sure he saw me when that weasel of a lawyer got him released on bail.” Luc walked to the passenger side and opened the door. “Hop in, the girls have decided we’re having barbeque for dinner at my house. Cassie has taken them to the shops to pick up some food, so you have time to go home for a change of clothes.”

“Why do I need a change of clothes?” Jody asked as Dan helped her up into Luc’s SUV.

“Oh, did I not mention they want to have a sleepover at Uncle Luc’s house?” Luc grinned, but Dan didn’t miss the worry lines creasing his forehead.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’d rather just pick up the girls and go home.” Dan could hear the strain—the exhaustion—in Jody’s voice.

“At least have dinner at Luc’s. Besides, you won’t have to worry about cooking and Leigh and Amy will be occupied by the three of us and not constantly thinking back to last night.” Dan wasn’t sure his arguments were enough to sway her. “It’ll be good for all of you to have a number of distractions.”

Dan saw the moment she gave in. And while he was happy she agreed to Luc’s suggestion, he didn’t like watching the fight drain out of her. He hoped it was just the results of the long stressful day. He’d never seen her look so vulnerable before. She buckled up and he closed the door and turned to Luc.

“I’m worried,” Dan murmured.

“You and me both, which is why I’m not letting her stay at the house alone tonight,” Luc said.

“They can stay at my place.” The offer was out before Dan thought better of it.

“Yeah, well, I don’t like that idea any more than I like the one of her going home.” Luc seemed to grow two inches as he leaned over Dan.

Stifling a smile, Dan stood his ground. “Look, I get the whole big-brother-protection thing. I’m guilty of the actions myself, but I can guarantee you I’m not going to hurt Jody or the girls.”

“Big talk for a guy she didn’t want me to call last night.”

“Did she call you?” Dan already knew the answer to his question but felt the need to point it out.

“Shit. No.” Luc rubbed his jaw. “How’d you know that?”

“I overheard a couple of the officers talking earlier. Do you think she would have called you?”

Luc looked away for a few seconds before meeting Dan’s gaze again. “No. Leigh freaked out when her father started yelling and rang me. I was on the phone when he started killing her car. The hardest thing I’ve ever done was tell that kid to hang up and call the police. For those few minutes, I was scared out of my mind I’d get there and find them all dead.”

Fuck. Dan hadn’t known the details, and hearing it from Luc sent a chill down his spine. “We need to thank Leigh for keeping it together enough to ring you and then do what you told her to.”

“Agreed.” Luc took a step away and stopped. “Oh, and for the record, I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”

Dan nodded. He didn’t want Luc to feel that way again either. “Do you think he’ll leave them alone when the court order is granted?”

Luc shrugged. “Hard to say. Before last night I’d have said he was a harmless loser. Now he’s a dangerous loser.”

Tapping on glass grabbed their attention. Jody sat in the car scowling at them. “We better get going,” Dan said.

“Are you ready for the third degree when we get in?” Luc asked.

Dan laughed. “Yeah.”

Luc grinned. “She’s going to be relentless.”

“I hope so. I’m a little worried this whole thing has taken the wind out of her sails.”

“Nah, it’ll take more than this to keep Jody down.” Luc clapped Dan on the back as he walked past and headed for the driver’s side. Taking a deep breath, Dan steeled himself for the coming questions and opened the rear passenger door.

“What were you two plotting?” Jody twisted around to peer between her seat and the door.

“Nothing. We were just talking about today.” He didn’t meet her gaze, which he knew would have given the half-lie away.

“Ha. Bullshit.”

“Oh, she’s swearing. Always a good sign,” Luc said as he climbed in behind the wheel.

“You.” Jody spun around and levelled a finger at her brother. “Don’t you do your zipped-lip security-man impersonation on me.”

Luc laughed. “Jody, Jody, Jody. Would I do that to you?”

“
Argh
. Yes, you would. Now I want to know what is going on. Don’t feed me a line, Lucas Wilhelm. I might not be able to stop you from going all macho-protective big brother on me, but you can at least do me the courtesy of treating me like the adult I am and tell me what the hell you’re doing.”

Luc sighed as he started the car and then moved them out into the flow of traffic. “I’m not planning anything other than making sure he sticks by the court order when the judge puts his stamp on it.”

“How?”

“I’ll have someone keep an eye on him for a while.”

“You’re not going to have me or the girls followed are you? I won’t stand for that, Luc.”

Dan sat quietly listening to the two of them interact. They were close, and he wondered if they’d always been that way or just since Jody had separated from her ex.

“I promise not to have either you or the girls under watch. Just the loser ex who suddenly went from harmless to dangerous with the swing of a bat. What the fuck set him off anyway?” Luc asked.

“He was raving about getting the divorce papers before he started remodelling my car.”

“But that’s been in the works for well over a year and final for months.”

“I know.” Jody sighed and slumped down in her seat. “I don’t get why he had a sudden objection to it.”

“Did you see him before he showed up with the bat?” Dan asked. He wasn’t convinced the guy had gone off the deep end over the finalisation of their divorce.

“No.” She bolted upright. “Wait. Leigh said he’d come around before I got home but she hadn’t answered the door.”

Dan caught Luc’s eye in the rear view mirror. “Do you think she said something to set him off?”

“What could she possibly say? And why would she even talk to him? Leigh said she didn’t answer the door and I believe her. She has no reason to lie about it.”

“Maybe not, then again, maybe she doesn’t want to tell you what happened,” Luc offered.

“I still don’t see why she wouldn’t, but I’ll ask her when we get to your place.” Jody settled back in her seat and Dan put his hands over the top of her seat and gave her neck and shoulders a rub.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re right and Leigh didn’t answer the door.”

Chapter Fourteen

“You told him what?” Jody couldn’t catch her breath. “Why would you do that, Leigh?”

“Well.” Leigh’s gaze dart over to Dan before coming back to her. “I thought—”

“You thought wrong, young lady, and that may have been the trigger that set your father off.” Jody paced between the couch and the television.

“Jody—”

She quieted her brother with a look and continued to pace. Leigh’s confession explained a lot. Colin’s behaviour had been so out of character. Even when they were together he’d never gotten violent when drunk. Then again, his daughter hadn’t told him he was being replaced in their lives by another man before. Dan stepped in front of her and grabbed her arms.

“Stop.” He gave her a slight shake. “Leigh didn’t do it out of spite.”

Jody was appalled that he would even suggest that. “Of course not.”

“Then take a breath and calm down before you scare Leigh to death,” Dan whispered as he turned her around to face her daughter.

Oh God
. Jody rushed over to where Leigh sat curled up on the couch beside Luc. The poor thing was crying her eyes out and all because Jody hadn’t thought Leigh might misinterpret her reaction to Leigh’s admission.

Jody pulled Leigh into her arms and rocked her like she had when she was a baby. “Oh, sweetie, I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at your father for even thinking he has the right to care about who’s in our lives.”

“I hate him!” Leigh sobbed against Jody’s shoulder.

“Leigh, don’t say that. Hate is such a strong word. Things are okay to hate, but not people.”

“But he’s horrible. And he said he didn’t want us to be happy.”

Jody’s gaze darted up to meet Luc’s as she ran a hand over her daughter’s head. “Baby, what he wants doesn’t matter.”

“But, but, he trashed our car so we couldn’t spend the day with Dan. Because I told him that’s what we were supposed to do today.” Leigh sobbed so hard she choked and all Jody could do was hold her and let her cry. She wasn’t sure what else to do or say to soothe her daughter’s fears.

Cassie came over and held out a box of tissues. Jody tugged a couple from the box and waited for Leigh to calm down a little. Luc indicated he was getting up and she glanced over to see Amy standing in the doorway, thumbnail caught between her front teeth. She hadn’t chewed her nails in years, and Jody prayed this incident hadn’t set her back on that bad habit.

She was grateful when Luc and Cassie ushered Amy out with the incentive of helping make the hamburger patties for dinner. Jody smiled. Amy loved to get her hands into food. And unlike Jody, her youngest daughter showed a real aptitude for cooking. Dan slid into the space vacated by Luc but remained quiet. She’d love to know what was going on inside his head right now. The poor man had been thrown into the middle of her family’s drama without consent, and she was surprised he wasn’t running for the hills by now.