The Hearts We Mend (34 page)

Evie forced a smile. “Every time I come over here, it looks different.”

Travis propped his hip against the sink and surveyed the room. His face glowed from being outdoors all afternoon and his jeans were coated with bits of grass, but there was no getting around the fact that the man was extremely attractive. Tousled blond hair and the same lean, sculpted features but with eyes more blue than gray. And they lacked the warmth Evie saw in Jack's.

“I think this building would benefit more from a wrecking ball, but that's my big brother.” Trav's lips twisted in a smile. “Trying to make something out of nothing is a personal challenge to him.”

There was a double meaning embedded in the words that Evie didn't want to analyze too closely. “Is Lily here?”

“I hope so. I came to pick her up.”

As if on cue, Evie heard the patter of footsteps in the hallway and Lily burst into the room. “I made up a new dance! Do you want to see it?”

Evie circumvented the refusal rising in Travis's eyes with a quick smile. “Of course we do.”

For a moment Evie thought he was going to decline. But then he swept his arm toward the door. “After you.”

He followed them to the mirrored room and pulled his cell phone from his pocket as Lily began to flit around.

Just when Evie was tempted to snatch it away from him, Lily glided up to them. “Twirl me, Daddy!”

Travis looked at Lily like she'd just asked him to launch her to the moon. “There's no music.”

“Yes, there is!” Lily reached for his hand. “Uncle Jack says it's inside of you.”

Travis glanced at his phone. “Maybe when we get back from Quigley's. You want to go with me, right? I thought we'd get a hamburger for supper.”

“Yes!” Lily performed a pirouette and almost landed on Evie's toes. “Oops! I'm sorry, Evie.”

“That's all right, sweetheart.” Evie wished Jack would get back.

“Can you and Uncle Jack come to Quigley's with us?”

“I'm sure they'd rather be alone, Princess,” Travis said before Evie could respond. “It's just going to be you and Dad tonight. I thought we'd get some ice cream and watch a movie.”

“Uncle Jack doesn't have a TV.”

“That doesn't matter because we have one at home.”

Lily's forehead puckered. “Aren't we coming back here?”

Evie hoped that Lily didn't see the flicker of irritation in Travis's eyes as he set his hand against the small of Lily's back and guided her toward the door.

“Let's go, Princess. If I don't get a cheeseburger and fries in the next ten minutes, I'm going to disappear.”

Don't get my hopes up.

The thought rolled through Evie's mind before she could stop it and she felt terrible. Summoning a smile, she waved good-bye to Lily, but the moment the two were out of sight, she closed her eyes.

I'm sorry, Lord. I know I shouldn't judge him. I'm worried about Lily. And Jack . . .

“The color isn't that bad, is it?”

Evie turned at the sound of Jack's voice and some of her tension melted away under the warmth of his smile. “I love the color.”

“Good. Because the guy at the hardware store said I can't return them.” Jack set two gallons of paint on the floor. “Travis left?”

“He picked up Lily. They're going to Quigley's for supper and then home.” The last word stuck in Evie's throat. “I think she'd rather be here though.”

Jack simply nodded.

How did he do this? If it was difficult for her, she couldn't imagine how hard it must be on him.

“I wanted to show you something.” Evie reached into her bag and took out the photographs. “Cody and Raine gave me these today.”

Jack moved closer. “I saw the photographer take this one on their wedding day.”

“You did?”

“It was right after the ceremony. Raine told the photographer she wanted all the pictures from here up.” Jack tapped his chest. “But Cody said, ‘There's a baby in the picture so there's going to be a baby in the picture.' He told Raine he didn't want their child to think they were ashamed when he or she was old enough to do the math. And I remember thinking someone raised that boy right.”

“I wasn't so sure of that the night Cody announced he was going to be a father. I was devastated.” Evie replayed the conversation in her mind. “I blamed Raine for ruining Cody's future. I was convinced she'd messed up God's plan for my son . . . but I was the one who almost got in the way. I suggested they consider putting the baby up for adoption. I wasn't always kind to Raine or Gin, and there were nights I cried out to God and asked Him to give Cody the courage to make the right decision. And He did.

“I know they're going to face some difficult things . . . but if Cody had listened to me, I wouldn't have this.”

Evie handed Jack the other photograph, and he pulled in a quiet, almost reverent, breath as he studied the ultrasound.

“The baby is a she. Her name is Ella. Ella Joy Bennett.”

“Your granddaughter.”

Evie smiled. “The good stuff.”

C
HAPTER
40

M
orning, Jack!” Pauline stood behind the welcome center in the church foyer, restocking a small wicker basket with pocket-size devotionals. “How are you doing?”

Jack bypassed the question with one of his own. “Is Evie here?”

“She's still in a meeting with Pastor, but it shouldn't go too much longer.” Pauline's voice cut to a whisper. “Evie told me about the building on Fairview Street. I've known her for thirteen years, and I've never seen her so excited about a project. It sounds like Keith is on board, so I have a feeling if it comes to a vote, the congregation will support it too.”

“That's great.” Jack pushed out a smile. “Do you mind if I wait in her office?”

“Not at all. There's a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen if you're interested.”

The thought of putting anything in his stomach made it tilt sideways. “No thanks.”

Jack's smile died the instant he closed the door behind him. He walked over and stared at the watercolor on Evie's wall. A tranquil lake and a blue sky that reminded Jack of her eyes.

God . . .

That was as far as he got. The door opened and Evie came in. Her cheeks were flushed pink, the sparkle in her eyes an indication that her meeting about the building on Fairview Street had gone well. Jack tried to smile, but it must not have been very convincing because Evie's disappeared.

“They found enough evidence to hold Travis for trial, didn't they?” She was at his side in an instant, reaching for his hands.

“Trav didn't show up for court, Evie.” Saying the words out loud only made them more real.

“What do you mean he didn't show up? Where is he?”

“He . . .” Jack cleared his throat, trying to clear the lump from his throat, but it continued to expand. Barely allowed a breath to filter through. “I don't know.”

“You mean he
left
?”

“He's not answering his phone. I stopped by the house on my way here . . . his car is gone.”

Evie stared up at him and Jack could see her trying to fit the pieces together in a way that would make sense.

“He left Lily alone?”

“Evie—” At that moment Jack would have given anything not to have to tell her the truth. “Trav took Lily with him.”

No.

Evie's lips shaped the word but no sound came out.

Everything inside of her wanted to reject what Jack had just told her, but the raw pain in his eyes made it impossible.

“I talked to Ryan . . . They issued a warrant for Trav's arrest, but he could be across the state line by now.” Jack's voice broke a little on the last word, and something broke inside of Evie.

She didn't even realize she was crying until Jack's arms folded around her. A tremor ran through him, one that Evie felt all the way to her bones.

And all she could do was cling to Jack and thank God, over and
over, that He'd brought them together. And that Jack didn't have to go through this alone.

Jack was finally alone.

He'd managed to persuade Evie to go home and get some sleep even though he knew he wouldn't allow himself the same luxury.

Not until he heard from Travis.

After she left, he drove to Brewster Street and let himself in with the spare key Cheryl had hidden underneath the mat on the back porch. The air in the house felt thick, so the first thing he did was open the windows in the living room.

Lily's stuffed toys, lined up along the back of the couch, watched Jack with benign smiles as he filled in some of the holes in the wall and nailed a strip of baseboard back in place.

He was glad Evie wasn't here to see him take out his frustration on an innocent piece of oak.

Evie.

She'd stayed by Jack's side all afternoon while he called Travis's former bandmates and friends. She'd made him eat. Worked out the knots in his shoulders. But somehow everything she did only made Jack feel worse.

Because all he could see was Evie's expression when he'd told her that Trav had taken Lily and left town.

That was something he couldn't fix.

And her tears . . .

The soft scuff of footsteps on the steps leading up to the porch cut through the silence, and he was at the door in three strides.

“Trav—” Jack yanked the door open and came face-to-face with Ginevieve Lightly.

Her gaze swept over him. “You look terrible.”

There was something refreshing about the blunt observation, but it didn't stop Jack from bracing one arm across the doorframe, creating a barrier between the porch and Trav's living room.

“Is that what you came over here to tell me?”

“No, that was just to break the ice.” Gin ducked underneath his arm. “The next part requires a cup of coffee.”

Jack closed the door behind her. “Don't you work at a diner?”

Ginevieve picked up a stuffed dog, transferred it to the next cushion, and made herself at home on Trav's lumpy couch. “It's been a long day.”

Jack couldn't argue with that. He walked around the butcher-block island that separated the living room from the kitchen. He was feeling shaky enough without another dose of caffeine, but reheating a cup for Ginevieve gave him something to do.

“Have you heard anything?”

Gin obviously wasn't one to beat around the bush.

“No.”

“You can't blame yourself. Short of locking your brother in a closet—and that involves a few felonies of its own—you couldn't have stopped Travis from leaving.”

Maybe Gin was right, but knowing that didn't make it any easier.

“There's a warrant out for Trav's arrest now. I talked to Ryan Tate and they won't issue an Amber Alert for Lily because they don't believe she's in danger.”

“I don't either.”

For some reason, Gin's matter-of-fact statement sliced through one of the steel bands that had wrapped around Jack's chest that morning. He shot her a grateful look. “I found a dress shirt and tie on Trav's bed. I think he planned to go to court but he must have panicked. Or got angry. It's no excuse, but my brother tends to let emotion cloud his judgment.”

“I hope that's not a family trait.”

Jack was debating whether to ask Gin what she meant by that when his cell phone rang. He saw the name on the screen and folded the phone into the palm of his hand, letting the call go to voicemail.

When he looked up, Gin was watching him.

“Don't do it, Jack.”

“Don't do what?”

“Hurt Evie.”

“
Hurt
her?” Jack repeated. “I'm trying to protect her.”

Gin set her empty cup in the sink and walked toward the door, but Jack had a feeling she wasn't finished with him yet.

“Are you protecting Evie?” she said softly. “Or yourself?”

Ginevieve's words lingered in Jack's head as he drove back to his apartment building.

For once, no one was around.

He walked through the living room and went onto the balcony. He and Evie had sat out there the night before—it seemed like a year ago now—while the paint was drying, serenaded by the squeal of tires and the jukebox in the bar across the street.

It had seemed romantic at the time.

I've never had this.

Yeah. He'd opened up a whole new world for Evie all right.

Jack's phone rang again, but this time a number he didn't recognize popped up on the screen.

“Vale.”

The silence on the other end of the line sent equal amounts of hope and fear rocketing through him. “Hello?”

“Jack.”

He sagged against the railing.
Thank You, God.

“Trav . . . where are you?”

“In trouble.” A broken sigh funneled through the speaker. “I messed up, Jack. I messed up big this time. I . . . I panicked, you
know? I was going to take Lily out for breakfast before I went to the courthouse and I just kept driving.”