Kids on the Doorstep / Cop on Loan: Kids on the Doorstep / Cop on Loan

He watched as Taylor hopped from her chair and skipped to help Gladys, a bright smile wreathing her small face as Gladys handed her a bowl with cookie dough and told her to start rolling it into little balls for the oven. He’d told Gladys she shouldn’t be up and about so much but the old gal wanted to feel useful and wouldn’t be deterred. He figured for now it was all right but he was going to get her to see the doctor soon.

Once Taylor was suitably occupied he gestured for Alexis to follow him into the living room, which was a far enough distance from the kitchen to allow them some privacy.

She took a seat opposite him, perched on the edge of the cowhide sofa as if poised to bolt if the need arose. Everything about Alexis, from her rigid posture to her sharp, alert and wary gaze, told him that this girl had lost her childhood somewhere along the way of her life. He could relate somewhat. He’d often felt like Evan’s father rather than just his older brother after their mom died. The weight of that responsibility had a tendency to suck the fun right out of growing up. He eyed her intently. This kid didn’t know what it was like to be coddled and so he’d talk to her straight.

“You mad at your mama? It’s okay if you are. She did a bad thing, leaving you like she did. But it seems maybe she has changed a bit since you saw her last. She seemed real upset, don’t you think? Maybe you could sit down and chat with her for a bit, get a feel for what she’s saying.”

Alexis softened imperceptibly. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you still have feelings for your mama and that’s okay, too. We can be mad at the people we love. But if you don’t talk with her about your feelings, they’ll just fester up inside of you and make you sick. It’s like having an invisible infection inside your heart and it never gets better unless you treat it.”

Alexis gave a stiff nod but remained quiet.

“I need to ask you something about Chloe.” At the mention of her baby sister, her demeanor became protective. Her little fists curled and he doubted she even realized it.

“What about Chloe?”

“Was your daddy mean to her?”

“Daddy was mean to all of us.”

“Yeah, I get that. He sure as hell ain’t up for Father of the Year but I mean did he pick on Chloe more than the rest of you?” At first Alexis seemed reluctant to answer, her small mouth compressed as if trying to hold back what wanted to fall out, so he waited. His patience was rewarded when Alexis started talking in a barely audible whisper.

“Yes,” she said, tears glittering in her eyes. “It got really bad when our mom left.”

“Do you know why?” he asked gently and Alexis shook her head. Drawing a deep breath, he asked the question that had been bothering him the most. “Do you think your daddy was trying to make Chloe sick?”

Alexis bit the side of her cheek and her face paled as she struggled to hold back the tears that welled in her eyes.

“It’s okay, you can tell me. I know you did your best to keep your sisters safe. Tell me what your daddy was doing to Chloe.”

Alexis gulped and when she spoke again her voice shook. “Special eggs. He made her eat eggs that he made special and they always made her sick. The last time, right before we left Arizona, I watched him as he made Chloe’s breakfast. He put something in it from under the kitchen sink and I know that’s not where we keep the salt and pepper. We only keep cleaning supplies down there. So I didn’t let her eat them.”

“How’d you do that?”

“When he wasn’t looking I switched our plates. I knew he hadn’t put anything in me and Taylor’s eggs and then I told him I didn’t feel good. I threw my eggs away. He didn’t care about me, but he made sure Chloe ate every bit on her plate before he’d let her get down from the table. I think my daddy—” She stopped on a painful sob and John felt her struggle as if it were his own. Alexis had confirmed his worst fear. The girls’ father had been trying to poison his youngest daughter.

He caught Alexis’s red-rimmed stare and made her a solemn promise. “You’re never going back to that man. And if your mom isn’t up to snuff…you aren’t going back to her, either. That okay with you?”

Her answer was slow in coming but he suspected it came straight from her heart as she nodded and said, “Fine by me.”

Good. First things first…“I’m friends with Sheriff Casey. You need to tell her everything you just told me.”

“Are you sure we’re not going to go back to Daddy?” she asked, her eyes scared.

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“Daddy was real mean to Chloe,” she said. “I’m afraid of what he’ll do if we go back. He told Chloe if she didn’t stop peeing her panties he’d put her outside like a dog because she smelled like one. He left her out there for hours in the rain. I went out and got her after he went to bed. It took all night to warm her up but the cough she has now…it’s from that night. Sometimes she coughs so hard, she can’t breathe.”

“I know, honey, that’s why I took her to the doc. She’s got some medicine and we’re taking care of that nasty cough so you don’t need to worry anymore,” he said, careful to keep his voice neutral and calm when inside he was to the boiling point. He couldn’t imagine little Chloe locked outside, shivering in the rain, crying for her sisters and huddled against the door while her father sat in relative comfort inside the house. God help him if John got his hands on that man. But for now, he needed to lift the weight from this little girl’s shoulders. “All right. Here’s the deal. Sheriff Casey is a good person. There’s no way you’re going back to your daddy after you tell her what you told me. But you have to be honest with her so she can help. Okay?”

Alexis nodded and wiped at the remaining tears glistening on her downy cheek. “Why did she leave us with him?” she asked quietly, more to herself than to John. Suddenly, she looked at him as if expecting an answer though he didn’t have one. “Maybe if she’d taken us with her…Chloe wouldn’t have been hurt.” She rose and glanced away, seeming much older than she really was. When she spoke again, her voice was cold. “I hate her. No one can make me love her again. Not you. Not anybody. I’ll hate her forever and it doesn’t matter if she’s changed.”

As John watched her stalk from the room to join her sisters, he didn’t doubt a single emotion flowing from that little girl’s strong heart. In a way he felt bad for the storm that was heading in the direction of Renee Dolling. That woman would have to dig deep to find the loving daughter she’d left behind. And, given what the girls had been through, Renee might find her way to China much easier than the way to her daughter’s closed-off heart.

He didn’t envy her. Not one bit.

Chapter Four

“COURT RULING STANDS. Temporary guardianship will remain with Gladys Stemming until family court has had a chance to review the case further.” The rap of the gavel brought Renee out of her stunned stupor. What had just happened?

She shot from her seat. “Excuse me? What the hell just happened?”

The Honorable Judge Lawrence Prescott II gave her a sharp look just as the bailiff started to move forward to deter her from approaching the bench. “You’ll watch your language in my courtroom, miss,” he said with a soft drawl that betrayed southern roots somewhere in his lineage. He gestured for her to take her seat and once she reluctantly returned to her chair, he said to his court reporter, who in Renee’s opinion looked a lot like the receptionist at the sheriff’s department, “Please repeat the judgment for Mrs. Dolling, Nancy.”

Renee stared, unable to believe what she was witnessing, as indeed dour-faced sheriff’s receptionist Nancy pulled the tape from the machine and repeated in a clipped voice the judgment that had just been rendered.

Schooling her voice into something less screeching and more reasonable, she tried a different tactic. “I heard the judgment. What I don’t understand is how the court can appoint a virtual stranger as guardian for my children when I am their mother. They should be with me. Surely, you can understand that?”

Judge Prescott gave her a wintry glare and Renee felt her hopes of putting this nightmare behind her anytime soon freezing to the point of death. “What I understand is that you’re a fickle woman prone to bad decisions when it comes to your children. That’s what I know about you. What I know about Gladys Stemming is that she’s solid and dependable.” The judge glanced at John Murphy sitting opposite to Renee. “And since Mr. Murphy has offered the use of the ranch while she recuperates from her surgery, it is the court’s determination that the children have a safe and stable environment while this whole situation is sorted out. In addition to that, the children themselves have expressed a desire to stay with their aunt…not you.”

Renee sucked in a sharp breath at the rejection and blinked back tears. “Sir, if you gave me a chance to talk with my girls I would explain the circumstances and I’d get them to understand. In time, they might even forgive me for making a terrible mistake but if you keep them from me how can I hope to make everything right again? I love my girls and if I had the chance to do things over, I’d do it all much differently.”

“Be that as it may, you didn’t do things differently and your children suffered. Particularly your youngest.”

What did he mean by that? Renee frowned. “Chloe? I don’t understand how she suffered the most…”

Judge Prescott peered over his glasses at Sheriff Casey and continued, “Your youngest daughter is suffering from bronchial pneumonia due to horrific abuse at the hands of your ex-husband. The doctor she was taken to discovered old bruises and a hairline fracture in her left arm that had been left to heal on its own.”

Renee felt sick. “I wasn’t aware…”

“Yes, well, the court isn’t interested in your excuses, Mrs. Dolling. The fact remains that you left your children in the hands of a dangerous and abusive man. It is the court’s belief that only through the vigilant actions of your other children that Chloe is still alive.”

Renee caught the stare of John Murphy—the man who was essentially getting her children—and she expected to see the same condemnation she was getting from the rest of the room, but she saw a flicker of something close to sympathy that took her by surprise. She looked away abruptly. She didn’t want his pity—or anyone else’s. Not that it was coming her way in waves at the moment but the scraps of her pride demanded she hold her head high. “How long is this temporary arrangement in effect?” she asked.

“As long as I deem necessary.”

She took a risk as she said, “Forgive me, Your Honor, but I think it would be more appropriate for my children to go to a state-approved foster home rather than that of some man you happen to know from school. How do I know that this John Murphy isn’t some kind of pervert?”

Nancy the court reporter-sheriff’s receptionist gasped and her eyes widened before she returned her attention to her typing. Yep. Nancy’s reaction pretty much clinched Renee’s sinking suspicion she just made things worse, but Renee wasn’t going down without a fight.

“I’ve had just about enough of your mouth,” the judge warned. Renee caught Sheriff Casey shaking her head as if Renee was just about the dumbest person on the planet to question the judge in such a manner, but Renee felt desperation setting in and, well, desperate people do dumb things. The judge shuffled his papers from the case and handed them to the court secretary for filing. “Get a job. Get a place to stay and then, when you get your ducks in a row, we’ll talk about modification. In spite of your infernal mouth, I get the sense that you didn’t know what a monster you’d left your kids with but that doesn’t erase what happened to those girls. They need stability. They need someone they can trust. And they trust John and Gladys. I could order them into foster care but that would likely traumatize them more as I’d have to break them up because the system’s full. They’d probably even go to separate counties. You want that?”

She couldn’t imagine separating the girls. “No,” she answered in a small voice.

“Then stop your complaining about how unfair things are for you and start focusing on getting your life back together so that your girls would rather be with you than a stranger.”

That hurt. Renee swallowed the sharp retort that flew to mind as her defenses went up, because she knew as whacked out and nuts as this whole court drama was, there was a certain kindness directed at her children. If the girls wanted to be with John Murphy for the time being, she’d go along with it. But as soon as she won their trust back, they were packing it out of this place—fast.

GLADYS MET JOHN AT THE DOOR, her expression anxious. He allayed her fears quickly. “Court ruling stands but their mother, Renee, gets monitored visitation for the time being.”

“Oh, thank goodness. Those poor babies have been tied up in knots since you left this morning. Alexis takes it the hardest. That poor lamb. I can only imagine what she’s been through trying to protect her sisters from that man. It boggles my mind why their mother left those babies in Jason’s care.”

“In court she mentioned something about being in rehab when Jason split,” John said, chewing the side of his cheek as he mulled over the information himself. What kind of rehab she didn’t elaborate but drugs of any sort were bad news by his estimation. “But Judge Prescott didn’t seem to care much for her excuse. I don’t think he much cared for her, not that she helped matters at all. Her mouth sure does overload her ass a lot.”

Gladys nodded. “I’m sure. I remember she had quite the smart mouth when I met her all those years ago. I’m just glad Larry was sitting on the bench today instead of a temporary judge that they sometimes bring in from the city to help with the backlog. Someone else less conservative might’ve given those babies back,” she said with a shudder. “Makes me sick to think of it.”

He agreed. Judge Prescott was an old-school kind of guy. If the law still allowed a hanging tree, he’d be the kind to supply the rope. “Where are the girls?” he asked, looking around.

She gestured toward the living room, where the faint sound of the television could be heard. He frowned. “I don’t think they should be watching so much TV. Rots your brain from what I hear.”

Gladys shooed him. “Stop being such a bear. Those babies could use a little pampering. Besides, now that we’ve gotten the court stuff out of the way we can start getting the older girls enrolled in school. They’re going to need some routine and stability after what they’ve been through and school will keep their minds busy. I’ve already placed a few calls. It’s going to be a couple days before we can track down Alexis’s transcripts but until then they’re going to need some clothes. They can’t go to school in those rags.”

He’d already been thinking about that, seeing as the clothes they showed up in weren’t fit to line a dog’s bed. “Maybe I could pick up a few pairs of jeans at the hardware store,” he speculated, which earned him a scowl from Gladys.

“Hardware store? You can’t put Rustlers on a bunch of girls. What’s wrong with you? They need pretty things, not work boots and coveralls. Leave it to me. I’m handy on the computer and Macy’s delivers anywhere in the United States.”

John fished his wallet out from his back pocket and pulled his credit card free from the plastic holder. He handed it to Gladys. “Buy them whatever they need,” he said. “I don’t care how much it costs.”

“John…that’s too generous,” Gladys protested softly but her eyes shone with love. She tucked the card into her apron pocket and gave his cheek a pat. “You’re a good man, Johnny. Now, go on and do something useful. Don’t you have horses to tend to?”

He did and Gladys giving him the go-ahead should’ve been a relief but he felt oddly compelled to check on the girls himself. He supposed that was only natural given the extreme circumstances but it still knocked him silly at odd moments that he was even in this situation. Him. The bachelor. With a house full of kids that he barely knew.

And despite his stern instruction not to, his thoughts kept pulling him in the direction of Renee. She ought to be the last person he was thinking about—just the fact that he was gave him serious pause—but he’d be a liar if he didn’t admit where his thoughts kept wandering. She truly looked stricken when the judge told her of Chloe’s injuries. Either she was a really good actress or she felt sick inside at the knowledge that her ex-husband had abused her baby. But the question that nagged at John was, why only Chloe? It seemed Jason Dolling had singled out that poor kid—not that he was going to win any parenting awards—but the other girls seemed to have been spared the brunt of his anger. Little Chloe didn’t fare the same. A shudder of discomfort shook him as he realized just how close Chloe may have come to leaving this world if it hadn’t been for her sisters, mostly Alexis, looking out for her. The doc found traces of arsenic lingering in Chloe’s system from the repeated doses slipped into her “special eggs.” Doc said she should be fine now but a few more doses and it could’ve been fatal. Peeking around the corner, he spied the three towheaded girls snuggled up to one another, watching television, and he knew there would be hell to pay if anyone—including their dingbat mother—tried to hurt them again.

He didn’t understand his own vehemence but he knew enough not to question it. What was true, was true and the protective feelings curling around his heart were solid even if he didn’t understand where they were coming from.

A FEW DAYS LATER, RENEE returned to the ranch that was her children’s temporary home and realized her palms were sweating. She could still see Alexis’s frozen expression, caught between her previous happiness and shock, and knew she was the cause of her daughter’s unpleasant reaction.

She knew better than to expect her daughters to run to her with open arms—least of all Alexis—but the open rejection hurt a lot more than she imagined it would. Today was the first of their scheduled visitations and Renee was going to make the most of her time with her girls. She didn’t chase them all over California and back again to give up now. She’d help them to understand why she left and why she would never leave them again. Renee fingered the small badge pinned in a discreet corner on the lapel of her jacket and prayed for strength before exiting the car and walking toward the house.

But before she reached the front door, that infernal rancher, John, once again intercepted her and she wanted to throw something heavy his way. She didn’t even try to hide her scowl as she said, “It’s my court appointed visitation day. Check your paperwork.”

“I know what day it is. I just want a few words first.”

She tensed. “Why?”

“I want to make sure you don’t try to pressure the girls into doing something they don’t want to do.”

“Excuse me?”

“I know you don’t think much of this arrangement. It’s pretty much written all over your face, much the same as it was in the courtroom, that you think this is a bunch of bullshit but at this point you’re in no place to judge. I don’t care about you or your feelings. All I care about is that those little girls aren’t hurt again by either of their parents. And let me give you a fair warning right now…if that ex-husband of yours even comes near these kids, I won’t hesitate to shoot him just for the sheer fun of it. So, if you and him are still cozy, make sure you give him that message. I’m not one to kid about things this important. You hearing me, Mrs. Dolling?”

Her first instinct was to slap him across his scruffy face for the insult he so casually tossed her way. Hadn’t he heard her when she said Jason stole their kids and she’d been chasing after them ever since? The very thought of being friendly much less cozy with Jason made her physically ill. But the very fact that this man who was no blood relation to her children was championing them in a way that their own father had not kept her hot words and temper in check—though the action was not without great effort on her part.

“I hear you just fine. I’m not deaf,” she said, meeting his steady gaze without flinching. She imagined that when this man stared people down he won most of the time. He was the kind of man who gave no quarter but expected none, either, yet somehow her girls had found the one soft spot in his heart and he wasn’t letting go. Her stomach gave a discomforting tingle and she slammed the door shut on wherever her thoughts were going. “Are you finished? I’ve waited months to see my kids. Despite your scintillating conversation skills, I didn’t come to see you.”

“Fair enough. I just wanted to make sure we’re clear. They’re inside. Mrs. Stemming will monitor your visit. Don’t give her any grief, either. She’s taken to the girls and I won’t have you upsetting her.”

What a wonderful opinion he had of her. “As long as she doesn’t give me any grief, I won’t feel the need to dish it out.”

And with that she started walking straight up the steps to the house. She didn’t wait for his approval or his invitation and gave the front door a solid knock. Her bravado did wonders for the appearance that she wasn’t scared to death of her own children but did little to stop her hands from shaking or her knees from weakening. She glanced over her shoulder and saw John watching her intently, his eyes never leaving her. She suppressed a shudder at that strong stare and knocked again. This time, the door opened and an older woman with a full head of white hair stood between her and her girls.

Renee tried putting on a cheerful face. No sense in making enemies purposefully, her own aunt used to say. “Hello…Aunt Gladys,” she said, trying for some sense of familiarity, hoping that it might soften any lingering hard feelings. “It’s been a long time. I’m Renee.”

“I know who you are.” Gladys’s expression was pinched and disapproving as she moved aside. “Come in. They’re waiting for you.”

Mean old bat. Wiping her slick palms across the seat of her pants she followed the older woman into the expansive ranch house and despite the foreign surroundings could sense that this house was warm and inviting with its lived-in look and strong masculine accents. She rounded the corner and there sat her girls, their little faces pulled into solemn masks filled with anxiety and trepidation, and her heart broke from a heavy combination of joy and deep agony.

Chloe sat on Alexis’s lap while Taylor sat beside her older sister. The three couldn’t have looked more miserable yet stuck to each other as if glued.

Coming forward, wanting desperately to wrap them all in her arms and never let go, she stopped short when she saw Alexis tighten her arms around Chloe protectively. Pain arced through Renee but she didn’t want to push the girls too fast. Taking Alexis’s lead, she moved to the chair closest to them and took a seat.

“How about some cookies and tea?” Mrs. Stemming broke in with a modicum of manners though there was no warmth directed at Renee in those bright, alert eyes. Renee was tempted to tell her to stick her cookies where the sun didn’t shine but she held her tongue in the interest of playing nice. When Gladys spoke again, Renee was glad she’d remained quiet. “Taylor and I made a fresh batch of gingersnaps this morning and they’re mighty good,” she said, sending a genuine smile to Taylor who returned it tentatively.

Although mildly allergic to ginger Renee smiled and nodded. If suffering through hives was the price she had to pay to win her daughters’ love back, she’d eat an entire batch of gingersnaps and risk anaphylactic shock for the privilege. “I’d love some.”

But Alexis wasn’t going to let her off that easy. “She hates gingersnaps,” Alexis said, her mouth forming a hard line.

“I don’t hate them, Lexie,” Renee gently corrected. “I’m slightly allergic but I’d love to try Taylor’s cookies.”