Homecoming Day

“We’ve missed you.”

Laura looked at her watch. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

Knowing she was a coward, but not caring, she hurried to her car as quickly as she could given her ponderous size. And she purposefully didn’t glance back at the man she’d once thought would be her father.

Her hand rested on her stomach. This baby was all the family she’d have.

And that was enough.

SETH WATCHED THE TALL BLONDE waddle to her car.

“Why was Laura here?” Chief Jameson Martin asked Seth.

The deputy chief’s voice was choked with emotion, but Seth understood the unwritten code of manly conduct and ignored it. He simply answered his boss’s question. “One of her students, Chief. Ms. Watson came to wait with her until the girl’s mom picked her up.”

“You gave her a card?”

Martin didn’t miss a thing. “Yeah. She’s worried about the girl. So am I. The mom smacked the kid, but no reason to suspect anything more than a parent at her wit’s end. Still, I talked to the mom and I told Miss Watson to call me if she saw any evidence that there’s more than an isolated slap going on.” He paused and asked, “You know her?”

“She was Jay’s fiancée.”

Shit.

Seth knew Martin had lost his son last spring. He’d gone to Kloecker’s Funeral Home, like the rest of the department. They’d all filed through, offering condolences, shaking hands, even hugging Mrs. Martin.

He remembered there was a fiancée, but he hadn’t known until now that she was pregnant. And from her reaction, things were not very amicable between her and the chief. Seth wasn’t sure what to say about it or what to do, so he stood and waited.

Martin finally spoke, breaking the silence. “She doesn’t want anything to do with us. If we call, she’s polite enough, but she’s put a wall between us. It’s killing my wife. That baby is our last connection to our son, but more than that, my wife loves Laura.”

Seth was pretty sure it was killing Martin, too, but he didn’t say it.

“I’m sorry.” His mother once told him that there are some pains that are so great that those are the only words that can be offered. And yet, he wished he had something more to offer his chief. “Maybe she’ll come around.”

“I’d like to think she will, but…” Martin’s voice cracked, and he was silent a moment. “You’ll tell me if you see her again? If there’s anything she needs, you’ll let me know? A lot of guys from Jay’s group have been taking care of some work around her house. Not that she asks. She keeps insisting she’s fine. But how can she be?”

There were three patrol groups on the Erie Police Department. Martin’s son, Jay, was assigned to a different group than Seth’s. They’d known each other, but never worked together. Seth figured Jay’s group would consider Laura Watson one of their own, as they should. Even if she insisted she didn’t need their help, they’d help.

“Sure,” he promised. “I’ve got to go into her school next week. Why don’t I make it a point to check in with her about her student?”

“I’m not asking you to spy on her, or break any confidence,” Martin assured him hastily. “It’s that she’s our only link left with Jay. Her and the baby. But it’s more than that. We loved Laura as if she was our own. When we lost Jay, we lost her, too, and it hurt. We’d do anything for her, if she’d let us.”

“Sure thing, Chief. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

He turned and walked back into the office, his mind on Laura Watson.

The very pregnant Laura Watson.

And that thought made him remember Allie. Not that he ever forgot her. She was there with him, every day. At first, Allie had been there every minute, a constant pain that ached with every breath he took. Now, that pain wasn’t as fierce or frequent, but as it faded, he was left with this huge hole in his life. And he didn’t know how to fill it.

He could really understand Laura Watson’s pain at losing her fiancé. Losing that one person you loved more than life itself—it was the kind of thing you never actually got over. You might learn to live, despite the loss. But you were never truthfully the same.

He shut off such thoughts. He was at work and couldn’t afford the distraction. Later, tonight, he’d remember, and if he was lucky, he’d dream about Allie.

That’s all he had left.

CHAPTER TWO

TUESDAY AFTERNOON, LAURA looked at the sullen girl wiping down the chalkboard. JT was not impressed that she was doing her detention with Laura instead of in the usual auditorium. While she was cooperating, she made her displeasure clear with every movement, every monosyllabic response.

Gone was the girl who’d called on her for help.

Laura ignored JT’s mood. “When you’re done with that, why don’t you sit down and start your homework?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Laura had gone to the principal’s office first thing Monday morning. She’d told him about the police station and had asked if JT could do her latest round of punishment with her rather than in the auditorium with the rest of the students. Mike Asti had readily agreed. “It doesn’t seem like the normal route is working with JT. She’s a C to D student with little academic motivation. And she’s had daily detentions a lot this year. It’s definitely…not the most auspicious way to start a high school career. Maybe something a bit less traditional would help her,” he said. “And let’s face it, she’s only a freshman, and so far every one of her teachers has complained about her, but you. Maybe she needs someone on her side.”

Laura watched as JT stomped across the room, slumped into one of the desks and picked up a book. Their second day of detention wasn’t going particularly well. Somehow, she intended to reach the girl.

Laura was mulling over what she should do about or say to JT, when someone knocked on the door.

JT jumped up as if she were going to see who it was.

“I’ve got it,” Laura assured her. “You, homework.”

JT slammed back into her seat with an audible thump.

Laura opened the door and found Lieutenant Keller standing in the hallway. His dark blue uniform was very starched and perfectly pressed. She’d noticed his eyes at the police station the other night, and was drawn to them again this afternoon. But this time it wasn’t their golden-brown color that softened his whole look, it was his expression—a sort of look that said, you can trust me.

She’d hazard a guess that small children gravitated to him. She could imagine them spilling their secrets and showing him their treasures, and he’d take it all in with a sincere interest.

She realized she’d been silently studying him longer than was polite. “Lieutenant, what can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for JT. I said I’d stop in and check on her.”

Laura nodded her head toward the student who was hiding behind a book.

Seth raised his eyebrows questioningly toward the girl. Laura realized he was asking if she minded if he talked to her. She smiled, silently giving him her permission.

Seth entered the classroom and folded himself gingerly into the desk next to JT’s. “Hi, JT. I’m Lieutenant Keller from the other night.”

“Yeah, I remember. Once a guy locks you up, he sort of becomes memorable. I went home and pulled out my very pink diary and wrote, Dear Diary, guess who I met tonight?”

“You know, you can lie to other people, but you should never lie to yourself or your diary. What you should have written was, Dear Diary, This very nice, understanding and probably very intelligent cop put me in a waiting room after I made a boneheaded decision.”

Laura thought she saw a ghost of a smile flit across JT’s face, but it was so fast she couldn’t be sure.

The girl simply scowled at the police officer and shrugged. “Yeah, whatever.”

Seth didn’t appear phased by her sullenness, but forged ahead. “I was worried about you and wanted to be sure everything’s okay at home.”

“What you’re asking is if my mom beats me? I mean, you saw the slap in the car and you’re worried that I’m abused. But no, she doesn’t beat me or abuse me in any way. Ms. Watson asked, too. I’ll tell you what I told her, my mom’s not interested enough to beat me. She was annoyed that I’d ruined her date, that’s all.”

“I’m sure—”

JT cut him off. “So am I. I am utterly positive that my mother doesn’t beat me. I’m not abused. Ignored, maybe, but I don’t think that’s a crime. Listen, Officer, I’m fine. Mom slapped me ’cause she was pissed. She went back to her date and forgot all about it. She even forgot to ground me. So, don’t worry. You’ve done your duty.” She glanced at the clock. “And so have I. Detention’s over, so I’m gonna go. Okay, Ms. Watson?”

Laura glanced at the clock and nodded. “Yes. I’ll see you here after school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, whatever.” JT gathered up her books, stuffed them in her backpack and rushed out of the room.

Laura waited for the door to slam before she apologized to the officer. “Sorry she was rude, Lieutenant—”

He unfolded himself from the desk and corrected her. “Seth.”

“Seth,” Laura agreed. “It was nice of you to check on her.”

“Listen, I know it’s a bit early, but I want to grab something to eat before I head for the station. Want to get a slice of pizza at Porky’s and we can talk about JT?”

Laura wasn’t sure she wanted to at all. As a matter of fact, she was pretty positive she didn’t. Porky’s was close to City Hall and frequented by the entire police department. She didn’t want to run into any of Jay’s friends, but she did want the lieu—Seth, she corrected herself. She felt something ease in her as she altered his name in her head. It was easier to think of him as Seth than as a lieutenant.

And Porky’s or not, she did want his advice on JT.

She missed having Jay to bounce things off of. Problems with students. The small triumphs. None of the other teachers had been overly interested in JT. Most had decided she was a problem student, and a few had totally written her off. Seth seemed genuinely concerned, so maybe he’d have an idea. “Sure. I’ll follow you there.”

SETH WASN’T SURE WHAT possessed him to invite Laura to join him for dinner, but he was glad she’d accepted the offer. He was also glad to see her in an all-wheel drive vehicle, which he’d noted on their way to Eighth and Myrtle. It might be only early November, but that wasn’t too soon to think about winter. And the winters in Erie could be brutal. Some people in town drove cars that simply weren’t suited to the climate. But not only was the all-wheel drive suitable, the cherry-red color suited her somehow, too.

He kept glancing in his rearview mirror. Stopped at a red light, he blatantly stared at her. It appeared that Laura was a singer, and whatever song was playing must be a favorite because she wasn’t merely singing, but doing a little head-bop, as well.

He couldn’t help smiling as she parked behind him at a meter. He waited and walked across the street with her.

“What are you grinning at?” she asked.

“So, what song was playing?”

“Huh?”

“Something you like was on the radio as we drove here.”

She laughed. “Ha! Jay used to tease me about my car-singing habits. And rumor has it I’m just as bad in the shower.”

She froze as she said the word shower, as if she’d shared something too personal.

“So, what song?”

“Lady Antebellum’s ‘Looking for a Good Time.’”

“A country fan,” he commented, as they entered the small pizza joint.

“Do you mind if we sit in the corner?” she asked.

“Sure.” He led her to one of the vacant tables. “I’ll go place our order. Anything in particular?”

“I’m not picky.”

Normally, Seth would choose a traditional pepperoni pizza, but given Laura’s condition, he asked for a vegetable pizza instead and brought them both bottles of water.

“So, tell me more about JT,” he said.

“I teach art. I’m sure you guessed that when you walked into my classroom. Anyway, JT’s a freshman and she’s got talent. A lot of talent. I’ve so enjoyed having her in my class, but the other teachers…”

“Not so much?” he supplied.

“Not so much,” she agreed. She took off her coat and rested her arms on top of her huge stomach. “She rarely turns in homework and her classroom behavior isn’t much better. She’s passing, but only just.”

Seth forced his gaze upwards and concentrated on Laura’s face. It had been easy to forget about her pregnancy when she was bundled up. “So she’s doing detention with you?”

“I went to the principal Monday morning and requested it.” She continued recounting her conversation and concluded with, “We hope maybe a stint with me might give me the opportunity to find out what’s really going on with her. Possibly give her a chance to open up to someone.”

“You must be reaching her on some level. After all, she did call you when she was waiting for her mom.”

Laura nodded. “Yes, there’s that. Thanks. Although, it’s not like she’s said a lot that night or this week.”

“So the strategy is to wait it out and try to get her to talk.” It was a statement, not a question. Seth hardly knew Laura, but he knew this much about her.

“Yes.”

“Is there something I can do?”

“I’d take any advice you have. I’m at my wit’s end.”

“Just keep caring about her. Sometimes it simply takes one person caring to help a kid turn a corner.”

“Two,” she said.

“Two?”

“You care, too. You stopped by today to check on her because you care, so she’s got two of us in her corner.”

“It’s my job.”

She shook her head, looking as if she didn’t believe him.

“It is,” he protested. “A good cop’s goal isn’t just to arrest someone, but to step in before they have to arrest someone.”

She shook her head again. “It’s more than your job, at least with JT. You see a lot of troubled kids. You stopped by today because she’s more than a job for you.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” he pointed out. “I’ll be the first to admit, we can’t save everyone, but we can save some. I have a sister, Cessy, who’s only a few years older than JT. I would hope that if she had problems, someone would step in and help her if I couldn’t be there for her.”

The pizza came and they each chose a slice.

After a couple bites, Laura asked, “Is your family here in Erie?”

Not a topic he wanted to discuss, but he answered, “No, not Erie proper. They’re in Whedon.”

Seth had grown up in Whedon, a small town just outside of Erie. But he’d joined the Erie police force because it was bigger and offered a lot more opportunities to advance.

“That’s nice that your family’s so close,” Laura said.

It didn’t seem as if they were close at all. The mere fifteen minutes distance might as well have been hours, days. Seth hadn’t felt connected to his family in years.

No, that wasn’t right. He still felt connected to his siblings. It was his parents he was no longer close to. And the irony was, he loved them. But their estrangement had gone on for so long he didn’t know how to fix it.

“How many siblings?” Laura asked.

He smiled when he thought of his eclectic family. “There are six of us. My parents adopted us—” He stopped, unsure why he’d felt the need to share that. “You?”

“Just me. An only child of two only children.”

Seth couldn’t imagine what that was like. He had friends who came from big families, and most of them said they dreamed of being an only child. Not Seth. His family, the way it was, had been his dream. It was a dream that he sometimes thought he’d lost, and that hurt. Worse, he was unsure what he could do to get it back.

Truthfully, he didn’t want to think about his family…or his past. He’d spent the last few years perfecting each as an art form. Concentrating on Laura was easier. Not that he was spying on her for the chief. But if he could put his commander at ease, without betraying Laura’s confidence in him, he would.

“Do your parents live in town?” he asked conversationally.

“My mom died when I was in fourth grade. After that it was me and Dad. He passed away right after I started college. Sometimes I think he held out long enough to be sure I could take care of myself before he felt he could join her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too,” Laura admitted. “About JT, maybe between the two of us we can get her to open up.”

They chatted about Laura’s classes and he described his new job as liaison to the school district. She listened to him talk about his hopes for the position as they ate their pizza. Stunned that they’d been talking for more than forty-five minutes, he shoved his last bite of pizza into his mouth. “Laura, this has been great, but I’ve got to be at the station.”

“Thanks for dinner, but more than that, thanks for caring, Lieutenant.”

“I thought I was Seth now?” he reminded her.

“You are.” Laura smiled as she repeated his name. “Seth. Thanks for following up with JT and for the pizza. Any night I don’t have to cook is a bonus.”

“I’ll try to stop in and check on JT…Friday, if that works?”

“That would be nice.”

“I’ll see you then. Take the rest of the pizza home, would you? I hate to let it go to waste.” He stood up.

Laura got up out of her chair. It was almost painful to watch her struggle onto her feet. “Sure. Feed the pregnant woman. That’s what she needs.”

He’d forgotten about her being pregnant and blanched at the reminder. “Friday. See you Friday.” He bolted.

He knew that’s what he’d done. It was cowardly. Still, seeing her reminded him of Allie. And even now, years later, it hurt.

And now he’d promised to visit Laura on Friday.

Way to go, Keller.

ON THURSDAY AT HER SECOND period freshman art class, Laura took attendance and discovered that JT wasn’t there.

She toyed with Seth’s card.

During her lunch break, she called the number and got his voice mail. “Hi, Seth. You said to let you know if I had any problems with JT. Well, she didn’t come to school today. I’m going to head over to her house after school. I’ll keep you posted.” She was ready to hang up and then added, “Oh, I should have said, this is Laura.”

What a moron, of course he’d know it was her. Who else would have called about JT?

She tried the number listed on JT’s contact form. No one answered.

By the time school ended, she gathered up her things and hurried out of the room…and right into Lieutenant Seth Keller’s ample chest.

He jumped back as if he’d been burned, went beet-red and stammered, “Are you okay? The baby. I mean—”

“I’m fine. We’re fine,” she assured him.

“Where were you speeding to?” He pinned her with a look her father had often employed. One she suspected she’d need to learn as her baby grew up. The look said, go ahead and answer, because I already know the answer, and I’m not pleased.

The look had made her feel chagrined when her father had employed it, not so when Seth used it. “To JT’s house, like I told you in that message. I’m worried that she didn’t show up at school today.”

“You were going by yourself?”

She nodded. Seth looked—well, he looked pissed. “Okay. Laura, I know I have no say in what you do, but—”

“You’re right you have no say in anything I do.”

She started walking down the hall and Seth dogged her heels, which she expected wasn’t all that hard considering her girth. She already felt winded, while he spoke in a nice, even measure. “Yeah, well, still…you’re pregnant and arriving alone at the home of a student whose mother you know has a temper…does that seem wise?”

She stopped and hoped that he took the gesture as annoyance, not the fact she’d walked too fast and needed to catch her breath. To give herself a moment, she gave him a look she used on her students. It wasn’t as intimidating as the paternal-look was, but it was the best in her arsenal. When she thought she could speak without huffing and puffing, she said, “Pardon me, Lieutenant, but when did you sign on as my keeper? I missed the paperwork on that.”

“Obviously someone should watch out for you.”

The words hit her and her annoyance evaporated, replaced by sadness. Seth was right. Someone should. Jay should be here, fussing over her, worrying about her worrying about JT. She missed him. Terribly. Sniffing, she surreptitiously swiped at her eyes.

“Are you crying?” Seth’s voice rose in a rather uncoplike way.

She could distinctly hear the universal male horror at the thought of her tears. She lied when she said, “No,” the catch in her voice giving herself away entirely.

“You are crying. I know you’re crying. I’ve got three sisters, and I can tell crying when I hear crying.”

The fact he’d witnessed his sisters’ tears obviously hadn’t hardened Seth to the sight.

She gave one more healthy sniff and blinked back the waterworks. “You’ve said the word crying more than any man—especially a cop—should. And you’re wrong. I’m not crying. I have…allergies. And I’m pretty sure the thing I’m most allergic to is you and your bossy ways.”

“Right, allergies.”

He was probably used to women hanging all over him and thought she was kidding. Well, she wasn’t. She didn’t need a keeper. “But let’s be honest, I don’t owe you any allergy explanations, and I certainly don’t have to check in with you when I’m going about my business. So good afternoon, Lieutenant.” She started down the hall.

Seth easily matched her pace.

“May I come, too?” he asked.

“Why?” she asked defensively. “To keep an eye on the pregnant woman who obviously doesn’t have enough sense to take care of herself?”

“No, of course not. I want to come because I’m worried about JT, too.”

She could have taken offense if he was trying to control or protect her, but she couldn’t quite manage it if he was simply trying to help JT. She eyed him suspiciously. “Really?”

“Cops care, too.” Then he smiled, held up a few fingers and said, “Policeman’s honor.”

She sighed. “Fine. I’ll give you the address. You can meet me there.” It wasn’t the most gracious invitation, but she wasn’t feeling overly gracious.

“Or…”

“Or?” she repeated as she continued down the hall.

“Or, I could drive and bring you back afterward to pick up your car.”

She wanted to say no. As a matter of fact, she wanted to say hell no. But instead, she found herself saying, “Fine.” She was hopeless at directions. For her birthday last year, Jay had given her a GPS. She’d laughed, telling him she wasn’t planning any out-of-town trips.

He’d responded he knew that. The GPS was for navigating around town.

And for the first time since he died, she remembered Jay and had an urge to laugh rather than cry.

She glanced at the quiet police officer next to her, and though he wore the same uniform, there weren’t any other similarities to Jay.

Jay had worn his hair on the shaggy side of long, compared to Seth’s military cut. And Jay had been quick to laugh. She hadn’t seen any signs of quick laughter in Seth Keller. He’d smiled, but even then, the expression hadn’t quite reached his eyes. He wasn’t grim. More…sad. She wondered what had happened to make him that way.

They walked in silence to the parking lot and he led her to a huge truck. It was blue and had one of the cabs that had a backseat with a second door. It also sat about a mile off the ground.

Somehow Laura needed to get her beached-whale self up and into it. She was pretty sure it was going to take a forklift. She was about to ask if maybe Seth would consider taking her car when he said, “Would you be offended if I offered you a hand?”

“I’m practical enough to admit I do need a hand.”

He got her settled in the giant truck. She gave him JT’s address and they drove in silence toward the nice section of town. Seth stopped in front of a neat, two-story brick house.

Laura slid out of the truck with more ease than she’d gotten in. She clutched the manila folder she’d put JT’s homework sheets in, pulled her coat tight against her chest and waddled to the door with Seth at her side. He let her take the lead. She appreciated that.