Laurie's Time (The Fairfield Series) (25 page)

“A little more weight on that luscious body will not bother me at all.” And with that, he gave her ass a discreet pat as they went to sit with the others.

A few minutes later, Rob’s cell phone vibrated, and he looked down at the screen. Glancing sharply to the side at Laurie, he saw her smiling up at him. “Sorry, Laurie, gotta take this call.”

Rob, wanting privacy, walked out of the kitchen and down the hall towards the bunk rooms.

“MacDonald.”

“Rob, it’s Sid Gaskill.” Sid was the private investigator he had hired.

“You got somethin’ for me.”

Sid, used to Rob’s abrupt behavior, knew that his client wanted to get down to business quickly. “Yes, sir. I found the military records for Brock Timothy Sinclair. He did a twenty-year career in the Army; retired about five years ago. Lives in the Richland area. Regular military career, a purple heart, excellent commendations. Pays his bills. Pays his taxes. Never married. Never arrested. For all intents and purposes, a real stand-up guy.”

“Got any contact info?”

“Yeah, I’ll send it to your email.”

“Got it. Thanks.” Rob hung up, continuing to stand still. He realized that there were certain moments in life when a decision was made, and you hope like hell it was the correct decision but know that nothing else in life will ever be the same after it. He walked around the corner to look into the kitchen area where Laurie was still sitting. She threw her head back, laughing in delight at something one of the men said. He’d certainly been with beautiful women before, but she was different. She seemed to take life as it came. Never expecting more than what she could make from it. Her face, still alight with her smile, seemed to have a glow that spread out to those around her.

Watching her, he felt a tightness in his chest, and he rubbed it with his hand, trying to make it ease. It was then that he realized the tightness came from loving someone. Loving them so much that the thought of life without them was unbearable. Right then, she looked over at him from across the room. Her smile, aimed directly at him, only made his chest hurt more. She was the best of him. The best of what he could be. The best of what made life worth living.

He jumped when a large hand clapped him on his shoulder.

“Loving someone that much hurts, doesn’t it, son?” Mac said gently.

Rob reached up and grabbed his dad’s hand, still on his shoulder. “How do you ever know if you are doing the right thing, Dad?” he asked in an uncharacteristic moment of doubt.

Mac just squeezed his shoulder tighter. “You do the best you can each and every day and then turn the rest over to prayer, son.” Mac patted him before walking away.

Laurie slid out of her seat and walked over to Rob. Looking back into his deep blue eyes, she smiled up at him. “Everything okay, honey?”

He wrapped his arms around her tiny body, pulling her in for comfort. Whether the comfort was for him or her, he wasn’t sure. Kissing the top of her head, he whispered, “Everything’s gonna be fine, babe.”

*

That night, Rob opened up his email. There was the email from the PI with the contact information for Brock. He decided that the only way to handle this was to be in person, and he thanked his lucky stars that the man was only three hours away instead of on the other side of the country. Each month, Mac had to drive to Richland for a state fire chief meeting, and that meeting was in a couple of days. Rob decided to go along so that he could meet with Brock face to face.

If Mac wondered about Rob’s motives for going with him on his next trip, he didn’t ask. Once there, Rob dropped Mac off, and he punched Brock’s address into his GPS. He passed the Army base on his way and knew that many military retirees ended up near the bases. Following the directions, he pulled up to a nice apartment complex. Sitting in the truck for a moment, he hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he hauled himself out of the truck and walked up to the brick building. The landscaping around the building was well tended, and the apartments faced a park across the street. Making his way to the second floor, he found the door. Lifting his hand to knock, he remembered what Mac had said. And he prayed.
Lord, make this right. Not for me, but for Laurie.

The door opened, and Rob stared into eyes as grey as an ocean storm. Laurie’s eyes. Heart pounding, he continued to look at the tall, well-built man in his mid-forties. His hair was still dark with just a little grey at the temples. Dressed neatly in jeans and an Army T-shirt, he looked at Rob questioningly, and Rob wasn’t sure what to say.

“Can I help you?” the man asked pleasantly.

Rob decided that the best way to play this was not to play it at all. Real. Just Real.

“I’m Rob MacDonald. I’m looking for Brock Sinclair.”

“I’m Brock. What can I do for you?”

“Mr. Sinclair, I am looking for a Brock Sinclair, who was in the Army on leave in July twenty five years ago in the Richland area.”

At this, Brock’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Well now, that is a very specific description of someone. I think perhaps I might need to know why you are looking for that person before we continue this conversation.”

Rob nodded, “Fair enough, sir.” Taking a big breath, Rob continued. “The man I’m lookin’ for met a beautiful young woman and spent one night with her. I don’t know what happened the next mornin’, but nine months later that young woman gave birth to an equally beautiful daughter. A daughter with grey eyes.”

Brock’s narrowed eyes opened wide at this point. He seemed carefully to consider Rob as though weighing his story. Stepping backward, he motioned for Rob. “I think perhaps you should come in.”

Stepping into the apartment, Rob noticed right away that it was neat and clean. The walls, covered in pictures, depicted mostly photographs of young soldiers.

Brock looked at where Rob’s attention lay. “Twenty years in the Army, I suppose these men I served with over the years are my family. Started out in Desert Storm, did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as trained many young soldiers right here at the base.”

Offering Rob a seat, he stated, “But it seems you aren’t here to look at my war memorabilia.”

“No sir, although I am in awe of your service.”

Brock just nodded as he sat across from Rob. “So I take it you are here because you think that I am the father of the girl you speak of.”

“My friend was raised by her single mother, who gave birth to her when she was only sixteen.”

Brock’s startled expression gave Rob the idea that the man had no idea how young Sarah had been at the time.

“It appears that she and a friend went out one night, and she met a young soldier named Brock. According to her, she fell in love that night and spent the night with him. Nine months later she gave birth to a daughter. She told her parents that she did not know the name of the young man. She and her daughter lived with her parents and sister. According to what I have been told by my girlfriend, they had a happy home, and she had a good childhood. Her grandfather died, and for a while it was just the four women in the home.”

Rob had been staring at Brock during his tale, hoping for some facial recognition, but so far, Brock simply sat and listened quietly.

“When my friend was twelve years old, her mother and grandmother were killed in a car accident. She was raised by her aunt. They’re very close, and again, she and her aunt were happy together. When she was eighteen, there was a gift that her mother had left boxed up for her to open when she became an adult. Inside, it contained an Army T-shirt, with the nametag inside saying Brock T. Sinclair. Her mother’s letter said that she kept the shirt because she wanted a memory of the man she fell in love with, but that she knew she was only a one-night stand to him.”

Brock stood suddenly. “What was the girl’s name?” he asked shakily.

Rob pulled out the photograph that Laurie had placed on their end table. Turning it around to face Brock, he said simply, “Sarah.”

Brock sat heavily in the chair, his hand reaching out for the picture. “Sarah,” he whispered.

Rob sat quietly, letting Brock absorb the information that had avalanched onto him. Brock stared at the picture for a long time, his fingers slowly tracing the faces in front of him. Finally he spoke. “We had a daughter. A daughter. I never knew.” He looked up into Rob’s face, seeing compassion.

Rob gently said, “Her name is Laurie. Laurie Dodd. She’s a first grade teacher in Fairfield.” Smiling, he continued, “She’s smart, funny, beautiful, hardworkin’, compassionate, everything that is good and loving.”

Brock looked over at Rob with interest. “And you’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

Rob stared back, eye to eye, man to man and responded, “Yes sir, I am. That’s why I’m here. She has no idea I’m doin’ this. She always claimed that there was no need to find someone who considered her mother a fling. She said she didn’t miss what she never had.”

Brock hung his head at this. Looking back up at Rob, “I assure you that she was not a fling.” He spent the next half hour telling Rob the story of meeting Sarah, falling in love with her in one night and then losing her the next morning.

Rob listened attentively, knowing that Laurie would want to know this.
Her dad loved her mom. This completely changes her life story. This could change her life.

Finally Brock asked, “Why now, Rob? Why did you decide to search me out now?”

Rob then shared about Laurie’s illness. “She goes to the rheumatologist next week, and I know they want a family history. Maybe there isn’t one thing you can tell us, but I had to try to find out.” He hesitated again. “Mr. Sinclair, she’ll not be happy at all that I have found you. I went behind her back, but I would do anything to help her.”

“Then you’re a good man. And she’ll recognize that even if she’s upset at first.” Grey eyes meeting blue ones, Brock said, “And call me Brock. It looks as though we’re going to be getting to know quite a lot about each other. So what now?”

“Well, if you just happen to make a visit down to Fairfield sometime, then I guess we’ll figure out how you can meet. I just don’t know how in the hell I’m going to bring this together.”

Brock and Rob exchanged phone numbers and email addresses before Rob headed back to pick up Mac. At the door, Brock shook his hand, thanking him.

“Brock, I know this information changes everything for you, but it can make all the difference to Laurie as well.” With a final handshake, he headed back to his truck.

He drove back to where he was picking up his dad, sitting in the truck waiting, alone with his thoughts.
No secrets. But what about secrets that keep someone from being hurt? What about secrets that can help?
His thoughts swirled around in his mind, coming to no conclusion. Knowing that Laurie will be furious when she finds out, he tried to plan how to tell her and make the introduction with her father. But he came up empty. All he could see in his mind was the anger she was going to feel. His dad’s words poured over him again.
You do the best you can each and every day and then turn the rest over to prayer.
Bowing his head, he prayed.
Lord, let her know how much I love her. Let her forgive me. Let her be all right.

Just then Mac came out of the building and they headed back to Fairfield. Back to what, Rob wasn’t sure.

O
ver the next several days, Laurie focused on her classroom full of little first graders and tried desperately not to think about the appointment that was coming at the end of the week. The students were taking all of her attention, and she was glad when they headed down the hall to their music class.

Jean popped in to check on her. The two friends chatted for a while about several of the students, and then the topic rolled to Laurie. “How are you doing? Your limp is almost gone.”

She laughed ruefully. “Yeah, the prednisone takes away the swelling, but now I want to eat all the time and I have to fight the urge to constantly snack. I don’t think I can stay on it indefinitely, but it’s good for now. When I go in on Friday, I will learn about the other meds for lupus.” Rolling her eyes, she added, “And I get to once again explain why I don’t have a father’s medical family history.”

“You okay with all of that?”

“You know what’s weird? My whole life, it was just Mom’s family. I never really worried about what my father’s family was like. It was as though they simply didn’t exist. Not in reality and not in my imagination. Now, I find myself thinking about them. Or him. Or… oh, I don’t know,” Laurie said in frustration. Looking up, she said, “I find myself thinking about a grandmother that I never knew. What was her medical history? Did someone else have lupus? Or any other condition or disease? Were there aunts or uncles? All of the things that never meant anything to me, now I think about.”

“Do you think that as a child you were given one story, then as a young woman you found out a different story so that it was just easier to pretend your father didn’t exist? But now that you’re an adult, you are starting to see things like an adult.”

Laurie looked at her friend with a curious look, so Jean continued. “Look, here are the hard facts. No one knows exactly what happened but your mom and your dad. Your mom was a scared sixteen-year-old girl thrust in a situation that she wasn’t prepared for. I think as young people, we see the world as very black or white. You mom may have done this. You did this. But as adults we realize that there are all shades of grey in between.”