New Leaf (19 page)

“I wish you the best of luck with that,” Cameron said. “And I’m sure Grace will feel the same way when I tell her. But how does that involve us?”

Taffeta clung tighter to Barney’s hand. “I’m very concerned about my little girl. I’ve heard of Grace’s health problems. I am so sorry about that, by the way. I know Grace is far too ill to care for Sarah right now. I also know that Phillip had Sarah for a while, took lousy care of her, and left her with unsavory individuals.”

“Sarah is back with us now,” Cameron said. “She’s perfectly safe. You don’t need to worry.”

“I know that she’s safe for now, Cameron, but will she remain safe? At any moment, Phillip could show up and demand that you hand her over to him. If that occurs, you’ll be powerless. The law in Oregon gives you no rights as grandparents. I feel that Sarah would be safer from her father if I were the custodial parent.”

Cameron said nothing for a moment. That told Taffeta that the man didn’t believe Phillip was above coming back for the child.

“Let me speak with Grace, Taffeta, and call you back,” he said.

Taffeta dug her nails into the phone, not wanting the connection to be broken. She could still hear Sarah’s voice in the background. But the line went dead.

Lowering the phone from her ear, she buried her face against Barney’s chest. His strong arms came around her. “He said he’ll talk to Grace and call me back,” she said. “Only what if he doesn’t?”

“Hey, he heard you out. Your point about Phillip coming back for Sarah is valid. The man isn’t stupid. I’m pretty sure he’ll keep his word and call you, even if it’s only to tell you to get lost.”

•   •   •

All Barney could do was hold Taffeta tightly in his arms while they waited for the call. With every passing second, his heart hurt for her even more. Her love for her daughter was written all over her face. If Sarah’s grandparents refused to meet with her, Barney knew it would tear her apart. He could only pray that didn’t happen.

When the cell phone finally rang, Taffeta jerked as if someone had touched her with a red-hot brand. She clamped one hand over her mouth for a second and then answered on the third ring.

Barney leaned in close so he could hear Cameron’s side of the conversation.

“I’ve talked with Grace,” he said. “We’re willing to meet with you. Can you be in Erickson by midmorning tomorrow? Both Grace and I feel that the conversation should take place in our home while Sarah is away at school.”

“We can be there,” Barney whispered. “Say ten o’clock?”

Taffeta said into the phone, “I can make it there by ten, if that works for you and Grace.”

“Ten will be great.”

“Will you mind if my husband accompanies me?” Taffeta asked.

“Of course not. Bring him along,” Cameron said. “What is the man’s name? I didn’t know that you had remarried.”

“His name is Barney Sterling. He’s a county deputy in Mystic Creek.”

“Please convey to him that he will be more than welcome.”

After a brief farewell, Taffeta broke the connection. “He said yes!” she cried. “Yes, yes,
yes
! They must not hate me after all.”

“Of course they don’t.” Barney couldn’t see how anyone could hate Taffeta. She had a heart of pure gold. “This is fabulous, honey.”

•   •   •

Taffeta was so preoccupied that she forgot the bread rising in the oven and proofed it for too long. Barney helped her finish fixing dinner and clean the kitchen. Then he took her to bed and made love to her, clearly trying his best to take her mind off everything but him. It worked—for as long as the sex lasted. But when he fell asleep next to her, Taffeta couldn’t follow him into slumber.

Not wishing to disturb him with her tossing and turning, she slipped from bed and went to the living
room. She stared out the window into the darkness, her mind racing with possibilities that filled her with dread.

She had no idea how long she’d been standing there, mere minutes or hours. But suddenly strong, warm arms came around her waist from behind.

“Oh, Barney!” she cried. “You startled me half out of my wits.”

He didn’t ask what was troubling her. Instead he said, “Taffy, you can only trust in God. It sounds to me as if Phillip’s parents are good people. At least they agreed to talk with you, and they know in advance what the discussion will be about. That’s a very positive sign.”

Taffeta turned in his embrace to hug his neck. His arms tightened around her.

“No matter what happens,” he whispered, “I want you to remember one thing. I love you with all my heart. If you can’t regain custody of Sarah, at least you can count on always having me.”

Tears streamed down Taffeta’s cheeks.
Barney
. Trust him to choose the perfect moment to finally tell her that he loved her.

“And all won’t be lost if Sarah’s grandparents refuse to support you,” he said. “Bryan Vorch feels confident that he can get your conviction overturned. Once that happens, you can fight for custody in court. I can’t imagine any judge ruling against you. At that point, it’ll be clear to everyone involved that Phillip lied on the stand. In fact, they may press charges against him for perjury.”

Taffeta released a taut breath, and for the first time since she had been arrested and forcibly removed from her daughter’s bedside at the hospital, she felt confident that she would one day get Sarah back. Maybe not immediately, but once she did, her daughter would be safe at her side. While she waited, she would love Barney Sterling with every fiber of her being.

Barney normally wore civilian clothes while off duty, but the following morning, he dressed in his uniform. After flashing a sheepish grin at Taffeta when he entered the kitchen, he said, “I want to put my best foot forward.” He shrugged. “That isn’t to say everyone respects lawmen or believes they are squeaky clean. Cameron Gentry has undoubtedly already done a background check on me, though, and I know he found nothing bad. At seventeen, I wrecked my pickup. I lost control on an icy curve and rolled it. The officer at the scene put it on record that I wasn’t speeding, no alcohol or drugs were involved, and he deemed it to be an unavoidable accident. Other than that, I’ve had no blemishes on my record, not even a speeding ticket.”

“I never for a moment thought otherwise,” Taffeta assured him.

She’d chosen to wear gray slacks and a matching blazer over a black silk blouse. This was how she’d once dressed during her marriage to Phillip, and she hoped Grace would approve. Styles had surely
changed since Taffeta’s arrest, but the slacks and blazer sported a classic cut and didn’t look too dated.

Taffeta was so nervous during the drive to Erickson that she squirmed on the seat. Barney tried to distract her with a sing-along, but she couldn’t get into it, and he finally turned off the stereo.

Memories slapped her in the face at every turn after they entered Erickson. This was her hometown. She’d grown up here, moving from one foster home to another. She’d attended school here, lost her virginity here, and had also made the worst mistake of her life here by believing she was in love with Phillip and marrying him.
Correction
. Maybe she’d been stupid to hook up with Phillip, but she should never think of her marriage to him as a mistake. She’d gotten her daughter, Sarah, because of that union, and she would never think of her little girl as being anything but a precious gift.

Barney used his cell phone navigation app to find the Gentry home. It looked exactly as Taffeta remembered it, a stately residence with
old money
written all over it. The pillared front porch was massive, adorned with only sculptured miniature shrubs in marble pots. As a teenager, she’d been wide-eyed with awe when she first saw it, and she’d been even more incredulous that someone as important and well connected as Phillip had even given her a second look, let alone asked her to marry him. Now Taffeta understood that fancy trimming didn’t make the man.

Barney held her hand as they ascended the curved
steps to rap the door knocker. Taffeta smiled when he removed his hat so he wouldn’t forget to take it off after stepping inside.

Cameron answered the summons. He’d aged since Taffeta last saw him and grown thicker around the middle. His dark brown eyes seemed faded with time. His gray hair had gone thin. He had always looked bigger than life to her. Now he seemed diminished.

He guided them into the spacious living room, which was well appointed, as always, with rich tapestry curtains draped back over white sheers, a grand piano in one corner, and gorgeous, framed originals adorning the walls. But the other furnishings were now less grand. The antique horsehair settee that Taffeta remembered had been replaced with two well-cushioned, leather sectionals with reclining seats. Apparently, as they aged, Grace and Cameron had decided to forfeit grandeur for comfort.

Grace sat in a separate leather recliner much like Barney’s by the fireplace at home. Taffeta was shocked by the older woman’s appearance. Grace, who had at one time set the fashion gold standard in her upper-end social circles, now looked skeletal and frighteningly pale. Her hair, once a shimmery salt-and-pepper, had turned almost white. Still cropped short, it had no shape or life and lay over her head like a limp cap.

Before, Taffeta would have greeted Phillip’s mother with an affectionate hug. Now she wasn’t sure of her reception or how to behave. “Grace,” she murmured softly.

Grace smiled sadly and extended a bony hand. “Taffeta. It’s so lovely to see you again.”

Even Grace’s voice sounded fragile. Taffeta grasped her cool fingers and then couldn’t resist hugging her. “I’m so sorry about the problems with your health, Grace.”

“It’s Mom to you,” she said firmly. “And it always will be.”

Taffeta felt her mouth start to tremble. “Mom,” she repeated. “The best one I ever had.”

“The only one you ever had,” Grace said with a wan smile, “but I’ll take it. You are the only daughter I’ll ever have.”

Behind her, Taffeta heard Cameron already questioning Barney about his job. Did he aspire to become the sheriff of Mystic Creek someday?

Barney replied, “Sheriff Adams is the man for the job right now, and I’d never consider unseating him. He has worked hard to get where he is today. But when he retires, I’ll definitely run for the office. I was born in Mystic Creek and grew up there. It’s my town, and I care about the people there.”

Giving Grace’s hand a gentle squeeze, Taffeta went to sit beside her husband. She could tell by her ex-father-in-law’s expression that he was impressed by Barney’s answer. Cameron appreciated a young man with ambition, but he frowned upon those who had no scruples about climbing over older men to reach a higher rung on the ladder.

The conversation moved forward. Cameron spoke briefly of Phillip. “We’re very disappointed in
him.” He glanced at Grace. “We don’t know where we went wrong in raising him, but we definitely made some serious mistakes somewhere along the way.”

Taffeta hated knowing that these two wonderful people blamed themselves for how their son had turned out, but she could think of nothing she might say to ease their pain.

“Anyway . . .” Cameron looked straight at Taffeta. “Both Grace and I feel that we owe you an apology. We were wrong to support Phillip during your trial, wrong to believe the things he told us. I’m so sorry for the part I played in that.”

“And so am I,” Grace inserted, her voice so faint that everyone gave her undivided attention. “He’s my son, and I’ll always love him. But that doesn’t mean I like him.”

Cameron took over. “When your son tells you that his wife has viciously abused your granddaughter, you’re inclined to believe him. It was inconceivable to us that Phillip would tell such a terrible lie. Please forgive us for being so blind.”

“Over time,” Grace put in, “it became more and more apparent to us how totally screwed up Phillip is. When I began to suspect that he’d lied about you, I gently questioned Sarah. The child has no recollection of a single time when you were mean to her. I believe she grew terrified of you only because Phillip told her awful things.” Grace spread her hands. “And we helped him do that, I’m afraid. Not many kind words were spoken about you in this household
for several months, and I’m sure Sarah overheard our diatribes sometimes. Three-year-olds are impressionable.”

Taffeta couldn’t think what to say and was relieved when Barney broke in. “Everyone in this room probably has regrets, but it’s more important now to focus on the future and Sarah’s well-being.”

Barney turned to Taffeta. “Sweetheart, I know it’s hard for you to talk about it, but I think you should tell Grace and Cameron about Sarah going to school with bruises.”

As Taffeta related her conversation with the private investigator, Cameron clenched his teeth and Grace closed her eyes. They both looked devastated.

Cameron said, “Grace and I are very aware that Phillip has been a complete jackass. You must have wondered why we didn’t hire someone to care for Sarah in our home to keep her away from him.”

Taffeta chose her words carefully. “I suspect that Phillip used Sarah as a bargaining chip to get more money from you.”

Cameron nodded. “You guessed right. And I stupidly called his bluff. I knew Phillip wanted no part of being a parent and thought he’d back off when I told him no. Instead he grew furious and left with our granddaughter.” Cameron bent his head to stare at the floor between his feet. “I panicked and called him. At that point, I was willing to give him the money. But he upped the ante.” His eyes dark with shadows, he met Taffeta’s gaze again. “I’m a successful man, and I’ve invested wisely, but the amount
Phillip demanded would have drained all my accounts.” He glanced at his wife. “We have great health insurance, but it doesn’t cover everything. I couldn’t give him what he wanted, not with so many medical bills rolling in, so he kept Sarah.”

“Oh, Cameron, I’m so sorry.” Taffeta meant that from the bottom of her heart. “How horrible that must have been.”

“It was beyond horrible. We could do nothing without taking Phillip to court to get custody, and we were advised against it because of Grace’s poor health. Even if we were both in excellent health, we aren’t exactly prime candidates at our age to raise a little girl. We have Sarah now only because Phillip is tired of the responsibility. The child cramps his style. He can’t always find someone to take care of her.”

Grace straightened in her chair. “You aren’t the only one who hired an investigator. We did as well, and we were notified a few times when Phillip left Sarah alone in his car at night while he partied in a bar. Cameron called the police twice, hoping to get him arrested for it, but by the time the cops got there, Phillip had already left.”

Cameron lifted a shoulder and smiled sourly. “I think our son has a friend at the police department who tips him off. It’s the only explanation for how he evaded arrest.”

Taffeta winced.
Poor Sarah
. She was too young to be left alone in a car, even in broad daylight. The child must have been terrified.

Cameron gestured limply with his hands. “Grace
and I understand and sympathize with your yearning to get your child back. The time that Sarah spent with her father has impacted her in many negative ways.” He flapped his wrist again. “Grace has been so ill that she can’t help me deal with that, so I’ve been winging it, and I’m afraid I’ve done a pathetic job of correcting Sarah’s behavior. I’m an old man. I adore that little girl. It about kills me to criticize her. I’m her grandpa. It’s supposed to be my job to love her, spoil her, and let her parents take care of the discipline. Unfortunately Phillip dumped her off with unsavory people and was apparently oblivious of the changes in Sarah.

“But all of that is beside the point. It’s clear to both Grace and me now that Phillip lied, not only on the stand, but to us countless times. We’re willing to support you in any way that we can if you decide to fight for custody. Sadly, that may take a while, possibly more than a year, because you must first get your conviction overturned in appellate court.”

Taffeta reached for Barney’s hand. “I can’t allow my little girl to remain in her present situation for over a year. At any time, Phillip can come back for her.”

“Sarah will be staying with us from now on. Phillip knows now that I can’t or won’t buy him off, and if there’s no money in it for him, he’s finished playing daddy. When Grace is too sick to take care of Sarah, we have a good friend who will come in to help out.”

Taffeta battled tears. She had no idea how long it
would be before her case would be heard in appellate court. Until her conviction was overturned, she couldn’t hope to get custody unless both Cameron and Grace would vouch for her in front of a judge. She wasn’t certain that they were willing to do that.

As if Cameron read Taffeta’s mind, he said, “I’ve checked into your options. Family law is my specialty. Until a judgment in your favor is handed down by the appellate court, you don’t have a prayer of getting custody. Even if Grace and I stand firmly behind you, it would be highly unlikely. What judge in his or her right mind would grant custody to a convicted abuser?”

Taffeta vised her fingers on Barney’s. A tremor ran through her.

Cameron flashed her a sympathetic look. “I don’t mean to sound harsh, Taffeta. I’m only stating the facts as I see them. What Grace and I can do is go before a judge in private chambers and request that you be allowed frequent and unsupervised visitation with your daughter. I know you want more than that, and I know you deserve more than that, but at least, if Grace and I are successful, you’ll be able to see Sarah often while you wait for a ruling from the appellate court.”

Barney spoke up. “If Taffeta wishes to ask a judge for a reversal of the custody ruling, would you and Grace be willing to vouch for her?”

“We’d be more than willing. But I honestly don’t think it’d be worth the effort. The odds are stacked against her.” Cameron glanced at his watch. “It’s
time for me to pick up Sarah from school.” He met Taffeta’s gaze. “Would you like to stay until we get back so you can see your daughter?”

“I’d love to, but during our last visitation, Sarah grew hysterical. I don’t want to upset her like that again. I need to move slowly forward with her, I think.”

In a weak, tremulous voice, Grace said, “I’ve been working with Sarah on that. She may still be hesitant, but she won’t be terrified. She’s coming around and asks about you often.”

Taffeta sent Cameron a questioning look. He smiled and said, “I think you should stay, honey. When she gets here, don’t rush her. I think she’ll come around faster than you anticipate.”