Out of the Storm (6 page)

Eric nodded. “Makes sense. All right if I speak to her?”

“Sure.” As the doctor started to walk away he turned toward Eric. “I may be overstepping my authority, but…” He paused. “I’d say that Ashley’s been through some pretty hard times. Social work’s not in my job description, but I care about my patients. We haven’t heard from Rebecca. I hope Ashley’s going to live with you. If not, Social Services has to call DCF and start the process of finding a place for her and her daughter to live.” His face said it wasn’t the alternative he’d choose.

“They’ll be staying with me,” Eric assured the doctor. Despite the mystery, he couldn’t turn them out. Eric set his jaw and crossed the hall. He knocked on her door quietly. When he opened it, she looked away quickly, pulling her hands from moist eyes.

“Hi.” She nodded.

“Ashley.” He nodded back. “How’re you feeling?”

“Better,” she whispered, turning to face him. Her jaw squared. “Thanks for helpin’.” Ashley smiled weakly and looked out the window again. “It’s so pretty here.” She looked at the harbor then back at Eric. “How’s Kylie?”

“Fine. I can bring her by if you’d like.”

Ashley shook her head. “I don’t want her to see me here.” She pushed her lips together. “She wouldn’t understand why I had to come to the hospital, and she’s been through a lot. Too much for a little girl,” she said in an angry whisper. “She should be home playin’ with dolls and ridin’ her bike.” Ashley paused. “I’m real sorry about what happened. Guess we’ve all been through a lot.” She sighed deeply and shrugged. “How’re you doing with all this?”

“Not really sure.”

“I figured that.” Her words sounded sincere, apologetic. Was she questioning the wisdom of making their long pilgrimage?

Eric found her eyes. She sniffled as they began to fill again.

“I’ve got some questions.” Eric pulled up a chair and sat next to Ashley’s bed. He felt compassion but needed some answers…especially after Ralph’s call. “How did you manage to get here and why?”

For a moment Eric wasn’t sure she’d heard him. She fidgeted with her hospital gown and twisted her lower lip. “’Cause Daddy—that’s what I called your brother—always told us you were a good man. Said he wished he could have been more like you,” she whispered. “When he said we should leave, I remembered meeting you. You were real nice when you visited us and so…here we are.” Ashley’s face flushed. The smooth drawl gave her words a hypnotic, almost sultry tone.

“Really.” Her explanation caught Eric off guard. He hovered between confusion and doubt. If Ralph harbored such affection and respect for him, why no phone calls, letters, not a word in years, even when their father died.

“That’s a surprise. I didn’t know he thought that much of me.” Eric tried to avoid sarcasm. He failed.

“Don’t know about the ‘like’ part. But he respected you.” Ashley shrugged and arched her eyebrows. The dimpled smile she offered had a cryptic quality. She was holding something back. “Always called you special. The good son—smart, athletic, war hero.” Her voice held irony, almost amusement, but her face showed no humor.

Ashley studied him very closely. Eric’s opinion of her had been off target—one hundred eighty degrees. This girl was no simple recluse. She used her words well. He wondered if Ashley was trying to manipulate him?

“So when he threw you out…” Eric began.

Ashley blew out a breath and held up her hand. “You weren’t listening. You’d been drinking last night. I smelled it. I never said he
threw
us out.” She fixed him, her enormous eyes narrowed in frustration. “He told us we
should
get out.”

Eric played with the distinction. “So you agreed to leave? Just like that?”

Ashley looked at him with frustration. “Yes. I did.”

“But you don’t know why?”

She shook her head slowly. “Could have been a lot of things. You know what he was like.”

Eric nodded. He knew exactly.

Ashley glanced at the doorway then offered, “Maybe it’s best you don’t know.”

“But despite all the questions you expect me to take you in? To help you?” He watched her reactions closely.

“It’s your call,” she answered after another long pause. “I hope you do. Least till we can get our feet on the ground. It doesn’t matter about me. I could get by. Always have. But for Kylie’s sake—yes.” Ashley played her trump card. She’d turned stubborn and prickly. But could he abandon Kylie—turn her over to the state? Ashley had him and she knew it.

Touché.

“I got a strange phone message from Ralph.” He found her eyes again. They held his,e giving no ground. “It sounded like he was afraid. Said he was in trouble and asked me to help you if you showed up
.
”

Confusion crossed her face for a split second, followed by something he’d seen too many times in too many faces: Fear. “He called you? Ralph…called
you?”

Eric nodded. “It was an old message. Don’t know how old. Why?”

Her mouth fell open. Ashley looked out the window. “No…no reason.”

She turned her face back to Eric, gave him an artificial smile, and shrugged again. The innocent expression that materialized would have done her seven-year-old proud. “Maybe he was worried ’bout us.” She was trying to look casual. “You never know. Daddy—Ralph—had a lot of balls in the air.”

Something he’d said hadn’t fit with her. The comment about Ralph. But she’d done a good job covering it. Hadn’t missed a beat. Ashley was playing him and stonewalling him at the same time. This was one clever girl. He
had
underestimated her. Badly. She’d read him and found his weakness easily. He wouldn’t turn that sweet little girl out or over to DCF.

“All right. You can come home with me,” he agreed, knowing he might be opening himself up to disaster. “I’ll talk to the billing department and get that straightened out. The doctor says you’ll be released tomorrow if your face is better.”

Ashley touched the bruise. “Yeah.” She winced. “Walked right into a street sign in all that rain. Did a number on my cheek.”

Eric didn’t believe her for a second.

“About the money.” Ashley sounded frustrated. “I’ll pay you back soon as I can,” she promised.

Eric stood and approached her bed. He nodded and held out his hand. “All right. We’ll talk about the details later. I’ll be at work this afternoon. Call me when they give you a discharge time.”

Ashley nodded and offered her hand. He shook hers firmly and let it go as he backed away. Eric watched her closely. Was she playing him? He thought so but…he couldn’t be sure. And if she was, what was her game? She never explained how they got to the Cape.
Diversion and misdirection
, he thought in a mix of frustration and begrudging respect. Ashley was better than some Al Qaeda operatives he’d interrogated. The questions would have to wait. Eric couldn’t spend the afternoon jousting with her.

As he studied her it occurred that she’d made a remarkable recovery since her arrival last night. She looked damn good for someone who’d been through a 600-mile pilgrimage, a monsoon, and a miscarriage. Ashley cleaned up well. She was pretty. Damn pretty. He’d give her that. But this Ashley showed none of the innocence and wonder he remembered from the teenager he’d met a decade earlier. Despite that, there was something—a subtle chemistry when she touched him or found his eyes.
But is she dangerous
? he asked himself again. Eric needed to find out. While he got a handle on what was going on he wasn’t about to let her double-talk him.

“Here’s my card.” He put it on the nightstand. “Call my cell if you need anything.” He turned the card over and took out a pen. “Here’s my mother-in-law’s number if you can’t get me. She’s taking care of Kylie.”

“Thank you for everything…Eric,” she whispered, showing him a soft smile. It had a shy, innocent quality. Ashley blushed as she found his eyes. Suddenly, the adorable fourteen-year-old reappeared.

He cleared his throat and swallowed, caught off-guard by the high-speed metamorphosis from surly to sweet, cunning to cuddly. Was this the real Ashley or was she using that pretty face and feigning vulnerability to win his sympathy?

“You
are
a good man,” she added, looking thoughtfully at him.

Yes
.
This is one clever girl
. She nodded, her eyes holding his as he headed toward the door. Eric wondered. Had Ashley somehow become involved with one of Ralph’s crazy schemes? Did it backfire on both of them?

“One clever woman,” he repeated aloud as he ran down the stairs. Maybe that was her problem. She was too clever for her own good.

He called Louise from the parking lot. She picked up on the second ring. “Hi, we’re just about back to the house. How’s Ashley?”

“She’s all right,” Eric offered, not wanting to burden his mother-in-law with his confusion and frustration. “What about you and Kylie? How’d you make out?”

“Great. Got some cute stuff for Kylie and a couple of things for Ashley so she doesn’t have to wear those ratty old things home from the hospital. Had to guess at the sizes but they’ll do until she has a chance to shop.” She paused and lowered her voice. “Kylie’s asleep in the back seat.”

“Great. Look,” he hesitated, knowing Louise would balk. “Could you bring Kylie to Becky’s office?”

“I guess so. Why?”

“She told me that when there was some question about the circumstances surrounding abuse they like to talk to family members.”

“
Circumstances surrounding abuse!”
Louise whispered loudly. “Jesus, Eric. She’s a shy, frightened, seven-year-old kid. I’ll give Becky a call. The last thing Kylie needs is to be cross-examined.”

“Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just telling you what she asked.”

A few minutes later, she called back. “Okay. Becky promised to go easy with Kylie, but I want to be the one to bring her. Said she had some papers for you to look over and sign.”

Louise was right. She and Kylie had bonded. If Becky had any chance of getting the truth from Kylie, Lu was the one to take her. He’d stop by the marina and see how Bobby was doing.

“Great. When you get home we’ll call in that order for Chinese food.”

Chapter Eight

“So this girl just appeared at your door with her daughter and a dog?” Bobby’s gray eyes sparkled. He wore a curious expression as he stifled a laugh. “Hell. That sounds like something on one of those woman’s channels.”

Eric sat across from him on one of the marina’s picnic benches. “Hmmm. My buddy the decorated Ranger. Jeez, Bob, didn’t know you were a fan. Is that Hallmark or Lifetime?” Eric asked. It was his turn to hide a smile.

Bobby flushed. “Honest to God. It’s not me, it’s Gwen.” He shook his head and scowled. “That’s how I spend my Saturday nights. The early part anyway.”

Bobby broke into a grin. They both laughed.

Eric proceeded to give his best friend the abbreviated version of the last twenty-four hours. Ashley’s arrival and the questions it raised, never mentioning Ralph’s phone message, the miscarriage, or the calls to Buzz or Lip.

“You gonna take ’em in?”

Eric nodded. “At least until they get settled. Hell, I can’t leave ’em on the street. The little girl’s only seven and seems like a real sweet kid. I’ll try and help Ashley find some work. Maybe get her a place. Must be good at something.” He shrugged.

“Maybe she’s a computer guru.” Bobby laughed. “Could help straighten the office out.”

Eric shook his head and shrugged. “She wouldn’t be on the top of my list.” He stood and headed to the parking lot. “Look, I’ll be in early tomorrow, but I’ve gotta pick Ashley up from the hospital and get her settled. Thanks for taking over today.”

“No sweat, boss. I love it. Got these guys doing jumping jacks twice a day.” His friend laughed and slapped Eric on the back as he got into his Jeep. “Hey. By the way, what’s Ashley look like?” Bobby asked as he shut Eric’s door.

Eric thought for a minute. “Last night—like a drowned cat.” He pictured her at the hospital. “This afternoon. Cute. Thin. Short dark hair. Nice smile and…”

He caught Bobby hiding a grin.

Eric stopped and cleared his throat. “I don’t know. I’ll bring her by sometime. You can judge for yourself,” he promised.

His young friend laughed. “Are you
blushing
, Lieutenant Montgomery? I think you like her.”

Eric frowned at the thought. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He cleared his throat a second time, but Bobby held his smile. Eric ignored the thought that he might have any attraction to Ashley. It was ridiculous. He’d only known her for a couple of days, and she was a mystery wrapped in a riddle.

He looked at Bobby. Eric wasn’t the only local hero. His friend was tall, good-looking, and athletic. And Eric had to admit, his pal’s dark, curly hair, strong features, and cleft chin set him apart. The local girls loved him. He’d been a staff sergeant in the Rangers and had his share of hardware to show for his years in the Middle East. Bobby had an impressive combat résumé. They had been on a dozen missions together. There was no one Eric would rather have beside him when the shit hit the fan.

But Bobby was way off base. He had to be. Ashley was cute, had that to-die-for accent, nice smile, but…hell, she was spinning a tale at best, outright lying at the worst. Using her situation and her daughter to gain his favor. Eric shook his head as he started his Jeep, hit the accelerator, and left a trail of gravel as he took a right turn toward Route 28 and home. He wanted to hear about Rebecca’s session with Kylie.

Like Ashley? He shook his head as a frown crossed his face. No way!

****

When Eric pulled into his crushed-stone driveway he expected to see Louise’s blue Camry. No sign of it. He pulled out his cell phone and was about to call when he saw her buzzing down the street. She parked next to Eric’s Jeep. He watched as she got out of the car. Kylie followed slowly. The little girl looked at the ground.