Sworn to Protect (15 page)

“Oh. Well, in that case . . .”

Chuckling, he left the room to set breakfast on the table. In less than two minutes, Drew came padding out in his bare feet, wearing sleep pants and a T-shirt. For one second, Shane remembered the tiny little sprout he’d been so long ago, coming into Shane’s parents’ kitchen just this way, smile on his face, ready for the pancakes Shane’s mom used to make for them. It was a tradition Shane had kept up when his folks were gone.

“Looks great!” The boy plopped down and began to fork his breakfast onto his plate.

“Your favorite.”

They tucked into the meal, slathering on butter and using plenty of syrup. As they started eating, Drew gave him a sad smile.

“Dad always loved coming over when you cooked. He craved homemade stuff, but he wasn’t a very good cook.”

“I remember.” He was glad the boy could mention his dad without falling apart. “I’ll never forget when he set my kitchen on fire. I never let him near it again.”

“I know! Even I knew not to throw water on a grease fire.” His smile was wistful, his eyes shiny. “I wish he were here.”

“Me too, kiddo.” Might as well yank off the bandage. “That sort of brings me to what we need to do today. I think it’s time to go get the rest of your belongings.”

He wished he could erase the pain from Drew’s face. The boy sucked in a sharp breath and nodded. “No sense in putting it off,” he said. His voice quavered and he was obviously struggling to be brave.

God, give them the strength to get through this.

“I’ve got plenty of boxes and I rented a small enclosed trailer, so I think we’ll have room for whatever you want to bring back. The rest, the stuff you don’t want, I’ll have someone take care of donating it.”

“Okay,” he said quietly. “I don’t need much except my laptop, CDs, and clothes. Oh, my stereo for my room. It’s not very big.”

That reminded Shane that he’d borrowed the boy’s laptop the night Brad died. He’d looked through it and found nothing but the usual social teenage stuff. “I already have your laptop. I brought it the night you came to stay here.”

“Translation, the cop in you couldn’t help but snoop.” The teen looked annoyed.

“Guilty. But the better word is
investigated
. I’ll give it back to you when we’re done this afternoon.”

Drew pushed his plate away. “Sure. It’s not like I’ve missed it, anyway. I’m going to take a shower.”

“All right.”

After finishing the last of his breakfast, Shane rose and began to clear the dishes. Dare he hope things were improving with him and Drew? Now, if he could fix his relationship with Daisy as easily. It seemed her bullshit meter was fine-tuned these days, and he’d played a big role in that. He could hardly blame her, but damn. How did he convince her he was sincere when he was the reason she was gun-shy?

He loaded the dishwasher, then washed up the skillets and utensils. Once he was finished, he went and parked on his easy chair and dialed Daisy—for about the fifth time that week. He was fast reaching stalker status. Wouldn’t that be a fun write-up if she complained to the captain?

The message signal beeped and he actually left one this time, injecting as much sincerity into his tone as he could. “Hey, it’s Shane. I know you don’t want to speak to me, and, hell, I don’t blame you. Please give me a chance to prove I’m not the same jerk who hurt you before.” He paused.

“I wasn’t going out with Leslie, and that’s the truth. She asked me to be on the policeman’s ball committee, but I turned her down
without
meeting her for lunch. Just FYI. Anyhow, please call me.” Punching the
OFF
button, he slumped. “Shit.”

“Trouble with Daisy?” Drew asked, walking into the room. He’d showered and dressed in his jeans and a flannel shirt.

“You could say that. She thought I was going out with another woman, and now she won’t speak to me.”

Drew winced. “Ouch. It’s not true. Right?”

“No. I’m not the least bit interested in anyone else. I haven’t even dated anyone since Daisy and I were, um, together before.”

The teen grinned. “Since you had wild monkey sex, you mean.”

“None of your business, kid. Haven’t we been through this?”

“Yeah, okay. Don’t get bent. So, what? She doesn’t believe you about the other chick?”

“I don’t know if it’s that so much as she was already having second thoughts, and the stunt the other woman pulled, making her think I was taking her out, just gave her the shove she needed to pull away.”

“She got scared,” he said wisely. “That blows.”

Shane laughed in spite of himself. Teenagers had such a way of simplifying things. “Yes, it does.”

“If it helps, I think she has the hots for you.”

Shane’s eyes widened. “What makes you say that?”

“She’s been checking on me during my lunch this week, and she sort of asks about you a lot. Like, I don’t think she realizes how often she mentions you. Keep after her, and she’ll cave. If you want my opinion, she’s making you suffer, but she wants to get caught.”

“How did you get to be so smart?”

“I just am. So, we ready?”

“Yeah.” Shane grabbed his keys off the kitchen counter. On their way out he locked up. “So, she’s been visiting you?”

The boy nodded. “Every day. Yesterday she brought pizza for me and Ty.”

“That’s really great of her to do. You like her?”

Drew’s expression clouded some. “Sure.”

“The way you say that, you don’t
sound
sure.”

“I think she’s making nice with me because she likes you—that’s all.”

He shook his head. “Daisy isn’t that kind of person, son. She has a soft spot for kids, which is why she’s good at her job.”

“So, I’m just another
job
to her,” the boy said bitterly.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, frowning. “You’re more than that to her. In fact, she’s told me how much she cares about you. She truly likes you.”

Following him to the truck, Drew fell silent on the subject. Shane bit back a sigh and let it go for now. He couldn’t force the boy to accept Daisy. Did Drew fear that she would replace Drew in his affections? That wasn’t going to happen. Hopefully, the boy would come around.

They made good time getting to the mansion. Shane pulled around back and went in first, making certain the study door was closed before letting Drew come in and go upstairs. No need to be reminded of the room where he’d found his dad.

Shane went into the kitchen and looked around. There wasn’t much in the way of perishables in the fridge. The cooking pans and utensils looked barely used. He decided he’d simply hire someone to pack up the kitchen and sell the furniture and anything else Drew didn’t want. The majority of Brad’s personal things could wait until another day. He knew Drew would want his dad’s football trophies and mementos. Especially his two Super Bowl rings.

Jesus. Is that all a man’s life boiled down to—a bunch of keepsakes that could be stuffed into a drawer?

Shaking off the depressing thought, he walked upstairs with a few packing boxes in hand and found Drew folding clothes. Pitching in, he helped until they’d packed the contents of his closet, dresser drawers, and bathroom. The personal items were last, and they filled two boxes with those, not counting the stereo in the corner. Had he ever had this much crap as a kid? Probably so.

Two hours later, they had Drew’s stuff loaded. Drew was standing uncertainly in the foyer, and Shane laid a hand on his shoulder. “Is there anything else you want to take? Maybe something of your dad’s?”

“Actually, I’d like to take his Super Bowl rings and a few other things.” He frowned. “I’m worried that some jerk’s gonna break in and take all his stuff now that there’s nobody living here full-time.”

“I was thinking about those. Good idea. Let’s just go ahead and get them so your mind will be at ease.”

“They’re in the study in a safe.” He swallowed hard.

“I can get them if you don’t want to go in,” Shane said seriously.

“No, I need to. I want to look around.”

He searched the boy’s face for any sign that he wasn’t ready. But he really did seem to need the closure. “Okay. But I’ll go with you.”

Crossing to the study doors, Shane opened them and stepped aside. Drew went in slowly, then stopped and looked around for a long moment. His eyes eventually found the spot on the floor where he’d discovered his dad, and his body shook.

“I felt so helpless,” he whispered. “I didn’t know what to do. But I tried. I called 911, did CPR forever. Everything I could. CPR doesn’t always work the way it does in the movies, did you know that? I thought it should work. But it didn’t.”

Tears were streaming down the boy’s face, and he wiped them away. He was still mourning, but it was goodbye, too. An end of a chapter for both of them.

“You did everything just right, Drew. But I think he was already gone, and nothing you did would’ve helped.”

“That’s what they told me, but it didn’t seem real. It felt wrong, like I’d stepped into somebody else’s nightmare. I was supposed to wake up and find him there, happy and alive.” He turned to face Shane. “He’s not coming back.”

“No, son. I’m sorry.” Sweet heaven, the look on that boy’s face.

Drew fell into his arms and cried. For the longest time they stood there, and this time the grief was different than before. This was the soft, bittersweet sorrow that was finally edging into acceptance. That period of realizing death was final, unchangeable. That their lives would go on, but they would never be the same.

Drew pulled back and used a tissue from the desk to wipe his eyes and blow his nose. Then he walked to the wall safe, punched in the digital code, and opened it. Then he removed a box and some papers. Shane had seen the rings before and knew they were in the box.

“I want his trophies, too.”

Shane fetched another moving box, and they took every treasured item from Brad’s office. When they were done, Drew took one last look around.

“I’m ready.”

They pulled out of the gates that afternoon, changed in unfathomable ways.

And just maybe a little stronger than before.

•   •   •

Daisy was outside, working in the backyard, when she heard a vehicle pull into her driveway out front. Immediately she tensed, half-hoping it belonged to Shane. The other half dearly prayed it wasn’t. She wasn’t strong enough to withstand him in person. Not yet.

She walked around to the front and a wave of disappointment washed over her. Instead of Shane, his sister was getting out of her car. Shea smiled at her and started across the yard.

“Spring cleaning?” she asked, pointing at the rake in Daisy’s hand.

“A little early, but yes. I’ve been pulling weeds and cleaning up the leaves and dead things from winter. March is around the bend, and I’m eager to plant flowers.”

“Wait until after spring break. Otherwise we’re bound to get one last cold snap that will kill them.”

“Good advice. I’ll probably wait until then, at least.” She eyed the other woman. “But I have a feeling you didn’t come here to discuss gardening.”

“No. I dropped by to tell you that Tommy and I are having a cookout next weekend, since the weather is supposed to be sunny and warm, and we would love it if you would come.”

Drat. She loved the couple and their friends, but . . . “Will Shane be there?”

“Most likely. Why?” She appeared completely innocent.

Daisy wasn’t so sure. “I got kind of upset with him and haven’t spoken with him this week.”

“What did the idiot do now?” Shea asked. “I’ll skin him alive!”

“He didn’t really do anything,” she admitted. “It’s me. Guess you could say I got cold feet.”

“That’s understandable, knowing my brother the way I do.” She looked like she had more to say, and she did. “But, honey, I’ve seen the way he is around you, how he talks about you. He’s got his flaws, but I honestly believe he’s totally gone over you.”

“You really think so?” She bit her lip. “He’s been calling all week, and this morning he left the sweetest message, but I’m not sure. He hurt me really bad before, and I don’t want to be the dumb-ass who goes back for more and ends up crying again.”

“I get that. Tommy and I had our issues, too. But I think if you give him one more chance, you won’t be sorry.” She cocked her head. “Let him stew another week, just to drive him bat-shit crazy with wanting you. Then come to our party and knock him for a loop.”

Daisy grinned. “That sounds like a good plan.”

“Then you’ll come?”

“You bet. I wouldn’t miss it.” The two women hugged, and Daisy invited her inside. “Would you like to come in, have something to drink? It’s Saturday afternoon, and I have rum and Coke. . . .”

“I’d love that.” She giggled. “I don’t have to be on shift at the hospital until Tuesday, and I think I’m in the mood to be just a bit naughty today.”

“Great! Let’s go.”

In the kitchen, Daisy fished the rum from under the cabinet while Shea got Cokes from the fridge. In minutes they were seated in the living room, giggling over stories of Shane that would turn his sexy face beet red if he knew his sister was spilling them. They were having a pretty fun time, and then Daisy got another idea.