The Promise of Home (Love Inspired) (19 page)

The comment scraped against Jenna’s already raw nerves. It was so like Shelly to twist the truth. “I’m sorry if I said something to make Shelly believe that I was anxious for her to leave the center. I did take time off work, but I told her that I was happy to stay with Logan and Tori until she got back.”

“I wasn’t referring to you, Miss Gardner,” the doctor said, a strange inflection in her tone. “Shelly left this morning and there’s no question in my mind that she doesn’t plan to return.”

Jenna glanced at her watch. New Day was a two-hour drive from Mirror Lake. If Shelly had left early that morning, she could already be on her way.

“When she gets here, I’ll do my best to convince her to go back,” Jenna heard herself say, even though she knew that any influence she’d had on Shelly had disappeared long ago.

“That’s one of the reasons I called you. I’m not certain that Shelly plans to return to Mirror Lake.”

Jenna frowned. “Where else would she go? She knows I’m here with the Logan and Tori.”

“One of the aides saw Shelly’s boyfriend waiting for her in the parking lot when she checked out this morning.”

“Her boyfriend?” The words sparked a rushing sound in Jenna’s ears. “Who is he? Why didn’t Shelly mention him before?”

“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss that with you.” Dr. O’Neil sighed, expressing her opinion that she wished it were otherwise. “I suggest you call Grace Eversea and talk to her. Although Shelly has every legal right to take her children, it may not be in Logan’s and Tori’s best interest to be with her…companion.”

Fear that Shelly wouldn’t return now took second to the fear that she
would.

“I’m on call this weekend if you need to talk to me,” Dr. O’Neil offered. “I left a message on Shelly’s phone, asking her to call me. In spite of anything she might have been told to the contrary, we care about her.”

The subtle reference to Shelly’s boyfriend didn’t exactly put Jenna at ease.

Somehow, she had to get in touch with Dev. His cell phone went right to voice mail, which meant that he’d either turned it off or they’d drifted out of signal range.

God, Dev said that you don’t abandon your children during the storms. I trust that you’re here and that you’re watching over us.

An unexpected peace swept through Jenna.

Maybe Dev was right. Maybe she didn’t have to do this alone.

Chapter Twenty

D
ev pulled the canoe onto shore and scanned the faces of the people walking to the shoreline to greet the boys upon their return.

“Do you see your aunt?”

Logan looked around and shook his head. “Maybe she’s inside.”

“How about you take the life jackets back and I’ll look around for her?” Dev slipped his off and handed it to Logan.

They’d been scheduled to return well over an hour ago, but one of the boys had wandered off while everyone was eating lunch, forcing Sam Keller and Matt to organize an impromptu search party. The boy had eventually been found, sound asleep in the shade of an oak tree, a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich in his hand.

Other than that, the afternoon had drifted by without a hitch. Logan had loved the trip, talking a mile a minute and pointing out everything he saw, from a bald eagle perched in the branches of a jack pine to a painted turtle sunning itself on a log.

Paddling through a narrow channel, Dev had found himself wondering if Jenna would be glad to put the past few weeks behind her when she returned to the city. The pace might be slower here but she had been under a tremendous amount of pressure because of the situation with her sister.

Dev was just as concerned as she was about Logan and Tori. They needed stability. Someone to look after them and nurture their dreams. Jenna doubted her ability, but Dev knew she’d be good at both.

He made his way over to the grill where Abby stood, spatula in hand as she lined up burgers on a metal grate over the coals.

“Do you know where Jenna is?”

“She hasn’t shown up yet.” Abby smiled. “Tori was pretty wiped out from all the excitement. Maybe she took a long nap.”

“Maybe.” Dev couldn’t imagine that Jenna wouldn’t have given them a heads-up that she would be late. He’d left his cell in the glove compartment so it was possible she’d left a voice mail. “Can you tell Logan I’ll be right back?”

“Will do.”

Dev didn’t miss the smile that passed between Abby and Kate. No doubt about it. The cloak of mystery he’d worn was becoming more transparent by the hour.

He checked his phone and felt a stab of unease. Three missed calls and a text message.

Please bring Logan home ASAP.

Lord, I don’t know what’s going on but you do. Take care of Jenna. Let her know that whatever is happening, you’re right there with her.

“Did Jenna leave a…” Kate’s smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

“She wants me to bring Logan home. Right away.”

“He’s over there, with Jeremy and Cody.” Kate pointed to a group of boys playing Frisbee.

“Did something happen?” Abby asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“What can we do?”

“Pray.” Dev tossed the word over his shoulder as he went to get Logan.

The drive seemed to take twice as long as usual. Dev pulled up close to the cabin and hopped out. Jenna met him on the porch.

“Where’s Logan?” Panic flared in her eyes.

“In the backseat. He fell asleep on the way home.” Dev pivoted toward his car. “I’ll be right back, and then we’ll talk.”

It worried him that Jenna didn’t argue. The bleak look in her eyes told Dev this was something more serious than a newspaper article or unearthing information about his past.

Jenna was still at the door when he returned with Logan in his arms. When she reached for him, Dev shook his head.

“I’ll help.”

Jenna didn’t argue about that, either.

Logan woke up long enough to change into his pajamas and crawl into bed. When Dev would have closed the door behind them, Jenna put out a hand to stop him.

“Leave it open. Please.” Her voice shook.

“Tell me what happened.”

Haltingly, Jenna told him about the phone call she’d received from Shelly’s counselor at the treatment center.

“And you haven’t heard from her yet?”

“I tried to call her cell phone a few times but she didn’t answer.”

“You think she’s on her way here?”

“I have no idea.” Jenna glanced over her shoulder, making sure the children hadn’t woken up and wandered out of the bedroom. “Dr. O’Neil said that she left with a man. Her boyfriend.”

“I take it that you didn’t know about him?”

“No.” Jenna sounded bitter. “It’s not like Shelly confided in me. Dr. O’Neil couldn’t say much without breaking confidentiality rules, but she alluded to the fact that he might not be a…safe…person for the children to be with.”

And this person, whoever he was, could show up at the door any minute. Legally, Jenna had no authority to prevent her sister from taking control of her children again.

Dev thought about the guy in black that he’d caught hanging around in the woods.

“Violet and I will camp out on the porch tonight. There’s no way I’m leaving you and the kids alone.” Jenna opened her mouth and Dev put his finger against her lips. “Don’t try to talk me out of it.”

Jenna smiled for the first time.

“I was going to say thank you.”

* * *

A low growl roused Jenna from a fitful sleep.

She sat bolt upright in bed next to Tori, blinking to dispel the darkness. A shadow blotted out the crease of light under the door.

Jenna prayed it was Dev.

Careful not to disturb Tori, she slid out of bed and peered into the living room.

A beam of moonlight clearly defined Violet’s silhouette in the middle of the room, her ears at high alert, an uneven ridge of fur bristling down her spine.

Jenna took a step forward and suddenly Dev was there, a solid, comforting presence beside her.

“Violet heard something,” she whispered.

“There’s a car coming down the driveway.” Dev’s hand closed around hers for a moment, offering his strength. “Wait here.” The floor creaked as he padded to the front door.

Jenna felt a cold nose press against her leg. She reached down to pat Violet, who growled again as the soft but unmistakable snick of a car door closing disrupted the silence.

The few times Jenna had allowed herself to dream of reuniting with Shelly, this was far from the scenario she’d pictured in her mind.

Jenna’s heart thumped in response to a soft tap on the door.

“I need to speak with Jenna.”

Jenna recognized the voice immediately and fear distilled into a cold, mind-numbing dread. She took a jerky step out of the shadows as Dev flipped on the porch light, illuminating the man framed in the doorway.

Jake Sutton might have been wearing jeans and a T-shirt but the grim expression on his face relayed the fact that he was there on official business.

And other than a brief measuring look, the police chief didn’t look surprised to find Dev standing guard at the door. His attention shifted to her.

“May I come in?”

Jenna managed a jerky nod. “W-what happened? Did Shelly ask you to pick up Logan and Tori?”

She wouldn’t put it past Shelly to ask the police to pick up the children for her, neatly bypassing any questions Jenna might have about her decision to leave New Day.

Jake glanced at the bedroom door, where the children were sleeping. “Maybe you should sit down,” he suggested quietly.

Jenna’s lips parted but no sound came out. Dev was at her side in an instant. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, absorbed the tremor that rattled through her.

“It’ll be okay.” Dev guided her to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair.

Jake followed them but remained standing. “Shelly didn’t ask me to come here. She and her companion were pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy several hours ago.

“They attempted to flee the scene, but the driver lost control of the vehicle and ran into a fence. They weren’t seriously injured,” he added quickly. “Just a few minor bumps and bruises.”

Jenna was thankful for that but instinctively knew there was more to the story.

“Where is Shelly now?”

Sutton hesitated a fraction of a second.

“When the officers searched the car, they found illegal narcotics. Enough that both Shelly and her boyfriend were arrested for possession and intent to deliver.”

“She never mentioned a boyfriend.” Jenna caught her lower lip between her teeth. “Neither did Logan or Tori.”

“Owen Radley.” Jake glanced at Dev. “He fit the description of the guy you saw hanging around last week. When I questioned him, he said he didn’t realize Jenna was staying here with the kids. He wanted a place to crash for a night or two, but changed his mind when you confronted him.”

“You
talked
to him?” Jenna stared at Dev. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Dev raked a hand through his hair. “I just figured I’d keep a close eye on things over here. I planned to let Jake know if the guy showed up again, but he never came back.”

Because he’d found Shelly.

“I don’t understand,” Jenna whispered. “The last time I talked to my sister, she said the treatment was going well.”

Jake’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, Jenna.”

“What happens now? When will she get out of jail?”

“Your sister had a prior conviction last summer so she was already on probation for shoplifting and resisting arrest,” Jake explained carefully. “With the added charges from tonight, I’m afraid she could be facing some prison time.”

Jenna flinched.

Dev asked the question that she couldn’t. “How long?”

“If the judge is lenient, my guess would be three to five years.”

Three to five years.

The ramifications weren’t lost on either of them. Even if the sentence were reduced, Shelly would miss out on a significant portion of Logan’s and Tori’s childhood.

“What about the children?” Jenna heard her voice crack and Dev reached for her hand, sharing his strength.

“I called Grace. She’s going to come over first thing in the morning and talk to you.” Jake sighed. “I don’t enjoy this part of my job, but I thought the words might be easier coming from a friend.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Jake paused at the door. “Jenna?” He waited until she looked up. “Emma and I…we’ll be praying for you and the kids.”

“Will you…will you pray for Shelly, too?”

Admiration flickered in the police chief’s eyes. “We certainly will.”

* * *

“I’ll put a pot of coffee on.”

Dev knew that neither one of them would be able to fall back to sleep.

“I have no idea how I’m going to tell Logan and Tori.” Jenna wrapped her arms around her middle, as if that were the only thing holding her together at the moment.

“I’m sure that Grace will do whatever she can to help you.”

Dev had never felt so helpless. He wanted to fix everything. Bear the weight of Jenna’s pain.

He doubted that she had considered the possibility that Shelly might not make it through the treatment program. Dev certainly hadn’t.

“Prison, Dev. Shelly could be going to prison.” Jenna shook her head. “Over the past few days, I’d been thinking that I should find a house in town for them to rent. Ask Kate if she had an opening at the cafe for a full-time waitress. I know she’d be willing to work around Logan’s and Tori’s school day. I figured if Shelly got to know the people here, she’d fall in love with them. With Mirror Lake. This could be home, if she’d give it a chance.”

It could be your home, too.

Dev didn’t say the words out loud. Jenna’s life—her career—were in Minneapolis. Those things hadn’t changed, even if his feelings for her had.

The snap of a car door brought them to their feet. Dev looked out the window and saw Kate’s vintage Thunderbird. Grace Eversea was getting out of the passenger side of the vehicle.

Jenna stepped onto the porch to meet them. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Kate hugged her. “Grace called and told me what happened to Shelly. I’m so sorry.”

“So am I.” Jenna’s eyes misted over. “Logan and Tori have been through so much already.”

Grace joined them. “Can we talk in private for a few minutes, Jenna?”

Dev let out a breath. “I can come back later.”

“Please. Stay,” Jenna murmured.

She didn’t have to ask him twice.

They sat down on the porch and Jenna turned to Grace.

“I hope you can give me some advice on how to make the transition easier for them. Finding out their mom isn’t coming back is going to be hard enough, but the move—”

Grace put her hand on Jenna’s arm. “I talked to Shelly this morning. She wants Logan and Tori to stay in Mirror Lake.”

“For how long?” Jenna frowned. “At some point, I have to go back to Minneapolis and the children will be starting school in a few weeks. There are a lot of plans to make.”

“Jenna—” Grace glanced at Kate. “Shelly requested that Logan and Tori be placed in foster care again.”