Hidden Away, page 14
part #2 of Hearts of Montana Series
Leroy staggered to his feet, holding his hands out in front of him. “Look, I said I was sorry. I don’t want no trouble. I’m just here for my wife. Emma! I know you’re here.”
He looked out over the guests. His face lit with recognition so he must have spotted her.
Taylor turned to see a brown-haired woman in a faded red dress at the edge of the dance floor. Emma Purvis. Except he’d known her as Emma Frank. He recognized her from high school, and he seemed to recall she’d been a few years behind him.
Hicks stood by Taylor’s side. He tilted his head toward him and spoke quietly. “Purvis just got out of county for beating Emma up last month. He roughed her up pretty bad. She filed for divorce while he was in jail.”
Leroy called again for Emma, but she stayed by the barn.
An older man came striding forward, and Taylor was pretty sure he was Emma’s dad, Clyde. “Leroy, you need to get the hell out of here and stay away from my daughter. You ever come near her again, and I’ll kill you myself.”
Leroy glanced from the sheriff to Emma’s dad, and Taylor recognized the look in his eye. The look of a caged animal.
He knew nothing good would come of a mean drunk when he felt cornered. “Now, let’s all settle down. Leroy, I’m going to suggest that you go with Hicks here. He’s gonna take you back to the station and give you a little time to cool off.”
A little time to cool off—in a cell.
Taylor did not abide by anyone drinking and driving, and he didn’t need a sobriety test to see Purvis was well past the legal limit.
But right now, he just wanted to get the guy into the back of Hicks’s squad car.
He took a step closer to Leroy.
Leroy backed up, panic creeping into his expression. “I told you I don’t want no trouble. You all just need to stay back.”
Taylor advanced another step.
It must have been one step too many because Leroy reached behind his back and pulled a gun from his waistband.
He waved it wildly in Taylor’s direction. “I said stay back. Don’t nobody come near me. I just came for my wife. Emma!”
Taylor took a small step to the side, putting himself between the gunman and his family.
And he knew in that instant that Cherry and Sam were his family. They meant everything to him. And he wasn’t about to let some piss-ant drunk do anything to harm them.
He kept his eyes trained on Leroy and lowered his voice to a soothing tone. “Let’s all just calm down now. Leroy, there’s no need for a firearm. Why don’t you just set that gun down, and we’ll talk about this.”
Leroy’s eyes were wild, and he pointed the gun directly at Taylor. “I’ve tried talking, and ain’t nobody listening to me. I told you I don’t want any trouble. I didn’t want to have to use this.”
“Nobody’s making you use it at all.” Taylor didn’t take his eyes from Leroy, but he was quickly assessing the situation. Calculating the distance between Leroy and the truck and registering the type of gun he was brandishing. It was a small caliber handgun.
He lowered his voice so only Hicks could hear. “I may need to borrow your gun.”
Hicks took a slow sideways step toward Taylor. He heard the deputy flip the snap open on the holster on his hip before he raised his hands toward Leroy. “Listen now, Mr. Purvis, we know you don’t want any trouble, and neither do we. Why don’t you just do like the sheriff asked, and put the gun down?”
Good man. He knew his deputy was creating a distraction and had raised his arms to allow Taylor easy access to his gun.
Out of the corner of his eye, Taylor saw Emma’s dad take a step closer to Leroy. He swung the gun wildly toward his ex-father-in-law. “Get back, old man. She’s my wife, and she’s coming home with me.”
Clyde Frank’s eyes narrowed and his voice shook with rage. “Over my dead body.”
“You asked for it.”
A shot rang out.
Clyde fell to the ground.
Screams filled the air.
The next few seconds happened in a blur. Taylor had already been reaching for his deputy’s gun.
He pulled it from the holster and fired a shot at Leroy Purvis.
A spray of blood dotted Leroy’s face as his expression turned from surprise to pain, then he crumpled to the ground.
A single second of silence was followed by a pandemonium of screams and chaos.
“Take care of my family,” Taylor instructed Hicks as he raced toward the fallen body of Purvis.
He knew he’d shot him in the shoulder so the likelihood he would die from the shot was minimal.
But he still held the gun in his hand, and that was Taylor’s immediate concern. Taking advantage of Leroy’s drunken reaction time, he rushed forward and kicked the weapon away from him.
Despite his yowls of pain, Taylor flipped Purvis over and pulled his arms behind his back. He knelt down, placing his knee into the center of Purvis’s back.
Hicks rushed up beside him and passed him a set of handcuffs. “Cherry and Sam are with your dad.” He waited for Taylor to handcuff Leroy, then hauled him to his feet.
“You shot me, you bastard. Somebody get a doctor.” Leroy’s words were slurred, and he pitched forward.
A crowd had gathered around the truck, including Cherry’s cousin, Reed.
An older man pushed through the crowd. “Let me take a look at him.”
Doc Genrich had been their family doctor for as long as he could remember. He was also the bass player in his dad’s band. “Thanks, Doc. But maybe you should take a look at Clyde Frank first.”
Doc waved a hand in Clyde’s direction. “He’s fine. Leroy’s so drunk, his shot missed Clyde by a mile. I heard it ding off the smoker. Clyde just fell to the ground so Leroy wouldn’t shoot at him again.”
“All right.” Taylor stepped back and let Doc examine Leroy.
The doctor pulled up Leroy’s blood-stained T-shirt revealing a stomach soft with flab. His shoulder was spotted with blood, and a gunshot wound was visible under his collarbone.
“Somebody grab me a clean towel or some paper towels,” he said.
Zack must have been thinking the same thing because he’d already crossed to the porch and grabbed a big stack of napkins. He handed them to the doctor who pressed them to the wound to stop the blood flow. Then he checked his back where the bullet exited.
Dropping the shirt, he clapped Leroy on the shoulder. “You’re gonna live, son.” He turned to Taylor. “Good shot. The bullet went clean through. I’ve got my bag in the car. I can bandage him up until you can get him to the hospital.”
“I don’t want to go to the hospital. I don’t want to go anywhere. Not without my wife.” Leroy struggled uselessly against the stronger deputy’s hold.
“I’m not your wife anymore.” Emma stood at the center of the crowd. The handcuffs on Leroy’s wrists must have given her the courage to come forward.
Her dad stood at her side and held an arm around her shoulder. After almost getting shot, Taylor wasn’t sure if Clyde was offering comfort or seeking it.
“You’ll always be my wife. I love you, Emma.” Leroy’s voice was pitiful and whiny.
“You gave up that right when you busted my face and shoved my head through the shower door for not cleaning it well enough.” A gasp was heard in the crowd of town’s folk. “I did love you once, Leroy, but you don’t have the right to hit me. Or anyone. I filed for divorce because I don’t want to be married to you anymore. In fact, I don’t ever want to see you again.”
“Come on, Em. You don’t mean that.”
“I sure as hell do mean it. That’s why I filed a restraining order against you and changed my phone number and moved to another town. How did you even know I was here?”
Taylor had been watching Leroy’s face, and he was shocked to see his eyes flicker to Cherry’s cousin, Reed.
What the hell was that about? Why would Reed have anything to do with this loser? Let alone put a woman’s life in danger by revealing her whereabouts?
Unless that was the whole point.
Could Reed have hoped to create an incident at the engagement party? Surely even he wouldn’t sink that low.
Would he?
Taylor glanced at Reed, but the other man avoided his eye.
“She’s made it clear she doesn’t want to see you, Purvis,” Taylor said to Leroy. “My deputy is gonna take you over to the hospital, but make no mistake, you are under arrest for breaking the restraining order, driving under the influence, attempted murder, and whatever else I can come up with. Hicks’ll read you your rights on the way to the hospital.” He nodded at his deputy. “Get him out of here.”
Hicks hauled Purvis toward his car, and Taylor made his way toward Cherry and Sam. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around them and hold them tight. Make sure they were okay.
But his hands and his shirt were covered in blood.
His dad stood with Cherry and Sam, one arm around each of them. They stepped forward to hug Taylor, but he raised his hands to stop them.
He looked into Cherry’s eyes. “As much as I want to wrap you both in my arms right now, I can’t. I’m covered in this bastard’s blood. I don’t want this filth to touch either of you.”
“Maybe you should of thought of that before you brought them into your life.” Reed had followed Taylor and tried to step between him and Sam. “It’s pretty clear that you live a dangerous lifestyle. You just shot a man. How can you possibly think Sam would be better off with you than with us, where he would be safe and far away from firearms and criminals?”
Taylor turned to face Reed. “You’re a lawyer, Reed. You are a criminal.”
Reed gestured to Taylor’s clothes, obviously ignoring the jab at his profession. “Look at yourself. This is supposed to be a party, and you’re covered in a man’s blood. A man that you just shot.”
Taylor noticed that he kept emphasizing the fact that he just shot someone. “That man had a gun and fired at a civilian.”
“My point exactly. I plan to file a motion next week for full custody of Sam. I plan to cite this flagrant display of violence and let the judge know that firearms are kept and used in your home.”
“Don’t be an idiot. Firearms are kept in ninety percent of the homes in this county. In fact, the judge goes deer hunting with my dad, so I’m fairly certain he has a gun in his home, too.”
“Not one that he shot a man with.”
Taylor sighed. “Reed, I’m an officer of the law. Of course I have a gun. But my dad and I both keep our firearms locked in a gun safe. We’re both very conscientious gun owners, and we would never put Sam at risk.”
Cherry had been silently standing by, but now she took a step in front of Taylor.
Like she was the one protecting him. “Reed, you didn’t want me to have Sam when you thought I was a single woman on my own. Now you don’t want me to have him when we have someone actually protecting us. Make up your mind. Besides, I feel safer with Taylor than anywhere else.”
A tiny burst of pride filled him at her words, and he didn’t want to let her down.
And he sure as hell didn’t want her to lose Sam because of him.
He looked around the yard.
Some people had already left, but most were sticking around, probably hoping to catch more action. Small towns did love their gossip, and he knew the story of their engagement party was going to make the rounds by morning.
At least people would be talking about them being engaged. So that was good.
But they didn’t need to add a family squabble and a custody fight to the list of things that happened at the party.
He took a deep breath to calm the anger that he felt toward Cherry’s family. “Listen, this is supposed to be a party to celebrate the woman I plan to marry. We’ve still got a lot of food left, and I don’t believe I’ve heard the band play my favorite song yet. So, as far as I’m concerned, we are finished with this conversation. You all can either stay and enjoy the party or feel free to leave now.”
Reed narrowed his eyes at Taylor as if he wanted to say more but was wisely keeping his mouth shut. He gestured to his wife. “Come on, Olivia. We’re going home.”
Olivia literally tipped her nose in the air. “Fine. I didn’t even want to come to this party.” She took Bea’s arm and walked her to the truck.
Why did they have it out for Cherry so bad?
The Hill family climbed into their vehicles and drove down the driveway.
Russ clapped a hand on Taylor’s shoulder. “You all right, son?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” He looked down at his bloody shirt. “I just need to get changed.”
His dad nodded and winked at him. “You did good today. You protected your family and the people of this town. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t let that high-falutin’ jerk-wad make you feel any less about it.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“You go on and get cleaned up. I’ll take Sam with me, and we’ll get his bike picked up and put away. Then we’ll get the music fired up and get this party going again.”
Taylor nodded and headed up the steps of the porch.
Cherry followed him. “I’ll come with you.”
She followed him into the house and his bedroom. Their bedroom. He shut the door and stripped off his shirt as he stepped into the bathroom.
He turned the faucet on and rubbed his hands under the flow. The blood had dried to a tacky rust color, and the water pooled red in the sink as he scrubbed his hands and arms.
Cherry reached for a washcloth and held it under the water. She wrung it out then used it to gently wash away a spot of blood that had smeared against his cheek.
He pumped liquid soap into his hands and rubbed the lather up his arms. Splashing water on his chest and face, he tried to wash away the blood and cool his heated temper. “Damn it. I just wanted this party to go off without a hitch. I wanted your family to see how good you were with Sam. That you’re the right person to raise him.”
That we’re the right people to raise him.
Where had that thought come from?
He knew where. He’d been thinking it all night. He wanted Cherry and Sam to be part of his family.
But had he blown it tonight with the stupid scene with Purvis? He grabbed a towel and scrubbed furiously at his arms and chest. “Why did that idiot have to make a scene tonight? At our party? And why is your cousin such an asshole?”
Cherry laughed. “I’ve been wondering that all my life.” She leaned against the counter as he dried off, then stepped into the bedroom to find clean clothes.
He dug through his closet for a clean shirt. “But he’s an extra a-hole when it comes to you. Why does your family have it in so bad for you?”
“Also a mystery. I think it’s mainly because of the diner. And because of the close relationship I had with my grandparents. They always kind of doted on me, and it caused a huge stink when they just gave me the restaurant.”
“Your cousin has a high-paying job. Reed’s a lawyer, for goodness sakes. What the hell would he want with a diner in Broken Falls? Did he want to run it?”
She laughed. “Of course not. He hasn’t worked there a day in his life. He only wanted it because they gave it to me. But not Stacy. She loved it as much as I did, and she was thrilled for me when I took it over. Gram taught us to use the soda fountain when we were kids, and we used to invent new drinks and try to get the customers to sample them. Gramps was always our guinea pig. He’d try anything we made.”
Her voice wavered a little with emotion, and she stared down at the washcloth still in her hands. “It didn’t have anything to do with the diner. It was that I got something that he didn’t. Something of value. He thought we should sell it and split the profits. Stacy was the only one who supported me in running the place. She used to bring Sam down and help out. She’d set his baby carrier on the counter and make malts. She was the only one who understood that the diner was more than just a restaurant to me. It was our grandparents’ legacy.”
She looked up at him, and her eyes held a plea for him to understand. “I want Sam to have that. I want him to know the place that our grandparents made. I want to teach him how to make malts and share the secret recipe for the BFFC Cherry Bomb soda.”
“The what?” Taylor had pulled a clean shirt from the closet and was buttoning it up.
“The BFFC Cherry Bomb soda. It was my and Stacy’s invention. BFFC stood for Best Friends and Favorite Cousins. It was silly but it was special. And I want to share that with Sam.”
He wanted her to share it with him, too. He liked to hear her talk about her family and her past.
He remembered going in to the diner to see her when they were in high school. He’d even helped out a few times when they were short-staffed. The diner had always represented family to him and to the town. And to Cherry, too.
It was good to hear Cherry talk about Stacy and laugh about memories of her.
“I’d like to try one of those, too.” He stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She tipped her face up to look at him, and he offered her a sly grin. “You know Cherry is my favorite flavor.”
He dipped his head and kissed her softly. “Mmm-hmmm. Cherry definitely tastes the best.” His lips hummed against hers, and desire sparked in his gut.
Well, actually lower than his gut.
Lifting her hair, he laid a line of kisses along her neck. She smelled so damn good. And her skin was so soft. Holding her against him was just what he needed.
He didn’t want to think about her asshole cousins or that idiot Purvis. He didn’t want to admit that shooting a man tonight still had him a little shaky. He just wanted to lose himself in her kiss.
He traced her lips with his thumb and tried not to think about the way his hand shook slightly.
But she noticed.
Cherry reached up and held his cheeks between her hands. Her eyes searched his. “Are you really okay?”
He had been. He’d been keeping it together.
But the look of concern—of love, maybe—in her eyes was enough to have him come undone.
He pulled her tight against him, burying his face in her neck, against the silky strands of her hair. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if Sam had been hit by that truck. Or if anything had happened to you. I saw that guy pull out a gun, and all I could think about was protecting you and Sam.”
