Rusty threw all of his stuff into the luggage and double-checked the room. Only a few hours before Chris returned from work. He carried his stuff down to the door.
“Are you leaving already?”
He spun around. Kaylie stood at the top of the stairs with a huge scowl on her face.
“No, not yet. I want to hang out with you guys until your dad gets back.”
“He’s a jerk.”
Rusty went up the stairs and patted her back. “He’s doing what he thinks is best for you guys.”
“I hate him.”
“Don’t,” Rusty urged. “You’re all going through the worst time of your life. You need to stick together. I’m sure he’ll come around—just give him time.”
Kaylie stepped back. “I’d rather kick him in the nads.”
Rusty flinched. “Tell you what. Let’s give him a few days to relax. I’ll try to find a hotel with a pool, and while he’s at work, I’ll bring you kids.”
Brady came down the hall. “Really? Awesome.”
“You shouldn’t have to leave.” Kaylie folded her arms. “It’s not fair.”
Rusty frowned. “Nothing about any of this is fair. Your mom should still be here and—”
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Kaylie said. “How long are you staying?”
“Until he gets back.”
“Can we watch a movie again?” Brady asked. “That was so much fun last night.”
“Sure.” Rusty ruffled his hair. “You want to set it up while I make some popcorn?”
“Yeah.” Brady ran over to the remote collection and grabbed one for the TV and plopped onto the couch.
Rusty turned to Kaylie. “You want to pour some chips into a bowl?”
She shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“Try not to be upset. He’ll calm down. I’m sure of it.”
“He’s such a jerk. Everything has to be his way. You’d think now with Mom being gone, he’d figure it out. Start being nicer. But, nope. Still being a first class a—”
“Why don’t you get some pop, too?”
“Fine.” She spun around and went into the pantry, slamming things around.
Rusty’s heart ached. He hated that she was in so much pain. They got everything ready in silence.
Once they were done, Rusty put his arm around her shoulders. “I promise to hang out with you guys while he’s at work tomorrow.”
“Can’t you just tell Dad no? That you won’t go anywhere. You’re family, Uncle Rusty. We want you here—me and Brady. Stay for us.” She pleaded with her eyes.
He took a deep breath. “I’m going to a hotel for you guys. He’s angry and needs some space. Hopefully he’ll cool off in the meantime. Do you feel safe with him?”
She shrugged.
“Do you? It wasn’t right what he did last night.”
“You mean hitting the wall by my head?”
Rusty nodded.
“He’s a jerk, but he’s not going to hurt us. I wish you’d stay.”
“I really think giving him a little space is best for now. Call me anytime. You’ve got my number in your cell, right?”
She nodded but frowned.
“If he gets to be too much, let me know. I’ll drop everything and head over.”
“Really?” She played with a strand of hair. “You will?”
“I promise. And remember, Laura’s next door.”
“Okay. And you’d better find a hotel with a good pool. Like, a slide or something. No gross, little one.”
“Cool pool. Got it. Anything else?”
Kaylie shook her head. “Nope. Hope you like Star Wars. Sounds like Brady picked one of them.”
“I love them.” He grabbed the bowls of popcorn. She picked up the chips and pop. They set everything on the coffee table. “Did you guys know your mom and I used to watch the original movies all the time?”
Brady’s face lit up. “You did?”
Rusty handed him a bowl. “We used to have marathons all the time. We’d invite our friends over and watch all three in a row, and in between movies, we’d act out scenes.”
He looked thoughtful. “I could totally see you guys doing that.”
They all settled onto the couch and Brady started the movie.
“I hate Jar Jar,” Kaylie said.
“Who doesn’t?” Brady asked. “I heard he’s actually a Sith.”
“Shut up.”
“There’s a whole theory. You should look it up.”
As they bickered back and forth, Rusty couldn’t help smiling. How many times had he and Mandy argued about pop culture?
He tried to relax and just enjoy the time with the kids, but it felt like a big countdown. Every moment was closer to Chris getting back home. Once the movie started and the kids were throwing popcorn at each other, he managed to relax and have fun with them. He caught as many airborne kernels as he could and stuck them in his mouth.
After the movie ended, they cleaned up and Rusty put some dinner in the oven.
“Are you staying, after all?” Brady asked, his eyes wide. He suddenly looked so much like Mandy, it made Rusty’s chest constrict. The way his eyes got big and hopeful just like Mandy’s used to.
“Sorry, kiddo. Just trying to get everything ready so you guys can have the best night possible. If I’m gone and dinner’s cooking, hopefully your dad will be in a better mood when he gets here.”
Brady’s face fell. “You’re leaving now?”
Rusty checked the time. “Unfortunately. But I told your sister I’m going to find a hotel with a nice pool and bring you guys tomorrow while your dad’s at work. Sound good?”
“I guess.”
“It will be. I’ll see you guys in the morning. Get some rest tonight.” He gave them both hugs—neither wanted to let him go. It broke his heart. Chris was going to be home soon, so Rusty left quickly. As he closed the door, he could hear Kaylie grumbling about her dad.
Rusty groaned when he saw the car. He’d forgotten about the break-in. He put the luggage and his briefcase in the trunk. He’d need to return it to the rental place to get a new one.
Laura came over from her garden. “Are you moving?” she teased.
“I’m going to find a hotel and give Chris some space.”
Her face fell. “A hotel? I have plenty of spare rooms. Save yourself some money and stay here.”
He glanced up to the house and saw the kids watching him from a window. He’d promised them the pool. “I don’t want to put you out.”
“You wouldn’t. I swear.”
“I’ll think about it. I need to get this back before the rental place closes for the night.”
“Want me to go with you?”
He did, but that was the problem. “Thanks, but I need to get this returned and then find a hotel with a big pool that the kids will love.”
Laura’s eyes lit up. “I know great one not too far away. Let me lock the house, and I’ll show you.”
Rusty couldn’t help feeling excited at the prospect of her going with. “All right.”
“Hold on.” She hurried into her house and returned with her purse a minute later.
He waved to the kids before climbing into the car and driving off. Hopefully his absence would make life easier for the kids when their dad got home.
When they got to the main road, traffic was bad.
“I should have taken care of this before rush hour,” Rusty complained.
“You needed your rest,” Laura said.
That much was true. “I just feel bad about leaving the kids. They really didn’t want me to.”
“Sucks that their dad is such a jerk. We may be able to save one of them from him, though.”
Rusty turned to her. “Did you get the lab results back?”
“Not yet. I’m going to call in the morning if I don’t hear back by then. What are you going to do if Travis is Brady’s dad?”
“I have no idea. The last thing I want to do is separate them. They need each other.”
Laura frowned. “Light’s green.”
He turned his attention back to the road and drove through the intersection.
“Turn here. It’s a shortcut when traffic’s this bad.”
Rusty took a sharp right and followed her directions, barely paying attention. What would they do if they found out Brady was Travis’s? Would Chris even want to continue raising him?
Soon, he pulled into the parking lot and had to put it all out of his mind. By the time he had a new car, he also had a headache.
“Want me to drive?” Laura asked.
He rubbed his temples. “If you don’t mind. I haven’t seen that much paperwork since I purchased my house.”
“No kidding,” Laura said. “Let’s hope this car stays in one piece.”
“Does the hotel you were talking about have a private parking lot?”
“A parking garage. You have to have a hotel key card to get in.”
Rusty sighed in relief. “Sounds like a secure place.”
“It’s one of the best around here.”
“You’ve stayed there?” he asked.
“Yeah, when my house was being renovated. Oh, turn left up ahead.”
He followed her directions for a few miles until he pulled in front of a tall, gorgeous building. It was going to cost a fortune, but with any luck, he would only be there a few days.
After checking in, he realized Laura still needed to get home. “I should get you home. You’re probably starving. It’s past dinnertime.”
“We can order in. They also have a couple wonderful restaurants—my treat this time.”
“If you insist.” He smiled, glad to have her company a little longer. He looked around the beautiful lobby. “Where are the restaurants?”
“There’s a buffet down to the left. We’ll overeat for sure. The food is divine. Down the other way is a French restaurant.”
“Where do you want to eat?” he asked.
“Depends.” Her eyes sparkled. “Do you want to go for a dip after?”
He arched a brow. “You want to go for a swim? We don’t even have suits.”
“I stuck one in my handbag.” She held up her small purse, which had to contain an even smaller swimsuit.
Rusty’s heart raced. “I don’t have one.”
“There’s a gift shop down the way.” She tilted her head to the left. “They have plenty.”
He swallowed. “Let’s try the buffet and see how we feel after.”
She smiled. “Sure. Sounds like a plan.”
They made their way to the buffet, which had such a heavenly array of scents. It made Rusty’s mouth water.
Laura insisted on paying and then grabbed a plate. “Where do you want to start?”
“I’m not sure.” He stared at the rows of food. “I think I’ll wander and see what strikes me first.”
“Good plan. I think I see lobster. That’s where I’m going to start.”
“Okay. Find you in a few minutes.” They parted ways and Rusty walked along, finally choosing steak and vegetables. He found Laura, and as they made their way to a table, his phone rang. With the heavily-loaded plate, he couldn’t balance that and the phone.
Laura talked about the food as they settled into their chairs and started eating. He knew he should check to see who had called, but with his stomach rumbling as it was, he wanted to eat first. There was no way he could handle anything as famished as he was, anyway.
He emptied the plate quickly, barely taking the time to savor the tasty food. Just as he picked up his water, the phone rang again.
“I’d better get that. What if it’s the kids?”
Laura nodded, her mouth full of food.
Rusty pulled out the phone and accepted the call. “Andy? Is everything okay? I told you only to call if there’s an emergency.”
“Sorry, boss, but there is.”
“What’s wrong? Did one of the trucks get into an accident?”
“No, they’re fine.”
Rusty sighed in relief.
“But I just received word that your house is on fire.”
He nearly dropped the phone. “My house?”
“The fire department’s there now. Someone saw, and called here, knowing you own the place.”
Rusty’s heart sank. “I’ll catch the next plane.”
“If you need a place to stay—”
“I won’t. Talk to you soon.” Rusty ended the call.
“What’s wrong?” Laura asked, her eyes wide.
“My house is on fire.” His voice sounded like someone else.
“What?” she exclaimed.
“I need to get back home.” He put his face in his hands, trying to think straight. “I’ll need to return the rental car… can you drive me to the airport?”
“Whatever you need.”
He looked up at her. “Can you check on the kids when Chris is at work? I promised them a swim.”
“I’ll take them swimming.”
Rusty stared at her. “How could this have happened?”
His phone alerted him of a text. It was from a blocked number.
I warned you to leave well enough alone.