On his way home Kipp called Charlie on his cell phone. When Charlie found out about Kipp's plans to go to Seattle to the FBI field office, he volunteered to go with him.
Tuesday morning Charlie picked up Kipp, and they made the drive together. Kipp had to explain the details of his daughter's rescue, and Charlie tagged along to be a character witness for Kipp in case the FBI cast suspicions Kipp's way.
After hearing Kipp's story and questioning him for a while, they told Kipp they would contact the field office in Salt Lake City and send an agent to talk to Grace and Rebecca to verify the details and get a description of the couple who had kidnapped Kelly. They said they would be in contact with him later.
Satisfied everything was being done to apprehend the kidnappers, Kipp and Charlie left for home. When they arrived in Port Anderson, Kipp suggested they get something to eat at The Fish and Ale.
It was another warm summer day, typical of the Pacific Northwest in August. The air conditioner in Charlie's truck shielded them from the heat, but Kipp welcomed the open feel of the pub with its salty air. A few sailboats were tied up to the adjoining pier.
Instead of his usual seat at the bar, Kipp led Charlie to a table where they could have an unobstructed view of the harbor. Sam waved hello to Kipp when he passed by. The waitress took their order and brought them two ice waters.
Kipp glanced around to see if he recognized anyone. The place was beginning to fill with the early dinner crowd.
"We were so busy talking about your trip and the rescue, I forgot to ask about Tanya," Charlie said. "When's she coming to see Kelly?"
"I haven't talked to her yet," Kipp said. "Right now she's on a plane to Australia. I left a message at her hotel. Hopefully, she'll call soon. To tell you the truth, though, I'd rather have some time alone with Kelly before she gets here."
"Yeah, but she should know."
"I know that. But you know how she is. She'll want to take over, even if it's not in Kelly's best interest. She'll make everything about herself."
"What do you plan to do?"
"I'm not sure," Kipp said. "It all depends on Kelly and how she's doing. But I'll tell you, Charlie, it's taking every ounce of strength to keep from driving to Libby's and embracing my baby girl. I'm counting the minutes until I can see her again."
The waitress interrupted them with their order of hamburgers and fries. Charlie dumped a mound of ketchup on his plate. "Why don't you drive down this evening?"
"Libby told me to wait, and I trust her judgment. You should have seen how Kelly took to her. It was like they were mother and daughter, I swear."
"There's another reason to pursue that woman."
"I don't need any more reasons."
"So, what's stopping you?"
"Libby."
"Why? Did you put the moves on her and get shot down?"
"She won't even give me a chance to think about it." Kipp thought back on the last few days. "You know, Charlie, the woman is the most gentle, loving soul, but as soon as she begins to open up, she shifts into business mode, and I can't get close to her. I know she cares about me. We've had moments. I can feel it."
"She's had cancer. Did you know that?"
"Cancer?"
"Breast cancer. Ellen told me."
"Jesus, I had no idea."
"Yeah. From what Ellen said, she had to go through chemo and radiation, the works. She didn't have a mastectomy, but I guess she might as well have. They kept having to go in to remove suspicious areas, so you can imagine."
"Then that explains it."
"What?"
"She seemed overly modest on the trip. We had to share a room a couple of times, and she wouldn't even change into pajamas with me out of the room. Jesus, I had no idea."
"So, knowing that, how do you feel about things?"
"About getting to know Libby?"
"Well, yeah, being with a woman who's had that kind of surgery, with all the complications?"
"I don't know. It certainly doesn't change the great person she is."
"Yeah, but what about being intimate?"
"Hey, we're not anywhere near that." Kipp bit into his hamburger, chewed a while. "What about you and Ellen?"
Charlie gave him a thumbs-down. "Let's move on to another topic."
"That bad, huh?"
"Let's just say she's in the wounded-buffalo stage, the one I was in right after my divorce. I don't know which way she's going to turn next."
"Are you going to wait it out?"
"Don't know. It depends on her."
"You must really like her," Kipp said. "I haven't known you to spend a whole night with a woman since the divorce, unless you're holding out on me."
"That's the truth, but hell, why did I have to pick a woman with ten tons of baggage fresh out of a twenty-year marriage? If I'd never answered the call that night..."
"Why was she so scared, anyway?"
"The door was open when she got home. She thought it might be Libby's ex snooping around. You should have seen her brandishing that pistol. She looked like she had palsy, the way she was shaking." He chuckled.
"What is Libby doing with a gun?"
"Her ex. She didn't mention him?"
"In passing, but she didn't elaborate."
"I guess he's a real piece of work. Beat her up a number of times. Left her when she got the cancer."
"Jesus." More than ever, Kipp wanted to throw his arms around her, hug her close, protect her in some way.
"But the clinker?" Charlie said. "He's an ex-cop."
"She seems so strong, like she has it all together. What would she be doing with a man like that?"
"That was my thought," Charlie said. "Who would have known?"
At the thought of Libby's misfortune, Kipp lost his appetite and shoved the half-eaten burger aside. "Let's get out of here."
Charlie stuffed the last few fries in his mouth and followed Kipp to the bar where Kipp insisted on paying the bill.
Charlie dropped Kipp off at his house and headed back to Harbordale with the promise of being available whenever Kipp needed him.
Kipp looked forward to the end of the evening because he would be that much closer to seeing Kelly. He opened the door to a ringing phone.
Tanya greeted him from Sydney. "I got your message. You said it was urgent. Is it your parents?"
"It's Kelly. I've found her, Tannie."
"You did what?" She paused. "Oh, my God. Our baby, our baby. Is it true? Where? Where is she?"
Kipp had to stop her from getting hysterical, so he could give her the details about the kidnappers and the polygamist community. He told her about Grace and Rebecca. He told her about the rescue, leaving out Libby's part in it. He wanted to explain that detail in person.
By the time Kipp was finished with the story, Tanya was sniffling. "How did you know she was there?"
"I'll explain that when you get here. Can you get a flight out?"
"I just got here, Kipp. I'll have to see. Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can. Oh, Kipp, honey, our baby." She resumed sobbing.
"Can you take a cab from the airport?"
"Can't you pick me up?"
"Kelly's not ready to be thrown into a place like that." He didn't want to discuss Kelly's state of mind over the phone.
"Why not, Kipp? Why can't you and Kelly pick me up?"
"Tanya, trust me. It's better if you catch a cab and we wait here."
"I don't see why you two can't come!"
Already Kipp found himself getting irritated with her insensitive attitude. "Think of Kelly, Tanya. She's been through a lot."
"All right. All right. I'll call you when I get in. I love you, sweetie." She hung up.
Weary from this three-minute exchange, he kicked off his shoes, disrobed, and fell into bed early. The light from outside cast shadows on the rug, and children's voices sounded down the road. Despite the distractions, he hoped to sleep.
Mentally, he was drained, but he stayed awake long enough to calculate how much time he would have with Kelly before Tanya arrived. He hoped for at least a full day. It all depended on how Kelly responded to him. If she had difficulty, he would have to leave her with Libby, and he wondered how he was going to explain that situation to Kelly's own mother.
Libby had been a godsend. In the last few days, she had been more of a mother to Kelly than Tanya ever was.
He thought about everything Libby had gone through: the cancer, the abuse. She deserved so much more than that.
Now that he knew her secrets, her reasons for being so closed up, he wondered if he would ever have the opportunity to embrace her fully the way he wanted to. He'd always been with women who were near-perfect physically. Could he overlook Libby's surgery? He'd cross that bridge when he came to it--if he was ever given the chance.
* * *