Page 26 of Refuge for Cherilyn

She was a survivor. Against all odds, she’d managed to keep herself and her kids safe. He was also sure that if Frymire found her, he’d kill her before she could talk. No one had been looking for him, so he had to be fairly certain she hadn’t said anything yet, but there was no doubt in Shaw’s mind that he would be looking for a way to make sure she couldn’t.

His thoughts turned to Morgan. He’d felt lucky as hell to have her. She was beautiful, accomplished, and if she was ashamed of him and his vocation, she’d never said anything before they married. He remembered their wedding day, and it had been epic. Every man in attendance had told him how lucky he was, and how gladly they’d take her off his hands if he ever decided he didn’t want her.

But by the time she’d found out she was pregnant with Candace, she was already driving to Lexington for a better job in a bigger law firm. Shaw begged her to just be happy with what they had there, but she couldn’t. Before he knew it, she’d bought a house there, a large, expensive house, and wanted him to come there to stay, so he did when he could. Then there were the parties, and she dictated what he could wear, how he could wear his hair, and told him what he could and couldn’t talk about. It always irked him when she introduced him as “my husband, the wildlife officer.” He had a bachelor’s degree?he’d majored in wildlife biology and minored in criminal justice?but that didn’t have the same ring as power broker.

The day she’d announced that the baby would be raised in the Lexington school district was the day the trouble began. He reminded her that they lived in Corbin, but her response was, “You might live in Corbin, but I live in Lexington.” He’d fixed up a nursery, a beautiful little room in the house that was only used two or three times. If he wanted to spend time with his baby daughter, he had to go to Lexington. His mother had been excited about having a grandchild there, but they rarely got to see the child.

And yet somehow they’d managed to stay together until Candace was twelve. There was something to be said for ignorance being bliss, and he’d intentionally ignored all the warning signs, preferring to believe it was all in his head. The day he got the phone call was the day that it got real. “Mr.Parker, this is Hideaway Farms. Just wanted to let you know that you left your watch on the nightstand when you and Mrs.Parker stayed here this weekend. You can pick it up at your convenience in the office. Thanks and have a nice day.”

Parker was her family name. And he’d never been to Hideaway Farms.

When he confronted her, she screamed and yelled, asking him what she was supposed to do with a husband who just didn’t want to better their lives. He hadn’t thought their lives were all that bad until she started talking about first one man and another who made in excess of three million a year. The day he found out she was dating a real estate mogul from Tampa who traveled in the horse circles, he knew it was over. He couldn’t compete with that kind of flash and drama, and he didn’t really want to try.

The room Cherilyn’s girls were sleeping in was the one he’d fixed up for Candace?the room she’d never slept in. He’d make arrangements to see her, only to find that they weren’t at home. When he insisted she come and stay with him, there was always an excuse. She had a ball game. She had a dance recital. She had a karate class. His suggestion that she let him know when she was participating in something and he’d come to watch and support her had been met with hems and haws and no information. She didn’t want him there. If everyone thought Austin was her dad, that was fine with her. The guy who worked for the state just wasn’t good enough.

He took a moment to really scrutinize his thinking. He wasn’t looking for someone who’d be grateful to him, beholden to him, for what they had or were given. That idea had never crossed his mind. What he knew about Cherilyn was that she’d be happy with what he could offer. She was strong enough to walk away if she wanted to, and down-to-earth enough to be proud of him and who he was. If nothing else, that was appealing.

He looked down at his phone’s screen. Three fifteen. And SheriffMcEvers would be there the next morning at ten. It was definitely time to get some sleep. Carrying the bottle with him, he stepped into the house, closed and locked the back door, then checked the front before wandering down the hallway to his room. He’d left a lamp on, and he closed the door quietly, then went about getting ready for bed.

In the darkness, he thought about her eyes and how much sadness they held. She hadn’t really smiled since he’d seen her that first time the previous morning. If he had to describe the way she looked, he’d have to say she just appeared to be exhausted. Life had dealt her a rough hand, and continued to dole out misery. Could he help end that?

The last thought he had before he slipped into the tranquility of sleep was how much he’d love to see her smile, and how much he wanted to be the person who put that smile on her face. He could do it?he knew he could. Didn’t matter how long it would take.

He wasn’t going anywhere.

* * *

The minute his eyes opened,he smiled. There was sunshine seeping in around the curtains and blinds, and from somewhere outside, the sound of a mockingbird pierced the early morning air. A glance at his clock told him it was almost seven, so he sat up, stretched, and climbed out of bed.

His destination was the back porch, and a second cup of coffee was slamming into his system when he heard a sound behind him and turned. Cherilyn stood in the open back door. “Is it okay if I come out and sit?”

“Of course! Please! Grab a cup of coffee and join me.”

She disappeared from view and was back in under a minute with a steaming mug of dark, strong brew. To his surprise, she took the seat beside him on the glider and threw her feet up onto the table in front of it. One sip and her eyes went wide. “Wow. This is strong stuff. Good, but strong.”

“Yeah. I like strong coffee. Always have. You get a good night’s sleep?”

A look passed across her face that said she was thinking about the question before she answered. “I think I did. I’m a little stiff, but it was so nice to sleep in a real bed.”

“But you had a real bed in your apartment, right?”

“Yeah, a second-hand mattress that was lumpy and stained. Everything here is so clean and comfortable. Oh, I hope this mug was okay,” she added and held it out so he could see it. It was a promotional mug from a farm store in town.

“Nothing here is sacred, honey. You see it and you need it, use it. Of course, if you use the last of it, write it on that pad stuck to the fridge so I can replace it.”

“I will. Thank you.” He watched her from the corner of his eye as she sat back and relaxed, hoping she was growing comfortable around him. “So what’s on your agenda for the day?”

“I have to go to work tonight, but I’ll be home all day. Do you think you and the girls will be okay here by yourselves?”

“Nobody knows we’re here, so I don’t know why we wouldn’t be. What time will you be home?”

“I go in at four, so I have to leave at about three thirty, and I’ll be back about twelve thirty. In the meantime, if you need anything, you can call me.”

Her cheeks pinked. “Uh, I don’t have a phone.”

“We can fix that. Not a problem.” The smile he gave her was intended to reassure her. “You don’t have to worry about anything, Cherilyn. You need it, you’ll get it.”

Those pink cheeks turned red. “You shouldn’t spend money on me.”

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