Page 15 of The Complication
I needed to get him out of here immediately.
“Parker!” I shouted as soon as I was within a few feet of him.
His head jerked around, and it appeared to take him an extra moment to recognize me, but when he did, a wounded sound broke from his throat that crushed my heart. He took a step in my direction and a heartbeat later, I was wrapping him up in my arms, supporting him as his legs gave out.
“It’s gone. Everything is gone. All my work. All Joy’s clothes. Her bed. All the things Molly picked out for her. Allgone,” he cried into my chest, his tears soaking into my shirt.
I tightened my arm on his waist while settling the other closer to Joy to make sure she was still secure. The baby made disgruntled sounds as if Parker’s tears were scaring her.
What was I supposed to say? It would be all right? Trite bullshit. Parker didn’t need useless platitudes that were fucking lies. It wasn’t going to be all right. Sure, they could buy new things for Joy, but they wouldn’t be the things her now-dead mother had bought for her. Parker could make new art, but it would never replace the art that he’d lost.
There was nothing I could say, so I wordlessly supported him as he cried on my chest, hating that he was going through this pain. It was only as Joy’s crying grew in volume that Parker pulled himself together.
He roughly rubbed red eyes. I released him so I could pull a linen handkerchief out of my pocket and offer it to him.
A teary, sniffling laugh escaped him as he took it and mopped up his face. “Do you have an endless supply of these?”
“No, but I’m glad I have one ready for you.”
Parker gave a jerky nod and turned his attention to Joy as he stuffed the soiled handkerchief into the pocket of his cargo shorts.
“We should leave. It’s warm and it can’t be good for her to be breathing in this air,” I said.
Parker frowned and turned his attention to the fire. “But…won’t I need to talk to someone? For insurance or…something…”
I picked up Joy’s chair and shouldered the bag with the elephant. “No. They are going to be fighting this fire for hours to come. Nothing is going to be figured out today, except for those who need housing aid after being displaced. Come home with me so you can both rest. You can make the necessary phone calls tomorrow.”
As I started walking to my car, Parker didn’t follow. He remained locked in place, his expression twisted up.
“But…you don’t want us at your house. We can’t impose on you like that.”
That was a ridiculous statement. If I didn’t want Parker and Joy in my home, I would have offered to put them up in a hotel. No, this made the most sense. I wouldn’t be able to watch over Parker if he was in a hotel.
“Is this her car seat?” I inquired, holding up the chair by the handle.
Parker blinked at me as if he were struggling to understand my change of topic. “Um…part of it. It needs a base to lock into. That’s in my car.”
I walked to Parker and put the chair on the ground. “Where is your car?”
“Just down the block. We couldn’t get any closer.” He pointed at the opposite end of the street.
“Very well. Allow Joy to rest in her chair. She and I will wait here for you to go fetch the base so we can properly install it in my car.”
Parker hesitated, his arms tightening on the baby. I gripped his shoulder and squeezed tense muscles. “I promise to protect her with my life. Nothing will happen to her. I’m sending you because it would be faster than me going. I’m driving because your concentration is shot. It’s safer if I drive,” I added, hoping to head off any additional arguments.
The confident man who had regularly taken pleasure in my torment was a fragile shell right now. The slightest thing could shatter him. His brain was clearly spinning its wheels in useless circles. Later, he could shout about my bossiness, but right now he needed someone in control.
After a couple of deep breaths, he placed a fussy Joy in her chair and secured her with the straps. He shot me a last warning look and took off at a dead run. I followed him withmy eyes for a bit before turning my attention to the baby staring at me.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be right back. We’re going somewhere much quieter and calmer. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
To my shock, Joy busted out in a wide toothless grin. Did she recognize my voice? It couldn’t be that she’d understood what I said.
“Do you want to ride in my car?” I inquired. “It will be a very smooth drive. I am a very safe driver.”
This time, she squealed and waved her hands, her smile still shining brightly on her chubby face.
Maybe she did like my voice. Or at least recognized it from the office. That was hard to believe, though. We’d met only that one time. The next day, her fever had been gone, and she’d resumed daycare for the rest of Parker’s time at Courtland. But it was a nice idea that she might appreciate the sound of my voice.
