Waiting for Sunrise: Baytown Boys Series Read online

  Brittany’s eyes held hers as she nodded slowly. “I got some friends here. Margo and Judy both live down the street from you. Their parents let me stay over when things get too loud and crazy at our house.” She sat for a moment, staring out the window. “It’s weird. It’s like the park is divided into two parts. This, which is really nice, and the very back, which is awful.”

  “I know, sweetie. The explanation is kind of complicated, with the land being both in the city and in the county. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense to you right now, but just know that the owner is working to get it all cleaned up.”

  Nodding, Brittany said, “Some of the trailers back where Mom and I live are now empty. The owner had two of the nasty ones hauled away last week.”

  “That’s good…it’ll take a little bit, but he’s working on it.”

  “But, Miss Belle, what happens when Mom gets kicked out? Where will I go?”

  Blinking, she realized she had not considered that possibility when desiring the back area to be cleaned up. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times but had no answer. They sipped their iced tea in silence for a few minutes before she finally asked, “Please, tell me about the bruises on your arms.”

  Brittany shrugged her thin shoulders and said, “It’s no big thing.”

  Keeping her voice soft, she replied, “Okay…maybe so, but I’d still like to know.” She leaned forward, placing her hand on the young girl’s arm and added, “I had my grandmother to keep an eye out for me. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what would have happened. I’d like to be that person for you.”

  Brittany’s eyes grew moist, but no tears fell and she wondered when the last time she had cried was. Waiting patiently, she leaned back in her chair.

  “Mom had some men over…partying as always. I usually just stay locked in my room and was trying to get some homework done. It was too noisy so I called Judy and she said I could come over.” Sighing, she said, “If they had just been in Mom’s bedroom, it woulda been okay. But when I walked to the front door, one of the men grabbed my arms and tried to drag me into his lap.”

  She gasped, outraged, but seeing Brittany’s eyes jump to hers, she tapped down her anger so that the story would continue.

  Brittany rushed to say, “He didn’t hurt me. I mean, he grabbed me hard, but I kicked out at his leg and he let me go. I rushed out and went to Judy’s. I spent the night there. I haven’t been back home since.”

  “Honey, we need to make sure you’re safe. We could talk to the police—”

  “No!” Brittany shouted, her face contorting. “That’d make it worse.”

  She opened her mouth, but Brittany got there first.

  “Don’t you see? Sometimes Mom can hold down a job for a few months and during those times, we actually have some food in the house. I know she’s a junkie and I’m not stupid, Belle. But, I’m in the tenth grade now and only have three more years to go until I graduate. Mr. Pullen at the grocery, said I could start working there in a few weeks and then I’ll have money to save.”

  “Honey, if your mom’s activities place you in danger—”

  “But they don’t. She’s just got men over and they leave me alone. She’s too out of it to bother me most of the time. If the cops arrest her, they’ll place me in some home. I can ride my bike to the grocery but if I go somewhere else, I might not be able to have my job.”

  She pinched her lips together, not liking the scenarios presented—Brittany staying or Brittany going.

  “Look…he grabbed me and I bruise easy. He caught me off guard, that won’t happen again. I know to stay away. I usually go out my window,” she confessed. “That’s what I’ll make sure to do from now on.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly, her mind working furiously over the options. “Brittany, sweetie, what if one of the men try to—”

  “I lock my door. In fact, I added an extra lock to my door. Mom hasn’t even noticed. So, if someone tried, I can get out the window.”

  They remained quiet for a moment before Brittany leaned over, her eyes full of emotion and pleaded, “Please, Miss Belle. Don’t call the cops. Not now. I promise, if it gets too bad, I’ll let you know.”

  Sighing heavily, she agreed. “Okay, but with a couple of conditions. You stay safe and call me anytime anything happens. If you need a place to stay, you come here. And you have to understand, if I ever feel like the situation is worsening, I will call the police.”

  Her breath leaving her lungs in a whoosh, Brittany cried, “Oh, thank you, thank you. And I promise to let you know what is happening.”

  Lying in bed that evening, once more both sated and satisfied, Belle related Brittany’s tale to Hunter, including her agreement.

  “Did I do the right thing?” she asked, worry in her eyes.

  He sighed, his arms around her, loving the feel of her head on his chest. He dipped his chin to stare at her face while his fingers skimmed down her arm and back again. “Hell if I know, babe. I know that as a kid who was getting the shit beat outta me by my dad, I felt powerless until I finally got big enough to put a whoopin’ on him and got him to back off. I didn’t have anyone to go to. Just knew to get outta his way. You had your grandmother and she has you but, babe, you gotta think about how you felt as a girl. For me, it sucked to feel Dad’s fists but I never had to worry about being violated.”

  Her lips tightened and she nodded. “I know. That’s what worries me about her. What if she can’t get away? What if someone gets to her when she’s not aware?”

  Leaning up, balancing her arms on his chest, she cried, “I think I need to call Mitch…or Ginny.”

  “Did she describe him?”

  “She just said he comes to see her mom fairly regularly. Her mom calls him Jim…or Jimbo…something like that.”

  He knew who she was referring to and just nodded. “I’ll take a look into it, babe. I’ll do it so there won’t be any blow-back on Brittany.”

  He waited to see if she would agree or argue against his suggestion, but she just plopped her head back to his chest and let out a sigh of relief. He wondered if she would feel relief if she knew what he planned on doing.

  The night was dark with clouds covering the stars and the moon. The owner had replaced the street lights in the back part of the park, but a few of them had been broken already, probably by miscreants who preferred to work under cover of darkness.

  Hunter had Jimbo down on the ground, his knee in the man’s back. With a hand on the back of Jimbo’s neck, forcing his face into the dirt, he growled, “Saw some bruises on Trudy’s daughter. I coach her and, even though she didn’t say dick, I know who her mom scores her shit from. And brother, you just found yourself outta business in this neighborhood.”

  Jimbo tried to squirm and wiggle, but the pressure on his back and neck was too much. “I…I…Dade…”

  “Dade’s got a new man in town and it ain’t you. I see you around this neighborhood again, I’ll put a world of hurt on your ass and you won’t like the results.” Pressing down harder, he said, “You get me?”

  “Yeah, yeah, man.”

  He loosened his hold on Jimbo, who stood and spit dirt out of his mouth. Jimbo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes glaring. Wisely deciding to back down from the furious, mammoth of a man he was, he said, “Trudy’s worthless anyway. Scrawny bitch’s only worth was a blowjob and she wasn’t no good at that either.”

  Stepping closer, he said, “You stay away from her and her daughter.”

  His head bobbed up and down. “Sure, sure. I’ve got enough business…I don’t need this fuckin’ place.” A slow smile crossed his lips and he added, “You want her daughter for yourself?”

  Hunter’s fist landed in his face, the satisfying crunch of a broken nose reaching his ears. Leaning over, he roared, “Get the fuck outta here.”

  Jimbo picked himself up and, wiping the blood from his nose, staggered toward the street. Just then, headlights came toward
them and he inwardly cursed as a patrol car pulled into sight. Stopping, Mitch stepped from the vehicle, his sharp gaze moving between a bleeding Jimbo and him.

  “Gentlemen. Having a problem?”

  “No, no,” Jimbo said. “I just tripped and landed on the concrete. This man was nice enough to help me up. I’ll just be on my way.” He turned and hastened out of sight, leaving him alone with Mitch.

  Mitch stepped closer, his assessing gaze not wavering. “Hunter…something I need to know about?”

  “No, Chief Evans,” he addressed him officially. “I was taking out the trash. Helped Jimbo and was just on my way back home.”

  Mitch said nothing for a moment, both of them unyielding in their stares.

  “I’ve gotten to know Belle really well over the past few years,” Mitch said. “She and Tori are close friends and I think she’s one of the nicest women I’ve ever met.”

  “I’d agree,” he replied.

  “I’d hate to see her get hurt.”

  “So would I.”

  “Damnit, Hunter,” Mitch cursed. “Zac was thrilled when you moved here and I’ve enjoyed having you in the American Legion and being part of this community. But you share very little of yourself, and that’s fine,” he added, throwing up his hands. “But, seeing you around this part of this neighborhood, at night, in the dark, with someone like Jimbo…it makes me concerned.”

  “I’m not giving you a reason to be concerned, Chief.”

  Blowing out a breath, Mitch nodded. “All right, but it’s gotta be said. Just because you’re a friend of most of the BPD, that won’t help you if you’re breaking the law.”

  “Understood,” he replied, then, watched as Mitch moved back to his SUV.

  Walking back to his camper, he cursed, “What a fuckin’ mess.” Scrubbing his hand over his face, he thought, I’ve got to put a stop to this if I ever want a normal future…one with Belle.

  A few fitful hours later, he rose with the sun and stared out of the camper window over the sink at the sun rising above the trees in the distance. Belle’s words echoed in his mind…I try to observe each sunrise to remind me that a new day is God’s gift to us. A new chance for life to be wonderful.

  18

  “Mr. Weldon, when you have a moment, I’d like to speak to you in private,” Belle asked, coming upon her boss in the hall.

  Dressed, as always, in a fresh suit paired with a crisp shirt, bright tie, and a flower in the lapel, he turned with a smile on his face and beamed at her. “Of course, of course. If you have a moment now, we can certainly speak in my office.”

  They walked down the hall, both greeting the residents who were sitting in wheelchairs watching the news or at a table working on a jigsaw puzzle. A few were paired off, talking quietly as they waited for the dining hall to serve lunch.

  Moving into Careway’s office area, they smiled at his receptionist and walked into his office. “Please, have a seat,” he invited, his hand swooping out to indicate one of the plush seats in front of his desk. “May I offer you some coffee, since I’m sure you haven’t taken a break yet,” he said, lifting one eyebrow and winking in her direction.

  She met his smile with a tremulous one of her own, but declined. He stared at her for a moment before settling into the leather chair behind his desk.

  “You appear nervous, Belle. Please…what’s on your mind?”

  Sucking in a fortifying breath, she let it out slowly before relating to him what she saw at the pawn shop, including that she told Hunter as well, who wanted to keep her safe.

  “So, you see, I can’t possibly identify the person who may have taken it, but I just know it was Mr. Rosenberg’s pocket watch. I feel horrible thinking that someone here stole it, but there can be no other explanation.”

  He had remained silent during her recitation, his eyes narrowing at times and wide at others. He leaned back in his seat, the leather creaking with the movement, and with his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, he steepled his fingers in front of him. “I see…” he said with deliberation.

  Surprised that he did not immediately jump up and demand they report the alleged theft to the Sheriff, she waited to see what he would say.

  “I have a hard time believing that anyone on our staff would steal from a deceased member of our family—and that is what our residents are, you know. We’re their family, we care for them, we provide for them. But, from what you’re telling me, someone has violated that trust.”

  She nodded slightly, clasping her hands in front of her, waiting to see what else he wanted to do.

  “I agree with Mr. Simmons that going directly to the Sheriff would not be the best thing since you are unable to identify the person who took the watch to the pawn shop—”

  “But, wouldn’t the police be able to make the shop owner describe who sold it to him?”

  With a benevolent chuckle, he said, “I’m afraid those tactics might just be useful in the movies, my dear.”

  Pinching her lips together, she felt foolish. “Oh, I see.”

  “We need to handle the situation with care. We certainly don’t want the news to get out about this because we don’t want our residents or their families to lose trust in us. Careway Nursing Home has an excellent reputation, and we stay at full capacity all the time due to that reputation. But, we can certainly make our own investigation here to make sure it does not happen again. I will personally oversee a policy change and will inform the staff when that’s completed.”

  Standing, he walked around the desk and leaned over, taking her hand in his. “Belle, having you as part of our staff for these years has been such a pleasure and a true gift to all of us. I hope you will continue to make Careway your home.”

  She stood as he gently assisted her from the chair and nodded. “I don’t plan on going anywhere else. I’ve always been happy here.”

  “Excellent!” he enthused, his smile firmly back in place. “And when you graduate? And have your RN degree?” His face fell as he said, “As you know, we only have one RN staff position here, Linda’s, but I assure you that while your job position won’t change from what it is now, there will certainly be a raise for you.”

  At that news, she returned his smile, glad for the opportunity to be able to save more for her future house fund. “Thank you…that would be wonderful.”

  He escorted her out of his office and as she walked through the door, he reminded her, “I promise to look into the situation. We certainly don’t want to lose the trust of our residents.”

  She nodded before moving past his receptionist and into the hall. Sighing deeply, she had a sinking feeling that he was not going to do anything for fear of Careway’s reputation. So, maybe I should do something…but what can I do?

  Hunter roared into his short driveway at the end of the day and spied Zac leaned against his truck, parked next to his camper. Pulling off his helmet, he walked over to shake his hand.

  Zac grinned, saying, “Good to see you, man.”

  “You wanna come in, have a beer?”

  “Be great.”

  Unlocking the camper, he led him in and nodded toward the table while he opened the small refrigerator and grabbed two beers, popping the tops off. Handing one to Zac, he settled into the opposite seat and leaned back. “You off work today?”

  Nodding, Zac said, “Yeah…don’t get many of those, but Maddie had the day off, so I decided to take it off as well. We took a drive over to Virginia Beach.” At his raised eyebrow, he laughed, adding, “She wanted to do some furniture shopping. Not my thing, but we stopped for a good lunch. That, plus spending the day with my girl, totally worth it.”

  “Good for you, man,” he grinned, taking a long drink.

  “How’s Baytown living so far? I know we see each other, but I feel like we haven’t had a lot of time to spend together.”

  Shrugging, he replied, “Can’t complain. Baytown’s everything you said it would be. Welcoming, laid back. Hell, got a job, got my camper—”


  “Got a girl,” Zac quipped.

  Chuckling, he dropped his chin and stared at the beer bottle for a moment. “Yeah…got a girl.”

  “I was shocked you and Belle hooked up,” Zac began.

  He shot him a look and opened his mouth, but Zac threw his hands up in defense and continued. “Hey, nothing wrong with it, just didn’t see it coming. She’s quiet…sweet as hell, but quiet. A few guys have asked her out over the years that I’ve known her but never knew one that made it past the first couple of dates. When you showed interest, I figured she’d do the same.”

  Sighing, he replied “Sure as fuck glad she didn’t, but maybe she should have.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s everything you say she is…probably the nicest person I’ve ever met in my life and if anyone deserves everything her heart desires, it’s her.”

  “And you think you’re not the man to give that to her?” Zac inquired, his hard stare beaming across the table.

  Shrugging, he held Zac’s gaze. “Isn’t that why you’re here? To warn me off.”

  “What the fuck, Hunter?” Zac growled, leaning forward.

  “Sorry…Jesus,” he sighed heavily again. “Never been in a relationship. Never stayed in one place for very long after I got away from home.”

  Zac sat back, his eyes assessing. “Your camper. That’s why you live in a camper. You can pick up and take off, move somewhere different when you feel like it. No roots.”

  Nodding, he agreed, but said nothing.

  Zac prodded, “And now? You want to move on again?”

  His gaze shot back up to Zac’s and he bit out, “No! Fuck no!” Slamming the bottle back onto the table surface after finishing the beer, he said, “For the first time in my life, I want to stay somewhere. I want to put down roots and do it with someone.”

  Zac’s lips curved upward and asked, “So what’s the problem?”

  “There are things going on in my life…things I can’t talk about but I’m working on them. I hate holding back anything from Belle, but I’ve got no choice until I can get everything straight.”