Protector - Laurel Dewey [184]
Emily reluctantly released her grip on Jane. Jane removed Emily’s pajama top and tossed it aside. Emily pressed her forehead against Jane’s head. Tears and raw emotion spilled from the very core of her soul. “I saw him,” she said between heaving sobs. “I saw him!” Emily collapsed to her knees. “And I saw my mommy and daddy!” Emily buried her head between her arms, screaming out in shock and anguish. Jane knelt close to her, cradling Emily in her arms. She felt useless and yet, at the same time, she knew that all hell was about to break loose.
Half an hour later, Emily finally fell asleep on Jane’s lap. Jane gingerly removed the child’s soiled pajamas and slipped a nightgown from the clothes hamper over her clammy body. She couldn’t help but hear the hushed voices that emanated from down the hall when Kathy arrived to pick up the girls. As she sat there on the cold tile bathroom floor, Jane was well aware that her days of anonymity were over in Peachville. Between Sheriff George’s investigation, Heather’s inevitable declaration to her mother that Jane was not Emily’s mother and the disclosure of their real names, there was sure to be a reaction more explosive than the Fourth of July fireworks.
Finally, Jane heard the front door close and sweet silence descend over the house. Realizing the coast was clear, she stood up and carried Emily from the bathroom and into Jane’s bedroom. She placed her into the bed and glanced over to her Glock pistol that lay on the bedside table next to her fanny pack. Closing the bedroom door behind her, she walked down the hallway in search of Dan.
She found him standing in the semi-darkness of the kitchen. He was squinting down at the tracks of the sliding glass door. “One guess how this got put there.” He showed the wooden dowel to Jane.
Jane’s anger became piqued. She grabbed the dowel and broke it in half over her knee. “That little bitch!” Jane said as she threw the broken pieces across the kitchen.
Dan pointed over to the country dance trophy on the kitchen table. “Mary gave back Emily’s trophy.”
“All of this over a fucking trophy! Jesus!” Jane let out a tired sigh. “I knew this sleepover was a bad idea. I knew it and I still let it happen.”
Dan hesitated, not quite sure how to phrase his next sentence. “Why do you think Heather said what she did about you not being Emily’s real mother?”
Jane briefly turned away from Dan. She was tired of lying to him. “Oh, Dan . . .” She turned back, looking him square in the eye. “Probably for the same reason she locked Emily in the closet! Spite!” Jane said, wearily. She pulled a cigarette from her shirt pocket and lit up. “If Heather were my kid, I’d kick her sorry ass into next week.”
Dan carefully observed Jane. “Yeah, well, if I hadn’t grabbed hold of you, you would have gotten your chance.”
Jane took a hard drag on her cigarette. There was an awkward moment of silence between them. “What is it?” Jane asked.
Dan looked apprehensive. “I . . . ah . . . I’m just . . .”
“What is it?” Jane said, losing patience.
Dan pulled away from Jane, confused and uneasy. “I should go.” He started out of the kitchen.
“Dan?” Jane called after him.
“Look, I cleaned up the broken glass by the door. I’ll come by tomorrow morning and replace the front door pane for you . . .”
“Dan, what’s wrong?”
“Actually, tomorrow morning is the big Independence Day Parade down Main, so the street will be blocked. I’ll come by in the afternoon.” Dan walked into the living room, retrieving his baseball bat along the way.
Jane followed closely behind him, suddenly becoming aware of what he was thinking. “Wait a minute!” She reached out and grabbed him by the arm. “I was furious at what Heather did to Emily! How was I supposed to react?”
“Hey, we’re both tired and I need to go,” Dan said, turning to the front door.
Jane thought quickly, stumbling on her words. “Dan, wait! Emily’s father used to lock her in the closet to punish her! It terrifies her! And when I came in here and saw that she was stuck in there