Completely Wrecked: A Dramatic Romance Read online

  From the very first day you came to live with me, I knew we’d be the best of friends. You made me smile that day and every single one since.

  I want to thank you for loving me, for caring for me, and always being patient with an old woman who didn’t walk so fast or remember things so well.

  My love for you – and yours for me – gave me the strength to keep going all these years. Even when I fell, you wouldn’t let me go, Elizabeth…and I want you to know that you loved me better than anyone in all my life. Better than my mother, my husband, my children, or my friends.

  You are so easy to love in return. That is the part you must remember.

  I asked Olive to give you this letter when I knew you were done with school and starting the career you worked so hard to attain.

  I wish I could have been there to see your face, but more, to see the reactions of children when you came to teach them.

  Children of a certain age are pure of heart, Elizabeth and they will see the goodness in you shining bright.

  You told me you wanted to become a teacher when you came home from your first day of Kindergarten. That you wanted to be the one to tell kids fascinating things about the world around them. It has been your dream ever since and knowing that you’re going to get there, and receive this letter, gives me a warm glow.

  I couldn’t be there with you…so I wanted to leave a little part of myself and the life we shared – so you remember that always…always you have been loved.

  I told you once that you would grow into a beautiful butterfly and you thought I meant your outward appearance.

  Though you are a lovely woman whose body will be fit and strong for decades, one only has to look into your eyes to see the stunning perfection of your soul, my darling girl.

  It is your soul, your heart, and your mind that have always been the butterfly.

  I hope that there will be someone who loves you, Elizabeth but even if there is not, my biggest hope is that you always love yourself.

  Hug Riley for me and tell him how glad I am that he came into our lives – and that he brought another good man with him in Donovan. I adore them both.

  They are excellent friends for you and so pretty to look at! You can always count on them and I think they already know that they can count on you.

  Tell BiBi often that she is worthy of love and happiness so she doesn’t forget.

  As for your friend Dylan…I want you to be happy but I also want you to be treated as you deserve.

  I believe he is a good man but I am not yet convinced that he is a good man for you. Knowing when to hold on is not always as important as knowing when to let go.

  Love him, Elizabeth…but never more than you love yourself.

  I miss you already, I am so proud of you, and I love you more than words can ever express.

  Thank you for sharing the best years of my life with me.

  As always,

  Nana

  Elizabeth read the letter several times before she dried her tears and tucked it carefully back inside the envelope. Eventually, she would laminate it to keep it safe because she returned to read it often.

  She wrapped her grandmother’s love around her and it almost always kept her safe.

  * * *

  Teaching opened Elizabeth to the world in new ways. She started going to art exhibits and realized she’d stayed away from such things because she felt as if she didn’t fit in.

  As artistic as she’d always been with Nana, grief had made it impossible to consider creating on her own so she soaked up the work of others.

  Sometimes, she found herself smiling at what she imagined Nana’s reaction would be to particular pieces.

  As the school year came to a close, she helped her retiring colleague clean out the room she’d taught in for more than fifteen years.

  When the space was a blank slate and the woman wished her much success, Elizabeth stood staring at the walls for a long time. For the first time since Nana’s death, she had the urge to make something amazing.

  She spent two weeks in their craft room and Riley helped her carry her made and purchased decorations to the school and put them up.

  Each wall featured a different aspect of the earth and the creatures that could be found there. Four large world maps highlighted all the extreme weather regions on the planet – cold, desert, tropical, and mountainous.

  Various graphs about the world, interesting facts about other places and peoples, and colorful photographs of their customs were grouped by country.

  Using corkboard, she’d created a “learning tree” on the tropical climate wall where each leaf would feature a student in her class every year.

  “You must have dropped a fortune on supplies, Elizabeth.”

  “Mm hmm. Best money I ever spent.”

  * * *

  Elizabeth’s first class of her very own entrenched her love of educating young minds even more firmly. She became known as the best choice for troubled youngsters because her calm demeanor and endless patience often got through to them in ways others could not.

  That was how, in her third year as a second grade teacher, she ended up teaching Dylan’s son. When she reviewed her roll the day before the new school year started, the name Davis James didn’t stand out for any reason.

  As her new students filed in and took their seats, the posture of one small boy drew her eye.

  With dirty blonde hair and clothes that were too large for his narrow frame, he seemed folded in on himself. Tilting her head, she called out each child’s name and they raised their hands so she could mark them present.

  His name said aloud elicited a murmured, “Here.” He didn’t look up or move in any way.

  Over the course of the first day, she connected with her class and brought them into the little world she created in her room. Most were relaxed, happy children.

  Davis James didn’t interact, didn’t participate, or change his position in his seat. When given work, he completed it robotically. Asked questions, he answered correctly.

  Before they left for the day, she asked them to place their worksheets in the basket on the edge of her desk. As Davis James approached at the back of the line, their eyes met and everything in Elizabeth’s heart faltered painfully.

  Long lashes surrounded big eyes…the color of a copper penny.

  Pulling the essence of her Nana tightly to her, she asked him with a smile, “Did you enjoy the first day of school, Davis?”

  He nodded warily.

  “Your handwriting is lovely and you’re obviously very smart.” The expression on his face told her he didn’t believe the words.

  “Will your parents attend our Open House next week?”

  He shrugged and looked incredibly uncomfortable.

  “You have a great night and I’ll see you in the morning, Davis. Thank you for being part of my class. It’s going to be an incredible year.”

  Shuffling to the door, he glanced back and gave her a small wave. She returned it with a smile.

  The moment he was out of sight, she rotated in her chair to her school computer and looked up Davis’s student record.

  The information she found made her barely hold back a scream.

  Davis’s address was familiar to Elizabeth.

  His mother was listed as Donna James.

  Chapter Ten

  Elizabeth’s initial instinct was to go over and snatch that child from the abusive home she was certain he was living in. Her fear was all encompassing, strangling her ability to think rationally.

  By the time she made it home, she was a hysterical mess. Barely able to function rationally, she screamed for Riley and Donovan. They came running and their shock at her lack of composure was obvious.

  Somehow, Elizabeth managed to get Dylan’s story out – despite her promise – and the newest information about the son she doubted he knew he had. The men listened in horrified silence, periodically handing her tissue, holding her hand, or bringing her a cup of tea.

&
nbsp; “Please help me. I don’t know what to do. Nana would know but I don’t know and not knowing means leaving that little boy in a house of horrors another night. Another minute is too long. Help me figure out what to do.”

  Donovan paced for a few minutes, deep in thought.

  Turning at the large plate glass window, he stared at her for a long time.

  “It’s time to call in favors, Elizabeth.” He correctly interpreted that she didn’t understand what he meant. “Darling, you and your grandmother have a lot of credit in this community. You need to have some private conversations, make a few inquiries off the record.”

  With a grimace, he added, “You also…you have to locate Dylan.”

  Her heart recoiled painfully.

  Wrapping her arms around her middle, she stood at the window and forced her mind to settle.

  There was pain coming. A lot of pain. She could either let it drag her under or get in front of it and control the fallout.

  Nodding, she leaned over to pick up her bag. “I’ll be back. Wait for me?”

  They said they would and took turns hugging her.

  Fifteen minutes later, she knocked on the front door of a home she’d been in many times. This was the first time she was frightened.

  It swung wide and Samuel Heller gave her a broad grin. “Elizabeth! What a pleasure! We just finished dinner. Can we make you a plate?”

  “No, thank you. I’m sorry to bother you at home but I need your advice as a father and a lawyer.” There was no hesitation as he gestured her inside. His wife Pam came out of the living room and took her hand.

  “It’s so good to see you again, Elizabeth. Honey, you look upset. Has something happened?”

  “I would never bother you so late or unannounced but it’s urgent that I get some advice.”

  “Join Sam in the study and I’ll bring coffee. Whatever it is, Elizabeth, I’m sure we can figure it out. Go on now. I’ll be in shortly.”

  She followed Samuel through the downstairs into a handsomely appointed office. There was a photo with him and her Nana on his credenza.

  “I remember this photo.” She picked it up and traced the well-loved face. “She’d know exactly what to do. That was her gift.”

  Pam said from the doorway, “You knew when to seek advice, dear. That’s also a gift of a thoughtful and organized mind. Here.” Elizabeth tried to take a mug but her hand shook too much. “Let’s talk first and settle you a bit, then coffee.”

  She sat on the edge of a chair and folded her hands in her lap. “I once promised a boy to keep a secret to save his sister. I promised to keep it after to save him. Please understand how hard it is for me to break his trust.”

  The couple nodded from the small loveseat in front of her.

  Quietly, she told them about Dylan.

  Everything she could remember about his life as a child, when she’d first patched him up after finding him at the park, and her last time with him after he’d been chained in a basement for three months. She told them about Carol.

  “Sweet Jesus,” Pam breathed.

  “I have his medical and dental records from that last time. I wanted to have it just in case. I think I may need them now.”

  She explained her conversation with his stepmother and gave Samuel an embarrassed smile. “I apologize for using your name so…threateningly, but I didn’t know what to do.”

  “You did the exact right thing. She was obviously afraid of criminal charges or it never would have worked.” He asked her a few questions. “I don’t understand, Elizabeth. The horror of that time was awful but years have passed. Has something new happened?”

  Swallowing around the bile in her throat, she told them hoarsely, “She had his child.”

  Pam gasped and covered her mouth.

  “I met him today. He’s one of my students. I think she knew she was pregnant and that’s why she let Dylan go. I estimate from his birthdate that she was around four months along at the time.”

  She pressed her fingers against her temples. “His demeanor is withdrawn, robotic, and wrong for a child of seven.”

  Meeting Samuel’s eyes, she shook her head. “I have no proof, only my suspicions. I’m not asking you to get involved. I’m asking you to help me figure out what to do.”

  He got up and walked to his desk, removing a legal pad and pen from the top drawer. As he sat, he reached out and patted her hands.

  “We will figure this out. I know someone I can call, someone who can get information you’re going to need.”

  For half an hour, he asked her questions about names, dates, and her personal interactions with Dylan and his stepmother. Pam moved to sit beside her when Samuel returned to his desk and picked up the phone. She held Elizabeth’s hand.

  “I didn’t know anyone else to talk to and it had to be tonight.”

  With a smile, Pam smoothed her thumb over the back of her hand. “The first time I met you, you were working at the soup kitchen with Jewel. I’d never met such a quiet and well-mannered child. Unlike most children, you had no problems touching the homeless and the poor. You smiled at them and spoke to them. Much like your grandmother did with Samuel and so many others.”

  “I love being compared to my grandmother,” Elizabeth told her honestly.

  “We’d only been married two years when alcohol almost took him from me and our oldest daughter. He came home from that meeting – a meeting I’d had to beg him to go to – with a new attitude. Jewel told him she’d go to the meetings to keep him company but he had too much to lose to quit. He credits her with his career and his life. I credit her with giving me my husband back.”

  She patted the back of Elizabeth’s hand. “Here you are, worried about a child, and you apologize because it might interrupt a couple of hours of surfing Facebook while I watch Law & Order. You are always welcome here, Elizabeth. Our door is open if you need us.”

  “I won’t ever abuse that, I promise.”

  Samuel joined them. “My contact is going to call us back in a few minutes. He’s very fast and very good, Elizabeth. I’ve used him before when one of my staffers was trying to divorce her abusive husband of three decades.”

  “Thank you so much. He’ll be careful, won’t he?”

  “Hollow is one of those people that you learn about in certain channels. He takes the protection of women and children very seriously. I trust him and you can, too.”

  Pam went to make fresh coffee and this time Elizabeth was able to hold the mug.

  “I have to…find his father. I have to find Dylan.” The older couple stared at her and she didn’t notice the look they shared as she stared into her coffee. “I’m frightened that he’ll resent the boy. The circumstances are horrifying, I know that.”

  “Should that happen, we’ll make sure he’s safe. His safety is most important.”

  Lifting her face, she met the older man’s eyes and they shared an unspoken message. He nodded. “I’ll personally speak to child services on your behalf, Elizabeth.”

  The phone rang and the three of them gathered around Samuel’s desk. “Hollow? Yes, one moment.”

  Placing the phone on speaker, a man Elizabeth would come to know well got right to the point.

  “This woman is a piece of work. Her maiden name is James. The father isn’t listed on Davis James’s birth certificate. You’ll need the father to verify paternity.”

  There was the sound of typing.

  “Dylan Lang is enlisted with the Marines. He’s currently on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Elizabeth Clayton is his sole beneficiary.”

  She turned away and pressed her hand to her heart as Hollow continued.

  “Hmm. He enlisted as part of a special judgment when he was tried for manslaughter six years ago. The guy he was accused of killing was a real piece of work. Arrest record two feet long for drugs, assault, gun possession, and prostitution.”

  Dylan never called her, never told her he was being tried for killing Carol’s dealer. There was no
doubt in her mind about the man’s identity.

  She stared through the window to the Heller’s manicured backyard and tried to calm her thoughts.

  “Notes on the trial mention extenuating circumstances. He was supposed to serve four years, jumped in for another four when his time was up.”

  More typing then, “I can contact a friend with child services for a surprise home visit. It won’t happen until tomorrow morning but it will be early.”

  Elizabeth thought about Davis spending another night in a home with a woman who was far more abusive than even she’d realized and hung her head. She whimpered softly and the typing on the other end of the line stopped.

  “Miss Clayton?”

  Gathering her composure, she murmured, “Yes?”

  “I’ll get someone out there tonight.”

  “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Her heart hurt so bad that she didn’t realize she was crying until Pam moved closer with tissue in her hand.

  “If they find evidence, he’ll go into an approved home until everything can get worked out. I’ll run a check on the family he ends up with but my contact already knows I’m picky.”

  The sound of typing resumed. “Miss Clayton, I took it upon myself to check you out. Please take my number from Sam and feel free to call me directly should you require assistance in the future.”

  “I appreciate that Mr. Hollow.”

  “Just Hollow. Do you mind if I call you Elizabeth?”

  “No, I don’t mind.”

  “Alright. I assume you have a personal investment in this child. Is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you start the paperwork, I can shove it through to get you named as his temporary guardian until the father decides what to do. It will take time but less time than going through regular channels.”

  Many scenarios crossed her mind but she remained silent.