Kids on the Doorstep / Cop on Loan: Kids on the Doorstep / Cop on Loan

Renee caught Gladys’s watchful stare as the scene unfolded. Standing, Renee met her daughter’s hot gaze and knew the moment was now or never to remind her daughter that she was still their mother. “Alexis Janelle Dolling, you will not speak to your sisters that way,” Renee said, knowing she was likely digging the hole even deeper between the two of them but she couldn’t stand by and watch as Alexis bullied the girls. “We were having a lovely moment until you came in and started glaring at the girls for even being near me. That will stop right now.”

“You can’t tell me what to do.” Alexis sneered, but her eyes welled with moisture. “And you’re not our mother anymore. You stopped being our mother the day you walked out on us.”

“I made a terrible mistake. I admit that. I will gladly spend the rest of my life making up for it but that doesn’t mean that you can talk to me or your sisters so disrespectfully.”

“We don’t want to hear your excuses,” Alexis said. “And Taylor left behind that dumb stuffed animal for a reason. It’s trash. Isn’t it, Taylor?” She looked pointedly at Taylor until Taylor’s bottom lip trembled as she struggled to let her precious bunny go a second time. Renee was shocked at the level of Alexis’s anger that she’d be willing to sacrifice Taylor’s feelings for her own spite.

Renee stopped Taylor from dropping the bunny to the table, and ignoring Alexis for a moment, tucked a wayward strand of white-blond hair behind Taylor’s ear as she said softly, “Sweetheart, you don’t have to give up Mr. BunBun. He’s your special bunny and only you can decide when it’s time to let him go. Okay?”

Taylor nodded slowly and clutched the bunny tightly. Looking to Alexis she said, “He’s not trash!” and ran from the room.

Sensing the tension, Chloe started to cry and out of instinct Renee scooped the toddler into her arms. Alexis reacted violently, running to Renee and trying to jerk Chloe out of her arms. Renee twisted so that Chloe wasn’t accidentally hurt in the process and suddenly John was there, plucking Alexis up as if she weighed nothing and placing her firmly away from Renee.

Renee realized as she soothed Chloe that John must’ve been watching the scene from the hallway.

“Alexis,” he said, commanding her daughter’s attention as angry tears streamed down her face. “Never attack your mother like that. That’s not okay in this house. You could’ve hurt someone, especially your sister. Do you understand?”

She nodded jerkily but Renee caught a nasty look just the same.

“Can you apologize?” he asked and she shook her head. As if understanding, he patted her on the shoulder and said, “All right then, go on to your room and think about what you’re so riled up about and maybe we can talk about it later.”

“I don’t want her here,” Alexis said in a low tone. “Please make her leave.”

At that Renee felt a section of her heart splinter and fall to pieces. Her daughter hated her and that would probably never change. Tears blinded her as she pressed a kiss to Chloe’s head and handed her to John. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” she said, then added to Alexis, “I’m not leaving you girls ever again. That’s a promise. You can be mad for as long as you want but that’s not going to change the fact that I love you, Alexis. And deep down, you love me, too.”

Chapter Six

JOHN RESISTED THE URGE to follow Renee out but his eyes tracked her progress as she drove out of the driveway.

He caught Gladys’s watchful stare and he couldn’t help the scowl that followed. “Don’t start thinking there’s more to this than there is. There’s no rule that says I can’t feel bad for the woman for the mess she’s created. I’m human, too.”

“Oh, stop your blathering. I never said anything. But no matter what you say I think it was right decent of you to come to her rescue when Alexis flew at her like that. I think her heart just about broke when Alexis reacted that way.”

“Yeah. I saw that. Think I should talk to Alexis?”

Gladys considered it for a moment and then shook her head. “No. I’d let her work through it on her own. She’s got a deep well full of misery to deal with and we don’t need to heap more on her plate. Besides, I think you got your point across pretty good. If she doesn’t show up for dinner maybe you ought to check in on her but until then, let’s just give her some space.”

John heaved a private sigh of relief. He didn’t know how to console an angry little girl but he hated to see her so upset.

“She has a long road ahead of her with that child,” Gladys commented as she packaged the remaining turnovers. “I don’t envy her.”

“That makes two of us,” he agreed. “You think she can change?”

Gladys shrugged. “Time will tell but I’m not holding my breath at the moment. She’s got to adjust that attitude of hers or else she’s just going to spin her wheels with Alexis.”

John glanced away, voicing his private thoughts on the subject. “There’s no excuse for leaving your family behind.”

“You’re right about that and I know you know what that’s all about. Did you ever forgive your father for leaving?”

“No.”

Gladys chuckled. “Didn’t think so. Like I said, that woman’s got a rough row to hoe but in the meantime, we’ll be there to catch the girls before they fall this time around.”

He shifted, hating how he’d somehow, unwittingly, wandered into emotional territory. Gladys was a tricky one. Always had been. Probably why she and his mom had been such tight friends. They were peas in a pod. She prodded at him and he emitted a low groan as her point went straight home. “I’d be a liar if I said I’ve never said or done anything I regret,” he admitted in a tight voice. “But I don’t understand how a mother could leave her babies. Gladys, I don’t think I’ll ever understand and if I can’t understand how is that little girl going to?”

“No one is asking you to figure things out for her. She’s a smart kid. She’ll do that on her own. But,” Gladys sighed as if hating to agree with Renee on anything, and then said, “in the meantime, she needs to be around her mother.”

“Renee suggested I hire her for help around the house with the girls. Said you were too old.”

Gladys chuckled. “That woman’s got spunk, I’ll give her that. But as much as I hate to admit it, these old bones are feeling the years piling up behind them,” she admitted grudgingly. “I could use a hand around here. Chloe is a handful even though she’s sweeter than freshly churned butter and I think she would love to have her mama around. She doesn’t remember her very well and she harbors the least amount of piss and vinegar. I think it would be smart for Renee to start rebuilding with Chloe first. I’ll be here to smooth out the rough spots but she’s right. I am a bit long in the tooth to be chasing after a toddler while the other girls are in school.”

John heaved a heavy sigh and nodded. “I guess I could fix up the guesthouse. Although I hate the idea of harboring that woman on my property,” he added with a glower. “Frankly, if it weren’t something the girls probably need to get over this mess, I’d tell her to pound sand. I don’t give a shit about her feelings in this.”

“What about the court stuff?”

“Oh, Sheriff Casey isn’t going to make a stink over anything as long as those girls are safe and happy. Besides, the order doesn’t say anything about Renee keeping her distance or anything. I suppose as long as everyone is happy, no one needs to be the wiser.”

“So it’s settled, then? Renee is moving in?” Gladys’s mouth firmed, no more happy about it than John but willing to see it through for the girls’ sake just like him.

“I suppose she is.” He walked from the kitchen, his pace brisk, but not even his quickened step could keep him from the realization that he was about to invite more complications into his life and if the warning tingle in his gut was any indication, he might’ve just changed his life forever.

RENEE WALKED WITH TAYLOR’S hand firmly in her own as Alexis practically jogged three steps ahead with John and Chloe somewhere in between.

“I don’t want you walking me to class,” Alexis declared, looking pointedly at Renee before continuing with strong purposeful steps toward the entrance.

Renee looked down at Taylor. “How about you?”

“You can walk me to class if you want to, I suppose,” Taylor answered. “You can show me where these picture books are that you were talking about.”

“Deal.”

The school was an old brick building with a bell at the top, a remnant of when the school was first built in the late 1800s, and it looked right out of an episode of Little House on the Prairie.

“Do you think that bell still works?” Taylor asked.

“I don’t know but we can ask your teacher,” Renee said, smiling.

She glanced up at John and wondered if this was where he went to school. He seemed to know his way around well enough as they went straight to the front office and a few people even nodded in surprise at seeing him there.

“Old school chums?” Renee surmised once she’d caught up to him.

“I guess you could say that,” John answered, but didn’t elaborate further. Talk about a man of little words. If he strung together more than two sentences in a row she’d fall over in shock. Grumbling to herself, she kept the rest of her annoyed thoughts silent as the principal greeted them.

“John Murphy? I haven’t seen you in awhile but I do know you don’t have kids. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

Before John could answer, Renee piped in, saying, “They’re mine. We’re just staying with John at the ranch for now. Renee Dolling, pleased to meet you, Mr.…”

“Curtis Meany,” he answered with a broad smile, coming forward to envelope her hand in a firm handshake. “Don’t let the name fool you, I’m really a softie at heart. If I’m not careful these students run all over me. Are you from around here? I don’t recall the name.”