“Maybe he’s a stupid jerk.”
Her father gave her a crooked smile.“I’ll beat him up for you.”
“Sure, Dad,” she said, rolling her eyes.“That’s a great idea.”
She left him and walked back to the lobby.While Jackson took his turn, Vanessa waited outside with Emily, who wanted to hold a funeral for Penelope.She buried the doll in rose petals underneath a rosebush and crafted a little cross from twigs.
“Penelope died,” Emily said.
Vanessa paid her respects to Penelope, who’d died before.Vanessa assumed the little girl was working through feelings of loss and change.Bennett wasn’t in her life anymore.Emily had endured his absentee parenting, the upheaval of a divorce, and a move across states.On the bright side, she was a resilient child who liked meeting new people.She’d grown close to her grandfather in a short time.
She’d grown attached to Paul, as well.
Jackson joined them after a few moments.
“What do you think?”she asked.
“He’s acting like it’s no big deal, but he looks tired.”
She lowered her voice.“I didn’t tell him about Bennett.”
Jackson nodded his acceptance.Neither of them wanted to cause their father more stress.“Paul is here,” he said in the same tone.
“He is?”
“He’s sitting in his truck.”
She searched the rows of vehicles, but didn’t see Paul’s truck.She didn’t have a cop’s watchful gaze, like her brother.She supposed that was why Jackson had suspected Paul was in law enforcement.He’d seen something she hadn’t.
“Give me your phone,” Jackson said.
“Why?”
“I’m going to turn the tracking off, just in case.Don’t use any maps or location settings for now.”
Vanessa gave her phone to her brother, who fiddled with it and gave it back.Then it was time to leave.Emily resurrected Penelope from the grave, at Vanessa’s urging.Hand in hand, they started walking toward her car.Vanessa noticed Paul at the edge of the parking lot, watching them in silence.The setting sun illuminated the space behind him.He stood between his truck and a gnarled oak tree.She wasn’t sure why he’d come here.His presence offered no comfort.They were over.She wasn’t interested in listening to his excuses.
He didn’t call out to her or do anything to attract attention, but Emily spotted him before they reached the car.She yanked her hand from Vanessa’s and ran toward him.Instead of scolding her daughter, Vanessa let her go.
“Mr.Paul!Penelope is sick.”
He greeted her by ruffling her hair.“Is that who you were visiting?”
“No.It was my grandpa.They wouldn’t let me in.”
Paul’s gray-blue gaze met hers.She stared back at him stonily.Two could play at being cold and expressionless.
“Can I climb the tree, Mommy?”
Vanessa scanned the short, sturdy tree.It had several branches low enough for a small child to access.Emily needed some outdoor play time after being forced to sit for several hours.“Go ahead,” she said, sighing.
Paul watched as Emily grasped the lowest branch and used her legs to walk up the side of the trunk.After she maneuvered the obstacle with relative ease, he glanced at Vanessa.It was the kind of thing parents did.They monitored for safety, evaluated risks, and accepted that kids couldn’t be insulated from every injury.Bennett had never done this, as she recalled.He’d let her do all the monitoring.
“How’s your dad?”Paul asked.
“He’s okay.They’re keeping him overnight.”
Paul gave her a curious look, but didn’t ask for more details.
