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“I hope I do,” Mrs. Kepner said, holding my gaze.
The receptionist pointed me toward a door on the right, and I went through into a small white room with a chair and a table covered in phlebotomy supplies—tubes, needles, rubber tourniquets, alcohol pads, cotton balls. The tech confirmed my name and Social Security number, then told me to have a seat.
“Good veins,” she said, eyeing the twisty blue lines on inside of my arm as she tied the rubber tourniquet around my upper bicep. “You look like you work out.”
I grunted vaguely. I wasn’t in the mood to get into my background.
She was good and got my sample on one stick with the needle. I was done in a snap.
“Thanks so much,” I said, standing to pull my jacket back on. “When should the results be in?”
“Looks like they put a stat on these,” the tech said, scanning her paperwork again. “But we’re backed up, so I’d say two, maybe three weeks tops.”
“Okay. Great. Thanks.” I went back out into the waiting room, but it was empty now. I was hoping that I’d see Mrs. Kepner, to thank her again, but she’d disappeared. But I had time. I walked out into the sunny day, taking a deep breath of the fresh air, feeling somehow lighter than before as I headed back to Charlotte’s place.
Maybe there was more to making peace with things here than just visiting the cemetery.
* * *
“I’m on my way back now,” Gabe said over the phone. “Want me to grab something for dinner?”
“No, don’t bother, I can throw something together.” There wasn’t much in the fridge at present, since I hadn’t made it to the grocery store yet this week. I wasn’t used to feeding two adults but I knew how to stretch a meal.
A strong knock sounded on the door. I wasn’t expecting anybody. Frowning, I said, “Hey, someone’s here, I need to go.”
I heard him start to talk as I ended the call, and for a second I wished I hadn’t hung up, to give me a little confidence to face whoever had banged way to loudly. To say I was nervous after what happened to Alexis would be putting it mildly. I hit pause on the microwave, where I was heating a bottle for Savannah, and walked over to the front door. Through the peephole, I spotted a state trooper on the porch and released my pent-up breath. Okay. So not a stalker ex there to kill me and steal the baby.
Still, I left the chain on just to be safe as I opened the door. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the trooper said, tipping his hat to me. “My name’s Elijah Harris, and I’d like to see my daughter.”
I blinked at him a moment, taking that in as adrenaline flooded my system.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
It was the stalker ex. Dressed as a cop. Or maybe he really was a cop. I didn’t know. Didn’t care. All I knew was that I was there alone with Savannah, and this asshole would never get his hands on her. Never. My legs felt weak, and if I hadn’t had the doorframe to help hold me up, I would’ve collapsed on the floor. Thank God I’d left the chain on. Thank. God.
“Uh, I’m sorry. That’s not possible,” I said, hoping my voice wasn’t shaking as badly as my insides. “She’s not here.”
Please don’t cry, baby. Please don’t cry.
From what the social worker had told me, placements were not made public in cases like this, which meant he’d either been stalking me too or he’d used his law enforcement connections to get the information. Either way, it was illegal. And terrifying as fuck.
My chest constricted, and my stomach churned. I did my best to squash down the fear and put on a brave front, just to stall him until—hopefully—Gabe got back. “How did you find me?”
He stepped closer to the door, trying to intimidate me with his size and bulk. It worked. He was every bit as tall and broad as Gabe, with a bit more muscle packed on at the gym. Alexis had a type, that was for sure. He didn’t answer my question, instead growling through cracked door, “Go get my baby.”
The thought of poor Savannah with this man gave me the courage I needed to hold my ground. “No. If the courts order me to turn the baby over to you, I will. Until then…” I wanted to sayfuck offbut bit my tongue. “Back off.”
He exhaled slowly and moved closer to the crack in the door. “I’m trying to be nice here.” His tone was sharp enough to cut steel. “You should keep that in mind.”
My nails dug into the wood trim of the door frame, and bile rose hot in my throat. The chain keeping him outside was flimsy. All it would take was a good kick and he’d be right in front of me. But I couldn’t back down. Wouldn’t back down. For Savannah’s sake. For Alexis. “I know who you are,” I said, the words clawing out of me. “I know what you did.”
Elijah’s expression darkened and he put his hand on the door as if he meant to push his way in. I braced my foot against the bottom of it, ready to go to battle for the little girl sleeping just a few rooms away.
Just then, Gabe pulled into the driveway and all of my bravado evaporated. I wanted to cry with relief. Harris glared at the car and stepped back now that he was about to have an audience. His face changed too, from angry and hateful to polite and stoic.
Asshole.
