WARNING: there will be spoilers if you haven’t read Trouble Comes in Threes
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Joe
“Promise me you’ll behave,” Rose said, giving me a pointed look, but it was hard to take that look seriously when I had her naked body pinned against our shower wall.
“Like this?” I asked, kissing my way down her neck and over her collarbone.
“Joe,” she murmured, but from the pleading sound, I was pretty sure she wasn’t thinking about my upcoming visit to Ashley’s classroom. Especially as my lips skimmed her wet breast.
“Momma!” Hope called from outside our bathroom door. “I’m hungry.”
Rose froze.
“Don’t answer,” I said while reaching my hand between her legs. “Maybe she’ll go away.”
Rose grabbed my wrist with one hand to stop me as she tugged me upright with the other. “You know that’s not gonna happen.”
And I also knew there was no way she could focus on what I was doing to her beautiful body while our daughter was outside the door.
I placed my hands on the tile wall on either side of her head. “To be continued tonight?”
She smiled up at me with mischievous eyes. “Definitely.”
My gaze landed on the bruises on her neck. A man had tried to strangle my wife only two days ago, and I had trouble moving past the fact I’d almost lost her. Again.
Near-death experiences weren’t new to Rose. In fact, I was fairly sure she’d had plenty I didn’t even know about, but this was the first time she’d been in danger since the Hardshaw Group disbanded, and I was struggling.
I knew she had a past with involvement in the criminal underworld. Hell, before Hardshaw fell, I quit my job as Chief Deputy Sheriff to be her muscle as she dealt with dangerous men in her attempt to drive Hardshaw out. Hope had been kidnapped by my unhinged sister Kate in her attempt to lure Rose away from me and kill her. But that had all been nearly three years ago, and I’d gotten used to our nice quiet life…if you could call life with four kids quiet.
Okay, so maybe not quiet, but peaceful. Rose and our kids filled a place in my heart I hadn’t even known was empty, and her strangling reinforced how precious she was to me, not that I needed the reminder. I never took her or the kids for granted.
“Hey,” she said, her forehead creasing as she cupped my cheek. “Where’d you go just then?”
“I was just thinking about how close I came to losing you,” I forced past the lump in my throat.
She gave me a soft smile then stretched up to kiss me.
I wrapped my arm around her back and pulled her body flush to mine, which was a good thing since our daughter pushed the bathroom door open, and I would have had to spend the rest of the week explaining to a nearly three-year-old why my penis was so big.
But thankfully, Hope was used to seeing us kissing, albeit fully clothed, so she didn’t think much of it.
“I want pancakes,” Hope said, her hand still on the bathroom doorknob.
“No pancakes today, baby girl,” I said as I continued to clutch Rose close to me. “I’m going to school with Ashley today.”
“Why are you holding Momma so tight, Daddy?”
Rose started to giggle as Hope moved closer to the shower door.
“I’m giving Momma a hug. Why don’t you go see if your baby brother’s up?” I suggested, desperate to get her out of the bathroom.
“He’s still sleeping,” she said with a pout.
“Why don’t you go wake him,” Rose suggested. “Daddy’s taking Ashley and Mikey to school today, so it’ll be just you, me, and Liam going to daycare.”
“But I like riding with Ashley and Mikey,” she said, still pouting. “Mikey’s funny. He makes cow sounds.”
“Liam and I can try to make cow sounds today,” Rose said sweetly. “Oh! Here’s an idea. You can teach Liam how to make them on the way to school.”
Hope’s forehead furrowed.
“I really need you to go check on Liam,” I said in desperation, although the issue wasn’t as large as it had been before.
“Okay, Daddy,” Hope said, sounding put out as she left the bathroom.
Rose covered her mouth to smother her giggles. “Aren’t you glad I made you stop or you might have had a whole other conversation with our daughter.”
I grinned at her then planted a kiss on her lips.
Her hand on my back slid down and covered my butt cheek, sending the blood rushing to the appendage I hadn’t wanted our daughter to see.
Groaning, I tore myself from her embrace. “You’re a wicked woman, Rose Gardner,” I muttered, leaning in for one last kiss before I opened the shower door and walked out. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my hips in case Hope came back.
Rose stood in the shower, the water sluicing off her naked body, and I nearly closed and locked the bathroom door, children be damned. But then I heard Liam start to cry and the sexy gleam in Rose’s eyes quickly shifted to concern. Liam didn’t usually cry in the morning.
“I’ll go check on things,” I said, already heading out the door.
“But you’re…”
“The situation has de-escalated,” I said as I pulled on a pair of athletic shorts.
I was in Liam’s room within seconds, but his cries had only gotten louder. My heart skipped a beat when I found him sitting on the floor, his face beet red from crying. Hope was standing next to him, making a face that practically screamed her guilt.
“What happened?” I asked without accusation over Liam’s wails. I hurried over and scooped him into my arms.
“I was helping, Daddy,” Hope said emphatically.
“How did you help him?” I asked carefully as I sat down in the rocking chair to examine him. He didn’t look like had any broken appendages, and I didn’t see any marks or lumps anywhere.
“He wouldn’t wake up,” she said, making her pouty face. “So I was helping him get out of bed.”
I was about to ask her how she’d climbed up to her brother, but the laundry hamper was turned upside down and had fallen on its side next to the crib.
“Did you fall over/?” I asked.
She nodded, her bottom lip quivering.
“Did you get hurt too?” I asked, reaching my free arm toward her.
She came to me, climbed up on my lap, and sat on my other leg. “We fell on our bottoms. Liam was on top of me.”
“That must have been scary.” I started to rock and shifted Liam so his chest was pressed against mine, his cheek resting on my shoulder. He instantly settled down and wrapped his arm around my neck.
“I was scawed that Liam got huwt,” she said, starting to cry.
“I think he’s okay,” I said. “Just scared like you. I know you were trying to be a good big sister, but you can’t get him out of bed, okay? You’re still too little.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she said, burying her face into my bare chest.
“Do you hurt anywhere?”
“My bottom.”
“Poor baby.” I snuggled her closer.
A few seconds later, Rose appeared in the doorway, fully clothed but with her wet hair wrapped in a towel. “Everything okay in here?” she asked, looking concerned when she saw me rocking our two youngest children.
I smiled. “Everything’s just fine.”
“Why was Liam crying?
“It was a misunderstanding,” I said, giving Hope a squeeze. If I told Rose what really happened, she’d freak out, and I could tell that Liam was okay. Just scared. I’d tell her tonight once it was obvious he was okay. “We’re just getting some mornin’ cuddin’ in.”
Her gaze lingered on us, making it clear she knew something was up, but she wasn’t going to call me on it. “I’ll check on Mikey and start breakfast.”
“Sounds good,” I said, continuing to rock my babies.
She left the doorway and headed to Mikey’s room, and Hope looked up at me with soft eyes. “I love you, Daddy.”
I stared down at my little girl, my heart overflowing. “I love you too, baby girl.”
It hurt to think she might not have been mine.
I didn’t think much of James Malcolm. I’d never seen the version of the man that Rose claimed to have seen. I’d only seen the jackass who thought he owned the county. I often suspected he’d been so taken with her because of her ability to see the good in everyone. She likely told him that he was a good person deep down, and maybe he liked the illusion. I know he cared for her, but abusers can care for their significant others and still abuse them. Malcolm never physically hurt her, but he hurt her nonetheless. Deeply. I never saw her as broken as when he chewed her up and spit her out. Part of me would hate him till my dying day for causing her so much pain.
But I was grateful to him too.
Grateful he’d stepped away and let Rose raise her daughter without the shadow of his dirty reputation. Grateful that he never claimed his parentage of Hope and let Rose put my name on her birth certificate. Grateful that he’d never protested me stepping in, keeping Rose out of an impossible situation.
Rose’s fear of Hardshaw’s return lay dormant inside her, resurfacing during times of stress, but the past week’s events had us all on edge, and I suspected she was thinking of James Malcolm as much as I had been.
“Dad!” Mikey exclaimed in shock from the doorway. “You don’t have any clothes on!” Then he burst into giggles.
My heart nearly burst at the sound of him calling me dad, but then I realized that Mikey couldn’t see my shorts. He only saw my bare arm and chest. “I’m not naked,” I said with a laugh. “I’m wearing shorts.”
“You can’t wear shorts to work,” he said with a serious look. “You have to put clothes on. We have to go to school.”
Liam was still holding on to me, and Hope was burrowed into my side. They were used to having me around more than I had been lately. Maybe they were extra clingy because they missed me.
I nearly told Mikey I’d take him and Ashley to school tomorrow, then take the day off to be with my children, but Ashley was counting on me to pay a visit to her classroom, and I couldn’t let her down.
Some days, I struggled to ensure that all four kids got what they needed from me, and Rose had dealt with it more than I had lately. I told myself to remember to tell her how great of a job she was doing.
Not for the first time or even the tenth since I’d taken the sheriff position, I wondered if I’d done the right thing running for the position. But then I remembered the recent murders and how badly the detectives had worked the investigation, and I knew I had to make the most of my term by cleaning house. I needed to make sure every citizen in the county was treated justly and fairly, and that detectives didn’t run lazy investigations.
And I needed to keep my ear to the ground in case someone bigger and badder than Tim Dermot was moving in to run the county. Because even though I’d assured Rose everything was okay, I wasn’t so sure it was.
“Dad!” Mikey shouted, pulling me out of my stupor.
I offered him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, buddy.”
Hope wiggled off my lap then looked up at me with serious eyes. “I have to get dwessed now.”
“Okay,” I said solemnly. “Thank you for letting me hold you for a little bit. Pretty soon, you’re gonna be too big to sit on my lap.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You so silwy, Daddy. I won’t get too big. You hold Momma on your lap.”
I grinned at her. “I stand corrected.”
She left the room, and I expected Mikey to tell me to get a move on, but he’d already run off to who knew where. I got up and changed Liam’s diaper, checking him more thoroughly than I had before, relieved to find no injuries. He smiled up at me and babbled gibberish, and I pretended to understand what he said. After I got him changed and picked out clothes for him to wear to daycare, I headed to my room and set him on the floor while I got dressed in my uniform, then I carried him out of the room and went to check on Hope.
She was wearing an orange T-shirt and was finishing putting on a blue skirt. I was sure it wasn’t something Rose would pick for her, but I also knew Rose would let her wear it, so we headed downstairs together.
Rose was finishing breakfast while Mikey and Ashley were waiting at the table. I walked over and kissed the top of Ashley’s head before I put Liam in his highchair. “Good morning, Ash.”
She glanced up at me and smiled, and there was a hit of mischievousness that caught me by surprise.
She definitely had plenty of Violet in her.
After everyone was fed and Liam was dressed, I kissed Rose and the littles goodbye. “Behave,” Rose said, reminding me of our interruption this morning.
“No promises,” I said, giving her one last kiss before I headed to my car with Mikey and Ashley to drive into town.
Mikey was thrilled to arrive at school in my sheriff’s car. I didn’t have a typical patrol car, so they could ride in the back. I thought Ashley might be embarrassed, but when she got out, she took my hand in hers and shot daggers at anyone who looked at her.
This was going to be interesting.
We walked into the school, and Mikey walked with us, telling everyone we passed, “This is my dad.” And “Do you see my dad?” I thought Ashley would roll her eyes, but she looked she was pleased.
We stopped in the office so I could sign in, then dropped Mikey off at his class, before we headed to Ashley’s room.
Mrs. Pritchard was back, and I knew Rose wouldn’t be pleased. Just as unhappy as Mrs. Pritchard appeared to be at my appearance.
“Sheriff Simmons,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her stomach as she approached me. “How lovely to see you. I assure you that Ashley is in good hands. Have a great day.”
I cracked the barest hint of a smile. “I’m not leavin’ just yet. I’ve already arranged it with Mr. Caldoni to stay and have a chat with the class. The substitute teacher was aware that I was coming in. Neither one of us realized you would be back today.”
Her lips pinched tight, and she hustled over to her desk then picked up the phone, presumably to call the principal. She must not have liked his answer because she hung up with a sour look on her face. She also didn’t make me leave.
Ashley put her backpack away, and pulled a folder out and took it to her desk. I stood in the back corner, watching the kids walk in and put their things away. A couple of kids did a double-take when they saw me in my uniform. Oliver entered the classroom just as the bell rang. He didn’t seem to notice me until he hung up his backpack and headed to his seat. He stopped next to his desk and did a froze.
I lifted a brow at him but didn’t crack a smile.
The color fled from his face.
Once everyone was settled in their seats, Mrs. Pritchard stood in front of the class and said, “Class, Ashley’s uncle is here to talk to you for a few minutes, and then we’ll get started with our morning work.” She gestured to the spot next to her. “Sheriff Simmons, say your peace.”
I walked to the front of the room as Ashley stood next to her seat. “Actually, he’s my dad,” she said in a no-nonsense tone.
“He’s not your dad,” Oliver sassed her. “Your dad is in prison.”
Mrs. Pritchard was sitting in her seat, arms crossed over her chest, and looking smug.
Ashley’s face reddened, but I interrupted before she could contradict him. I shot a dark glare at Mrs. Pritchard. “Ashley’s correct,” I said in a stern voice as I turned my dark gaze on Oliver. “I am her father.”
“That can’t be because her dad’s a dirty criminal,” Oliver said defiantly.
I shot Mrs. Pritchard another glance, shocked to see the hint of a grin lifting the corners of her lips. I would definitely be speaking to Mr. Caldoni after I finished here. My daughter wouldn’t spend another minute in a classroom with this woman.
“Have you ever heard of character, Oliver?” I asked.
He gave me a smug grin. “Sure have. Those are people in books and stories.”
“That’s one definition,” I said, trying my hardest to swallow my anger and keep my tone civil. “The character I’m talking about refers to what’s deep down in a person.”
“Like their soul?” a girl asked. I’d met most of the kids in Ashley’s grade, and I was pretty sure her name was Madison.
“Sort of,” I said. “Character is the parts that make up a person. All the moral qualities about them.”
“What are moral qualities?” a boy asked as he held up his hand.
I hesitated a moment, trying to figure out how to describe it so they understood. “It’s the parts of you that makeup whether you’re a good person or a bad person. Take, for example, let’s say you found someone’s wallet in front of the school, and it had five dollars and their driver’s license inside. What would you do with it?”
Another boy’s hand shot up in the air. “I’d turn it into the office.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because it’s the right thing to do,” the boy said.
I nodded. “That’s right. It belongs to someone else, and it’s not yours. Maybe there’s only five dollars inside and their driver’s license, but maybe there’s a photo of someone special to them inside, and it’s the only copy they have.”
“Why wouldn’t they scan it into their cloud?” a girl asked, making a face.
“Maybe they don’t know how,” I said.
“But couldn’t they get their kid to teach them or do it for them?” she asked, sounding incredulous.
“Maybe they don’t have kids,” I countered.
She made a face. “Then what are they doin’ in front of the school?”
“This is hypothetical,” I said.
A boy in the back raised his hand and blurted out, “My mom says my uncle’s a hypochondriac.”
“Not a hypochondriac,” I said, trying my best to be patient. “Hypothetical. It means a pretend situation.”
The little girl’s mouth formed an O.
The boy shrugged. “My uncle’s still a hypochondriac.”
“In any case,” I said, punctuating the words, “Character is who you are deep down and how you behave when no one is lookin’.”
A girl lifted her hand. “Like when I tell my mom I ate my Brussels sprouts, but I really fed them to my dog.”
“Something like that,” I said. “When you have a good character, people will trust you, and you’ll be more successful.”
A boy’s hand shot up, “My daddy said the president is a bad person, and he’s pretty successful if he’s president.”
“I suppose,” I said.
“You can’t get more successful than the president,” a girl said adamantly.
The kids all nodded.
“Okay,” I said. “We’re gettin’ off track. Let’s think smaller than the president or people in politics because most people paid their way into those positions.” I should know since my father had masterminded a few elections himself. “I’m talkin’ about everyday people, like you parents and your coaches.” I glanced over at Mrs. Pritchard, then back to the kids. “Your teachers. Bein’ kind to others is a sign of good character. Makin’ fun of people for things, especially when they are out of the person’s control, is bad character. The choices you make help shape the person you become when you’re a grown-up. People with good character speak up when they see someone bein’ picked on or bullied.”
“And people with bad character are the ones who make fun of people and are bullies?” a girl asked.
“Yes,” I said. “But…it’s never too late to change. And people with good character sometimes make bad choices. The important thing is if you realize you made a bad choice and hurt someone, then you should apologize and try to do better.”
Oliver crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a smug grin. “My daddy says real men never apologize.”
“You know who else doesn’t apologize?” I asked him in a hard voice. “Most of the criminals I throw into the county jail.”
Oliver’s mouth dropped open.
I looked around the class. “You are the person who decides whether you’ll have a good character or bad. Not your parents and definitely not the bad examples of others around you.” I snuck a glance at Oliver. “Every day, you’ll be confronted to make choices. Like I said, sometimes you’ll choose the wrong ones, even when you’re a grown-up, but once you realize you messed up—own up to it, apologize, and try to make things right. Sometimes the best lessons we can learn are from the mistakes we make.”
I boy lifted his hand. “I made a bunch of mistakes on my math test, and my mom wasn’t very happy.”
I grinned. “Did you study for it?”
He made a face. “I guess not.”
“Then you learned you need to study if you want to do better on future tests.” I looked around the class. “Any questions?”
One of the boys said, “Ashley said you were gonna come to school and arrest Oliver. Can we watch you put handcuffs on him?”
Oliver’s face paled again.
“Oliver,” I said, looking into the boy’s eyes. “Have you broken a law?”
He swallowed. “I don’t think so, sir.”
I turned to the other boy. “If he hasn’t broken a law, then I have no reason to arrest him. But…” I glanced around the room again. “The school district has an anti-bullying policy. It states if a child bullies another, that child can receive an in-school suspension, and if the behavior continues, the culprit might get expulsion, which means they can’t go to school anymore.”
A few kids let out whoops of excitement.
“But before you all aim to get expelled, let me point out that most people who don’t graduate from high school don’t make much money. Poverty and lack of education are often factors in making a person predisposed to becoming involved in criminal activity.”
Ashley lifted her chin, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Are you saying that if you get kicked out of school and don’t make much money, you’re going to become a criminal?”
“It’s not a given,” I said, “But there is a high correlation between the two.” I smiled. “So make good choices, boys and girls.”
The kids all stared at me in silence.
“Any other questions?” I asked.
A boy lifted his hand. “Do you get to arrest people?”
“I do,” I said. “I arrested a few people just a few days ago.”
The class started talking in excitement.
“Okay,” I said with a laugh. “I think that’s all I have to say today, but let me leave you with this—” I paused and stared around the room. “You never know what a person is dealin’ with at home or with friends or coworkers or family. When people act out, they’re often hurtin’. It doesn’t mean you have to let them get away with what they’ve done, but sometimes it helps to understand. And if you’re the person doin’ the hurtin’, find a friend or trusted adult to talk to because lashin’ out and hurtin’ other people is only gonna make everything worse.”
I looked back a Mrs. Pritchard, my anger rising when I saw disgust covering her face.
“Ashley,” I said. “Get your things. We’re leavin’.”
Her eyes flew wide. “What?”
I turned back to give Mrs. Pritchard a hard stare. “We’re going to have a chat with Mr. Caldoni about character.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “I’m tenured, so good luck gettin’ rid of me.”
My brows lifted. “What makes you think I’ll be talkin’ to him about you?”
Then I marched my daughter out of the classroom, vowing she would never be under that woman’s supervision ever again.
***
Forty-five minutes later, I left the school and called Rose as I got into my car.
“How’d it go?” she asked.
“Our daughter is no longer in Mrs. Pritchard’s classroom.”
“What?”
I relayed how the discussion had gone, along with my meeting Mr. Caldoni demanding that my daughter be immediately removed from that woman’s classroom. I told her I planned to attend the next school board meeting to have Mrs. Pritchard removed from the classroom.
“So you’re sayin’ it went well,” she teased.
“I almost lost it, Rose,” I said with no small amount of guilt. “That woman…”
“I know. I dealt with her last week. And for the record, I’m proud of you. You may not have reached Oliver with your talk, but even if you reach one child, then it was successful.”
“I guess.”
“So Ash is in Mrs. Patterson’s class now?” Seeing how there was only one other fourth grade, I wasn’t surprised Rose had surmised where she’d been moved.
I cringed. “I’m sorry. I know I should have talked to you first.”
“Don’t ever apologize for standing up for our daughter,” she said vehemently. “And I’m glad you did. I bet I can get some other parents to attend the board meeting and tell them how badly Mrs. Pritchard treats her students.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “Do you think I’ll ever lose that little thrill every time we call Ashley our daughter or she calls us Mom and Dad?” I asked.
She was silent for a moment. “No, I hope I never take it for granted.”
“I feel the exact same way.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I don’t know many men who would not only willingly walk into a relationship with a woman with two kids and a baby on the way but do it so wholeheartedly.”
“I meant it when I say the luckiest day in my life was the day you married me.” I paused. “About our canceled Little Rock trip…”
“Joe, you don’t need to apologize.”
“I know, but I want a raincheck. What do you say we see if Jed and Neely Kate will watch the kids next weekend, and we can spend the night in Little Rock.”
“Orrr…” she said, sounding nervous, “we can take the kids with us and spend the weekend in Little Rock and go to the zoo.” When I didn’t answer, she said, “I know it’s not romantic—”
“Maybe not romantic in the traditional sense,” I said, “but it sounds absolutely perfect.”
“You’re sure?” she asked. “I just know the kids missed you last weekend and—”
“I missed them and you too. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you and the kids.”
I hoped to spend the rest of my life doing just that.
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