Take Back My Heart (Come Back To Me) Page 5

  “I’m not letting him take our son anywhere,” Kyle spat.

  “Not here, Kyle. I was having car trouble, and Connor offered to drive me so that I wouldn’t be too late.” she explained, tugging at her shirt nervously.

  “Right, because you couldn’t have just called me to pick you up. He just happened to be there, right? Just like he was back then.”

  Lauren drew a breath, knowing that comment had the potential to make Connor snap. When she heard the car door slam, she knew things were about to get ugly. Kyle ordered a panicked Eliot to get inside his car as Connor made his way toward them.

  “Don’t. Either of you. I’m not about to get in a pissing match in the church parking lot. If it’s that big of a deal, Kyle, you can take us back to my house.” Turning to Connor, she pleaded. “Just go home. Please, leave.”

  Connor wanted to fight. He wanted to stand up for Lauren. To hell with what the asshole thought about him, Lauren didn’t need to take the brunt of Kyle’s attitude. Her pleas were the only thing that stopped him though. As much as it killed him, he got back in his car without saying a word and did as she asked. He watched out the window of his car as Lauren made her way around to the passenger side of Kyle’s car and climbed in.

  Kyle continued his tirade as he drove her home. Days like this made Lauren wonder what she ever saw in Kyle. He was self-centered and quick to anger. He was wrong for her in every way, and yet, somewhere along the way, she decided to settle on him, even when her head told her to run like hell in the opposite direction.

  Letting out a sigh, Lauren tried to calm down and ignore Kyle, but by the time they pulled into her driveway, Eliot was near tears and Lauren shook with anger.

  The minute they were inside the house, and away from Kyle, Eliot let out a sob.

  Her son didn’t have a clue about the things his father had done that ultimately ended their marriage, but he did know about his father’s occasional ugly side. The older he got, the more Lauren found herself trying to explain or justify Kyle’s actions to him. She was always Kyle’s target, and Eliot witnessed it, causing him to suffer along with her.

  “Why were you with Connor?” Eliot questioned.

  “Connor and I are friends. I can choose my own friends, Eliot,” she defended herself.

  “I know, but if he wasn’t there, Daddy wouldn’t have been upset.”

  “I can’t control your father. He doesn’t have the right to be upset, buddy.”

  Eventually, he settled down and relented, heading off to his room to play video games before dinner.

  Their dinner conversation was sparse, however, when they finished eating, Eliot helped her clean up and load the dishwasher while they giggled and danced to the radio. Lauren couldn’t hold back her smile. These were some of her favorite moments with her son. Sometimes he acted like he was too cool for her, but when nobody was watching, he loved to be a goof with her.

  Lauren sighed, closing the dishwasher and turning it on. "All right, kiddo, time for you to take your bath and get ready for bed. I'll pack your lunch, and then I'll be up to tuck you in. You got your homework done, right?"

  "Yes, ma'am. Daddy checked it for me too," he said as he skipped out of the kitchen.

  She quickly packed Eliot's lunch, sliding it into the fridge for the morning. Making her way through the house, she shut off the lights and checked all the locks before she headed upstairs for the night. Stopping off in her room, she sat out a work uniform for the next day, and then made sure her alarm clock was set before knocking on Eliot’s door. “All set, big guy?”

  "Yep. I even got my clothes for tomorrow already set out."

  "Great. Want to read something tonight before you go to sleep?"

  "Sure!" Eliot smiled as he crawled into bed. Lauren slid in beside him to listen to him read his favorite short story to her. When he finished, she kissed his cheek before climbing out of his bed and heading for the door, “Goodnight, kiddo.”

  “Night, Mommy.”

  She had just crawled into her own bed when her phone buzzed with an incoming text from Bryce.

  Bryce: Wanted to say goodbye for now. I’m heading out. C u when I get back.

  Lauren quickly typed a reply, wishing him well and telling him to stay safe; silently praying that he’d make it home.

  Connor walked up to the soccer field and smiled as he spotted Lauren sitting on the bleachers beside Amy and Riley. She was holding a baby in her arms, who had been dressed from head to toe in pink. Instantly, his heart melted as he imagined what it would be like if she were holding his child instead.

  He shook his head. They hadn’t seen or spoke to one another since he dropped her off at church and her pissed off ex-husband had taken her home. Now he was hoping she was carrying his child. He had lost his mind, and he could only blame his stupidity on how desperately he wanted her back in his life.

  "Amy, Riley," he greeted his friends. "Lauren. And who is this darling little beauty?" he asked, claiming the empty seat next to her.

  "This would be my niece, Adalyn. Amy and Riley's youngest." Lauren smiled brightly.

  “She's pretty adorable.” He grinned at the little blonde girl bouncing in Lauren’s arms as she blew bubbles and giggled.

  "I think she takes after her favorite auntie." Lauren laughed as she pressed her face against Adalyn’s. "Don't you think?"

  Connor chuckled. “I’ll agree with you. She certainly doesn’t look like her daddy,” he teased Riley.

  “Hey, I’d rather my little princess look like her momma and her favorite aunt than to look like me. Thank you very much,” Riley dished back.

  Their banter carried on throughout the game. Connor smirked when he found himself cheering for his friends’ kids like they were his own. He had a lot of reservations about coming home for good, but it was finally starting to feel like home again. It was almost like he never left. Almost.

  The game ended with their team winning 4-3.

  Connor hung back as everyone stood and started moving.

  “You wanna take her for a few minutes while Amy and I hand out the drinks and snacks?” Lauren held Adalyn out toward him.

  The baby girl reached for him. The minute he had her in his arms, she began yanking on the collar of his polo shirt and babbling as if she was talking to her best friend. Connor laughed when she blew raspberries on his cheek.

  He was so enamored with Adalyn, he failed to notice Kyle coming toward him until they were nearly toe to toe.

  Anger radiated from Kyle’s face as he growled at Connor. “What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing. Here? You need to stay the hell away from my son. And while we’re at it, stay away from Lauren too.”

  Connor drew in a deep breath and swung Adalyn onto his side. “First of all, you need to watch your mouth. There are young kids all around us. Second, I can, and will, go wherever I please. I came to watch my friends’ kids play soccer. I’m not here causing trouble. As for Lauren, she can make her own choices.”

  Kyle snorted. “Right, and we all know she doesn’t make the best choices when it comes to you. She was so happy when she lost that baby and you ran back to New York. She didn’t want her children growing up to be an asshole like you.”

  Lauren heard Kyle raising his voice, and looked up from dishing out water bottles to find him practically in Connor’s face. Grabbing Riley by the arm, she dragged him toward the other two men in effort to defuse the situation. She was close enough that she caught the last of what Kyle had said to Connor.

  Her gaze snapped up to Connor’s face. Hurt burned in his eyes. She tried to silently plead with him to ignore Kyle’s harsh words, but she could tell the damage had already been done.

  Luckily for her, Riley jumped in. He took Adalyn from Connor, and then he turned his attention to Kyle. “You don’t want to do this here. Parents are already looking at you, and you’re already on thin ice with the youth league for your temper. You keep this up, and you’re gonna blow it. Walk away, Kyle. Let it go,” he warned. “You don’
t own Lauren, and you don’t get to make decisions for her.”

  “No, but if it involves my son, I’ve got every right to voice my opinion!” Kyle snapped.

  “Our son, Kyle. Our son. You don’t get to dictate who is or isn’t in my life!” Lauren’s voice rose. “I’m quite capable of deciding who I let around our son when he’s with me. You need to get that through your head.”

  “Yeah well, we’ll just see what a judge has to say about that,” Kyle threatened before yelling at Eliot, “Let’s go!”

  “Wait!” Lauren reached for his arm. “Where do you think you’re going with him? It’s my weekend!”

  “Right, but as his father, I’m taking him, because I feel like it’s in his best interest. Especially if you’re hanging around this scum.” Kyle glared at Connor.

  Connor stepped forward ready to knock some sense into Kyle’s pretty boy face, but Riley stopped him. “You can’t. I know you want to, but don’t do anything,” Riley whispered to Connor. “It will only complicate things for Lauren.”

  “Kyle, I’m warning you right now, if you take him with you, I’m calling the cops. That’s a direct violation of our custody arrangement.”

  “Try me, Princess,” Kyle sneered, yanking Eliot by the arm.

  Eliot yelped and tried to pull away, but Kyle leaned down to whisper something in his ear. Whatever he said to his son made Eliot gasp and shake with fear. No other coaxing was needed. His feet began to move, following his father.

  Connor jumped forward to try and stop him, pissed that Riley, Amy, and even Lauren would allow Kyle leave with Eliot.

  “Don’t,” Lauren whispered, pushing against his chest. “It’s a long story, but when he gets like this, he’s a loose cannon. It’s best to let him calm down.”

  Kyle smirked over his shoulder at them and continued walking away, believing he had won.

  When his car door slammed shut, Lauren started to pace. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she growled, “He can’t do this. I swear to God—” She paused when someone on the other line picked up. “Yes, this is Lauren Forbes. My ex-husband, Kyle Forbes, and I have a court ordered custody agreement in effect, and he has violated it. He’s left with my son without my consent.”

  “He’s taken the child without your permission at a time when the child is to be under your care?” The deputy on the other line confirmed.

  “Yes ma’am. He has taken my son during my visitation and without my permission… Okay, thank you.” Lauren gave the police department her address before hanging up. When she turned back to face her friends, Riley had disappeared with the kids, Amy was on the phone, and Connor was standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene,” she whimpered, embarrassment reddening her face.

  Connor moved toward her, pulling her into his arms, and holding her tightly. “You do not have to apologize for that loser. Okay? Never.”

  Glancing up and Connor, she nodded. “Thank you for backing down. I’m sure you would have loved to pound some sense into him, but it wouldn’t look good in court.” Taking a deep breath, Lauren pulled back from his embrace and wiped her eyes. “I’ve got to call my lawyer now.”

  “Already done,” Amy chimed in, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “He’s going to meet you at your house in thirty minutes.”

  “The police are sending an officer by the house for more information too. I should probably get going.”

  “I’ll be over as soon as we get the kids in the door. You aren’t doing this alone.” Amy hugged her friend before heading to her car where Riley and her kids were waiting.

  Lauren choked back a sob.

  “Amy, wait,” Connor called after her. “Take my keys and bring my car to Lauren’s please. I’ll drive her home.”

  Settling in to the passenger seat of her car, Lauren took deep breath, thankful that Connor seemed to know what she needed before she asked. Her stomach was in knots, and she felt like she was going to get sick. Tears blurred her vision, making it hard to see her surroundings zooming by as Connor drove her home.

  Thirty minutes later, Lauren’s living room was filled with people. The police were busy taking a report of what happened, while her lawyer handed over copies of the custody agreement.

  “I have an emergency petition to submit to the judge. It gives Lauren immediate sole custody of Eliot and temporarily revokes Kyle's rights." Matt handed Lauren a packet of papers and a pen. He'd drawn up these papers when he had drawn up the original custody agreement. Although he never wanted it to become necessary to use them, tonight he was relieved he’d had the foresight to have them ready.

  Living in a small town, everyone heard everything, knew everything—even if they decided to pretend they didn't—and he had known Kyle and Lauren for years. He'd heard not only from Lauren, but from around town how Kyle acted. Unfortunately, Matt had a feeling it was only a matter of time before something happened. "You sign this, and then I should be able to get the judge to approve the emergency custody agreement," he explained, seeing the shock on her face.

  Doing as her lawyer requested, Lauren signed her name on three copies of the emergency petition to get her son back. In the meantime, Matt left a message for Kyle’s lawyer.

  Sheriff Greene reviewed the paperwork and dialed the local judge. “Well, I’m sure you know he cannot approve a full custody arrangement tonight. It’s a weekend and there is no one around. But he’ll see you first thing Monday morning,” he said as he hung up the phone. “You’ve already said that you told Kyle he couldn’t take Eliot, and reminded him of the agreement, but I’m gonna have to ask you to call Kyle now and ask him to return Eliot to you. Then the law states that he has 48 hours to bring him back. It says here that you do have the right to speak to Eliot. I suggest you do that and make sure he is okay.”

  Lauren’s hands shook as she dialed Kyle’s number. She prayed for him to answer, but he didn’t. When his voicemail picked up, she did her best to stay calm. “Kyle, it’s Lauren. I’m asking you to bring Eliot back to me tonight. I want to speak to Eliot as well. I’ve already called my lawyer. Please, just call me back so we can fix this,” she pleaded.

  “Give him thirty minutes to call you back, then you try again. We’ll wait,” Sheriff Greene advised.

  “Sheriff, what if he doesn’t make contact at that point?” Connor interrupted from his perch against the wall.

  “Then they’ll start looking for Kyle and Eliot,” Matt answered.

  Sheriff Greene nodded in agreement. “Then it’s a whole new ball game because we cannot even contact Kyle. We then have the right to attempt a welfare check on Eliot, and Kyle, for that matter.”

  Connor’s anger grew with each passing minute. Watching Lauren try and hold it together, made him pace like a caged animal. What he wanted to do was take off and go look for the bastard himself. He wanted to take away the fear that was written all over Lauren’s face, to make this all better and bring her boy back home.

  Lauren held onto her phone like it was her lifeline. Panic and dread consumed her. Kyle could be such a hothead, but even this was not normal for him. His reaction to her interactions with Connor, storming off, and taking Eliot with him, none of it made sense. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong, but she could do nothing except wait. Waiting would damn near kill her.

  Trying Kyle’s number again thirty minutes later, ended with the same result.

  Sheriff Greene dispatched his officers, requesting a welfare check.

  Connor stood back, watching the stout older man, who most would think didn’t have much of a bark—or bite, for that matter—but Sheriff Greene was good at his job.

  The Sheriff lived in Millford his whole life, most of the people knew and respected him, looked up to him even. He had been friends with Lauren’s parents before they moved out of town and he always had a soft spot for their girl. When they moved, he tried to watch out for Lauren as best as he could. When the call came in, he jumpe
d in his cruiser and set out to serve justice to the bastard that was Kyle Forbes.

  “Lauren, I’ve done all I can at this point. I’m going to go ahead and leave. Call me if anything changes, but as it stands, we’ve got an emergency hearing scheduled for first thing Monday morning. I’d tell you to try and get some rest and not worry, but I think we both know that won’t happen. If I hear anything, I’ll be in touch. Let me know if anything happens on your end.” Matt stood and grabbed his briefcase.

  “Thank you, Matt, for everything. I’m sorry you had to be pulled away from your family and your adorable little lady.” Lauren offered him a weak smile.

  “Hey, it’s what you pay me for,” he said as he wrapped her in a hug, before focusing on Connor. “Take care of her. She needs it.” He shook his hand.

  Connor nodded, and walked him to the door.

  “You can both go home. You don’t have to stay here all night. It’s my problem; I’ll deal with it. I appreciate the support you’ve given me though.” Lauren faced Amy and Connor with a sigh as she fought back another round of tears.

  Amy had been holding her own quiet vigil since they got home. She knew Lauren better than anyone else. More than anything else, Lauren just needed her there while they sorted through all the details. “I really do have to go home and feed Adalyn before I explode over here, but I’ll be back to bring you some dinner.” Amy held up her hand before Lauren could protest. “I don’t want to hear it, Lauren. I’ll be back, and you call me if anything happens before then. Got it?” She pulled her friend into a tight hug.

  “Okay,” Lauren replied weakly, following Amy to the door. Once her friend left, she turned to Connor, waiting for him to leave as well.

  “Don’t even look at me like that. I’m not going anywhere. If I walk out that door, I’m going to go hunt down your ex and make this whole situation a lot messier; therefore, it’s best if I stay put and keep you company. You and I both know you don’t really want to be left alone with your racing thoughts anyway.”