No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(102)

Her phone started vibrating on the nightstand. She was getting a call. With a sigh that showed her reluctance to move, she leaned over to get it. “Speak of the devil,” she grumbled.

“Seriously?” Dawson sat up. “He’s calling you right now?”

“Should I answer?”

“Might as well. See if you can get some idea what’s going through his mind.”

“I can guess that.”

“What would you guess?”

The phone transferred to voice mail, but she didn’t put her phone down. “He has visitation rights this weekend, remember?”

“You think he’s calling about that?”

“What else? It’s the only thing that gives him a legitimate reason to get in touch in spite of what Chief Thomas said—to stay away.”

“He can’t expect to take Jayden after setting that fire.”

“He’s claiming he didn’t set the fire, remember?”

“We know he did.” But how to handle this? “What happens if you refuse?”

“The law would be on his side—unless I go through with the restraining order. That would probably stop him.”

“You told him you wouldn’t do that.”

“If he leaves us alone. You and I both know he won’t. Those tracks out back sort of prove it, right?”

Her phone started to ring again. This time she answered it. “Hello?”

Dawson felt the peace and tranquility they’d been enjoying disappear from the room, watched the old haunted look come over Sadie again.

“But he doesn’t like baseball,” he heard her say. “I’m not trying to start a fight... I know it’s your weekend. It’s just... Never mind. Of course you can take him. That’ll be perfect. Dawson and I were thinking of going away for a couple of days, anyway.”

This was news to Dawson, but he waited until she’d hung up to ask for the details. “What’s going on?”

“He wants to take Jayden for the weekend. I knew he would. He’s looking for any way to get the best of me, and he knows he can always do that through my son.”

“What was that bit about us going away for the weekend?”

She shoved a hand through her hair. “My way of trying to fight back. If he thinks I want him to take Jayden, he’ll back out.”

“Did he?”

“Sadly, he didn’t fall for it.”

“Damn. So now what? We can’t let Jayden go to his place. We can’t trust him.”

The way she nibbled on her bottom lip suggested she was contemplating something.

“Sadie?” Dawson prompted.

“We need to rile him up, provoke him. If we make him mad enough, he’ll show up here tonight for sure.”

“Where he’ll be caught by Chief Thomas.”

“Yes. Then I’ll be able to go through with getting the restraining order, after all—with Chief Thomas’s blessing.”

Dawson punched his pillow and propped it behind his head. “That wouldn’t take much. Just seeing us together would be enough to make him apoplectic.”

She pecked his lips. “So how can we bump into him? We can’t exactly show up at his house.”

“No, but he’s working this evening, right? Chief Thomas indicated as much. So let’s take Jayden to Petra’s—if anything happens, we won’t want him involved in it. Then we’ll drive around town, make sure we’re seen at the gas station, eating at the drive-in, shopping at the grocery store, having a drink at The Blue Suede Shoe. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and run across him. He’ll be patrolling, so he should be keeping watch on what’s happening in town.”

A rueful smile curved her lips. “I usually consider myself lucky if I don’t run across him.”

“How often does that happen?”

“Not often. He seems to find me no matter what—is always watching.”

“Great. For once, his obsession will play in our favor.”

“And driving around town together is harmless enough,” she said in a voice that suggested she was mulling it over. “We should be able to go where we want.”

“Mommy?” The door handle jiggled as Jayden tried to come in.

Sadie jumped out of bed and started pulling on her clothes. “What, honey?”

“What are you doing?”

She shot Dawson a guilty look. “Just...cleaning.”

“Is Dawson cleaning with you?”

Obviously, he’d heard their voices. Dawson couldn’t help grinning as she said, “Yes, we’re...ah...folding clothes.”

There was a slight pause. Then Jayden said, “Can I come in?”

“Of course. Just a sec.”

Once they were both dressed and had made the bed, she took a stack of folded Tshirts out of the drawer before letting her son into the room.

Dawson thought Jayden would go straight to Sadie. He was still a little groggy from his nap. But he slipped past her and lifted his arms for Dawson to pick him up. “Can we get more ice cream?” he asked as Dawson pulled the boy into his arms.

“Not tonight, buddy. Maybe tomorrow, though.”

Sadie lifted her eyebrows as if to say, “What’s up? My son goes to you instead of me?”