Page 23 of His Custody

“You’re really not going to tell me where we’re going, are you?”

Jasper shook his head as he put the car in drive and headed down the tree-lined drive.

When they pulled up to Alice’s gym, Keyne had to keep from trying to punch Jasper again. “Why didn’t you tell me we were coming to see Alice again? I wouldn’t have given you such a hard time.”

He smiled, one side of his mouth curling up. “And what fun would that be?”

This time she did try to punch him, but he grabbed her forearm and twisted easily out of the way of her fist. “Besides, I thought agoodsurprise might be a nice change.”

Well, he was right about that. She practically skipped to the door, and when she opened it, the odor that assaulted her seemed a little less gross than it had the last time. Plus, she’d be smelling just as ripe in no time if Alice put her through her paces as she had before. Excitement thrummed through her veins that she’d get to pound away at something, and that her body would be exhausted by good old-fashioned physical exertion instead of that low-level soreness she was pretty sure was grief trying to stay in the fibers of her muscles.

***

Two hours later, Jasper and Alice leaned against a cinder block wall, eyes on Keyne’s small frame in front of them, her hands encased in boxing gloves and pounding the living hell out of a bag that was almost as big as she was, strung up between floor and ceiling.

“She’s damn good for a beginner.”

“Yeah she is.”

Jasper hadn’t been sure how Keyne would feel about coming back to Alice’s gym. She’d enjoyed their first trip, but she hadn’t mentioned wanting to come back. She threw a few more punches, keeping her guard up by her face as Alice had taught her. Alice was right, she was damn good. And she seemed to be enjoying herself, pink cheeked and not quitting even though her movements were slowing down, the hits coming not quite as hard. He’d let her beat the crap out of that bag all day if he could, but she was going to be sore tomorrow as it was.

When she finally backed off, he expected her to drag herself over to where he and Alice were perched, but instead, she pointed to a speed bag mounted on the wall. He shook his head though and her face fell as she wrenched her gloves off.

“Please?”

“Not today. We’ll come back next week.”

She scowled at him but her heart wasn’t in it. “I guess I’m getting hungry anyway.”

“Good.” Every time she said she was hungry it made him happy. Made him feel like she was committed to being alive. To not abandoning him, and leaving him a reason to carry on. “Good” was an understatement. More like a potent form of relief. It was a bright spot in his otherwise empty heart. “There’s a diner around the corner. Best roast beef and Swiss I’ve ever had. Don’t tell Ada.”

Half an hour later found them scarfing down their sandwiches, hot and savory.

“So you liked the boxing gym?”

Keyne washed her last mouthful of sandwich down with another pull on her chocolate milkshake. She’d left half the fries on her plate, but she’d still eaten a good meal. “It was awesome. I had no idea it would be that much fun to beat the hell out of something.”

“It is fun. Next time maybe we’ll get you a sparring partner.”

Her eyes lit up and he laughed. “You’ll have to do more training with Alice, though. And more general working out. Build up some muscle and improve your endurance.”

He’d try to make this fun for her, but it wasn’t just a means to distract her. It was also a way for her to defend herself against any schoolyard nonsense, or a drunk dudebro getting handsy at a frat party next year. Because the fact was that Keyne was small. He’d give her an upper hand by any means necessary.

There hadn’t been another peep out of Sean, and the Coast Guard still couldn’t tell him whether it had been an accident or malice that had landed Keyne in his house in the first place, but he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about her safety. His own he only cared about because he couldn’t stand the idea of Keyne losing anyone else, but hers... He’d wrap that girl in bubble wrap if he could. On the other hand, he also wanted to give her as normal a life as possible, so that wasn’t going to fly. But he’d do anything he could to have it both ways.

Chapter Eight

September

She’d always liked the first day of school. Liked seeing her friends after summers away, liked the shiny new school supplies weighing down her bag, even liked wearing her uniform again. It was comforting, slipping the same blue and green plaid around her waist, the same navy sweater over her head, day after day, year after year. She’d been wearing the same thing in one size or another since she was six.

But nothing felt right. Her clothes fit, reminding her of all the times Jasper made her eat when she’d wanted to refuse. If he’d let her, they’d be falling off. But she felt queasy, nervous. She was over being stared at, pointed at, poor-babied. No one would know what to say to her and she half hoped they wouldn’t say anything at all. Let her drift through her day in peace and save her energy for paying attention in class.

Jasper came with her to school, held her hand on the way, their entwined fingers resting between them on the leather seats while Edwin drove. It was nice to have something, someone, to hold onto. Even nicer that he offered his support silently, without the chatter her mother used to assail her with on her first day. Her eyes watered at the memories, but she wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t. Her mascara was waterproof, but she didn’t want her eyes to be red or her nose to run.

Instead, she concentrated on Jasper’s hand in hers, and the way he sat next to her, solid and silent as a rock. Knowing if she wanted to talk, he would, but things being as they were, he didn’t say anything until Edwin offered her a hand out of the car.

“It’s going to be fine, Tinker Bell. And if it’s not, you call me.”

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