Page 16 of My Off-limits Firefighter Next Door
I took one last glance as she retreated into her house, her silhouette framed by the morning light. The way her laughter echoed faintly even across the street felt like a tether, pulling me in.
I turned back to my hedges, forcing myself to focus on the task. Still, the image of her with Alana, her guard slipping just enough to let joy take over, stayed with me.
I was nearly done circling the property, trimming the wayward twigs from my bushes, when I spotted a familiar car driving upthe street. Since Savannah wasn’t home, it could only be Marcus coming to see her.
I put the clippers down, leaning them against the wall by the front door, and headed inside. Grabbing two cold beers from the fridge, I hurried back out just in time to catch Marcus pulling into the driveway.
I lifted the bottles in the air to show him while he was still in the car. He grinned and nodded in acknowledgment. I never drank out of cans—something about glass just made everything taste better, especially on a day like today.
“Well, well, well!” I called out as Marcus stepped out of his car. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again today. Maybe I ought to thank this Roger guy for putting everyone on edge. It’s nice getting all these visits from my friends. And when I do find him, I’ll warn him off while I’m at it.”
Marcus laughed, bounding up the porch steps two at a time. He reached for the beer, but I pulled it back, teasing him before handing it over.
“Wanna sit out here? It’s a beautiful day,” I said, settling into one of the porch chairs and stretching my legs out. The air carried the sweet scent of honeysuckle, pulling me back to memories of my childhood.
Unlike most of my friends they preferred to forget, I had been lucky; my early years were filled with simple joys and family warmth.
Marcus sat down beside me, he twisted the top off the bottle then took a long swig. “Yeah, and we’ll have a front-row seat if that monster decides to show up. No sneaky drive-by for him.”
“So, tell me more about this guy,” I said, tilting my head toward him. “Did he ever lay a hand on Savannah?”
Marcus’s expression darkened. “Not that I know of. I didn’t realize he’d been violent during the robbery until the chargescame out. You know what’s strange?” He gestured with his beer bottle for emphasis.
“What?”
“Savannah acted like she didn’t know he was capable of violence. Like she was surprised to hear it. But she heard the charges along with everyone else.” He had the audacity to blame her and the baby for what he did.
“Did she go to the trial?” I asked, a hint of skepticism in my voice.
“No,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “She didn’t attend at all. Neither side called her as a witness since she wasn’t there when it happened. He kept his darker side well hidden. She only found out when he was arrested.”
“So maybe she’s blocked that time out?” I suggested. His face twisted into a look of doubt.
“Is that really something youcanforget? Your spouse is arrested for multiple charges of robbery, burglary, bodily harm and severe assault resulting in bodily injury? Those are serious charges and it wasn’t just one. It was more than that.”
I took a moment to reflect. “Savannah’s smart, Marcus. Maybe she’schosento push it all away to move forward. She had a baby to care for and had to sell their house and move to this one, right? She had a lot to deal with in such a short time, it’s a wonder she is still sane.
You think that guy is gonna try to find her? Do you think he knows that she moved and where she’s moved to?”
Marcus sighed. “I know she couldn’t have, she hasn’t spoken to him since his arrest, and I don’t think the law would. But since she wasn’t one of his victims, it’s hard to know.”
I already had the bottle by my mouth when I snorted, almost spilling my beer. “She was a victim, though.”
Marcus’s gaze met mine. “Yeah, that’s true, mentally and emotionally she was. But not in the eyes of the law. He didn’t hurt her or steal from her.”
The thought gnawed at me—whether or not this guy would really show up. If he did, would he come crawling back, hoping to reconnect? She hadn’t put him away, hadn’t even testified. I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask those questions out loud. I didn’t voice the question, but Marcus spoke up as if reading my mind.
The Detective called Savannah out of concern and safety, because Roger had made certain threats while in prison. Savannah has custody, because he was in jail. “Her main worry is Alana,” Marcus said, his eyes clouded. He would want to see his daughter.
“She doesn’t want him around their daughter. His lifestyle, the kind of people he’d bring her into contact with—it’s everything she’s tried to keep Alana away from.
That’s why she’s on edge. She wants to raise Alana doing fun, simple family things. She’s even taking her to Lake Tahoe park after church today.”
“That makes sense,” I said, finishing my beer. “Want another?”
Marcus lifted his in the air and looked to see how much was left. “You can bring one out but I still have a half-full bottle. You must be hot from working in this heat.”
“Yeah, been workin’ out here in this heat all morning.”I admitted, while heading inside to grab two more. I came back out and placed one on the small glass table between us. “If it gets warm before you drink it, I’ll replace it.”
