Heath climbed from the car and assisted Ivy out. Spotting the officers, he understood Parker's daunting task of linking the local cops to the federal officers who would assume control of the case. The principal and several other school officials were there. Fortunately, the paparazzi and new media hadn't arrived. Perhaps they could finish this before they arrive.“Before talking to our security team, I'll check in with Geoff and Kathy. You stay with them and make sure they have everything they need. If you need anything, just call me or Parker and we'll take care of it. “Thank you. I’ll do that.” The large crowd of people surprised Ivy. The police were keeping the school staff away from Kathy and Geoffrey. Including the principal, who wasn’t happy about it. He tried to get Heath’s attention angrily, but Heath ignored him. Heath decided he’d let his lawyers handle the man before this and they could continue with that. The school and school board woul
Heath and Parker finally came to the car. Kathy and Ivy avoided discussing the details because of Geoff’s proximity. Geoff’s unhappiness didn’t bother Ivy, at least for now. He could be gone, dead, further injured or who knew what. Parker insisted Kathy give him the keys to her car. That became a bit of a power struggle, but in the end, Ivy suspected Kathy appreciated his taking over, as her hands were still shaking.Parker will handle Kathy and take care of everything, so no need to worry. Heath said as Parker drove off with Kathy in her car. “I’m sorry, what do you mean by that?” Ivy wasn’t sure she heard Heath correctly. She was unsure whether to commend him for persuading Parker to handle this task. Or strangle him for putting Kathy in an extremely uncomfortable position. “Kathy needs to see a doctor. I want to make sure it’s nothing more than bruises. She declined and like me, Parker wasn’t comfortable with her playing Russian roule
Kathy couldn’t believe Parker as he drove into the parking lot of the urgent care centre her doctor worked out of. “First, I just want to go home. I’m not sick or injured.” Parker stopped the car in a parking space and gave Kathy a skeptical look. She continued speaking. "Why did you choose this urgent care?" I didn’t tell you where my doctor’s office was.” This didn’t make her feel comfortable. It was hard enough letting someone else drive while she was a passenger. Control and privacy were two things Kathy valued, and in the last week, Parker had steadily wormed his way past her carefully constructed boundaries. Kathy couldn’t get over his ever-changing appearance, either. When she tried to tell him, he wasn’t being true to himself by changing his appearance so much, Parker turned to her and spoke. “Don’t limit my options. God, woman, I’m not a one-dimensional person and I’m not afraid to show it. Certain individuals spend their entire
Ivy had Geoff settled in his room, and he seemed fine with staying home with Kathy and Parker. He knew they’d be home in a few hours. His favourite food arrived, but he wanted to nap first. Ivy felt guilty not staying with Geoff. She realized the truth in Heath's words and the need for a safer living arrangement. Ivy didn’t care what they moved to be like if everyone could feel safe again. Heath and Parker hadn’t seen Kathy yet, but Ivy had. The clock was ticking on her meltdown from this. Ivy didn’t know how Geoff would process this incident, either. At least he didn’t have anymore school to deal with for several months. He’d recover from this, and Heath wanted him in a specific school she bet would have experience dealing with security issues. Could they be happy with Heath? Ivy understood the answer would require time. She knew Geoff could be. But Ivy still struggled not with trusting Heath, but trusting herself. If she trusted him co
“Good evening, Mr. Allan and Mrs. Allan.” The realtor greeted them as they stepped from their car. He turned to Ivy and extended his hand. “I’m Daniel Leland, your realtor.” “It’s Dr. Smythe, but she’ll soon be Dr. Allan. Is everything in order? I’d like to get her approval as soon as possible. We’ve had an incident that we must deal with.” Heath said to the realtor. He corrected him and apologized for their lateness. He’d texted the realtor during dinner to warn him they were running late because of a family incident. “Yes, everything is ready for the final viewing. This house ticks off all the boxes on the list you gave me and has several added benefits. There’s lots of space to expand and grow as your needs change. I’d say it’s perfect for a future family.” They stood in the dark front drive outside of a large home. Ivy couldn’t get over the size of the large white building with its many windows and spacious double doors. “We need it
The property was not available for sale until recently, when his estate cleared the house. The process bogged down because they’d exhausted searching for an heir before dismantling the estate. It turned out he had no heirs, so the firm handling his estate is dismantling it and distributing the money to various charities.” “Poor man. That’s a pity. I guess he built this place with the idea that he’d find someone and start a family.” Ivy eagerly absorbed her surroundings as they moved from one room to the next. Dismantling the estate could explain why the home appeared so empty. The executors probably sold the furniture and artwork first.The estate manager informed me. Now, here’s a private elevator. It’ll take us to the basement, second story, or the attic. He incorporated every luxury he could find or have custom-made. Price wasn’t a problem for him.” Ivy remembered the St. James boating accident on the news. He’d gone out to catch swordfish alone on a yacht s
“Okay, dinner is over, and Geoff is not interested in playing his video games or watching television. So, I’ve set him up in his room with an e-book, and he’s seeming happy enough.” Parker said. He walked down the corridor to the living room. The conversation didn’t continue as he’d expected. Because Kathy sat on the sofa with her head back and her eyes closed.Parker casually tidied up the remaining dinner items before joining Kathy on the couch, turning the television on low. He knew this wasn’t normal for either Geoff or Kathy. They went through a nightmarish experience of which Parker hadn’t seen either respond to in any significant fashion. What disturbed Parker was not the knowledge they’d escaped a kidnapping attempt, but Kathy experienced far worse. She’d learned how to protect herself to an extreme. Which, in Parker’s estimation, went beyond protecting herself by investing in self defence training. Kathy used that training to regain control
“Can you explain what you remember? "Knowing where the emotional landmines are would make things easier," Parker tried humorously. What Kathy heard, however, registered in her mind as a criticism of her situation. Which made little sense in their current conversation.“What? I'm unsure about the information you're looking for.Despite Kathy's reluctance, he persisted in asking for more information. She struggled with the flashes of memories. Kathy avoided thinking about what happened. It didn’t help her or anyone else if she remembered it.“What part of your past is messing with you because of what just happened? What happened back then? You can tell me.” He asked her. Then he remembered how demanding it sounded and he corrected his error. “That is, if you’re okay with speaking about it.” “Oh, umm, that makes more sense. I had a run-in years ago with a real jerk. It was excessively dramatic, and he struggled to accept rejection for a long time. The attack ju