Never Let You Go: Save Me Series Book 2 Page 8

  “So Mrs. Keller no longer lives here?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “That’s good to know.” She pulled a card from her bag and handed it to him. “Thank you for letting me in your home. Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Keller. We have to check on these things to make sure the child is okay. They are always in our best interest.”

  Nodding, Rodney put the card in his back pocket. “Yes, ma’am. So we’re good?”

  “I’ll be running my notes with my supervisor and we’ll be in touch.”

  Rodney looked down again. More waiting games and bullshit. More hoops to jump through.

  Ms. Serbantez must have noticed his look. Placing a hand on his forearm, she smiled for the first time since he had gotten home. “You don’t have anything to worry about, Mr. Keller. We will do periodic home checks since Justin is now on the caseload but if you keep doing what you’re doing, everything will be fine. If his mother isn’t willing to work on herself and get clean, the best thing you could’ve ever done was getting her out of the house. And you did that.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” Rodney walked her to her car and joined Carol and Justin in the yard, joining in on their game of catch. It was a beautiful afternoon and he needed to get away from the house. “Hey, Justin, what do you say we go fishing?” As expected, there was no objection from the kid. It’d be a good chance to talk with him alone.

  Chapter Eleven

  It felt good to get out of the house and go for a jog. Amelia was mentally exhausted from everything that had happened in the past week, so she called into the bar and let them know she wouldn’t be making it in for her shift that night. They were very understanding and though she’d miss out on some great Friday night tips, taking an evening off felt better than a little extra cash. She also didn’t want to run into Phillip - he knew she’d be there and though she had a restraining order against him, controlling the crowd in the bar would’ve been a challenge.

  Jogging at the lake always made her feel better. The sunlight on her skin, the sweat, and the fresh air were the best therapy anyone could go through. She felt exceptionally energized as the music pumped in her ear buds. She wasn’t running for speed but she found herself picking up the pace as her mind raced with everything happening in her life. Phillip was gone - she had no intention of ever having anything else to do with him. Her two jobs were going well and she had met Rodney. While it was nothing more than a friendly acquaintance, there was something about him that made her smile. Not going to the bar for her shift made her wonder if she was going to miss out on an opportunity to see him. He didn’t seem like a heavy drinker, so he might’ve not had plans to show up anyway.

  Rounding the north side of the lake, it was great to see people out and about, bringing their kids for picnics and time at the playground. It wasn’t quite warm enough yet to swim, so the beach was vacant except for a few people out sunbathing, many with books, soaking in the rays after an unseasonably cold winter for the area.

  Slowing her pace, she squinted against the sun when she saw a man who looked a lot like Rodney with a little boy, both of them on the edge of the lake, both holding fishing poles. Was that him? What were the chances that she’d run into him here, too? Getting closer, she confirmed it was Rodney. Who was the little boy? He did have a booster seat in the back of his truck. His son? Nephew? While it meant that the wedding ring really did mean something on his finger, the thought of him as a father sent a wave of admiration through her. How adorable to see a man with his young children.

  Amelia debated on whether or not she should go up to him. What if he thought she was stalking him? He had said so himself, the night before - it wasn’t a big town and the lake was a common hangout, especially with the weather being so beautiful lately. Pulling her ear buds out, she paused her music and went for it - even if she just said a quick hello to him and moved on.

  “Rodney?” She crossed the street, her heart skipping a beat when he looked up, his wide smile lighting up his face.

  “Amelia?” Standing, he patted the boy on the shoulder and told him something she couldn’t hear. “I thought you were working tonight.”

  “I took the night off. I needed some time off. Just one free night.”

  “I don’t blame you at all.”

  His eyes looked her up and down and she felt vulnerable - she wasn’t exactly dressed to impress in her jogging shorts and tank top. Her face was probably beet red and soaked with sweat. She had to quit doing that! He wasn’t available anyway!

  “Getting some fishing in?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Rodney looked over his shoulder, his eyes squinted. “Come over here and you can meet my son.” He motioned his hands her way and she followed. “Justin, this is my friend Amelia. Amelia, this is Justin.”

  “Hey, Justin! It’s nice to meet you!” It was shocking how much the boy resembled Rodney. His dark hair, green eyes, and even his body language was similar. He was going to grow up to be a looker just like his father.

  “Hi, Amelia.” He waved and gripped his fishing pole with his other hand.

  “I’ll leave you two alone. Sorry to bug you.” Amelia took a step toward the road but a pang of electricity shot through her when Rodney touched her arm, grabbing her attention.

  “You’re welcome to stay. I have another fishing pole in my truck if you wanna join us. No pressure. I don’t want to interrupt your run.”

  Amelia hesitated at first. The wound of her recent breakup with Phillip was fresh. And not to mention what she had noticed about Rodney. He had a kid and he wore a ring. She looked at his hands but his left one was buried in his front pocket, shielding her from spotting the ring. It wasn’t like he was asking her to bed. It was fishing. And it’d help her relax even more.

  “Sure. I’d love to fish with y’all.”

  Rodney smiled again and went to his truck, handing her another rod and reel. He scooted her the can of worms and smirked. “You want me to bait the hook for you?”

  “No, I got it.” Amelia dug her fingers into the moist dirt and pulled one out. “I used to go fishing with my brother and dad all the time. Baiting a hook doesn’t bug me.”

  “You’re different. Most girls don’t wanna mess with it.”

  She cast the line out into the lake, making sure she was far enough away from Rodney and Justin’s lines to avoid getting tangled up. “I’m not like most girls, Rodney. Tom boy through and through.”

  It made him laugh and he glanced over at Justin, who had fallen asleep on the blanket. Scooting the child’s pole next to him, he watched both lines, neither of them speaking for a few minutes. It was a comfortable silence and the sound of the waves on the water did exactly what Amelia had predicted - she was calm, relaxed, and happy she had run into Rodney. Glancing at his hands again, this time she got a good view, and the ring was still missing. At the bar, she suspected he took it off to catch women, but with his son? Something was going on but she wouldn’t ask. That was unknown territory that was none of her business.

  “That kid can sleep anywhere,” Rodney said, lifting his pole a little before setting it back down.

  “He looks just like you.”

  “I get that a lot.”

  “He resemble his mother any?” Amelia’s heart skipped a beat at her own question. What was she thinking? She hadn’t even been drinking to get the courage up to ask such a question.

  Rodney glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but kept his gaze downcast. A small smile turned up the corners of his mouth, though Amelia didn’t think he was amused. He pulled up a wad of grass and tossed it aside, taking a deep breath before answering her.

  “No, thank God. I mean, some of his mannerisms, yeah but he favors my side a hell of a lot more.”

  Thank God? Was he glad their child didn’t look like his mom? Yeah, something was going on and Amelia felt guilty for feeling excitement over it. It was obviously taking its toll on him, just by how he acted at the bar and now. It wasn’t a natural reaction for someone who was in
love with their spouse, and the absence of the ring was even more evidence there was trouble with his home life.

  It was best to drop it. Amelia tried to think of something else to talk about. “So, do you take the fish you catch home to eat or just throw them back?”

  “Throw them back, usually. I can’t get Justin to eat fish. About the only thing he likes is chicken nuggets and French fries.”

  “Sounds like a pretty normal kid if you ask me.”

  Rodney nodded and leaned toward the cooler. “You want anything to drink? I have water and Dr. Pepper.”

  She needed something. She had jogged two miles before running into them and the mention of drinks made her realize how thirsty she was. “Sure, I’ll take some water.”

  He tossed her a bottle and opened a can of Dr. Pepper, his green eyes scanning across the lake. “I know my response about Justin’s mother was odd.”

  Amelia was thankful she didn’t have a mouthful of water, or she would’ve spit it everywhere. What was he? A mind reader?

  “No, it wasn’t.”

  “We’re just going through some hard times right now. I brought Justin out here to get away from it all.”

  “And here I am, messing it up. Coming between your time with your son.”

  Rodney scoffed and shook his head, pulling on his pole again. “Not at all. I wouldn’t have invited you to sit down if I didn’t want you to.” He reeled in Justin’s line and laid it on the grass. “You don’t wanna hear about all that drama. The damn fish aren’t biting.”

  “I don’t mind. If you wanna talk about anything, I’m all ears.” Amelia felt a small tug on her line. It wasn’t big enough to signify something on the other end, but then the end of the pole bent and she grabbed the handle, reeling it in fast, pulling up to set the hook on whatever it was.

  “Oh, hell, I opened my mouth too soon!” Rodney laughed and Amelia fought with it, excited as it got closer to shore.

  Rodney got on his knees to help guide the line in and grabbed it, cocking his head as he studied the fish. “It’s a carp.”

  “Oh, boo, a bottom feeder,” Amelia replied. Grabbing the line, she pulled it off the hook and it squirmed in her hand, slimy and wiggly. Tossing it back in the water, they both watched it swim off. Even though it was just a carp, she felt accomplished to actually catch a fish. It had been a long time.

  Rodney arched his eyebrow and laughed. “You’re right, Amelia. You’re not like most women.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You bait your own hook and get the fish off. That’s pretty much unheard of.”

  “Daddy, I’m hungry!” Justin sat up on the blanket, rubbing his eyes as he yawned.

  “You just missed it, Justin. Amelia caught a fish!”

  Justin’s eyes lit up. “You did? You caught a fish?”

  “I did! We just let it swim back home. We’re not keeping it.”

  “That’s so cool, Amelia!” Justin walked to the edge of the water. “Can we go to Mcdonald’s? I want some nuggets with barbecue sauce!”

  Rodney made eye contact with Amelia, both of them giggling at the boy’s choice for a meal. It was apparent Rodney loved his child - the look of pride on his face was enough evidence that the kid meant the world to him, and it made Amelia admire him. She wished she could help with whatever trouble they were having but he didn’t go into detail, and probably for a reason. If he wanted her to know, he’d eventually tell her. Until then, she’d enjoy the nice afternoon they were sharing together.

  Rodney nudged her and it sent another spark through her. How did he have so much power over her? She tried to hide it but knew she was probably failing miserably.

  “Thanks for fishing with us today, Amelia.” He gathered up their tackle boxes and she followed him to the pickup, where Justin was strapped into his booster seat, the only thing on his mind was getting food.

  “Thanks for letting me. It was fun.”

  “You working tomorrow night?”

  “I’m gonna have to. I’m missing out on some good tips tonight,” she replied.

  Rodney pulled his keys from his pocket and twirled them on his index finger, glancing in the cab at Justin and back to her. “I might stop by for a beer. It all depends on Justin. But if I don’t see you this weekend, take it easy and don’t work too hard.” He grabbed his phone from his back pocket. “This is gonna sound really random, but can I get your number?”

  His question caught Amelia off guard, like a wall of bricks was tumbling on top of her. It was a good feeling but he was right - it was extremely random. “Um, sure. Sure you can have my number.” She stammered on her words, making the situation awkward when it shouldn’t have been. She recited the numbers and he typed him in his phone. “Just make sure you tell me who you are in a text message or I won’t answer. I don’t answer unknown numbers.” Mainly because of Phillip. But that was a detail she would omit for now.

  “Sure. Yeah, thanks.” He waved his phone in his palm. “Just figure it’s good to have in case you wanna bring some of that good luck with you the next time we go fishing.”

  “Oh, please, it was just a carp.”

  Rodney giggled and pulled his hat brim low. “That’s the first fish we’ve caught out of that lake in months. It’s because of you. Just go with it.”

  Amelia smiled and for the first time in a long time, it felt good and real. “Okay, I’ll go with it.”

  “Need a ride back to your car?”

  “Nah, I think I’m gonna finish up my jog. My car is just up there. You better go feed that child. Remember, he’s starving.”

  Rodney pulled her in for a hug, surprising her even more than when he asked for her phone number. If it wasn’t for the fact that his arms were wrapped around her, she’d have collapsed into a puddle of goo at his feet. His hold on her was strong, manly, and she took in his scent of musk and outdoors.

  “I’ll text you in a bit so you know my number. Be careful, Amelia. Talk to you soon.”

  Waving, she watched as his truck went down the main road that led out of the lake and onto the highway. She didn’t need to finish her run - her pulse was racing faster than any jog ever would’ve done to her.

  Chapter Twelve

  Rodney couldn’t believe that he had hugged her. What was he thinking? Friends hugged each other, right? What if she read too much into it? What if it was too misleading? He felt guilty with Justin right there but it just happened like an uncontrollable force that pulled him to her. And asking for her number? When had he gotten so bold? But friends exchanged numbers, too. It wasn’t like he had proposed to the woman. The guilt was strong because he wasn’t officially divorced from Susan, either. The marriage was over. His next step was filing the paperwork, certain that she’d sign with no problem.

  Glancing in the rearview mirror, he watched Justin nod his head to the music, staring out the side window, watching the world pass by them. He was oblivious to what was going on, though Rodney was sure the questions would start up eventually. It hadn’t quite hit the child that his mother was gone. To him, she was just out of the house.

  “You have fun fishing today?”

  Justin smiled and took his eyes off the window. “Yeah! Can we do that every day?”

  “I don’t know about every day, but we can try to go more often.”

  “Can Amelia come too?”

  “You liked Amelia, huh?”

  “She’s fun! And she’s pretty!”

  Rodney laughed and turned down their road, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the police car parked on the curb in front of his house. The cop exited his vehicle when Rodney pulled into the driveway, helping Justin climb out of the backseat. Was this something his kid needed to hear? What if something had happened to Susan?

  “Hey, Justin, go run up on the porch real quick. You need to pick up those toys you left out before a dog carries them off.”

  With no pushback from him, the boy ran up the steps and went to work, gathering up his belongings. Th
e mention of the dog was good inspiration - Justin was very territorial over his stuff. Rodney walked through the yard toward the policeman, noting a large envelope in his hand.

  “Good afternoon. Are you Mr. Keller?”

  Shit, was this something to do with CPS? Rodney figured that the home visit went well, but maybe he had misconstrued the whole thing.

  “Yes, sir. I’m Rodney Keller.”

  The cop extended the envelope and Rodney took it. He proceeded to open it when the cop said, “You’ve been served.”

  “Served by who?”

  “Susan Keller.”

  Rodney opened the envelope, pulling the contents out. “Divorce papers,” he said aloud, scoffing. She had beat him to the punch and he shouldn’t have been shocked. That was just like her to jump the gun and beat him.

  “Have a good day,” the cop said, edging toward his car.

  Rodney nodded but didn’t say anything. How in the hell does one have a good day after being served papers? Of course, he was going to do the same to her. It just stung being on the receiving end, especially when it was his idea to kick her out and be finished with her. His good mood from fishing and seeing Amelia had come crashing down, like he was on a fast-moving roller coaster.

  It’d take him a while to read through the document. If there was too much in it, he’d have to get a lawyer just to translate all of the proper speech in it. How in the world had Susan pulled together enough money to do this? Or, was it basic, since it would be a no contest situation? It was complicated because of Justin. Knowing Susan, she’d fight for custody, even though she was nowhere close to being suitable to be his guardian. The court would see that but it also meant actually having to go to court, and it was money and time that Rodney didn’t have. For Justin, he’d make the time and get the money, especially if it meant he wouldn’t be around a drug addict who had no intention of actually being a mother to him. She’d fight for custody just to try and prove a point. There was no love or the best interest of the child involved with her.