Her hand tightened on the letter. This was her worst nightmare come to life. Scotty knew where she was and it was only a matter of time before he arrived in Sapphire Bay.
Andrea crossed her arms, holding the last of her composure close to her chest. “I don’t know how he found us,” she whispered to David. “I’ve done everything I can to hide where we’re living.”
He pulled out a kitchen stool. “Sit down. You’ll only get more stressed if you keep pacing.”
“What is he thinking? He treated us worse than trash and now he wants a relationship with Andy and Charlie. He has to be crazy to think I’d let him anywhere near them.”
“When did you last see Scotty?”
“Just over two years ago. He came to the hospital before I had a temporary order of protection in place.” She sat beside David. “He’d broken two of my ribs. One of them punctured a lung.”
David’s face turned pale. “Where were the boys while you were in the hospital?”
“A social worker looked after them until Mom could pick them up.” She dropped her chin to her chest. “Until that point, my parents didn’t know Scotty was abusing me.”
“Why didn’t you tell them?”
“I didn’t want to be the first person in our family whose marriage ended in divorce.” Even to her it sounded silly but, at the time, it was important. “In the entire time my parents were married, I never saw them argue. If I’d told them I wanted to leave Scotty, it would have felt like I was admitting I was a failure. That I hadn’t done enough to keep him happy.”
“You don’t have to make anyone happy.”
“I know that now, but I used to think everything was my fault.”
David took a deep breath. “What will you do about the letter?”
If burning it could have made Scotty leave them alone, she would have done it. But that would only make everything worse. “I’ll call my lawyer in the morning. She’ll know if Scotty is allowed to see the boys.”
“I hate to ask this, but I have to. Is there any chance he’ll come here?”
Andrea bit her bottom lip. “There’s nothing stopping him. The final order of protection ran out a year after I left Portland. I didn’t realize I had to renew it until it was too late.”
“Your lawyer might be able to organize another one. In the meantime, we need to make sure you’re safe. Does your house have a security alarm?”
“It won’t make any difference. If Scotty wants to see the boys, he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.” Hot tears stung her eyes. “It will be the same as last time. He’ll have the best legal team working on his case, the best private investigators digging into my life. He’ll do everything he can to convince a judge I’m not fit to be the boys’ mother, then take them away from me.”
“The legal system doesn’t protect people who abuse their family. And, besides that, you’re a great mom.” David opened his arms. “Would you like a hug?”
Instead of retreating into a shell, she clung to his chest. With his arms wrapped around her shoulders, she felt protected and safe—two things that were as foreign to her as walking on the moon.
“You know, there’s one thing your ex-husband isn’t counting on. You aren’t on your own anymore. Everyone in Sapphire Bay knows how important it is to look after each other.”
“It won’t be enough,” she said sadly. “Nothing was ever enough with Scotty.”
David let go of her shoulders and gently cradled her face in his hands. “You aren’t the person you were two years ago. You’re a strong, independent woman. If your ex-husband wants to see the boys, he’ll have to get through me and all your friends, first.”
More tears rolled down her cheeks. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I am. Your lawyer will know what you can do about your ex-husband. We need to focus on keeping you and the boys safe.” David took a tissue out of a box and wiped her cheeks. “Luckily, I know just the person who can help us.”
Andrea hoped he wasn’t talking about Pastor John or Ethan. They’d worked tirelessly to get her back on her feet and rebuild her life. What would they think if they knew how much Scotty’s letter had affected her?
She looked into David’s steady blue gaze. Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t achieve anything. If she was going to deal with her ex-husband, she needed to pull herself together. “I don’t want Pastor John or Ethan to know what’s happening.”
“Why not?”
“They’ve done so much for me already. I’d feel embarrassed if I asked them for help again.”
David held her hand. “John and Ethan will know what to do. They could give you some options. Right now, you and the boys need to be safe.”
