Under the Sunlight

Chapter One

Jacob Stone had a secret. Well, alright Jacob Stone was a man with many secrets. Unlike his genius, his academic papers and his language skills, this secret wasn't a secret to the folks at home. It was, however, a secret from the people he worked with. He hadn't intended, at first, to keep this a secret. But when he learned that he couldn't trust them any more than he could the rest of the people in his life . . . well his decision was made. His family and friends didn't know about his art historian side and his co-workers didn't know about his personal life. It had been fairly easy for the first months at the Library. They knew he was a private person who was fairly close to his family. So his trips through the Back Door (and thank goodness for that because he wasn't sure when his mouth had opened and said he'd take the job how he was going to swing this) most weekends didn't really go noticed by the team. Or if they had, none of them ever thought to question him.

What his team didn't know was that Stone's family included his ex-wife and their son. Josie had been the perfect girl for Jake Stone, the oil rigger. Not so much for Jacob Stone, the art historian, but that didn't matter in his life. He was stuck in that town and in that life and so he made the best of it with Josie. Never mind that the only place they were actually compatible had been the bedroom. And even that, well deep down Jacob had always yearned for an actual connection with a woman, but his choices had doomed him from ever having that. So he made do with Josie. Which had been fine when she was his girlfriend and she was just someone to pass the time with. Then she got pregnant.

Jacob was not a man who wasn't going to marry his child's mama. So off to a courthouse they went before their son, named Maxwell after Josie's father, was born. It didn't work out. At first, with the baby and all, they'd been too busy and exhausted to realize that they weren't making a connection. Jacob did really want to love her for both of their sakes, it would have been easier all around. But . . . Josie knew he didn't love her. And that's when it got ugly. Luckily the one thing they did agree on was Max. They both poured all the love they didn't have for each other onto him. Therefore, when they decided they'd all be better off ending the marriage, they didn't fight at all over Max. They had joint custody, though Max lived most of the time with his mother. She gave Jacob all the visitation he wanted. Josie was probably the proudest woman he'd ever met, so he had to actually force her to take money from him.

Things though had been troubling Jacob as it got closer to Christmas. His sister had been concerned over Josie's new boyfriend. Jacob knew the guy, wasn't particularly sure he really wanted him around his son. Josie seemed changed too, a little cowed, a little more demanding. But Max was the one Jacob was most concerned about. He seemed timid in the way the child had never been before. Stone couldn't be certain as he knew kids went through phases. But it bothered him.

It had all come to a head at Christmas. He'd been late to arrive due to, well having to save Christmas. Which turned out to actually have been a good thing. He'd found out upon arrival that Josie and Max had moved into Chuck's double wide. Jacob had dropped in unannounced to see Chuck about to hit his son.

That was the end of that. Jacob grabbed Max even as Chuck made excuses. Max had just clung to his father and it was sometime before Stone could leave him at his sister's long enough to come back and have it out with Josie. Chuck had left, probably not wanting to get punched in the face. That actually made Stone even more angry and itching for a fight. He tried not to take it out too much on Josie, guessing rightly that she was being abused.

"I'm takin' him, Josie."

Josie, her eyes wide and fearful, just nodded. He shook his head, "darlin', leave him. Come with us. Right now. I know you and I aren't much for each other, but . . . . Look, I told everyone I moved to Texas, but I just started a new job out West . . .and it would be a fresh start for you. "

She shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "I ain't never been anywhere but this town, Jake."

"Then change that! You know what this town does to people. That's why I left. Finally. Took most my life, but I left."

"No, I ain't . . .I can't. But take him, Jake. Take him and run. Max is . . .I know there's shit you never told me about you. He's meant to do things that are bigger than this town. Take him away from men like Chuck and your daddy. Please, just take his stuff and go far away. Before he turns out like me. . . . ."

"Chuck is gonna . . . ."

"Nah, he ain't gonna do shit to me tonight about it." She laughed bitterly. "He's scared shitless of you. So he'll think you just bullied me. Sides he don't care about my little brat, anyway." Josie looked years older as she grabbed for a cigarette and Stone's heart broke for her. He never loved her, but he didn't like leaving her here.

"Please Josie, I know we shouldn't have got married . . .but I care about you and I want to help you. Let me this time."

She just shook her head. "Thank you though, Jake. Please, the best thing you can do is take Max. Okay? Tell him, tell him his mama loves him. Okay? Loves him more than anythin'."

"Fine, but if you ever . . . ."

"I'll call ya. Come on, let's get his stuff."

So at the end of his Christmas break, Stone found himself calling Baird and Jenkins and explaining he had some stuff he was moving to Portland, so he was going to rent a truck and road trip back. That was completely a story they understood, given all of their abrupt moves to this new life. Cassandra had flown back to New York to do a similar move from her great-aunt's house to Portland. And it was pretty much the truth, Max had all his clothes and toys plus his sisters had gifted him with various pieces of furniture their own children didn't use any more.

He'd had to tell him he was working out West now, though given the lack of oil in Portland he hadn't been clear on where exactly it was. But they were used to his ways and didn't pry too much.

It had been a very long road trip with a four year old, but Jacob had finally gotten Max settled in his small apartment. Then he'd had a lot of things to think about. Child care was a big one. Obviously he couldn't bring his son to work with him. He wasn't sure who would freak out more, Jenkins or Baird. He hadn't really thought it all through, he'd just taken Max and gone.

He'd managed to call off the Library for a few more days, claiming a nasty cold. The clippings book had been quiet for the duration of the holidays so that was helpful. But as much as Stone loved spending time with his boy, the Library was just as much his home. And he missed it. Kinda missed the others too. They'd grown on him and his walls were starting to go down.

Cassandra would probably be delighted he had a child. And he shut that thought down. He had way too many thoughts he shouldn't have about the redhead. Not long after the case in Boston, he'd come to realize that maybe he'd been too quick to judge her. Desperation made people do crazy things. She'd had all she ever wanted in the palm of her hands and she'd given that up for Flynn. Plus there was that habit of hers of getting under his skin without even really trying. He liked her and she liked him. But friendly co-workers was all that they could ever be.

He'd made his choice and she'd made hers. And his choice was to keep his private life just that. So he would have to figure out this child care issue for himself.

It turned out to be simpler than he'd expected. Sarah was a single mother who lived in his building. He'd helped her out a few times with various things. They'd even gone out on a date, but there hadn't been any romantic sparks. But they liked each other enough to become friends. Like everyone else, he only told her selected things about his life, but he had mentioned his son early on. Sarah had been the first one in Portland he'd come to for help when he had to take Max. She'd been so helpful and he was grateful. Max was soon enrolled in the same daycare that Sarah's kids were at. He'd watched her kids a few times, so she was happy to return the favor and recommend other sitters as well. She'd also given him information on where to go for help getting Max adjusted, especially after leaving an abusive situation.

From what Jacob had been able to tell, Chuck had mostly been abusive of Josie and was largely indifferent to Max. The hitting hadn't been a common occurrence but there was a bit of verbal abuse as well. He was hoping a new situation would be enough to help Max, but he made an appointment with the child psychologist that the charity Sarah directed him to had suggested.

When he'd gone back to the Annex, he was very glad that he'd been living two lives for decades. Or he'd never be able to pull this off.