by Hope White
“Shh. I love you, sweetheart. We’ll get him back. I promise.”
Carly stepped into the room and saw Whit rocking Mia in his arms. She must be drifting off to sleep.
“Hey,” Carly said quietly.
“She’s falling asleep.” The surprised awe in his voice touched Carly’s heart. “In my arms.”
Carly smiled. “A great feeling.”
He started to offer the baby back to Carly and she shook her head. “The handoff might wake her. Let’s put her in her crib.”
“I don’t know how to do that.”
“Come on.”
They went into the bedroom and approached the crib.
“Lay her down slowly,” Carly coached.
He hesitated at first, and Carly realized he wanted to hold her for a few more seconds. Then he placed her on her back. She squeaked a little.
“Pacifier?” Carly whispered.
He grabbed a pacifier from the corner of the crib and placed it against her lips. They opened and she took it, sucking hard and drifting into a deep sleep.
As they stood there watching Mia, Carly relished the sight of the sleeping baby and let it fill her with joy. She glanced at Whit, whose tense expression had softened. She wasn’t sure what compelled her, but she slipped her hand into his and redirected her attention to Mia. She was precious, like this moment in time. Carly would savor it for as long as possible. She’d remember this sense of peace that she and Whit shared as they stood beside the precious child. Even when the case was solved, and Whit was gone from her life, she’d recall this feeling and use it to brighten her spirits when she was low.
Whit squeezed her hand. She looked into his eyes. She could tell he felt the same way, that he, too, treasured this moment.
Someone tapped on the bedroom door and they broke contact as if they were kids who had been caught kissing.
Carly went to the door and opened it wide to Detective Harper. She placed a finger to her lips. She and Whit joined Harper in the living room.
“You have news about my brother?” Whit said.
“Not yet, sorry. Carly, could you come to the house and check out the office to see if anything obvious is missing?”
“Sure, although I didn’t go in there much.” She glanced at Whit. “I’ll be right back.”
* * *
Two hours later, Whit found himself restlessly pacing the living room.
He wanted Carly to return, and not because she needed to care for Mia. The baby was still asleep. No, Whit missed Carly’s calming presence. Whenever she was around, he could almost feel that elusive sense of peace, like when they’d been standing over the crib.
And she took his hand.
When she touched him, the incessant angst seemed to dissolve a bit, drifting away from his body. How was that possible? How could the touch of one person have that kind of effect on him? He also liked having her close because she helped him stay grounded and keep his perspective, which he needed to find his way out of his own misery to help his brother.
Take care of Mia, promise me.
Of course he’d take care of his niece, no matter how long Harry was gone, even if the worst happened—Susan was sent to prison, and they weren’t able to rescue Harry.
Only now did Whit realize how much he would need Carly to make that happen, to help him be a stable, loving uncle. Together Whit and Carly could give Mia what she needed, but without Carly?
Whit wasn’t sure how he’d manage.
Whoa, you sound like a man in love.
Not possible. He’d known Carly only a few days, and she came with plenty of her own baggage, including a juvenile arrest and complicated family.
None of which would matter if you loved her.
He thought he’d loved Pamela, his longtime girlfriend, but in the end that didn’t work out. At the beginning of their romance, he’d liked how much she relied on him. In retrospect that relationship supported his “hero” mode. Having someone look up to him, rely on his knowledge and emotional strength, was great for his ego and made him feel like he was doing something good for another person. He always assumed that love meant taking care of someone else first and foremost.
When he couldn’t find the courage to propose after two years of dating, he questioned what was holding him back. Initially he thought it was the kid thing—she wanted kids and he didn’t—and then he blamed it on his commitment to the job.
Spending time with Carly raised another possibility. Whit needed someone as strong as he was who could offer peace and balance. Someone fearless.
Like Carly.
Even if Whit hadn’t come to her rescue at the river, he knew Carly would have protected the baby from the kidnappers. She was smart and incredibly determined. She’d been through plenty yet hadn’t given up on herself, in part thanks to her faith, something Whit felt he was missing in his life and didn’t know how to access.
He remembered her praying in the car and then opening her striking hazel eyes. See? It’s that easy.
Whit took a deep breath and for the second time he prayed. “Please, God, take care of my brother. Don’t let me lose him this way, not before we can make things right. Amen.”
The tightness in his chest eased a bit and hope sparked to life.
The sound of a baby crying drew his attention to the bedroom. Mia had awakened and probably needed a diaper change.
“This oughta be interesting,” he muttered. It was only the second time he’d done this, and the first time he had help from the innkeeper. How would Mia react to Whit showing up without Carly by his side? He went to the crib and picked her up. “Hey, baby girl. You have a good sleep?”
She whined in response. He had to admit she was a great kid, especially considering the upheaval of the past few days.
“I’ll bet you need a change.”
She rubbed her eyes and the whining intensified. Carly had set up a makeshift changing table on the dresser and he’d seen her change the baby’s diaper a few times.
“Let’s see if I do this as well as your aunt Carly.”
Aunt Carly. It felt natural to call her that. She seemed like a part of the family, much more than a nanny at this point, and he assumed she’d always be a special person in Mia’s life, even after this case was solved and they got Harry back.
He laid Mia on the dresser and pulled off her pants. She kicked her feet, obviously happy that she was getting the drenched diaper off her bottom.
The wipes, powder and fresh diaper were within reach, so Whit got to work. A minute later he was quite proud of himself after having successfully changed the diaper. Maybe he didn’t need Carly after all.
Uh, wrong. He needed Carly...for more than diaper changes.
“Need help?” Carly said from the doorway.
“Actually, I think I got it.” He looked up and noted her strained expression, arms hugging her midsection. “What’s wrong?”
“Other than you have powder on your...” With a half smile, she pointed at his shirt.
He glanced down. Splotches of white baby powder covered his black cotton shirt. “And here I was so proud of myself.”
As he held Mia, Carly checked the diaper job. “Hey, that’s pretty good.”
“You’re not so good, are you?” he asked.
She wandered into the living room and he followed, carrying Mia.
“You were gone a long time,” Whit said.
She nodded, slowly sitting at the table.
“What is it?” he prompted.
“The intruder broke into your brother’s safe and, Harper suspects, stole documents.”
“And...?” He waited.
“There were other things in the safe, things they left behind, like a private investigator’s report about me and my parents. Your brother hired a private detective to dig into my past. He also discovered my parents
were serving time. No information about Greta, though.”
“Is that what’s upsetting you? That your parents are in jail?”
“No, they made their choices and I’ve moved on from my past. What upsets me is that he hired someone to check on my story. If he was that worried, why bother hiring me in the first place?”
“He was being thorough. Put yourself in his shoes. As a father, he was welcoming you into his home to take care of the most precious thing in his life. He needed to be sure he could trust you.”
“I thought he trusted me when I explained my background.”
“Some of us do better with proof.”
“Yeah, well, it’s frustrating when your word is never good enough.”
“I’m sure your word is good enough for him now,” he said. “I know it’s good enough for me.”
She glanced up. “Thanks.”
Sadness welled in her eyes. Whit wanted to hold her, tell her everything was going to be okay.
He passed her the baby. Holding Mia seemed to snap Whit out of whatever anguish he was struggling with, so he hoped it would do the same for Carly.
Carly smiled. “Baby love is exactly what I need.”
A firm knock echoed across the room. Whit opened the door to Detective Harper.
“We’ve got a lead on your brother’s location,” Harper said.
“Let me get my coat,” Whit said.
“Whoa, you’re not going anywhere.”
Right, Whit was an uncle and a brother first; a cop second.
“I’m letting you know because I’ll need as many men as I can spare, which means—”
“Take them all. I’ll protect Carly and the baby.”
“You sure? Because I could leave a deputy—”
“No, I got this.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as we find something.” Harper left.
Whit and Carly waited for what seemed like hours to hear back from Detective Harper, but only ten minutes had passed. Whit was growing more anxious by the minute.
“It’s great that they have a solid lead,” Carly said, bouncing Mia on her lap.
“It certainly is.” They’d found his brother. Maybe. Possibly.
Please, God, let them find my brother and bring him home.
A ringing phone interrupted his silent prayer.
“Oh, that’s mine,” Carly said, leaning Mia against her shoulder while digging the phone out of her pocket.
“Here, I can hold her,” Whit offered.
“No, I’m good.” Carly placed the phone on the table. The caller ID read Sam. “It’s Mia’s biological mother.”
Whit pressed the speaker button.
“Hello?” Carly said.
“He found you. You’ve gotta go!”
“Who found us?” Carly said.
“Sam, this is Brody Whittaker, Mia’s uncle.”
Silence.
“Sam, he’s on our side,” Carly tried.
“He’s a cop,” she responded in a low voice.
“I’m also Mia’s uncle and would do anything to protect her. Who found us?”
“You’ve gotta get out of there!”
“We shouldn’t leave the compound,” Whit said.
“His men are probably on the way. The police left, right? That was him, luring them away from the house.”
“But we’re safe here,” Carly said. “The access codes have been changed.”
“They have a program that will break the code.”
“How do you know that?” Whit said.
“Because I wrote it. Meet me at Freeland State Park in an hour, just the three of you, and I’ll explain everything.”
“Better idea, why don’t you meet us at the Summit County Sheriff’s Office,” Whit said.
“Why can’t you believe me? Oh, no! They’re at the front gate. Use the back driveway and stay out of sight near the exit. I’ll open the gates and let them in, then you drive out of there and I’ll close the gates behind you. Go!”
Carly stood, clutching Mia against her chest. Whit checked his phone, which he’d synced to the home surveillance system. Sure enough, an SUV with two men was parked at the front gate. The driver was punching in codes.
“Get Mia’s things,” Whit said to Carly. “How did they know we were here?” Whit asked the mystery woman on the phone.
“I’ll explain later. Meet me at the picnic area just outside Freeland State Park. One hour. Don’t let anything happen to Mia.”
Whit’s instincts told him Sam wasn’t messing with him, that she genuinely cared about Mia’s safety. Plus, Carly vouched for her, which held weight in Whit’s book.
They did as Sam suggested and, headlights off, used the back driveway to approach the front gate. Whit parked and they stayed low as they waited.
“I hope this isn’t a setup,” he muttered.
“Have a little faith,” Carly said.
“I’m tryin’.”
“Sam texted me. I told her we’re in position. She’s opening the gates.”
Neither of them could see what was going on, both because they were partially blocked by the shrubbery, and because they were hunkered down. Whit eyed his phone and watched a black SUV speed through the open gate.
“Now?” he said.
“Wait,” Carly said.
Buckled in the car seat, Mia squeaked and kicked her feet.
“Someone’s ready to get outta here,” Whit said.
“Okay, go!”
Whit turned over the engine and shoved it into gear.
He didn’t want to peel out and draw attention, so he slowly pressed the accelerator.
The gates started to close.
“What’s she doing?” Whit said. “We’re not through!”
THIRTEEN
“They must be closing automatically,” Carly said. “That’s normal.”
“I thought she said she could control them.”
He gripped the steering wheel. Easy targets. If the intruders figured out they’d fled the coach house, they’d double back and find them sitting here, waiting to be picked off.
The gates closed completely.
“Carly,” he said.
“Hang on, she’s not responding.”
“This feels like a setup.”
“Don’t say that.”
He glanced out the side window. Couldn’t quite see the coach house. Two guys. He knew two guys had breached the property.
“I’m out of moves here,” Whit said. Calling the police wouldn’t do him any good. It would take too long for them to respond. “Anything?”
“Come on, come on,” Carly muttered.
Whit took a deep breath, then another. Counted to five. The perps must have figured out that Carly and Whit had fled with the baby.
He scanned the property for another option. Any other option.
There was none. They were trapped in a cage with their enemy.
“I’m calling 9-1-1.”
“Okay, she’s got it,” Carly said.
The gates slowly opened.
He could sense the guys coming after him, speeding up the drive.
No, change your focus. Focus on getting away and protecting the people you care about: Mia and Carly.
He’d made a promise to his brother and intended to keep it.
In those last few seconds it took for the gates to open, he realized he’d also made a promise to himself: when this case was over, and they were out of danger, he would not only mend his relationship with Harry, but would also pursue a relationship with Carly.
There was something there, something bigger and more powerful than he’d ever felt with another woman.
What a crazy thing to be thinking about right now.
The gates were nearly open.
..
Flickering headlights drew his attention to his rearview mirror.
“Stay down!” he ordered Carly.
He’d never make it through and leave the perps behind. Not at the speed they were going.
“New plan. Get behind the wheel,” he said.
“What?”
“I need you to drive away when the gates fully open.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Yes you will. For Mia’s sake.”
He scrambled out of the car and found cover twenty feet away. Best-case scenario: he’d immobilize their vehicle. Worst case, he’d draw their fire and be shot. Either way, it would give Carly a chance to escape with Mia.
As he hid beside a tree, he ignored the muscle injury that was supposed to prevent him from successfully using his right arm to fire a weapon.
The gates were fully open.
Whit motioned for Carly to get away.
He turned toward the assailants.
Aimed low...
Took a breath.
Fired off three shots. At least one of them hit the SUV’s tire and sent it careening into a tree.
Whit took off after Carly. He wasn’t sure how long he had before the perps extricated themselves and started shooting. Whit did not want them shooting at the car. He waved his arm for her to keep going.
Carly drove safely away. The gates started to close.
Whit ran faster, his gaze fixated on the sedan he’d bought in Cold Creek Springs. It disappeared around the corner. Out of sight.
“There!” a man shouted behind him.
The gates squeaked as they continued to ease shut.
He slid through a gap sideways, tore off down the private road and spotted brake lights. Carly was waiting for him.
The clunk of locking gates echoed behind him. Good, they were safe.
A gunshot rang out. Whit automatically ducked and yanked the car door open. “Go, go, go!”
Mia was crying. Carly was as white as a sheet as she clung to the steering wheel and sped away from the mansion toward the interstate.
* * *
When Whit asked Carly to pull over and offered to drive, she didn’t argue. Her hands still trembled from the trauma of being shot at. Besides, she needed to climb into the back seat and comfort Mia.
