“Yes.” Still numb with fear and possibilities, Lucky dialed in and explained the mishap to his deputy. The squad was called off, and from outward appearances, everything was back to normal.
Except his heart.
Chapter Sixteen
The newborn business was exhausting. But any physical discomfort Lana felt was shadowed by her little girl’s beauty. Lily remained quiet and observant, rarely crying unless she was hungry. Lana felt the need to check on her often because of this, afraid that something might get overlooked.
Lucky took his father duties quite seriously. The last three nights since they’d been home from the hospital, he’d shot up out of bed before Lana could even wake up. He’d changed Lily’s diaper and brought her to Lana in bed so she could nurse. Sometimes he’d go back to sleep but most of the time, he’d lie next to her, watching them. Lucky would drop tender kisses against her shoulder and smile.
Not for the first time since meeting him, Lana felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
Despite the beauty of it all, Lana really was tired. That morning before Lucky left for work, he reminded Lana that he’d be working late.
“I’m sorry, Lana. One of my deputies is sick, and I told him I’d cover his shift. I felt like I owed him since he’s covered so many of mine recently.”
“I don’t mind,” Lana assured him with a smile.
But eight hours later, she needed a nap. Lily was good as gold, but Lana hadn’t quite found a rhythm to her day yet and was nervous to take a nap when Lily wasn’t sleeping.
The phone rang, startling both Lily and Lana. Snatching it off the table, she answered.
“I need to see that niece of mine,” Ally announced without preamble. I’ve got a rare day with no homework, so I thought I’d come over. Daddy wants to come, too.
Lana sagged with relief. “Yes, come over, please. It’s been a long day.”
“Do you need to get out? Maybe you could take Lucky some dinner and come back in time for Lily’s next feeding.”
“Ally, you’re a life saver. I’d love that.”
It didn’t take her family long to arrive, and after gently putting Lily in Ally’s arms, she grabbed her purse and placed a soft kiss on her baby’s downy head.
“I’ll be back in two hours.”
“Take your time,” Ally assured her. Her dad stood in the wings and smiled when she opened her arms to give him a hug.
“You doing okay, Lana?”
“Just tired. I didn’t realize I’d miss sleep so much.”
“This too shall pass,” he mumbled and squeezed her shoulders.
“Yes. I have to remember that. I’m only three days into it and I feel like it’s been three months.”
“She’s a good baby. She’s just making up for that at night.”
Chuckling, Lana exited the house and called Lucky on her way to the car.
“Have you had dinner?”
“Hey. No, I’m about to order a salad for delivery, why?”
“Ally and Daddy came over and offered to watch Lily while I come to have dinner with you. Why don’t you order it and I’ll pick it up and bring it over.”
At last, when Lana had paid for their food and made it to the station, Lana walked into his office and collapsed in the chair opposite him.
“You look exhausted,” he commented as he rose to give her a kiss.
“I am. It’s been a long day.”
“And I had to choose today to cover a shift.”
“It’s not your fault. I’m just not used to having a newborn around. How’s work been today?”
“Boring. I even managed to fall asleep at my desk during my lunch break. Gretchen found me drooling on my latest case.”
Lana snickered. “I would have paid money to see that.” Lana settled into the chair and took in her surroundings. It had been a few days since she had just sat and enjoyed the quiet. Constantly worrying if Lily was breathing or hungry took a physical toll.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Soft music played from Lucky’s small radio, and he hummed quietly, shuffling papers.
Thunder growled in the distance, and afterwards, only the slight hum of the heater remained. It was only a couple of weeks into the New Year, but the weather had been unseasonably mild so far this winter, and there had been a lot of rain, but no snow. There had even been a day or two that could actually be considered balmy.
She opened her eyes and Lucky smiled at her.
“What?”
“You’re beautiful.”
Over six months later and Lucky still had the power to make her blush. Only five days after the birth of her child, she still felt the familiar stir his gaze enticed.
“Lucky, I just had a baby.”
“You’re still the most beautiful woman in the world to me. You always have been.”
Lana couldn’t help but smile at his thoughtfulness. To think that Lucky had loved her for so long, even after how horrible she’d been to him in high school. She wasn’t about to take him for granted. James had proven to her when good things were handed to her, she shouldn’t push them away.
“Dance with me,” Lucky whispered.
It took Lana a second to realize the song they had danced to at the reunion was playing on his small radio.
“Oooh, such a romantic,” she grinned and stood.
“Let’s go outside.”
“But it’s about to storm.”
“Even better. We can watch it roll in. Then we can come back and eat our dinner.”
Lana angled him a sweet look. “I like the way you think, O’Donnell.”
Lucky’s soft chuckle met her ears, and he grabbed his radio and walked to the back door. Outside, the wind rustled the trees and lifted Lana’s hair off her shoulders. Lightning flashed to the west, illuminating thick, dense clouds. The world was quiet save the lone car driving by.
Lucky adjusted the antenna on the radio and erected, pulling her into his arms. Lana sighed contentedly.
“I love you,” he said against her hair as they swayed.
“I love you, too.”
Rearing back to look at him, Lana smiled. Lucky looked at her so intently, as if she were the only woman in the world. Lightning streaked again, and she gasped.
“Mother Nature loves to give us some pretty fireworks occasionally, huh?” came Lucky’s soft rumble.
“Just a reminder of our place in this world.”
“And what a great place that is right now. The only thing that would make it more perfect would be for Lily to be here with us.”
Tenderly, he kissed her, his lips moving confidently over hers. Warmth spread through her as his tongue danced with hers, mated. Just as he pulled her closer, the first raindrops splattered across her nose.
With a giggle, she pushed him away. “I think we should go inside. We’re about to get drenched.”
Lucky gave her a final kiss and gathered the radio.
“We better hurry and eat dinner. I don’t want you driving during a storm.”
Lana smiled. It was nice to be looked after.
*****
On the way home, Lana felt her eyes drifting closed several times. Startled awake by a loud boom of thunder, she tried hard to focus on where she was going. The rain was a steady drizzle at the moment, and she was thankful that the drive was a short one to her house.
She let herself in the house and saw her father sitting on the couch flipping channels on the TV.
“Where’s Ally?”
“She’s giving the baby a bottle. Couldn’t hold her off until you got here to feed her.”
“That’s okay.”
Lana threw her purse and keys on the dining room table and peeked in on Ally. In the rocker, Ally smiled and cooed at Lily, whose small arm flailed and grasped as she took her bottle. When the day came, Ally was going to make a great mother.
Lana walked over and smiled. Leaning down, she planted a soft kiss on Lily’s head.
“You’re an aweso
me aunt.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I like to think so. But she makes it easy. She’s such a good baby, Lana.”
“I know.”
“You look exhausted. Do you want me to stay and take care of her tonight so you can get some good sleep?”
Lana rubbed her eyes.
“No, that’s all right. I’m just going to go to bed. She’ll be down for a few hours once she’s finished with that. Thanks for watching her tonight. Lucky and I had a nice dinner.”
“Okay, I think she’s down for the count. Tummy’s full and she’s burped.”
Lana took Lily and swaddled her, then gently placed her in her crib as Ally looked on with a smile on her face.
“Thanks again, guys,” Lana said quietly once they were all back in the living room. Her dad simply smiled and nodded. Ally gave her a hug.
Just as they opened the door, another clap of thunder hit and the rain began to fall in thick, fat raindrops. The heavy sheets of rain weren’t far behind and Ally and her father took off for their car before they got drenched.
The sound of the rain hitting the roof lulled Lana and exhaustion resurfaced. She quickly dressed for bed and brushed her teeth. She had to get some sleep before Lily woke up again. Lucky would be gone until morning and she wouldn’t have his help tonight.
Snuggling into her bed, Lana thought about how empty it was without Lucky. She also thought that it would be easier to bring Lily into the bedroom with her to sleep in her bassinet, but she double-checked the monitor and confirmed that it was on. She’d hear Lily when she woke up and would get her then.
Listening to the rain pounding against the house, Lana’s eyes drooped. It was such a peaceful sound.
Within minutes, Lana drifted into a deep, much needed sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Sirens blared. Lights flashed. Adrenaline rushed.
Lucky chased hot on the tail of a white Honda.
“Pull over now or I’ll shoot your tires,” Lucky announced over his loud speaker.
Lucky had the vague sense of déjà vu come over him but he shook it off and tried to focus. Abruptly, the red brake lights lit up and before he knew it, the little old man got out of the car at an impossible speed and headed straight for him.
Seriously? Wonder what his father-in-law’s excuse was this time?
“Mr. Roche,” Lucky drawled, stepping out of his car.
But he didn’t hear him. “Have you talked with Lana?”
“Not since she left the station a few hours ago, what’s wrong?”
“Your neighbor called me and said they saw someone entering your house that looked like James. I’ve tried to call Lana but the storm must have knocked out the phone lines that way. You’ve got to hurry, Lucky, I’m afraid James is going to hurt her or Lily.”
“Get in,” Lucky commanded and growled at how slow his father-in-law seemed to move all of a sudden.
Turning his lights and siren on, Lucky made sure Mr. Roche closed the door to the car and then he lurched forward. His only concern was to get to Lana and Lily. He swore under his breath.
If anything happened to them, it was on his hands. He was the idiot who had told James the truth. Lucky suddenly wished time travel were possible. He’d go back and do everything so differently.
“How long ago did you get the call?” Lucky asked, his eyes straight ahead and his knuckles fisted white on the steering wheel.
“I don’t know, maybe fifteen minutes ago? I got dressed and headed straight over.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t know if you were home yet.”
Lucky fell silent again. His mind was filled with images of the horrible things he knew a man like James was capable of.
The tires of his car hissed along the road in the aftermath of the severe thunderstorm. What had originally been a romantic evening between him and his wife had turned into a nightmare. He silenced his siren and lights so if James was still hanging around, he wouldn’t be scared off. When Lucky got his hands on him, he would regret the day he was born.
Even though he was just a few streets over from his house, Lucky pulled out his cell phone and dialed his home number.
Pick up, pick up, please pick up.
But the phone just kept ringing. By the time he hung up, he’d pulled into the driveway. Lucky didn’t even bother cutting off the engine. His mood went from panicked to grim when he reached the front door and saw the forced entry marks. Looked like he’d used a crowbar.
“Don’t touch anything,” he ordered Lana’s father, who came up behind him. “I want to make sure nothing is tainted.”
Using his tie to cover the handle, Lucky turned the knob and pushed the door open. Inside, everything looked normal enough. A few magazine pages blew from the unexpected wind from the door.
And eerie feeling crept over his body, threatening to choke him. He didn’t pause long before he went down the hall to Lily’s bedroom. The crib was empty. Frantic now, with erratic breathing, he bolted down the hallway, saying a silent prayer that Lana had taken Lily to the bedroom with her.
Pushing the door open, he saw Lana in bed. Visions of crimson against his white sheets lurched him forward, throwing the comforter back to inspect her.
Lana jolted awake and looked up at him groggily. “Lucky, what’s going on?”
“Are you okay?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and running his hands over her to check for injuries.
“I’m fine, Lucky, what’s going on? Why is Daddy here?”
“Lana, James took Lily. The neighbor called your dad on her cell phone when she couldn’t get through on our phone lines.”
Lana sat up, her eyes wide and alert. “Where did he go? Lucky, you have to find her!”
“I’m going to. I’ve already put out an Amber Alert and called for backup. We’ll find her in no time.” He gathered her in his arm when a sob escaped her throat.
“Oh, Lucky, this is all my fault. I was so tired…I never heard anything. How did he get in?”
She clutched at his shirt and rested her head against his shoulder.
“Crowbar to the front door. When backup gets here they’re going to need to fingerprint everything. It’ll be best for you to come with me.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll stay here,” Mr. Roche spoke up. “In case James comes back with her.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” Lana crawled out of bed and ran into the bathroom. He knew she was throwing on some clothes and would be out in no time.
Taking a deep breath, Lucky tried to calm his heart. Finding Lana safe was only half the battle. No telling what a psychopath like James was capable of doing to a newborn. The weather was still chilly. He prayed James’d had enough sense to grab a blanket. What would he do for food?
Lucky had always believed in God, but now he prayed more than he’d ever prayed to find his baby girl. And he prayed he could hold it together in front of Lana when every cell of his body wanted to break down and cry like a little girl. It wasn’t often that Lucky was scared, but he was so scared right now, he trembled.
Within seconds, Lana met him in the living room. After another quick warning to Mr. Roche about not touching anything, they got in the squad car.
“What’s the plan?” she asked. He could tell she was still in shock and hadn’t had time to process everything. Even though her hands shook, her eyes held determination and a solemn expression that he only wished he could feel. His stomach was in knots, and he felt like he was going to vomit. But for Lana, he’d keep himself in check and wait until he was alone to let out his pent up feelings.
“He’s not going to do this to me again,” Lana said through clenched teeth. “He’s not going to have power over me.”
“We’ll find her,” Lucky assured her. But he wasn’t sure about anything. If James really wanted to hurt Lily, it was probably already done.
This was his fault. He’d live the rest of his life knowing that, regardless of the outcome
.
“I’m sorry, Lana,” he whispered, taking her hand in his.
“Me, too, Lucky. Me, too.”
*****
Lana wasn’t sure if she was angrier at herself for falling asleep or at Lucky for telling James the truth in a mad fit of male pride.
Now her little girl was missing, and she might never see her again. Strangely, Lana wasn’t afraid. Somehow she knew James wouldn’t hurt her baby. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t keep her as long as he could just to toy with Lana. After spending so many self-deprecating years with him, she’d walked away with one conclusion.
James loved to wield his power over her. He loved to make her feel small and force her to grovel.
And innately, she knew that was his goal now.
When she shared her theory with Lucky, he just shook his head.
“What if this isn’t about you, Lana? What if he took Lily because of me? I’m the one who asked you to the prom all those years ago. That’s what started this whole mess.”
“No, I’m the one who lied to him. He feels stupid that we played him. He hates to feel stupid. I know he won’t hurt her, Lucky, but he will do whatever he can to make us feel like we’re losing control.”
“But we won’t. You know how he works. We’ve got to keep our heads on straight, Lana. We can’t let him play mind games with us.”
They drove around town, Lucky shining his spotlight on every alley, every shadow and nook and cranny. But James and Lily were nowhere to be found.
After nearly an hour, Lana felt her hope waning and fear swelling. What if she was wrong and James did hurt Lily? What if he took her out of the country? They could be anywhere by now.
Streaks of tears fell down her cheeks and it took her a moment to realize those sobs came from her. She was such a mess. One minute she was confident, the next she was scared. Was this what everyone felt that had a missing child?
Lucky didn’t say anything, but his hand grasped hers, lending her strength. She admired his power and confidence, but she saw his Adam’s apple bobbing. The freshly fallen rain had caused a chill in the air, and with the windows down, Lana shivered.
Lucky for Her Page 16
