Page 116 of His Wild Seduction

“Good idea,” I replied, and tried the number.

“Hello? Hello? This is Meredith.”

“Miss Merry, thank God! It’s Gretchen Meriwether. Do you remember me? Um, I need you to come right away. You must come! There’s been a?—”

My heart stopped when she said her name. I had no idea Gretchen still worked there, if it was in fact the same maid who’d helped me run away.

Our connection was terrible, and I could barely understand a word she was saying. Before I could ask her to repeat it, the call ended.

“What happened?” Ellie asked.

“I don’t know. It was one of the maids working at my stepfather’s house. The call dropped, but she sounded super upset.”

“You mentioned you grew up near here, right? So the house is in Morristown? Why don’t you go check it out?” Ellie asked, concern marring her features.

“I would, but no, I mean, I’m not leaving you until the guys bring back the delivery,” I murmured, trying to redial the number, but it wouldn’t connect.

I mean, they were just going for a grocery run, but I wouldn’t expect Ellie to be okay with stranger men in the house. No way.

“Don’t be silly, Meredith. You can leave. It’s okay. We’ve met all the security guards before. Right, Sammy?” Ellie said, and I think she even rolled her eyes.

That was a good sign.

“Yep, Mommy! Mewedith, look!” Sammy said, racing his car back and forth.

“Wow, you are so good at that,” I told the little boy, and for one moment I imagined what it would be like when or if Josef and I had children.

My heart squeezed and my mouth went dry. I never thought I would ever have children of my own, but I realized suddenly, I wanted them. With him.

That was probably a conversation I needed to have with my husband. I shook my head and glanced down at another message apparently from Gretchen. I didn’t think it was politically correct to call her a maid, but my mind was blank.

She worked for the service that took care of Franklin Gray’s estate and had since I was a child. I knew Josef had kept them on until I got around to clearing out the house and putting it on the market.

We were supposed to do it together. But then he got called away.

Whatever this gas leak emergency was, Gretchen sounded frantic, and not being able to get another call through was making me anxious.

Maybe Ellie was right. Maybe I should stop by.

It was only a few minutes away by car.

Sammy squealed and raced his cars across the carpeted floor. I lifted my gaze watching the way Ellie looked after him with a mixture of intense love and sadness in her eyes, it just made me want to cry.

It also made me want to beat the crap out of her ex.

Especially when I focused on her arm, still in its cast.

Thank goodness her eye was better.

Only the faintest yellow remained of the shiner she’d had when she first came to St. Elizabeth’s.

“Meredith, we are fine. You have done so much for us, now I insist. Go see what is going on at your stepfather’s estate, then go home! You work too hard, and your husband is coming back, right?”

“He is,” I said, a smile teasing at the corner of my lips.

Ellie nodded. I liked seeing this side of her. The woman had grit. Sure, her husband did his best to beat it out of her, but there it was all the same. And I couldn’t have been prouder.

“Alright, tell you what. You and Sammy stay up here. I gave you the codes to lock the door to this floor, and you can engage the lock until after the guys leave. I’ll have Mario have one of them text you, so you know when they delivered the groceries, deal?”

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