Page 37 of The Sheriff's Baby

“Good. Because I’m sure Molly will ask when she sees you. You can see her now,” Sonya added. “A really short visit, though, after the pediatrician is finished examining Annika. That’s what Molly’s naming her.”

Joelle got up out of the bed, intending to head to see Molly right away, but Duncan’s phone rang.

“It’s Luca,” Duncan relayed. “You’re on speaker,” he added to Luca when he answered. “Give me some good news.”

“I might be able to do just that,” Luca replied. “I’ve been digging into Willie Jay’s background, and I found out something very interesting. Willie Jay used to work for one of our suspects.”

Chapter Ten

Hamlin.

Duncan wouldn’t have been surprised no matter which of their suspects Luca had named. Kate, Brad or Hamlin. At this point, Duncan considered the three to all be sharing that top spot for their number one suspect.

Too bad he couldn’t eliminate two of them, and then he’d know which one of them was responsible. Well, maybe. The gut-twisting possibility was that the culprit hadn’t even surfaced, that Willie Jay’s boss was someone other than Hamlin.

Still, Willie Jay had worked for Hamlin so that was a start.

“Arrange to have Hamlin brought in right away,” Duncan told Luca, and Luca assured him he’d do just that.

Duncan ended the call and slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Sonya, I figure you didn’t get much rest, what with being called in early and Molly’s birth coach, but do you have the bandwidth to stay here with the baby and her until I can get someone else to guard them?”

“I can stay as long as needed,” Sonya quickly assured him. “In fact, I’d like to stay the night. Molly and I are friends, and I think she’d be more comfortable with me than with someone else.”

“I agree,” Duncan told her, “but if you feel yourself start to fade, then let me know.”

Duncan checked the time. The hours were just racing by, and they had so much to do. But it was a priority now to see Molly. Not just because she might be able to give them answers but also because she was part of their Saddle Ridge Sheriff’s Office family, and she’d been through a hellish ordeal. Then, Joelle and he could go back to the sheriff’s office and wait for Hamlin. Duncan had no doubts that Luca would be able to locate the PI and get him in there fast.

“I take it you’re up to this visit with Molly and the baby?” Duncan asked Joelle.

“Absolutely.” Her answer was quick and resolute.

Ruston checked his watch as well, and he leaned over and brushed another kiss on Joelle’s cheek. “I’ll head back to San Antonio and work the arrest warrant there. I just wanted to see for myself that you were all right. Are you going to Slater’s tonight or will you stay with Duncan?”

Obviously, the question threw her because she gave him a blank stare for a couple of seconds. “To be determined,” she said at the same moment Duncan said, “I’ll take her to my place.”

“Good,” Ruston concluded, but he didn’t spell out why he felt that way.

“Good,” Joelle murmured, not sounding nearly as pleased about staying with him as Ruston had been.

They went into the hall with Ruston heading for the exit, and Sonya, Duncan and her going in the direction of labor and delivery. Sonya must have sensed Duncan needed to have a word with Joelle about the sleeping arrangements because she walked ahead of them, giving them some privacy.

Duncan waited for Joelle to spell out that it was risky for them to be under the same roof. Especially after the kiss and the steamy looks they’d been giving each other.

“My resistance for you is really low right now,” she whispered. “You saved my life, and you’re the father of a baby we both love and want to protect.”

That was it. No extra line to clarify where that low resistance would lead them. Duncan’s guess was to bed since he didn’t have a whole lot of resistance when it came to her, either.

And that caused him to curse.

Because she’d just confessed she was vulnerable. Of course, she was. She’d nearly been kidnapped and could have been killed. So, landing in bed was totally out since it’d be taking advantage of her.

“Yes,” she murmured when he cursed again, and the response confirmed she was well aware of his thought process.

His body didn’t want to give up on the “landing in bed” part, but Duncan had to shove all thoughts of that aside as Sonya opened one of the hospital room doors. When Duncan looked in, he immediately saw Molly on the bed. She was smiling and cooing down at the baby she was holding.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Molly asked, her smile widening when she looked up at them.

Duncan took one of the paper surgical masks from a wall holder, put it on and went closer. “Yep, she’s beautiful all right.”

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