Page 19 of Elsie's Strong Shelter

“She’s in the right place for it.” When his statement didn’t coax a reaction from her, he continued. “So you think I’m handsome, huh?”

She wrinkled her nose and a light blush crept up her neck to settle in her cheeks. “That’s not exactly what I said.”

“You don’t think I’m handsome?” He hooked a brow and frowned. His attempt at teasing to lighten her mood had backfired, and now he was a little affronted.

She struggled against a smile. “You’re all right to look at.”

He grinned. “Right back at ya.”

“You’re ridiculous.” She shook her head then tucked away a few bracelets setting on top of the counter. “How was your call?”

“Enlightening. It was Sadie.”

Elsie stilled. “And?”

“She and Tommy questioned Mrs. Pauly. The woman swears she hadn’t seen Mila last night. Unfortunately, there are no cameras on the houses nearby to verify that, but Sadie believes her.”

“But that was Mila’s scarf. I know it was. She wore it last night. She always wears the red scarf in her hair when she has on those silly smiley face scrubs.”

“There’s a chance Mila showed up and something happened before she entered the home,” Dean said.

Elsie crossed her arms over her chest and nibbled on her bottom lip. “What about the grandson?”

“That was my question as well. Mrs. Pauly said her grandson went to work after she fell asleep. Sadie couldn’t find any current employment on record for her grandson—Justin Pauly—and is tracking down whatever information she can. Have you ever heard of him?”

“The name doesn’t sound familiar.” Elsie frowned. “Why would some guy Mila doesn’t know stop her before going into his grandmother’s house and do God knows what to her?”

Not wanting to dive into why bad people did bad things, he shrugged. “Maybe she does know him, and you just weren’t aware. Or maybe he has nothing to do with it. But there doesn’t seem to be anyone she does know who you think would want to hurt her.”

“I swear there isn’t.” She threw her hands in the air. “Don’t you think I would tell you if I could think of anyone?”

“What about Jimmy’s father?”

Elsie worked her jaw back and forth. Anger flashed in her hazel eyes to rival the lightening striking the stormy skies outside. “He hasn’t been in the picture since Mila found out she was pregnant. Skipped town and never looked back. There’d beno reason for him to show up all these years later just to hurt her. What would be the point?”

He bounced the information around in his head, trying to make heads or tails of it all. “Revenge? Guilt? Maybe he decided he wanted to finally do the right thing and reach out, but Mila wouldn’t hear of it. Wouldn’t let him near his son so he decided to take things into his own hands.”

“Hisson?” Elsie said through clenched teeth. “He gave up any right to call Jimmy his son when he walked away. He’s a deadbeat who doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near Jimmy. And if he reached out, I hope Mila tore him a new one.”

“I agree one hundred percent,” Dean said. “But it’s an avenue that still needs explored. Even just to cross him off the list.”

She closed her eyes for a beat then blinked them open again. “His name’s Keith Brookstone.” She spat out his name as if the sound alone was enough to make her sick. “He was a little older than Mila, a year or two out of high school when they started dating. He’s not from here so I don’t know much about him.”

“It’s a good thing I’m so talented at finding people who don’t want to be found.”

“I hope so.” Sadness dropped her voice low.

“Elsie! Dean! Can I help now?” Jimmy ran into the room and skidded to a stop at Dean’s side. “I only had three cookies. It was so hard to say no to number four.”

Dean ruffled the mop of light hair on the top of Jimmy’s head. “All right, kiddo. Let’s put you to work.”

He watched the adorable kid skip to the back of the room and scoop up a shirt from the floor. With his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, he struggled to place it back on the hanger. An ache in Dean’s chest intensified. Only a few more hours before he’d stand by Elsie and watch a little bit of Jimmy’s innocence be ripped away.

He’d enjoy every second with Jimmy he could until then.

8

Bone-deep exhaustion weighed down Elsie. Shutting herself into her bedroom, she collapsed on her mattress and buried her face in the mound of pillows. If she thought her conversation with her mom earlier had been tough, it didn’t hold a candle to explaining to Jimmy why his mom hadn’t come home.

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