Page 18 of Fractured Memories

“Thank you.”

The sweet gratitude sent an ocean of tenderness surging through Felicity. “You’re welcome, sweetie. I like your T-shirt.” She pointed to the strawberry dancing across the fabric. “Do you know what color that is?”

“Red!” Harper shouted the word and then bounced on her dad’s legs. “Red strawberry.”

Imogene placed a bowl of green beans on the table. “Harper knows most of her colors, but since strawberries are her favorite fruit, she remembers red very well.”

“She’s a smart girl.” Felicity wiggled her fingers and moved them closer, as if she was going to tickle Harper. The little one squealed with excitement. She resembled Sally so much, from the curly hair down to the bow-shaped mouth. Even her laugh resonated with the echo of her late mother’s lilting voice. “Strawberries are my favorite fruit too.”

Noah kissed the top of Harper’s head before placing her in the highchair next to him. He strapped her in securely before retaking his seat. “Aunt Imogene, this smells delicious. Let’s all sit and say grace. I’m starving.”

Imogene and Amber joined them at the table. Noah took one of Harper’s chubby hands gently in his own before offering his other hand to Felicity. She hesitated and then slipped her fingers across his palm. The moment their skin touched, a jolt of electricity coursed through her. Noah’s touch was warm and familiar but incredibly different at the same time.

Their gazes met. A spark of something akin to attraction flared in Noah’s eyes. Felicity’s pulse kicked up a notch. It reminded her of the moments right before the shooting when she’d sensed he wanted to kiss her. Was she imagining his interest? Or was it genuinely there? And if so, what did that mean?

Noah gently squeezed her hand and then bowed his head. Felicity clasped hands with Amber, who was seated on her other side and then followed suit.

“Lord, we thank You for the food before us.”Imogene’s voice was thick with emotion. “We thank You for gathering us all together to enjoy this dinner together and ask for Your continued protection, especially over Noah and Felicity. Guide them in their search for the truth. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”

A chorus of amens followed. Then everyone passed plates of food, helping themselves to the wonderful feast that included fresh rolls and creamy mashed potatoes. The conversation flowed as they discussed everything from running the ranch to Amber’s upcoming summer camp.

Finally, Felicity put the last bite of food in her mouth and leaned back in her chair. “I ate enough for three people. Imogene, you outdid yourself. Everything was amazing.”

“Thank you, dear. Of course, I hope you saved room for dessert. We’ve got fresh brownies and vanilla ice cream.”

“Ice cream.” Harper wriggled in her highchair. “Me ice cream. Me. Harper ate well.”

The plastic plate in front of her held remnants of her dinner. She’d eaten most of the food, save for a few green beans. Noah stabbed one with his fork and offered it to her. “One more bite and then ice cream.”

The little girl dutifully opened her mouth. From the way her nose wrinkled after Noah fed her the green bean, the vegetable wasn’t her favorite. Felicity smothered a laugh behind her hand. Making sure she kept her voice to a whisper, she leaned over and said, “I don’t think she likes them.”

He chuckled. “Agreed. She tolerates them because eating dinner is the only way to dessert.” He kept his voice low enough the toddler couldn’t overhear. “If Harper had her way, she’d live off ice cream and strawberries.”

“Sounds reasonable to me.”

Noah glowered. “Don’t you dare tell her that.”

Felicity laughed. Harper leaned over to see around her dad and grinned. Her dimples were adorable.

Noah’s cell phone rang. He groaned and fished it out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen and then back at her. “It’s Tucker.” Noah answered the call, rising from the table, tossing an apologetic look toward his foster mother who was plating brownies. “Hodge.”

Felicity followed him out of the kitchen and into a small office.

Noah listened for a few moments and then said, “Meet us at Felicity’s rental house in an hour.” He hung up and turned to her. His forehead was creased with confusion. “Technicians located a partial print on the dash on the passenger side of the abandoned truck. They ran it through the criminal databases and got a hit. We know who the shooter is.”

She braced herself for bad news. “Who is it?”

THIRTEEN

Noah took a seat at the dining room table next to Felicity. The hearty dinner sat like a lump in the pit of his stomach as stress and worry tangled his insides. Across from him, Tucker’s expression was grim. He wore his uniform, although it was wrinkled along the chest from a long shift and his jaw was shadowed with beard growth. Grady looked equally worn out. The Texas Ranger was still wearing the same clothing as earlier and the circles under his eyes were darker than before.

The scent of fresh coffee filled the tiny space. Everyone had a mug of the dark brew, along with one of Imogene’s homemade brownies, which she’d packaged up for their meeting. Noah took a swig of his drink and instantly regretted it. The flavor was perfect, but his stomach couldn’t handle the acidity. Beside him, Felicity twisted her mug but didn’t drink from it. Worry lines bracketed her mouth. He wanted to reach across the distance between them and gather her into his arms. Tohold her until the tension riding her shoulders disappeared.

In the last twenty-four hours, she’d been pushed down the stairs, nearly burned alive, and shot at. Felicity didn’t deserve this. No one did. But the fact that it was her life in danger… it sparked a protective streak inside Noah that was fierce and undeniable.

He would do anything to protect her.Anything.

Noah was used to putting his life on the line for strangers. He was a cop, after all. But this was different. The risk was greater and becoming more so with every passing minute. The wisest thing would be to pass this case over to the Rangers. They would protect Felicity and make sure justice was done. Noah had a daughter to think about. A little girl who’d already lost her mother and needed her dad. Mentally, he knew what the logical answer was. But he couldn’t do it. His heart wouldn’t allow him to walk away from Felicity.

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