Page 79 of Ambush

They were asleep in her bed by the time she heard a noise at the door and turned to see Blake leaning against the jamb with a tender expression on his face. She tiptoed out and shut off the light, then pulled the door closed behind her.

The amusement on his face glinted in his blue eyes. “That big brother Blake sounded like he could leap buildings in a single bound.”

“Which is why he’ll find magic bars awaiting him in the kitchen. He needs to keep up his superhero strength.” In the hallway she leaned against his chest, and his arms welcomed her. “And he’s devilishly handsome as well.”

He pressed a kiss against her hair. “And he’s pretty confused by the evening.”

She let him lead her to the empty living room. “Where’s your mom?”

“Frank is bringing her home. They went for ice cream.”

Paradise’s mouth gaped and she snapped it closed. “You let her go alone with Frank Ellis?”

“Let her? I didn’t have a choice. Those two took up together like they’d never been apart. Mom turned all giddy. I’d never seen anything like it.” He dropped onto the sofa and pulled her down beside him. “But to be honest, I liked the guy. I didn’t think I would, but he’s actually nice. He had eyes for no one but Mom. And get this—the reason he couldn’t buy this place was because of a nasty divorce.” He told her the details he’d learned.

“Could the rumors be wrong?”

“They were wrong about us. I never believe rumors.”

She settled into the cradle of his arm. “Have you been listening to the news? We’ve got a big storm coming in that’s likely to spawn tornadoes. Massive amounts of rain too and flooding likely. Hitting late tomorrow or on Friday.”

“I hadn’t heard. I’ll make sure we’ve got plenty of bottled water and kerosene for the heater. And plenty of food for the animals. If flooding starts, you and Mom can take the boys to TGU. They usually have a center set up in their gym with cots, food, and water.”

Unease flickered down her back at the thought of him staying here alone. “What about you?”

“Someone will need to feed the animals. Evan usually stays to help me. We’ve never had the house flood, but it’s come close a few times, and I had to use sandbags.”

They were used to storms and floods in the South, but preparation was key, especially for the park. He would feel responsible for everyone—including the animals.

He nuzzled her hair. “I got a call from Roger Dillard. He found what he thought might be the crime scene of Danielle Mason’s murder in a corral on the west side of his property. He’s going to call the sheriff’s department, but he wanted to give me a heads-up. I asked if I could look at it in the morning beforehe makes that call. He said he’s fed up with the way Greene is handling the case and wanted to make sure I’m not railroaded into jail.”

“It’s kind of him, Blake, but you’re not a crime-scene expert. What can you do? Should we maybe take Nora? I suppose it’s too soon to hear anything from her about the knife.”

“It’s not a bad idea. She’s separate from the sheriff’s department—they borrow her at times, but Jane is her boss. Savannah and Hez are friends with Jane. I’ll ask Hez what he thinks.” He pulled out his phone and made the call.

Paradise listened with half an ear to his side of the conversation as Blake thanked his cousin and ended the call. “Hez wants me to have Dillard report the site to Pelican Harbor PD. Then Jane can send Nora. Hez will give Nora and Jane a heads-up. We can meet them out there in the morning. I’ll call Roger now.”

It was the best they could hope for. She sipped the cold remains of her herbal tea while he notified Roger.

He ended the call and set his phone aside. “That’s settled. Maybe it will be a break in the case.” He twirled one of her fat curls around his finger. “I love your hair.”

“Are you trying to distract me from the case?”

He pressed his lips against her hair and spoke into the thick strands. “Maybe.”

“Maybe it’s working.”

He captured her lips when she turned her head and pulled her into a tighter embrace. When he kissed her like this, she could almost forget the problems looming.

A car door sounded, and he pulled away. “So you made me magic bars?”

“The boys might have left you a few.”

He grinned down at her as his mother entered the house. Paradise tried to hide her surprise at Jenna’s windblown appearance. The updo she had when she left here was now a down-do that straggled onto her shoulders.

“Uh, Mom, have you looked in the mirror?”

“I must be a mess.” Jenna combed at her hair with her fingers. “Frank put the top down on his convertible.” She kicked off her heels before settling into a chair opposite them. “I’d forgotten how much fun Frank always was. He hasn’t changed a bit.” She must have noticed their astonishment because pink rushed to her cheeks. “It was just a fun night. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed like that.”

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