Page 51 of Two Steps Ahead

“Go with him,” Weston said to her, praying she wouldn’t argue.

She nodded, not saying a word when Chance took the duffel bag and led her toward the front door.

Alone, Weston cleared the house room by room. It wasn’t ideal, but he wasn’t going to ask Chance to leave Maci long enough to help. His first sweep confirmed that Maci was correct: there was nobody else in the house.

After holstering his weapon, Weston went back through the whole house again. Everywhere he turned, the house had been torn apart. Drawers left open and rifled through. Contents of cabinets spilled everywhere.

Papers and shards of broken ceramic mugs littered the floor in what he assumed was the office. Chairs had been overturned and a few of the desk drawers were in pieces on the ground.

The place was so destroyed, it was hard to tell if anything was missing. He’d have to call Kayleigh to get her input.

He walked through the house again. This time, he tried to imagine what whoever had broken in was doing and why. This obviously hadn’t been a failed kidnapping attempt. If that were the case, it would’ve been smarter for the perps to have left no record of themselves so they could try again.

It almost seemed like they were searching for something... But then, why were the drawers only broken in the office?

Had the wannabe perps been optimistic at first, willing to leave things intact as they dug through the house, only to get discouraged when they didn’t find what they’d come for? What was so important in Kayleigh’s house that they’d trash the place to find it?

Weston didn’t know, but he was determined to find out what the hell was going on.

“ICAN’TBELIEVEI agreed to stay behind,” Kayleigh mumbled to herself.

She opened the cabinet and pulled down a mug. If she didn’t get caffeine into her system soon, she’d scream. Kayleigh let the smell of coffee wash over her as she poured her cup, trying to let the familiar scent relax her as it usually did. It didn’t work. She was too wound up.

Why had she agreed to stay here? It was her house that had been broken into. She should’ve been there. But when Weston had asked, she’d let him convince her otherwise.

It was everything she’d tried to avoid with her father.

“Weston is not Dad,” she reminded herself. “He’s trying to protect you, not surround you in bubble wrap.” Nevertheless, the situation didn’t sit well with her.

She was still mumbling to herself when Sheila walked into the kitchen. “Mind if I interrupt?”

Kayleigh’s cheeks flooded with heat. “I guess we can add ‘caught talking to herself’ to the list of things I haven’t enjoyed today. Can I get you a cup of coffee too?”

Sheila laughed, waving away the offer. “Trust me, I talk to myself all the time. Some days, I think it’s the only way I’ll get some quiet in my brain.”

“I’m usually by myself, so I guess I don’t even realize that I’m doing it anymore,” Kayleigh said with a shrug.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sheila asked, leaning on the counter across from Kayleigh. “I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener. Raising four teenage boys, I had to learn how to perfect that skill.”

Kayleigh had noticed that last night. Sheila had been aware of everything that was being said, even when the kitchen had been pretty chaotic.

Talking to others wasn’t easy for Kayleigh. She wasn’t quiet like Weston, but she was alone a lot. But she would try. “To be honest, I’m upset.”

“With Weston?”

Kayleigh rocked her head back and forth. “I’m more upset with myself.” She sighed, taking a fortifying sip of coffee before explaining, knowing Weston had filled Clinton and Sheila in on enough of what was happening for them to have a pretty good understanding.

“My father has always been protective—overly so. In his defense, some stuff happened when I was a kid to make him that way. And he has a lot of enemies, so he also tends to be paranoid. It’s led to more than a few fights over the years.”

“He loves you. It’s hard for a parent to put those protective instincts away, even when the children are grown.”

Sheila was obviously speaking from experience.

Kayleigh smiled at her. “I do understand that. And I love Dad. But I can’t live with someone smothering me.”

“And that’s what you’re afraid Weston is doing too.”

Kayleigh let out a sigh. “When Weston asked me to stay behind when he went to see what happened at my house, I agreed because I trust him with my life.”

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