Page 9 of Clara's Secure Hideaway

Mrs. Collins grabbed a hand of each child and led them inside, being careful to keep the door open.

Heath cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”

She finally met his eye, unsure of how to answer his question.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That was unprofessional. I just meant, I know you were upset earlier and now you’re here.”

Sighing, she twisted her lips to the side. “Mitch showed up at the house. It threw me off and I needed to get out of there quickly.”

“Did he threaten you? Hurt your or the children?” His hands balled into fists at his sides.

“The threat was loud and clear,” she said, recalling his words. “I don’t feel safe there right now. This seemed like the best option.”

Heath plucked out a business card and handed it to her. The feel of his skin sent a shockwave through her system, but she ignored it as she plunged the card in her back pocket.

“If he shows up again, call me. I’ll go over the terms of his probation and see what we can put in place to protect you. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure he doesn’t hurt you.”

His kindness stung her eyes, and she was unsure how to respond to his show of protectiveness. She shouldn’t read too much into it. He was just doing his job. “You’ve already done plenty. And to help with the car, that’s going above and beyond.”

“It’s the least I can do.” He hooked a thumb behind him. “I’ll get the car seats out and place them on the porch and be in touch about your vehicle.”

With a dizzying combination of relief and worry and guilt, she hurried inside and closed the door. The sound of her children’s laughter led her to the kitchen. Mrs. Collins bustled around while singing silly songs and whipping together mugs of hot chocolate.

Davey and Avery perched on the stools in front of the island. They wore matching smiles and awe-filled eyes.

Davey turned toward her. “Can we have whipped cream, Mama?”

The simple joy on his face constricted her chest. He’d had so little in his short life to excite him. So much he hadn’t gotten to experience. She circled her arms around his neck from behind, pressing her cheek to his. “Only if I can too.”

Mrs. Collins sprayed a mound of creamy white fluff on top of the hot chocolate in a red mug and slid it her way. “Mama gets the first drink. She needs to make sure it’s not too hot.” She winked then prepared two smaller cups.

Clara took a sip. The sweet cream melted with the hot chocolate and comforted her like a warm hug.

“How is it, Mama?”

“Perfect,” she said, and tousled Davey’s mop of hair. She took another sip and savored the sweetness. Her children giggled and grabbed their cups, and she closed her eyes. Memorizing every second. This was the first moment of the rest of their lives, and she prayed it would stay just as sweet.

4

Heath’s hands were cold as ice as he pushed through the door of the sheriff’s department and stormed to his desk. He shoved his palms in his jacket pockets, but the soft lining did nothing to warm his skin.

The anger boiling inside him was a different story. Heat consumed him as his pulse raced, his aching heart pounding against his chest.

Dammit, of all the women for him to stumble across with a broken-down vehicle, it had to be Clara Parson.

Sitting at his desk, he drew in a deep breath. Clara and her kids were safe for the night. Now he could dig deeper into Mitch’s parole details and figure out how to keep the asshole away from her for good.

The sound of booted footsteps lifted his head. Owen Wells wove through the empty desks toward him. Stubble lined his jawline, and his sandy brown hair was cut short. Bags hung under his hazel eyes, showcasing a long day. “You find the woman?”

Heath swiveled in his chair to face Owen. “Yeah. Turns out it was Clara Parson and her two kids.”

“Surprised they were out this late,” Owen said. “Everything okay?”

“Mitch just got out of jail, and he’s already paid her a couple of visits. Once at work, and once at home.” A fresh wave of anger washed over him. “She had me take her and the kids to the shelter over in Pine Valley. She looked terrified.”

Owen crossed his arms over his chest. “Everyone who knows Mitch got out early was worried this would happen. I’d hoped he’d be smart enough to keep his nose clean. Doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case.”

Sighing, Heath scrubbed the fatigue from his face. His course whiskers scratched his palms. “We all need to keep watch on this. My gut tells me Mitch won’t let this go. I’m not sure how far he’ll take things, but if the past is any indication, the guy has no problem taking them too far.”

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