Page 3 of Saving Salem
Salem felt the corners of her lips curve up. She adored the Boudreau matriarch, and honestly, she couldn’t wait to be back in Shiloh Springs. It was the one place where she’d finally felt safe. Oh, she loved New Orleans and everything about it, and never planned to live anywhere else, but there would probably always be a special place in her heart from the little Texas town and for the second family she’d found there.
“I’m on my way.”
CHAPTER TWO
Dinner at theBoudreau family table was a definite eye opener. The large table in the formal dining room could seat twelve easily, more when the need arose. Tonight, Rafe and Tessa were there, along with Dean and Destiny, Ms. Patti, and Douglas. Jack was glad he somehow rated an invite to the family dinner.
Dinner had been excellent, but then he hadn’t expected anything less from Ms. Patti and the other ladies. They’d been gathered in the kitchen when he’d arrived, and he had the feeling they were waiting for him, because as soon as he got there, they’d started loading the table with a huge array of food. There’d been pan-seared pork chops with stuffing, homemade applesauce, a corn pudding that he couldn’t get enough of, asparagus, homemade biscuits, and gravy. The kind of cooking he’d grown up with at home before his mom had gotten sick.
“Great meal, as usual, love.” Douglas smiled at the blush that spread across Ms. Patti’s cheeks. It was a sight Jack hadn’t expected, the indomitable Patricia Boudreau blushing at a compliment from her husband. When he caught Douglas’ gaze, the other man nodded his head, as if he understood his confusion. Pretty much everyone he knew looked at Ms. Patti as the strength and backbone of the Boudreau clan. Somehow, they occasionally forgot that she was a woman who adored her husband.
“I concur, ma’am. Wonderful meal and I appreciate the invite.”
“You’re quite welcome,” she said, standing and beginning to gather the dirty dishes. “Why don’t y’all head into the living room and we’ll get the dessert ready. We’re having banana pudding with homemade whipped cream.”
Though he’d eaten until he was stuffed, Jack felt his mouth watering. How had she known banana pudding was his favorite? He usually refrained because he needed to keep in shape for his job. Tonight, he wasn’t about to bypass the sweet treat. Not if Ms. Patti had made it.
In the living room, the conversation was mostly casual, as it had been throughout dinner. Small talk about things happening around Shiloh Springs, just general gossip. While he’d grown fond of the small town, he wasn’t a part of it. Then again, he wasn’t a part of anywhere really. A lonely one-bedroom apartment in Austin, where he laid his head when he was in the city. Since he was single, he mostly traveled for jobs where a ranger’s expertise was needed. He didn’t mind; it kept him busy and his mind occupied. Otherwise, he found himself thinking about a pretty redhead he had no business thinking about.
When a bowl of banana pudding landed in his hands, he looked up into the gaze of Ms. Patti. A secretive smile on her lips made him cautious, almost suspicious. She looked like she had a secret, one she wanted to share with him, and yet he had the feeling she held back for her own reasons. Maybe she’d share later.
Digging into the pudding, he nearly moaned at the sweet goodness, and he practically inhaled the thing, barely refraining from asking for seconds. He wondered if anybody would notice if he licked the bowl. Instead, he leaned against the sofa’s back, listening to the banal conversations, until he heard Salem’s name.
“Salem called me this afternoon.” Ms. Patti moved across the living room to perch on the arm of her husband’s chair.
“How’s she doing?” Douglas reached over and grabbed his wife’s hand. Jack heard the affection in his words.
“She’s on her way here.” Was it his imagination or did Ms. Patti look straight at him when she answered Douglas’ question? “Looks like Tarik’s family is giving her grief. They’re threatening to take Chloe away from her.”
Douglas sat a little straighter, asking, “Can they do that? She’s Chloe’s mother.”
“I don’t know all the ins and outs of international law. Here in the U.S., she’d have no problem keeping custody of her daughter, especially with all the witnesses who heard him threatened her before Chloe’s birth. But how the law works in Dubai? I don’t know, which worries me. Anyway, she’s going to talk with Chance when she gets here.” Ms. Patti touched her husband’s hand, the sign of comfort making Jack’s chest ache at the love between the two older Boudreaus.
All the warm feelings Jack had felt throughout the intimate family dinner disappeared, replaced by anger. How dare that monster’s family think they could take Salem’s child away? She’d been through hell at the hands of the baby’s father, until she’d managed to escape his clutches, running halfway across the globe to get away from his narcissistic abuse, both emotional and physical.
“Chance will get her answers.” Douglas’ deep voice resonated with conviction. “If he can’t help her himself, he’ll point her in the direction of someone who can.”
“Momma, you told her to come here, didn’t you?” Rafe’s voice held an indulgent yet teasing note, the corners of his lips turning upward. “Can’t resist helping the helpless, can you?”
“Be quiet, you rapscallion. You’d have done the exact same thing.”
“Yep,” he replied, chuckling.
“Ms. Patti, is there anything I can do to help? Unofficially, I’ve got connections through the Texas Rangers. Might be able to rattle a few trees in Waco,” Jack offered.
“Such a good boy.” Ms. Patti’s sweet smile helped quell the raging inferno inside his chest. The thought of anybody hurting Salem made him want to crush anyone who tried. “Let’s see what Chance can figure out first. Maybe you can coordinate with him, see what he needs.”
“Be happy to.”
Before he could say anything else, the sound of a car pulling up onto the gravel drive in front of the Big House could be heard. She was here. Salem had arrived, and he sprang to his feet, ready to race outside and sweep her up into his arms, protect her from all adversity.
Rafe grabbed his arm, shaking his head. Drawing in a deep breath, he nodded to his friend. He watched Ms. Patti head toward the front door and allowed the anticipation of seeing Salem again flood through him.
He’d keep her safe, no matter what it took. Starting tonight, he swore to be her savior. Her white knight. The one who’d protect her from everything and everyone. Hopefully, she’d let him.
Salem released asoft sigh as she put the car into park in front of the sprawling Boudreau homestead. Glancing over her shoulder, she paused at the sight of Chloe sleeping peacefully in her carrier, secure in the back seat. Because she had a new tooth coming in, she’d been fussy, finally settling down as the quiet purr of the engine and the vibration of the car silenced her tears and lulled her to sleep.
It felt like she’d been driving for hours, ever since she’d talked to Ms. Patti. For the most part, the drive had been uneventful, only running into a traffic snarl in a suburb of Houston, right outside a place called Sugar Land. How could a place with such a sweet name have some of the messiest traffic disasters she’d seen in years?
