Page 4 of Saving Salem
None of that mattered though, because she was finally here. Chloe was safe. Tarik’s family wasn’t in the United States. She knew that because Samuel Carpenter had alerts in place, ones which notified him the minute any member of the Amir family left their conclave in the U.A.E. He had the resources, money, and the connections to make it happen, as the owner of Carpenter Security Services.
Gator Boudreau, Gabi’s dad, hadn’t been home when she called, so she’d left a message asking him to get in touch when he could. She’d known him almost as long as she’d known Gabi. Even so, it felt weird to call him about her problem, though she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to help. The larger-than-life man was a mystery, even though he was her best friend’s father. Gator was an enigma, appearing and disappearing for days, sometimes weeks at a time, throughout their childhood. When they’d been younger, she and Gabi made up all kinds of stories about him and the adventures their imaginations sent him on. Always popping in and out of New Orleans, they’d spent hours picturing him in exotic locales, surrounded by beautiful women, starring in exciting adventures like their very own real-life version of Indiana Jones. One of her favorite stories had been turning Gator into James Bond, where she and Gabi had been his faithful partners in espionage. How ironic she’d found out recently that Gator had actually worked undercover for the government, though it had never been officially confirmed. The man was an honest-to-God CIA spook. Guess that might explain his nickname around New Orleans—Mr. Fix It.
Climbing from the car, she walked around and opened the back door, reaching in to unbuckle Chloe. Behind her, she heard the front door opening, and footsteps coming down the front porch. Turning her head, she smiled when she spotted Ms. Patti hurrying toward her.
“Good, you’re here. How’s my little angel?”
Salem grinned. While she always said Chloe was a perfect little angel, right now she was going through a phase with her teething and crying where she seemed anything but. Yet looking at her sleeping after their long drive, all tuckered out, she looked peaceful and content. Exactly the opposite of how Salem felt. Her nerves were a jumbled mess, anxiety through the roof, ever since she’d gotten the papers from Tarik’s family.
“She’s wonderful, of course. But I’ll warn you now, she’s teething, so expect bouts of screaming and crying at the drop of a hat. Poor little sprite is miserable.”
Ms. Patti reached forward and took the baby carrier out of Salem’s arms, making delightful cooing noises. It was so sweet to see her favorite person so enamored of Chloe. “You come inside; I’ll send Douglas out to get your stuff. We’re just finishing up supper. Can I fix you a plate?”
“Thanks, but no. I grabbed a sandwich about an hour ago when I stopped to feed Chloe.”
“If you change your mind, there’s plenty left. And banana pudding if you’re wanting something sweet.”
If she wasn’t wracked with anxiety, she might have taken Ms. Patti up on her offer. She loved the woman’s banana pudding. But right now, keeping anything on her stomach was iffy. The burger earlier—yeah, she’d managed about three bites before tossing it into the trash.
“Maybe later. Right now, I just want to talk with Chance, see what we can do to make sure Tarik’s family can’t take Chloe away from me.”
“Go on through into the living room. Douglas is there. Rafe and Jack too. Chance wanted me to call as soon as you got here.”
“I can’t tell you how much—”
“Stop that nonsense right now. You’re Gabi’s best friend and you’re family. In case you’ve forgotten, we take care of family around here.”
Salem took a deep breath, probably the first one she’d taken since leaving Louisiana. Truth was, she’d almost forgotten how fiercely loyal Ms. Patti was to her family, almost none of which were blood relations. All of her boys were former foster kids, taken in by her and Douglas. Troubled, angry, and miserable, the boys who came to live with the Boudreaus were some of the finest men she’d ever met.
“After everything that happened last year, all the horrible things Tarik put me through, the one good thing was meeting you and Douglas. And I’m happy to be considered part of your family. Chloe’s got my mom and dad, but she’ll always need her extra grandparents.”
A huge smile lit Ms. Patti’s face at her words, letting Salem know she’d said the right thing. It was true, she thought of the Boudreaus as surrogate grandparents for little Chloe. Heaven forbid anything happened, but she felt secure in knowing Chloe would have people in her corner, fighting for her.
“Get on inside, honey. We’ll get everything straightened out in no time. Nobody is taking my honorary granddaughter anywhere. You’re both safe here, I promise.”
Shooting a final look at Ms. Patti, Salem climbed the steps and walked into the Big House. The Boudreau homestead was exactly how she remembered—big, warm, and inviting. It didn’t take her but a second to notice the three men who stood the moment she walked into view.
Douglas was by her side in an instant, his arms wrapped around her, and she immediately laid her head against his shoulder. The man was built like a mountain, tall and broad-shouldered, yet for all his girth, he was gentle.
“How are you doing, little bit?”
“Better now that I’m here. I tried getting hold of Gator, but he wasn’t answering his phone when I left New Orleans.”
“I talked to him about an hour ago. He’s going to keep an eye on your place and let us know if anybody comes snooping around.”
“That’s good.”
“He’s gonna have his boys do a little checking around too. They know everybody in New Orleans. I swear they’re just like their daddy, gotta have their noses all up in people’s business. But in this instance, that’s a good thing, because they’ll know right away if any strangers show up in your neighborhood.”
Salem smiled softly and stared into Douglas’ eyes. “You Boudreaus are definitely something else. I’ve never met a family who cares so much about helping others. You helped me when I needed it most, and here I am, asking you to do it again.”
“There’s no question we’re going to help you, Salem.” Rafe’s deep voice came from beside her, and he placed a warm hand on her shoulder. “Nobody’s going to take Chloe away from you. You’re her mother. That’s what matters.”
She drew in a shuddering breath, before pulling out of Douglas’ arms. “I wish Tarik’s family understood that. How can they want to take her away from me? Take her away from everything and everyone that she knows?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they’re grieving and have finally realized that Chloe is all they have left of their son. Could be they want to be part of her life, and it’s not as bad as we’re thinking. Let’s give Chance a little time to figure out why the Amir family wants to gain sole custody of Chloe.”
She nodded, hearing Rafe’s words and knowing he meant well, but deep in her gut she knew Tarik’s family didn’t desire Chloe simply because she was his daughter. There was more to it. If they wanted to be a part of Chloe’s life, why had they waited almost a year before even contacting her? They’d never asked for any kind of visitation. Never tried to come and see her. There had to be more to them suddenly coming around, with legal demands to take away her child.
