Page 149 of Beat of Love
And found nothing.
Sure, his swarthy complexion hinted at his Brazilian roots, but there was nothing in the kid’s face that screamed“Miguel Oliveira’s son”.
“Itisyou,” the boy declared with wonder in his voice. “Mom said if anything happened to her, you would come. And youdohave the bestest blue eyes ever.”
“Your mom talked about me?”
Connor nodded vigorously, but then his mouth started trembling. “Mommy’s gone to heaven,” he whispered.
Quickly closing the gap, Rafferty sank to his haunches. “I know,” he whispered back and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He squeezed gently. “And I am so very sorry for that.” His hand looked huge resting on Connor’s slender frame.
Big, tear-filled brown eyes stared earnestly at him. “Can me and Nadie live with you now?”
A lump the size of Texas formed in his throat, strangling his “yes”.
“And will you help me keep Nadie safe?”
Help keep Nadiesafe?
Before he could form a reply of his own, Connor continued, “’Cos Mommy said I must be brave and look after my sister if something bad happened to her. But I’m just a kid, and if that lady comes back—” The boy’s eyes widened, and he slapped a hand over his mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to tell,” he whispered.
“What lady?” Rafferty barked, his heart thudding hard.
Connor shrank from his grip and stumbled back, fear flooding his eyes.
Great, Raff. Off to a stellar start.
Sinking to his knees, Rafferty raised his arms in a calming gesture. “I’m sorry, Connor. I didn’t mean to yell at you. You’ve done nothing wrong. Truly. But I really need to know about the lady. It’s very, very important.”
Rafferty fought to squirm under the boy’s now probing gaze, his mind working overtime. He had no doubt Connor spoke of Kamila, but he needed more information. “Did a lady come to your house?” he prodded.
Connor’s lips trembled as he nodded. “But Mommy said I mustn’t tell anybody about that lady. Not even Jack, and Jack’s my best friend.”
“I’m pretty sure Mommy will be okay if you tell me, Connor. Especially if it helps me protect you and Nadie.”
The boy turned to search for his sister. The sheriff’s wife had since moved Sinead to a bucket swing where the girl swayed back and forth, kicking her legs. Connor’s gaze moved back, and he gave Rafferty another assessing look. “Promise you’ll protect Nadie?”
“I promise, Connor.”
Connor dropped his eyes. “I guess it’s okay then,” he mumbled. “’Cause you’re my dad.”
He kicked at the grass and stuffed his hands in his sweatshirt pocket.
“I was helping Mom wash the car when this really cool red Ferrari stopped in the street.” He glanced up at Rafferty, pride flickering through the sadness. “It was a Ferrari F8. I know ’cause I know everything about cars.”
Then his voice got quieter. “A lady got out. Mommy said really bad words when she saw her.”
His brow wrinkled. “She told me to run inside. Said I had to lock the front door and wake Nadie and hide in our special place. Not to come out till she came to get us.”
He kicked at the dirt again. “But Nadie had to go potty. I could hear Mom yelling through the bathroom window.
“When Nadie was done, we went to hide, but Mommy came back first.” He bit his lip.
“That lady made Mommy cry, Dad. Her eyes were all red and puffy.” He sniffed. “I asked what was wrong, but Mom just said it was nothing. She said I mustn’t tell anyone about the lady. That she was really bad. And if she ever came back …”
Conner looked up, his voice barely above a whisper. “I must hide with Nadie right away.” He paused, biting his lip. “Even if Nadie needed to potty.”
Rafferty’s mind reeled.
