Page 42 of Taming His Honeydoll
IT WAS ABOUT TWO INthe afternoon and Levi had been assigned to take a nap because he was yawning and had had such a busy morning. The entire weekend thus far had been full of surprises for the little boy and he hadn’t been sleeping well. He didn’t always take a nap now that he was older, but Emma knew he needed one today or he’d be grumpy later. He grumbled about it but the huge yawn that brought tears to his eyes strengthened Emma’s firm resolve.
When Sawyer added a quiet command, he caved. “You heard your mama, Levi. You need to mind her because she loves you and knows what’s best for you.”
Once her son was down, Rachel agreed she would keep an eye on him while Sawyer took her out for a horseback ride.
“I’m assuming you want to ride Nutmeg?” Sawyer asked as they went into the barn to get her a saddle and riding gear.
“Yes, please,” Emma replied. She felt more at peace this morning in spite of the sore feeling that remained in her backside. It wasn’t enough to deter her from riding though. It was more of a gentle ache. She’d checked her butt when she was in the bathroom this morning and there weren’t any bruises, just a bit of residual pink left in places where he’d smacked her.
They had been out for about an hour riding along the foothills of the mountain range behind them when her cell phone rang. She stopped Nutmeg and reached into her jeans pocket and pulled it out. She didn’t recognize the number but she punched the button anyway. “Hello?”
“Emma! Thank God you’re alive! Is Levi with you? Are you both okay?”
“Henry?” She asked in disbelief. She punched the speaker button so Sawyer could hear. “Yes, we are both fine. Are you okay? I know Marlene took your phone. Is this a new one?”
“Yes, the old bat took my phone,” Henry replied, the anger evident in his voice. “I’m in town at the Bevier Wal-Mart and just purchased a phone and minutes so I could call you.”
“Wait. You’re here? In Bevier?”
“Yes here, in Bevier. I got into town and went to our home and it was a burned-out wreck! My first fear was that you and Levi had been caught in the fire and were both gone. Bloody hell, Emma, I was frantic with worry. What the hell happened?”
“When is the last time you spoke to your mother?”
“Just before she kicked me out of the house on Thursday evening. I knew they were angry, but I didn’t think they would do that to me.”
“But how did you end up here? I thought you had your own flat in London.”
“It wasn’t my flat, it was Everett’s, but he let me stay there. Technically, I lived at home. Bloody bother but I’m tired. Emma, where are you? Can I stay with you for a few days? That’s assuming Oliver will have me. I’m guessing you’re with your brother, stiff-necked bugger that he is. The overprotective chap would never let you stay in a hotel. I can explain how I ended up here when we meet again. Can you come and get me?”
Emma glanced over at Sawyer. “Yes, yes of course. I can send Oliver after you. Just stay put.”
“It’s not like I’m going anywhere, love,” he complained. “I have very little money and am virtually destitute and I haven’t heard from Everett yet. He was away on a business trip when I left. He’s going to be chuffed now because I took his egg money for expenses, but he’ll get over it.”
“Just sit tight on the bench outside Wal-Mart and Oliver will be there to get you,” she assured him.
“Cheerio then, love. See you soon.”
Emma hung up. “So, what do we do?”
“I think we should see if Nat can get over here so he can talk to Henry. You call Oliver and ask him to meet us here. I don’t want to take you and Levi away from the security here until I know you aren’t going to be assaulted on the freeway or something again.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
After making the phone calls, they turned their horses around and were headed back when both their cell phones buzzed with a sharp alarm.
It was the alarm for the barn perimeter breach!
Sawyer immediately sent Rachel a message, and then the security app went blank with nothing but a line through it. “The feed’s gone dead,” Sawyer shouted, kicking Bailey in the ribs. “Come on, let’s go. Nat will have gotten that alarm too.”
***
WHEN THE ALARMS FORthe barn perimeter went off, Rachel’s eyes opened wide and she raced for the stairs to get Levi. Someone was here that wasn’t supposed to be. It wasn’t Sawyer and Emma returning because Sawyer would have known to disconnect the barn breach alarm before getting near it.
Heart pounding, she acted on the pre-plans that had been discussed with Sawyer and ran into the bedroom. There she scooped up Levi, then raced down the stairs and grabbed the loaded shotgun off the fireplace mantle just as all power in the house shut down. Her sense of urgency off the charts, she went out the front door to the built-in tornado shelter Carter had put in years ago. It was off to the side so someone approaching from the barn area wouldn’t see them.
She set Levi down and punched in the code to open the door, then hustled Levi quickly down the first few steps and closed the door behind her. Inside was an iron rod that went through two large steel bolts to keep the inner door shut in the event a tornado might rip off the outer section of the coded door. It had happened once before and Carter had reinforced against the same thing happening again. When Sawyer got back, he would know where to look for them.
“Nana?” Levi’s eyes were huge in the darkness.
