Page 35 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

Lindsay

Iwoke up with a plan to clean my house so I could get the girls home in their own beds as soon as possible. But after yesterday, I realized the task was going to take longer than expected.

As the kids were getting ready for school, I found my father and Mira kissing in the kitchen.

I gave them a moment and then cleared my throat.

“We’re busy,” my father murmured.

“I’ll wait.”

Mira pulled away. “Did you need something?”

“I just want to ask if it’s okay that the girls and I stay here until I get the house cleaned up. It’s going to take me longer than I thought. I just don’t want them to see the mess and become scared.”

“You know you’re always welcome,” Mira said.

“Within reason,” my father joked. “You can stay as long as you need. Do you need help with the house?”

I shook my head. “No. I need to go through everything. Then I’ll hire help.”

Once I took the girls and Grayson to school, I headed over to my house, psyching myself up to see the destruction and begin clearing it away. I walked through the front door and surveyed the mess. Toys were strewn across the floor and books were ripped from their shelves, pages torn and scattered.

"Here we go," I muttered under my breath, picking up a torn throw pillow and tossing it over into what would become the throw-away pile. As I continued to sift through the debris, I made several piles—throw away, fix, and keep. Some of the keep items I’d put away if it was a fast and easy task. Others would be put away later.

With the living room nearly done, I was getting ready to take a break when my phone buzzed with a text notification.

Have you found it yet? Give me what is mine.

My heart raced.An overwhelming sense of unease creeped over me. Did they know I was going through my things? Was I being watched? The thought sent shivers down my spine. It was also clear that whoever was responsible for this still believed I had something of Liam’s.

I considered asking what I needed to be looking for but decided it wasn’t safe to engage with this person.

Instead, I called Detective Donovan.

“Don’t worry, Lindsay. I’ll be right over. Keep the doors locked and don’t open them for anyone but me, alright?”

“Alright.”

Not long after, Detective Donovan knocked on the front door. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “I haven’t heard anything more.”

“Can I see?”

I showed him the phone. “I was thinking that whoever it was could be nearby, watching me.”

“I’ll take a look around. Let me start inside, just in case.”

Oh, my God, the person could be in the house?

He began to examine the house methodically, moving from room to room with a careful eye. I trailed behind him, feeling like I was in a slasher movie. He checked windows and doors, occasionally peering out into the yard.

“It’s okay inside. Let me check the outside.” He left through the front door and several minutes later returned through it. “I didn't find anything suspicious, but I’ve called to have an officer keep an eye on the house while you’re here."

I felt safer knowing that. "Thank you, Detective. I really appreciate it."

“I already told you to call me Flynn, remember?” A ghost of a smile played across his lips. "And it's my job to help, so don't worry about it."

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