Chapter 8 Lassoing a Lawyer

Three months later

J illian felt like a duck waddling around the house — a very swollen duck with a belly roughly the size of a hippo. “Three more weeks of this nonsense,” she grumbled as she made her way into the kitchen. She was too uncomfortable to wear maternity jeans this morning. She’d settled for a pair of gray knit leggings that gently hugged her blooming figure. Though it was April, it was still chilly, so she’d tugged on an oversized lemony sweatshirt. It wasn’t fancy, but being this far into her third trimester was the perfect excuse to elevate comfort over style.

Though she was dying to see Dave again, the self-conscious part of her half-hoped it wouldn’t be today. They visited as often as Lonestar Security could safely arrange for them to steal an hour or two together. They’d otherwise kept him out of sight and away from home. As far as the rest of the world knew, he was on an extended trip out of town. Working through Lonestar intermediaries, Dave had transferred his regular caseload to other attorneys around town. He’d also rented out the third floor of the office building he owned, where his private practice had previously been located.

It was a lot of change to absorb in such a short time. It was also a lot to keep secret from their small-town friends and neighbors. Rumors burned like wildfire around them. Folks speculated on everything from Dave’s practice going bankrupt to the possibility he was off indulging in some illicit affair. Man, but Dave hadn’t been kidding about no love being lost on attorneys! Every rumor she caught wind of about him was more brutal than the last one.

She was so ready to have her husband back to discredit every hateful word being said about him. Mostly, though, she just wanted him back! She was ready to have her body back, too. It would probably take a few months to lose the baby weight and return her waistline to its normal size, but she was going to be motivated to do it in record time once Dave was home. New-bride motivated. Delayed-honeymoon motivated.

“You’re almost to the finish line, hon.” Eloise was dressed and puttering around the kitchen when Jillian walked in. “It won’t be long now until you have that beautiful baby in your arms.” They’d fallen into the habit of eating breakfast together.

Eloise had taken over most of the cooking, which was fine with Jillian. If she’d been alone, she would’ve probably eaten much simpler fare like cereal and sandwiches. Instead, they dined on one delicious entrée after another, from spinach and egg quiches to grilled chicken and zucchini shish kabobs. She was really glad not to be alone right now, and not just because of the food. The combination of her and Eloise just worked .

“Thanks for the pep talk.” She accepted the veggie omelet Eloise handed her. “While I’m busy whining, I may as well admit that I’m already dreading the day you decide to return overseas. It’s been truly wonderful having you here.”

Eloise took a seat on the stool beside her. “Telling someone you enjoy having them around isn’t something I’d classify as whining.”

Jillian was pleased her mother-in-law had taken the compliment in the light it was intended. “I realize our relationship has been mostly giving on your part and taking on mine, but?—”

“How can you say that?” Eloise’s lips parted in indignation. “I’m the one who’s overstayed my welcome to the extent of smelling like rotten leftovers.”

Jillian’s mouth fell open. “If you were anyone else, I’d slap you for talking about my mother-in-law that way!”

Eloise gave a delighted cackle. “What a pair we make!”

“What a pair, indeed.” Jillian leaned an elbow on the counter and propped her cheek against it. “Please assure me you’ll at least stay until the baby’s born.”

Eloise gaped at her. “Nothing in this world would drag me away from Heart Lake before I lay eyes on my first grandchild. Nothing!”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to try to wrangle any free babysitting out of you.” Jillian had been wrestling with melancholy for days about bringing that up. “It’s just that having a baby is something you’d normally share with…” She hesitated, not wanting to sound ungrateful. She had it better than most people.

“With a mother?” Eloise supplied. “If you’re too nice to spit it out, I will.”

“Yes. That.” They’d never talked about her strained relationship with her family. She’d specifically avoided the topic. “I just want to say thank you for stepping into that role. You’ve done it so wholeheartedly and so well.”

“Listen.” Eloise glanced down at her half-empty coffee cup. “Though prying is one of my top skill sets, even you will agree I’ve been on my good behavior when it comes to talking about your family.” She drew a bracing breath. “But now that you’ve brought them up, I’ll say this. Anyone who didn’t want to be a part of our furniture shopping sprees for the past few months…or our baby blanket crocheting fests…or our failed attempts at sewing curtains for your nursery, it’s their loss.” Her voice was flat with conviction. “I’ve enjoyed every blasted second of having a daughter-in-law and every moment of anticipating becoming a grandmother.”

Her words sent a rush of emotion through Jillian. They’d truly been through the fire together. Even their furniture shopping sprees had been riddled with risks. To protect Dave’s name, their connection to him, and their collective whereabouts, they’d been forced to shop remotely and have Lonestar Security handle the deliveries.

On the bright side, Jillian had grown closer to her mother-in-law through every challenge they’d faced together. It was a closeness she was in no hurry to give up. “What if I’m not ready for you to return to Naples, Eloise? Even after the baby’s born? Or…ever?”

Eloise flushed with pleasure. “Jillian, hon, that may be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“I’m not trying to butter your corn, as Edward likes to say.” Jillian pushed her fork idly around her plate. “I only say it because it’s true.”

“Which makes it worth all the more to me,” Eloise returned warmly .

Since she wasn’t shying away from discussing their feelings, Jillian decided to press her point further. “I know Heart Lake isn’t Naples, and I would be lying if I said I understood how difficult it was for you to come back here, but…”

“You’ve made it less difficult, hon.” Eloise spun her coffee cup in a circle, making the dark liquid swirl against the sides of it.

Jillian straightened on her stool. “If that means there’s even the slightest chance you’d consider staying…” She hardly dared to meet Eloise’s eye. “For the long haul, that is…”

“Consider it?” Eloise pursed her lips. “Of course, I’m considering it! I’m considering a lot of things right now.” Whether she realized it or not, she glanced in the direction of Edward Wagner’s farm.

Hope welled inside of Jillian. “Has Edward asked you to stay, too?”

Eloise drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He’s dropped a few hints.”

A squeal of delight slid out of Jillian. “And?”

Eloise grimaced. “But all he’s done is escort us to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday.”

“And join us for lunch and dinner countless times,” Jillian reminded. How could her mother-in-law forget that?

Eloise ducked her head over her coffee mug. “He’s never asked me on an actual date, though.”

Jillian had been wondering about that. “Maybe he’s waiting on a sign from you that you’d actually welcome such a thing.” Her mother-in-law possessed a strong personality. Though Jillian had grown closer to her in recent months, even she still found the woman difficult to read sometimes. “Maybe he doesn’t want to blow things with you.”

Eloise caught her lower lip between her teeth. “I feel like I’ve given him every opportunity. I’ve flirted shamelessly with him in the kitchen. I’ve made sure our hands brushed while drying and putting away dishes together. I’ve put myself out there, hon. I truly have.”

“Does he know about your other marriages?” Jillian asked gently.

“Oh, I’ve been brutally honest about my many failures in the arena of love.” Eloise’s voice grew bitter. “Enough that he’ll probably never take a woman of my caliber seriously.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Jillian tried to choose her words carefully.

“If you’ve got something to say to me, hon, I think our relationship warrants that kind of honesty.”

She’d never seen her mother-in-law look or sound so vulnerable. “Edward strikes me as a very wise man. If I were in his shoes, I’d be more worried about competing with your first marriage than any of the other ones.”

“Good gravy!” A whimper escaped Eloise. “Am I that transparent?”

“Only to someone who knows you and cares about you as much as I do,” Jillian sighed. “As much, I suspect, that Edward cares about you.”

Hope sparked in Eloise’s gaze. “What exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“That it’s difficult for anyone to compete with a ghost.” Jillian didn’t think a man of Edward’s character and integrity would even try. He’d keep his emotional distance and respect the fact that there wasn’t any room in Eloise Phillips’ heart to replace her first love. Or exist beside her treasured memories of him. “Unless, of course, you were to give him hope of lassoing a piece of your heart for himself.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Eloise’s voice was soft with apprehension. “What if the shoe is on the other foot, and there’s no piece of his heart left for me? He had a good marriage, Jillian. A good marriage to a good woman he’d still be married to if she hadn’t gotten sick.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Jillian reached over to pat her mother-in-law’s hand. “And I never pegged you as a coward.”

I never pegged you as a coward. Eloise couldn’t get her daughter-in-law’s words out of her head. It was as if they’d been branded there. For the rest of the morning, she paced by the windows facing Edward’s home every chance she got.

His farm was so beautiful that it made her heart ache. The peeling paint and crooked shutters were long gone. What got to her the most was the fact that he’d sprung for a bucket of federal blue paint when it came time to spruce up his shutters. Plus, he’d hired a landscaping crew to plant a dozen of the reddest rose bushes he could find. Every time she looked out the window was like reading a love letter from him.

And yet…

He’s made no attempt to kiss me. Not even once!

She felt her face heat over the direction of her thoughts. Maybe seventy-three-year-old women weren’t supposed to feel this way. She’d run into plenty of gals in their seventies who were content to scoot through life while leaning on their walkers and chomping on their false teeth .

But I’m not one of them.

She was never going to be one of them. The good Lord had blessed her with too young of a heart. Maybe she was one of those souls destined to never completely grow up.

Or maybe I don’t deserve that kind of happiness.

Eloise paced past the window again, wallowing in her biggest fear of all. After attending months of church services, she’d come to the conclusion that her last four marriages had been horrible mistakes. She’d wasted years of her life grieving in unhealthy ways while trying to restore the happiness she’d found with her first husband. May he rest in peace. In the process, she’d fallen tremendously short of being the kind of mother Dave deserved. Hardly a day passed anymore that she didn’t send up a plea for God’s forgiveness. She’d made things right with her Maker, and she was ready to make things right with her son — just as soon as he finished helping put those thug gamblers behind bars.

Maybe that was the real reason she’d lingered for so long in Heart Lake. She could’ve easily slipped back to Italy for a couple of months and returned to Heart Lake closer to Jillian’s due date. But being here for Jillian had felt oddly equivalent to being here for her son. It felt like she was finally doing something right by him after all these years.

Her other reason for staying, of course, lived in the beautiful old farmhouse next door.

“Oh, wow! Look at what I found on the front porch.” Jillian glided into the room, looking ready to pop out a baby any second. It was hard to believe she still had three weeks left until her due date.

Eloise was dying to know the baby’s gender, but Jillian and Dave had decided they wanted to be surprised. It took her an extra second or two to register the fact that Jillian was clutching a crystal vase of roses. Red roses. Fiery ones just like the ones growing on the bushes next door.

Her breathing grew shallow. “Who sent those?”

“There’s no card.” Jillian looked like she was trying not to chuckle. “So I guess we’ll never know. Unless…” She paused and glanced suggestively toward Edward’s home.

With a strangled cry, Eloise dashed to the front door, flung it open, and left the house without taking the time to shut it behind her.

Jillian followed her, laughing. “Have fun,” she called after her.

As Eloise jogged across the wide green pasture separating her son and daughter-in-law’s property from Edward’s property, it felt like she was finally coming home.

Edward’s farmhouse, barn, and greenhouses were like a bright patch of the old Heart Lake she remembered, tucked in the middle of all the newer, more modern structures surrounding them.

As she drew abreast of the first greenhouse, the door to it opened. “Eloise?” Edward stood in the doorway, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she huffed, hating how out of breath she sounded. “I just came to say thank you.”

“For what?” He looked surprised.

“For the roses you sent over.”

“What roses?” He looked more puzzled than ever.

Her insides fluttered with uncertainty. She’d been so sure! “I, um…never mind.” She turned away from him dejectedly. I’m such a fool! Such a pitiful old fool! She no longer cared who sent the flowers. If they weren’t from him, it didn’t matter.

“Wait a sec.” Edward lunged after her, settling one large hand against her shoulder and slowing her escape .

She flinched and grew still beneath his touch.

“Come on, Ms. Italy,” he coaxed huskily. “You can’t just run up to a guy like that, lit up like a whole acre of Christmas trees, without more of an explanation.”

She spun around, choking out the words. “I thought you sent me roses, okay? But you didn’t, so I’m leaving.” She waved a hand dismissively. “In utter humiliation, in case you missed that part.”

Hope warred with the confusion in his eyes. “If I had any idea a fistful of thorny flowers would bring you running like that, I’d have done it a long time ago.”

“Really?” Water swam in her eyes. The way he was looking at her was making her feel eighteen again.

“Absolutely.” He reached for her hands. “Man, Eloise! Does this mean?—?”

“Yes,” she snapped, ignoring his outstretched hands and stepping closer. She tipped her head against his strong chest, feeling like she’d run an entire marathon to reach him. Make that ten marathons . Good gracious! Who was she trying to kid? She’d waited decades for a man like him to come into her life.

He gently wrapped his arms around her. “So help me, woman, the only thing I won’t be able to bear is if you kiss me and run back to Italy. I’m more of a kiss-and-stick-around kind of guy.”

“Then ask me to stay.” It was the most humbling feeling in the world to know that the way his heart was pounding beneath her cheek was because of her.

He slid a hand up her shoulder to cup the back of her head, holding her like he was never going to stop. “Will you marry me, Eloise?”

All the air left her lungs at once. “Ed?” She tipped her face up to him, hardly daring to breathe. Had she heard right? She’d been hoping he’d ask her to stay in town and date him, not…

“It’s a simple question, Eloise. Yes or no?” His dark gaze pleaded with her to get it right. “I think we’re old enough to know what we want without playing the dating game.”

Good gracious! Alright then. “Yes, you crazy farmer! Yes!” She stood on her tiptoes to close the distance between them.

His kisses were tender and filled with longing. The kisses of a mature man who knew a thing or two about loving and cherishing a woman. A man who wanted to love again. A man who was ready to.

She didn’t mind that his kisses dragged a few tears out of her. He’d managed to make her fall in love again, and that was something worth weeping over. She was probably going to weep all over again this evening when she knelt beside her bed and thanked the Lord for giving her a second chance at this kind of happiness. Or a sixth chance. She wasn’t too sure about God’s numbering system.

When Edward raised his head, his gaze glowed with happiness. “I have a question.”

She smiled joyfully at him. “Ask away.” Now that he knew she was in love with him, she had nothing more to hide from him.

“Who sent you flowers?” He arched a single eyebrow at her. “I’m trying to decide exactly how jealous I need to be.”

“Don’t know and don’t care.” She’d all but forgotten about them already.

A wrinkle appeared in the middle of his forehead. “Maybe we should let Gil know about them. Just as a precaution.”

Gil? Oh, dear! Her head whipped around toward the townhome where Jillian was currently all by herself. “ Speaking of Gil, I need to get back to Jillian.” Looking after her daughter-in-law was the one thing Gil had asked her to do. That, and call him for a security escort anytime they so much as ventured into the driveway. And she’d done more than that. She’d left the property and stayed gone for goodness only knew how long. She’d completely lost track of the time.

A wail of female distress met her ears as she hurried across the wide, green pasture. Oh-oh! Eloise broke into a jog.

Edward’s boots pounded the ground behind her. She hadn’t realized he was following her. They burst through the front door of the townhome together to find Jillian doubled over beside the sofa in the great room.

“I think it’s time,” she moaned, clutching her midsection.

“It can’t be!” Eloise’s knees grew weak. “You’re still three weeks from your due date.”

“I know, but that was an honest to goodness contraction,” her daughter-in-law panted. “A big one!”

Eloise glanced down and tried to take heart in the fact that there was no dampness showing on Jillian’s leggings. No pool of water at her feet. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? “Here. Let’s get you comfortable.” She guided her to the sofa and helped her lie on her side. “There now.” She brushed her long blonde hair away from her face. “Just breathe and try to relax. In and out like we’ve done so many times before.” It didn’t sound like Jillian was experiencing another panic attack, and a single contraction didn’t mean she was in full-blown labor. It was entirely possible they were only dealing with one of those Braxton-Hicks false alarms .

“What can I do to help?” Edward crouched down beside Eloise, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

When Jillian’s gaze latched on to the possessive way he was touching her, Eloise blushed, realizing they’d been caught.

“You two,” Jillian murmured, dragging in a shallow breath.

“Yes.” Eloise reached up to touch her fiancé’s hand. “We’re engaged.” Despite saying it out loud, it still felt like a dream, one she never wanted to wake up from. Please don’t wake up, Eloise!

“I’m so happy for you.” Jillian’s eyes shone. “And for me.” She blinked through a sheen of dampness. “It means you’re staying, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” Eloise squeezed Edward’s fingers. “Our cranky neighbor informed me he has very strict rules against kissing gals who are on their way out of the country.” She hoped he didn’t mind her cracking a joke. It was either that or burst into tears.

“A man with standards.” Jillian’s smile grew wider. “I like it.”

“Water,” Eloise said, suddenly remembering her fiancé’s earlier question about what he could do to help. “She needs to get some fluids in her.”

Edward shot to his feet and headed to the kitchen.

“He didn’t send the roses.” Though Eloise honestly didn’t care, she wanted to see Jillian’s reaction to the news.

Jillian frowned. “If he didn’t, then who did?”

“I don’t know.” Eloise glanced over her shoulder at Edward. “Edward thinks we should tell Gil.” She didn’t want to upset her by making too big of a deal out of it. “Just as a precaution.”

“Tell me what?” Gil’s voice wafted their way from the front door. “While you’re at it, feel free to throw in an explanation why the front door was left wide open.” He stomped into the room, carefully shutting and locking it behind him. He threw the deadbolt for good measure, which made Eloise feel even more guilty.

“It’s my fault,” she admitted, reaching up to accept the glass of water Edward was handing to her. She held it to Jillian’s lips, helping her sit up to take a few sips.

“Not true. It’s my fault,” Jillian insisted. “I saw a delivery of roses on the front porch and brought them inside. We, er, assumed they were from Edward, but…” Her voice dwindled uncertainly. She nodded at Eloise, indicating it was her story to tell.

In for a penny. Eloise shrugged, knowing she was already in trouble. “I ran next door to tell Edward thank you, and?—”

“You left without telling me,” Gil accused, latching on to that part of her confession. There was no mercy in his gaze. No understanding whatsoever. “Leaving Jillian home alone.”

“I’m sorry.” She had no excuse to offer him.

“Who sent the flowers?” He glanced around the room in search of them. His gaze landed on the bar where Jillian had set them.

“We don’t know,” the two women chorused.

He strode across the room to peer more closely at them. “I’ll run ‘em over to Lonestar and have their forensics team take a look at them. Did both of you handle them?”

“No.” Jillian shook her head. “Only me. We were getting ready to call you about them.”

He glanced with concern at her. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I am now.” She gave him a weak smile, leaning back against the arm of the sofa. “A few minutes ago, I had my first contraction.”

He gulped and dove for his phone, dialing someone with the push of a single button. “Jillian had her first contraction, and there’s been a delivery of flowers to their home. No note. Sender apparently wishes to remain anonymous.” He listened for a moment. “Yes, I know what he’s gonna do, but we promised him we’d tell him everything.” He paused and listened again. “Maybe our forensics team will rule out any connection to the case. In the meantime…yeah, I got it.” He disconnected the call. “Dave’s on his way,” he said simply.

Jillian laughingly said something about not wanting her husband to see her like this. Eloise shook her head, wishing she knew a way to assure her daughter-in-law that her son wasn’t going to care how pregnant his wife looked. He was simply going to be kiss-the-ground-happy to see her again.

Dread filled her chest at the risks he was taking to pay her a visit in broad daylight, but that was Dave. He must have some non-negotiable parameters in place with Lonestar Security — boxes that when checked would result in his immediate transport to his wife’s side.

Gil stepped in Eloise’s line of vision, angling his head at her to follow him to the front door. He reached for a pair of napkins and used them to pick up the vase. He carried it to the door.

She stood and trotted after him. “I’m truly sorry, Gil.” She could only assume he’d called her away from the others for a well-deserved scolding. “If anything had happened to Jillian while I was next door…” She shuddered at the thought.

Gil halted in front of the door and pivoted to face her. “ I’m as worried about your safety as I am hers!” He scowled ferociously down at her. “If you think for one second that Dave’s enemies wouldn’t use you to get to him, just as quickly as they’d use her…”

She spread her hands, trying to make light of it in order to calm him down. “If that happens, y’all can just write me off as collateral damage.” She’d lived her life. More importantly, she’d finally made her peace with the Lord.

“You don’t get it, do you?” His scowl grew darker. “You’re his mother, Eloise. If they get to you, it will affect him. It’ll affect his will to keep fighting for justice. It’ll affect his ability to testify in the trial.”

She lifted her chin defiantly. “My son wouldn’t throw a case for me.” The very idea was preposterous. Dave was made of sterner stuff.

“He’d do it in a heartbeat,” Gil snarled, looking incensed that she would suggest otherwise.

Eloise was completely floored by his response. “He said that?” She shook her head, feeling dizzy.

“I’m his best friend. What do you think?”

So much for her attempt to lighten the mood between them!

Gil ducked his head to get eye level with her. “You’re one of two women in the world Dave would do anything for,” he growled. “No matter the cost to himself.”

“Me?” she whispered. She hadn’t been the best mother to her son. Far from it! She’d been absent for far too long to deserve that kind of devotion.

“Love isn’t something you earn, Eloise.” Gil’s voice grew quieter. “It’s freely offered. All you can do is accept it.”

Something inside her broke. “Oh, Gil!” Her hands flew to her mouth. Though his anger with her was justified, she was two snaps away from ugly crying in gratitude for what he’d just said.

“When this mess first started, I asked you to stay stateside as much for your own safety as for Jillian’s.” He edged closer to the door, clearly eager to be on his way. “You’ve made our job of protecting you that much easier by being present.”

“Thank you.” She lowered her hands to her sides, fisting them to keep them from trembling. “I guess I didn’t realize y’all have been including me in the whole equation.”

“Unbelievable,” Gil huffed, reaching for the door handle.

“I’ve got it.” She moved around him to unlock it and open it for him. “And before you say something pithy, I promise to lock it this time.”

“You’d better.” His hard mouth twitched at the corners. “Just for the record, I’ve enjoyed our sparring matches, Eloise. I’m not looking forward to them coming to an end.”

“Maybe they won’t have to end.” She darted a nervous look over her shoulder. “In light of full disclosure, Edward proposed about an hour ago, and I said yes.”

Gil threw back his head and gave a cowboy whoop of delight. “I’m not sure whether to congratulate you or pray for you, Edward,” he called across the room. “I’ll probably do both, just to be on the safe side.”

“Get out!” Pretending to be offended, Eloise made a grand show of locking the door behind him. It felt insanely wonderful to be loved and cherished like this. To have good people in her life who cared enough about her to worry about her safety. She was, hands down, the most fortunate woman on the planet.

“Jillian had her first contraction.” Josh Hawling folded his arms, leaning back against the wall and looking every inch the bull rider he’d once been. His jaw was set in grim lines beneath the brim of the Stetson he’d pulled low. “We’re still waiting to hear if it’s a false alarm or if she’s in labor.”

“Where is she?” Dave shot to his feet. He’d been expecting to receive this message soon. Just not this soon. Jillian was still three weeks from her delivery date. He already had his go bag packed.

They were inside the subterranean lounge below Lonestar Security’s headquarters building. It was located in downtown Heart Lake, close enough to the lake itself to have a waterfront view on one side. He’d essentially been hiding in plain sight, coming and going from his bunker room as needed while disguised as one of the many security guards on staff there.

“She’s at home.” Josh didn’t make any move to follow him to the door. “She’s with your mother and Edward Wagner, whom I understand is about to become your next stepfather.”

Though that was news to Dave, he had little interest in discussing his mother’s exhaustively long and complex dating life. He’d deal with that later. “I’m assuming they’re taking her to the medical center?” Because of Jillian’s age, there were much higher risks involved in her upcoming delivery.

“Gil didn’t say.” Josh’s tanned features were set in hard lines. “He’s on his way here with a bouquet of flowers that got delivered to your home today.”

Dave’s eyebrows came together. “Who are they from?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Josh shook his head. “Whoever sent them didn’t attach a message.”

Dave ran a hand over the scruff on his jaw. He’d spent so much time sheltering in place lately that he no longer shaved every day. What was the point? “Any news yet about those hang-up calls she’s been receiving?” With Jillian’s permission, they’d been tapping her phone. It was the only reason they knew about the person or persons who’d been calling her every day for the past week. They’d been calling at different times from different numbers. Unlike the random cold calls most people received from solicitors, these callers weren’t staying on the line long enough to roll to voicemail.

“As a matter of fact…” Josh straightened, pushing away from the wall and stepping further into the light. “Our team was finally able to trace one of the calls. It came yesterday afternoon from a surrogacy clinic in Dallas. The same one your wife did business with.” His expression didn’t register any surprise or curiosity. He already knew Jillian’s story, and he wasn’t passing judgment on it.

Since Josh looked like he had something else to say, Dave waited impatiently.

“Because of your value as a federal witness, we passed the information on to the Feds, hoping they would use their resources to follow up on it, which they did.”

“And?” Dave prodded.

“They convinced the clinic to give up the name of her donor.”

“You mean?—?”

“The biological father of her child, yes. A man by the name of Donovan Marks. The call came from the clinic’s legal counsel. He was attempting to contact her about a breach of contract.”

“A what?” Dave snarled. How dare they make such a claim! They were already skirting the outer edges of what was legally permissible in their handling of Jillian’s pregnancy.

“Hold your horses, partner.” Josh held up his hands. “The breach is on Mr. Marks’ part, not hers. Apparently, he’s changed his mind about wanting to keep the child. When they refused to reach out to her, he hired a lawyer to hound them about it. In the process, someone let slip that Mr. Marks is currently en route to Heart Lake.”

“He found her,” Dave declared in a dull voice. Did it mean his enemies had gotten to Donovan Marks as a way of tracking down Jillian’s location? Dave had been so careful to keep his and Jillian’s names off the utility bills and what not. He’d cloaked the ownership of their home in the same layers of legal documents, trusts, and anonymity.

“Feds are crawling the lake as we speak, probably tripping over the guys we’ve had on patrol since the day all of this began.” Josh was referring, of course, to Dave’s involvement with the Jacobsons. “It’s only a precaution. We have no reason yet to believe your wife’s donor has any connection to the case.”

Yet. So much rested on that three-letter word. In the meantime, Dave’s enemies were pulling their net ever tighter around Heart Lake. The last thing he and Jillian needed to add to the mix was a custody suit! Dave wished like crazy that he was back in his office building on the third floor, putting his years of experience to work on Jillian’s defense. Since that wasn’t an option, he’d just have to find another way to help her. One thing was for sure; he wasn’t going to sit on his hands and do nothing while the creep that had abandoned his responsibilities toward her tried to worm his way back into her life.

She’s mine now. My family. The child she was about to deliver was also his. Donovan Marks was going to need a very good lawyer before this was over, because Dave planned to throw the book at him.

Josh’s work phone buzzed with an incoming call. He lifted it to his ear. “Josh speaking.” He grimaced. “We’re on our way.” He pocketed his phone. “Jillian’s water broke. They’re scrambling a few ambulances to get her safely to the medical center. They’ll be taking three separate routes.”

Dave knew what that meant — two distractions and only one ambulance carrying the love of his life and their unborn child. He wordlessly strode to his room off from the lounge and grabbed his go bag.

Since it was quicker than taking the elevator, he and Josh jogged up the two flights of stairs leading to the gated parking garage. They nodded at the guy manning the guard shack and hopped inside one of Lonestar Security’s collection of armored vehicles. They’d been rotating through the lineup, taking a different set of wheels each time Dave ventured out of hiding. This time, they were in a black Lexus sedan.

“I appreciate everything you’re doing for me and my family, man.” Dave was amazed that Josh and his partner, Decker, had been willing to go to so much trouble on their behalf. Sure, he got the fact that they were in the middle of bringing Gil on as a third partner, but still.

“About that,” Josh drawled as they exited the parking garage. He turned left across a tiny break in the traffic, squealing the tires of the car in his haste to be on their way.

Here it comes. Dave braced himself for whatever the co-owner of Lonestar Security was about to ask for. He was in no position to refuse any requests from the man.

“Look at you squirm.” Josh gave him a bemused sideways glance. “Relax. I’m not about to ask for your firstborn child in return for our cutting-edge security services.”

No, but you sure as all get out are about to ask for something else. “I’m listening,” he growled.

“As you know, Lonestar Security was recently honored to bring Gil Remington on board.”

“Yep.” Old news. Get to the point.

Josh’s voice grew animated. “After no small amount of additional prayer and soul-searching, we’re now gunning to turn our triad into a tetrad.”

No kidding? “A fourth partner, eh?” Despite Dave’s growing anxiety over his wife’s condition, he was happy for the owners of Lonestar Security. Happy for Gil getting in on the ground floor of something good. Happy for the incredible future looming for the company as a whole. And he was happy to be able to be a part of it from the legal side of things.

“Yep.”

“Guess I better get busy drawing up the paperwork.” He hoped Josh didn’t expect it on his desk today, because that wasn’t happening.

“Yep.”

“Who?” Dave didn’t know why Josh was being so stingy with the details. As their new in-house attorney, he wasn’t a guy they’d be able to keep many secrets from going forward.

“You, Dave. Who else?”

Dave’s head whipped in Josh’s direction. “Is this some sort of joke?” Talk about kicking a dog when he was down!

“Do I look like I’m laughing?”

Dave was stunned. His life and career were in shambles at the moment. If someone had even suggested he submit his resume for another job right now, he would’ve told them they were crazy. Somehow, though, one had fallen from the sky into his lap .

“I’m sure you have questions.” Josh reached the main highway and gunned the motor. “We’ve been trying to set up an in-person meeting for the four of us, but your schedule hasn’t exactly made that easy.”

Dave snorted. “Okay, now you’re laughing at me.”

“Nope. Still not laughing.” They reached the edge of Heart Lake and skirted the first bend around the lake.

Dave’s townhome rose in the distance. A trio of ambulances were parked at varying angles around the house, with their lights flashing.

My wife is in one of them!

He yanked his ball cap further down over his forehead, ready to unclasp his seatbelt and hit the ground running before the vehicle came to a complete stop.

“I have one more offer to make you,” Josh intoned gravely. “Despite all the precautions we’re taking, it’s possible your enemies have been watching your home, lying in wait for Jillian’s delivery to draw you out of hiding. If I drive you straight to the medical center, we can avoid?—”

“No!” Dave’s voice was harsh. “I promised my wife I’d be at her side when this day came. If I don’t keep my word, none of the other stuff will matter.”

“But—”

“I know the risks, Josh. You’d do the same for your wife.”

“Yes, I would,” Josh sighed. “I had to make the offer, though.”

A flash of burgundy caught Dave’s eye. It was a minivan rounding the corner in front of them. The driver took the curve way too fast and careened into their lane.

“What in the—?” Josh laid on his horn.

The minivan barreled closer. If the driver didn’t move back to his lane soon, they were going to have a head-on collision.

Josh had no choice but to mash his foot on the brake. The sedan skidded to a halt with a squeal of rubber against pavement.

The driver of the minivan slammed on his brakes, yanking the wheel hard to return to his lane. Though he didn’t succeed, he stopped the minivan in the nick of time, avoiding a collision by a hair. The van ended up sideways in the lane in front of them. The driver gave them a dazed look before slumping forward over the steering wheel.

“Wait here! It may be a trap.” Josh pushed open his door and crouched behind it with his weapon drawn. “We were expecting something like this.”

The driver didn’t move.

Dave scanned the road ahead of them, the lake to their left, and the distant tree line on their right. He saw no movement anywhere but on his property ahead.

I need to get to Jillian!

“Cover me while I move,” he snarled. Hoping it wasn’t something he’d regret, he pushed open the passenger door and sprinted, half bent over, to the driver’s side of the minivan.

He jiggled the handle and found it unlocked. Flinging it open, he stepped back, using the body of the vehicle as a shield. “Who sent you?” His hand hovered over the weapon in his holster.

The sandy-haired driver blinked a few times and slowly sat up, groaning, “N-nobody. I came on my own.” His face was ashen beneath a few freckles and a single mole resting above his upper lip. A ketchup stain rode the front of his blue dress shirt, which was tucked crookedly into a pair of khaki trousers. He didn’t present the typical thug image, though looks could be deceiving.

“Who are you?” Dave shot off his next question, hoping to keep the guy off balance and talking.

“Donovan Marks.” The man scowled and twisted his head around, trying to get a better look at Dave. “What’s it to you?”

What’s it to me? Fury burned through Dave’s veins at the realization that he was speaking to Jillian’s donor from the surrogacy firm in Dallas. Where do I begin? “For starters, you can quit stalking my wife. The only thing your hang-up phone calls and creepy flower deliveries are gonna get you is a restraining order.” And possibly some jail time if it turned out he was in cahoots with the gamblers.

“I’m n-not looking for any trouble,” the man stuttered. “I just want to speak with the mother of my child. Please.” His voice grew hoarse. “I’m begging you. It’s important.”

Blood rushed to Dave’s head, nearly blinding him. “Let’s get one thing clear, Mr. Marks. You are not the father of my wife’s child. I am. All you are is a donor. Big difference! A father wouldn’t have tucked tail and run to avoid all responsibility toward the child you’re now claiming you want so badly. You’re on the same level as those scumbags who drive into other people’s neighborhoods to throw out litters of kittens.” But worse. Donovan Marks had abandoned a dirt poor receptionist and her unborn child.

“I’m sorry.” The man ducked his head in shame. “I truly am. The thing is, my wife died after we contacted the surrogacy firm, and?—”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” For all Dave knew, the man could be lying. “The fact remains, you gave up all legal rights to my wife’s child. You put it in writing. Done deal.”

“I know, but?— ”

“Then you waited eight whole months to change your mind. If that’s not complete financial and emotional abandonment, I don’t know what is. You have two choices, Mr. Marks. Leave my family alone, or I will bury you in court.”

The three ambulances turned onto the road, two coming in Dave’s direction, one going in the opposite direction. Their lights flashed and sirens screamed as they zigzagged around the minivan.

Josh Hawling used two gloved fingers to wave them around the armored Lexus sedan. The ambulance drivers probably recognized him, since he was the one who’d authored their current maneuver.

Great. I’ve missed my ride. Dave felt like throttling the man slumped in the driver’s seat of the minivan like a sack of potatoes.

To his dismay, a lone tear leaked from the corner of Donovan Marks’ left eye and slid down his cheek as he watched the emergency vehicles depart. It made him wonder if the creep knew Jillian was in one of them.

“Okay, mister. Okay.” Mr. Marks reached inside the pocket of his trousers.

Oh, for pity’s sake! Dave withdrew his weapon, preparing to aim and fire if the man tried anything stupid.

All he did, though, was hold out a business card between two well-manicured fingers that were trembling like crazy. “You may not believe me, sir, but our encounter has helped me.”

Whatever. Dave made no effort to take the card from him.

“After losing my wife, it took a while for me to come to my senses. When I did, I was consumed with guilt over walking away from our surrogacy agreement. For all I knew, the mother of my, er…of the child I helped bring into th e world…had terminated the pregnancy. I’m more grateful than you will ever know to find out that she didn’t. I’m also grateful to find out she has a guy like you in her life. A lot of surrogates don’t. Someone who will give this child the life they deserve.” He held the business card out further. “Please take my contact information. If you ever need anything from me…”

“We won’t,” Dave grated out.

“You don’t know that,” the man sighed. “Down the road, you might have questions about my medical history. Or, Heaven forbid, need something like an organ replacement for the kid. I mean, you never know.”

Against his better judgment, Dave snatched the card from him and stuffed it in his pocket, if for no other reason than to shut him up.

“I’m sorry,” the man said again. “I hope you and your wife can find it in your hearts to forgive me.” He wearily shut his door, fumbled with the gear stick, and drove off.

Dave remained standing in the middle of the lane, watching until he drove out of sight.

Josh strode his way. “I think we can rule out any connection to the case.”

“Yeah.” Dave shook his head wryly. “Pretty sure he’s not one of the creeps after us.”

“Come on.” Josh squeezed his shoulder. “We’ve got bigger fish to fry. You’re about to become a dad.”

They jogged back to the sedan and climbed inside.

“Missed my ride to the medical center,” Dave grumbled.

“No, you didn’t.” Josh turned on an emergency siren Dave hadn’t realized was installed in the car and flashed a set of emergency lights that Dave did know about.

They took a different route than any of the ambulances and arrived at the medical center right behind the first ambulance screaming into the parking lot. Josh drove to a side entrance reserved for authorized personnel only. “This way!”

The moment Dave stepped from the car, he was converged on by more Lonestar Security guards. They ran with him in a huddle to the building and entered an authorized personnel only set of elevators.

Within moments, Dave stepped through yet another pair of guards into Jillian’s delivery room.

She looked up from her bed, flushed and panting. “Dave!” She sobbed out his name, reaching for him. “You made it!”

He sprinted her way, bending over the bed to kiss her tenderly. “Sorry I’m late, babe.”

“You’re right on time.” She winced as another contraction seized her.

He held her hands, not knowing what else to do. Please, God, be with Jillian and our baby. Dave’s entire world was in this delivery room.

Jillian gripped his hands like a lifeline as she bore down, keening in pain.

His mother was perched on a vinyl chair on the other side of the bed. At the sight of him, tears started dripping down her cheeks. “Oh, Dave!” She waited until Jillian finished panting through her contraction before standing and moving around to his side of the bed. She slid her arms around his neck from behind. “I love you so much. Both of you.” She kissed the top of his head, weeping softly. “I’ll be in the waiting room if you need anything.”

He reached up and awkwardly patted her hand, unaccustomed to any show of emotion from his irascible parent. “Stay,” he pleaded.

He’d never expected her to remain in town this long, but she had. More importantly, she’d been there for Jillian in ways that he hadn’t been able to. She was as much a part of this now as he was.

Jillian soon pushed out a squalling baby.

“It’s a boy,” the delivery physician announced excitedly.

Her medical staff did their thing — clipping, suctioning, weighing, measuring, and cleaning. They pronounced the infant smaller than average at just shy of six pounds. He was otherwise in tiptop shape. They wrapped him in a clean white blanket and handed him to Jillian.

“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips!” The physician shook Dave’s hand and beamed a satisfied smile at Jillian before leaving the room.

“Thank you,” Dave called after her. “And thank you!” He turned in wonder back to his wife. “Thank you for giving me a son.” He gently stroked a finger down her cheek, unable to tear his gaze away from her and the baby trying to nurse for the first time. After helping put countless criminals in jail, it was an entirely new experience for him to witness the miracle of birth.

“Just look at those itty bitty fists,” his mother sighed. “And those sweet little dimples in his feet. My heart is full, son.” She reached out to press a finger into one of the miniature dimples.

“What do you think of Bowen Chess Phillips?” Jillian’s voice wafted up to Dave, soft and questioning.

His hand on her cheek grew still. “For our son?”

She nodded, all misty-eyed and glowing. She’d never been more beautiful to him. “After both of our fathers.”

“I like it, babe.” They hadn’t had the opportunity to spend much time discussing stuff like this. Clearly, she’d given it more thought than he had .

“I know my dad’s name is Chester, but I like Chess better.”

“Me, too.” It was a nod to her father without giving him the full glory he didn’t deserve.

“I’d like to call our son Bo,” she continued with a happy chuckle. “He’s too little for more right now. He’ll have to grow into the rest of it.”

Dave leaned closer to brush his mouth against hers. “I love you so much, Jills.”

The name was perfect. Their tiny son was perfect. She was perfect.

“I love you more,” she whispered, kissing him back.

It was his favorite argument, one he hoped they would never finish.