Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

W hen Nate got back to Bailey's house, she and Jenny had an early dinner ready. The chili dogs and chips tasted fantastic. It'd been a while since he'd last had a decent chili dog, and he'd had to stop himself from eating a fourth.

The five of them relaxed and talked about easy topics like Minecraft, catching bugs, and their favorite desserts.

After they were done eating, Jenny helped Bailey clean up the kitchen while Nate took the boys outside to throw the ball for Minnie. She liked it even better when Seth and Jordan ran after her, the joy evident on her face. She galloped across the yard just fast enough to stay out of arm's reach but slow enough to encourage Jordan to keep up the chase.

Bailey's laughter reached Nate's ears from the back porch where both women were now sitting. He wanted to join them but played with the boys and Minnie for a few more minutes until the Rottweiler collapsed on the grass, her tongue hanging.

Even Seth and Jordan looked tired. Hopefully, they'd have no problem going to sleep tonight. Another glance at Bailey earned Nate a subtle nod of approval, which sent warmth through his chest.

It probably would've been smarter if he'd encouraged Jenny to stay with Bailey instead of taking on the job himself. But then, he would've been worried enough to camp out in front of her place anyway to keep an eye out for trespassers.

No, this was exactly where he needed to be. Spending extra time with Bailey, especially, wasn't exactly a bad thing, even if it made it harder to keep his feelings in check. He never would've doubted that until he'd nearly slipped up yesterday.

He was here to keep an eye on the place and make sure Bailey and the boys stayed safe until the police department could figure out who was trying to get her to sell and why.

Nate walked up the steps to the porch and leaned against the railing. "It's a good thing I didn't have to run. I ate way too many chili dogs." He patted his full stomach.

"Well, it looks like you got all three of them properly worn out." Jenny tilted her head toward the dog and the two boys who were sitting next to her on the grass. "That's seriously adorable."

"Yeah, it is." Bailey smiled again, the dimple in her right cheek winking. "Did I ever tell you guys that Seth once tried to bring Petunia into the house to stay in his room for the night? He insisted that she could be house-trained just like a dog." She laughed hard.

"That doesn't surprise me." Jenny shook her head. "That boy's going to grow up to be a lawyer or something the way he can argue his point."

They all laughed some more, but the mood quickly sobered .

"I wish we could've found Petunia." Bailey frowned. "I suppose we'll never know what happened to her, will we?"

That bothered Nate, too. Granted, the goats weren't house pets like Minnie was, but if Minnie had gone missing, it would bother Nate every day wondering where she was and whether she was being taken care of. "How's Poppy doing? Is her wound healing well?"

"No complications, and at least Pansy found her way back. That's something."

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes until Jenny moved to stand. "I should probably get out of your hair and get home. It's my sister's birthday today, so I need to call her tonight before it gets much later. If anything comes up and you need extra help, don't hesitate to call me. I'm serious."

Bailey stepped forward to give Jenny a hug. "I will. Thanks again for everything."

"Of course. Be careful, okay?"

Jenny flashed Nate a knowing look. "Keep me updated."

"Will do. Take care of yourself."

She nodded and then went to say goodbye to the boys before heading for her car and driving away.

It was starting to get dark, and Nate was about to suggest they go inside when Bailey addressed her sons.

"Come on, guys. It's bath time." She waved them inside, and Nate brought up the rear, closing and locking the door behind him.

Minnie trotted to the living room and promptly collapsed on the carpet, the perfect combination of tired and happy.

Bailey sent the boys upstairs to get ready for baths. While they complained verbally, they didn't hesitate to obey. She looked over at Nate. "Make yourself comfortable. We won't be long."

"Sounds good. I'll go out, grab a few things from my truck, and be right back."

He waited until they'd left, told Minnie to stay, and retrieved his large backpack that contained his clothes and personal hygiene items. Since he wasn't sure what to expect, he also brought in a sleeping bag and pillow. He didn't want to assume Bailey would have accommodations for him since all of this was last minute.

Nate got caught up on messages on his phone while he waited for Bailey and the boys to return. When they came back downstairs a half hour later, Seth and Jordan both had damp hair and were in their pajamas. Bailey had changed into a maroon T-shirt, and she must have twisted her hair into a new bun because the strands of hair that had escaped earlier were back in place.

She gave him an apologetic smile. "Let me get them a snack, and then we can get a space set up for you."

He followed the trio into the kitchen, where the boys took a seat at the small table tucked into the corner. "Anything I can do to help?"

"You can grab the jar of peanut butter out of the pantry." She pointed.

He found it easily and set it on the counter near where she was slicing apples. She added a generous swipe of peanut butter to each slice and set them in front of the boys. "As soon as you're done eating, we'll go brush teeth and get ready for bed."

Seth glanced at Nate and nodded. Jordan was too focused on his snack to respond at all.

Bailey leaned against the counter. There was no missing the exhaustion in her eyes .

Nate hoped and prayed that having backup at the house would help her relax enough to get a good night's sleep tonight.

Bailey stifled a yawn. "I figured Seth could sleep on the floor in my room so you can take his bed. I'll change the sheets quickly after I get them settled."

Nate immediately shook his head. "That's not necessary. Let Seth keep his room. I'd rather sleep down here in the living room." He was about to add where he could hear if anyone messed with either of the doors, but he didn't want the boys to worry about anything. "I brought a pillow and sleeping bag. The couch will be just fine."

She looked like she was going to argue, but Seth spoke up before she had the chance. "I could sleep in the living room, too. Like a sleepover!"

Jordan temporarily forgot about his snack and looked from his brother to his mom as though he were afraid that he was missing out on something.

"Absolutely not." Bailey gave her son a stern look. "You'll sleep in your own room like normal."

"Yes, ma'am." Seth went back to his snack, his disappointment written all over his face.

"Maybe we can play ball with Minnie some more tomorrow." Nate smiled when Seth's eyes brightened.

By half past eight, the boys were tucked in bed, and Bailey had finally given up convincing Nate that he ought to have something more comfortable to sleep on than the couch.

She'd brought out some peanut butter and chocolate candy, gotten each of them a soda, and now they were sitting in the living room. Bailey kicked off her shoes and rested her feet on the coffee table.

Nate chuckled. "You can tell a lot about a person when they prop their feet up like that."

Her eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

"It means you're laid back. More relaxed. I'll bet you don't have any of those fancy hand towels that are only for looks, do you?"

She was trying to keep a straight face, but one corner of her mouth quirked up.

"No fancy throw pillows either." He patted the arm of the couch.

"What makes you think Seth and Jordan haven't completely destroyed or hidden those by now?"

"Fair point. But I'm right about the hand towels, aren't I?"

Bailey shrugged her shoulders, but Nate could tell by the humor on her face that he'd hit the nail on the head.

"You're one of those people who isn't going to hang onto something or keep it around if it doesn't have some kind of practical purpose. It's not a bad trait, Bailey. I admire it."

"Thank you." A faint pink colored her cheeks. "I always figured it was a shame to have something and not actually use it. And for the record, we did have throw pillows with this couch, but they didn't last long around here." She took a bite of her candy and then gave a quiet moan of approval.

It was clear she savored the flavor, and her reaction was more than adorable. Was it candy in general? Chocolate? Or the combination of chocolate and peanut butter?

He suspected she saved the candy for herself in the evenings as a treat. Something to look forward to once the kids were in bed. If so, he appreciated the fact that she was willing to share.

They snacked in silence for several moments until Bailey took a drink of her soda before setting the can down on the coffee table. "You're good at reading people. Like, really good. I imagine Jenny and everyone else you worked with were sorry to see you go."

Her gray-blue eyes stayed on him as she waited for a response. When he said nothing, her brows furrowed a little. "Do you regret leaving the PD?"

Nate didn't want to talk about this or the reason for why he left the PD. All Bailey knew was that he'd decided to take some time and look into alternative work options. Few people truly understood the reasoning behind his decision. If they started this conversation, she'd eventually ask him for the details. Then, the answer would leave her as frustrated and disappointed with him as he was with himself.

He weighed his words carefully. "I don't regret it, but I do miss it. Especially everyone I worked with." He downed the rest of his soda. "I'd like to think I'm making a difference through Paws with a Cause, even if it's in a different way."

"Of course you are. I don't think that's ever been in question." She stared at her hands clasped in her lap and twiddled with the ring on her right index finger. "I just know you were great as a detective. Joe mentioned several times how you always wanted to help people and that you were one of the best detectives he'd ever known. I guess I never fully understood why you stepped away from that."

"It's complicated." The words came out with more of a growl than he'd intended. "I'm sorry, Bailey. It's not easy for me to talk about it."

"I understand. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried." With that, she stood and gathered their empty cans before going to the kitchen.

Nate could've kicked himself. She'd opened up yesterday about how conflicted she was concerning the farm. It couldn't have been easy to admit she was thinking about selling the place, and it was clear she had a lot of guilt over even entertaining the possibility. He wondered how many people she'd shared that with. Knowing how private a person she was, he doubted it was many, and she'd chosen to share with him.

Well, he hadn't talked about what happened to him with very many people, either. Maybe it was time he added one more to that list.