by Laura Scott
She wanted to believe him, but it wasn’t easy. Why would the vandal go there? Sure, the place was only a few blocks away, and served great food, if she said so herself, but still.
“Aunt Willow? Are we safe now?” Lucy’s tone drew her from her thoughts.
She did not want Lucy listening to their conversation. “Of course. Everything is going to be fine now. Where’s your dolly?”
“Baby!” Lucy ran over to pick up her baby doll from the sofa, clutching it to her chest. Nate took off Murphy’s vest and leash, and the lab went over to sniff at Lucy, then licked her. Lucy giggled but held the doll out of Murphy’s reach, as if the K-9 might steal her. “My baby.”
“Yes, she’s your baby. Why don’t you play in my room?” Willow smiled at her niece. “Maybe your baby needs a bottle?”
“Yes! She must be hungry.” Lucy disappeared into the bedroom. Murphy followed, but then turned around and stretched out in front of the bedroom doorway. She watched him, touched by the way he was clearly protecting the little girl.
“Is there any reason someone at the Burgerteria would come here to search your place?” Nate’s voice brought her back to the issue at hand. “Anyone carrying a grudge against you for some reason? Or have reason to believe you’re hiding something?”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “Why would they? I make hundreds of gourmet burgers every day. I can’t imagine why on earth that could possibly make someone upset with me. Or think that I would have something they’d want.”
“Not sure.” Nate glanced around, as if searching the apartment for answers. “It just seems like an odd coincidence that your place was tossed by someone who immediately left and went to the restaurant.”
“A coincidence?” Her annoyance grew. “You mean like the fact that my apartment was broken into and searched the same day my brother and his wife were murdered? That kind of coincidence?”
“Easy, now. I told you, I’m not sure the two cases are related.” Nate’s attempt to calm her wasn’t working.
“Well, it seems logical to me, that if anyone was looking for me, they’d know to come to the Burgerteria. They wouldn’t have to come here to search my place. I don’t have anything here.” She was tired and cranky but knew it wasn’t Nate’s fault. He was only trying to help.
It was all just too much.
Her stomach rumbled, and she blew out a breath and gestured toward the pizza. “Are you hungry? We can share what’s left.”
“I could eat.” Nate stepped toward her, his blue eyes searching hers. “Willow, I know you’ve had a long day. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.”
“I know.” His gentleness was nearly her undoing. Tears threatened, and she bit her lip and pinched the bridge of her nose to ward them off. She couldn’t afford to break down. Not with Lucy in the next room. She drew in a deep breath. “I—Thank you, Nate. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”
“Sit down.” He put a hand on the small of her back and steered her toward a chair. “I’ll dish up the pizza.”
She dropped into the seat and sighed. “It’s probably cold.”
“I love cold pizza.”
His comment made her smile. Talk about being willing to look on the bright side of things. She watched as he went to the counter and opened cupboards until he found plates and glasses. After piling two slices of pizza on each plate, he brought them over. “Milk? Or water?”
“Milk is fine. We may as well drink it up. I bought it for Lucy, but she doesn’t seem to care for it much.”
“Maybe she hasn’t been exposed to it enough.” Nate filled two glasses with milk and set them on the table. “Give her some time. She’ll get used to it.”
She thought about how her brother’s kitchen had looked, with the dirty dishes, trash and empty liquor bottles strewn about. “You’re probably right. I’m afraid that little girl is going to need a lot of time to adjust to her new life. And to the loss of her parents.”
Nate reached over to squeeze her hand. “I’m glad she has you.”
The stupid tears burned again, but she summoned a smile. “We have each other.”
They finished the rest of their pizza in silence. She felt herself blush when Nate’s gaze lingered on her features and she wondered if she had smears of pizza sauce on her face. She wiped at her mouth and pushed her plate away. “You can have the rest, if you like. I’m full.”
“Sure?” Nate’s gaze was hopeful.
“Yes. It’s the least I can do.” She frowned and glanced at her door. It bothered her that the door handle was still broken, but she didn’t have a clue how to replace it. “Do you think we should move into a hotel for the night?”
Nate followed her gaze and she wondered what he was thinking. He cleared his throat. “I have a better idea. Murphy and I will bunk here for the night.”
“Here?” Her voice squeaked. “There’s not enough room.”
He shrugged. “I’ll sleep on the sofa. Murphy doesn’t mind the floor.”
“The sofa?” She knew she sounded like a parrot repeating everything back to him. She didn’t want to be alone, but the idea of sharing her small apartment was a bit distracting. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He smiled and she had to cross her arms over her chest to keep from hugging him.
She probably wouldn’t sleep much anyway, but knowing Nate Slater and Murphy were here to protect them gave her the sense of peace she desperately needed.
* * *
As Willow spread a sheet over the sofa and added a blanket and pillow, he found himself wondering if he’d lost his mind.
Everything about Willow Emery screamed happy homemaker. She was a nurturer, a nester.
She was everything he knew he couldn’t have.
“If you need anything else, just holler.” Her smile was sweet. “Thanks again for doing this.”
He cleared his throat, pulling himself together with an effort. “You’re welcome. Listen, I have to take Murphy outside one last time, but I won’t go far. I’ll keep my eye on the front of the building at all times.”
A flash of alarm rippled across her features, but she nodded. “Okay.”
He pulled out his cell phone and swiped at his screen, then met her gaze. “Tell me your number.”
She recited the number. He punched it in, then he called her phone. The screen lit up and the phone chirped. “There, now you have my number, too. I promise, it won’t take long.”
She went over and scooped up her phone. “Thank you.”
He nodded, then placed Murphy’s vest on, and clipped the leash to his collar. “We’ll be back soon.”
He took Murphy down to the lobby. There was a small patch of grass that wasn’t far from Willow’s redbrick building. Once Murphy did his thing, Nate cleaned up after him, then tossed the orange ball, keeping his eye on the front door of Willow’s building. Several people entered, but no one looked suspicious.
His phone remained reassuringly silent.
The puzzle pieces surrounding the case filtered through his mind. The perp had gone from Willow’s apartment to the Burgerteria where she worked. To meet someone? It was the only thing that made sense.
Yet Willow had a point about how anyone looking for her would know when she was working. Why break into her apartment to search for something today, a day she had off work? Why not pick a day she was working late instead?
All good questions without the barest hint of an answer.
Ten minutes later, he bent over to rub Murphy, deciding he’d given the K-9 enough attention for now. He pocketed the orange ball and took Murphy back inside, riding the elevator to the seventh floor. He approached Willow’s broken door, then dropped to one knee to examine the handle more closely. It would need to be replaced, something he could do for her in the morning.
After heading into the apartme
nt, he closed the door and pressed one of the kitchen chairs firmly up against it. Murphy would let him know before anyone got close, but he figured the added barrier couldn’t hurt.
Murphy lapped water from his bowl. As Nate went past the bedroom door, he heard Willow and Lucy talking.
“It’s time to say our bedtime prayers,” Willow said.
“What are bedtime prayers?”
“I’ll show you. First you need to be tucked in underneath the covers.” There was a rustle of sheets as Lucy complied. “Now put your hands together like this and close your eyes.”
“Okay.”
“Dear Lord, we ask You to bless Nate and Murphy, for everything they’ve done for us today. We also ask You to watch over us as we sleep, keeping us safe from harm. Amen.”
There was a pause, before Willow added, “Lucy, you need to say amen, too.”
“Oh. Amen.”
“Good. Now we can go to sleep, knowing that we’ll be safe in God’s care.”
Nate backed away from the door. The idea of praying like that was completely foreign to him.
For a moment he remembered the night his father had lost all semblance of control. The way the old man had lashed out, hitting his mother so hard she flew halfway across the room. The way he’d rushed his father, his skinny ten-year-old fists hitting his father’s belly, bouncing off harmlessly as he begged him to stop.
The way his father had backhanded him, pain blooming in his head as he crashed into the wall, falling to the floor in a crumpled heap.
Sweat popped out on his forehead, the back of his throat burning from pent-up screams locked in his mind. With an effort, he forced the twenty-year-old images away. Turning away from the door, he went over to stretch out on the sofa. Murphy plopped on the floor next to him.
He reached down to rest his hand on Murphy’s soft fur. His partner was real. Murphy would do whatever was necessary to protect him and the woman and child in the next room.
No, he didn’t believe for one moment that God had ever watched over him.
FIVE
Lucy had woken up twice during the night, each time crying over the bad clown with blue hair. Willow’s heart ached for the little girl and she had cuddled her close, rocking her back to sleep.
Finally, they’d both slept. When daylight filtered past the window shades, Willow awoke, staring at the ceiling fan overhead. She prayed that God would guide her in being a good aunt to Lucy, and for God to provide comfort to the little girl as she struggled through this difficult time.
Feeling at peace, she slid from bed, trying not to wake Lucy. But her niece must have sensed her absence, as she almost instantly opened her eyes. “Aunt Willow? Where are you going?”
“I’m not leaving, I’m just going to the kitchen to make breakfast. Are you hungry?”
Lucy rubbed her eyes and nodded. She pushed her hair from her face and popped up from the bed.
Willow led Lucy out to the kitchen. The little girl remained glued to her side, and she knew her niece was strongly feeling the impact of yesterday’s events.
And likely would for a long time to come.
Murphy came over, his tail wagging in greeting.
“Hey, Murphy.” Willow stroked his soft fur and scratched him behind the ears. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
Murphy licked her, his entire body wiggling with happiness.
Lucy wrapped her arms around Murphy’s neck, pressing her face to his fur. “I love Murphy.”
“I know you do.” It was clear that having Murphy around was good for Lucy’s emotional well-being. She glanced at the living room sofa. Nate’s lean body was still supine on the sofa, but he was awake, blinking sleep from his eyes, looking adorably rumpled with his bedhead and shadowed jaw. She felt her cheeks grow warm and hoped he didn’t notice her embarrassment. “Good morning, Nate.”
“Morning.” He yawned and rolled into a sitting position, rubbing his hand against his jaw. “Did you sleep okay?”
“So-so.” She didn’t want to remind Lucy about the nightmares. She noticed the chair pushed up against the door, and was grateful Nate had agreed to stay.
As if he’d noticed her gaze, he gestured toward the door. “I need to take Murphy outside, but afterward, I’ll work on replacing your door handle.”
“Thanks. Lucy is hungry and so am I, so I’m going to make breakfast for all of us.” She glanced down at Lucy. “Do you like scrambled eggs and toast?”
Lucy tipped her head to the side, her brow puckered in a frown. “I don’t know.”
Her heart ached for the little girl.
“I love scrambled eggs and toast.” Nate’s assertion caught Lucy’s attention.
“You do?” Lucy looked up at him curiously.
“Absolutely. They’re my favorite.” Willow thought he might be exaggerating about that just a bit but appreciated his help.
“Will you give them a try?” Willow smiled down at Lucy.
“Okay.”
“Would you like to help me cook the eggs, Lucy?”
Lucy nodded and she took the little girl over to the counter. She pulled over a chair and helped Lucy stand on the seat so she could reach. As Willow broke a half dozen eggs in a bowl and showed her niece how to whisk them together, Nate took Murphy outside.
When Nate and Murphy returned, the eggs and several slices of toast were finished. She set the plates on the table, bringing the chair back over for Lucy to sit in.
Lucy looked at the eggs with suspicion, but as Nate eagerly dived into his meal, she gamely tried hers. Her face broke into a grin. “These are yummy, Aunt Willow.”
“Thank you.” She was relieved Lucy liked them. “It was nice of you to help me make them.”
“It was fun.” Lucy ate another bite of her eggs.
“Thanks for breakfast. As soon as I’m finished here, I’ll work on your door,” Nate promised.
“That would be great.” She knew, though, that just having a locked door wasn’t going to make her feel safe. It was having Nate and Murphy here overnight that had given her peace of mind.
But she also knew they couldn’t stay forever.
“Do you have to work today?” She glanced at Nate.
“Yes, but I can go in a little later than usual. I told Sarge I’ll be a bit late, and he understood.”
She remembered the conversation with his boss when they’d discussed Alex’s and Debra’s murders as potentially being committed by some sort of serial killer on the loose. But before she could ask him about it, Lucy spoke up.
“Are Mommy and Daddy coming to get me?”
She froze, giving Nate a panicked look. He frowned and offered a helpless shrug. She carefully set her fork down, searching for the best way to approach the subject of death and dying with her niece. Finally, she curled her arm around the little girl’s shoulders. “No, sweetie, I’m afraid not.”
She fully expected Lucy to ask more questions, but the little girl seemed to accept her answer.
For now.
Lucy pressed her face into Willow’s chest. She held her niece for a long moment, silently praying for God to help the little girl get through this.
Nate’s empathetic expression was touching. After a few moments, he cleared his throat. “Lucy, after you finish breakfast, would you mind playing with Murphy? I think he feels a little lonely.”
Intrigued, Lucy lifted her head. “Really?”
“Really.” Nate finished his toast and eggs, then stood to carry his plate to the kitchen sink. “Willow, do you have a screwdriver?”
“Yes.” She went into her closet to pull out a small tool kit. “I have all the basics here.”
“Nice. The handle is broken, so I’ll need to find replacement parts or buy a new one.”
Lucy finished her breakfast, then scampered down off the booster sea
t to play with Murphy. The yellow Lab was exceptionally patient with the little girl, as if sensing his role was not only to protect her, but to keep her occupied.
“I’ll call a friend to pick up a new door handle.”
Willow nodded, turning her attention to household chores. When Nate had the new handle, he went back to work on the door. She liked listening to him whistle under his breath as he worked. It was nice having him around, but she knew that once he’d finished his task, he and Murphy would need to leave.
Their boss was waiting for them.
Speaking of which, she abruptly glanced at the clock. Nine forty-five in the morning. Oops. She’d completely forgotten to call her boss to let him know she wouldn’t be in. She originally had planned to use the Nanna’s Nook Day Care for Lucy while she worked, if she’d been able to convince Alex and Debra to let her take Lucy, but after everything that had happened, she didn’t want to leave the little girl alone.
The restaurant opened at ten thirty in the morning, but she normally arrived an hour before. She picked up her phone and called the Burgerteria. “Damon? It’s Willow. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to make it in to work today.”
“What?” The outrage in his voice made her wince. “I need you. You’re supposed to be here right now prepping for the lunch crowd!”
“I know, I’m sorry. But my brother and his wife were murdered yesterday, and I have my three-year-old niece here. I can’t leave her alone.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I don’t have anyone to replace you.” The anger faded from his tone. “Isn’t there any way you can make it in?”
She glanced at Nate, who was clearly listening to her side of the conversation, a frown puckering his brow. “I’m sorry, but I can’t leave Lucy. In fact, based on the long hours I normally have to work it may be better for me to give my notice.”
“You’re quitting?” Damon let out a harsh laugh. “Fine. Have it your way.”
The connection went dead.
“Well. I guess that’s that.” Willow set her phone on the counter, a hollow feeling in her chest. While she knew that this was the best thing for Lucy right now, it didn’t sit right to be completely out of a job.