Guarding the Babies

by Sandra Robbins

  She nodded and turned to lead the way from the room. As she stepped away, soft whimpers came from the direction of the crib, and she turned to see Ethan standing up and holding on to the railing around the bed. His mouth was pulled into a frown, and his eyes were filled with tears.

  She started to go to him, but April shook her head. “I’ve got this. Go on and get the report filled out.”

  Holly bit down on her lip as if reluctant to leave the children, but after a moment, she turned and led the way downstairs to the den. When they were seated, Cole pulled a small notepad and pen from his pocket, then looked at Holly. “I know you’ve already told me once what happened, but I need you to tell me again, so I can make sure I have all the information. Concentrate and try to remember every detail.”

  Holly nodded and began to speak. Cole wrote as she described herself waking and not hearing the music over the baby monitor—and then everything that followed after to the point where she locked herself in the bedroom with the twins and called nine-one-one.

  When she’d finished, Cole glanced back over the notes he’d taken while she’d been talking. Then he looked around the room. There didn’t appear to be any evidence of a robbery. In fact, everything looked neat and in place. At first glance, it appeared that Holly had interrupted a kidnapping of her niece and nephew. A high ransom wouldn’t be a problem for a wealthy music star. The fact that the intruder had turned the monitor off convinced Cole even more that this had been intended as a kidnapping, but there was no need to worry Holly at this point.

  He flipped the notepad closed and took a deep breath. “So how long are you here for, Holly?”

  Her shoulders tensed, and she clasped her hands in her lap. “Just a few days. I came home to clear the house out and put the ranch up for sale.”

  His eyes grew wide. “You’re selling your father’s ranch?”

  She nodded. “Yes. With my schedule, I can’t take care of it. I’d rather it belong to someone who will.”

  He didn’t reply but looked to Officer Thomas, who had a quizzical look on his face. “Zach, I guess you realize who Holly is.”

  Zach nodded. “Who doesn’t know who Holly Lee is? Local girl who made it big in the country-music industry and one of the top-selling artists of the day. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lee.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, Zach. I appreciate your help tonight.”

  “I was really sorry to hear about your sister’s and brother-in-law’s deaths. Was this their house?”

  Holly nodded. “Yes. My sister and I grew up here. After my father died, Ruth and her husband, Michael, took over the property.” She glanced back at the staircase. “The twins upstairs are their children.”

  He started to say something else, but Cole interrupted him. “I think we have all the information we need. I heard the search team drive up. Why don’t you go help them?”

  Zach nodded and pushed to his feet. “Will do. If that guy’s still around, Miss Lee, we’ll find him.”

  Holly smiled her thanks as Zach walked from the room and then turned back to face Cole, who sat in a chair facing her. For a moment, she didn’t say anything. Then she cleared her throat. “How have you been?”

  He gave a slight nod. “Fine. And you?”

  She blinked back the tears that filled her eyes. “I just try to get through each day.” She sat silent for a moment. “It still seems so unreal. I’ll never forget the day I received that phone call from the Louisiana authorities telling me that Ruth and Michael’s plane had crashed into Lake Pontchartrain.”

  Cole nodded. “I know. Michael had been so excited about taking Ruth on that weekend trip to New Orleans. I couldn’t believe it ended so tragically. What’s the latest with the investigation?”

  She sighed and rubbed her hands over her eyes. “Nothing. They found the plane, but Ruth’s and Michael’s bodies weren’t inside. No one has been able to find any trace of them. I had thought...maybe once we found them and had a funeral, I could get some closure. But now—” Her last words ended on a sob, and he reached out and grasped her hand.

  “Don’t think about that, Holly. Just be thankful the twins weren’t with them.”

  She brushed the tears from her cheeks and straightened her shoulders. “You’re right. I thank God every day that the twins were with me in Nashville for that weekend. If they’d been on that plane, they would have died, too. But I’m also thankful that Ruth and Michael had me in their will to be guardian if anything happened to both of them.” Her eyes teared up again. “But who would have thought they’d die together?”

  A sharp pang pierced his heart at the thought of Michael Whitson, his best friend ever since he could remember, and Michael’s pretty wife, Ruth. He’d often wondered what they’d experienced when they knew their plane was going down. He swallowed and cleared his throat.

  “When they recovered the plane, could they tell the cause of the crash?”

  Holly shook her head. “No. The plane didn’t have a black box to record anything, and they couldn’t detect anything wrong with it. They haven’t released the official findings, but I’ve been told they’re leaning toward pilot error.”

  “What?” Cole exclaimed. “Michael was the most thorough pilot I’ve ever known.”

  “I know. It just seems so unreal. In the meantime, I’m trying to take care of the twins and prepare for my tour that’s coming up this fall.”

  “Getting this place ready to sell must be another load of responsibility on top of that. Why bother with it now?”

  “Maintaining the ranch when I don’t live here would be a bigger responsibility. Something has to go, so it’s going to be the ranch. I live three hundred miles away, and I’m too busy to keep things running here.”

  A flash of anger flared in him, and he pushed to his feet. “Yeah, I know. When you left Jackson Springs, you left for good. Now, with Ruth and Michael gone, there’s nothing here for you anymore.”

  She rose and faced him. “I cut my ties with this place ten years ago.”

  The look on her face defused his anger, and he let out a long breath. “Yeah, you did. I guess I know that more than anybody, Holly. I’m sorry if I let old memories intrude on an official police call. I promise I won’t do that again.” He slipped the notepad back in his pocket. “Our department will do whatever it takes to keep you safe while you’re here.” He stopped and frowned. “It just dawned on me. You’re here alone. Where is your security team? And your personal assistant?”

  “I needed to get away from the press and just spend a few days by myself going through everything and deciding what needs to be kept for Emma and Ethan. I thought I could slip into town and fly under the radar without my security team. Mrs. Green, Ruth’s housekeeper, has been helping me out with the children. My assistant is in Knoxville visiting with her family.”

  “We’ll try to keep your presence under wraps, but it’s clear now that someone knows you’re here. Also, our report will be public record, so I imagine paparazzi will show up here tomorrow. Better get your security people on the job as soon as possible.”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Cole. I’ll do that.”

  He wanted to say something else to her, but he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he turned and headed for the door. Before he walked out, he turned to her. “Lock up well before you go to bed, and keep your cell phone handy in case your visitor comes back. I’ll have patrol drive by here throughout the night to keep an eye out. You can call nine-one-one if you need anything.”

  He started to head to the door, but she called out to him. “Cole, it was good to see you again.”

  He wanted to turn back to her and tell her the same, but he couldn’t. The words she’d spoken ten years ago were burned in his mind. She’d broken his heart and walked away as if he meant nothing to her.

  Now all he could do was nod. Then he opened the door and walked out into th
e night. He stood on the porch after he’d closed the door on her—just as she had done when she tossed aside the love they shared and walked away from him.

  He didn’t think he could ever forgive her for that.

  TWO

  An hour later, the last police car had left, and Holly locked the door. She used to feel safe in this house, but that was when she was a child and her parents were still alive. Now, with Ruth gone, too, the house was a sad reminder of what had once been a happy home. She doubted if she would ever experience the feeling again that she’d had growing up here.

  The house she’d bought in Nashville had proved to be just that—a house, not a home—since she was seldom there. She had a maid, a cook and a gardener who took care of everything, and sometimes it seemed more like a hotel than a place where she belonged. Then there was her security team who hovered over her everywhere she went and a driver who was well trained in tactical driving that helped to avoid fans intent on following her.

  At the thought of her security team, she grimaced. Bert Conley, the head of the team, had been upset that she’d insisted on going to Jackson Springs by herself. He’d wanted to send some men with her, but she’d refused. Now she wished she’d given in. At least she wouldn’t have felt so alone.

  Thoughts of Cole hit her, and she closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected to see him tonight. Of course, Ruth had told her that he was now a detective with the sheriff’s department, but she was surprised that he’d come instead of letting someone else take the report.

  For a few minutes, she stood there thinking about the man she’d known ever since she could remember. Cole Jackson, whose ancestors had founded Jackson Springs in the early 1800s, had been a part of her life since he declared himself her boyfriend in first grade. Through the years, that bond had grown into love that came into full bloom during high school.

  Everybody in town had expected them to get married as soon as they graduated, but she’d had other plans. The country-music band that she and Cole had started had whetted her appetite for something bigger than local one-night gigs, and she’d wanted them to go to Nashville and try to make it. Cole, however, had no interest in leaving Jackson Springs. He had told her he expected to spend all his life there. That was when she knew they had different goals for the future, and she’d left to make it on her own.

  And make it she had. Now she was at the top of the charts and booked on another tour. All she had to do was keep convincing herself that she’d gotten what she wanted. She’d thought she had, until Ruth’s death made her realize how important family was. She missed her sister and the telephone calls that lasted for hours sometimes. Ruth had always been her compass to guide her, and now she was left to provide that for Ruth’s children. The thought that she wasn’t up to the task troubled her. She practically lived on a tour bus—what kind of life was that for two small children? Leaving them behind didn’t seem like an option, either. She didn’t want to see them just in snatches between tours. And what about other issues? She had become somewhat accustomed to the constant presence of someone, whether a paparazzo or a fan, bent on taking her picture. She didn’t want Emma and Ethan exposed to that. It was overwhelming, even when the people on the other end of it were well-intentioned. And when they weren’t...

  Tonight had just reinforced those concerns. The thought of the baby carrier the man wore sent chills down her spine. There could only be one reason for that—he had come to kidnap the twins. She could tell from the way Cole had avoided her gaze when she told him about the intruder having one that he thought so, too. This was no ordinary robbery. It had to have been an attempted kidnapping. Nothing appeared to have been touched in the house, and the intruder’s attention seemed to have been focused on the twins.

  A shiver ran up her spine, and she wrapped her arms around her waist. She needed to check all the doors once more before going back to bed, but she wasn’t going to turn the lights off. She hurried to take care of that before heading back upstairs.

  Five minutes later, she tiptoed back into the nursery. Emma’s quiet snuffle drifted across the room, and she smiled. She was grateful April had been one of the responding officers tonight. She’d been able to calm both children and get them asleep by the time she had to leave. Now they both slept soundly.

  She, however, wasn’t willing to go back to her room and leave them. She turned the lock on the door, grabbed a quilt from the closet and settled herself in the rocking chair. As she pulled the cover up over herself, the memory of trying to ward off their attacker returned, and she blinked back tears. She had no idea where the strength came from to do that. It had taken over her body and filled her with a fierce resolve to protect her family. She could only hope that it would be enough to keep them safe—at least for tonight. Settling down in the chair, she closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep.

  Hours later, she still sat there wide-eyed and unable to relax. All through the night, she’d watched the glow from the “Hickory Dickory Dock” clock on the wall, as the hands shaped like mice displayed the time. Now it was 6:00 a.m. and still too early for Mandy to be up, but she needed to speak with her.

  Easing quietly from her chair, she unlocked the door and walked back to her bedroom. Once inside, she pulled her cell phone from her robe pocket and dialed the number of her assistant. It rang several times before Mandy answered.

  “Hello.” The gravelly tone of Mandy’s sleep-filled voice came over the phone.

  “Mandy, this is Holly. I’ve had a problem here in Jackson Springs. I know you’re visiting your parents and that today’s your mother’s birthday, but I wondered if you could come today when the party is over. I really need your help.”

  She could hear the squeak of bedsprings as Mandy sat up. “What’s wrong, Holly?”

  The fear she’d felt during the night returned as she related what had transpired. When she’d finished, she spoke again. “I shouldn’t have come here alone. I need you to help me with the twins, and I need the security team in place.”

  “I’ll get in touch with Bert right away, and I’ll be there tonight.” Mandy spoke with the efficiency she’d displayed ever since Holly had hired her three years ago. “Do you want me to call Aiden, too? He’s in Chicago today finishing up the details of your concert there.”

  Holly bit down on her lip at the mention of her manager, Aiden Hudson, and thought for a moment before she responded. “You can call him to update him on the situation, but tell him to get everything worked out in Chicago. If you can get here and Bert can get security in place, we should be okay.”

  “Okay, I’m on it.” Mandy paused for a moment, then spoke. “Are you sure you’re all right? I can skip my mother’s birthday party if you’d like.”

  “No, don’t do that. Enjoy being with your family. Just get here afterward, and please apologize to your folks for me. I’m sorry to pull you away from your visit. I promise I’ll make it up to you with more time off.”

  Mandy gave a soft chuckle. “No need for apologies, Holly. You are way too good to me, anyway, and they know that. Don’t worry. I’ll leave after the dinner party tonight.”

  Smiling, Holly disconnected the call, checked on the twins to make sure they were still sleeping and headed downstairs. Ten minutes later, she poured her first cup of coffee and carried it into the den. She was just about to take a sip when she heard a vehicle stop in front of the house. She eased over to the window and pulled the curtain back to peer outside. An unmarked police car sat in the driveway. As she watched, Cole climbed out and walked up the front steps.

  She waited for him to knock, but when he didn’t, she walked to the door and opened it. He stood bent over on the porch, his attention directed to the lock on the door. He gasped in surprise at the sight of her, his body jerking. He staggered backward. Holly tried not to smile, but the look of shock on his face reminded her of how he’d looked when they were children and she’d mistaken a copperhead for a
milk snake and picked it up.

  At the sound of her laughter, he clenched his jaw and straightened to his full height. “What’s so funny?” he growled.

  “You are,” she said. “The expression on your face reminded me of the time I picked up that copperhead.”

  A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, and his shoulders relaxed. “Yeah. I remember that day. I thought you were going to be bitten before I could get to you.”

  A warm rush filled her as she remembered how he’d raced to rescue her. “You always looked out for me, Cole.”

  He pursed his lips but didn’t say anything. Finally, she cleared her throat and spoke again. “What are you doing skulking around on my front porch so early in the morning?”

  He took a deep breath as if to clear his thoughts and gave a slight nod toward the door. “I wanted to check out the door again and see if I overlooked anything last night to determine how your visitor got in. I thought I’d do it before you got up so that I wouldn’t disturb you.”

  “And did you find anything?”

  He shook his head. “No. The lock doesn’t look like it’s been jimmied, and all the other doors were locked. You said your intruder pulled this door open when he ran out. Are you sure you locked it before you went to bed last night?”

  “Yes. I remember testing it twice to make sure it was secure.”

  Cole rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “None of the windows had been opened or broken. He had to come in this way. Maybe he had a key.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “How would that be possible?”

  Cole shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s a former employee who worked on the ranch for Michael or for your dad. He might have found a key to the house and kept it. Or he could have picked the lock. A good burglar can do that easily.”

  “We both know he wasn’t here to rob me, Cole. He wanted the twins.”

  His forehead wrinkled as he studied the lock and then nodded. “Yeah. I think you’re right.”