Guarding the Babies

by Sandra Robbins

  Holly ran outside and plowed into a man who was standing still and staring at something behind her. She looked over her shoulder and gasped to see Ray lying on the sidewalk. Blood ran from his head. Part of her wanted to run and check on him—but the children needed her more. She turned to look in the opposite direction, and that was when she saw a man running down the street, pushing the stroller.

  “Stop that man!” she screamed and took off in pursuit, but the man only increased his speed.

  Holly realized that Todd was racing beside her as they tried to close the distance between them and the kidnapper. Suddenly, Todd’s feet went out from under him, and he fell to the pavement. Holly didn’t stop to check on him. She couldn’t let the man take her children.

  She closed the gap between them and screamed at the top of her lungs. “Stop! Give me my children!”

  The man looked over his shoulder and glared at her with an evil look that she didn’t think she would ever forget. And then, without warning, he gave the stroller a push. Holly screamed as the stroller holding Emma and Ethan rolled into the street and into the path of an oncoming car.

  * * *

  Cole scanned the crowd of people milling around in front of the Sturgis Road Mall. He didn’t know what had possessed him to think he could find a woman that he didn’t know in the middle of this crowded street. She could be any of the women he was passing. But anyone who sounded as scared as the voice on the phone had should show some physical evidence of fear, and he searched the faces of every woman he met to see if he could detect anything.

  As he approached the mall’s supermarket, he was close to giving up, but then he spotted a group of people just ahead on the sidewalk. When he got closer, he saw that a man lay there unconscious. Blood ran from his head.

  He pushed into the group and flashed his badge. “Sheriff’s department. What happened?”

  A young man, who looked like he might be a college student, spoke up. “I saw it all. This guy was just standing here like he was waiting for someone. Then this other guy ran by and hit him on the head. He didn’t even stop.”

  “Did you see where the attacker went?”

  The boy shook his head. “No. I squatted down and tried to help this injured man. I did call nine-one-one, though.”

  “Good,” Cole said. He was about to say something else when the door to the supermarket opened and a man ran out, pushing a double baby stroller.

  From where he stood, he could see two blond heads bobbing from inside the stroller as the man sped away. Cole frowned. The man’s behavior seemed a little suspicious—but Cole hadn’t seen anything to justify stopping him. He’d barely caught a glimpse of the children in the stroller, but they seemed unharmed. Maybe the guy was just in a hurry.

  Cole was about to direct his attention back to the man on the ground when a shrill scream split the air. Startled, he looked up to see Holly burst out of the store and then run in the same direction as the fleeing man. Her agonized cry for the man to give her the children sliced through him, and he jumped to his feet and ran after her.

  Cole kept his eyes on the stroller and willed his legs to move faster. To Holly’s left a man that he guessed was one of her security team ran beside her. Cole saw the crack in the sidewalk but, evidently, Holly’s bodyguard didn’t. He caught his toe on the protruding concrete, and the next minute, he was down on the ground directly in Cole’s path.

  Cole took a flying leap over the man’s prone figure and sped on right behind Holly. Then his stomach clenched as he saw the abductor give the stroller a hard shove toward the street. Holly let out a loud scream as the twins rolled directly into the path of an oncoming car.

  He knew he had only seconds to react, and he responded without thinking, racing toward the stroller, which had come to a stop. Loud wails erupted from the children as they wiggled in their seats, but he didn’t have time to comfort them as his hands fastened on the stroller’s handle.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he realized the car was about to hit them, and he gave the stroller another hard shove. It rolled to the curb and came to a stop just before Cole felt the impact. The breath left his body as he was thrown up into the air and landed with a crash on the hood of the car. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was the driver’s frightened expression staring at him through the windshield and the sound of Holly screaming his name in the background.

  * * *

  When Cole opened his eyes, he lay still trying to figure out what had happened to him. He frowned as he recalled running after the twins and their kidnapper. And then he remembered the car and his attempt to get the stroller out of the way. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, and he swallowed. Had he been successful, or had Emma and Ethan been hurt?

  There was a rustling sound next to his bed as someone came to stand beside him, and he turned his head toward the person. He could hardly believe it when Holly bent over him and placed her cool hand on his forehead.

  “You’re awake.” Her voice trembled as she stared down at him.

  “The twins?” he gasped as he tried to push up on his elbows. “Are they all right?”

  Her hands connected with his shoulders, and she gently pushed him back down onto his back. “They’re fine, Cole, and alive because of what you did. How can I ever thank you?”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to calm the way his heart raced at her touch. “There’s no need for thanks. I was just doing my job.”

  A skeptical look crossed her face, and she shook her head. “You did your job well, but I think it was more than that. You love those children. I saw it in your eyes last night when you were holding Ethan. And you put your life in danger to save them.”

  He stared up at her. “Where are they now?”

  “On their way home with my security team. Mrs. Green, the housekeeper, called her daughter to come help with the twins, so they’re taken care of. I wanted to stay here with you until I was sure that you were okay.”

  The mention of her security team brought to mind the fall that one of them had taken. “I saw your bodyguard fall. How is he?”

  “Todd’s okay, just a skinned knee. Ray didn’t suffer any major injuries, either.”

  Cole frowned. “Who’s Ray?”

  “My other bodyguard. He was waiting outside the store for us and someone hit him on the head right before we ran from the store.”

  He recalled seeing the man lying on the sidewalk, and he nodded. “I got there right after he’d been knocked out. I was beside him when you ran out the door.”

  She smiled. “I’m so glad you followed.” Her smile disappeared as her eyebrows drew down into a slight frown. “I don’t understand, though. What were you doing there?”

  He took a deep breath and told her about the strange phone call he’d gotten and how it had pinged off a tower nearby. “I don’t know how I thought I’d find her, though. I have no idea what she looks like. She could be...” He stopped speaking when he noticed how her eyes had grown wide. “What’s the matter?”

  “There was a woman in the supermarket. She was standing at the end of an aisle staring at us. There was something about her that frightened me. Do you think she could be the woman who called you?”

  He thought about it and then shook his head. “I don’t know, but I can’t find out anything lying in this bed. I need to check in with the station.”

  “The sheriff and two deputies were here earlier, but when the doctor told them you don’t have any broken bones or head injuries, just some bruises that will heal with time, they left. The sheriff said for you to go home when you were discharged, and he’d talk to you about how much time you need to take off to recover.”

  “I don’t need any time off. I need to get to work.” He started to throw the covers back, but suddenly he realized while he’d been unconscious someone had changed him into a hospital gown. His gaze d
arted around the room. “Where are my clothes? I’ve got to get out of here.”

  She laid a restraining hand on his shoulder as he pushed up into a sitting position. “Cole, please lie back down. Your body has had quite a traumatic shock.”

  He took a deep breath and shook his head. “You don’t understand, Holly. Last night, you fought off an intruder in the twins’ bedroom. Today, they were abducted from a supermarket. I have to find out who that is. To top it off, I get a strange phone call from a frightened woman, and you see a stranger staring at Emma and Ethan. I’ve got to find out what’s going on.”

  “Cole,” she whispered, and he looked up to see that her face had gone pale. “You’re scaring me. Why would anyone want to harm the twins?”

  Regret that he’d frightened her washed over him, and he reached for her hand. “Holly, you are a very wealthy woman. A kidnapper would know that you’d pay any amount of money to get them back. We can’t let this situation get to that point.”

  “B-but what can we do?” Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and her shoulders shook. “I can’t lose them. They’re all the family I have left.”

  His thumb stroked her knuckles as he spoke in a soothing tone. “I know, and I’m going to make sure they stay safe. Whatever’s going on, I promise I will find out and protect them.”

  She wiped at her tears with her free hand and tried to smile. “Thank you, Cole. I know you will. I’m just thankful that you’re here.”

  He bit down on his lip as he released her hand. “Now, how about you find a nurse, so that I can get my clothes, and we’ll get out of here.”

  A nurse entered the room at that moment. He could tell by the amused look on her face that she had overheard him asking for his clothes. She smiled and wagged her finger at him. “Oh, no, you don’t. The doctor wants to see you now that you’re awake, and he’ll decide if you can leave or not.”

  Cole’s eyebrows arched, and he shook his head. “I’m fine. I’ve had worse mishaps in my line of work. I need to get out of here.”

  Holly propped her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes as she glanced at the nurse. “He’s always been a stubborn one. It may take some persuasion to keep him here.”

  The nurse laughed and stopped beside the bed. “I’m used to patients wanting out of here. But, Detective Jackson, we need to make sure you’re okay before we release you. So settle down, and the doctor will be in to see you shortly. He’ll let you know when you can be released.”

  Cole huffed and settled back on the bed as he mumbled something to himself. Holly couldn’t help but grin. “Stubborn. That’s what he is.”

  He glared up at her. “As if you’re not.”

  The nurse rearranged the blanket over him and smiled. “Is there anything else I can get for you right now?”

  Cole shook his head. “Just a get-out-of-jail-free card if you happen to have one.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t have that, but I can bring you something to eat.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”

  Holly bent down and stared in his face. “It’s late afternoon now. Did you have lunch today?”

  “No.”

  “Well then, you need to eat something.” She turned to the nurse. “Can you get him a sandwich or maybe some soup?”

  The nurse smiled. “I’ll be glad to see what we have.”

  Cole raised himself up on his elbows and glared at Holly. “I told you I don’t want...”

  She smiled. “Oh, quit being a grouch. All we want to do is help you.”

  The nurse nodded. “That’s right, Detective Jackson. Miss Lee hasn’t left your side since you were brought in. You’re fortunate to have someone who cares about you like that.”

  He looked up at Holly, and his heart thudded. “W-we’re old friends,” he finally said. “We’ve known each other since we were children.”

  “Well, it’s good to have a friend like that.” Then she turned and walked to the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  They watched her go, and then Holly looked back down at him. “Is there anything I can get for you? Another blanket or a drink of water?”

  He shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m fine. I don’t need any help,” he grumbled.

  She bit her lip and sat back down in the chair beside the bed. The silence between them grew heavy, and with each breath he took, he regretted the angry tone in his voice. He’d always been able to tell when she was sad. He could see it in the way her shoulders slumped now. And he had done that.

  As he lay there watching her, she turned her head and stared out the window. Last night, she had asked him to be her friend again, and he had refused. The truth was that he wanted that friendship back more than anything he’d wanted in a long time. A bond had been forged between them years ago, and being away from each other for the past few years hadn’t destroyed that. He doubted if anything ever would. The plans they’d had as teenagers hadn’t come to pass, but they could still be there for each other. Just like she was for him right now.

  “Holly,” he whispered.

  She wiped at her eyes before she turned back to face him. “What?”

  “I’m really glad you’re here.”

  Her chin trembled. “I’m glad I’m here, too. I’m so sorry you were hurt today because of me.”

  He frowned and shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault. You had no idea someone was going to follow you to the store to try to kidnap the twins.”

  “I know, but I knew we’d had a break-in last night. And I knew better than to come to Jackson Springs without security in the first place. If I had planned better, none of this would have happened.”

  “You don’t know that,” he said.

  “I do,” she protested. “You know I’ve always been bound and determined to do everything my way. Well, I did, and it almost proved disastrous for Emma and Ethan.”

  He turned on his side so that his body was facing her and reached for her hand. “You can’t blame yourself for this. I know you’ve been through some frightening experiences since you’ve been in town, but I’m going to do everything in my power to see that nothing happens to you or those children as long as you’re here.”

  She smiled, and his stomach clenched at how beautiful she was. “Thank you, Cole. I appreciate that.”

  He cleared his throat and tightened his grip on her hand. “And, Holly, I’m sorry I refused your offer of friendship last night. I realize now that we’ll always be friends and have each other’s best interests at heart.”

  She stared at him for a moment before she spoke. “Yes, Cole. We will.” She let her gaze drift over his face, and then she smiled. “It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too, Holly.”

  They didn’t say anything else, and Cole knew there was no need for words. A lot had happened to both of them in the ten years since they’d parted, and they weren’t those two young people who had once loved each other. But it felt so good to have his friend back, and he was never going to lose touch with her again.

  FOUR

  Holly was sitting at the desk in the den the next morning when she heard the familiar sound of Todd’s footsteps in the hall. She stared at the doorway and waited for him to appear. When he did, he clasped his hands in front of him and directed his no-nonsense gaze toward her. For a moment, she had the fleeting thought that she’d rarely seen the man smile. On the few occasions that she had, the smile had always disappeared almost before it began.

  “Todd?” she said. “Can I help you with something?”

  He shook his head. “No, ma’am. Detective Jackson and two other men are here to see you. Do you want me to let them come in?”

  She nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  Todd turned back to the hall as she rose from her chair. Cole stepped into the r
oom, and she let her gaze rake over him. She’d expected him to have some bruises from being hit by the car yesterday, but nothing was visible. Before she could speak, two other men followed him into the den. One had salt-and-pepper hair and looked to be about fifty years old while the other looked like a college kid. He was dressed in black jeans and a black T-shirt with the word Attitude, the name of a rock band, plastered across the front. Several leather thongs with silver charms circled his neck, and leather bracelets covered both wrists.

  “Good morning, Holly,” Cole said. He turned to the men with him and pointed to the older one first. “This is Dan Welch, my partner, and this guy—” he paused as he pointed to the younger one “—is Jason Freeman. He’s our sketch artist.”

  Holly smiled and motioned for them to come in. “I’m delighted to meet you. Please be seated, and I’ll have Mrs. Green bring some coffee.”

  Cole shook his head. “No need for that. We just wanted to follow up on the incident yesterday.”

  Holly regarded him for a moment before she spoke. “When were you released from the hospital?”

  He grinned. “This morning. Dan came and got me since my car was still parked at the Sturgis Road Mall. We brought Jason along because we thought as long as we’re following up we ought to get a sketch of the young woman you saw in the store. Do you think you can describe her?”

  She thought for a moment before she nodded. “I think I can.” She glanced at Jason. “You can make a sketch from what a person describes?”

  He beamed and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  He opened a sketch pad that he was holding and pulled a pencil from his pocket. Holly studied him as he prepared to begin the drawing. He looked so much like hundreds of other kids who’d come to Nashville, hoping to hit it big in the music industry. In reality, only a few succeeded. She was thankful that she’d been one who had.

  “Tell me, Jason,” she said. “Are you a musician?”

  His face flushed a bit. “Yes, ma’am. I play with a group of guys. Nothing like what your band, Ilex, does, but we stay busy with local gigs.”