She was on the interstate when an SUV approached her quickly from behind. She changed lanes to give him plenty of leeway to go around her. The traffic wasn’t heavy, and he had plenty of room, but she’d learned there were some crazy drivers in this town.
The car changed lanes, too, coming up beside her. She glanced over and saw the window coming down and the barrel of a gun sticking out. She jammed the steering wheel as a shot fired. The window behind her shattered. Brady screamed and so did she, but she pressed her foot against the accelerator and took off. The car quickly caught up, and a man leaned out to take another shot.
Kellyanne made a sharp turn and plowed down an exit ramp. The car kept on, unable to turn in time. It did slam on its brakes, and she heard the squealing of tires as it tried to stop. She didn’t stick around to see what happened and made a left on the off-ramp, thankful for the lack of traffic and green light. She headed down a path, turning again and again with no sense of direction or idea about where she was going, except that she knew she had to get away from the men with the guns.
Brady was crying in the back seat, the shattered glass and gunfire no doubt having terrified him. At least, she hoped he was only frightened and not injured. She needed to stop and check on him, but first, she had to make certain they were out of danger.
She zoomed through a shopping center parking lot, turned into an alley that led to the back of the center and stopped the car. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was pounding. Her pulse pounded like a jackhammer in her head. She had no idea who those men were or why they’d opened fire on her.
She stopped, watching and listening intently for any evidence that they’d somehow caught up with her. But how could they? She’d made so many turns even she didn’t know where she was.
She stared out the window, scanning the area. No one was in sight. She heaved a sigh of relief. Brady continued crying, but it was more like a whimper now than a terrified wail. She turned to check him for injuries. He seemed unharmed by the bullets or shattered glass, so she spoke a few comforting words to him, hoping to calm them both.
She jumped when her cell phone rang, her heart hammering in her chest again until she realized it was Zeke calling. She hit the answer button, but all she could get out through a choked voice when she answered was his name. “Zeke.”
Panic rose in his tone in response to her shaky voice and possibly the baby crying in the background. “Kelly, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Some men. I was—I was driving home, and they shot at me.”
“Someone shot at you? Where?”
“On the interstate. They shot out my passenger window. I managed to get away. I’m hiding behind a shopping center, but I don’t know if they’re still out there. I don’t know if they’ll find me again.”
“I’m on my way. Tell me where you are.”
She glanced around but realized she was in unfamiliar territory. “I don’t know. I don’t recognize anything.”
“All right, Kelly. Listen to me. Use your GPS on your phone. Tell me where you are.”
She kept her foot on the brake as she pulled the phone from the cradle and keyed up her GPS. Her hands were shaking so badly that she nearly couldn’t make the app open or type in her home address.
“Okay, I’ve got it.”
“Where are you?”
“Ten miles from my apartment.”
“Kelly, start driving. Park at the shopping center around the corner from your apartment complex. I’ll meet you there. I don’t want you going home alone.”
“And you’ll stay on the line with me?”
“Yes, darling. I will most definitely stay on the line with you the entire time.”
She set the phone back into the cradle before inching her car from behind the shopping center. She scanned the area but didn’t see the SUV. She pressed the accelerator and sped toward the interstate ramp heading back to her apartment, but her eyes were constantly scanning her surroundings, watching in the rearview mirror. Zeke’s voice on the line was a welcome distraction from her fear. By the time they reached the turnoff to the shopping center, Brady had fallen asleep.
She pulled the car into the lot and spotted Zeke leaning against his car. He ended the call when he saw her. She pulled to a stop in front of him. Her hands shook as she opened the door, unbuckled her seat belt and walked toward him. He reached for her hands first and then pulled her to him. She clung to him, pressing her face against his chest as tears flowed. She couldn’t do this alone. She couldn’t do this without him.
THREE
He hugged her to him, and she allowed it. He hated to see her so upset, but she hadn’t even had time to process what had happened to her friend. Zeke waited with her as the police arrived and she answered their questions about the attack then they left her car to be processed and he drove her back to her apartment in Greg’s vehicle. He watched the baby as she cried herself to sleep in the other room. He longed for nothing more than to go to her and comfort her, but that wasn’t his place any longer.
Funny, he’d come to Austin with one agenda aside from the conference—to end things between them once and for all. Instead, he was more wrapped up in her life than ever. She drew him to her like she had her own gravitational pull on him. He was powerless to resist. He longed to be with her and be a part of her life.
He put away the food they hadn’t cooked and washed the dishes. As he stared out the window above her sink and out into the dark sky, he wanted to scream. Why was this happening to her, and what could he do to make it all go away?
God, please help me help her.
Even his prayer felt impotent. He had no control when he was around her, no control of his life or his will. She drew him in, and there was nothing he could do or say to make this better for her.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Josh.
“How’s my sister?” He was always right to the point.
“I’m worried about her.”
He explained the situation and imagined Josh’s face as he listened, twisted and just as angry and helpless as he felt.
He heard something hit the wall through the phone and knew Josh had thrown it. The frustration was evident in his voice when he spoke. “Why does she have to be so stubborn?”
He didn’t have an answer, so he kept silent instead.
“Technically, I can’t order you to look after her.”
“You don’t need to.”
“I don’t suppose there’s any chance you can convince her to come home?”
He blew out his breath. It was all he wanted. “She hasn’t been receptive to the idea.”
“Do your best, and keep me updated. I haven’t told the family about this. They don’t need to worry. That’s my job.”
It was Zeke’s job, but Josh didn’t know that. He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He wandered into the living room and glanced around at the simple furnishings that included several photographs of him and Kellyanne goofing around. Happier days. But it made him feel good to know that she’d kept them.
He knelt and watched Brady sleeping peacefully in the portable crib, and his mind once again went to what might have been if Kelly hadn’t left him. They might have been married by now and had a couple of kids of their own. Too young, some would say, but he’d always felt older than his years, and no one could deny his love for her. She’d captured his heart years ago. But loving her had kept him in a circling pattern, never being able to move on with his life or land on something solid. For years, every time she’d come into town, she’d sent his heart into a tailspin with her words of love for him, but then she would leave again.
Why, Kelly? Why wasn’t I ever enough for you?
He saw the necklace he’d returned sitting in a dish on her coffee table. It had been his sole excuse for coming to see her. To end it. He was glad he hadn’t mailed it. N
o matter their past, she needed him now, and he was going to be here for her. But he couldn’t let his heart go down this road with her only to be shattered again.
He had to protect himself.
I’ll help her, God. I’ll be here for her, but please help me guard my heart.
* * *
The next morning Kellyanne awoke early. Brady was still asleep in his bed and Zeke was sleeping stretched out on her couch, his long legs hanging over the end. She hated to see him so uncomfortable but was glad he’d chosen to remain. She wouldn’t have been at ease staying here alone after being shot at. The shooting could have been a random crime that had nothing to do with Lisa’s death, but as she stared at Brady in the crib, she couldn’t get it out of her head that someone was out to get her.
Was it the mysterious man who’d assaulted her? Lisa’s ex? Brady’s father?
She’d spent hours last night trying to recall something, anything that might lead them to the mysterious man who’d shoved her at the fundraiser. He had to be involved in these attacks against her. If he wasn’t, he certainly knew who was.
She left both Zeke and Brady sleeping and jumped in the shower. When she came back out of the bedroom, Zeke had given Brady a bottle, started the coffeepot and fixed eggs and toast for breakfast. The smell of bacon frying reminded her of home, and she smiled.
She enjoyed having him around.
“How are you feeling this morning?”
She felt her face flush. “Foolish. I shouldn’t lay all of this on you. This isn’t your problem.”
He looked stung by her words and turned away, and she wanted to kick herself. That wasn’t what she’d meant.
“I only meant that you have a job in Courtland. You’re in town for a police convention. You aren’t here to coddle me.”
He leaned against the counter and locked eyes with her. “Taking care of you isn’t coddling. You’re in danger and under a lot of strain. I’m glad I’m here.”
“I’ll bet your friend is wondering where you were last night.”
“Naw, I texted him to let him know I’d meet up with him this morning.”
“I need to take Brady to the day care and go to the office. But first, I need to arrange for a rental car.”
“I’ll drop you by the rental agency.”
“Is it on your way?” she asked. He smiled and licked bacon grease from his finger. “It can be. But are you sure you want to take him back to the day care? What if that man returns?”
“I can ask Mrs. Reynolds across the hall. She watches him sometimes for Lisa.” She’d been watching him the night of the party. Mrs. Reynolds was a widow with one son she rarely saw who lived on the East Coast. She kept the toddlers at church and longed for the pitter-patter of grandchildren one day, although her son didn’t appear to be in any hurry in that department. She’d been happy to offer her babysitting services whenever Lisa needed them.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
She phoned Mrs. Reynolds, who assured her she was available today to watch Brady. “It’s so sad what happened to Lisa,” she told Kellyanne. “It just breaks my heart.”
“Mine too,” Kellyanne said.
The older woman eyed Zeke when Kellyanne carried Brady across the breezeway. “He’s an old friend from my hometown,” Kellyanne explained. “He was with me when we found Lisa.”
“He’s very handsome,” she noted and then turned her attention to Brady, who laughed and giggled when she made a funny face at him.
“Have the police questioned you yet?” Kellyanne asked her. Her apartment shared a wall with Lisa’s. If anyone had heard anything that day, it would be Mrs. Reynolds.
“Yes, they asked their questions, but I didn’t know anything. I didn’t hear any commotion over there. I was out most of that day. It must have happened while I was gone.”
Kellyanne thanked her again for watching Brady and promised to be back in a few hours. “I’m not going to work. I just have a few things I want to take care of at the office.”
“Take your time. Brady and I will be just fine.”
Zeke drove her to the rental agency and pulled up to the front before sliding the car into Park. He didn’t get out, and she didn’t move to get out either. She knew this might be the last time she saw him before he returned to Courtland. She didn’t want to acknowledge that, and there were so many things she wanted to say to him, things she needed to tell him, but the time had never seemed right.
They were never right.
“When do you leave for home?” she finally asked, breaking the silence between them.
“Tomorrow’s the final day of the conference. Greg and I will head back afterward.”
“So you’re free tonight, then?”
He looked at her and smiled. “I am.”
“Can we try supper at my place again? There’s something I need to talk to you about.” It was time he knew the truth. That for a few brief months, he’d been a father.
He nodded. “I’d like that.”
She got out and went inside. Zeke waited until they pulled a car around for her then he transferred the car seat into it. He opened the driver’s door for Kelly and she slid inside.
“I’ll see you later tonight,” he said before telling her goodbye and getting back into his car. She felt the lack of his presence as he drove away.
She arrived at her office only to have her coworkers huddle around her to express their worry and condolences.
“What happens to the baby?” one of them asked.
Lisa’s will stated that she wanted Kellyanne to raise him, but she couldn’t take that risk, not after she’d failed with her own baby. “I’ll have to find a good home for him.”
“You don’t have to do that alone, Kellyanne. We can help.”
She knew her coworkers would do their best, but she wasn’t ready to part with Brady yet. He was her last connection to her friend, and she wasn’t ready to put him into the system. There were plenty of people who would want to give him a home, so finding one wouldn’t be difficult.
“I left Brady at my neighbor’s, but I wanted to get a few things from my desk, if that’s okay.” She looked at Dana, who nodded.
“Of course.”
The group dispersed, but Dana followed Kellyanne to her office. “I talked with Human Resources. Technically, taking guardianship of this child entitles you to up to six weeks of family leave, the same amount of time as if you’d given birth or adopted a child.”
Kellyanne was grateful to have a boss who looked out for her employees. “Thank you, Dana. I might need to use some of that.”
She nodded. “Then I’ll start the paperwork.”
Kellyanne settled into her desk and turned her attention to the task she’d come for. Brady’s birth certificate might not have provided the father’s name, but Lisa had to have family somewhere that needed to be contacted, and Kellyanne hoped to use the agency’s systems to locate one of them. She needed to locate Lisa’s next of kin to determine the proper place for Brady to be. Lisa might have expected Kellyanne to keep Brady, but she wasn’t qualified to be a mother, not when she hadn’t been able to even care for her own child. Brady would be better off with a different family and a mother who knew how to care for him.
She glanced at the phone on her desk and saw the voice mail light flashing. She pressed the button and listened, jotting down notes to give to Dana to handle while she was out.
The third voice message stopped her cold.
“Hi, Kelly, it’s me.” Kellyanne’s heart leaped into her throat. Lisa’s voice. Lisa had always been bad about choosing her office number instead of her cell number from her contacts list. It had been a running joke between them. “I just did something stupid. I went to confront Brady’s father. His staff wouldn’t let me see him, but I made it known that I’ve got pictures and emails that prove the af
fair, that prove he’s Brady’s father. I was so stupid. I thought I was protecting him by staying away and remaining silent, but he used me, Kelly. Last night, at the party, I discovered he carried on with other women too.” Her voice choked as she continued. “He never loved me. He used me. I’m going to expose him for who he truly is. He’s a powerful man, Kelly, and this will destroy him. I’m afraid he’s going to send someone after me. I’m scared. If something happens to me, take the flash drive to the police. Show it to them. I hid it in—” A loud crash sounded, and Kellyanne’s heart plummeted as her friend screamed in terror. “No, don’t! I don’t—” A pop of gunfire sounded and the call ended.
All the air left her lungs as she sat stunned by the unexpected message from the dead. Had she just overheard Lisa being murdered?
She dug through her purse for Detective Shaw’s card, quickly dialed the number and told him what she’d found.
“Can you play it for me?”
She didn’t want to hear it again but hit the play button and listened again to her friend’s final words, probably her final moments. It was just as horrific the second time around.
Shaw gave a loud sigh on the other end of the phone. “We’re still going through the contents of her apartment, but I don’t see a flash drive listed on the evidence log. Do you know anything about it?”
“No, I don’t.”
“We’re in the process of pulling her phone records. We’ll track down each number she called. We can go back to the time before Brady was born. There will surely be calls between them then. Plus, we’re tracking her GPS and credit card info. We’ll find out who is behind this.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
She ended the call with him, dropped her cell phone and put her head in her hands. Hearing Lisa’s voice one final time had been a punch in the gut. She was trying so hard to be strong for Brady’s sake, but this was just too much.
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