by Terri Reed
Hopefully, Rosa had kept a diary or journal that would name who she’d been involved with and had a child with. On Juan’s birth certificate the place for the father’s name was left blank. Rosa apparently didn’t want the man to know about his son. Lana didn’t want to judge Rosa for keeping her secret. Who knew what type of man Juan’s father was. He could be like Mark. A shiver of revulsion ran over her skin. She prayed that wouldn’t be the case.
She chose a T-shirt from a stack atop the dresser, put it on Juan and pulled the hem over his little belly. Then, cuddling him close, she moved to the rocking chair in the corner where she sat him on her lap. Juan relaxed back in her arms and twisted his head so he could look up at her with his sweet face.
Longing slammed into her and her arms twitched with the force of the impact. She wanted this little boy to be hers. And she would plead with the judge to make it so. Though the psychologist gave her the green light, she wouldn’t be at ease until the judge gave her a positive ruling.
And if he didn’t…what would she do if she lost Juan?
*
Upstairs, Adam stepped into the doorway of the last room on the right, where Cassie had said he’d find Lana and Juan. The two sat in the rocker. The boy stared into her eyes while she sang softly to him. Her clear, sweet voice evoked a welling tenderness from within Adam. An unfamiliar yearning flooded his system. The scene was so precious he hated to disrupt them. But they needed to get back on the road if they were going to make DC before nightfall.
Lana must have sensed his presence because she looked up, the song fading from her lips. He held her gaze across the room. His heart thumped in his chest. She was so beautiful sitting there, holding her nephew. The image would be imprinted on his brain forever as a treasured memory. He rubbed a hand over the pinching sensation in the middle of his chest.
She broke the connection and looked back at Juan. “I think that’s my cue, little guy. But I’ll be back.”
Adam was glad to hear her say she’d return. She and the boy needed each other. He’d known bringing her here was the right decision for her and Juan.
For him, seeing Lana and Juan together caused yearnings and longings he had no business feeling for this woman. He could feel his defenses eroding beneath the onslaught. He would have to shore up resistance if he had any hope of walking away without hurting either of them when the time came. He cleared his throat and wished he could clear his emotions as easily. He was leaving to put down roots somewhere else. Her roots were here, even more so now that she and her nephew were bonding. “We need to hit the road.”
She stood, hefting Juan on her hip as if she’d been doing it forever, and moved to stand in front of Adam. “Thank you for forcing me to come here.”
He didn’t like to think he’d forced her, but the truth was he had. “I’m glad to know I was right.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “Gloating?”
He chuckled. “Maybe a little.” He touched a finger to the boy’s chubby cheek. “He’s awfully cute.”
She sighed. “Yep. I can’t wait until I have custody.”
“No more reservations?”
“None.”
“Good.” And he meant it. She was the best thing for the little boy.
They headed downstairs where Virginia was reading to the kids. Cassie took Juan from Lana’s arms. The look of loss on Lana’s face caused an ache deep in Adam’s chest. He sent up a silent prayer asking God to make sure she’d have her nephew in her life soon. He hated to think anything would keep Lana from gaining custody of Juan.
Almost as much as he hated the thought of her being out of his own life.
*
They arrived in DC just after sunset. Lana loved the view of DC during the day, but especially at night. Her appreciation for art extended to the city’s skyline, twinkling against the darkened sky like a million strands of tiny Christmas lights. The obelisk of the Washington Monument lit from below was a beacon to the heart of the city. The dome of the capitol and the Grecian columns of the Lincoln Memorial both glowed bright.
After leaving the foster home, Adam had wanted to take her back to his brother’s house, but Lana wasn’t ready to settle in for the night. Her mind raced with possibilities and her heart ached with want for her nephew. She wanted to go to her sister’s town house tonight and start packing up Juan’s things.
Now that she’d met Juan, held him in her arms, she wanted to bring all of Juan’s things to her apartment. Though her place was small, she had a spare bedroom that she planned to turn into Juan’s room.
Hopefully, the custody issue would be resolved quickly and she could bring him home. For good. She did her best to quell the building excitement mixing with the fear of rejection. A judge still had to determine her future with her nephew. She needed to stay calm, but she refused to stop hoping.
Adam turned down Thirty-Second Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood. Disbelief tightened her shoulders. Rosa had been living not far from her apartment. Frustration throbbed through her temple. They’d been so close yet so very far apart. If only things had been different. If she and Rosa had found a way to get past the bitterness and anger to reconnect, maybe she could have saved Rosa.
Gazing out the passenger window at the row of luxury town houses, surprise clutched at Lana. These beautiful places had to cost a fortune. How had her sister, a single mom and housekeeper, afforded to live so well? Congressman Jeffries must have paid her a hefty salary.
They parked in front of a white three-story home and climbed out of the vehicle. The shadows from the streetlights at either end of the block danced on the white picket fence enclosing a small brick patio. Wooden planters filled with blooming azaleas and pansies added texture. Who was watering the flowers? Probably came with landscaping.
“Wow,” was all Lana could say.
“Wait until you see the inside,” Adam said, holding open the gate for her to step through.
She slanted him a glance. “You’ve been inside?”
“As part of the investigation into your sister’s death,” he replied. “We didn’t find anything useful to tell us why she was in President’s Park that night.”
“I hope to find something that tells me who fathered Juan.”
“Aren’t you afraid if you discover who the boy’s father is, the man will want custody?”
A knot formed in her chest. “Yes. But it’s the right thing to do.”
The soft, admiring look in his eyes had her heart fluttering. “You’re a very special lady.”
“Thank you.” Heat crept into her cheeks. His praise was disconcerting. It had been so long since anyone had complimented her with such genuine admiration.
She glanced back to where Ace’s nose was pressed against the glass of the built-in kennel. “Are you leaving him out here?”
Adam held up what looked like a television remote control. “He’ll be okay. This will give off a signal if the temp in the car rises, or the doors are opened. I can unlatch his door and let him out remotely if need be.”
“Cool device,” she commented and dug out Rosa’s house key.
At the front door, Adam took the key and opened the heavy wood portal, stepping back so she could precede him inside. A light switch, illuminated by a green glowing light, was set off to the side of the door. Lana flipped on the lights.
Dark teak flooring led down a long, narrow hallway with several doorways on either side. To the left a staircase disappeared to the second floor. The first doorway, a wide opening with pocket doors, revealed a formal dining room where a beautiful dining table and chairs sat on top of a brightly colored, thick wool rug.
A cut-crystal vase filled with dead flowers sat in the center of the table. Dead like her sister. Her heart hiccupped with unspent sobs. But now was not the time to cry. She needed to stay strong, confident and brave. Never again would she allow anyone to see her weak. Mark had thrived on her weakness. She’d vowed not to let anyone have that kind of power over her again.
The next large doorway past the stairs opened to a living room. Adam turned on a lamp sitting on an end table next to the brocade-upholstered sofa. Lana gazed at the fine furnishings and tasteful accents amid a smattering of toys, evidence of Juan. Love for the little boy washed over her. She longed to have him back in her arms.
On the mantel over a gas fireplace were several framed photos. Drawn to them by an invisible cord, Lana stepped over a set of blocks to get a closer look. The pictures showed her parents, her and Rosa, the restaurant and their childhood home.
Each one lashed at Lana with the whip of heartache. There was a picture of her on the day of her college graduation. Another picture from her wedding day, showing her in her bridal gown and Rosa in her maid-of-honor dress.
But the image that brought the burn of tears filling her eyes, despite the fact she hadn’t wanted to cry, was the one photo of Lana and Rosa when Lana was twelve and Rosa was sixteen.
They’d gone to the beach for the day, just the two of them to celebrate Rosa getting her driver’s license. Obtaining their parents’ consent had taken a full week of persuasion and promises to be careful.
Rosa had asked a random person to snap the picture. That had been one of the best times they’d ever had together as sisters.
“Hey, I’m so sorry for your losses.” Adam touched a hand to the middle of her back as he came to stand beside her.
Leaning into him came so naturally. Her heart throbbed with sorrow for the sister, the family, she’d lost. “I miss them all so much.”
Adam’s arm slipped around her, his hand resting gently at her waist. He gestured to the framed photo in her hand. “You were a cute kid.”
Nostalgia spread over her like a comfy blanket. “I was a geek with pigtails, braces and my nose in a book.”
“Still cute. I’d have tugged on those pigtails.”
She appreciated his attempt to lighten her mood. She put the picture back and picked up a family photo taken when she was seventeen at her high school graduation party. Her dad’s smile was so big, so proud. She touched a finger to the images of her parents.
“Why did God let them die?” Her mouth went dry. She’d never put voice to the dark question. Tears welled. Was her faith not as strong as she pretended?
Adam took the frame from her and set it back before turning her to face him. His hands rested lightly on her shoulders, his gaze captured hers and wouldn’t let her go. “God isn’t to blame for the fire that took their lives. Accidents do happen. It’s a part of life we have to accept. Rather than blaming God, turn to Him for comfort.”
His words seared her to the quick. In some desperate place inside her mind she had blamed God. She wanted His comfort, His peace. One by one tears slipped down her cheeks. She swiped at them with the back of her hand, hating the weakness.
“It’s okay to cry. Let it all out, sweetheart.”
Adam pulled her close, his arms going around her, anchoring her to him.
Of course he was right. But the losses still hurt. The grief seeping in so deep, so fully, made her wonder if she’d ever find the comfort she sought. She laid her cheek against Adam’s chest, her tears soaking through his uniform shirt. He smelled good despite the long day in the country. A heady mix of spice and sunshine, cut green grass and rolling hills. And a hundred percent masculine.
She closed her eyes and clung to him as she finally gave in and allowed out the grief she’d kept bottled up to seep out. Grief for her parents, sorrow for the death of her marriage, anguish for the sister she’d lost and for the motherless little boy who needed her now. A little boy she’d hadn’t even known until today.
As her tears subsided and awareness filtered in through the chaos of emotion clogging her throat, pressing on her chest, filling her heart, she tipped her head back to stare up at Adam. Affection glowed on his handsome face in the soft light coming from the table lamp. Answering fondness engulfed her, rising in a tidal wave of yearning and want.
Before she could let herself think too hard about why she shouldn’t, she rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. His lips were hard and soft and moist and dry. Every cell in her body jumped to attention. The sensations rocketing through her should have scared her, but she felt safe. Cared for. Special.
A low rumble escaped him and he deepened the kiss.
His lips worked hers in a tender caress that left her toes curling and her insides melting. Her hands fisted into his shirt, tugging him closer still. She never wanted the sensation of his lips on hers to end. Here, she could forget the past, forget the danger, and only feel the moment.
Finally, he released her, dropping his forehead to meet hers. Her breath came in ragged gasps. She slipped her arms around him and once again placed her cheek against his chest, needing the closeness, the connection. His heart beat a rapid staccato beneath her ear, the sound making her feel powerful. Her kiss had done that to him. Made his pulse race, his heart pound.
Movement in her peripheral vision snagged her attention. Her pulse jumped for an entirely different reason. They were supposed to be alone. She turned her head so she could fully see the empty room. No one there. A figment of her imagination, conjuring up the bogeyman.
Then her gaze swept over the floor-to-ceiling bank of windows. A shadowy outline of a person appeared.
She jerked out of Adam’s arms and screamed.
*
Adam reflectively pushed Lana behind him. Her scream echoed through the still house. “What is it?”
Lana pointed a shaky hand toward the window and the darkness beyond. “Someone’s out there. They were peeking in.”
Shifting into cop mode happened instantaneously. He shoved the effects of Lana’s mind-blowing kiss to the far reaches of his awareness and let the blast of adrenaline take over. His hand reached for the weapon at his side. “I want you upstairs. Don’t come down until I tell you it’s clear.”
“But what if something happens to you?”
The fear in her voice seared him but he couldn’t let her distract him. Someone had followed them to Rosa’s town house. Or had been waiting for Lana to show so they could get the drop on her. No way was he going to let anyone hurt her. He urged her out of the living room and up the stairs before he turned off the hall light and opened the front door.
The shadowy darkness held danger, a threat. He needed his partner. With a quick press of a button on the remote to the SUV, Ace’s door popped open. Adam let out a low, short whistle. Ace jumped from the vehicle and easily hopped over the picket fence, raced up the three brick stairs and met Adam on the porch.
Withdrawing his sidearm, Adam moved into the darkness, Ace a steady presence at his side.
*
Lana took refuge in the first room at the top of the stairs. Muted ambient light visible through a filmy curtain over the window illuminated a queen-size bed, dresser and a rocking chair. Rosa’s room. Forcing back the flash of emotion tugging at her, she raced to the window and pushed aside the curtain’s gauzy fabric to peer down into the narrow stretch of yard along the side of the town house. The fence blocked any light from penetrating the darkness below.
She hurried to the room at the end of the hall, which had to be Juan’s. A crib, changing table and a sea of toys could be seen in the glow of the moon coming through the uncovered window facing the backyard. Careful not to trip, she moved to the window and stared down at the rectangle-shaped yard.
Moonlight reflected off the slide of the play structure. Here the yard was more exposed. There was a square patch of grass and a brick patio with a table and chairs. She didn’t see anyone. The intruder must have escaped.
Wait! A gate on the right side of the fence opened. A figure stepped through and disappeared into the yard next door.
She had to tell Adam. The neighbors were in danger.
But he’d told her to stay upstairs until he gave her the all clear. She couldn’t let her own safety put someone else’s life at risk. She had to find Adam.
She ran bac
k down the stairs. The front door was open. She pressed her back against the wall, keeping as little of her body visible as possible.
Peering out the open doorway into the darkness, she didn’t see Adam. Or anyone else.
Where was he?
She wasn’t sure what to do. Go back upstairs? Or hurry next door and warn the neighbor?
A noise from the living room sent her pulse skittering.
Adam? Or the intruder?
A hand descended onto her shoulder. Terror tore through her. She let out a yelp as she slammed her elbow into her assailant’s torso, eliciting a grunt.
A low growl followed by a bark snapped through her, making her grope for the wall light switch.
She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.
Adam held his hand over his stomach as he stared at her with bewilderment in his eyes. Ace stood beside him, his hackles bristling, his mouth pulled into a snarl. He relaxed when he saw her.
She let out a gasp. “Oh, no. I didn’t know it was you.”
“Obviously,” Adam ground out. “You pack a mean elbow.”
“Why did you sneak up on me?”
“Why did you come downstairs?”
“I saw someone go into the neighbor’s yard. I thought I should warn you or them or do something.”
“You could have been hurt.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t protect you if you don’t listen.”
“But I was concerned for you.”
“I can take care of myself,” he said. “You’re the one in danger. If anything happened to you…”
She laid a hand on his arm, touched by his distress. “I’m sorry. Did you see who was out there?”
“Ace alerted on a scent that took him to the fence. The latch must be on the other side.” He jutted his chin toward the staircase. “Go back upstairs. I’ll go next door.”
Not about to be left alone again, she shook her head. “I’m coming with you.”
He pressed his lips together. “Must you always be so stubborn?”