Page 15 of Maverick Detective Dad
Ainsley immediately squirmed to get down, and the moment Everly stood her on the floor, the little girl took off to explore her new stash.
“Your dad’s on the back porch with Hudson,” Darcy told Noah. “They’re dealing with the new cameras.”
“I’ll check on them,” Noah said. He turned but then stopped to make eye contact with Everly. She was pretty sure he was silently asking if it was okay for him to leave her for a couple of minutes, and she nodded. The cameras and other security stuff were important.
Even if that meant being left with Darcy.
“Noah’s worried about you,” Darcy murmured after Noah had left. “And I’m worried about both of you. Nate’s trying to downplay it, but I was a cop’s wife for more years that I care to count so I know when things have to be taken seriously. We’re all taking this very seriously.”
“Thank you,” Everly repeated, and she watched her daughter scurry from one new toy to the other.
“Don’t worry,” Darcy went on, “Nate and I won’t be underfoot. We’ll leave as soon as the security is in place, and we’re just up the road if you need anything.” She motioned to the room across the hall. “That’s the guest room, and there’s an attached bath and sitting area that you can use as office space.”
That required another thanks. Obviously, Noah and his mother had thought of pretty much everything.
Darcy laughed when Ainsley found a stash of blocks that caused her to giggle and spill them all out on a play mat. “It’s nice to be around kids,” Darcy remarked. “I miss the toddler stage.”
Everly knew that Darcy didn’t have grandchildren, and that none of her three kids were married yet. Noah’s sister, Kim, was an assistant district attorney, and their younger brother, Hayden, was a marshal.
“I hope Ainsley and I don’t disrupt Noah’s life too much,” Everly commented.
“You won’t,” Darcy assured her. “Noah loves kids.” She stopped, her eyes widening a bit as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just said.
And because of small-town gossip, Everly knew the reason for the woman’s reaction.
Noah had been engaged five years earlier to a fellow SAPD cop, and he and his fiancée lost their child late in the pregnancy. Apparently, the loss and grief had been too much for the relationship because they’d broken up.
When Noah and she had been teenagers, Everly recalled him talking about how one day he’d like to be a father. Very unlike most teenage boys. So losing his child would have been a very deep cut. Everly totally understood that, now that she was a parent. She couldn’t imagine losing Ainsley. And just like that, she got a slam of the fear that she might not be able to keep her baby safe.
Everly had to fight to tamp down the roar of panic, and the sound of voices helped with that. Noah and his father, and a second later, they came into the room. As Darcy had done, Nate greeted Everly with a welcoming smile and turned that smile on Ainsley.
“The security cameras are all set up,” Nate assured her. “They’re aimed at the windows and doors so you’ll still have privacy once you’re inside.” He pointed to the trio of cameras mounted on the sides of each of the windows in the room.
“Inside because it’ll make it harder for someone to tamper with them,” Noah explained.
Since the panic was still right there, just beneath the surface, that gave her another jolt. Noah must have noticed it because he discreetly touched his hand to the back of hers. Just a touch. But it was enough to remind her that Everly didn’t have to do this alone.
That was both good and bad news.
Good, because she needed Noah and his family’s help. Bad, because that touch brought back all the memories of when touching each other had been their norm. A norm that had always generated a lot of heat. Despite everything going on, that hadn’t changed, and that’s why Everly silently cursed.
Being this close to Noah was not going to be easy.
But for a whole lot of reasons, she had to resist this heat. She couldn’t deal with the constant reminder of the past. Another reminder, too, that she didn’t exactly have a stellar track record when it came to relationships. The proof of that was Philip who’d basically rejected his own child before she’d even been born. Ainsley deserved better than that, and while Noah wasn’t Philip, Everly didn’t want to bring the possibility of that kind of turmoil into her little girl’s life. Especially now, where they had the turmoil from the danger to face.
“Look,” Darcy whispered, motioning toward Ainsley.
Her daughter was cuddling a stuffed horse on the bed, and she was falling asleep. It was her usual nap time, but Everly had thought the excitement of all the new toys would keep her awake. Apparently not.
“Here’s a baby monitor,” Darcy whispered, picking up the handheld and giving it to Everly. “I can watch her though, if you’ve got work to do.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather stay close,” Everly answered. Though she might borrow a laptop from Noah in order to continue researching their persons of interest.
“I understand,” Darcy assured her. “But if you change your mind, let me know. Also, Leah said she can send over her nanny if needed.” She patted Everly’s arm. “We’ll help in any way we can.”
That brought on another round of heartfelt thanks from Everly, and after they’d said their goodbyes, Noah walked his parents to the door. Several moments later, he came back to join her in the doorway.
“I’ve locked up and set the security system,” Noah let her know. The corner of his mouth lifted when his attention landed on Ainsley. “How long will she sleep?”
