Page 35 of Maverick Detective Dad
Everly cleared her throat, hoping it would do the same to her head, and she knew that soon she’d have to deal with these feelings for Noah. Feelings that she was scared went beyond the desire. That definitely wasn’t a good thing since caring deeply for him again would only ignite the old guilt. Even if they fell in love with each other again, Everly doubted they could ever have a life together because of that guilt.
She forced herself to move even though it meant walking past Noah. Touching him, too, when her body grazed him.
He noticed.
Everly heard the husky sound in his throat. A sound she had no trouble interpreting. It was a hungry ache that wanted to be sated. But Noah didn’t act on it. Didn’t pull her to him for another kiss. He merely followed her to the nursery while she began gathering what she’d come to get.
She packed some extra clothes for Ainsley. The moisturizer she preferred to use on her daughter after her bath. Also, three small stuffed animals that Ainsley liked to cuddle when she slept. All things that would hopefully make Ainsley’s stay at the ranch a little more comfortable. She glanced at the baby monitor camera and considered taking it as well, but she recalled one already being in the nursery that Noah had set up at his house.
Everly added a few toiletries from her own bathroom. Some makeup as well, though she silently cursed herself for caring about such things when they had a killer after them. Still, they might give her the same comfort as Ainsley’s things would give her.
It hadn’t taken her long to pack—and kiss Noah—but when they opened the front door, they saw that Hudson was on a small ladder that he’d obviously had in his SUV, and he was mounting a camera on the far right side of the porch.
“It has two lenses so it’ll cover the entire porch and the right side of the house,” Hudson explained while he continued to work. “I’ve already put up one in the back, and I’ve positioned it so it’ll cover the left side of the house as well. They’re motion activated, and I’ve emailed both of you the link so you can view the feed on your laptop and set up an account to check it on your phone. You should do that now so you’ll know if you’ve had any unwanted visitors.”
Everly figured it hadn’t been difficult for a man of his expertise to get her email address so he could do that. “Thank you,” she said, and she meant it.
“It’s a start,” Hudson explained. “After I get you back to the ranch, I’ll have someone deliver more equipment. What kind of internal security system do you have?”
Everly lifted her phone and showed him the app for the one she used. “There are sensors on the doors and windows. It should trigger an alarm if someone breaks in. I know it works because a couple of times I’ve forgotten to disengage it before I’ve opened the door. It’s not a loud alarm, but it’s enough to get my attention.”
Hudson made a sound that could have meant anything. “I have something better that I can install. Something that’ll be a lot harder for anyone to tamper with. What about any cameras inside?”
She shook her head. Then, shrugged. “Nothing except for the baby cam in the nursery.”
“It’s motion activated?” he asked.
“Yes, but it doesn’t set off an alarm. I have a monitor app on my phone so I can check on Ainsley after she’s gone down for the night or a nap. I also have a monitoring unit for the baby cam that I keep on my nightstand. I have the volume on high enough that I wake up if Ainsley starts fussing.” She stopped, feeling another round of worry. “Do you think I need interior security cameras?”
“It doesn’t hurt,” Hudson said, and he must have seen the worry on her face because he added, “When the killer left that box and Daisy’s body, he didn’t break in.”
True, and it would have been so much worse if he had put Daisy’s body inside Everly’s house. Everly shuddered at the thought, and while she hoped she wouldn’t have to worry about such things much longer, she would get several more nanny cams and position them around the house.
“How far of a range is the nanny cam you have in the nursery?” Hudson asked.
It took her a moment to recall that info. “About a thousand feet. It covers the entire room since Ainsley plays in there a lot, and I like to keep an eye on her if I’m in another part of the house.” Though she never left her daughter alone for very long despite the house being childproofed. “I mounted the camera on the wall so I can see if she goes out into the hall.”
In hindsight, Everly wished she’d put an actual camera in the hall, too. She usually kept her bedroom and bathroom door shut, but since Ainsley was learning to turn the knobs, she might get into something she shouldn’t be getting into.
Hudson got down from the ladder, and he glanced up at the sky though and cursed. “If I hurry, I can maybe beat the storm. I looked at the forecast, and things could get rough.”
“Tornados?” Everly immediately asked.
“It’s possible,” the man added with a nod while he folded up the ladder.
“My house on the ranch has a tornado shelter,” Noah explained, looking at the forecast on his phone.
She had one as well that could be accessed through a hatch in the floor of the laundry room, but she hoped it wouldn’t be necessary to use it.
They were still in the doorway when his phone rang, and she saw River’s name on the screen. Obviously, Noah had added it to his contacts.
“Detective Ryland,” Noah answered, but he shifted his attention around the yard, doing a sweep of the area. Maybe because he thought this call could be some kind of distraction.
“I’m on my way to the Silver Creek Sheriff’s Office,” River blurted out, his words and breath rushing together. “I have to see you right away.”
“Why? Has something happened?” In contrast, Noah’s voice was steady.
“Yeah, you could say that,” River snarled. “Somebody just tried to kill me.”
