Just One Kiss (Whisper Lake #4) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,21

accents of blue and coral. The art on the wall was modern and impressionistic and there were flowers everywhere.

The scent of lavender swept through him. He wished it made him feel calm. But since it made him think of Hannah, the resulting action was the opposite of calm.

"Brett can sleep in the upstairs bedroom on the right," Hannah said. "Maybe you can show him where it is."

"I'm on it. Come on, Brett. Let's go check out your room."

As Brett followed him up the stairs, he saw Hannah take Adam into the living room. He wished he could be there to offer support, but what she needed most from him now was a babysitter, so that's what he'd be.

Hannah wished she could have sent Jake home, but having him keep Brett occupied was more important than getting him out of her house and out of her life. She waved Adam into a chair in the living room, while she took a seat on the couch.

"Okay, what's going on?" Adam asked, a questioning gleam in his eyes. "Your text was very vague."

"I know. Here's what happened: My mom got a message yesterday that the tenant in our vacation rental at Wicker Bay was out of hot water. I went up there to check it out. I found Brett all by himself. The hot water was just a ploy to get me up there. Brett's mother left a note asking me, or whoever came, to take care of her son. She didn't sign her name. She also said not to call the police as her son would not be safe if the police got involved."

"Okay," he said slowly, his sharp gaze assessing her story.

"But I need your help, Adam. I don't know if it's fair to ask, but could we start out unofficially?"

"Why?"

"Even though the mother didn't sign the note, I know who she is. She left her necklace behind, and that necklace belonged to my older sister, Kelly. She left home when she was nineteen. That was fifteen years ago. No one in the family has heard from her since."

He raised a brow as surprise flashed across his face. "I was not expecting you to say that."

"It was a shock to me as well. I checked with our property manager. The rental was booked by a woman named Kim Slater with a Florida address. But I know that the necklace was Kelly's, and Brett told me his mom's name was Kelly. I don't know if she used someone else's ID to book the cabin, but I'm sure she is Brett's mother."

"Why wouldn't your sister just call you and ask you to watch her kid or bring him here? Why leave him in a cabin in the woods?"

"I'm assuming she didn't want to see me or didn't want to give me a chance to say no. Since I'm Brett's aunt, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of him, I'm hoping he can stay here." She gave him a pleading look, hoping she hadn't made a mistake in calling him. Adam did like to abide by the rules.

Indecision played through his blue eyes, but finally he gave a nod. "Let's see what we find in the next forty-eight hours. If we haven't tracked down your sister or gotten more information by Monday, then we'll have another conversation."

Relief ran through her. "Thank you. We need to find Kelly. She's clearly in trouble and Brett could be in danger."

"Not because you called me."

"I know I can trust you, Adam, and Brodie, too, but beyond that, I'm not sure. Kelly was very specific about not calling the police. Let me get you the note." She got up and retrieved the note from her bag, then handed it to him.

Adam gave it a good read. "What else can you tell me about your sister? Why did she leave home? Do you have any idea where she's been the last fifteen years?"

"After my father died, Kelly turned wild, and my mom became a raging alcoholic. They each blamed the other for my dad's death."

"Why?"

"It was a car accident, but the reason my father was out that night was to pick up Kelly, who had not come home by her curfew. It was storming, and it was an accident. But Kelly was the reason he went out at all."

"That's rough. I'm sorry."

"Thanks. Anyway, Kelly left home and I never saw her again. I think my mom looked for her at one time; I know others did as well, but