Just One Kiss (Whisper Lake #4) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,26

created more problems than it solved. But Adam wanted to talk to her mom, and the news of Brett's appearance and her sister's disappearance would make the rounds of Whisper Lake no matter how quiet Adam kept the investigation.

Practically speaking, it would also be impossible to hide Brett's existence with so many holiday events happening over the next several days. She had to work Santa's house at tonight's Christmas Carnival, which meant she would have to bring Brett with her, and she would have to tell people he was her nephew. She would try to keep the problems with Kelly private, but even those would probably leak out. She'd accepted friendly, concerned gossip as an integral part of small-town life a long time ago.

As she waited for her mom's arrival, she went upstairs to check on Brett. She'd put him down for a nap earlier, and he was still fast asleep. She was grateful that he hadn't asked a lot of questions about where his mother was or when she was coming back, but she wondered if that just meant he was used to his mom disappearing. She hoped that wasn't the case. She hoped this was the first and only time that Kelly had abandoned her son.

The doorbell rang. She quickly closed the bedroom door, and then went downstairs. She was greeted by her mother wearing an annoyed look on her face. It wasn't unusual to see that expression on Katherine Stark's face; Hannah got it a lot, usually because she was the one who forced her mom to deal with things she didn't want to deal with. Today was no exception.

"Come in," she said, waving her inside. Despite her mother's unhappy expression, she had to admit that her mom looked healthier and younger than her fifty-nine years. She wore dark jeans today with a soft-blue sweater under a white and gray striped coat. Stylish black boots completed the look. Her blonde hair was styled, her skin was clear, and her green-eyed gaze was sharp. She was slender but not as thin as she used to be when she had made booze the center of any meal. Looking at her now it wasn't easy to see the drunk she'd once been. Hopefully, she'd never see that woman again.

"What was so important that it couldn't wait, Hannah?" her mother asked. "I have so many things to do before the carnival tonight, and I would think you do, too. Isn't the hospital in charge of Santa's Workshop and the entire North Pole set?"

"Yes, and I will be heading down there later today, but I need to talk to you, Mom. It's about the tenant who called yesterday."

"Are we still on that? I don't have any additional information."

"I know, but I do. Let's go into the living room. You should sit down."

At her words, her mother gave her a wary look. "Really? I need to sit down?"

"Yes." She waved her mom into the living room.

"It's such a happy time of the year. Do I want to hear this?" her mom asked, as she took a seat on the couch. She'd always been one to prefer denial over awareness.

"You may not want to, but you need to. When I got to the cabin last night, I found a little boy. He's four years old and his name is Brett. He'd been left at the cabin by his mother, and the hot water complaint was just a ruse to get me or you up to the cabin."

"What are you talking about?" her mother asked, surprise and confusion flitting through her eyes.

"There was a note. It said Brett was in danger and needed someone to watch out for him. With the note was a necklace." She paused, waiting for her mother's gaze to meet hers. "It had a unicorn charm on the end of it. It was Kelly's necklace, Mom, the one I gave her for her birthday." She wished she still had the note and the necklace, but she'd given them both to Adam.

Her mother paled at her words. "No. That's impossible."

"Brett is Kelly's son. She's the one who rented the cabin. She's the one who left the text message. She's the one who wanted us to find her son and take care of him."

"Maybe you're wrong—"

She cut her mom off. "I'm not wrong. Kelly may have booked the reservation in a fake name, but she is Brett's mother. He confirmed his mom's name is Kelly. And he knew about our dog—Tiger. Plus, he