Make Me Yours (Bellamy Creek #2) - Melanie Harlow Page 0,98
as she sobbed on my shoulder.
That night, the soundtrack of my nightmare included the sound of a child gasping for air.
I yelled so loud, I woke my mother.
The following day, baskets of fruit and plates of cookies showed up at the police department, and I fielded phone calls from reporters who wanted to interview me. My boss had to essentially give me the day off just to keep up, but he said he was glad to do it.
Burying all my emotions, I calmly relayed the events the way they’d occurred, saying only that I was grateful for my training and happy the baby was okay. It was all in a day’s work of keeping Bellamy Creek safe. The baby’s family came to the station, and we took a photo together, me holding the baby and the child’s parents standing beside me. By the time I got home, my mother had printed it and taped it to the refrigerator.
Local Hero Saves Baby, read the headline.
I looked at the picture. Beneath my bloodshot eyes were dark circles. My smile looked forced. My chest seemed artificially inflated.
My legs trembled as I went upstairs to change out of my uniform.
I didn’t feel like a hero. I felt like I was faking it.
That evening, I took Mariah to her therapy appointment.
While she was in the office with Jessalyn, I sat in the waiting room, staring at a dog-eared parenting magazine and sipping a cup of coffee. I was exhausted and on edge, hoping it wouldn’t show. I was also hoping Mariah told her therapist that I’d asked Cheyenne to move in with us—that would prove to her she’d been wrong about me, wouldn’t it?
When the hour was up, Jessalyn and Mariah came out. I rose to my feet.
“Hello, Cole.” Jessalyn smiled at me. “I heard the news.”
“About Cheyenne?”
“About the baby.” Her grin widened, and she shook her head. “Quite a story. Thank goodness you’re so good at what you do.”
“Thank you.” I looked at my daughter. “How did it go tonight?”
“Great!” She beamed. “We made a—oh!” She flicked worried eyes to Jessalyn. “I left my perfect-day collage on the table so the glue would dry. Can I get it?”
“Sure.” Jessalyn stood aside, and Mariah scooted past her.
“So did she tell you about Cheyenne moving in?” I asked the second we were alone.
“She did.”
“Told you I was fine,” I blurted.
She was silent a moment. Then she cocked her head. “Are you?”
“Of course I am. Why else do you think I asked Cheyenne to live with us?”
“Is that why you asked her? To prove you’re fine?”
I opened my mouth and shut it. It seemed like a trick question.
Mariah came bustling out again, carefully carrying a sheet of paper with pictures cut out from magazines posted on it. “Look, Daddy! I made a perfect day collage.”
I took it from her and carefully held it by the edges. There was a picture of a dog, a snowman, a pizza, someone ice skating, an old-fashioned horse-drawn sleigh, a house strung with Christmas lights, and several photos of families that included a mom, a dad, and children. There was also a picture of a girl about Mariah’s age cradling a baby.
It was the baby that threatened to undo me—the room spun, and my breathing was labored all of a sudden.
But I fended off the panic.
“Wow, Mariah. This looks great.”
She pointed at the photo of the girl holding the infant. “That’s me with my little sister. Penelope.”
“Penelope, huh?” I hoped Jessalyn didn’t notice the way I’d begun to sweat.
“Yes. Penelope Mitchell. Doesn’t that sound good?”
I swiped my forehead. “We should get going, Mariah. I’m sure Jessalyn wants to get home. Zip up your coat.”
“Okay.”
I looked at the therapist. “See you in two weeks?”
She nodded. “Yes. Off next week for break.”
“Enjoy the holidays,” I told her.
“Same to you.” Just for a second, I thought I saw something like sympathy on her face.
But I hustled Mariah out the door before I could be sure.
Wednesday night, the guys and I got together at the pub—all except Griffin, who was on a plane to Nashville. He and Blair were going down to spend Christmas with her family, since they’d been unable to make the wedding. Mariah was with Cheyenne at her house—they were baking cookies and wrapping gifts.
We sat at a table near the back of the pub, ordered some beers and bar food, and caught up a little. It was the first time we’d seen each other since the wedding.