One Silent Night (Romeo Family Romance #9) - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,24

I can take him and Maddie to get pizza and ice cream.” Birdie looked at Knox to get his approval.

“I’m always up for ice cream.” Knox’s eyes glimmered with mirth as he looked at Madison and Aiden. “Especially if I get to go with two turkeys as cute as y’all.”

“Ice cream, yeah!” Aiden sang.

Holden spoke up. “I’ll volunteer.”

Noelle jerked, giving him a questioning look. He didn’t so much as blink. “It’s for a good cause.” A crooked grin tugged at his lips, deepening his dimples. “It’s the least I can do … to help the library.”

Birdie was quick on the draw. “Great,” she said neutrally, “I’ll put you and Noelle down to volunteer Saturday afternoon and evening.” Her voice had a tone of finality like it was a done deal.

A quiver of anticipation darted through Noelle before she squashed it flat. She couldn’t get involved with Holden again. She just couldn’t!

A phone chimed. Knox fished it out of his pocket before sliding a finger over the screen to answer. “Hey, Dylan,” he began. An instant later, his face fell. “What?” he exploded, his face going a shade darker. “When?” His brows darted together. “Do the police have any leads? This is unbelievable! I’m on my way.”

“What’s wrong?” Birdie’s voice trembled slightly as she touched Knox’s arm.

Fury burned in Knox’s eyes. “Three of the houses in the development burned to the ground tonight.”

“What?” Birdie exclaimed, her hand going over her mouth.

“How did it happen?” Jaxson asked.

“Was it an accident?” Zoe wanted to know.

“We’re not sure.” Knox shoved his phone back into his pocket as he scooted back his chair. His jaw was rock hard, eyes blazing with determination. “But you can better believe, I’m gonna find out,” he growled as he rose to his feet.

“I’m going with you,” Jaxson asserted, springing from his chair.

“Me too,” Briggs added.

The three of them rushed out.

A stunned silence fell over the table.

Zoe was the first to speak, her words coming out in breathy chunks. “Do you think it was faulty work? An Accident? Arson?”

Birdie merely shook her head. She fingered the pearl necklace around her neck. “We don’t need to make any assumptions. Let’s just wait and see what Knox finds out. Please,” she added, her voice catching when Zoe looked like she might argue.

Noelle’s eyes found Holden’s as they shared a long look. She could feel his concern for Birdie and Knox. It comingled with the worry churning Noelle’s gut. She’d come back to Franklin seeking solace in the safe, predictable world of her youth. It was unsettling to have a new element of uncertainty thrown into the turmoil Noelle was already experiencing. Also, she felt for Birdie and Knox. Birdie had mentioned that Knox had a lot of money tied up in the new development.

“Maybe you should call Ramsey,” Lemon prompted, “let him know what’s going on.”

Birdie nodded. “Good idea. I’ll do that as soon as I get a report back from Knox about the situation. Ramsey and Hartley are in Maui, taking some time off now that the tour has ended for the year. I hate to interrupt their vacation.”

Noelle thought Lemon’s suggestion to call Ramsey was wise. Ramsey, the third oldest of the Romeos, was a former Navy SEAL. He now headed up the security for his younger brother Cash’s tour. Ramsey was married to the singer Hartley Raines. She wasn’t quite as big of a star as Cash, but close. Hartley opened for Cash’s tour.

“Is Papaw gonna be okay?” Milo asked Zoe.

“Daddy will be just fine,” Zoe assured him in the confident tone that only a mother could perfect. The only hint of Zoe’s apprehension was the slight tightening around the edges of her eyes.

“We don’t need to jump the gun here,” Birdie cautioned. “Hopefully, it’s just an accident.” She looked around the table, offering a strained smile. “Let’s finish our dinner and have dessert. Gina made us some apple cobbler. Zoe, will you heat it up?”

“Sure.” Zoe rose from her seat.

This time, Noelle didn’t ask. She stood and went to help Zoe dish up the cobbler.

It wasn’t until later, as Noelle was putting on her coat and getting ready to leave that she overheard Zoe and Birdie talking in low strains.

“Did you mention to Daddy that you feel like your house is being watched?”

Noelle’s insides froze, a shudder slithering down her spine. Birdie’s house was being watched? By whom? Her heart began to pound.

“No,” Birdie answered quietly, “I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t imagining things before I