When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,16
I said. “We won’t tell a soul.”
She gave me a tight smile. “Thank you.” Then she seemed to shrug it off and asked perkily, “So do you want me to add your baby to the waiting list?”
“There’s a waiting list?” Neely Kate asked.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “We’re one of the best daycares in the area. Most people put their baby on the waiting list the moment they find out they’re pregnant. Shoot,” she said with a laugh, “sometimes we know before their friends and family.”
“Um…” I said absently, trying to figure out my next course of action. “Sure. How long’s the waiting list?”
“Eight months.”
Neely Kate shot me a look of surprise, but I shrugged. Who knew if I’d change my mind about daycare, and it wasn’t a bad idea to leave the option open.
We thanked Amanda and accepted a handout about pricing—making me reconsider being added to the wait list. I might have to take out a mortgage on the farm.
We were just about to walk out when Amanda asked, “What’s your baby’s name? So I can put them on the waiting list.”
“The baby doesn’t have one yet. We don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl.”
Amanda didn’t hide her surprise. “Wow. I’ve heard that some people don’t know, but I’ve never seen it in the wild.”
I laughed. “That’s me. The free-range pregnant lady.”
Neely Kate shot me a worried look, then grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door. “I think all those pregnancy hormones have finally addled your brain.”
Part of me wondered if she was right.
After we got into the truck, I asked, “So what do we do now?”
Neely Kate rested both of her hands on the steering wheel. “I say we go to Mike’s and demand some answers.”
“He’s never gonna tell us anything,” I said. “And if they have the flu, we can’t risk gettin’ it either.”
“We’ll go over anyway. At least it’s a place to start.”
Not to mention, at the moment, it was the only thing we had to go on.
Chapter 5
Neely Kate pulled up in front of Mike’s house, and the first thing I noticed was his truck was gone.
“Maybe he went to work,” Neely Kate said. “Do you think he took the kids to his parents’ house?”
“If they’re sick, I don’t see how he could. His dad has respiratory problems. He wouldn’t want to risk him coming down with it.”
“Maybe he’s checkin’ on some job sites,” she said, “and he’s lettin’ them stay inside the truck.”
That was a possibility. “Last I heard, Mike was building some houses in that new neighborhood south of town. Maybe we should head over there and see if we can find his truck.”
“Good idea,” she said, shifting the truck back into drive. “Let’s head over there now.”
I gave her a sheepish smile. “Thanks for takin’ this seriously.”
“Of course. Those are Violet’s kids, and I promised her I’d watch out for them too. We all did.”
“I should have fought harder,” I said, “but my family law attorney is worried that he might make my Lady in Black activity public.”
“You have a family law attorney?” she asked in surprise. “Are you thinkin’ about suing Mike for visitation rights?”
My shoulders tensed. I hadn’t told her about my encounter with James in February, and part of me was scared to tell her now. Partly because it would make it feel more real, but also because I suspected her feelings would be hurt. Then again, she’d kept the news about baby Daisy from me too—maybe this protectiveness was part of being a parent.
“Neely Kate, there’s something I need to tell you,” I said, deciding to come clean. “In February, I asked James to sign papers legally giving up his rights as a father. I had Carter draw them up, which he eagerly did. He didn’t charge me a cent, because he thought it was the best way to get his client out of a difficult situation. James wanted to just sign them, but I insisted on meeting in person at Carter’s office. I wanted to see his face when he signed them, to be certain he’d leave us alone, and truth be told, I’d also hoped to corner him and ask him about Mike.”
“I take it he didn’t tell you anything.”
“No. I never saw him. He showed up for the appointment, but he left out the back door before I got there.” I paused. “He didn’t sign the papers, Neely Kate. He refused to give up his rights.”