When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,59
weak, and just when I’d realized that I still had to get my head on straight. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course.” He sat back on the bed and waited for me to climb in next to him, but he was still stiff and guarded.
Why had I asked him to do this? What kind of monster was I? But I decided it was the mother of his baby asking—she was the one who needed comfort.
“My heartburn came back, so I need to sit up,” I said as I sat on the edge of the bed.
“Not a problem,” he said, reaching out an arm and tugging me next to him.
I lay my head on his chest as he held me close. Sinking into him, I took in the familiar scent of his shampoo, which filled me with comfort and strength.
I wasn’t the person I had been last summer. Just like I wasn’t the person I’d been two years ago before Momma had died. My life had been a roller coaster, and each drop and rise had changed me.
Joe shifted, pulling me closer, and I burrowed into him as his presence filled me with a peace and comfort I’d never known with James.
Maybe that was my answer after all.
Chapter 15
I woke up before Joe, needing to pee. The sun was beginning to rise, so I grabbed the bag Joe had packed and took it to the restroom. I peed and got dressed, smiling to myself when I saw that he’d packed a pair of regular underwear instead of my maternity panties. At least he’d chosen a maternity dress I could fit into. There wasn’t any makeup, but I didn’t wear much these days.
When I finished, I took my bag downstairs and pulled out my phone. After I got a glass of water, I went out to the screened-in porch off the kitchen and sat at the small round table.
Birdsong filled the air as I pulled up Levi’s number and sent him a text.
Just checking on, Muffy. Thank you for taking such good care of her.
To my surprise, my phone rang seconds later, and Levi’s name came up on the screen.
“I hope I didn’t disturb you,” I said as I answered.
“I was already awake,” he said, sounding tired. “And don’t be feeling guilty. I have another animal that spent the night and needed some attention. Muffy’s hanging in there. I repaired her broken pelvis and leg as well as her internal injuries. She’s holding her own right now. I’d like to keep her for a few days and make sure she’s stabilized before I send her home.”
“Of course. Can I come see her?”
“Sure,” he said. “Feel free to come whenever you like. I’ll be here.”
“Thanks, Levi. You have no idea how much I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“Just doin’ my job, Rose. Muffy’s a special dog, so I confess that I have a personal interest in her recovery.”
I hung up and walked around to the front of the house. Joe’s sheriff’s car was parked on the curb, and I wasn’t surprised to see him descending the porch steps, rubbing his hand over his tousled hair. The hem of his shirt lifted, giving me a glimpse of his stomach, and a jolt of electricity shot through me. I’d touched that chest, caressed it, but I hadn’t felt like this for a long, long time.
His gaze caught mine. “You look startled. Sorry to catch you off guard.”
I was definitely caught off guard, just not in the way he thought.
“Just a little jumpy,” I said. “I couldn’t sleep, so I texted Levi, who promptly called and said Muffy is holding her own. We can go see her as soon as we like.”
He stood at the bottom of the stairs and glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to me. “How about I take a quick shower and then we head over now?”
“Thanks, Joe.”
“Hey, I’m eager to see her too.”
Ten minutes later, we were both ready to go. Neely Kate and Jed still hadn’t come out of their room, so I left a note telling them what was going on and promised to check in later.
The car ride was silent for a few minutes, until I spoke. “Despite James saying his interest in Mark Erickson was pure curiosity, I’m guessing Mark’s murder had something to do with Mike and the kids’ disappearance. Did you find out anything about Calista?”
Something flickered on his face, but I wasn’t sure if it was my mention of James or what I’d