could be sure that young family had left.
Kelsey knew she was being a coward and was fine with that. So she concentrated on making more salad, cleaning the kitchen, and refilling trays. She focused, worked, and ignored the looks her staff sent her and prayed for that hour to pass.
She didn’t know why she looked up when Michelle came into the kitchen. The look of worry on the woman’s face made her heart thud and sweat break out all over her body.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kelsey, you better come out here. I think we have a problem.”
Since Michelle turned and went back into the dining room, Kelsey followed. The woman had stopped and had her attention fixed on a particular table. Kelsey followed her gaze and swallowed hard.
The little boy who looked like her son had fallen asleep in the booster seat.
For a dreadful moment she thought he was dead. Then she saw him twitch, saw a smile come and go, and realized he was dreaming. She exhaled shakily.
“His parents are gone,” Michelle said.
Kelsey looked at her, the words not making sense. “What do you mean, gone?”
“I mean, they left. I didn’t see when. I’m sorry. I noticed the little guy drift off and the mom stroking his hair. I noticed because she looked kind of sad. Then I got busy, and the next thing I knew, they were gone. I thought at first they’d gotten up to go to the bathroom, and although I wouldn’t have left my child alone like that, I could understand how some might, especially if the little guy was sleeping.”
“His parents can’t be gone. How could they make a mistake like that and leave their baby behind?” No way, that’s how. Kelsey had seen that look on the mother’s face. She’d felt that look, lived that look. There was no way she would have forgotten…
“Oh, my God.” Kelsey turned to Michelle, who was nodding because she, Kelsey, had finally gotten it.
The little boy’s parents hadn’t forgotten him. They’d abandoned him.
Kelsey didn’t think. She just reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She punched number three on her speed dial. The phone was answered on the second ring.
“Sheriff Kendall, it’s Kelsey Madison over at Lusty Appetites. Could I speak to Matthew, please? It’s important.”
* * * *
“For a man who’s getting regular sex, you’re a mite tense there, Deputy Benedict.”
Matthew narrowed his eyes, his gaze slicing right through the man who’d spoken those teasing words. His steely-eyed glare might work on most men, but it seemed to have absolutely no effect whatsoever on his cousin Adam. And since his cousin was also his boss, he supposed he could let the comment slide.
Like hell .
“If my mood isn’t to your liking, Sheriff Kendall , perhaps we could step outside around back and…talk about it.” Matthew gave Adam his best smile.
Adam’s shit-eating grin just pissed him off even more. “We could do that, Deputy , but I’ll take you, same as I always do.”
“I’m bigger than I used to be,” Matthew warned.
“Yeah, but I have a ton of sexual frustration to add fuel to my fire. Seriously,” he stepped over to the coffee pot, poured two cups, and handed Matthew one, “you and Steven spend every spare minute with Kelsey. I thought the three of you were a done deal. I’ve been expecting any day now that you would ask me to be your best man.”
Matthew accepted the brew and the chance to share confidences. Next to Steven, Adam was his best friend, despite the two years between them.
“Yeah, I’d have thought that by now we’d be a done deal, too.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“It’s taking us longer to cut through Kelsey’s defenses than we thought it would. Oh, believe me, on a physical level, we couldn’t be happier or better suited. But emotionally? She’s still locked up tighter than a girls’ school at midterm.”
Adam sat in his chair behind his desk and relaxed back. “I guess that’s only to be expected. None of us can
Kelsey knew she was being a coward and was fine with that. So she concentrated on making more salad, cleaning the kitchen, and refilling trays. She focused, worked, and ignored the looks her staff sent her and prayed for that hour to pass.
She didn’t know why she looked up when Michelle came into the kitchen. The look of worry on the woman’s face made her heart thud and sweat break out all over her body.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kelsey, you better come out here. I think we have a problem.”
Since Michelle turned and went back into the dining room, Kelsey followed. The woman had stopped and had her attention fixed on a particular table. Kelsey followed her gaze and swallowed hard.
The little boy who looked like her son had fallen asleep in the booster seat.
For a dreadful moment she thought he was dead. Then she saw him twitch, saw a smile come and go, and realized he was dreaming. She exhaled shakily.
“His parents are gone,” Michelle said.
Kelsey looked at her, the words not making sense. “What do you mean, gone?”
“I mean, they left. I didn’t see when. I’m sorry. I noticed the little guy drift off and the mom stroking his hair. I noticed because she looked kind of sad. Then I got busy, and the next thing I knew, they were gone. I thought at first they’d gotten up to go to the bathroom, and although I wouldn’t have left my child alone like that, I could understand how some might, especially if the little guy was sleeping.”
“His parents can’t be gone. How could they make a mistake like that and leave their baby behind?” No way, that’s how. Kelsey had seen that look on the mother’s face. She’d felt that look, lived that look. There was no way she would have forgotten…
“Oh, my God.” Kelsey turned to Michelle, who was nodding because she, Kelsey, had finally gotten it.
The little boy’s parents hadn’t forgotten him. They’d abandoned him.
Kelsey didn’t think. She just reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She punched number three on her speed dial. The phone was answered on the second ring.
“Sheriff Kendall, it’s Kelsey Madison over at Lusty Appetites. Could I speak to Matthew, please? It’s important.”
* * * *
“For a man who’s getting regular sex, you’re a mite tense there, Deputy Benedict.”
Matthew narrowed his eyes, his gaze slicing right through the man who’d spoken those teasing words. His steely-eyed glare might work on most men, but it seemed to have absolutely no effect whatsoever on his cousin Adam. And since his cousin was also his boss, he supposed he could let the comment slide.
Like hell .
“If my mood isn’t to your liking, Sheriff Kendall , perhaps we could step outside around back and…talk about it.” Matthew gave Adam his best smile.
Adam’s shit-eating grin just pissed him off even more. “We could do that, Deputy , but I’ll take you, same as I always do.”
“I’m bigger than I used to be,” Matthew warned.
“Yeah, but I have a ton of sexual frustration to add fuel to my fire. Seriously,” he stepped over to the coffee pot, poured two cups, and handed Matthew one, “you and Steven spend every spare minute with Kelsey. I thought the three of you were a done deal. I’ve been expecting any day now that you would ask me to be your best man.”
Matthew accepted the brew and the chance to share confidences. Next to Steven, Adam was his best friend, despite the two years between them.
“Yeah, I’d have thought that by now we’d be a done deal, too.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“It’s taking us longer to cut through Kelsey’s defenses than we thought it would. Oh, believe me, on a physical level, we couldn’t be happier or better suited. But emotionally? She’s still locked up tighter than a girls’ school at midterm.”
Adam sat in his chair behind his desk and relaxed back. “I guess that’s only to be expected. None of us can
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