pleased he’d understood. Obviously Alex really did have Cody’s best interests at heart.
“I’ve made arrangements for Shelby and me to hide out in a small hotel several miles from here,” Alex said, changing the subject. “Rafe, I want you to take Kayla, Brianna and her grandmother to the resort and then come and meet up with us afterward.”
Rafe nodded. “All right. But I think we need to get rid of Shelby’s car, in case someone used it to track her here. I can’t figure out how else they found her. I tried checking it over, but without the proper instruments, a tracking device could be anywhere. I thought I’d have some friends of mine pick it up and take it back to Green Bay.”
“Sounds reasonable.” Alex raised a brow. “Can I borrow your Jeep? There’s a storm headed this way.”
“Sure.”
They finalized their plans. Kayla offered the use of her SUV since Ellen had agreed to pick up her and Brianna to head to the resort. When they had every angle covered, they ate some quickly prepared sandwiches, more for the kids’ sake, before splitting up.
When Cody realized the puppy wasn’t coming with them, he threw a rare temper tantrum. Shelby concentrated on calming him down, and she couldn’t help wondering if she’d made the right decision. Was she being selfish? Would it be better for Cody to be at the water park resort with Kayla and Brianna?
“Did you know that Clyde is going to have a new batch of brothers and sisters soon?” Alex asked, crouching down so he was at eye level with Cody.
Magically the boy’s tears vanished. “Really?”
Alex gave a solemn nod. “Yep, the puppies are due in early May. Maybe we can get one of the puppies for you. Would you like that?”
Cody’s eyes widened in awe. “A puppy? For my very own?”
Shelby wanted to protest that Alex had no right to promise such a thing, yet hadn’t she already thought of getting Cody a puppy once this was over? Still, this was the sort of thing both parents should agree on. Alex had no idea she’d planned on allowing Cody to have a pet.
“You have to be a good boy and listen to your mother—er—your aunt Shelby. Do you understand?”
Cody nodded vigorously and the crisis was adverted.
Irrationally annoyed, the brief conversation replayed over and over in her mind as she buckled Cody’s toddler seat into the back of Rafe’s Jeep.
“All set?” Alex asked softly.
She nodded and pushed her uncharitable thoughts away. Why was she upset? This was what she’d wanted, for Cody and Alex to have some sort of relationship. She’d asked for God’s help. He’d answered. She should be glad.
She then buckled Cody in, making sure he had his animal kingdom figures to help keep him entertained on the long ride, before she climbed into the passenger seat. The time was only about three in the afternoon, but the clouds were so dark and thick overhead that the hour seemed much later.
She swallowed hard, trying not to succumb to the impending sense of doom. Being close to Alex in the car was a bit unnerving. She wasn’t afraid of him, but it felt strange for her and Cody to be alone with him. Still, she couldn’t deny she was relieved they were leaving the bed-and-breakfast and those disturbing cigarette butts, to find anonymity in another hotel far from here.
“Do you really think the bad guy put something on my car?” she asked.
He glanced at her, his brow furrowed in a deep frown. “I’m not sure how they found you, Shelby. Could be they somehow tracked either Trina’s phone or your car. Or maybe you were followed and we just didn’t catch on. But either way, we should have our bases covered now. You didn’t bring Trina’s phone, right?”
“I turned it off and left it back at the B & B like you told me to do.”
“Good. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
He sounded so certain, she believed him. Slowly she unclenched her twisted hands, willing herself to relax.
Alex had only driven for ten miles when large,
“I’ve made arrangements for Shelby and me to hide out in a small hotel several miles from here,” Alex said, changing the subject. “Rafe, I want you to take Kayla, Brianna and her grandmother to the resort and then come and meet up with us afterward.”
Rafe nodded. “All right. But I think we need to get rid of Shelby’s car, in case someone used it to track her here. I can’t figure out how else they found her. I tried checking it over, but without the proper instruments, a tracking device could be anywhere. I thought I’d have some friends of mine pick it up and take it back to Green Bay.”
“Sounds reasonable.” Alex raised a brow. “Can I borrow your Jeep? There’s a storm headed this way.”
“Sure.”
They finalized their plans. Kayla offered the use of her SUV since Ellen had agreed to pick up her and Brianna to head to the resort. When they had every angle covered, they ate some quickly prepared sandwiches, more for the kids’ sake, before splitting up.
When Cody realized the puppy wasn’t coming with them, he threw a rare temper tantrum. Shelby concentrated on calming him down, and she couldn’t help wondering if she’d made the right decision. Was she being selfish? Would it be better for Cody to be at the water park resort with Kayla and Brianna?
“Did you know that Clyde is going to have a new batch of brothers and sisters soon?” Alex asked, crouching down so he was at eye level with Cody.
Magically the boy’s tears vanished. “Really?”
Alex gave a solemn nod. “Yep, the puppies are due in early May. Maybe we can get one of the puppies for you. Would you like that?”
Cody’s eyes widened in awe. “A puppy? For my very own?”
Shelby wanted to protest that Alex had no right to promise such a thing, yet hadn’t she already thought of getting Cody a puppy once this was over? Still, this was the sort of thing both parents should agree on. Alex had no idea she’d planned on allowing Cody to have a pet.
“You have to be a good boy and listen to your mother—er—your aunt Shelby. Do you understand?”
Cody nodded vigorously and the crisis was adverted.
Irrationally annoyed, the brief conversation replayed over and over in her mind as she buckled Cody’s toddler seat into the back of Rafe’s Jeep.
“All set?” Alex asked softly.
She nodded and pushed her uncharitable thoughts away. Why was she upset? This was what she’d wanted, for Cody and Alex to have some sort of relationship. She’d asked for God’s help. He’d answered. She should be glad.
She then buckled Cody in, making sure he had his animal kingdom figures to help keep him entertained on the long ride, before she climbed into the passenger seat. The time was only about three in the afternoon, but the clouds were so dark and thick overhead that the hour seemed much later.
She swallowed hard, trying not to succumb to the impending sense of doom. Being close to Alex in the car was a bit unnerving. She wasn’t afraid of him, but it felt strange for her and Cody to be alone with him. Still, she couldn’t deny she was relieved they were leaving the bed-and-breakfast and those disturbing cigarette butts, to find anonymity in another hotel far from here.
“Do you really think the bad guy put something on my car?” she asked.
He glanced at her, his brow furrowed in a deep frown. “I’m not sure how they found you, Shelby. Could be they somehow tracked either Trina’s phone or your car. Or maybe you were followed and we just didn’t catch on. But either way, we should have our bases covered now. You didn’t bring Trina’s phone, right?”
“I turned it off and left it back at the B & B like you told me to do.”
“Good. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
He sounded so certain, she believed him. Slowly she unclenched her twisted hands, willing herself to relax.
Alex had only driven for ten miles when large,
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