away, and she had walking canes in each hand.
“Good,” Annette said immediately. “You’re here. I asked Dominic to keep me updated about the trip, but I wasn’t sure he would. Has Molly left yet?”
That sent Matt’s heart to his knees. “I don’t know. Where is she?”
The woman was obviously distraught. Her eyes were red, and her bottom lip was trembling. “She’s on the way to the doctor, of course. I thought that was why you were here, to give me an update.”
Matt’s heart stayed at his knees, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about the trip.” He tried to sound casually interested but not too interested. “Is Molly sick or something?”
“No. She needs her six-month checkup. I wanted to go, but Dominic wouldn’t let me. He sent the nanny with her instead.” Annette blinked away a fresh round of tears. “You don’t know if they’ve left yet?”
“No,” Cass answered.
Annette looked at her as if she’d just realized Cass was there. And Matt held his breath. Cass had never met Annette, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t seen photos of Cass and Dominic when they were together. Annette’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Matt tightened his grip on his gun.
He couldn’t kill or even hurt this woman. Not even if she recognized Cass. But that recognition could mean he was going to have to convince Annette to let them out of there.
“You’re part of Buck’s crew?” Annette asked. Her eyes narrowed even more. “Because I don’t remember ever seeing you around before, and he doesn’t usually hire women.”
“We’re working for Hollis. Temporary seasonal help,” Matt added. He tipped his head to the box of Christmas decorations and was glad that the barely five-feet-tall Annette was too short to see the monitor and disk nestled in the tinsel.
“Yes,” Annette said softly. Almost regretfully. No more narrow-eyed glares. “I said something to Dominic about wanting a big Christmas for Molly, and I think he went a little overboard. Well, actually it’s for his big Christmas Eve party, but he’s telling everyone that it’s for Molly.”
Thankfully he had gone overboard, because the decorations had already saved their butts.
“I’m sure Molly will be all right,” Cass volunteered. “The nanny’s with her so it’s not as if she’ll be alone.”
Annette nodded. A no-faith kind of nod, and she turned away to return to her wheelchair. “Dominic doesn’t like it when I use the canes. He thinks it puts too much stress on my legs,” she said, tucking the canes beneath a cheery strawberry-pink sofa.
The sofa matched everything else in the room. The crib. A fuzzy beanbag type chair. Even most of the toys were pink as was the painted desk in the corner near the fireplace.
“We could maybe follow the chauffeur,” Matt suggested. “If you’re worried about Molly’s safety.”
“It’s not her safety that concerns me. Not at this minute anyway,” she added in a mumble. “Dominic’s sending his men with her, at least three of them, he promised. And they’ll protect her with their lives. But she might be scared at the doctor’s office, and I wanted to be with her.”
The relief that Matt felt was a little overwhelming. His daughter was okay. Annette was just being motherly.
“When will Molly be back?” Cass asked.
“Not until sometime tomorrow on Christmas Eve. Her new doctor is in El Paso, over a hundred miles away. Dominic wouldn’t give me the name because he’s afraid I’ll go after her. And I would. He says I can’t. That my health’s not good enough to be out in this cold and that I’m too devoted to her. He says I need to back off and stop smothering her. I can’t believe he’d think that. My health is fine, and I love Molly.”
Well, that last part was the one good thing Matt wanted to hear. “So, where exactly is Molly now? Do you think they’ve left the estate?”
“Probably. In fact, they’re likely at the airfield
“Good,” Annette said immediately. “You’re here. I asked Dominic to keep me updated about the trip, but I wasn’t sure he would. Has Molly left yet?”
That sent Matt’s heart to his knees. “I don’t know. Where is she?”
The woman was obviously distraught. Her eyes were red, and her bottom lip was trembling. “She’s on the way to the doctor, of course. I thought that was why you were here, to give me an update.”
Matt’s heart stayed at his knees, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about the trip.” He tried to sound casually interested but not too interested. “Is Molly sick or something?”
“No. She needs her six-month checkup. I wanted to go, but Dominic wouldn’t let me. He sent the nanny with her instead.” Annette blinked away a fresh round of tears. “You don’t know if they’ve left yet?”
“No,” Cass answered.
Annette looked at her as if she’d just realized Cass was there. And Matt held his breath. Cass had never met Annette, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t seen photos of Cass and Dominic when they were together. Annette’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Matt tightened his grip on his gun.
He couldn’t kill or even hurt this woman. Not even if she recognized Cass. But that recognition could mean he was going to have to convince Annette to let them out of there.
“You’re part of Buck’s crew?” Annette asked. Her eyes narrowed even more. “Because I don’t remember ever seeing you around before, and he doesn’t usually hire women.”
“We’re working for Hollis. Temporary seasonal help,” Matt added. He tipped his head to the box of Christmas decorations and was glad that the barely five-feet-tall Annette was too short to see the monitor and disk nestled in the tinsel.
“Yes,” Annette said softly. Almost regretfully. No more narrow-eyed glares. “I said something to Dominic about wanting a big Christmas for Molly, and I think he went a little overboard. Well, actually it’s for his big Christmas Eve party, but he’s telling everyone that it’s for Molly.”
Thankfully he had gone overboard, because the decorations had already saved their butts.
“I’m sure Molly will be all right,” Cass volunteered. “The nanny’s with her so it’s not as if she’ll be alone.”
Annette nodded. A no-faith kind of nod, and she turned away to return to her wheelchair. “Dominic doesn’t like it when I use the canes. He thinks it puts too much stress on my legs,” she said, tucking the canes beneath a cheery strawberry-pink sofa.
The sofa matched everything else in the room. The crib. A fuzzy beanbag type chair. Even most of the toys were pink as was the painted desk in the corner near the fireplace.
“We could maybe follow the chauffeur,” Matt suggested. “If you’re worried about Molly’s safety.”
“It’s not her safety that concerns me. Not at this minute anyway,” she added in a mumble. “Dominic’s sending his men with her, at least three of them, he promised. And they’ll protect her with their lives. But she might be scared at the doctor’s office, and I wanted to be with her.”
The relief that Matt felt was a little overwhelming. His daughter was okay. Annette was just being motherly.
“When will Molly be back?” Cass asked.
“Not until sometime tomorrow on Christmas Eve. Her new doctor is in El Paso, over a hundred miles away. Dominic wouldn’t give me the name because he’s afraid I’ll go after her. And I would. He says I can’t. That my health’s not good enough to be out in this cold and that I’m too devoted to her. He says I need to back off and stop smothering her. I can’t believe he’d think that. My health is fine, and I love Molly.”
Well, that last part was the one good thing Matt wanted to hear. “So, where exactly is Molly now? Do you think they’ve left the estate?”
“Probably. In fact, they’re likely at the airfield
Similar Books
