crib and out of earshot. She pasted on a smile and waved as
the custody evaluator drove away, followed by Phyllis Patterson’s sedan. “You
didn’t rush to deny it.”
“How could I? Denial would have made a bad situation
worse. What a stupid idea. McCoy, why couldn’t you have held your tongue?”
She gave a huff of indignation. The spur-of-the-moment
announcement wasn’t her finest moment. And she wouldn’t analyze why that
particular idea popped out of her mouth. Not now anyway. “They caught us
red-handed, or should I say red-lipped? I didn’t hear you offering any brilliant
ideas. As far as I could tell, you’d gone as mute as a mime. When you finally
found your voice, you added more fiction. And you could’ve warned me they were
coming.”
“The reason I came to the barn was to tell you about
the appointment. But I got distracted.” He massaged his nape and scowled.
“Those women arrived an hour early. Phyllis wasn’t part of the deal.”
“So she weaseled her way in.” No wonder Holt was so
afraid he’d lose Bobby to the grandparents.
His eyes as cold as bluestone and his expression as
hard, he slammed a hand against the porch support. “Fuck! You’d think it was
the early 1900’s instead of the next century. Do they expect single people to
have chaperones?”
“I’m sure she’s witnessed way more than she found
here. Seeing my belongings in one room and yours in another seemed to satisfy
her sense of propriety, but not Phyllis’s. Bobby’s her only link to her dead
daughter. I suspect she’ll do whatever it takes to get custody.”
Scowling and raking a hand through his short hair,
Holt prowled the length of the porch. “What am I supposed to tell her or the
judge when you light out in a week or so?”
Maddy rubbed the bridge of her nose. The longer she
stayed, the more she burrowed into Holt and Bobby’s life, the harder she’d find
it to extricate herself. But she owed them her help. Besides, she’d blurted out
the words that fenced her in.
“Like I told you, I’m between gigs. I’m not expected
in New York until June first, so I could stay until then. Is that long enough?”
“Four weeks? Maybe. Chris Hawke said these custody
things could take months. We could make it look like we’re planning a wedding.”
He leaned against the porch rail and eyed her with suspicion. “You promise not
to take off once your Range Rover’s sold? Or some new assignment pops up?”
Maddy should have expected he’d check up on her. After
all, he was a trained investigator. “How do you know my truck’s for sale?”
“I saw it in front of the garage when I drove into
Rangewood to load up wood chips at the sawmill. Big For Sale sign plastered on
the windshield. A clue even I couldn’t miss.” The wry sarcasm didn’t alter his
stone face.
She shifted her feet. “The transmission’s shot. It
would cost more than the vehicle’s worth to fix it. I bought the old girl
second, maybe third hand. I’m not much better at maintenance than Rob, and it
sits in storage most of the time. I forgot to mention it.”
“Why didn’t you just rent when it broke down? Or buy a
new SUV?” He stalked across the porch to stand toe to toe with her. His steely
blue glare was meant to intimidate.
Her pulse rattled. Why she didn’t beat the hell out of
her. Had she subconsciously stranded herself so she had to stay in Rock Valley?
With Holt? She shoved away the questions. “I had to decide what to do. You
know, weigh my options. Not rush into anything. I didn’t want to make an—”
“Impulse buy? You? The woman who hot-footed it on her
wedding day, who showed up here unannounced, and who blurted out we were
engaged? No, that woman wouldn’t want to make an impulsive move.”
“Back off, Donovan. I’m not some drug dealer you’re
interrogating.” Her Rover had been her only real asset. Not the time to admit
that. But she could tell him part of the truth. “I have a temporary cash
the custody evaluator drove away, followed by Phyllis Patterson’s sedan. “You
didn’t rush to deny it.”
“How could I? Denial would have made a bad situation
worse. What a stupid idea. McCoy, why couldn’t you have held your tongue?”
She gave a huff of indignation. The spur-of-the-moment
announcement wasn’t her finest moment. And she wouldn’t analyze why that
particular idea popped out of her mouth. Not now anyway. “They caught us
red-handed, or should I say red-lipped? I didn’t hear you offering any brilliant
ideas. As far as I could tell, you’d gone as mute as a mime. When you finally
found your voice, you added more fiction. And you could’ve warned me they were
coming.”
“The reason I came to the barn was to tell you about
the appointment. But I got distracted.” He massaged his nape and scowled.
“Those women arrived an hour early. Phyllis wasn’t part of the deal.”
“So she weaseled her way in.” No wonder Holt was so
afraid he’d lose Bobby to the grandparents.
His eyes as cold as bluestone and his expression as
hard, he slammed a hand against the porch support. “Fuck! You’d think it was
the early 1900’s instead of the next century. Do they expect single people to
have chaperones?”
“I’m sure she’s witnessed way more than she found
here. Seeing my belongings in one room and yours in another seemed to satisfy
her sense of propriety, but not Phyllis’s. Bobby’s her only link to her dead
daughter. I suspect she’ll do whatever it takes to get custody.”
Scowling and raking a hand through his short hair,
Holt prowled the length of the porch. “What am I supposed to tell her or the
judge when you light out in a week or so?”
Maddy rubbed the bridge of her nose. The longer she
stayed, the more she burrowed into Holt and Bobby’s life, the harder she’d find
it to extricate herself. But she owed them her help. Besides, she’d blurted out
the words that fenced her in.
“Like I told you, I’m between gigs. I’m not expected
in New York until June first, so I could stay until then. Is that long enough?”
“Four weeks? Maybe. Chris Hawke said these custody
things could take months. We could make it look like we’re planning a wedding.”
He leaned against the porch rail and eyed her with suspicion. “You promise not
to take off once your Range Rover’s sold? Or some new assignment pops up?”
Maddy should have expected he’d check up on her. After
all, he was a trained investigator. “How do you know my truck’s for sale?”
“I saw it in front of the garage when I drove into
Rangewood to load up wood chips at the sawmill. Big For Sale sign plastered on
the windshield. A clue even I couldn’t miss.” The wry sarcasm didn’t alter his
stone face.
She shifted her feet. “The transmission’s shot. It
would cost more than the vehicle’s worth to fix it. I bought the old girl
second, maybe third hand. I’m not much better at maintenance than Rob, and it
sits in storage most of the time. I forgot to mention it.”
“Why didn’t you just rent when it broke down? Or buy a
new SUV?” He stalked across the porch to stand toe to toe with her. His steely
blue glare was meant to intimidate.
Her pulse rattled. Why she didn’t beat the hell out of
her. Had she subconsciously stranded herself so she had to stay in Rock Valley?
With Holt? She shoved away the questions. “I had to decide what to do. You
know, weigh my options. Not rush into anything. I didn’t want to make an—”
“Impulse buy? You? The woman who hot-footed it on her
wedding day, who showed up here unannounced, and who blurted out we were
engaged? No, that woman wouldn’t want to make an impulsive move.”
“Back off, Donovan. I’m not some drug dealer you’re
interrogating.” Her Rover had been her only real asset. Not the time to admit
that. But she could tell him part of the truth. “I have a temporary cash
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