Finally, Tanner, Macy and Addie arrived at the new safe house. Tanner should have felt better, but he didn’t. Something wasn’t fitting into place about this whole situation, and it left him feeling unsettled.
Macy and Addie waited in the car with the doors locked while he checked out the new location. Armstrong and Manning were on their way. They’d left the scene of the fire after Saul had instructed them to meet Tanner here.
Another team had gone in to investigate what had happened at the first location, and it would be a couple of days before they had answers. What Tanner knew for sure was that someone had set the house on fire in hopes of drawing them out. Thankfully, they’d made it to the car and had escaped before things had turned ugly.
But people who were that careful at planning should have snatched them right away. Shot Tanner and Macy and grabbed the baby. Had something gone wrong? Tanner would guess they’d reacted more quickly than the bad guys had accounted for.
This time, too, the safe house was secluded and out in the country. It wasn’t a cabin, but more of a modern vacation home with updated amenities and clean lines.
Tanner found that the security cameras were already in place. There was also a fence surrounding the property, as well as a security gate at the entrance. Granted, that hadn’t stopped someone last time.
Once he felt confident that the inside was secure, he went outside to the car. His boots crunched across the gravel, and the sun shone down bright over him. Despite the winter day, the air was unseasonably warm and he hoped it was a promise of good things to come.
Before he reached the car, he heard Addie fussing inside. That poor baby. She’d been through so much in her short little life.
He opened the door and saw Macy bouncing Addie in her arms again. It was a familiar sight, and it never failed to warm him. Macy was a nurturer. She should have a houseful of kids. He knew that was the desire of her heart.
“She’s not very happy.” Macy looked up at him.
“No, she’s not.” As if in response, Addie let out another cry, her face distorted with irritation.
“I hope she’s not getting sick,” Macy said with a frown.
“Me, too.” Tanner peered at the child, reaching for her hand in an attempt to help calm her. “Does she feel warm?”
“No. Not yet.” Macy shook her head and let out a soft breath. “Maybe she just misses her mom.”
“We’ll get her a bottle and change her. Maybe that will cheer her up.”
“Let’s hope.”
Tanner turned to her once they were inside. “Do you want me to take her for a few minutes and give you a break?”
He could see the exhaustion written all over Macy’s features. This had been taxing on her. The endless crying, the stress of being on the run and leaving everything familiar behind. She was holding up surprisingly well, all things considered.
Macy offered a faint smile. “No, that’s okay. I’ll take care of her. I don’t mind. If you could just point me to the nursery.”
Tanner led her to the baby’s room, and Macy disappeared inside.
Just as she did, his phone rang. It was Saul. Tanner hoped he might have an update.
“We’re going to release the baby’s picture,” his boss announced.
Tanner’s back stiffened at his pronouncement. He hadn’t been expecting that. “What? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“We’re going to see who comes forward. Maybe we’ll get a decent lead as to who this baby is. Or maybe the bad guy will somehow show his hand.”
“It’s risky.” The more Tanner thought about this plan, the more he disliked it.
“Don’t worry,” Saul said. “The baby won’t come anywhere near this until we’re absolutely certain anyone who comes forward is a match and isn’t a danger to the child.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“I’m not, either, but we’re running out of options here. The danger is escalating, and we don’t have any more answers than we did before.”
Tanner paced back into the living and away from the nursery door. “When will this be happening?”
“Tonight. We’re going to hold a press conference, and we’ll see who comes forward.”
“These guys wouldn’t be very smart if they did come forward. They have to know we’re on to them.” There seemed to be so many holes in this plan that Tanner didn’t see how it would possibly work.
“Most criminals I know aren’t very smart. These guys seem to be relying on their brute strength. Let’s see if we can shake them out.”
“If you think this is best,” Tanner finally conceded.
“Besides, maybe someone who is related to her will come forward and offer some answers about what is going on.”
“I hope so.” Hope was usually a good thing. But, in this case, Tanner would choose caution.
“Then let’s do this. I’ll be in touch.”
* * *
By the time Macy, Addie and Tanner had arrived at the new safe house it was morning. They’d essentially been up all night.
Macy knew time was of the essence in cases like this, but she also knew she needed to rest if she was going to think clearly. That was why when Addie fell asleep, Macy decided to take a nap as well.
She got a good three hours—just enough to help her feel refreshed. When she emerged from her bedroom, Manning and Armstrong had arrived. They each stood guard by the outside doors.
Her gaze searched out Tanner and found him at the kitchen table. He was poring over something on the computer.
He smiled when he looked up and saw her. “You’re awake. Do you feel better?”
Macy sighed and sat down at the table across from him. “Maybe a little. I thought I might wake up and realize this was all a dream.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not.” He frowned sympathetically.
“Did I miss anything while I slept?” She yawned, still not fully awake.
Tanner ran a hand over his face, looking exhausted. He obviously hadn’t slept any. He’d probably been working the whole time. That sounded like him. A workaholic, sacrificing everything for the job.
“We got some of your files from Oklahoma finally,” he said. “We’re hoping you’ll look through them and see if anyone rings a bell.”
“Of course.”
“Great. I’ll take baby duty while you work on it. These files are our best lead at this point.”
“I understand. I’ll see what I can find out, if anything.”
He moved the computer toward her. She blinked, mentally preparing herself for the task at hand. She could do this. It would be painstaking and slow, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.
But three hours later, Macy hadn’t discovered anything and her neck and shoulders ached. She pushed the computer away and closed her eyes.
“No progress?” Tanner said, coming back into the room with Addie in his arms.
The baby had woken a couple hours ago, and Tanner had entertained her with rattles and stuffed animals. He’d sat on a blanket with her and made her fly like an airplane. She’d giggled and drooled and looked at Tanner with absolute adoration in her eyes. It had been a heartwarming sight.
Macy shook her head at Tanner’s question. “No. I wanted to find something. I wanted some answers. But Tanner, I couldn’t find anyone who fit this mother’s description. Besides it’s been four months since I left. Who knows who might have gotten pregnant since I met with them—”
Tanner shifted Addie to his other hip and rested a hand on Macy’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Macy hung her head, exhaustion and stress hitting her. “I don’t know why she had my name in her diaper bag. I need to know my connection.”
“We’ll figure it out eventually.”
“What if it’s too late?”
“Don’t think like that. We have our best guys on this case. They’re working with local authorities, as well. We just have to be patient.”
“Unfortunately, patience isn’t one of my virtues right now. Not when my life has been turned upside down.”
His gaze connected with hers. “You always did like for things to be orderly.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Order helped to keep her thoughts clear and her life organized.
Tanner shrugged. “I suppose.”
She rubbed her lips together, fighting her inner turmoil. “I want my life to return to normal, Tanner.”
He stared at her a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “I’m sorry you were pulled into this, Macy. I really am. No one anticipated this.”
Macy ran a hand over her face and shook her head, realizing how whiny she sounded. She wished she could have a do-over of this conversation. She was usually much more careful about showing her emotions.
“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll do whatever is needed. My frustration just got the best of me.”
“It’s understandable.”
She stood, stretching her back. “I’ll search through the files again in a few minutes. Right now, I just need to clear my head.”
* * *
Macy was doing what she did best under stress: cooking and baking. She’d found a few things in the refrigerator that had been stocked there. Now she had some spaghetti with a meat sauce on the stove and a chocolate cake in the oven.
Addie had gone down for a nap, and Macy couldn’t bear to simply sit around and do nothing but think.
“Something smells good,” Tanner said, stepping into the room. He was freshly showered and wearing one of his typical flannel shirts—this one an especially nice shade of blue that brought out his eyes—with his jeans and cowboy boots.
Macy had also showered, trying to get rid of the smell of smoke that had saturated her hair and skin. Her hair wasn’t quite dry yet and, if she didn’t fix it, would end up wavy and messy. Though at the moment, she didn’t care.
Tanner had been locked up in his bedroom on a phone call or something. She hadn’t asked too many questions. Meanwhile, Manning and Armstrong were sleeping since they were taking the night shift this evening.
“You still like to cook when you’re stressed,” Tanner continued, joining her by the stove.
“Guilty as charged,” she said.
“You always could make some killer meals.”
She shrugged and stirred the meat sauce again. “We have to eat. I figured it might as well be something other than takeout.”
“I won’t argue. Can I do anything to help?”
At his suggestion, Macy’s stomach clenched. She had too many memories of her and Tanner in the kitchen, cooking together, flirting, bonding. She almost couldn’t stand the thought.
She cleared her throat, trying to push away the memories before they found a warm place in her heart. “No, I think I’m good.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.” He flipped the TV on and moved to the breakfast bar.
Macy turned her ear toward the news report. Tanner had told her about Saul’s plan to draw the bad guys out by releasing Addie’s picture and find some answers in the process. She had her doubts that it would work, but at least they were trying something.
A replay of the earlier press conference showed across the screen.
Macy brought the pot over to the sink on the breakfast bar island. She drained the pasta, trying to read Tanner’s expression as she did so. She couldn’t, though. All she knew was that he was worried.
“Any updates?” she asked, pulling out two plates.
“Apparently, the FBI has had a whole slew of phone calls, but nothing has panned out.”
“Do you think it will?”
“It’s anyone’s guess at this point.”
She slid a plate across the counter to him at the breakfast bar, along with a glass of tea. “I’m assuming you still like sweet tea. I could be wrong, though.”
“I’ve always been a sucker for sweet tea.”
She smiled as she moved to sit across from him. The savory scent of ground beef and garlic wafted up to her, making her stomach grumble. She couldn’t wait to dig in. There’d always been something incredibly comforting about home-cooked foods.
“This looks great,” he said. “You mind if we pray before we eat?”
Her cheeks flushed. Pray? Had Tanner turned over a new leaf also? That was certainly her impression. “Please do.”
She closed her eyes and listened as he lifted up thanks for the provision of food and prayed for the safety of everyone involved in this investigation.
After he said amen, she picked up her fork. “I didn’t realize you were a believer.”
“I am. I used to think I was too smart to go to church.” He glanced at her. “You know that.”
She nodded. They’d had conversations about this when they’d dated. About how religion was a crutch for the weak. How it was old-fashioned, and how neither could see proof of the existence of God in their lives.
But apparently they’d both changed since then.
“What happened?” she asked, twirling some spaghetti around her fork and feeling unusually nervous.
“Working as a police officer I saw a lot of ugliness on the job. A lot of evil. And I had to believe there was more at stake here than just living and dying. A friend on the force invited me to church with him and asked me to be open-minded about it. I was, and I haven’t been the same since then.”
“I see.” She wondered if their breakup had anything to do with it also, but she dared not ask.
He took a sip of his tea. “How about you?”
She played with her food as she tried to form her words.
“I think I came to the end of myself. Nothing was really working out the way I planned it.” She swallowed hard, knowing good and well that Tanner would see through her vague answer. He’d been a big part of the change, though she didn’t want to admit it.
“Go on.”
She wiped her mouth, suddenly more than a little uncomfortable. “I had to come to peace with my past before I could embrace the future. It sounds a bit melodramatic, but that’s really what happened. I found a church after I moved to Oklahoma and got plugged in. I made some great friends who really changed my perspective from self-reliance to God-reliance. The rest, as they say, is history.”
Tanner’s warm eyes met hers. “Sometimes God uses the hard times in life to draw us closer to Him.”
“Even this,” she said. She raised her glass of tea. Sweet tea wasn’t usually an indulgence she allowed herself, but in this situation she would make an exception.
Tanner smiled gently. “Yeah, even this.”
Silence passed between them as they ate. It was the first time Macy had felt a true moment of closeness with Tanner since this whole crazy ordeal had begun. And it was nice. Despite their history and everything that had happened—all the heartbreak and grief and broken dreams—maybe they could move forward as friends. Maybe what was lost could be restored.
Just as they finished eating, Addie awoke. Macy welcomed the opportunity to escape.
Because she had no right feeling this cozy with Tanner. It would only lead her to more heartache in the end. She’d be wise to remember that.