Hearing her in the hall bath, Daniel backpedaled to the kitchen. He didn’t mean to catch her coaching herself, yet he’d worried when she hadn’t come back right away. The overhead light in the hall winked out and she paused in the kitchen doorway.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“Getting there.”
He’d relayed everything she’d said to Grant, caught between trusting her assessment of her ex’s involvement and common sense. There hadn’t been enough time to develop a real lead, though the video could prove helpful. Though learning construction at his dad’s hip had taught him patience, he knew the waiting would wear down her resolve. He’d just find a way to help her through it.
“Do you date at all?” he asked.
Her pale eyebrows furrowed over her nose same way her son’s had. “Beg pardon?”
“I’m thinking about the concert.” He felt like a jerk for bringing it up, for pushing her more after such a traumatic day. “We need to go, but if dating isn’t normal for you, I’m not sure how to proceed. Grant’s leaving the decision to us.”
“Oh.”
That wasn’t exactly the clarification he needed. “Do you ever go out with girlfriends? It’s Saturday night.” He watched her closely while his mind sifted through the tasks ahead. Training with the PFD had conditioned him to dive in, to problem-solve and help. In that role, he rarely felt helpless, thanks to training and teamwork. Assisting on a kidnapping in any capacity was way more than he’d ever expected to do.
“How can they ask me to be normal?” she demanded in a hoarse whisper, staring at her phone. “What could possibly be normal about my life while they have Aiden?”
She was on the verge of cracking again. He could see it in the hard set of her shoulders. A stiff breeze would shatter her. He took away her phone, caught her hands when she reached for it in a blind panic. “Shh. I’ll help you through it, Shannon.”
Her hands fluttered under his like trapped butterflies. “I have to be alone. They said normal.” She sucked in a breath, held it while she lifted her gaze to the ceiling, blew it out slowly. “I am not going to lose it again.”
“It’s okay if you do.” He let her go, missing the contact more than he should.
“No.” She took another deep breath in and out. “No, I don’t really date.” Her eyes slid to a point over his shoulder. “Saturday night is usually Aiden, me, pizza and a movie.” She got through without another tear.
“Nicely done.” He admired her grit and resolve. “You and Rachel never go out?”
“Well, sure. A few times a year.”
“They don’t know your routine,” he said, theorizing on the fly. “It’s another hoop for you to jump through, buying them time.”
“That fits Bradley’s methods,” she allowed.
“It’s something to consider.” He released her hands and picked up his keys. If he was lucky, it would give her mind something to do besides worry. “Now let’s get moving. We’ll go back to your place and I’ll stay over. Tonight we’ll go out, as if we’d made plans like normal people.”
“Like a date?” She flicked her hands up and down. “Look at me. I can’t do that.”
He swallowed the immediate protest. From his vantage point, she looked beautiful and he was sure she could do anything she set her mind to. Under the sadness and the stress, the qualities that had always drawn him to her were still there. She personified commitment and tenacity, managed to keep her balance between a demanding job and her young son. The packaging of her pretty face and lovely curves was simply icing on the cake.
“I’m trying to help, Shannon.”
“I know.” More tears shimmered in those wide brown eyes. “A date is hardly part of the routine for me. Dating me isn’t in your routine, either.”
He made a mental note to figure out what she meant by that. Later. This wasn’t about him. “We need to buy time for Grant,” he said. “And I don’t see a better option than the club. It’s the safest place to talk with him and we’ll be surrounded by friends. It’s bad luck for them that they attacked right when you started dating someone new.”
With a roll of her eyes, she shook her head. “No. My ex is behind this...Just, no.” She used her shirtsleeves to blot her eyes. “Take me home and I’ll find a way to deal with him on my own.”
“No, right back,” he said, bracing for an argument. He knew all about her independent streak and her pride on the job. He’d seen her house, noticed all the evidence of the same traits. “This isn’t a situation you can ‘deal with.’ Routine or not, you’re not going through this alone.”
“Daniel.”
Hearing her say his name with an exasperated sigh only spurred him on. “Remember what Grant said. Alone, you’re a sitting duck and what good will that do Aiden?”
He’d never been happier to have a woman shoot daggers at him. “That’s low.”
“You’ll find I get creative when lives are on the line.”
Her lips parted and snapped shut. Nudging him aside, she walked over and turned out the kitchen light. He interpreted the move as a minor victory, though he was sure there were plenty of battles ahead of them.
* * *
“We’ll swing by my place,” he said, meandering through the neighborhood side streets. “I pack fast, don’t worry. We’ll be settled at your place right away. Later, we’ll meet Ed and the guys at the Escape Club for the concert. We’ll stay for one set, get Grant’s take on any news and go home.”
“Home to my place.” She drummed her fingertips on her cell phone.
“That’s right.”
“You may want to pack a bed, too. Aiden’s will be too small for you.”
He gave her a long glance while they waited for a traffic light to change. “The couch is all I need.”
She didn’t reply and he couldn’t get a read on her with her face turned toward the window. The sound of his phone caught her attention. The hands-free setting showed Ed’s name on the truck’s radio display. “I’ll call him back.”
“You should pick it up. It’s probably about the charity house.”
He did as she asked, hoping for the best. He’d bitten off a big goal aiming to finish the project before he went back to his normal shifts. Suppliers had the materials standing by, and Daniel had put his best people on the job, including Shannon. Despite his father’s doubts, he was confident they could pull it off.
“What’s up?”
“I went by Officer Caldwell’s house,” Ed said, referring to the pro bono project. “Found a water leak under the bathtub.”
“We suspected we’d have to re-pipe.”
“Yeah, but this has been long and slow. Subfloor is rotted nearly through.”
Shannon winced in sympathy.
Daniel sighed. Nothing kept a man as humble as working construction. “Did you send the material order to the office?” Jennings kept a warehouse of the basic materials on hand for smaller jobs and situations like this one. Based on his recollection of last month’s inventory sheet, pulling from the stock wouldn’t pinch any of his Dad’s projects.
“I’ve got it worked up and ready to send over. Just giving you a heads-up.”
Daniel forced himself to smile, hoping it translated into easy confidence over the phone. “I appreciate that, man.”
“You’re meeting us at the concert tonight?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Daniel promised, raising his eyebrows at Shannon.
She gave him a thumbs-up with plenty of sarcasm.
“Great. My wife’s been talking about this one since you gave us the tickets.”
“And the first round’s on me even if I’m not tending bar,” Daniel said, the smile on his face feeling natural now.
“You’ve met Ed’s wife, right?” he asked after Ed hung up.
“She’s great,” Shannon replied. “Lying to her won’t be easy.”
“In your shoes, they would do the same thing,” he said. “When it’s over, I bet they’ll be the first to hold a celebratory barbecue.”
“They do that nearly every nice weekend since we put in that backyard kitchen.”
“Still.” Checking the clock on the radio display, he gave thanks for the weekend. As it was Saturday, he figured he had about fifteen minutes before his dad called about the unexpected order for materials rather than the stingy five minutes max if it were a weekday. Plenty of time to pack. “Here we are.”
“You live here?”
“Don’t you like it?”
“It looks great.” She hopped out of the truck and perused the other houses on the block. “Not quite what I pictured for you.”
He laughed it off, though he wondered what she did see when she looked at him. “Someday you’ll have to explain that.” Pulling out his key for the side door, he led her around. “Short-term thing,” he explained. He caught her eyeing the temporary stairs and the cracked siding doing little to protect the crawl space. “And it’s torn all to hell right now.”
“I’ve seen worse,” she said.
“You and me both.” He opened the door to the honest scent of sawdust and sweat. “I’m sure we’ll see worse again.”
The first floor was torn down to the studs and looked more like it was ready for a wrecking ball than drywall. “Mind your head if you move from this spot,” he advised. “I won’t be long.” He hesitated, debating the wisdom of leaving her alone.
She arched one honey-gold eyebrow. “Problem?”
“Promise to be here when I get back?” He wouldn’t put it past her to call a cab or ride share and leave him behind. It didn’t matter that he knew she’d go straight to her house. The idea of her out in the city alone while someone was bent on causing her trouble slid like ice between his shoulder blades.
She made an X over her heart. “Promise.”
Trusting her, hoping he wouldn’t get played for a fool, he took the stairs two at a time to the bedroom he was using upstairs. Living out of a duffel made it easier to pack. He grabbed up his clothes, double-checked that he had a dress shirt and clean jeans for tonight and jogged back downstairs.
Shannon was replaying the video. He could tell by the blend of longing and sorrow on her face. “Something new?” he asked.
She jerked her head up and pocketed her phone, looking guilty. “No.”
It broke his heart watching her suffer. More than anything he wanted to hold her and promise they’d rescue her son. He just couldn’t do it. If things went south, she’d never trust him and he’d never forgive himself.
“I remember Ed telling me you go out with the guys occasionally after work.”
“That’s not dating,” she insisted. “Aiden sleeps over at Rachel’s place once in a while.”
“Close enough for me,” he said.
“That hardly explains how we went from boss and employee to you moving in within a day.”
“I don’t plan to explain anything to the bastard who took your son.” Daniel stopped short of venting his full opinion about her ex—though his involvement didn’t make any sense—or the team that snatched Aiden from the sitter’s house. “We need a plausible story for the guys tonight.”
“Not if we skip it,” she said, her chin cocked stubbornly.
She wasn’t inviting a kiss, though his brain went there automatically. With deliberate motions, he ushered her out of the house and back to the truck. This wasn’t going to be simple for him, watching over a woman he’d hoped to date. It never would have been easy, considering she worked for his company, but until this morning he’d felt like he had a pretty good shot.
Not now.
“No one needs to know we’re staying in the same place,” he said, when they reached her driveway.
With a sniffle, she put her phone away, having watched the video again on the drive over.
From his perspective, she was torturing herself watching that video nonstop. What did he know? He wasn’t a parent. No amount of compassion or sympathy gave him a full understanding of what she was going through. Smothering his attraction to her was an annoyance compared to her struggle. Nothing he did or said would ease the wounded look hollowing out her brown eyes.
They didn’t talk much as he unloaded the truck and carried their bags inside. He put her suitcase and tote just inside her bedroom and stashed his bags in the closet downstairs. Maybe if he stayed out of her way, kept himself as out of sight as possible, she’d relax.
“I’m going to take a nap,” she said. “Just do...whatever you want.”
He started to reply and she held up a hand, cut him off. “I know we have to go to the concert. I’ll set an alarm and be ready on time.”
Checking on her once, he found her curled up on the bed, Aiden’s blue rabbit tucked under her chin, phone charging on the nightstand. Her eyes closed and her breath deep and even, he figured sleep was her best defense against the senseless situation.
Restless, he meandered through the house downstairs. He found three paint chips taped to the wall in the kitchen and eyed them critically. He was debating between two good choices when his cell phone rang. He picked it up without looking at the display. “Daniel Jennings.”
“You can’t just take whatever you want and write it off, Danny.” Matthew Daniel Jennings was calling to take a strip out of Daniel’s hide.
“Hi, Dad.” Daniel stifled the sigh just in time, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stepped out on the small back porch. Conversations between them had a tendency to get loud and he didn’t want to wake Shannon. “I checked the inventory,” he began.
“Well, you didn’t check the new work orders for next week,” his dad snapped. “I can’t spare the subfloor. You’ll have to order it.”
Waiting on delivery meant his crew would be standing around Monday morning with nothing to do. A costly decision on a charity project he needed to finish within the next two weeks. Usually he and his father were both a little bit right when they butted heads on things like this. He forced cheer into his voice, hiding his weariness with the constant pushback. “How about my crew meets yours and helps with your subfloor. Then they can take any leftovers, swing by the—”
“No. Too many hands only jam things up.”
“Right.” Daniel practically growled the word. Cooperation, support weren’t part of the elder Jennings’s vocabulary when it came to his sons.
“You bit off more than you can chew on this one. Thinking with your heart, not your head.”
“Stop,” Daniel barked. He’d memorized the lecture, having heard it all his adult life. “The Caldwell project is mine. My mistake assuming we could pull from the available supply.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You just did,” Daniel pointed out.
“You didn’t even ask!” Matthew shouted.
What the hell was the supply order if not a request? Daniel wanted to shout back, thought of his mother’s reaction if she heard they’d gone another few rounds. Anticipating her disappointment drained the fight out of him.
“Sorry, Dad. I’ll let the crew know the change in plans.”
“Good.”
“We wrapped up the job in Garden Court.”
“I heard.”
Although his dad sounded less than pleased, Daniel refused to bite. “And I got the place in Francisville staged.”
His dad made a noise that could be interpreted a number of ways. Daniel took it as a positive, if only to annoy the elder Jennings. “I’m happy, too. It should sell fast.”
“We’ll need the profit with you handing out subfloor like candy.”
Daniel laughed, though there wasn’t any joy in it. “Well, it’s been a long day, Dad. Give my love to Mom.”
Matthew cleared his throat. “You’re not coming by for dinner tomorrow?”
Even if he wasn’t helping Shannon, he wasn’t about to put himself in his dad’s crosshairs again so soon. “Maybe next week.” He yanked open the screen door and found Shannon in the kitchen, staring about, lost, dark circles under her eyes.
“If this is some kind of punishment,” his dad started ramping up again.
“It’s not. Bye.” He ended the call on his dad’s sputtering protests and pulled the door shut, threw the deadbolt.
“You okay?” she asked.
“I should be asking you that question. I’m fine. A little father-son bonding is all.”
Her lip quivered, though she stopped it with a nip of her teeth.
He wanted to knock down a wall, letting his dad get under his skin. “That was insensitive. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t. You can’t walk on eggshells around me.”
“You’re hurting.”
“True.” Standing at the open pantry, she gave him a long look over her shoulder. “You, too.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Did my conversation wake you?”
“No.” She laid a hand over her stomach. “Hunger did. Now that I’m up, nothing sounds good.”
He crossed the kitchen in two quick strides and nudged her into a chair at the table she’d placed under the sunny back window. “Let me handle it.”
She didn’t argue as he rummaged through her kitchen, coming up with a can of tomato soup, bread, cheese and butter. He set the soup simmering and had the sandwiches browning in the skillet while she stared out at the backyard. He was relieved that though her phone was nearby, she’d stopped replaying the video.
“Can’t go wrong with comfort food,” he said, serving them both at the table.
“So named for a reason,” she said. “Thanks.”
There wasn’t any sparkling conversation while they ate, but she did eat, which mattered more to him. When she stood up to clear the table, he took over, handling the dishes while she went upstairs to dress for the concert.
She came downstairs in the black dress and heels she’d stuffed into her suitcase earlier. The hem of the skirt stopped just above her knees and the fabric seemed to hug her from her shoulders to her trim waist before flaring out over her hips. Far better on her than it had been on the hanger. On a normal date, he’d offer a compliment. Tonight? He had no idea if she’d even hear him, much less find the words sincere.
“You clean up nice,” she said.
Clean jeans, dark blue dress shirt and loafers paled in comparison to her. “I’ll do better next time,” he said without thinking.
Her lips curved in a ghost of smile and he felt as if he’d slayed a dragon for her.
He timed it so they were the last to arrive at the club and the others would be distracted by the entertainment. It was all he could think of to make a challenging outing easier for her. The band up on stage had the crowd jumping to the throbbing beat as they navigated around the dance floor to find their group. Ed and his wife Toni were holding the hi-top table while Lou and Craig—both single—stood by, watching the women dancing in the crowd.
He didn’t think an Oscar-winning actress could pull off the performance Shannon gave as she greeted everyone with her typical, friendly enthusiasm. Through some female miracle, she’d erased all signs of stress and tears from her face. Her smile wasn’t as bright, but that was the only clue he could see to the burden she was hiding from the others.
“How is Aiden?” Toni asked, clearly concerned. “Ed told me there was an emergency.”
“A mix-up over the phone,” Shannon replied. “I thought Aiden was hurt...” She paused, cleared her throat. “It was one of Rachel’s twins. He’s fine now. Didn’t mean to worry everyone,” she finished sheepishly.
“Your mind just leaps to the worst-case scenario, doesn’t it?”
“All the time,” Shannon said.
Daniel bumped her knee with his under the table, lending her subtle support.
“Ed says I’m a drama queen.” Toni beamed at her husband. “But those ‘come right now’ calls just grab your heart and don’t let go until you can see for yourself that your baby is okay.”
Though Shannon’s smile wobbled, her voice was steady. “They really should put a warning label on kids, or at least cover it in the motherhood books.”
Toni and Ed chuckled in agreement.
Oscar-winning performance indeed. He ordered a pitcher of beer for the table when the waitress came by and turned the conversation to business for a few minutes, filling in Ed on the subfloor supply issue.
Ed shook his head and asked Shannon to dance.
She hopped up cheerfully, making it look like she was having a grand time.
Daniel wanted to dance with her himself and decided he’d wait for a better day. She probably wanted a break from him, from his constant presence reminding her of the trouble. Until this morning, he didn’t know anything about her ex or his businesses. Tonight, he despised the man on principle for slamming into her day like a runaway truck.
The band took a break and Grant wandered over to say hello as he made his rounds.
“Mind if I steal you away for a professional assessment?” Grant asked. He smiled easily at the others as he explained. “We had a fight out back last night. Perils of running a nightclub. Your date can join us,” he added.
Daniel ignored the odd look from Ed as they followed Grant back to his office. “Nicely done,” he said when they were safely behind the closed door.
“Do you have any leads on Aiden?” Shannon laced her fingers together in her lap, her forehead lined with worry.
Daniel wished he could soothe her, knew it was an impossible task until she was reunited with her son.
“We don’t have a lead on Aiden’s location yet. People are working on the video. I’m told we shouldn’t expect much since they kept it short.”
“You think the video was short on purpose?” Daniel asked.
“It’s a definite theory. Shannon gets proof of life, anyone helping her gets little to nothing to go on. We haven’t ruled out much of anything.” Grant massaged his hand. “Yet.”
“Why not?” Shannon’s entire body was stiff and he saw her fighting for control over the tears welling in her eyes. “I know Bradley’s behind this. Those were his words, if not his voice. Daniel told you that, right?”
“He did,” Grant assured her. “My detective friend in organized crime is quietly shaking every tree to get a location on Stanwood or catch wind of a kidnapping order.”
“He’s not in New York,” she insisted. “He may not be staying here in Philly, but he must be close. He wouldn’t have sent that kind of script through an email or text message.”
“Good point,” Grant said. “Still, it’s possible he’s handling this remotely. I’ve listened to the call you recorded and watched the video. No one is discounting any possible scheme at this point, Shannon.” He turned to Daniel. “You’re all settled in at her place?”
“We’re good there.” Daniel shrugged, not wanting to dwell on that subject. “What’s the next move?” He wanted to hear any and all ideas for resolving this swiftly.
“Patience is the move. Follow your routine as closely as possible. We want the kidnappers to believe you’re cooperating while we work behind the scenes.”
Shannon sucked in a breath, blinked rapidly.
“You’ve got a team at your back, I promise.” Grant leaned against his desk. “Because we’re a team, I want your take on some other news. I learned Gary Loffler has made two visits to Philly in the past three months. Did he contact you at all?”
“No.” Her eyebrows snapped together. “Gary escorted me out of the house the day I left. I haven’t spoken to him since the divorce was final. I still think he’d help us pin down Bradley if I called him. Told him...”
They all knew how that sentence ended.
“So he doesn’t know you had a son?” Grant asked.
“I never told him,” Shannon whispered. “Even if he knew, Gary wouldn’t do this.”
“Not even for his best friend, his best client?”
“Gary was the only thing left of Bradley’s conscience. Assuming he had one to start with.”
“Well, it’s one more avenue. Apparently, the organized crime and intelligence unit has been hearing rumors about a major deal brewing. Until your son was taken, no one had a clue about what, why or when anything would happen.
“You have to see that to an outsider, taking Aiden implies you have something or know something that can impact the deal Stanwood is trying to make.”
“I’m aware how it looks,” Shannon said. “Trust me, I’d happily give up any information on Bradley or his businesses to have Aiden back right this minute.”
“The kidnappers believe you’re cooperating,” Daniel reminded her. “The police will catch a break soon.”
“The demand for a routine makes me wonder if the kidnapper—”
“Bradley,” Shannon interjected. “I know it doesn’t add up, but he is involved.”
Grant tipped his head. “Bradley,” he echoed. “I wonder if he’s hoping that forcing you to maintain a routine gives him a window to search your place.”
“He had plenty of time today while we were traipsing all over town,” Daniel pointed out. “She was at work when they took Aiden and they waited a couple hours to make contact.”
“And yet.” Grant spread his hands. “Patience is what we have to work with right now.”
Shannon’s mouth thinned with worry. The temper and need to act burning in her eyes were at war with Grant’s persistent logic. “I’d hoped for more from this meeting,” she admitted.
“I know.”
“Do you have children?” Shannon asked.
“Not been blessed in that way yet,” Grant replied. “Doesn’t mean I’m not one hundred percent committed to getting your son back home to you.”
“I apologize.” She stood up to pace the small office, cracking her knuckles and worrying that wide lower lip. “The timing,” she muttered. “A deal? Did your detective in organized crime have any idea who Gary met with during his recent trips to Philly?”
“He visited the Marburg Law offices. Our contacts there are making inquiries.”
Daniel could practically see the gears turning in Shannon’s mind. “What are you thinking?”
She shook her head. “Between Gary’s visits, the kidnapping and the rumors you’ve heard, the timing bothers me. When I left New York, Gary gave me his personal number. He told me to call if I had any trouble and I know he meant it as a friend, not a ploy for Bradley to keep tabs on me.” She pushed a hand through her short, sunny hair. “Bradley was happy to send me packing. I’d let him down. Without Gary...” Her voice trailed off. “Anyway, Gary was the only point of compassion when my marriage fell apart. He was an unexpected source of kindness.”
“You were friends?” Daniel slid a glance at Grant, caught the speculation in his gaze.
“After a fashion,” she murmured, clearly lost in the past. “I think we were both surprised to find a like-minded person within Bradley’s merciless sphere. When the honeymoon was over and I was searching for a way to stay afloat in my marriage, Gary and I had several conversations about pursuits Bradley might allow.”
Daniel wondered what a younger Shannon had wanted when she’d found herself caught in an untenable marriage.
“Such as?” Grant prompted.
“Local chapters of national charities.” She rattled off three familiar program names. “Real estate.” The bitter laugh that followed prickled along his skin. Her lips tilted into a half smile full of irony. “Can you imagine the kickbacks Bradley might have pocketed if I’d done that?”
Her ex had been a piece of work, and the way he’d manipulated her had taken a toll. Daniel wanted to meet him, if only to plant a fist into the jerk’s face. He marveled that she’d gotten out and made such a good life for herself and her son.
The idea of her moving on, starting over again, lit his temper. Who was her ex that he thought he could get away with this kind of stunt? And what kind of monster would put a mother through this torture and turmoil? “Wherever they’re holding Aiden, we’ll find him. Right, Grant?”
“Yes. There are ears and eyes everywhere, combing the city for clues.” Grant’s fingers tapped in a rapid-fire staccato on the desktop. “Which means you two should get back to your night out. Keep up appearances.”
“Normal,” Shannon said, plastering a patently false and somewhat scary smile on her face.
“Believe.” Daniel took her hand as they left the office.
“What if he does a paternity test?” she asked, pulling Daniel back at the verge of the club. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
The question startled him. On the other side of the wall, the crowd sang along with the band onstage. Daniel had to lean close to be heard without shouting. The tangy lemon scent of her shampoo tantalized his nose. With another woman—with Shannon amid other circumstances—he would have used the opportunity to steal a kiss.
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m just trying to figure out who’s after what here. Bradley or someone who knows him well wrote that script.”
“Loffler, maybe?”
She tipped her head side to side, chewing on her lip.
“Would he find something unexpected?” Daniel asked.
“Learning he’s a father would shock him.” Her nose wrinkled. “If he ordered the kidnapping to manipulate someone else, who knows what he’d do to Aiden if he realizes he’s holding his own son.”
“You said he had no interest in fatherhood.”
“He always has an interest in what can be used as leverage and useful tools,” she said, peering over his shoulder into the club. “He never had an interest in accommodating me.”
“Relax,” he said, knowing it was an impossible request. “If he was here, Grant’s men would be all over him by now.”
“Okay.”
He gave her hand a squeeze to reclaim her attention. “Is there something you’re not sharing?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m trying to rush things along and I’m only making myself crazy. You, too, probably. My mind is running like a hamster on a wheel. Bradley or whoever is behind this will make some kind of demand eventually.”
As they finished out the evening with friends, Daniel’s mind raced as well. He kept mulling over her concerns about the timing and purpose behind Loffler’s visits to Philly. Could the lawyer have been checking on her, determining potential targets for his boss? Daniel couldn’t blame Shannon for wanting to leave what was a traumatic time in her life in the past, but he too sensed there was something bigger at play.
Something about the kidnapping, the odd demands to keep a routine, reminded him of a fire breathing just under the edge of a door. Craving oxygen, without a vent, the fire would eventually attack, tossing everyone and everything aside.
Why steal a kid he never wanted or pester a woman he’d been happy to boot out of his life?
“You don’t have to stay over,” she said as he pulled to a stop behind her car in the narrow driveway. “It’s not routine.”
“It is until your son is home,” he replied. “Grant expects me to stay close and keep you safe. You’ve never had to answer to him,” he added, hoping to lighten the mood. “He might be a little older, but there’s no doubt he could still take me down if he wanted to.”
“What’s his story?” she asked as they walked to her front door.
“Shot in the line of duty, partner died, and he had to retire for medical reasons. Bought the club and loves it. He just can’t seem to stop helping people.”
They walked inside and she closed the door, leaned back against it. “He has a way about him,” she said.
“Good or bad?”
“Solid.” She shrugged out of her coat and dropped her keys into her purse and her purse on the end of the kitchen counter. “Reassuring. A lot like you, actually. Must be a first responder thing.”
“Huh.” Feeling a little lost by the direction of the conversation, he rocked back on his heels. “Everything looks normal in here.” Part of him hoped for a decisive move from Aiden’s kidnappers while another part of him was relieved not to add any more drama to the rough day. “Do you mind if I clean up?”
“Go ahead. I’ll get out linens for the couch.”
“Great, thanks.”
“And Daniel?”
He glanced back, one foot on the first stair. Something inside him unraveled, yearning for the impossible when he saw the gratitude shining in her brown eyes. With reluctant determination, he hid the way everything about her gave his system a jolt of desire. If she knew that she’d starred in his fantasies for nearly a year, she’d lock him outside.
“Thank you,” she said, breaking the silence. “I didn’t want your help.” Color rose in her cheeks. “I didn’t want anyone’s help. Thank you for being persistent despite my best efforts to push you away.”
Flustered and embarrassed, he held his ground with a smile. “Must be a first responder thing.”
He escaped the heavy moment, taking the stairs up to the bathroom and locking himself in. A cold shower was just what he needed.