Dalton tried to be honest. “I can’t say for sure until I do some investigating, but they’re on the list. Why would they come after you in such a strange way? Cryptic notes, and now shooting at you? Why wouldn’t they show up at your door and tell you what they want?”
She finished her coffee and put her cup in the sink. “After we got married, Douglas changed. He became moody and mean, and nothing I did pleased him. I soon figured out he’d married me so he’d have someone to wait on him and pamper him the way his mother did. They blamed me for his bad moods and spread it around that they didn’t like that their son married a girl from the trailer park.”
Casting her gaze downward, she said, “My mother worked as a maid at the local hotel. She wasn’t the best mother ever, and she died not long after I got married. My father left when I was a baby. So I was pretty much a pushover. I wanted to please everyone, but I always failed.”
Dalton’s heart burned with anger. This kind, gentle woman had been through a lot more than he’d imagined. “So do you blame yourself for your marriage going bad?”
“I did at first. But I grew stronger as I matured. Going to church helped with that. Aunt Marilyn helped me, too. She’d come and visit and bring me things. I owe her a lot.”
She lifted her head up as if to shake away the bad memories. “Anyway, that’s my past and so here we are.”
“Tell me a little more about your in-laws,” he said, wishing he could wipe away the sadness in her eyes.
“While they weren’t rich, my in-laws were straitlaced pillars of the community. My father-in-law worked in upper management at the refinery, and he got Douglas a job there after Douglas quit college. Douglas Senior passed away a few months after Douglas died. Janine, my mother-in-law, kept saying Douglas’s death had killed her husband, too. My father-in-law was never the same after Douglas died. They quit speaking to me.”
“You mentioned more than one in-law. Any other children?”
“Yes. My brother-in-law, Randall, is estranged from his mother now, but he and Douglas stayed close. He was pretty upset when Douglas was killed in that accident. He hated the refinery and refused to work there. He studied to become an electrician, but I don’t know if he ever finished school. He worked for a cable company last I heard.”
She shook her head. “He pretty much kept to himself, and he had a girlfriend who kept him busy, but right before I left they got married and moved to Louisiana.” She wiped at a speck on the counter. “Janine was all alone and she didn’t have a lot of money, and she suddenly decided I should share the money I’d received with her.”
“Did you?”
“I gave Janine some money, but I explained to her I wanted to use the rest to start my own day care. I’d worked in child care since high school, so I could pay for college, course by course, through the years until I finally got my degree. She laughed at me and told me I’d never succeed.”
He watched her face, wondering if one of her in-laws might have come looking for her. But money could bring out the worst in people. “Did they ever threaten you before?”
“No.” Then she paused. “But...after Douglas’s death, she turned on me. They didn’t like me, anyway. After he died, his parents seemed to shift into true hatred for me. They implied if I’d been a better wife, Douglas might still be alive. Then when Douglas Senior had a heart attack, Janine poured out her angst on me. She believed the stress of her son’s death contributed to my father-in-law’s death. And I think she was right.”
She inhaled a shaky breath. “She started spreading rumors about me. I quit my job, since my boss kept hearing the rumors and questioned me daily. I knew what would happen next. I’d be fired for not being a fit child care provider. So I took the easy way out. I left.” She looked into Dalton’s eyes. “I came here with a clean record, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“But you mentioned the insurance money.”
“His father never knew about it,” she said. “I was so shocked that Douglas had taken out a policy and left it to me that I didn’t tell anyone for weeks. But after his dad died, I went to Janine and blurted it out. That’s when things got ugly. Janine demanded that I turn over the money to her. Told me she was broke, and that Douglas Senior hadn’t left her much of anything.”
Dalton saw the apprehension in her eyes.
“I’ve never seen anyone so angry,” she said. “I know she was hurting. She’d lost her son and her husband in a matter of months.”
“So you gave her money to appease her?”
She looked surprised and then resolved. “I gave her part of the money, but I’d had enough of Texas and the family, so after I talked to Aunt Marilyn she suggested I should come here for a while. When she told me she’d help me start a day care, I jumped at the chance.” She wiped at her eyes. “And here I am. I’ve been here getting the day care up and running. Why would they wait so long to confront me?”
“They found a way to track you,” Dalton said. “But the notes and even being shot at could be coming from a man or a woman. The brother maybe, if she put him up to it.”
She started around him, her frown full of doubt. “I don’t think it’s either of them. My mother-in-law is frail and sickly, so I can’t see her doing it,” she said. “Randall’s trying to improve his life, so why would he try something like this?”
Dalton touched a hand to her arm. “Josie, people who are desperate will do anything, especially when it involves money. Your mother-in-law might be frail and unable to travel, but she could have sent someone to find you.”
“And what will they do? Kill me and try to get what’s left in my bank account? They can’t do that.”
“No, but they could take you and force you to get the money out of the bank and then kill you. Is there any of the money left?”
Ignoring the crouching fear his words provoked, she said, “I have a small savings account and a modest checking account. My aunt and uncle cosigned on the loan and put up a share of the front money. They did that to protect me and because they own some other real estate, including this house.”
Dalton could see how much she had riding on this venture. “Maybe they’re threatening you, thinking you’ll leave and go back to Texas. Then they could work on getting their hands on what they consider to be a fortune.”
“Or maybe they want to torment me.” She stopped and gasped, her fingers digging into his shirtsleeve. “Dalton, that has to be it. If they keep at this, the parents will remove their children from the day care. I could lose everything. What if this isn’t about getting to the money? What if they want to ruin me?”
An hour later, Josie sat with her aunt and uncle in their den. The boys and Maisy were in another part of the house, watching a movie. They’d had a quiet dinner, but Josie could barely eat.
“I’m sorry,” she said now. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Now don’t go jumping ahead,” her uncle Jack said. “Let Dalton do his job.”
“He’s right, honey,” Marilyn said. “This doesn’t mean someone is out to do you in. I know your life with Douglas was hard, but he’s gone now. He can’t hurt you anymore. Nor can his mama or his brother. We’re not gonna let that happen.”
Josie whirled from her aunt to Dalton. “Douglas was cruel and irrational, and he didn’t trust me at all. Our marriage was over long before he died. I just didn’t have the courage to leave him.”
“Did he abuse you?” Dalton asked, an edge in his voice that made her uncle sit up and take notice.
“No,” she said. “He didn’t love me. He drank too much and flirted with other women and complained about his job. He was careless and cynical and...he didn’t trust anyone. And because of that, I cowered and became some kind of passive person that I didn’t even recognize.”
“But you’re okay,” he reminded her, the admiration in his eyes warming her. “You’re doing great. Use your strength to keep your head clear. We’ve had three messages and now a near-shooting, so this is serious. And it’ll probably get worse. You told me you’d changed, and I believe you.”
“She sure has changed,” Marilyn said with a chuckle, her dark curls bobbing around her face. “She stared down contractors and inspectors and town council members to get our business up and running, and she worked hard on finding a good team to take care of our children. I’m very proud of her and I know if my sister was alive, she’d be proud of her, too.”
“Thank you, Aunt Marilyn,” Josie said, touched. “But don’t sing my praises too much. I’m so worried right now I don’t think I’ll be worth much come morning. My focus is on the day care and the children.”
“Why don’t you stay with us tonight?” her aunt asked. “We have plenty of room.”
Josie shook her head. “No. I’ll be okay. My house isn’t that big, and I’ve got locks on all the windows and doors, thanks to my wonderful landlord.” She smiled at her uncle. “Now, I need to get home and I’m sure Dalton feels the same way.”
“I don’t mind,” he said, standing. “But Maisy does have school tomorrow, and it’s party day. She’ll be wired when she gets home.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Marilyn said. “School’s out for the Christmas break. We’ll be busy with extra kids all next week.”
“I’ll go get Maisy for you,” Jack said. Then he turned and gave Dalton a serious appraisal. “If you ever need to bring Maisy to us, she’s welcome here. We have a room that’s all girl—Marilyn’s getaway room. It’s like a spa and a boutique all rolled up in one—as my wife likes to say. Maisy viewed it earlier tonight, so I know she’d be comfortable there.”
“Thank you,” Dalton said, appreciation in his eyes. “It’s good to know she’s got people like you to look after her.” Then he looked at Josie. “And I’m glad you have these two next door.”
“All the more reason to be extra-careful,” Josie replied after her uncle went down the long hallway to the other wing of the house. “We have to take care of Maisy and the other children, first and foremost. I was looking forward to our party for the kids next week and then the couple of days we’ll have off during Christmas.”
“You can still look forward to this special time of year,” Marilyn said as they walked to the door. “We’re gonna have faith and get through this. God led you here so He’s not gonna abandon you now.”
Josie wanted to believe that with all her heart. But after Dalton and Maisy escorted her home, she couldn’t shake the sense of dread.
Dalton checked the house again, Luna already learning the routine. “I’ll do a sweep of the yard, front and back, before I leave,” he told her. “Make sure you’re locked in tight.” Then he handed her a card. “Call me if you see or hear anything that scares you.”
He scared her. The way he cared about her safety was a whole new experience for Josie. No man had ever tried so hard to show her that he wanted to protect her, and this man barely knew her. His kindness was so overwhelming that she wanted to push him away and tell him that she didn’t deserve his protection.
But her aunt would shun that notion. She’d always been Josie’s champion, even when her own mother hadn’t encouraged her. No wonder Josie had married a bully of a man who treated her like a doormat. She’d cowered from her bitter mother for years. But after counseling at church and being with people who encouraged her, she wasn’t a doormat anymore. She’d learned that she could fight for herself and still come out on the other side. Unlike her mother, who’d never found the strength to get on with her life after Josie’s father had left.
She’d fight now. But she’d fight smart. “I promise I’ll keep my phone on my pillow,” she told Dalton. “I’ll leave lights on and I won’t go outside. If I do, I’ll call my uncle. And... I did take some self-defense crash courses after Douglas died.”
“All of that is good,” Dalton said. “Still, be careful.”
“I will,” she said.
He checked the yard and came back for Maisy. “Let’s get you home, Ladybug.”
Josie smiled at the endearment. But Maisy looked up at her with big, solemn eyes. “You could come and stay with us, Miss Josie.”
Josie heard the catch in the girl’s suggestion. Maisy was putting on that brave front. Even though they’d tried so hard to shield her from what was really going on, the kid had a keen intuition.
But Maisy also had enough sense to know this was about more than beefing up security.
She hated putting this child through any more trauma. Her eyes met Dalton’s, sympathy piercing her heart. “That’s so sweet of you, Maisy. But I have everything I need right here. You don’t have to worry. Your dad has coached me on what I need to do. He’s being very smart, practicing on me and letting Luna get in some practice, too.”
Maisy glanced at her daddy. “Sometimes, even things we’ve practiced can still get messed up.”
Dalton’s frown ripped at Josie’s consciousness. “Maisy, what do you mean by that, honey?”
Maisy’s stoic expression turned to cautious. “Nothing. But...people get hurt all the time. Sometimes, you can’t protect them.”
Dalton’s tanned skin turned pale. “You’re right. But we can’t stop trying. And I’m going to do my best to protect you and Miss Josie and everyone else around here.”
“I don’t want to leave here,” Maisy said. “I like living here. I don’t like Flagstaff.”
Realization clutched at Josie and she saw the resolve in Dalton’s eyes, too. “But we talked about this,” he said, his tone soft. “We’ll find a nice new neighborhood and start fresh with Luna. She’ll watch out for us.”
Luna’s ears pricked up, and she gave Maisy a loving stare, as if she knew exactly what the little girl was feeling. Which she probably did.
“I don’t like it there,” Maisy said. Then she rushed to Josie and hugged her close. “I like it here better.”
Dalton’s jaw clenched. Josie could see the pain in his stormy gray eyes. “We’ll talk about this later, okay? We have to get home right now.”
Josie hugged Maisy close and told her she’d see her tomorrow. “Remember, I need you to help me pass out cookies and Christmas ornaments.”
Maisy smiled at that. “Okay.”
But Dalton wasn’t smiling. He nodded and turned with a stiff back and hurried his daughter to the car.
Josie had never felt so alone.
And she’d never seen such hurt in a man’s eyes. Maisy’s heartfelt pleas had broken him in two.
Dalton West carried a lot of burdens on his broad shoulders. And now, he’d added her to that load.
She hoped this would end soon. They could all use a break. But her instincts told her this was just the beginning.