Family Under Fire Read online

  “Just tell me.” The words came out faster and harsher than she’d intended.

  She’d always found it hard to hide from that piercing gaze, but now she looked him in the eye. After a moment or two, he shrugged. “There was a guy watching the apartment.”

  A tiny part of her wanted to crumble, but she squared her shoulders. “Did you get a good look at him?”

  “No.” He grimaced. “I was too busy running away when he tried to run me down.”

  “Everett!” She moved closer, pushing him down onto the sofa. “Why didn’t you tell me this straight away? Are you badly hurt? Did you call 911?”

  He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, a slight smile touching his lips. “I’m not badly hurt. Just stiff, because my muscles took a pounding when I rolled away from the vehicle. I didn’t call 911, but I got a picture of the car and I sent it to Casey. And I didn’t tell you straight away because—”

  “You didn’t want to worry me?” She knew it was true, so why did it hurt?

  “Partly. But also because it was important to settle Kennedy.” He tilted his head back to get a better look at her. “Because she comes first from now on. Right?”

  “Of course.” She curled into a corner of the sofa, all thoughts of sleep long gone. “This guy must be linked to the parcel that came for Kennedy.”

  “I was prepared to keep an open mind about that...until he drove straight at me. And since we already have a dangerous situation, it seems safe to assume they could be connected. After that, I figured he could be a bad guy. Don’t ask me why. Just a bizarre hunch.” As she glared at him, he held up his hands. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound like I’m taking this lightly. It’s just been a long day, you know?”

  “I know.” Her own sigh was even heavier. “I’ve been right here with you.”

  * * *

  Everett had forgotten how refreshing he always found the sight of Alyssa in the mornings. With her hair caught back in a ponytail, her eyes bright and her skin soft and glowing, she looked like an advertisement for good health. He’d always thought of her as a golden girl. Petite, blonde, with those glorious eyes and wide, full lips.

  He was also having trouble concentrating on anything other than the way she filled her gray fleece pajamas. She looked a lot like someone he wanted to hug. For a very long time.

  Kennedy appeared to have recovered from her teething problems and was seated in her high chair, splashing in a bowl of oatmeal.

  “What are the plans for today?” Everett clutched a mug of coffee and leaned against the kitchen counter.

  “Lots of shopping.” She started ticking off items on her fingers. “The first thing is more storage for Kennedy’s clothes and toys. Then we have to stock up on formula, food, diapers and other day-to-day items.”

  “Other day-to-day items?” He didn’t like the sound of that.

  “Trust me. You are missing some basics here. Also, I’ve asked a friend to send some of my clothes from Phoenix. I know you’ve had my car brought over and I have the bag that was in in it, but I’ll still need to buy myself a few things.” Her smile broadened. “And there’s Christmas.”

  That smile brought so many memories with it. Alyssa loved the holidays, and when they were together he had entered into the spirit right along with her. Cozying up and watching classic movies, sitting by the tree and wrapping gifts together, shopping for matching silly sweaters, Alyssa preparing dinner while Everett made eggnog...and sneaking up on her with a bunch of mistletoe.

  Now, there were practical considerations to take into account. “Alyssa, if you’re planning on turning this apartment into Santa’s workshop—”

  She laughed. “I know what you’re going to say, but I’m sure we can find room for a small tree.”

  He gestured around the cramped space. “What should we sacrifice so we can fit in some holiday decorations? Do we really need a kitchen? And I, for one, am tired of sitting down. Let’s get rid of these chairs and stand while we eat in the future.”

  “You are such a grump in the mornings, Colton.” Her cheeks reddened as she realized what she was doing. Turning away, she fussed over Kennedy, wiping oatmeal off the little girl’s cheeks.

  Yeah. It was too easy to fall into that old, familiar routine. Because it was fun, and we enjoyed it.

  Everett’s cell phone buzzed, providing a welcome distraction. It was Casey, and as he answered it, Alyssa signaled that she was taking Kennedy into the bedroom to get ready. He nodded, glad for the chance to talk freely to his brother.

  Casey got straight to the point. “First things first. Who is trying to kill you?”

  “I sent you a picture of the car that tried to run me down,” Everett said. “I was hoping you’d be able to trace the license plates and answer that question for me.”

  “The car was stolen in Tucson two days ago and was found burned-out on wasteland in the early hours of this morning. It’s not going to tell us a damn thing.”

  Everett bit back a curse. “Then neither of us has the answer to the question about who it is.” He quickly told Casey about the delivery of the teddy bear addressed to Kennedy. “I’m not a betting man, but I’d put money on the package from Hoyles’ and the guy staking out my apartment being linked.”

  “I wouldn’t bet against you in this instance.” Casey sounded serious. “As well as who, we need to know why.”

  “Sean was ambitious,” Everett said. “He had quite the criminal enterprise going on with his gang of cattle rustlers. And with Delilah cooking the books to make it appear that his business was legitimate, he had a lot of money stashed away. And there’s the house as well. Kennedy inherits it all and Delilah made sure that anything connected to Kennedy was completely clean.”

  Casey whistled. “So whoever gets custody of Kennedy has access to Sean’s money and property?”

  “Pretty much.” He waited a moment or two. “Can you think of anyone devious enough to use a child to enrich themselves that way?”

  Casey didn’t answer immediately. “At her arraignment, Georgia pled not guilty. She got bail, but, as we know, she blew it by trying to leave town. I, for one, and glad to know she’d behind bars.”

  “I didn’t mention Georgia.”

  “You didn’t have to. As soon as you said the word devious, her name sprang to mind. I’m just giving you the facts,” Casey said. “I know how destructive Georgia can be, remember? You won’t find me defending her.”

  “Georgia wasn’t behind bars when Sean and Delilah died,” Everett pointed out.

  “If you’re right, and the Dodds were murdered, it was a very tight window of opportunity. How many people do you figure knew about the time period between the three of them being arrested and their arraignment? It’s not like they had a wide circle of friends and family.”

  Casey had a point. Neither Sean nor Delilah had any other close relatives besides Georgia and they had deliberately shut out old friends. The reason was clear now, of course. As Sean’s criminal activities had grown, he must have wanted fewer people close enough to question what was going on.

  Everett gazed at the parking lot. Black tire marks slashed across the tarmac surface ending at the ruined flower bed. Georgia had been his number-one suspect all along. The only reason he’d hoped it was someone else was that Sean’s younger sister was likely to prove a devious and volatile opponent. And, of course, she had to have help. If she was behind bars, there was no way Georgia had been the person who drove that car at him on the previous night.

  “Can we get a sample of Georgia’s handwriting?” he asked. “I need an FBI analyst to do a comparison with the suicide note.”

  “Leave it with me.” There was a pause and Everett guessed what was coming next. The unique connection between twins was something most people couldn’t understand. Most of the time, Everett viewed it as a gift. Now and then, it could be a curse. “A
re you sure you want to get involved with Alyssa again?”

  Everett cast a glance in the direction of the master bedroom. “We’re not involved.”

  “Right. Because nothing says distance like raising a baby together.” Casey sighed. “You don’t want to hear this, but I have to say it. It’s the twin thing. I know what breaking up with her did to you last time. I don’t want you to go through that again.”

  Casey knew? He had never said anything. Once or twice, Everett had felt his brother watching him as if he was wondering whether to ask him how he was doing. But Casey had never crossed that line. The twin thing. They’d always been there for each other. Maybe he had figured Everett would tell him if he needed him? If that was the case, he hadn’t known how badly Everett was hurting.

  “It’s not the same.” Why were his throat muscles so tight? He reached for his coffee and swallowed some of the lukewarm liquid.

  “Be careful. That’s all I’m saying. Some feelings aren’t easy to keep locked away. Even you, who work so hard at that, are going to struggle with this.” When did his kid brother—younger by two vital minutes—get so wise? Maybe it was when he’d recently moved on from his own heartache with his new love, Melody. “I’ll keep you informed if I hear anything relevant to the Dodd inquiry.”

  Chapter 5

  Alyssa’s mom had always tried to make Christmas memorable. Growing up, the holiday had been a brief escape into fantasy. After her dad died, it had become a break from a childhood filled with fear that her mom was about to crack under the strain.

  As a result, she unapologetically loved the yuletide season and viewed it as a magical time. Although Kennedy was too young to know what was going on, Alyssa wanted to make their first Christmas together special.

  She was determined that, as Kennedy grew up, the little girl would know how much Sean and Delilah had loved her. At the same time, she wanted her to look back on this transition as a positive point in her life. The holiday celebration, with its traditions and colorful cheeriness, would always be “their” time. The anniversary of when Kennedy came to them. She wanted pictures and mementos and laughter as reminders.

  One of Alyssa’s favorite parts of the holiday had always been the shopping. The bright lights, tacky window displays, delicious food smells, tinny pop music—as far as she was concerned, it all added to the atmosphere. Of course, the presence of a six-month-old baby complicated the whole process of immersing herself in it this time.

  “This is like a military operation.” Half an hour after they started out, Everett loaded the pink-elephant bag and the stroller into the trunk of his car. “How much stuff can one baby need for a trip to the shops?”

  “Maybe I should pack more diapers?” Alyssa, who was carrying Kennedy, cast a look back toward the apartment.

  “This is Cactus Creek. It’s a small town, but we have stores here that can deal with a diaper emergency.” He steered her toward the vehicle.

  The baby was looking particularly cute in a fluffy pink coat and a matching hat. She eyed the car seat thoughtfully but allowed Alyssa to strap her into it without any resistance. When Everett handed her a teething toy, she bit into it with obvious delight.

  “I still can’t believe her aunt might be behind the attempt to run you down,” Alyssa said, as Everett pulled out onto the road.

  “That’s because you’ve never met Georgia Dodd. She’s not like any person you’ve ever encountered.”

  Although she was pleased that he’d shared the details of his conversation with Casey without holding anything back to protect her, she was concerned at the turn events were taking. In her imagination, Georgia had become the caricature of a child stealer, and she couldn’t shake the foolish image. Even if Sean’s sister was behind the attempts to scare them, how much harm could she really do from behind bars?

  “She created a very dramatic moment in court, wailing, clutching Kennedy to her, while she screamed that her brother and sister-in-law had been murdered,” Everett said.

  “I guess it must have been an emotional time for her.” Even so, Alyssa was picturing the impact of that moment on Kennedy and hoping that, in the same situation, she’d have tried to keep things calm for the sake of the baby.

  “You could say that.” Everett’s voice was grim. “Or you could say that Georgia likes to make a scene.”

  Casting a sidelong glance in Everett’s direction, Alyssa decided to tackle another subject that had been bothering her. “What will you tell your parents about Kennedy?”

  “Now that is an interesting question.”

  Alyssa had met Ryker and Maribelle Colton a few times when she and Everett were dating. Everett’s dad was an oncologist and his mom ran the Cactus-Creek post office. The kindly couple had always been friendly and welcoming toward her and she had enjoyed the warm family atmosphere at their home.

  “I’ll tell them the truth, of course.” A slight smile crossed his lips. “When they get back from visiting their friends in El Paso.”

  “When will that be?” Alyssa asked.

  “They are coming home for the holidays. Casey and his new girlfriend, Melody, are staying with them for Christmas.” He flicked a glance in her direction. “Which doesn’t give me much time to plan what I’m going to say.”

  “I guess they’ll be shocked?”

  He pulled into a space in front of Hoyles’ Department Store. “Well, the circumstances aren’t exactly normal. But I’m counting on the fact that my mom has been dropping hints about becoming a grandma.”

  “Kennedy is a cutie,” Alyssa said. “Your mom will find her hard to resist.”

  “Let’s hope so.” He brought the car to a stop and turned to look over his shoulder at the baby. “My mom plays a key role in the Cactus Creek community. Not just because of her job, but also because she does work for good causes. She’s a feisty lady, and she’d defend me and my choices to anyone, but—”

  “She will find this hard to explain,” Alyssa said, finishing for him.

  “I’m still struggling with it,” he admitted, as they got out of the vehicle.

  A few minutes later, they had Kennedy strapped into her stroller. Like everything else the Dodds had purchased for their daughter, it was made of the finest material and Alyssa suspected it had come with an eye-popping price tag. With its leather trim, supersoft cushions, and both rear-and forward-facing options, it was surely the ultimate in designer baby transport.

  “It will be comforting for Kennedy to be able to see us and hear our voices while we shop,” she said as she instructed Everett to turn it to face the rear.

  They headed toward the entrance of the store. It appeared to Alyssa that the whole town had decided to go shopping at the same time. As they entered the brightly lit foyer, she looked approvingly around her. When it came to an over-the-top Christmas, Hoyles’ could compete with any of the stores she had seen in bigger cities.

  “Everett!”

  She sensed Everett stiffen and turned to look at him. His face had taken on an almost comical expression of dismay. Together, they swung slowly around to face the person who had called out his name.

  “Mom?” Everett managed to sound pleased as well as stunned. “I thought you were out of town.”

  Maribelle Colton’s build was statuesque and her bearing regal. With her dark brown locks, prominent cheekbones and deep-set eyes, she cut a striking figure as she strode toward her son.

  “We had car trouble.” She rolled her eyes. “You know what your dad is like. He doesn’t trust anyone except Brian at Bauer Motors with his precious baby. So he had a quick repair job done in El Paso, then we left early. He’s at the shop now getting the car fixed.” The bright gaze that missed nothing took in Everett’s companions. “Alyssa. How lovely to see you again. Goodness, what a beautiful baby.”

  Everett turned to Alyssa with a rueful smile. “So much for planning.”


  “I don’t understand.” Maribelle looked from one to the other. “Whose baby is she?”

  “Mom, this is Sean Dodd’s daughter, Kennedy,” Everett said.

  “Oh.” Maribelle’s expression softened. “The poor little sweetie. Heaven knows I didn’t think much of her father, but—”

  “Alyssa and I have custody of her now.”

  For a moment or two, it appeared as if Maribelle hadn’t understood. A blank look washed over her face, like her brain cogs couldn’t turn fast enough to take in the information she had just been given. Then, with slow, robotic movements, she reached into her purse and withdrew a lily-white handkerchief. With a hand that wasn’t quite steady, she dabbed at the corners of her mouth.

  “Is this one of your jokes, Everett?”

  “You know I wouldn’t joke about something like this. I was hoping to find a more diplomatic way to tell you.” He placed a hand under her elbow. “Why don’t we go to the coffee shop? We can sit down there and talk some more.”

  She shook her head. “I was supposed to meet your dad ten minutes ago. You know what he’s like. He’ll already be pacing and checking his watch. Five more minutes and he’ll call Casey to see if I’ve been in an accident.” She looked down at Kennedy again. “And I think I need a little more time to digest this news.”

  Everett kissed her cheek. “Call me in a day or two and we’ll bring Kennedy to visit.”

  “So nice to see you again, Alyssa.” She waved a hand. “A new baby in the family. Oh, my.”

  Alyssa watched her disappear into the crowds. “She seemed less than overjoyed.”

  What else had she expected? If anything, Maribelle’s reaction had been remarkably tame. Most women in their sixties, when confronted with the news that their son had suddenly acquired a child, would have been stunned. The knowledge that the child belonged to a criminal once responsible for ruining the happiness of her other son could easily have tipped Maribelle over into fury.