Shattered Lullaby. Laura Scott
met hers in the rearview mirror. “Try not to worry about it, okay? Duchess and I will protect you and Rory.”
She attempted to smile. “I know. But can we please stop at a store to pick up a few things? Rory needs clothes, baby wipes and extra bottles. Not to mention a proper car seat.”
He sighed. “Yeah, okay. But I’m going to drive to a store located on the opposite side of town, just in case. And once we have what you and Rory need, I’m going to call my brother Miles.”
The news made her tense up all over again. “Are you sure it’s safe? You said your brothers work in law enforcement. I highly doubt he’ll be thrilled with the idea of us going into hiding rather than to the authorities.”
Matt grinned. “You’d be surprised. Miles has done his share of breaking the rules. He’ll be supportive of our plan, don’t worry. Besides, I need a different vehicle and more cash.”
Duchess pressed her nose against the back of Lacy’s neck, making her smile. Between the K-9 officer and Matt’s ever-present confidence, she was feeling better already. “All right. I’ll trust your judgment.”
Matt nodded and fell silent as they headed across town. The traffic wasn’t too bad, and they reached a shopping area within thirty minutes. Lacy was relieved it was far away from the scene of her sister’s murder.
She tightened her grip on Rory and blinked away the tears. Jill would want her to be strong for the baby, so she needed to stay focused on being a good mother. Once they were safe, there would be plenty of time to make sure Jill had a proper burial.
And hopefully by then David would be behind bars, paying for his crime.
“Ready?” Matt asked. He’d backed into a parking spot, and she belatedly realized he’d done that just in case they had to make a quick getaway.
“Yes.” She unlatched the seat belt and curled her arm protectively around Rory as she pushed open the car door. Matt was there, offering his assistance. She put her hand in his, instantly aware of the warmth of his fingers curling over hers. As soon as she had her feet under her, she let go, uncomfortable about her odd awareness of him.
Matt was the complete opposite of the few men she’d tried dating in the past. One fellow teacher had expressed interest, but she hadn’t experienced even the slightest flicker of attraction toward him. Then there was the accountant who did her taxes, but that hadn’t been any better.
So why was she reacting to a man who was virtually a stranger?
No clue. And it needed to stop right now.
The stern lecture to herself helped. They entered the store and Matt grabbed a shopping cart. She wove through the aisles, quickly finding the baby items she needed. A glimpse of the prices on the car seats made her grimace.
“They’re so expensive.” She glanced at Matt. “I only have about fifty dollars on me.”
“It’s fine, I have enough to last until my brother brings more. Which one do you think is the best?”
She looked at the various styles, then pointed at the one Jill had purchased. “This one.”
“Okay.” He picked up the box and set it in the cart. “Pick out everything you need for the baby, then we’ll get you a light jacket.”
She wanted to protest, but spring in Wisconsin was unpredictable so she gave in. She picked out two outfits for Rory, a warm zip-up onesie with a hood to cover his head and then a packet of baby wipes. The smallest box of bottles contained six, so she tossed that in the cart, too. Silently counting up what they owed made her stomach clench with worry.
“Women’s clothes are over there,” Matt said, turning the cart in that direction.
“I’ll just get a heavy sweatshirt. No need to pay for a coat.”
“You should get both, just in case.” He apparently wasn’t about to take no for an answer. And he didn’t stop there. After she picked out a navy blue jacket, he pushed the cart over to the sundries and waved a hand. “Get what you need—hairbrush, shampoo, etcetera. I’ll pick up a few things, too.”
She hesitated. “If we’re going to another motel, they’ll provide some of this stuff. No reason to waste your money.”
“We’re not going to a motel,” he countered. “It’s too hard to find the ones that are dog-friendly, and they’re not all willing to take cash, either. Besides, I want you and Rory far away from the area.”
“So where are we going?”
“I have a friend who owns a cabin located about thirty minutes outside the city limits. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s warm, has two bedrooms and a kitchen. It’s the best place I know where we can hide out for a while.”
A cabin sounded nice, if maybe a little too cozy. And since the accommodations sounded better for Duchess, how could she argue? She began filling the cart with the bare essentials. Matt tossed a few items in, too.
The grand total was just as bad as she’d feared, even though many of the items they’d purchased were on sale. She wondered how on earth she’d manage to repay Matt for his kindness.
Matt didn’t seem concerned as he carried everything back out to the SUV. Right in the parking lot, he opened the box and quickly pulled out the infant car seat. Lacy bundled Rory into the new winter onesie and then fastened him into the car seat. Matt took over from there, securing the seat with ease.
“You look as if you’ve done that before,” she said as she slid into the front passenger seat.
He froze for a moment, then shrugged. “A couple of my brothers have kids.”
“A couple?” She fastened her seat belt then looked at him. “How many brothers do you have?”
“Four older brothers and a younger twin sister.” He started the engine and let it run for a moment.
She tried not to gape at him. “Six? There are six of you?”
He pulled out his phone. “Yeah, crazy, huh? Marc is the oldest, and works for the FBI. He and his wife, Kari, are due to have another baby early next month. Miles is the second oldest and works as a homicide detective. He and his wife, Paige, are also expecting in early May. My twin, Maddy, just married my former partner, Noah Sinclair. Mitch, an arson investigator, and Mike, a private investigator, are still single, like me, which is good because we can balance things out.”
All the information he was tossing out about his family made her head spin. And she hadn’t missed the fact that he’d emphasized he was single and not interested in changing his status. Fine with her. “And you’re sure they won’t force you to take me in?”
“I’m sure.” Matt reached over and lightly clasped her hand in his. “Trust me. In our family, Callahans always come first.”
Strangely enough, she did trust him. As she listened to him leaving a message for Miles, she found herself relaxing for the first time since she’d woken up to the sounds of her sister arguing with her husband.
She reached back to place a soothing hand on Rory in his car seat. If Matt was right, and Callahans always came first, then maybe, just maybe, they’d find a way out of this mess.
* * *
Matt pulled out of the parking lot, hoping Miles would return his call soon. He didn’t like thinking about the fact that as a cop, David Williams had access to information like Matt’s cell number and his vehicle license plate number.
Five minutes later, his phone rang. He handed it to Lacy. “Place the call on speaker.” When she’d done that, he quickly answered. “Miles, I need a hand.”
“What’s going on?”
“I need new disposable phones, a laptop computer, a new K-9 vehicle and cash.”
“Anything else?” His brother’s