He gave the woman a rundown of what had gone down along with Celine’s address. With the promise of help on the way, he staggered to his feet. He closed and locked the kitchen door then did the same for the front entrance. Chances were low the intruder would return right away, but there was no reason to make it easy for him if he did.
A tiny cry caught his attention, and he made his way down the hall. Peering into the room, he spied Celine in the dimly lit room holding the baby. She had his face pressed against her cheek with her eyes closed, tears streaming down.
And something deep shifted inside him. His arms ached to hold his child, his heart stretched as though allowing space to fill with an outpouring of love he’d never wanted. Never needed. Until now.
He could stand there forever and watch mother and son, but he didn’t want to startle her.
He softly tapped the side of the door jamb. “Sheriff’s deputy is on the way. They’ll want a statement and to talk about what happened. You up for that?”
With the baby still pressed close to her cheek, she nodded. “Whatever I need to do.”
“Are you okay? Did he…” he swallowed the rest of the question, his stomach rebelling at what could have happened.
What might have happened before he’d arrived.
Her gaze latched on his, mirroring the fear that had taken root inside him the second he’d heard her scream.
She gave a tiny shake of her head. “You got here before he could really hurt me. I’m more worried about you.”
“I’m fine.” Hell, he’d stopped even feeling the cut on his side now that he was so close to Parker. “The baby all right?”
She nodded, shifting so he could better see the boy’s face.
He took a step closer, drawn to the baby by some unseen magnetic force. His fingers itched to brush against his dark curls—to breathe in his scent. “Is he?—”
The doorbell chimed, interrupting the moment and reminding him he needed to make sure both Celine and the baby were safe before diving into a more delicate conversation.
“I’ll get that,” he said. “Take however much time you need.”
“Is it all right if I bring Parker with me? I don’t want to put him down, and I’m not sure he’ll fall back asleep after all the commotion.”
“Whatever you want.”
He tore himself away from the duo and hurried to the front door. Shoving a hand through his hair, he pushed away the pain that’d returned along his side. He’d known the night would be long and difficult, but he’d had no idea the twist his evening would take.
He shouldn’t be surprised. The past few weeks had been filled with nothing but one unexpected bomb after another. He’d survive one disaster only to oversee the next.
And fighting off an intruder was much less terrifying than accepting the fact that he might be a father.
If it were upto Celine, she’d close and lock the nursery door and stay hidden with Parker for the rest of the night.
Heck, maybe forever.
Between having Lane in her home and her near death experience, her nerves were stretched so tight she feared they’d snap any second.
But hiding away wasn’t an option.
“Let’s get this over with,” she said, staring into Parker’s sweet face.
He gurgled, his mouth morphing into a tiny smile before reaching a chubby hand toward her.
She kissed his knuckles, gathered her courage, then walked out to the living room.
Lane stood with his back to the front window, his arms crossed over his broad chest. His narrowed eyes spied her, and he tracked her movement down the hall.
Sheriff’s deputy Spencer Goodwin sat on the edge of the sofa, writing in a notepad. His cowboy hat rested next to him, his sandy blond hair slightly mussed. Noting her presence, he stood and flashed a tight smile. “Evening, Celine. Sorry about your troubles. I’ll grab your statement then take a look around. We’ve already got deputies searching the surrounding area for the intruder.”
“I appreciate you coming.” She should offer him water or something but it took all her strength to make it to the couch and collapse on the soft cushion.
