“GRACE!”
“Grace, honey. Come back to me, sweetheart.”
I gasped out a breath, and my eyes fluttered open. Maureen’s worried face towered over me. I looked around, unsure where I was until I saw Duncan. King’s uncle. I moved to sit up.
“Easy, sweetheart. Take it slow,” Duncan said, as one of his hands held mine while the other was on my back.
“What happened?”
“You passed out, honey. Your body couldn’t handle the stress and knew you needed a break.” Maureen sat by my side; Colleen held the baby a few feet away, a terrified look on her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Nonsense,” Maureen chided. “You’ve had a lot going on. You’ve been stuck in fight mode. It was only a matter of time before your body took flight.”
“Is the sheriff back yet?”
“Not yet. He should be soon,” Colleen answered. She came over and sat beside me. “Here.” She placed the baby in my arms. “Smell his head.” I laughed and looked at her. “It’s scientific. Babies give off relaxing pheromones from their heads. It’s supposed to act like a Valium for moms.”
“I’m not his mom.” I chuckled.
“Still works. Put him up on your shoulder and smell him.” I gave her a look that made her roll her eyes. “Just trust me.”
Shaking my head, I propped Bennett onto my shoulder. I turned my head and inhaled deeply. If there was even the slightest chance this would work, I wanted to take full advantage of it.
Colleen was right. I immediately felt my body relax. I breathed in again, my nose pushing into the baby’s hair. I closed my eyes and just sat there, breathing deeply.
“See, it works,” Colleen laughed.
“It does,” I murmured against the baby’s head. “It really does.”
I didn’t know how long I sat there, lost in Bennett’s calming scent, but the front door opened, and the sheriff walked in.
He looked at me and said, “Could you put the baby in the bassinet?”
“Why?” Maureen asked.
I didn’t hesitate. This was their baby. I laid him in the little basket and waited.
“I have someone with me, and I don’t need my son dropped on the floor,” the sheriff said as he took a step to the side, and a beautiful older woman stepped inside.
Maureen gasped.
Mac cursed.
But Duncan was quiet. I watched him as his eyes filled with tears and he slowly walked forward. He pulled the woman into his arms and whispered, “Big sister.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Darcy
One week earlier, Galway, Ireland
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because you’ve been hiding long enough.”
“It’s not long enough,” I muttered. “I’m still alive.”
