“Not anymore.” He handed a coffee to Dawson. “I heard about the attack last night and drove back.”
“Come on, man. You didn’t have to do that.” Dawson accepted the coffee and leveled a look at his friend. “What about your cousin? Did you just bail on him?”
“Nope. He had friends from college helping him . And before you start feeling guilty, I didn’t just rush back because of you. I missed Megan.”
Dawson had no doubt there was truth in that last statement. Since solving his brother’s murder case and falling in love with Megan, Jax had become…lighter. Hopeful about the future. It was nice to see. And while Dawson would never admit it out loud, he was relieved to see his old friend. They’d been buddies since elementary school, and there was no one who knew him better.
He took a sip of the coffee and let the caffeine jolt his tired brain into action. “How much did Liam tell you?”
Liam was the only one who would’ve called Jax. His colleague was quiet, but nothing escaped his notice. Dawsonhad sensed Liam understood the complicated undercurrents running between Dawson and Peyton. He probably hadn’t intended for Jax to return from his vacation, but had called to get his opinion.
Something Dawson would deal with later. Liam had meant well, but he should’ve just asked Dawson directly.
“He gave me the basics.” Jax mirrored Dawson’s posture, leaning on the railing. “I’d hoped the attack on Peyton at the train depot was a one-off or some kind of mistake, but this second assault leaves no question. She’s being targeted.”
“Actually, the intruder was after the baby. Although it’s unclear why.” Dawson turned the cup in his hands. “The birth certificate doesn’t list a father. Maybe he’s involved somehow. Whoever is behind this was smart enough to figure out which hotel Peyton was staying at and in which room. Most criminals wouldn’t go to all that trouble. And most won’t dare to touch a law enforcement officer. They don’t want that kind of heat. This feels personal.”
“I agree. There’s no sign of Lilia yet.”
Dawson’s stomach tightened. He didn’t want to imagine the worst, but with every passing hour, it became a higher probability that they wouldn’t find Peyton’s cousin alive. “Did Liam find the homeless guy Peyton mentioned at the hospital?”
“We did a sweep but didn’t find him. Most of the people staying at the depot probably scattered at the sound of police sirens.” Jax adjusted his cowboy hat on his head. “After we finish up here, we’re doing another search of the area around the train depot. And I’m going with Liam to interview Lilia’s mom. Hopefully, we’ll have more answers in a few hours.”
Dawson prayed he was right.
“In the meantime, we should move Peyton and Grace to another hotel,” Jax continued. “Put them under a pseudonym.We can’t spare any officers to stand guard, but I’ll have patrols make frequent drive-bys.”
The Knoxville Police Department was small and their resources limited. It was the reason Dawson had offered to have Peyton stay on his ranch. “She and Grace may come to stay with my family. I’ll let you know.”
Jax’s gaze narrowed. “You don’t need me to tell you that’s a bad idea.”
Dawson stared across the parking lot, letting his gaze lift to the highway and then the sky. It was painted with hues of the sunrise. Jax's concern settled over him like a wet blanket — heavy and harder to shrug off than he wanted. “I have to do this. She doesn't have anyone else.”
“That's not your responsibility anymore.” Jax's voice was gentle now, almost sad. “She made that choice when she left.”
The words stung because they were true.
“I’m worried about you. Losing Peyton nearly destroyed you last time.”
Dawson was touched by his friend’s concern. And it wasn’t unwarranted. But he’d also had a lot of time to think last night. “Walking away like she did…there’s no coming back from that. Our marriage is done. I could never fully trust her again. But Peyton also apologized last night at the hospital for the way things ended between us.” It was hard to explain unless someone had been through it. The loss of a child. It changed you in ways that couldn’t be put into words. “We were both grieving and not ourselves. And…I don’t know. She reached for help, and yes, I could turn her away. Or I could use this as an opportunity to say goodbye the right way and finally close this chapter of my life.”
“Do you think you can do that? Say goodbye the right way?”
“I think it’s worth a try. We had fifteen years together, most of it good.” Dawson twisted the coffee cup in his hand. “It took a lot of work to pick up the pieces after she left, and I’ve rebuilta life I’m proud of, but even I have to admit that a part of me is stuck.”
He’d tried dating here and there, but never seriously. Dawson had made excuses for it, but Peyton’s sudden reappearance in his life made the real reason impossible to ignore. He hadn’t let her go. Not fully. But he needed to, and now was the chance.
From the expression on Jax’s face, he doubted the wisdom of this plan and was trying to figure out the best way to say so. Dawson didn’t need to hear it.
“I know what I’m doing.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Besides, this is the best solution for everyone. We need every available officer looking for Lilia and the attackers. Now, more than ever.”
Jax blew out a breath. “Well…can’t say I didn’t try.”
Dawson chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. “A for effort.”
“Yeah, but an F for results.”
They both laughed at that. Jax left to help with the search for evidence. A few moments later, Peyton appeared, her hair mussed from the pillow, Grace in her arms. The baby wriggled and fussed. She was a sweet little thing, but in the last few hours, she’d only slept in thirty-minute bursts. It was difficult to know if she was colicky, or the uproar in her life had unsettled her. Either way, she was wearing Peyton down. The dark circles had abated somewhat, but Peyton still looked like a stiff wind could blow her over.
