Kaden had said his mom was dressed like a princess last night. I pawed around at the silky fabrics, thinking of all the times I’d donned a dress from a duffel bag. I almost laughed when I felt another object I was very familiar with. I pulled out a long red wig and wondered which one of them dressed up as the Little Mermaid last night.
“What were you ladies up to?” I murmured as I snappedpictures of the bag’s contents. I texted images of both bags to Bray with another message.
I think our girls pulled off a heist last night.
“Lauren?” someone called from the garage door.
I swallowed the shriek in my throat and zipped both bags shut.
“Lauren, are you out here?”
My heart nearly rocketed through my chest, but it calmed a few beats when I recognized the voice as Kaden’s and not his mother’s.
“Yeah! I’m right here,” I said and swung the SUV’s hatch shut.
His little footsteps sounded on the paved floor. “What are you doing?”
“Just looking for something for your mom, bud.” I ruffled his hair with a friendly smile.
He looked up at me like he wasn’t quite sure I was telling the truth. “Someone is at the door,” he said, and caught me totally off guard.
“What?”
“The door. Someone rang the doorbell.”
I stared back, waiting for instruction and suddenly on edge. I reminded myself the patrol car was still parked outside. And besides, the Browning house was a fortress. They probably had an armed guard hiding in the hedges.
“Should I get it?” I asked his expectant stare.
Kaden shrugged. “Mom’s busy, and we’re not allowed to answer the door.”
Not allowed to answer the doorfelt like a significant statement. Sure, they were small children, but perhaps their mother didn’t want them answering the door for … other reasons?
“Why not?” I innocently asked.
Kaden shrugged his slight shoulders again. “Mom says so.”
I logged the information and headed for the garage door. “Well, we better do what Mom says, then. Come on.”
When we made it back inside, Karli had emerged from the bathroom and was wiping her wet hands on her pants. “All done!” she announced.
“Good for you!” I sang, thankful she’d managed on her own because I had zero idea how to help in any bathroom situation.
I wound my way back to the foyer and looked through the paned glass on either side of the front door as I approached. All I saw was slices of emerald lawn and rose border. I took a breath and told myself to relax, reasoning it was probably one of the other moms dropping by to chat.
“Stay here,” I told the kids and left them at the back of the foyer.
I made it to the front door and turned the knob. It opened to a shocking surprise.
“Brittany!” I blurted.
The young woman from the bookstore and the last person to hold my job stood on the porch with a stack of gifts in her hands. She quickly looked over her shoulder and adjusted her purse’s strap.
“Hi. I know I shouldn’t be here, but I know Melanie is on her bike for the next hour, so I thought now would be safe.” She glanced over her shoulder again.
I noted the patrol SUV had inched forward enough for me to see the nose of it. I had to assume the agent inside had full view of the Brownings’ and my front doors now. I also noted Brittany appeared to have memorized Melanie’s schedule.
Brittany extended the gifts, and I recognized them as the books I had purchased the day before. “I just wanted to drop these off and check you were okay. You dropped them yesterday when that man …” She trailed off and her eyes moved over my shoulder.
