“Alyssia heard Rafe and Luc and Daniel arguing over it in Daniel’s room yesterday. They apparently didn’t realize she was there—she rather does try to stay out of the way, and everything. Nervous. Especially of men, and anyone connected to the Barratts or Deanes, considering…”
Hope knew Cashlyn’s friend’s story. What had happened when the former computer forensics supervisor—Alyssia’s father—had tried to do to Melody Barratt’s younger sister. And to the chief of the TSP and his wife Gabby. Bennett Russell had actually blown up the forensics lab, injuring several people in the process.
Alyssia had been caught up in the collateral, abducted, beaten and left for dead. Just because people wanted to control her father and make that sick bastard do what they wanted. Daniel McKellen had been one of the men to find Alyssia.
It had almost gotten innocent people killed—Alyssia’s father had blown up the Finley Creek TSP lab in response. No one at the TSP would ever really forget. But Alyssia had been a victim, too. Cashlyn had told her before that people should rememberthat,as well. She wasn’t responsible for what her father had done—any more than Samia, Eden, or Summer were. Brianna, either, for that matter.
Alyssia was healing, Cashlyn had told her. But she still had the nightmares. She probably always would. Well, Hope understood nightmares, too. She hadn’t slept a full night in weeks. Not since she’d been shot, not since what had happened to Heather.
Honestly—she hadn’t reallysleptwithout nightmares since what Eastman had done to her family back in October. Or…before. When Steve Wilson had tried to hurt her and Heather that night fourteen months ago. Hope was afraid it would never stop. Never go away.
“Really. Well. Come on. I think we need…” They had asked that jerk Daniel McKellen to come to their house so that they couldhelphim. Because her mom had a soft heart and couldn’t stand seeing anyone alone like Daniel apparently was. And Summer and Cashlyn had almost adopted him like a lost puppy.
They had trusted him. Well, apparently, they shouldn’t have.
Therat.
“Yes. And Daniel was discussing the logistics, she said. She’s very angry, not just on our behalf, but I do think she might have had a bit of a crush on that man. Thought he was heroic and honorable andnota mandog or something like that. I do have to say she said Rafe was vehemently opposed at first, but Rafe did ultimately agree to go along with it. We know where that big brother’s loyalty lies now, don’t we? I will not forget. Alyssia tucked herself behind one of the laundry carts and listened.Now, this is all second hand, of course. But she’s a good friend and I do trust her.”
Cashlyn and Alyssia had had a few classes together several years ago, at a satellite campus Cashlyn had attended the year before they’d moved to Finley Creek. They had reconnected when Cashlyn had transferred to Finley Creek. “We’re going to have to tell Mom and the others.”
It took them five minutes to have all of the people in their house in one spot. Norm had taken their three younger kids shopping for shoes—Megan and Marcia were on the loveseat now, after having spent the day at FCU.
“What’s going on?” her mom asked.
Hope took a small roll call. They were in luck. Everyone was right there. Well, almost. “We have a big problem.”
About six-foot-four, brown hair and brown eyes and a far too pretty face kind of problem. He might be a total toad but he was very pretty to look at.
“What?” Her mom asked, fear in her big beautiful brown eyes. “Is Heather?—”
“She’s doing okay. Getting better,” Cashlyn said, quickly. “I checked on her about an hour ago. It’s not her. Mora is sitting with her for a few hours, until one of us volunteers to take the night shift. Heather is getting cranky again.”
“Than what is it?” Crispin asked, her phone in her hand. Shealwayshad her phone in her hand now. And she wore a smartwatch. Hope suspected it was so Crispin could have more than one way to call for help if she needed it. Hope wore a similar watch herself.
They had been gifts from Joy, after…Eastman had happened to Crispin and after…Kimball and Steve had happened to Hope.
She settled onto the couch, Cashlyn on one side of her, Cara on the other, and Crispin at her feet. That was usually where they ended up for family meetings. Mostly. Unless Heather was there.Hope somehow always found her way to her older sister’s side then. She really wished Heather was there right now. Heather would know exactly what they should do. “Daniel McKellen. That rat.”
“Okay, time to spill,” Eden said. “What’s going on? And you’d better talk fast. Miguel is going to be here in like ten minutes to get the kids.”
Hope didnotwant to hear his opinion on what they should do next. She could imagine what he’d have to say about his buddy. He’d probably want to go out there and thunk heads or something. And well…it probably deserved something moreColesonin nature. “Cash’s friend Alyssia overheard Chief Marshall, Rafe, Luc and Governor Deane and Daniel arguing. About Daniel taking Summer up on her invitation to come here for a few weeks. Luc wants Daniel to do it, and tospyon us. To find out what we know about what’s going on in Finley Creek. About…everything. He said he wanted Daniel to getcloseto us somehow. To earn our trust.”
“So the bastard can betray it,” Cashlyn filled in the rest. “Because we may beconnectedto their case or something, too.”
Well, it was inevitablethatled to an uproar. And a lot of very angry Coleson women. Just as Hope had suspected would happen.
“So…what are we going to do about it?” Samia asked. “We could just tell him to take a hike.”
“I don’t want him here,” Cara said, visibly upset. “He’s a jerk. And Aunt Heather won’t want him here at all.”
Well, probably not. Heather would throw a Heather-tastic fit if she evenknewhe’d been invited to stay with them. They had discussed that before, but Summer and Cashlyn and her mom had all thought they should at least do their duty andhelpa Daniel-in-need and everything. “I think…we should give him what they are looking for.”
Her family looked at her.
“What do you mean? I don’t want a man like that staying here at all,” Samia said, so suspiciously. Samia didn’t trust any man now, not after the way she’d been betrayed before. No oneevertalked about what had happened to her.
Emilia Rose was crawling from Samia’s lap, that determinedlookon her face that said she was getting sleepy. It was around nap time. Emilia Rose would probably want Hope to hold her now. Miguel’s children were a fixture at their house every night. Hope was just fine with that—she adored the three little Miggylings.
