He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. 'I know you do. '
'I'm beginning to hate you too, Cole Clayborne. This is all your
fault.'
'All right. It's all my fault, ' he whispered. His chin dropped down
on top of her head, and he continued to hold her and stroke her back
for several minutes until she had calmed down. He couldn't help but
notice how good she felt in his arms.
She couldn't stop thinking about the danger Caleb had been in when that
monster had killed her guard. Her son could have been killed too.
The Nortons would keep him safe. In her heart she knew that to be
true.
She suddenly pulled away- from Cole. 'None of this is your fault.
You're only doing your job. You're right too. Caleb should stay out
of harm's way.' She straightened her shoulders, turned around, and
walked back inside.
Josey was waiting at the kitchen table. She wanted to tell Jessica
that Caleb had gone right to sleep, but when she saw the heartache on
the poor mother's face, she got up and went to her. 'I'm going to take
good care of your boy. I promise you, Jessica. Tom and I will treat
him like he was our own son.'
'I want to thank you for agreeing to watch him, and I know I don't have
the right to ask . . . ' 'You can ask anything you want to ask. If I
can do it, I will.'
'If I don't come back . . . ' 'Don't talk like that, ' Josey
interrupted. 'You're coming back, ' Cole said from behind.
Jessica ignored both protests. 'If I don't come back, Josey, will you
raise my son? ' Josey looked over Jessica's head at Cole. He gave a
quick nod. 'Yes, Tom and I will raise him. You've got my word. '
'Thank you, ' Jessica said, her voice flat. 'I would also like you to
change his name legally so that he won't feel like an outsider. I want
him to belong to a family.'
'Jessica, for God's sake, stop talking like that. Nothing's going to
happen to you.'
'I have to make arrangements just in case. I owe it to Caleb.' Josey
understood.
'We'll make it legal, ' she promised. 'I give you my word.' Jessica
grabbed hold of her hand. 'One last promise, Josey, and I'll be able
