Walking to the door, she waved as their vehicles drove away, leaving her and Jamie to settle into their new home. Heading back inside, she ran her hand over the back of a chair, taking in the cozy living room. Tessa had told her about the break-in, how everything had been ransacked and destroyed, including the furniture that came with the rented house.
Her hand tightened on the back of the chair. This furniture, all of it, belonged to Brody. All of it had been in storage, and he’d immediately offered it to Tessa, to replace the stuff that had been unsalvageable. Taking in the warm butterscotch tones of the leather sofa and matching chairs, she had to admit he had good taste. Her sister had added a few simple touches, pops of color, making the house feel like a home.
A home Beth now shared with her baby girl. A noise behind her had her spinning around, catching her daughter with a cookie halfway to her mouth. Beth raised her brow, and nodded toward the cookie.
“Where’d that come from, young lady?”
“Ms. Patti gave it to me.”
“I don’t remember seeing any cookies.”
Jamie grinned and pointed to the freezer. “Mr. Douglas put them in the freezer, so they stay fresh. He said there’s a whole package just for me.”
“Oh, really? So, I don’t get any cookies, huh?”
Jamie giggled. “You gotta say please and thank you.”
Beth stepped forward and ruffled her daughter’s hair. “May I please have a cookie?”
“Yes. Ms. Patti said to cook it in the micro-something to make it taste better.”
Beth pointed to the cookie in Jamie’s hand. “The microwave, and yes, that makes them all warm and gooey. Want me to heat one up for you?”
“That’s okay, I like it this way too. Can I go play?”
“Right after I get a hug. Stay on the porch though.”
“Okay, Mommy.” Jamie wrapped her arms around Beth’s waist and squeezed, then darted through the kitchen and out the front door. Beth watched her for a few minutes through the open door, and knew her baby was safe. Leaning down, she lifted one of the boxes piled against the kitchen wall, set it on the table, and pulled back the tape. Might as well get some things put away.
She was barely halfway through the box when her cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, her stomach plummeted. Not again. When would her ex learn? She wasn’t coming for a visit to the prison. And she definitely wasn’t bringing Jamie to see her father in such a place. Was he insane?
Swiping to disconnect the call, before she could put the phone down it rang again. Only this time, it wasn’t Evan.
CHAPTER FOUR
Evan Stewart paced the length of his cell, his footsteps barely making a sound with each step. He couldn’t stay still. It felt like a million ants crawled inside his body, giving him the heebie-jeebies. He really couldn’t stand being locked up inside this cell. Caged like a stinking animal. It wasn’t right. Nothing about this whole fiasco was right.
Add in his ex-wife still wasn’t taking his calls. He’d tried again half an hour ago, and she hadn’t answered. Did she really think he was going to go away so easily? Fade into the woodwork and let her life a happy little life, while he wasted away behind bars? He growled deep in his throat. She really had another thing coming if she believed that scenario.
Never claiming patience as his strong suit, spending one second more in this dank, depressing pit irritated his last nerve. He didn’t deserve to be behind bars. The blame rested solely on Trevor’s shoulders. How had he allowed a scrawny numbskull to convince him grabbing Tessa was a good idea? He’d been content to play a slow, tortuous game of cat-and-mouse with his sister-in-law, and it had only been a matter of time until he’d have had his hands on the Crowley County bond and the millions of dollars it represented. Instead, Trevor’s obsession with Evan’s sister-in-law colored his judgment, believing she’d come rushing back into his arms. Yeah, right. Like that had happened. No only had Tessa not given them the county bond, she’d involved the stupid sheriff over in Shiloh Springs. He and his brother had cost Evan everything.
If she’d only given me the bond, none of this would’ve happened.
Another circuit of his cell, hands clenched into fists at his side. He cursed the day he’d met his wife, Beth Maxwell. Like a fool, he’d been infatuated from the start. She’d been the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. The sound of her laughter drew him in, captivated him, until he’d tumbled head over heels. Yeah, they’d been happy—until they weren’t.
Never in a million years did he think he’d get tired of Beth. His wife. His lover. The proverbial noose around his neck.
Traveling had been a godsend at first. Business kept him on the road a few times a year. The first time he’d slept with another woman, violated his marriage vows, he’d been eaten up with guilt. Swore it would never happen again. But it did. Over and over. It got easier to volunteer for out-of-town jobs, seminars, anything to leave Beth and North Carolina in his rearview mirror. The excitement of new places, bigger cities, and the draw of illicit hookups seduced him, addicted his mind and his body, until all he thought about was freedom—freedom from his mundane life and the shackles cobbling him to a now loveless marriage.
Then Beth got pregnant.
The shock of her joy-filled announcement hit him like a ton of bricks. He didn’t want kids. Never had. Didn’t even like being around them, especially other people’s children. They were nasty, messy, deplorable things that slowly drained away your
