boy with all her heart, but she’s in a bad way. It’s why I moved to Crimson in the first place.”
“To help your sister?”
To save her, he wanted to answer, but he only nodded. David knew his limitations better than anyone, and he was nobody’s hero.
“She’s been clean for almost two years,” he said without emotion. “It’s been tough, but I thought she had her demons under control. Cole took everyone to the station. They didn’t realize Rhett was there until the place was empty and he made a noise. The deputies tried to get him out, but he freaked and scratched one of the officers. I know Cole so he called me before the social worker.”
He bit the inside of his cheek and waited for the recrimination he deserved. He should have seen the signs that Jenna was teetering on the edge. He knew her better than anyone. Why the hell couldn’t he keep her safe?
He pulled into the parking lot of the shabby apartment complex. There were two buildings, both with faded siding and balconies that looked like they wouldn’t hold the weight of a litter of kittens. He’d begged Jenna to let him help her move to a better place, but his sister was stubborn and resented any time he tried to “take control” of her life.
“We’ll make sure he’s safe,” Erin said as he turned off the truck’s engine.
Safe. The word had haunted him—and tainted every relationship in his life—for over a decade. Now this too-sweet-for-her-own-good woman offered it to his nephew like she had that kind of power. Damn if David didn’t want to believe it was true.
He shifted to face her, the dim light of the parking lot illuminating her face so that her creamy skin looked like something out of a dream. Unable to resist, he ran the pad of his thumb over the ridge of her cheekbone, marveling at how soft her skin felt.
The inherent goodness radiating from her drew him in at the same time he knew he should push her away. Someone like Erin MacDonald had no business knowing the ugly details of his sister’s struggles. She was Rhett’s teacher and nothing more. But he couldn’t let her go quite yet. Tonight she was his talisman. He had to believe having her close would keep the darkness always skirting the edges of his life at bay.
He dropped his hand and they got out of the truck and started toward Jenna’s apartment. Toward the little boy David was determined to keep safe, by any means necessary.
“Come on, buddy. You’ve got to come out.”
The muscles bunched in David’s broad shoulders as he shifted his weight to one arm and leaned closer, reaching into the open cabinet under the kitchen sink.
A high-pitched scream split the air and several bottles of household cleaners tumbled out onto the scuffed linoleum floor.
David sat back on his knees with a muttered curse. “He bit me,” he said, examining the back of his hand where a semicircle of angry red teeth marks was clearly visible.
“Same thing happened to me,” Cole Bennett whispered. Cole had been waiting at Jenna McCay’s cramped apartment, clearing out the other officers when David and Erin arrived. “I didn’t want to force him out because I was worried he’d get hurt banging his head on the pipes if he struggled.”
The two men, both so strong, looked absolutely baffled at how to lure the young boy from his hiding spot. Erin glanced around the apartment and suppressed a shudder. On every surface, abandoned beer bottles and red plastic cups competed for space with fast-food wrappers and empty chip bags. It looked like a college fraternity house the morning after a huge party. The colorful drawings stuck to the front of the refrigerator were the only hint that a kindergartner lived here.
One of the crayoned pieces of art gave Erin an idea. She moved toward the narrow hallway, stepping over trash until she got to a half-open bedroom door. The space was neat and clean, untouched by the mess in the rest of the apartment. Toys lined one wall and the small bed was covered with a football-themed comforter. She grabbed the stuffed blue dog sitting on top of the pillow and hurried back to the kitchen.
David was once again on all fours in front of the cabinet, speaking so softly she couldn’t make out his words, only the rough yet surprisingly gentle timbre of his voice.
She crouched low next to him and tilted her head until she could see Rhett’s eyes, wide and still terrified. “Rhett,” she said, “It’s Ms. MacDonald. I found your stuffed dog and wanted to let you know he’s okay.”
A faint whimper came from the cabinet. “Ruffie,” the boy whispered.
“Ruffie is safe,” Erin said, using the same tone she would when soothing a child scared of letting go of his mother’s leg on the first day of school. “You’re safe, too. Your uncle David is going to take care of you. But we need you to come out now.”
The boy wedged himself farther into the corner, as if he could make himself invisible. God, Erin did not want this child to feel like he needed to be invisible. David’s large hand settled on the small of her back, and the steady pressure and warmth of his skin were more of a comfort than she would have guessed.
“Ruffie needs you.” She placed the small dog in front of her, just on the edge of the cabinet. “He’s scared and needs a hug. Can you do that for him?”
She held her breath for what felt like an eternity, then released it as the boy slowly unfolded his body and climbed out. Her fingers remained wrapped around the stuffed animal’s back leg to make sure Rhett wouldn’t try to grab it and retreat again.
Once he was in the light, she could see the smudge of dirt on his chin and the tearstains on his ruddy cheeks. Her heart broke for what this young boy had already seen in his life. David made a sound low in his throat and scooped up his nephew and the raggedy blue dog. It was as if a dam broke in Rhett and his whole body began to shake as he burrowed into David’s embrace.
She straightened and stepped away, closer to the sheriff. Somehow it felt wrong to bear witness to the moment between David and Rhett, both tender and raw. It was obvious David was trying to keep his emotions hidden, but pain and guilt were bright on his handsome features, like a stoplight in the dark.
“Nice work,” Cole Bennett said and put a hand on her elbow to lead her to the apartment door. “You’re like a kindergartner whisperer.” She started to turn but stopped at the sound of David’s voice.
“Stay.”
One word, but the intensity of it rocked her to her core.
She glanced up at Cole, who arched a brow.
“I’ll stay,” she told him.
He nodded. “Someone from Social Services will be here soon. I can let them in. They’ll want to talk to David and the boy.”
“We’ll be ready,” she said with more confidence than she felt.
She turned back and followed David to the couch, quickly cleaning off the coffee table and dumping everything into the trash before lowering herself next to him.
Rhett still clung to him, chubby fingers holding fistfuls of flannel shirt in a death grip. “Where’s Mommy?” he
