assaulted. She’d found solace in God and her church, and the people there had helped her again after she’d suffered a brutal attack at the shipyard a few years ago. She’d overcome her fear of men slowly but surely, with help from the Lord. Creating her Little Lamb’s Day Care Center had helped her find a greater purpose in life. She hadn’t planned to have children of her own—she wasn’t sure she’d ever trust a man enough to risk her heart—but she’d love to raise Cody as her son.
Shelby knew she was getting ahead of herself, since she didn’t really know what Alex’s plans were, so she tried not to dwell on him. Or his relationship with her sister. She trusted him only as far as his ability to keep them safe.
Nothing more.
Tossing and turning in the unusually soft bed, her unanswered questions swirled through her mind. What had Trina been involved with? What was the source of the danger? Who had Cody seen?
She couldn’t help a tiny flash of guilt. Maybe she should let Alex question him, get some answers. But she knew all too well what it felt like to be a victim. She didn’t want to cause Cody to have nightmares like she’d had. The poor kid needed time to assimilate what had happened.
And really, how much detail would a four-year-old be able to give in a description, anyway?
She wondered what was going on back in Green Bay. She didn’t talk often to her father, but surely he’d find out soon about what happened to Trina. She’d have to call him. And what about Stephan? Had Stephan discovered the truth about Cody’s biological father last night? Was that the reason Cody was in danger?
No. She couldn’t believe Stephan was the bad man that Cody had mentioned. Up until now, Cody had called Stephan dad even if they were never really close.
Too many questions and she grew irritated with Alex for not giving her nearly enough answers.
She must have fallen asleep because she abruptly woke up, blinking groggily in the darkness, instantly aware of her strange surroundings, wondering what had woken her so suddenly. In a rush she remembered the bed-and-breakfast, and Alex. Outside, dusk had fallen, telling her she had slept longer than she’d planned. Quickly pulling on her clothes, she poked her head through the connecting doorway, her gaze searching for Cody.
His bed was rumpled, but empty.
She paused to listen for sounds of him playing with the puppy downstairs, but everything was quiet—though not for long.
The sharp retort of a gunshot from somewhere outside ripped through the silence of the night.
“No!” Shelby ran downstairs, barely pausing to grab her coat from the chair before she threw open the door. Her mind raced with terrifying thoughts of what she might find as she barreled out into the frigid moonlit night desperate to find her nephew.
THREE
Shelby peered through the night, forcing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The snowy ground showed a trail of footprints. She thrust her arms into her coat sleeves even as she slipped and stumbled on the icy trail of trampled snow leading back around the house. The darkness swallowed her. Concern for Cody overpowered her usual fear of the night.
“Cody!” Shelby began to shout as she dodged between trees. Her voice sounded distant through the roaring in her ears. She noted another building—a pole barn, hidden in the woods to the left of the house. A shaft of light shone through the small side door left ajar. “Cody?”
Another gunshot ripped through the air, louder this time. With a sob of horror, Shelby burst through the door. She glanced around wildly. Alex stood in the center of the room holding a gun, wearing a pair of earmuffs.
Alex pulled them off the moment he saw her.
“Shelby? What’s wrong?” In an instant, he crossed over to her, lightly grasping her arm.
Helplessly, she shook her head, choking back tears and gasping for breath. Her heart pounded frantically in her chest. “I—I woke up and Cody wasn’t in the room. And th-then I heard gunshots.”
Chagrined, he glanced over to the target he’d clearly been using. “I’m sorry. I should have realized you’d worry.”
“The last time I heard gunfire, my sister was shot.” She couldn’t help pinning him with an accusatory look. A burst of anger quickly replaced her gut-wrenching fear. She tore from his grip, curled her fingers into a fist and smacked him square in the chest. “What on earth possessed you to shoot off a gun?”
He frowned and glanced down at the weapon in his hand, as if noticing it for the first time. “I needed to work on my arm. It’s not what it should be. Considering you came here for protection, I thought I’d better practice. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about Trina.”
She stared at the long paper targets hanging over sheets of plywood propped in front of several bales of hay stacked in the back of the shed, forcing herself to think logically. Alex wasn’t the bad guy here. He was Trina’s contact which meant he must be a good guy. And he was Cody’s father. He was just trying to protect them.
Shelby drew a deep, shuddering breath. For years, she’d avoided men, but suddenly now here she was, totally dependent on Alex for safety. The idea was extremely disconcerting.
She let go of her anger, knowing her overreaction wasn’t his fault. Since his goal was to protect them, how could she argue?
She glanced at Alex, and he shook his head at the unspoken questions in her eyes. “Let’s go back to the house,” he suggested. “So you can see for yourself that Cody’s fine.”
Shelby slowly nodded, following him outside down the path she’d taken a few minutes ago.
When a low hanging branch tangled in her hair, she tried to yank free, muttering under her breath.
“Here, let me help.” Alex came up behind her and deftly unhooked the naturally curly lock of hair from the branch. His nearness made her shiver and not necessarily with fear. She stepped away. She shouldn’t be tempted to lean on Alex, not when she’d fought so hard to remain independent.
“Thanks.” Her breath shortened and she hunched her shoulders, careful to duck far below the trees. His calm presence managed to distract her from her fear of the dark.
Alex must be a cop. That would explain why Trina sent them to him for protection. Her preoccupation with her sister caused her to stumble over a fallen branch, half-hidden beneath the snow. Alex caught her by the arm.
“Watch your step.” Alex frowned when she instinctively pulled away from his touch. He glanced down at her sodden feet. “We need to get you a pair of boots. Kayla’s already loaned Cody a pair of Brianna’s.”
“We left Green Bay in a hurry.” Shelby grit her teeth together to stop them from chattering. Alex’s domineering personality put her on the defensive. She wasn’t used to anyone questioning her parenting skills. “Besides, we didn’t have as much snow there as you do here.”
“I’m sure Kayla has a pair that’ll fit.” Alex kept his hand under her elbow as they climbed up the few steps to the house.
Shelby refrained from answering. Safe inside the well-lit house, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d conquered the darkness, at least for
