loved the one she made, using the leftover mac and cheese from last night and adding a can of peas and a can of tuna.
“No. I want a Good Times meal.” Looking mutinous, little Ryan crossed his arms and lifted his chin. “With fries. No tuna.”
Tired as she might be, still Emily managed to summon a smile for her son. “Rough day at school?” she asked, leaning over the backseat and ruffling his hair.
“Yep. And at Mim’s, too. I’m tired of playing.”
This was a new one. “Tired of playing? You? Why?”
“Because they always make me be the bad guy.”
Emily blinked. “Really? Why?”
He looked away, his lower lip quivering. “I dunno. Mommy, can we please get a Good Times meal?”
Though she’d planned on making the casserole and eating it for a couple of days, she relented. “Sure, I guess I’ll just get a salad or something.”
Apparently everyone’s children wanted Good Times meals. The drive-thru line had six cars already waiting. Emily debated going inside, but judging from the crowded interior, she’d be better off waiting in her car—especially since Ryan kept fidgeting, whining and protesting he was too big for a booster seat, even though the law stated he had to weigh a hundred pounds before graduated to just being buckled into the seat belt.
“You’ve still got some growing to do,” she informed him.
“I haven’t been weighed lately,” he said huffily. “Now I’m a big boy. I bet I weigh a hundred and five now.”
Considering him solemnly, she somehow kept from smiling. “Okay,” she finally said. “When we get home, we’ll check.”
He pumped his little fist up in the air. “And next time I go in the car, I can buckle up like a big person?”
“If you weigh over one hundred.” Which she knew he didn’t.
“And I can ride in the front with you?”
“We’ll see.” Finally, they reached the window. Placing her order, she glanced back at her son, who’d finally fallen quiet. He was staring at something in the parking lot. As she followed his gaze, she recoiled. Mac Riordan stood next to a large white pickup truck, talking to another man. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t seen her.
Struggling to hide her fear, she handed the money to the window cashier, accepted her order and put the car in Drive. Heart pounding, she pulled away, using only her rearview mirror to make sure she hadn’t been spotted.
All the way home, jumpy and unsettled, she kept checking to make sure they weren’t being followed. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred, and they pulled into the driveway slowly.
Not for the first time, Emily wished she could afford an automatic garage door opener. How much simpler and safer it would be to just hit a button, pull into the concealed garage and close the door behind you, all before even getting out of the car.
If she stayed in Anniversary, she’d have to put money aside to buy one.
Parking, she gave the rearview mirror one final check before unlocking the doors. The smell of fast-food made her stomach growl, and she was glad she’d opted for a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a salad. She needed something a bit more substantial today, especially since she knew she wouldn’t be getting much sleep.
Making decisions had never been her strong suit. She literally had to force herself to act at times—especially if she didn’t have a clear picture of potential repercussions.
She wished she could be one of those kinds of people who could go with their gut, trusting their instinct. Not her … she always required the facts.
Helping Ryan out of the car, she took his hand. Together, they walked up the sidewalk to the front of their circa 1960 rental house. Then she realized something was wrong.
“Hold on.” Grasping Ryan’s hand firmly, she stopped. “Don’t move.”
Though she’d locked it securely that morning, the front door was slightly ajar and obviously unlocked. Someone had been—or was still—inside her house.
Chapter 3
Since Emily wouldn’t hire him as her bodyguard, Mac knew it was time to go to plan B. He sauntered into the Anniversary Police Department, intent on asking Renee for a job. To his surprise, she sat at the front desk in the receptionist’s chair, typing up something on a decrepit manual typewriter.
“You got a minute?” he asked.
“Sure.” Pinning him with her direct gaze, she dragged a hand through her short hair. “Perfect timing, Riordan. I’ve been meaning to call you and ask you to come in. Follow me,” she ordered, jumping to her feet and giving Mac a hard look as though she thought he might run off.
When they reached her office, she took a seat behind her desk and indicated he should sit in what he thought of as the suspect’s chair … interesting.
Taking a seat, he leaned back, crossing his arms. He’d let her go first, since obviously she had something on her mind.
In typical cop fashion, Renee got right to the point.
“How well do you know Emily Gilley?”
“I’ve only met her one time, in the park.” It was a truthful answer—especially since Renee didn’t need to know about all the research Mac had done to find her, and more importantly, to find Ryan.
“You seemed very interested in her.”
He spread his hands. “What can I say? She’s a pretty lady.” Again, he only spoke the truth.
Renee seemed to sense this—or at least, he hoped she did. “You know, Riordan, I’m just doing my job. I actually believe you.”
“Good to know.” He allowed a slight smile. “I did offer to be her bodyguard. She turned me down flat.”
Staring, Renee narrowed her eyes. Then, apparently deciding he was serious, she dipped her head, grinning. “I should tell you that I ran a check on you and talked to your former partner back in Albany. Joe and I go way back. He had nothing bad to say about you.”
It was unsurprising. Joe was his best friend, and Mac had been a very good police officer. He would still be, if he hadn’t left his job. But Joe had understood that finding Ryan had become more important to him than anything else.
“And on top of that,” Renee continued, “Joe put me through to your lieutenant. Just like our mutual friend Joe, your former boss speaks very highly of you.”
“Good to know.” Aware of his precarious position, he debated whether or not now would be a good time to broach his proposal. On the one hand, if Emily and Ryan were in serious danger, then he couldn’t afford to wait. On the other, he didn’t want to do anything that would make Renee even more suspicious of him.
To his surprise, Renee broached the subject
