Sabrina got out of the car and opened the back door to find Maria had fallen asleep. She eased the child out of the car seat. Maria stirred and settled her head on Sabrina’s shoulder. Even though the little girl desperately needed a bath, Sabrina ignored that and snuggled her closer. Her heart tightened. Would she ever have a family of her own?
Now wasn’t the time for those thoughts. She carried her into the hospital while Clay took charge of Tony, who’d gone silent and sullen.
Yet kept a tight grip on the stuffed animal.
Sabrina flashed her credentials to the triage staff. Lily Anderson, a nurse Sabrina had worked with who had become her best friend over the past year, stood when she saw her. “Sabrina, who do you have here?” She moved so she could get a look. “Ah. What a cutie.”
“This is Maria Zellis. Her brother Tony is over there. It looks like I’m going to take them to a foster home tonight. We can’t locate their parents or the grandparents.”
Lily turned in the direction Sabrina pointed and winced, grabbing her lower back.
“Are you all right?”
Lily nodded and blew out a slow breath. “Yes, it’s just from that car accident I had about three years ago. Every once in a while, my back reminds me I’m not exactly the same.”
“Is there anything you can do about it?”
“Not really. I do my physical therapy and just take it one day at a time.” Lily’s gaze moved behind Sabrina and she caught her breath again, this time in surprise.
“What is it?” Sabrina asked.
Lily nodded. “Well, well. Clay Starke. Dad said something about the town’s bad boy coming home. Your mother isn’t the only person to send the gossips around here into a feeding frenzy.”
Sabrina flinched but didn’t take offense. She focused on the duo. Clay and Tony were now headed straight for her. She looked at Lily. “Yes, I know Clay’s reputation, but I’m not judging him because of it.” She prayed he’d return the favor and wouldn’t hold her mother’s actions against her, either.
Lily grimaced. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. It’s just he and my brother graduated together. I remember Hank talking about Clay’s escapades. They were the highlight of the week.”
“You mean they took precedence over my mother’s escapades?”
Lily flushed. “In my house they did.” She sighed. “He may be a cop now, but most people in town will never let him live down the fact that he burned down Bryce England’s house, leaving the boy scarred for life.”
* * *
Clay saw the two women speaking in low voices, and he caught the occasional glance the pretty redhead threw at him.
Lily Anderson, Ned and Daisy Ann’s daughter. She was friends with his sister and had been out to the ranch a few times to ride with Amber. She caught him watching and gave a smile. He couldn’t tell if it was fake or the real thing. Tony’s fascination with the hand-sanitizer dispenser had delayed their journey to the triage area. Now the child stayed snugged up to his side as Clay led him over to the two women. “Everything all right?”
Sabrina lifted a brow. “Of course.”
Clay nodded to Lily. “Nice to see you again.”
“Sorry to hear about your brother.”
Pain shafted through him. He smiled anyway. “Appreciate that.”
The door to the pediatric wing opened, and a nurse with a clipboard stood there. She caught Sabrina’s eye and gave a small nod. “Come on, let’s get them back there,” Sabrina said.
Tony’s small fingers spasmed and Clay could feel the tension running through the child. He knelt in front of the little boy. “Are you scared?” he whispered.
Tony stuck out his jaw and he started to shake his head no, then changed midshake and nodded. “Yeah,” he whispered back.
Clay rose and held out his arms. “Want me to carry you?”
“Uh-huh.” Tony practically leaped into Clay’s arms. He clutched the little boy and swallowed against the sudden lump growing in his throat.
He turned and found Sabrina watching him with a tender expression. Clay sucked in a deep breath and frowned. “Come on. Let’s get this done. We’ve got things to talk about.”
He knew his words sounded gruff, but Sabrina didn’t look as if she took it to heart. She simply offered him a sad smile full of understanding. And something else. A new emotion in her eyes. But what? He didn’t have time to figure it out. He cleared his throat and followed her through the double doors.
With the kids in good hands and Sabrina watching over them like a mother hen, Clay rubbed his weary eyes as he stepped away from the examination room. He pressed his phone to his ear and spoke to his boss. “I thought I’d be bored stiff being a cop in a small town. What’d y’all do to this place while I was gone?”
Ned gave a low chuckle. “When it’s slow, it’s slow, but the action does seem to come in waves.”
“Well, right now we’ve got a tsunami.” He sighed. “Have you found Prescott or Jordan Zellis yet?”
“No. We’re still looking. I sent Lance out to Jordan’s home, and it’s dark as a tomb.” Lance Goode was one of the other deputies in Wrangler’s Corner. “We pinged his cell phone and found it in the bushes behind Prescott’s trailer.”
“So Jordan was pretty close by when he called.”
“Yes. He probably saw Prescott coming his way and took off. May have dropped his phone while running.”
“Or Prescott caught up with him,” Clay said softly.
“Yes. Or that. I’m hoping he didn’t.”
“Maybe Lance will find something.” Clay and Lance had gotten in minor trouble together as teens. He found it ironic they were now cops for the same town they used to want to escape from. “Keep me updated. I want to know why Jordan was in Prescott’s trailer with Steven’s wallet.”
“Trust me, we all want to know that.” Papers shuffled. “I did get one piece of information. Jordan is good friends with a fellow named Trey Wilde.”
“I don’t know him.”
“Stay around here long enough, and you will. His family moved here shortly after you left.” He paused. “He reminds me of you in some ways at that age. Tough as nails, out to conquer the world, but with a wild streak a mile long. It’s like he’s trying to live up to his last name.”
Clay couldn’t help the small grimace at Ned’s words. “Well, I’ll keep that in mind when I run into him.”
“Only thing about Trey is he’s got money. And lots of it.”
“So he’s getting in trouble because...?”
“Who
