estate had to be worth millions. Still, it took a coldhearted SOB to go after a child because of money. If that’s what Jeremy had done. Considering the bad blood between him and his mother, Helen might have used this as an opportunity to get rid of Jeremy, her sole surviving son.
Especially if the woman thought she had a new heir. Grant’s baby.
“I was about to take a shower.” Caitlyn fluttered her fingers toward the adjoining bathroom. “That’s why I wasn’t dressed when you came in. I was going to put her in the carrier on the bathroom floor, but could you watch her?”
Drury nodded. And hoped the baby didn’t wake up. Unlike his cousins, he just wasn’t comfortable holding a newborn.
“I won’t be long,” Caitlyn added, and she hurried into the bathroom.
He sank down on the edge of the bed and studied the little girl’s face. He could see Caitlyn’s mouth and chin. Or at least he thought he could. No resemblance to Grant, though, and it surprised him a little to realize that even if he had seen it, it wouldn’t have made him uneasy. His beef had never been with Grant.
But rather Caitlyn leaving him to be with Grant.
Of course, it was his own stupid fault for handing Caitlyn his heart when he knew he was the wrong man for her. She’d told him right from the get-go that she couldn’t get involved with a lawman. Not after her lawman father’s violent death. Even after they’d started an affair, she had continued to tell Drury that it could never be more than temporary between them.
Too bad he hadn’t believed her.
Caitlyn was right about not being too long. She stayed in the shower only a couple of minutes, and it took her even less than that to dress. She hurried out while combing her wet hair.
She smelled like roses.
The soap, no doubt, but it was something he wished he hadn’t noticed.
“Thanks,” she said.
Since it was time for him to get the heck out of the bedroom, Drury stood, but the moment he did, the baby squirmed a little and made a fussing sound. He stepped back so that Caitlyn could go to her and take her in her arms.
They made a picture together. And Drury had no trouble seeing the love for the child in Caitlyn’s eyes.
“I know,” Caitlyn said, following his gaze to the baby. “I shouldn’t get so attached. But I’ve always wanted a child, so it’s hard not to have deep feelings for her.”
An understatement. Caitlyn had really wanted a child. Something she’d made clear when they were together.
Something that had driven a wedge between them, too.
Heck, it still made him take a step back now.
Too many memories. More of those old ones that he wanted to forget. But couldn’t. Because he hadn’t just lost his wife the day she’d been murdered. He’d lost the child that she’d been carrying.
“Will you still help me with a safe house?” she asked. “An unofficial one, of course. I don’t think you want to use FBI channels.”
Neither did he. “I’ll help with the house.” Hell, he’d ended up helping with plenty of things he didn’t want to help with, but despite their past he was still a sucker for a damsel in distress, and at the moment Caitlyn was in a lot of distress.
She mumbled another thanks. “I was going to get started on contacting some bodyguards, and I was hoping I could use your laptop to get some phone numbers.”
He nearly offered her a protection detail. But he was also toeing the line on the law. Heck, he’d probably crossed over that line, and he didn’t want to bring any of his fellow agents or family into this.
“The laptop’s on the table in the kitchen,” he said.
She gathered the blanket around the baby and headed that direction. Drury followed, but before he even made it there, his phone buzzed, and he saw Grayson’s name on the screen. He considered not putting the call on speaker, just in case this was more bad news, but he’d end up telling Caitlyn about the conversation anyway.
“You’re on speaker,” Drury warned Grayson right off, though he doubted that would change anything Grayson had to say.
“Good. Because Caitlyn needs to hear this. I’ve arranged for the doctor to examine the baby. Yeah, I know. It’s a risk, but she needs to be checked out.”
“I agree.” A weary sigh left Caitlyn’s mouth. “And it’s something I should have remembered to do.”
“You’ve had a lot on your mind lately.” There was a touch of sarcasm in Grayson’s tone. “I want you two to take the baby to the hospital. And don’t worry, she won’t be near Ronnie. The doctor will meet you in his private office to do the exam. I’ve arranged for Lucas and one of the deputies to escort you there.”
Escort was a nice way of saying back up in case someone tried to gun them down again.
“Anything new from Ronnie?” Drury asked.
“Nothing. He’s lawyered up and is refusing to cooperate with us. Not CPS, though. He’s still pressuring them to give him the baby. Which they won’t do,” Grayson quickly added. “Not without DNA proof anyway, and it’ll be tomorrow before we have that.”
“The DNA will show that Ronnie’s not the father,” Caitlyn said like gospel, and Drury hoped that was true.
He didn’t exactly relish the idea of handing over a child to someone who’d shot at him. Of course, that wouldn’t happen anyway unless Ronnie was cleared of all charges.
“Ronnie said he can prove the baby is his,” Grayson went on. “Because he can describe the birthmark on her ankle. Does she have a birthmark?”
“She does,” Caitlyn admitted. “But Ronnie could have easily seen it when he had her.”
“That was my theory, too. By the way, Melanie’s on her way in,” Grayson added a moment later. “Drury, if you want to be here for the interview, you could have Lucas or someone else stay with Caitlyn and the baby.”
It was tempting. “When will she be there?” Drury asked.
“Within the hour.” He paused. “I have plenty of questions for her now that I’ve read the police report for Grant’s car accident. Melanie’s purse was found in the vehicle.”
Drury had read the report, too. Not recently. But shortly after Grant had died. Why? He didn’t know. It was a way of picking at those old wounds, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. So, yeah, he knew about Melanie’s purse.
Obviously so did Caitlyn. “Melanie claimed that Grant and she had been together that night, but when he dropped her off at her place, she forgot her purse.” She frowned. “The police cleared her as a suspect, but you think Melanie could have had something to do with his death?”
“Do you?” Grayson asked right back.
She certainly didn’t jump to deny it. Caitlyn
