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  “Uncle Andrew,” Duane said, standing next to him with a teddy bear under his arm.

  Andrew groaned. “Yes, sweetie, what is it?” He slowly started to sit up, but Clay wasn’t letting go.

  “Is it time to see the horsies yet?” Duane blinked, holding his bear tighter. “Is Mama going to come with us?”

  Clay released him, rubbing his back as Andrew sat up.

  “It’s not quite time yet. And your mama is still sick. But we’ll call her again today so you can talk to her, okay?” Andrew ruffled his hair, and Duane seemed happy with the answers, going to sit on the floor to play Legos. “I hate that they can’t see Mary.”

  “Maybe we should have stayed in Baltimore,” Clay offered.

  Andrew shrugged. “I doubt it would make a difference.” He lay back down, closing his eyes. He needed a few more minutes alone, and Clay wound his arms around him again. Clay made him feel safe and like he could do anything. He didn’t berate him or question his decisions. Instead, Clay supported him and was there, like a rock of sorts.

  “We should get up. Auburn is going to be down any second.” Clay yawned.

  “How late were you up?”

  “Long enough….” Clay yawned again. “You barely made it through the snacks. As soon as they were gone, you were out like a light.” Clay stroked up his side under the blanket. “You obviously needed it. I think someone really wore you out.” He seemed damn pleased with himself.

  Andrew lightly smacked his arm and wished he could have a few more hours of quiet, and alone time, so he could say thank you properly. “I’m going to go clean up, and then we can start the day. Did you sleep?”

  Clay nodded, which was a relief. Andrew was happy, dang happy, and he knew exactly why. It seemed that it didn’t matter what happened, because Clay was able to light up a room and his life. Maybe he could do this after all.

  Chapter 7

  CLAY’S LEGS ached from riding that horse. Duane had had a ball, and so had Auburn, riding with Andrew. They’d spent half an hour in the saddle, and that was enough for his legs to tighten up, especially with the way he’d had to hold Duane as well as the reins.

  “Can we do it again?” Duane asked as soon as he was lifted to the ground, his little legs barely stilling long enough for Clay to get down.

  “Maybe sometime soon,” Clay told him as he held Duane’s hand while they waited for Auburn and Andrew. “Are you two hungry?” he asked, and both kids nodded. They had been swimming and got to ride horses. It was later than they usually had lunch, but the kids had snacked between activities.

  “Then let’s get to the car and we’ll find something to eat.” They thanked the attendants at the stables, and Andrew passed each of them a tip before heading back to the parking lot.

  Clay hung behind, splitting his time between watching the people for anything suspicious and trying not to grin over the funny way Andrew was walking. His phone rang, and he saw his mother’s number, so he answered it as soon as he reached the car. “Hey, Mom.”

  “It’s Dad,” his father said.

  “What’s up?” Clay asked. “You and Mom okay?” A breath of cold air went up his back. His father wasn’t the kind of man to push the panic button.

  “Maybe it’s nothing, but your mother went to the grocery store a few hours ago and she hasn’t come back. She forgot her phone, so I haven’t been able to call her. I probably wouldn’t think anything about it since she probably found someone to talk with and is having coffee somewhere. But with this mess with Harper and all… it’s got me worried. She’s been talking to Marlene a lot lately, and….”

  “Okay, Dad. Have you called the sheriff?” Clay opened the car door but stood outside.

  “I can’t do that on your mother,” his dad said as though it were the stupidest thing Clay had ever said.

  Clay thought a minute. “Give Mom an hour. If you don’t hear anything or if she doesn’t come home, then call the sheriff and me. Well, call me either way, because I’m going to worry.” His hand already shook. What if Harper had figured out that Andrew was with him and was going after his mother to get to him? Jesus, that was frightening.

  “I will. Thanks.”

  Clay hung up and got in the car to start the engine.

  “Your mom?” Andrew asked.

  “Yeah. She went to the store, and Dad’s worried because she’s been gone a few hours.” This thing with Harper had everyone on edge. “Mom is probably fine.” Lord, he wanted to believe that so badly. “Let’s get everyone something to eat.”

  Clay drove to a diner downtown, and they got the kids inside and seated. Clay had his phone nearby and kept looking at it, willing it to ring as he watched the damn clock. He was about ready to call the sheriff himself when a message dinged through from his father that his mom had just come home.

  “Is everything okay now?” Andrew asked.

  “Mom is fine,” Clay said, but his leg bounced on the floor under the table. Every day that went by made him more and more nervous. The text message traces meant that Harper was still in the area, and he’d been loose for long enough that he had to have been getting desperate. There was no way that the sheriff and the entire department weren’t working around the clock to recover him and try to wipe the stain of his escape off their record. So Harper had to be feeling the pressure as well.

  They ordered, with Clay only paying half attention before lifting his gaze to Andrew. “There’s something you aren’t telling me,” Clay said, his gaze hardening. “None of this makes sense to me.” He leaned across the table. “After all this time, why would Harper still be so obsessed with you? He has way too damn much to worry about now, and yet he’s still sending you messages.” He didn’t expect an answer from Andrew right now in front of the kids, but he was damn well going to get one, and he was going to do it once he could get Andrew alone.

  Andrew’s eyes were pure storm, but his cheeks were red as apples, so Clay knew he’d hit on something. What bothered him was how Andrew hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him. Andrew crossed his arms over his chest, but Clay leaned forward—he wasn’t going to let this go.

  Their food arrived pretty quickly. Andrew nervously picked at his, even as the kids wolfed down theirs. They’d had a very active morning and were hungry.

  Clay finished his lunch, and once the kids were done, the server took the dishes. Andrew had eaten about half of his food and allowed the server to take his plate. Clay handed the server his credit card and hastily signed the slip, unable to calm his nerves.

  “We may as well go.” The sullen pout to Andrew’s lips shouldn’t have been attractive, but it was. He got the kids in the car and sat in the passenger seat, still sullen and refusing to meet Clay’s gaze.

  Whatever had happened was something Andrew wasn’t very proud of.

  AT THE house, the kids ran inside, and Clay followed Andrew, not letting him out of his sight. “Do you want to tell me the rest of it?”

  “There isn’t much to tell, okay?” Andrew hissed. “That day in the park, when I met him, I’d been shocked as all hell. I didn’t know about those kinds of things. Or… I had never bothered to find out.”

  “So, you were innocent?” Clay pressed, glancing to where the kids played. “That isn’t anything to be ashamed of.”

  “I was also curious.” Andrew colored even deeper, and Clay started to get the picture.

  “You actually went into the woods. You know that wasn’t very smart.” Clay wished he’d kept his mouth shut as Andrew glared at him.

  “Do you want to finish the story yourself?” Andrew seethed, and Clay didn’t argue. He wanted the information, and Andrew finally seemed ready to tell him. “I went into the woods, and apparently he expected me to service him. I didn’t think I could do that, and he….”

  Clay could stay quiet no longer. “Did he hurt you?”

  “He was insistent, but I turned and got out of there. I ran like a scared rabbit out of the park, thinking he was going to chase me. He didn
’t.” Andrew took a deep breath and released it. “I was stupid for putting myself in that situation, and beat myself up over it.”

  “Then he showed up in your courtroom,” Clay added.

  “Maybe I should have recused myself, but I was perfectly fair and didn’t let any of that affect my judgment. I treated him justly and refused to let anything cloud my judgment or the handling of the case. When he tried to put pressure on me, I shrugged, because he would have to admit things about himself that he didn’t want known. So in a way, we were even.”

  “But he hated you for rejecting him?” Clay asked, and Andrew nodded. That certainly fit with the Harper he knew as a kid. “But why isn’t he just letting it go?”

  “I don’t think he can let anything go. I’m willing to bet that every perceived slight or rejection is played out in his head over and over again.” Andrew went into the kitchen. “There you go. I’ve exposed my seediest secret.”

  Clay shook his head. “That’s the seediest thing you’ve ever done? My God, you’re some kind of saint.”

  Andrew grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. “You don’t understand. I did nothing wrong, but if someone knew, they’d try to make a huge deal out of it and they’d go after my job. At the very least, they’d bring me up for judicial review, and that could end my career.” Andrew paled and set the beer on the table, untouched.

  “I think you’re expecting a little too much of yourself. Harper is psychotic and he probably has an alphabet soup of mental illnesses. If you had recused yourself and not taken the case, someone else would have gotten it, and they would probably have acted the same way you did. Then they might be in his crosshairs. Who knows?” Clay could understand making a mistake and being both turned on and freaked out at the same time when it came to sex. “Give yourself a break.” That was all water under the bridge at the moment, and it did nothing to help them find where Harper was hiding.

  “I really want to go home so the kids can start a routine they can count on.” Andrew swigged the beer. “It seems like we’re letting this guy run our lives, and I can’t have that for much longer. All he does is send messages, and I’m the one who’s gone into hiding.” He drank some more of the beer before setting the bottle down.

  Clay sighed. “We can go back to Carlisle tomorrow if that’s what you really want to do.” He turned to the kids, watching them play. He knew he was using guilt in order to get Andrew to change his mind. There was no way that Andrew was going to put those adorable kids in any jeopardy.

  “No. We’ll stay here. But the police have got to find this bastard soon.”

  Clay couldn’t agree more. “Why don’t you see if the kids can talk to their mother again? It might do you all some good to think about someone else for a while. I’m sure Mary would like to hear from them.” Clay took his phone and went to the bedroom. He had some calls to make himself, and it was time he tried to get some answers of his own.

  His first call was to the sheriff for an update.

  Smith was out of the woods and well on his way to recovery. The other injured deputies were back at work, though on limited duty. “We’re getting close—I can feel it. There are only so many places he can hide, and Harper’s family is jumpier than a herd of cats. We also have taps on their phones, so if he calls, we’ll be able to find him fast.”

  “That’s great. But what do I tell the judge? He’s getting a little stir-crazy,” Clay said, getting frustrated himself. He knew he was exaggerating the situation, but a little extra pressure might just bring about some positive results. He’d been sitting back with Andrew, letting others handle the investigation, and he was getting plenty of lip service, from his boss in particular, but they weren’t getting anywhere, and Andrew and the kids were still in danger.

  “Just say that we’re doing everything we can,” Sheriff Hunter snapped.

  Clay wanted to growl right back. Sheriff Hunter was feeling the pressure, but Clay was starting to think he was more interested in covering his own ass than actually bringing this situation to a conclusion. If they had proof that Harper had left the area, then the story would fade from the news quickly. Andrew could return home, and life would go on. Of course, him being apprehended would close the case as well. At this point Clay was beginning to think the sheriff didn’t care which outcome came to pass.

  “But are we?” Clay pressed.

  Sheriff Hunter huffed, breathing deeply. Clay could tell he was doing his best to hold his temper. He waited for the explosion that never came.

  “It’s getting harder and harder to keep the judge calm the longer this goes on,” Clay added to try to defuse the situation.

  “Part of your job is to manage the situation,” Sheriff Hunter gritted between his teeth, seething through the phone. Clay might have stepped out of line.

  “Yes, and it’s also to catch this psychopath.” It was becoming clearer that if Clay truly wanted to keep Andrew, Auburn, and Duane safe, he was going to need to get more involved. That was the only way to ensure a successful outcome, and he was damned tired of sitting on his ass. “I’ll talk to the judge and try to keep him as patient as possible.”

  “You do that,” Sheriff Hunter snapped and then hung up.

  Clay ended the call on his end, sitting on the side of the bed. He sighed and wondered if he’d gone too far. But something had to change. This wasn’t just a work situation for him any longer. This was personal.

  The bedroom door cracked open and Duane came in. He raced toward the bed and launched himself onto it before using it as a trampoline. Clay reached for him, catching Duane midbounce, then brought him down and tickled his belly.

  Duane squealed with laughter, and Clay grinned even as he wondered what would happen to this delightful little boy if Harper got anywhere near him or his uncle. Clay’s blood ran cold as he thought of Harper hurting Andrew. Anything happening to Andrew made Clay’s heart ache, as well as the thought of how these kids would be hurt worse than they already had been. No, he was a police officer, and it was time he acted like it, rather than sitting on the sidelines.

  Auburn came in, standing in the doorway. She wasn’t as forward as her brother, but as soon as Clay opened his arms, she hurried over, and he hugged her tightly. Of course, the kids were stressed out. They missed their mother, and even though they didn’t understand what was happening, they had to know that something was wrong.

  “Where’s Uncle Andrew?”

  Duane pointed, and Clay followed his finger to where Andrew stood, leaning against the doorframe.

  “Are you two having some huggy time with Uncle Clay?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Yes!” Duane said as he bounced in Clay’s arms. “He gives good hugs.” He threw his arms around Clay’s neck, and Clay used one arm to hold each of them. Who could have known how quickly these kids could work their way into his heart? And when he raised his gaze, he met Andrew’s own warmth and everything fell into place. This was what he wanted: a family. And more, he wanted one with Andrew. The thought made his heart pump a little faster.

  “Can I talk to Uncle Andrew a minute?” Clay asked. “Go and play Legos and stuff. I’ll be out in a little while to play with you. I promise.”

  The kids gave him another hug, and then Duane raced out of the room. Auburn was more reticent, and Clay lifted her on his lap.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked, seeing her big blue eyes so filled with questions and hurt. Clay wanted to make that go away, though he had no idea how.

  “Does Mama not want us anymore?” she asked, her lower lip quivering.

  Of all the questions Clay might have been prepared for, that one took him from out of left field.

  “Your mama loves you,” Clay told her, silently begging Andrew for help.

  “Sweetheart,” Andrew said, coming to the rescue. “Your mama is sick, and she needs to get better.”

  “Why do you think she doesn’t want you?” Clay asked her in a whisper.

  She sniffed and wiped her
eyes. “I heard Mama. She said that she wanted to die and that she couldn’t take care of us no more.” She sniffed and buried her head in Clay’s shirt, crying openly.

  Clay hugged her tightly, rocking from side to side. There was no way he could make this better with just a few words. Hell, making it better was probably impossible, and that stung hard. “What do I do?” Clay mouthed to Andrew, and he shrugged, then gently took Auburn from his arms. He lifted her, letting Auburn rest her head on his shoulder. Andrew sat on the bed, and Clay stood. These kids needed stability and a home. Fuck it all, they all did. Being away in a house that was strange to everyone wasn’t doing any of them any good.

  He left the bedroom and sat at the stool in the kitchen where he could watch the rest of the room. Duane played on the floor as Clay checked his contacts and dialed. “Red, it’s Clay. I need some help.”

  “We’re all doing our best,” Red replied.

  “I know that. But there’s something we’re missing. I know we’re all looking for Harper and his accomplices, but who arranged to break him out? I doubt it was the guys who actually did it. He didn’t do that on his own. All his calls and communications were monitored, and they obviously had a pretty good idea of our procedures.”

  “Carter is here with me. I’m going to put you on speaker,” Red said, and he switched the phone over as he brought Carter up to date.

  “I agree. We’ve been looking into that, and I think it was someone in his organization. The weed his group had been selling is showing up again, and it’s potent stuff. We got a call from the high school. They busted a few kids, and it was his product. It was absent while he was behind bars, but now the goods are showing up again.”

  “I thought he was the muscle,” Clay said.

  Carter cleared his throat. “That’s what we thought too. We all figured that once we caught him this last time, he’d roll over on those above to get a better deal. He didn’t. And the goods his gang, for lack of a better word, were selling disappeared.”