“Thanks for holding Troy so long and letting me sleep,” Katie said.
While Delbert was rubbing his eyes, Booker lifted her shirt for another quick peek at Troy nursing. “It was worth it,” he said with a devilish grin. Then he and Delbert left.
KATIE COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. Booker liked the baby. A lot. He certainly didn’t strike her as the cuddly baby sort. But she remembered him holding Troy last night, remembered his hands on her belly when she was pregnant and how involved he’d been in getting her the maternity clothes and the doctor she needed, and realized that he’d been fascinated by her pregnancy from the beginning. When she considered why that might be, she supposed she could understand. Booker was drawn to people who needed him, and no one was more dependent than a newborn.
Smiling as she pictured the sweet kiss he’d given Troy last night, she leaned closer to the mirror to finish applying her mascara. At this speed, she’d be late for work, and Rebecca had already called to let her know she had a ten-o’clock appointment.
Troy cried, interrupting her rush to get ready, but her mother showed up only a few minutes later. Holding her son close, Katie pressed her cheek to his bald head for a moment, then passed him to Tami. “I expressed some extra milk. It’s in the fridge,” she said, grabbing her purse and keys. “And—”
“I know.” Her mother chuckled. “Call you if he needs anything.”
Katie smiled and threw her arms around Tami. “Thanks, Mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you. After Andy took my computer…well—” she glanced nervously at her watch “—you’re a godsend, let me just say that.”
“I’m enjoying the time with my grandson.”
“Dad didn’t have a problem with you coming today?”
“He’d have less of a problem if you’d go over and talk to him.”
Katie grimaced. She wanted peace with her father, but she wasn’t sure she wanted it on his terms. “I’ll think about it,” she said and hurried off.
When Katie arrived at the salon, Rebecca was in the back opening product shipments. Delaney was sitting next to her, drinking a small bottle of orange juice while they talked. Emily, Delaney’s little girl, was probably with her daddy, because she wasn’t around.
“Where is everyone?” Katie asked after leaving her purse in a locker.
“Mona phoned to say she’s running late,” Rebecca said. “She’s already rescheduled her first appointment, though. And Ashleigh doesn’t come in until one.”
Katie breathed a sigh of relief. She had a few things she wanted to ask Rebecca, and she didn’t want to do it in front of Ashleigh.
“Have you heard anything yet?” she asked, interrupting Rebecca as she was writing prices on the small green stickers they used to mark the hair products they sold.
“About what?” Rebecca asked.
“About Booker.”
Delaney put the lid on her orange juice.
“What about him?” Rebecca said.
“You know there was a break-in at Jon Small’s house, right?”
Rebecca’s forehead wrinkled in confusion, and her “no” was quickly echoed by Delaney’s.
“Two nights ago someone broke into Jon’s house. They messed up the place, stole a few things, and—”
“Don’t tell me the police think it was Booker,” Rebecca said.
Katie nodded.
“Because of that fight a few weeks ago?”
“And his reputation, I’m sure.”
“That’s crazy!” Delaney said. “Booker would never do that.”
“Booker’s grown up, changed,” Rebecca concurred. “He’d never steal from anyone. That car he took before was because of a dare. He didn’t really even want it.”
“I guess Officer Orton was hoping to search the farmhouse and the garage this morning to see if he could find the stuff that was stolen,” Katie told them. “I don’t know what time he was planning to do that, but I thought it might’ve happened early.”
Worry knitted Rebecca’s eyebrows. “Booker called me yesterday, but Josh and I were so busy I never got back to him. I just figured I’d call him today.”
“He doesn’t seem too concerned,” Katie said.
“Weren’t you with Booker two nights ago?” Delaney asked Rebecca.
“No, but…” Rebecca tapped her lip with one finger. “That’s the night I talked to him on the phone. He’d just gotten back from Boise. He had anger management class.”
“They think he did it on his way home,” Katie said.
“You’re kidding!” Delaney cried.
“No.”
“That’s it,” Rebecca said. “I’m calling my dad.”
Katie and Delaney, who was barely starting to show, followed Rebecca to the phone and waited nervously while she dialed her parents’ house, then City Hall before managing to track down her father. When she finally had Mayor Wells on the phone, Katie curled her fingernails into her palms and prayed for good news.
“But I know he’d never do anything like that, Dad,” Rebecca said. “I don’t care what he’s done in the past. It’s not right that the police should automatically assume it’s him just because he spent some time in prison several years ago…So? Whoever broke into Jon’s place is probably the same person who robbed Mrs. Willoughby, and I know for a fact that Booker would never expose himself…. He doesn’t need to get cheap thrills like that…He can have almost any woman he wants…What?”
Katie watched Delaney lean closer, so she could hear Mayor Wells’ response, and did the same.
“Leah Small says Booker’s been harassing Jon. Jon’s daughter confirmed it,” he said. “Booker went out to their house one day to threaten Jon. And he’s been calling him at all times of the day and—”
“Booker’s not the aggressor in that relationship, Dad,” Rebecca broke in. “I told you he was defending Delbert against the Smalls. That’s what started the whole thing.”
“And I believed you. But now I’m wondering if he’s decided to get revenge for the arrest and whatever else happened that night.”
“Booker’s not after revenge! He just wants the Smalls to stay away from Delbert.”
“Then it shouldn’t matter if they search his place. What’s wrong, Rebecca? Are you worried they might find something?”