Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Dana Mentink (novels to improve english txt) 📗

he handed her the milkshake twirled through him like a runaway dust storm. He was transported back to the joy he’d felt when she’d accepted his proposal, the days when the world was a beautiful place.

Laney was admiring the sweet concoction. “You got the three cherries too. Muffin and I thank you.” She set about consuming it with gusto until the last sip was gone.

“Headache better?”

“Much,” she said.

He’d helped. He’d eased her pain. His elation lasted until they drew up to the Hotsprings Hotel and Willow came sprinting out. She helped Laney out of the car and threw her arms around her. “I am so sorry. I didn’t see your text. You could have died.” Two tears rolled down her freckled cheeks.

“She needs to lie down,” he said, to forestall the emotional storm he knew was coming from his impetuous cousin, but Laney was already striding toward the dining room. He managed to get ahead of her to open up the door, but Herm was there. He clasped her to his narrow chest. He didn’t speak a word, just squeezed her to him until she kissed his cheek.

“I shouldn’t have blabbed to Kenny on the phone,” Herm said. “I think my brain must be getting old. I…”

“I’m all right,” she said. “And you did nothing wrong. How have you been holding up?” And then they were all following her like a row of ducklings while she surveyed the kitchen. Dinner preparations were already in process, the small kettle boiling a supply of potatoes for mashing and a single pan of pork chops in the oven. Laney peeked in and frowned.

“Why so few chops?”

Herm looked cowed. “Well, you see, uh…”

“The Timmons family checked out early,” Willow said.

“Yeah,” Herm said. “They were sort of upset at what happened to you. Rita’s still here, though, and another family of four are supposed to be checking in in a couple of days.”

Laney looked crestfallen. “So Rita is our only guest?”

“Uh-huh.” Herm shrugged. “Can’t figure on why she’d want to stay, though. She isn’t signed up for any tours or stuff, and she don’t seem to like my cooking. Jude is with her now.”

Beckett spun on his heel.

Laney stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Wait, Beckett. Jude won’t want you interfering.”

“If she tipped Kenny off, I have the right to interfere.”

Still she held on. “Since there’s no need for a full dinner service, I’m going to go take a shower and sit with Admiral for a while. Will you walk me?”

And because there was nothing in the world which he would not do to keep Laney safe, he nodded and followed her out. Aunt Kitty, Jude’s mother and Laney’s adopted mother, stepped out of the cabin first, holding Admiral. The dog wriggled and squirmed until she put him down. Laney scooped him up and cuddled and cooed over him before she hugged Aunt Kitty.

Kitty was a full foot shorter than Laney, a full foot shorter than practically anyone. Her silver-black head of tightly curled hair barely made it to midchest on him. There were no square angles on the woman. She was “well insulated,” as she liked to tell people. Kitty had never treated him as a suspect, nor a would-be criminal. She was the same generous soul she’d been since he was a little kid who’d needed his knee bandaged or his button sewn on. Kitty was a mother to scores of people in Furnace Falls even though Kitty herself was the victim of a bad marriage, and her own daughter, Jude’s sister, had left town when she was eighteen. Kitty and Jude had not heard a word from her in all those years. Even so, Kitty had a smile for anyone and a heart for everyone. He bent to kiss her.

She kissed him and thumbed his cheek. “You need a shave, honey.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She waited until Laney sat in the worn upholstered rocker and Admiral heaved himself into her lap. “Herm was busy, so I put clean sheets on the bed, brought you some cookies and soup too.”

“Thank you, Aunt Kitty,” Laney said. “You shouldn’t have gone to that trouble.”

Aunt Kitty endured a painful foot condition, which probably explained why her mouth was pinched with discomfort. She waved them off and shoved her hands into the pockets of her blouse. “Who can’t slap on some clean linens? Oh, I almost forgot.” She drew an object out. “On my way back from the laundry room, I found this on the ground. Figured you might need it.”

Beckett held out his hand.

She dropped a sturdy metal screw in his palm.

“Where exactly did you find it?” he asked.

“On the sidewalk along the two hundreds.”

The western wing of the complex. Room 205, he thought. He looked closer at the screw.

“Does something need fixing?” Laney said.

He offered a careless nod. “Nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of it.”

She didn’t press him further. He noticed her wince again, as if the headache was back.

“Maybe you should lie down,” he suggested.

“I’ve had plenty of lying down. I want to cuddle with Admiral for a while.” She began to croon baby talk to him about smoochies and other inexplicable things.

“I’ll go warm up that soup,” Aunt Kitty said. “Let me have that sweater too, and I’ll pop it in the washer. We’ll have a nice chat.” She shot a glance at Beckett. “Unless I’m interrupting family time.” Her look was hopeful. He knew that she’d probably been praying nonstop for the mending of his marriage.

Could it be possible? God had provided them with a child when they’d thought it was impossible. Was there any way He would allow Beckett to fix what he’d ruined?

Right now, he had other priorities, he reminded himself. She was not safe, not with Kenny and Uncle Leonard at large and Rita in their midst. He studied the screw in his palm.

He had a feeling he knew exactly which room it had come from, but he’d do his homework, just to be sure. There would be