Page 15 of Her Baby, Her Badge

And that brought her to a big question.

How had the killer gotten so close to two cops to use a stun gun on them? If Brian was indeed responsible, then getting close to Elaine wouldn’t have been a problem since they were engaged. But what about the first cop? Grace needed to look for a possible connection there. First, though, she had to do some looking around her house.

Again, using the app, she unlocked her kitchen door and moved quickly inside. Dutton was right behind her, and it didn’t surprise her when he drew a gun from the back waist of his jeans. He had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and Grace knew he wouldn’t hesitate to use the weapon to protect her. Even if she was capable of protecting herself.

She drew her own gun, and without speaking, they started the room-to-room search. First, the bottom floor. The kitchen, then the living area, her office and the small bathroom that she’d had added after she’d moved in a decade earlier.

Dutton made it to the stairs a split second ahead of her, which meant she ended up following him. Something she didn’t care for on several levels. First, she didn’t want him in the lead here, and second, she didn’t appreciate the view she had of his rather superior backside.

Well, she actually did appreciate it.

Her body did, anyway. But it was a reminder and a distraction she didn’t need. It didn’t help that the rest of his body fell into that superior category as well, and once again, she silently cursed this need for him that just wouldn’t go away.

They searched the three upstairs bedrooms, including the empty one she’d had cleared out for the nursery. Soon, it would be painted a pale yellow, since Grace hadn’t planned on learning the gender of the baby before delivery. Some considered that anold-fashioned notion, but she was trying to savor every moment of this pregnancy since it would likely be her one and only.

And it was somewhat of a miracle.

Over the years, doctors had told her it would be hard for her to conceive because of irregular ovulation, but Grace had figured she would still try if she fell in love and married. That hadn’t happened, and now with her thirty-eighth birthday on the horizon, she had all but given up on the possibility of motherhood.

That one night with Dutton had changed everything.

And Grace was fighting to hold on to some kind of control and normalcy in her life. This murder investigation and the close contact with Dutton weren’t going to help with that. But somehow, she had to keep her feelings for him at bay. If not, they could both pay a very high price by giving the killer a window to get to them.

After finishing the room search, he went to the top of the stairs and frowned when he looked out the massive window over the front door. Dutton quickly switched off the lights. Grace didn’t have to ask why. Usually, that window gave her an amazing view of the pastures and the six horses she owned. But now, she was very much aware that it would give the killer a clear line of sight of her whenever she went up or down the stairs.

“Is anything out of place?” Dutton asked, drawing her attention back to him. Not that it’d strayed too far. “Any sense that anyone has been in here?”

“No.” And that was the truth. Still, her nerves were far from being steady. “I can keep the lights off up here on the stairwell and in the hall. Or I can sleep downstairs. My office has a pullout sofa.”

Still frowning, Dutton turned to her. “You’ve dug in your heels about me not staying here with you?”

She nodded, though Grace had to admit her heels didn’t feel as firmly dug in as they had earlier. That wasn’t just for her sake, either. Or the baby’s. “You’ve dug in your heels about keeping watch of the place?”

His nod was a lot firmer than hers had been.

Grace sighed. “Then will you at least stay in the cruiser?”

The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile that made his face even hotter than usual. “Yes.” Their gazes connected and held for a few moments before the smile faded. “And will you stay away from the windows?”

She made a sound of agreement. No security system would prevent someone from shooting through the glass. And that brought her right back to Dutton. The windows of the cruiser were bullet-resistant, but that didn’t mean it was a safe place to spend the night. Grace was about to press him once again to return home to his ranch when she saw the movement out the large window.

“Hell,” Dutton muttered, and he’d obviously seen it, too.

A woman wearing a billowing white dress was staggering through the darkness toward Grace’s house. Once again, Dutton beat her to the punch and hurried down the stairs ahead of her. She was about to warn him not to open the door, but that wasn’t necessary. Dutton slapped off the lights in the entry and went to the front window instead. He kept to the side and peered out.

She turned off some lights, too, on her way to the window to join him, but she kept the porch light on so they’d be able to see if the approaching woman was armed. Grace took up position on the opposite side of the window from Dutton, and both of them kept their guns drawn and ready.

“She’s got blood on her dress,” Dutton muttered.

Grace could see that. Not a lot of it, but there were streaks running down the sides of her dress.

“But I don’t know who she is. Do you?” he asked.

“No.” The woman with the long, dark brown hair, a lanky body and an ashen face was a stranger.

Grace felt that punch of dread that went well beyond just worry and concern. Was this another potential victim who’d managed to escape?

Or was this a trap?

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