Page 143 of Falling Stars

Paige places a tray of food in front of me. “I think her fridge is pretty empty, and y’all need to eat something.”

“Thank you.” I hug her and my brother.

Rhett leans back against the kitchen counter. “Are you gonna be okay in that camper? It’s a far cry from your posh little condo.”

“We’ll survive. Hopefully, we won’t be there for long.”

He chuckles. “She’s in for a surprise.”

“I hope it’s a good one.” The whole time I was in New York, I kept thinking about what Rhett had said, that I can’t just give Baylee pretty words. That I need to back that up with action. So I didn’t want to come home empty-handed. I needed to give her something to show how serious I am about our relationship.

Paige smacks his arm. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

Rhett points his beer at me. “You owe me for keeping this from my wife. Because now I’m in the doghouse and that means I’ll probably have to build her another chicken coop or rescue some baby raccoons or something.”

“Aww, a baby raccoon! I’ve always wanted one!” She laughs and tosses her arms around his neck. “I’ll think of a way for you to make this up to me.”

When he grabs her ass to hoist her higher for a kiss, I turn away because no one needs to see that.

Baylee yawns on the couch, and I head to the living room and sit by her side. “Babe, let’s go to the camper.”

She nods. “I need to call Vera and Rory. I need to apologize for letting them get dragged into this.”

“Babe, they understand. I already spoke to them. The sheriff ruled them out right away. I promise they’re not mad. They were just as freaked out as we were that Leo went missing.”

“I feel bad.”

I kiss her forehead. “They said they’ll handle everything atthe salon this week so you can rest. That’s how much they love you.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want my clients to be upset.”

“They’ll be fine. After what you and Leo went through, we should take some time to regroup. You can always stop by, but let them handle the bulk of the work.”

After a second, she nods. I take Leo and hold him for the first time since he’s been home. He starts to fuss, and I turn him onto his belly and cradle him across my arm, and he settles.

Baylee laughs. “I’ve never held him like that.”

I wink at her. “It’s just like holding a football.”

Leo snuggles my arm and I smile. We take the food Paige made for us and return to the camper.

I help Baylee bathe him in the sink and dress him afterward.

“I can’t believe that woman left him in that dirty diaper the entire time.” She takes a moment just to hug her son.

“No one takes care of a baby like his mother, and you’re a fantastic mother.”

“Thanks, but I feel terrible about what happened. Like I shouldn’t have left Leo in my office that night.”

“Baby, the sheriff even said you did nothing wrong. I’m sure it’s gonna take some time for you to shake that feeling, but I’m with him on this. You can’t beat yourself up over what happened. Lorraine is a fucked-up woman. All the blame should rest on her head and her family’s if they were involved.”

Although Judd and Nicole swear they knew nothing about what Lorraine was plotting, they admitted she’s been acting erratic lately. The sheriff says he’s getting warrants for the Ashburys’ phones to verify whether they’re innocent.

Baylee sighs. “I’m afraid I’m going to have nightmares about this forever.”

“Maybe we can find someone to talk to. A therapist maybe? We could even find someone who does it online.”

“That’s a good idea.” She goes quiet, almost like she’s bracing herself for more bad news. “When… when do you have to go back?”

---