Page 27 of In Pursuit of the Truth

“Sleep well, my boy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, Mommy.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

With that, Bailey backed into the hallway and quietly closed Seth’s bedroom door. She turned, spotted him, and didn’t seem the least bit surprised that he was there.

Nate, on the other hand, took in the way her dark blonde hair cascaded in waves past her shoulders to the middle of her back. His hand itched to reach out and see if it was as soft and thick as it looked.

It didn’t matter that she was standing there in a pair of loose pajama pants and an oversized sweatshirt. Beautiful didn’t even begin to describe her.

His throat went dry, and he swallowed hard. “I’m sorry to intrude. I heard him cry out and came up to make sure everything was okay.”

She nodded and motioned for him to follow her to the top of the stairs so they were farther away from Seth’s room. “I appreciate it. I guess the break-in at the store and everything else has bothered him more than I realized.” She crossed her arms in front of her and frowned. “I wish I’d known—I would’ve done more to reassure him.”

“You were great in there, Bailey. They’re lucky to have you for their mom.”

“Thank you.” She blinked several times and then reached a hand down to pat Minnie. “Maybe, when this is all over, I’ll seriously consider getting a dog. Just knowing you and Minnie were downstairs made Seth feel better.”

“Dogs have a way of doing that.” Nate scratched Minnie’s ear, and his hand brushed against Bailey’s.

She didn’t immediately move hers away. “Dogs and their stubborn owners.”

There was just enough light in the hallway for him to make out the humor that sparked in her eyes. It took everything in him not to reach for her hand, but if he did that, he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from kissing her.

Nate shifted his position and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “I’m glad we can help. Do you think you’ll be able to go back to sleep?”

Bailey pulled the ends of her sleeves down to cover her fingers. “I think so. You?”

“We’ll be fine. See you in the morning.”

She nodded, and Nate made himself turn and go back downstairs. One thing was certain: the image of Bailey standing in the dim light, her hair flowing around her shoulders, was something he’d never forget.

Chapter Seventeen

The rest of the night passed without incident. Nate never heard either of the boys wake up again, and if Bailey had trouble sleeping, he couldn’t tell. He started the day at just before six o’clock feeling rested. Hopefully, they’d make some good headway with clean-up and repairs. With any luck, Jenny or someone else from the police department would contact them with an update.

He got ready for the day. It wasn’t long before thumps and shifting upstairs let him know that everyone else was waking up. From the sound of it, the boys jumped into the day with as much enthusiasm as they tackled everything else.

Both boys stomped down the stairs, closely followed by Bailey. She’d dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a blue T-shirt that brought out the color of her eyes. She’d also pulled her hair up into a bun again, and Nate had to ignore the pang of disappointment at not having the opportunity to see it loose in the daylight.

He focused on the boys as they ran straight over to lavish Minnie with attention.

He chuckled. “I see where I rate.” He ran a hand over his short goatee and mustache. “It’s got to be all her fur. Maybe if I grow the facial hair out a little more, I might have a chance of competing…”

Bailey gave an adorable snort and slapped a hand over her mouth.

Suddenly, he wanted to know what she thought about his goatee and mustache. Did she approve? It shouldn’t even matter to him, but he couldn’t deny that it did. “When I first grew a mustache and goatee in high school, my mom hated it. She said it made me look too old. Unfortunately for her, my dad liked it, and she was outvoted. I’ve kept it ever since.”

“I think the look suits you.” She cleared her throat and tried to corral the boys. “Come on, guys. Go sit down at the table.”

At that moment, Nate was glad he’d listened to his dad instead of his mom.

He followed the family into the kitchen. Seth and Jordan climbed into chairs around the table while Bailey got out several boxes of cereal, milk, orange juice, and set a stack of bowls and four spoons on the table.

She flashed Nate an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. Mondays are cereal mornings.”

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