Unlikely Guardian by Delores Fossen

Author:Delores Fossen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2024-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Jason unlocked the front door to his house, stepped inside and listened for any sound that shouldn’t have been there. He could hear the hum of the air-conditioner. The rhythmic swish of the brass pendulum in the grandfather clock in the foyer. The TV was on low volume in the living room.

All seemed well, but he wasn’t about to take that at face value.

Yes, he was paranoid.

That could happen when only ten hours earlier someone had come close to killing Lilly and him.

There was a plainclothes cop watching TV from the sofa in the living room. Jason nodded and tried to convey his appreciation that the man was guarding the place in his absence. Unfortunately, the guards were a necessary precaution that might have to continue for a while.

Jason didn’t even want to think about how long a while might be.

He continued down the hall. Listening. Staying vigilant. Erica was in the playroom, and even though she was holding a magazine, Jason didn’t think she was reading it. She tossed it aside and practically leaped to her feet when she saw him. But Jason motioned for her to sit back down.

“Where’s Megan and Lilly?” he whispered.

There was little change in Erica’s expression, just a soft intake of breath that had a hint of frustration to it, and she aimed her index finger in the direction of Lilly’s room. “Lilly insisted on having Megan with her,” she said.

Uh-oh.

That had probably caused an argument or two. Not from Megan. But from Erica. Things had probably not gone smoothly while he’d been at headquarters. Still, it couldn’t be helped. He’d had to do reports and he’d wanted to help with the investigation and interrogation of the suspects. Plus, Lilly had needed some rest. And it was a necessity to get her out of headquarters, away from Wayne Sandling and Raymond Klein. For that to happen, he’d had no choice but to send her with the police escort back to the house. Unfortunately, that meant Lilly had had to deal with Erica on her own. He was sorry he hadn’t been here to run interference.

Jason turned toward Lilly’s room, and because the door was open, he spotted her immediately. She was napping not on her bed but on a brightly colored patchwork quilt stretched out on the carpeted floor.

She had a sleeping Megan cradled in her arms.

He smiled, leaned his shoulder against the door frame and watched them. This was one of his favorite moments—watching Megan sleep. When she was awake, she was always on the move, and it was impossible to concentrate on the sheer joy she’d brought to his life. But now, with her resting peacefully, Jason could study her tiny face and relive all the wonderful things that he loved about her. If he accomplished every career goal he would ever have, it wouldn’t come close to the fulfillment he’d gotten just by being Megan’s dad.

And that brought him back to Lilly.

She could take fatherhood from him, but he no longer thought that she would.

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