His Unexpected Family

“Absolutely. Call me tomorrow morning, if you can, so I know how you want to proceed.”

“Thank you.”

As she hung up the phone, Beth and Nina looked at her mutely, their eyes betraying their apprehension.

“Well...” Emily said, the tears welling up in her eyes. “Steve is contesting my right to raise Cora.”

“Oh, Em,” Beth breathed.

Oh, God, is this it? Is this my brush with motherhood?

“What will you do?” Nina asked.

Beth just stood there, a hand protectively over her belly and tears misting her eyes. “Let’s pray.”

They didn’t pray together often. It wasn’t their style; but tonight it felt right. Standing there with her two best friends, the three women bowed their heads.

* * *

Nate’s Steak was a local joint that had been thriving for the past thirty-five years. Nate retired and left the place to his son, Mike, who didn’t change a thing. The wings came in three flavors: hot, really hot and honey garlic, and the steaks were grilled to perfection. There was a reason why the officers at Haggerston made this their favorite meet-up place.

The sun was setting over the town when Greg parked in front of Nate’s Steak and stepped out into the warm evening air. The smell of grilling meat met the sweet scent of hydrangeas that hung in baskets along the downtown streets. Greg looked around the parking lot and spotted three cruisers and a few pickup trucks he recognized from some nearby ranches. He’d be in good company tonight.

As Greg stepped inside, he was met with the hum of voices, the clink of knives and forks against dishes and the general hubbub from the kitchen. Scanning the few tables, he nodded to the people he knew, then headed toward the back of the restaurant where the other officers were.

“Hi, Chief,” Benny called, and the others looked up in welcome.

“Hi.” Greg pulled up a chair. “What’s good tonight?”

“Does it matter?” Nancy asked with a laugh. She was a muscular officer with a steady gaze and a gorgeous smile. Her hair was pulled back in a low-maintenance ponytail, but she was out of uniform, sporting jeans and a T-shirt from Graceland.

“You want the regular, Chief?” Mike called from the counter. Greg gave a thumbs-up and Mike disappeared into the kitchen. He ordered the same thing every time he came by: hot wings and an herbal tea.

“Couldn’t get enough of us, Nancy?” Greg joked.

“Just can’t stay away.” Her tone was dry. “Actually, this beat grocery shopping.”

“And reruns on TV,” Benny added. Nancy gave a shrug of agreement. A jukebox started playing a honky-tonk tune, and Benny tapped the table in time to the music.

“How about you, Chief?” Nancy asked. “Long day?”

Greg nodded, then frowned. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about that 11-80 the other day—the one with the baby.”

“How’s Sweet pea doing?” Benny asked with a grin. They’d nicknamed her Sweet pea that night when Greg brought her back to the station, and Benny had settled in with a bottle of formula and held her for a solid hour.

“She’s doing great.” Greg could feel the smile coming to his face. “She is very well cared for.”

Emily Shaw had been on his mind more often than he cared to admit, but his concern for the case was more than the beautiful kindergarten teacher with her quick smile.

“So what’s not sitting right with you, Chief?” Nancy leaned forward.

“What did we find in the victim’s car?” Greg asked. “The accident happened outside of Haggerston, so we’re assuming she was on her way here. She had family here, after all.”

“That’s right.” Benny nodded. “Emily Shaw, for one.”

Greg nodded. Emily topped his list, too, especially since Jessica Shaw had thought enough of her to name her godmother, but even Emily seemed surprised by the honor. Something felt wrong.

“But what did she have with her? A diaper bag and a purse with a toothbrush inside. She was two hours from Billings, where she lived. Does that seem right?”

“Two hours there and another two back...” Benny shrugged. “Could have been a day trip.”

“What do you think, Nancy?”

“As a woman?”

“Yes, as a woman.”

Nancy gave him a smug look. “So now I’m a woman, am I? I’m just one of the guys when I beat you at push-ups.”

Greg shook his head and laughed. “Don’t rub it in. What do you think?”

“No woman travels two hours one way with a newborn and only brings a toothbrush and a diaper bag. No extra clothes for the baby or anything.” Nancy shrugged. “Something feels off with that.”

“Who does that?” Greg asked.

“A distressed woman,” Nancy replied. “That packing didn’t show any forethought. She was upset about something.”

Greg nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, too.”

“Or a woman who might not make great decisions at the best of times,” Benny said.

Greg gave a smile of thanks to the server as his wings and tea arrived. The wings were plump and saucy, and the little dish of blue cheese dressing on the side was overflowing onto the wings. Crunching on a carrot stick, he looked across the table at Benny and Nancy thoughtfully.

“So was she running away from something?”

“Or someone?” Benny took a sip of his cola and shrugged.

Greg shook his head and picked up a wing. “Wish it made more sense.”

“Is the family suspicious?” Benny inquired.

Greg shook his head. “Not that anyone has mentioned, formally or otherwise.”

He sank his teeth into one of the wings, the spicy sauce making his mouth water. For a few minutes he put his attention into his food, and when he’d sucked the third bone clean, Nancy suddenly said, “If the victim thought someone had tried to kill her, she would have mentioned it, don’t you think? She was alert.”

“But in shock,” Benny pointed out.

Nancy nodded and gave a shrug. “Something isn’t adding up.”