Finding Her Son(46)

“You were showering after last night’s first round of…exercise. Luckily, he was in the country.” Mitch cupped her face in his and lowered his lips to hover over hers. “This is a long shot. You know that.”

She twisted under his arms and faced him. “Don’t try to kiss your way out of this. I thought we had an agreement. You’re keeping me out of the loop on the best chance we have.”

“To stop you from doing anything crazy,” he muttered under his breath.

She bristled, and he cleared his throat. “Look, we know Marie went to Perry. But we still aren’t sure if she’s credible. She hasn’t called back. If that was even Marie on the phone in the first place. I’m trying to protect you. I just don’t want you disappointed.”

She sucked in a deep breath. “It’s the best chance I’ve ever had, Mitch. Don’t leave me in the dark. I’ve been there for too long.”

He hugged her close, resting his chin on the top of her head, and she settled against him, drawing strength. “I need you to believe in the possibility right now. Please. No pessimistic, cop attitude. Just be the man in my life who believes in me, who is honest with me, who is my partner.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I’m in your corner, Emily. Always.”




MITCH SLID HIS LONG shirtsleeves up. A drop of sweat trickled down his back as he hunkered in the rental car. “Eighty degrees in December is just plain wrong. Give me Colorado’s snow and cold over Orlando, Florida, any day. I like winter.”

Emily had tucked her knees up under her chin as she stared at the house across the street. Her face was tense, wary, her optimism fading after so many hours.

He slid his hand on top of hers. He wanted everything to work out, but there were so many missing pieces, too many unanswered questions. Even if they found Joshua, Emily would still be in danger. For now, he had to keep her spirits from sinking after the high hopes she’d had. “We still have a chance.”

“I thought we’d come down here and just find him. It would finally be easy.”

They’d peeked into the window of the first address. Recent photos had decorated the walls. The baby had been of African-American descent.

Noah hadn’t had any better luck in Jacksonville. His quarry had had red hair and freckles. Even looking scruffy, the man had charmed the kid’s mother in the park, getting her to show him the boy’s baby photo. No resemblance to Joshua.

“We still have two more possibilities. Noah hasn’t called yet about his second family.”

“Maybe we’re in the wrong place,” she said. “Maybe Marie lied.”

“Where’s that faith you wanted me to give you?”

“I’m running on empty, Mitch. What if he’s not in Florida at all? What if Marie is just some sick person who wanted to hurt me? Maybe one of Victoria’s friends playing a cruel joke…”

“Then we’ve had a ride in Noah’s Citation, and we regroup. We take advantage of the appointment you made at the adoption agency.” Mitch kissed her. “We don’t give up. You taught me that.”

Mitch’s phone rang, and he pressed the speakerphone. “Noah. What you got, man?”

“Sorry. It’s not him. This little boy has dark hair, so I was doubtful, but these people are his aunt and uncle. His parents were killed in a car accident, and they adopted him.”

“Thanks. You heading back this way?”

“I’ll be ready to take everybody home when you’re finished there.”

Emily’s fallen expression nearly broke Mitch’s heart. She bowed her head and pressed her eyes against her tucked-up knees. His hand reached over and kneaded the back of her neck. “We still have this house. It’s not over yet.”

She sighed and tilted her head toward him. “This is the last chance.”

“You’re wrong. Perry gave us more than this lead. We have the phone number to the adoption agency. With Dad’s help and Noah’s taxi service, we have options.”

Emily took a shuddering breath. “Right. Options.”

Her eyes tracked to an SUV coming toward them. The vehicle pulled into the driveway and Mitch checked the license plate against his list.

“Jim and Judy Greenley.”

Emily started to open the door.

“Not yet. No ambush. Let’s take it slow. I don’t want to scare them into calling the local cops. We still don’t know who the mole at the Denver PD is.”

Emily bit her lip. She nodded when Mitch’s phone blared in the quiet car.

“That can’t be Noah.” He glanced at the caller ID. “Tanner. Damn.” Mitch shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Not a distraction I need right now, since he doesn’t know we left Colorado.”

Emily’s phone rang. She jumped, then scanned the screen. “Tanner must really want to talk to us.”

“If it were news, Dad would’ve let me or Noah in on it. I’d rather return Tanner’s call after we find Joshua and are back in Colorado.”

Mitch studied the scene from where they’d parked. A man opened the front door and reached into the back, pulling a squirming baby out of a car seat. The flash of light brown hair looked promising; the blue shirt and denim overalls screamed boy.