A Daddy for Jacoby(8)
Geez, now was not the time for his mind to take that detour. “What?”
“Watch your language.”
Her words came out in a whisper so low that he had to read her lips to get what she was saying. “What did I say?”
She straightened and took a step back, again with the crossed arms. A toss of her head sent her curls—including that darn pink one—flying over her shoulder.
“It’s what you were going to say. You’ve got little ears here,” she whispered. “You need to be careful.”
Justin sighed. She was right. Something told him it was a position Gina Steele, egghead extraordinaire, was probably very used to.
“Okay, I get it. Can you do me a favor and check on Zoe?” he asked. “She’s a little…upset.”
Gina stared at him for a long moment, then nodded and left.
“Your mom will be right back,” Justin said.
The boy only stared at him and clutched his bear tighter. Justin grabbed his burger and nodded to the boy’s half-eaten food. The kid started munching again, but the bear stayed right on his lap.
A few minutes later, Gina came back to the table. Alone.
“What’s going—” Justin read confusion on her face. “Where’s Zoe?”
“The ladies’ room was empty.” Gina again kept her voice low as she turned away from the boy. “I checked with Ric, he’s working the front door. He didn’t see her leave. I even checked the parking lot. Nothing.”
A sucker punch hit Justin square in the gut, harder than the one delivered less than a half hour earlier when Zoe had walked back into his life.
She left? She walked away from her own son?
He stared at the boy, who kept his eyes glued to his plate.
“I think we should call Gage.”
The mention of Gina’s brother—now his brother-in-law—caused a familiar ripple of unease. At best, he and the sheriff tolerated each other. Usually from a distance.
“We need to search the place.” Justin slid to the end of the booth. “Maybe she just wanted to find a quiet spot to…I don’t know, to think, to pull herself together.”
“Ric and a few others are looking for her.” Gina put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “I’ll call my brother…just in case. You need to stay here.”
Justin nodded.
Gina left again. He eyed the food, but his appetite was gone. His wasn’t the only one. The boy had stopped eating, his gaze glued to the table. Justin knew he should say something, but his mind was a blank.
Less than fifteen minutes later, Gina was back with her brother right on her heels, but she disappeared when Gage started talking.
“So, what’s going on?” Gage said. “Who’s the little guy?”
The boy shrank into the corner of the booth, his eyes locked on the newcomer. Despite being the sheriff of Destiny for the last decade, Gage rarely wore a uniform. Fully recovered from a gunshot wound that had him in the hospital a few months ago and at just over six feet tall, he could be pretty imposing even in jeans, his trademark leather jacket and Stetson.
Justin rose from the booth. His height matched his brother-in-law’s and blocked the boy’s view. “His name is Jacoby Ellis,” he said, keeping his voice low. “And I’m told—not that I’m a hundred-percent sure—he’s my son.”
The widening of Gage’s eyes and the bracketing of his hands on his hips were his only reaction to the news.
Justin fought against mimicking Gage’s body posture and kept his hands loose at his side. “His mother showed up, introduced us and grabbed a bite to eat. The last I knew she was headed to the bathroom.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Twenty minutes. Maybe a little bit more.”
Gage nodded. “The mother’s name?”
“Zoe Ellis.”
Gina reappeared at her brother’s shoulder. “Racy’s here. She suggested we go to her office. It’s more private and this place is filling up with customers.”
Justin nodded and turned around, but Gina was already there. She grabbed Jacoby’s pillowcase and got him out of the booth. Justin and Gage followed. Racy’s golden retriever greeted them when they opened the office door.
“Oh, it’s okay.” Gina squatted next to the boy when he shrank back, bumping into Justin’s legs. “This is Jack and he’s the sweetest pup. Here, let him smell your hand.”