Barefoot with a Stranger (Barefoot Bay Undercover #2)(73)

His attention shifted back to her, his night vision obviously good enough to allow him to take a long, hard scrutiny of her face, and once again, his expression changed from threatening to curious and, maybe, a little trusting.

“Otherwise…” He leaned closer to lower his voice. “They would be owned by the government and lost forever.”

His honesty gave her the nerve to move on instinct rather than rules. “Se?or Ramos,” she said softly. “This child is my nephew, my brother’s son. Please.” Damn it, her voice cracked. “Do you have any record of where he might have gone?”


“I don’t know,” he said. But it wasn’t a cold refusal to answer. It was a genuine admission that he didn’t have all the facts. Then he angled his head toward the little cottage. “Come.”

He opened the door, and they followed him into a dark room. After a moment, he switched on a small lamp that cast a golden glow over the room, which looked the same as yesterday except for the addition of a tiny cot in the corner, where a little body stirred when the light came on.

A young girl sat up and blinked sleepily. And Chessie had to fight the urge not to scoop Gabrielita up in her arms.

The little girl wiped her eyes and yawned, her attention landing on Chessie, a smile brightening her little face.

“Hello, Gabrielita,” Chessie said, taking a few steps and kneeling down next to the cot. “Sorry to wake you.”

The child obviously didn’t understand, but held out both arms, and Chessie lost the battle, scooping the tiny body into her arms and settling on the dirty floor to hold her. Gabrielita looked up at Ramos as if she expected to be reprimanded for the move, but Ramos smiled.

“Is it okay for you?” he asked Chessie.

She nodded and stroked the girl’s hair, holding her closer. “It’s fine. It’s perfect.” Her gaze shifted to Mal, who looked exactly as he had when he’d warned her earlier…you can’t save them all.

Well, she could hold this one and love her for a few minutes.

Ramos sat on the edge of the bed and dropped his head in his hands, threading his fingers through his hair. Chessie held her breath, praying and hoping and trying not to squeeze the little girl too tight.

“His mother hid here, and we helped her.”

Chessie almost fainted with relief. “Hid? From who?” she asked.

Ramos shrugged. “I do not ask questions when that much money is offered,” he said, his expression unapologetic. “She gave us enough money to buy many books and desks. Everything came from her.”

“What was her name?” Mal asked.

The man’s eyes narrowed as he peered at his visitors. “I am not ever supposed to say.”

“But the boy”—Chessie leaned closer—“is family.”

Ramos gave the shakiest smile. “I can see that.”

She sucked in a soft breath, the words stirring her. Her nephew looked like her? The baby had blue eyes like hers? Of course, she and Gabe were the only blue-eyed Rossis. She couldn’t stop the smile pulling at her lips.

“We called him Rafael.”

“Oh.” Chessie couldn’t help the little sound that escaped and the tears that welled up. “Rafael.”

Mal leaned forward and put a hand on the man’s arm. “Do you know where he is?”

He looked from one to the other. “I know who took him when his mother…”

“She died,” Chessie said. “We know that.”

“Can you tell us how?” Mal asked. “It would be a great comfort to the child’s father to know.”

Ramos turned, his eyes growing cold. “She died in a car accident, hit by a truck. It was very tragic, and the baby was less than a few months old.”

“Oh my God,” Chessie whispered. “How sad.”

He nodded in agreement. “During her pregnancy, she’d been teaching the children, and we were all devastated.”

Emotions swamped Chessie at the news, along with some relief. She could give Gabe closure. He needed that.

“Why was she here?” Mal asked, apparently not satisfied with that closure. “Why would she choose this place to hide?”

Even in the dim light, Chessie saw the flash of something in the man’s dark eyes that disappeared just as fast. “A friend sent her here. And that friend”—he puffed out a breath—“adopted the baby.”

Chessie’s heart swelled, hope overtaking the ache. “Please, please, Se?or Ramos. I’m not going to take the child or upset him if he is in a happy home, you have my word. But…I want to meet him. I want to arrange for him to meet his father.” She blinked and didn’t care that a tear trickled and slipped under her glasses. “I beg you with all my heart and soul to tell me the name of the family who adopted him.”

He took a deep breath and let it out. “It is why I gave you the rosary,” he admitted. “I knew what she would want.”

“Isadora?” Chessie whispered. “The child’s mother?”

He nodded. “She was very special. Very beautiful. In here.” He tapped his chest. “Like you.”

Chessie leaned forward, her arms wrapped tightly around a sleepy child, her heart flat-out on full display. “Please,” she whispered.