I’m just finishing up wrapping a science kit for Clara when a soft, unexpected clunk makes all of us jump.
My heart leaps into my throat.
My muscles draw up on instinct, poised to race to Clara and James to protect them.
Georgia half rises, alarm all over her face.
Elle sucks in a sharp breath. Her gaze darts to the door. “What was that?” Though she’s trying to hide it, there’s a nervous tremor to her voice.
My heart leaps in great bounds, slamming hard against my chest.
“Is someone at the door?” Georgia whispers. Throwing a quick glance at Elle, she adds, “Hanna didn’t say she was coming over, did she?”
Georgia shakes her head quickly. “No.” She stands,her attention shifting to the hallway, leading to where the babies lie sleeping. “I’m going to?—”
There’s another soft thunk.
Elle lets out a tiny meep of fright. Then she scrambles to her feet. “I need to go to Noel.”
“Not if someone’s out there,” Georgia hisses.
“Noel’sout there,” Elle retorts.
“Wait.” With a trembling hand, I pick up my phone again. “Let me just check?—”
With a few taps, the view of the hallway appears on the screen.
No one’s there.
From the kitchen, there’s a dull, scraping sound.
Georgia flashes me a fearful look. “What was that?”
For a moment, I cast my thoughts about, trying to figure it out. With the main living space set up in an L shape, I can’t see the kitchen from here. But it would be impossible for someone to get inside, not without breaching all the security, somehow getting over the unscalable perimeter fence, and then climbing up to our second-floor apartment.
Then, a beat later, it clicks.
Not an intruder.
Not some malicious entity coming for us.
With a nervous laugh, I say, “It’s the ice machine. Making ice. That’s what we heard.”
Elle jerks her gaze away from the door to look at me. “Theice machine?”
“Yeah.” I stand and walk into the kitchen, feeling more foolish by the second. I scan the empty room,then turn to go back. “We’ve been talking about replacing the fridge. It’s getting?—”
Georgia and Elle are right behind me, so I almost slam into the two of them.
“The ice maker?” Georgia asks, sounding both annoyed and disbelieving. “I was in a near-panic over someice?”
We all giggle, the relieved sound of three women who let their imaginations get away from them.
“I was ready to call Zane,” Elle says. “And he would have freaked if he thought we were in trouble.”
“Same,” Georgia agrees. “Leo would lose it.”
“Cole would have commandeered a flight home,” I add. “Can you imagine? They all come storming back into HQ and we have to tell them?—”
