He gets a fond smile. “I did. I was a rookie when I first met her and your grandpa. She was a real sweetheart.”
“Yes, she was.” My voice hitches.
Before he can say anything else, Knox, Officer Pritchard, and Officer Mallory come out of my house. Finn squeezes my hand in reassurance, and I squeeze him back to say thank you.
Knox runs a comforting hand down my spine as he gives me an update. “Officer Pritchard was right in her assumption. Doesn’t look like he got any further inside before taking off. We’ll get your window boarded up, but I think you and Whiskey should stay with us for a while longer.”
I nod. “Will you come inside with me?”
He gives me a look. “Try and stop me.”
* * *
“So the cameras didn’t pick up anything?” Gia asks, taking a sip of her glass of wine.
I shake my head, picking at my mostly full plate. Holt and Gia invited us over for dinner tonight after hearing about the break-in. Knox and I were both grateful for the distraction.
The kids have been playing in the living room since we finished eating, giving us the chance to talk freely without any of them picking up on our worry.
Knox and I went through the security footage with the officers this afternoon, but Alex managed to stay out of full view of the cameras. It’s incredibly frustrating because we can’t use it to prove he’s broken both his parole and the protective order.
We talked to the detective in Wyoming to see if they can track Alex down, but he’s in the middle of a murder investigation. He said he’d assign someone to the task, but I have very little hope that they’ll be able to do anything before Alex makes his next move.
“What’s the plan in the meantime?” Holt asks.
“Farrah’s going to stay with us until either the cops in Wyoming locate him or he shows himself here,” Knox answers.
Gia raises her eyebrow. “That might be a while.”
I shrug. “He’s already made his presence known, and he’s too impatient to wait much longer than a week. I’d imagine seeing me living with Knox will piss him off enough to act sooner rather than later.”
Gia tilts her head in agreement. “Narcissists do tend to be territorial over what they perceive as theirs.”
“Are the girls ready for school to start again?” I ask to change the subject. The first day back is next week, and then we’re hosting Finn’s science-themed birthday party. I’ve had a blast planning it with him. We’re going to set up experiments for the kids to try, and we’ll have little white coats and safety glasses they can take home.
Knox surprised me by being just as involved in the planning as I am. He scoffed at me and told me I needed to see pictures from Finn’s fifth birthday party two years ago. Apparently, they had a massive dinosaur bouncy castle, and they got to dig up pretend bones like archaeologists.
It was a reminder that Knox has been raising Finn all by himself for years. I’m not really sure how he’s managed it. The more time I spend with Finn, the more I’ve come to realize how incredible he is. While some kids have a great personality on their own, most kids are a product of how they’re raised. Finn wouldn’t be the kid he is if Knox didn’t put his all into being a good dad.
I’ve been dying to ask Knox about Finn’s mom. Thereisn’t even a picture of her in the house, but every time I think to bring it up, I chicken out before I can say anything. I wouldn’t want someone to flat-out ask about my past either.
He deserves to tell me on his own time, but I’m starting to get the feeling he won’t ever talk about it unless prompted.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The Best Daddies in the World
Emmett
Do you want me to have my army buddy look up this Alex guy?
Holt
Yes.
Grayson
You definitely need to do that.
