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A.J. babbled something and Gabe pulled away, turning to Kylie. “What happened? How did he get all the way out here?”
“I’m not sure,” Kylie said, green eyes wide and worried. “I was in the kitchen when I heard a noise outside. Vincent gets strays dumped out here sometimes so I went to check, and there he was, sitting right over there.” She pointed toward a corner of the house. “Next to that bush. He wasn’t crying or anything, but he sure seemed glad to see me. He’s such a sweetie.”
At that moment, Vincent exited the house. Kylie’s gaze bounced to her fiancé. She pressed her lips tight, saying no more.
Vincent shot a cocky glance toward Brooke before sauntering confidently up to Gabe. “We found him for you, Boss. Called you the minute Kylie spotted him.”
“I don’t know how to thank you,” Gabe said, offering a hand.
Distaste curled in Brooke’s belly. Vincent was not a man to do good deeds, but he knew how to take credit. What stunned her was the way everyone fell for his charm, even Gabe.
“No problem, Boss. Little tike could get hurt wandering that far from home. Glad we could be the ones to save him, all things considered.” He shot another pointed look toward Brooke. She didn’t buy his con for a minute. He had to be involved somehow. She glared, telegraphing her disbelief.
The sheriff came striding up, hat dusting the side of his uniform pants. “What happened here?”
“Well.” Vincent looped an arm over Kylie’s shoulders. “The way me and my fiancée see it, Gabe’s little boy must have strayed from home. We’re mighty glad he made it safely here to responsible people like Kylie and me. No telling what might have happened if the wrong person had found him. Who was supposed to be watching him anyway?”
The snide remark, clearly aimed at her, threw Brooke into a rage. She flew at him, finger stabbing the air in front of his nose. “You did this. You knocked on my door to distract me and then you took him.”
Vincent caught her finger and laughed in her face. Brooke yanked away from his painful grip.
“You must think I’m some kind of a superhero if I could knock on your door and steal a kid at the same time.” With an arrogant shrug, he sent a wide, overly sincere gaze around the circle of adults as if to say, “See what I have to endure from this crazy woman?”
Furious and frustrated, Brooke’s fisted her hands at her sides so he couldn’t see them shake. “I don’t care how much you lie, Vincent. I believe you’re responsible.” She spun toward the sheriff. “Ask him where he was an hour ago. He did this, sheriff. He took that baby.”
Vincent guffawed. “Now why would I do that, Brookey?”
She whirled on him. “Shut up. You just shut up and stop lying.”
Gabe caught her arm. “Settle down. You’re not helping.”
“He did this, Gabe.”
“Now, Brooke,” the sheriff warned. “We know about the bad feelings between your families, but accusing a man of kidnapping is serious.”
“Ask him.”
“All right. Vincent, I believe you, boy. I know you didn’t have anything to do with this child getting lost. You been here all afternoon?”
“Sure have. Isn’t that right, honey?” Vincent squeezed Kylie closer, his muscles bulging across her slim shoulders.
All Kylie said was, “I’m glad we found him.”
“There we go then,” Sheriff Diggers said. “Case closed. The important thing is this child is safe and sound, back in the care of his father. Now, let’s get over to Wesson’s place and spread the word. Lots of good folks still out there searching.”
Police gear rattling at his hip, he pivoted and headed toward his cruiser.
Without a word to Brooke, Gabe and A.J. followed.
Gabe didn’t sleep much that night or the next two nights. Plagued with what-might-have-happened, he’d taken A.J. into his own bed and then lay awake watching him breathe. As thankful as he was that his son had been found alive and well, he couldn’t get the circumstances out of his mind. Something didn’t jibe.
He’d contemplated a monetary reward for Vincent and Kylie, and considering the upcoming wedding, he’d probably follow through, but he remembered the look on Kylie’s face and the way she’d seemed hesitant to back Vincent’s story. Was his employee lying about something? Or was he simply glad to put Brooke in a bad light?
