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But as she swiveled to go again, he spoke to her back. “But it sounds like we need to talk.”
She looked over once more, her tongue slipping out to dab her lips. “We will. Soon.”
Chapter 25
Asher tromped through the house’s main entryway on his way to his wing, not caring that Neda would yell at him for not taking off his work boots before crossing the tiles she’d just waxed. He needed to get to Harper, not only because he couldn’t stand to be away from her since the fire but also since he needed to relieve whichever staff or family member was taking a turn babysitting her.
Though Luna was already out of the hospital and staying with her mom at Candace’s house, Tender Years would be closed for a few more weeks for repairs. After five days, he couldn’t help wondering how he and his daughter had survived before he’d enrolled her there. The same could be said for his time away from Willow, but he needed to give her a few days to process how her ex still had been able to hurt her, even from the grave.
It still didn’t make sense to him why the woman had blamed Xavier’s rejection on Willow, even after their divorce. Jilted lovers didn’t have to make sense, he guessed. Would it have made a difference if Audrey had known earlier that Xavier was dead? Somehow, he doubted it.
Asher had been giving Willow time to puzzle through the situation, but his waiting time was nearly up. At least he hadn’t been forced to pass any of his other siblings or Jace in the hall. He couldn’t take more questions. His ranch hands had gotten so bad that he’d volunteered to ride the fences earlier to be alone.
Asher paused outside the entrance to his suite. He wanted time to paste on a smile, so he could spend some quality time with his little girl. He didn’t want to admit that he needed to see one of her amazing smiles as much as she required a father who could protect her. Even now he wasn’t certain he could do that for her. If someone had gotten to Luna in her own home, how long would it be before someone reached his child in hers?
He pushed the door open.
“Is that you, Asher?” Dulcie called out as she emerged from the nursery carrying the baby. “Someone’s been waiting for her daddy.”
Harper squealed as she stretched her arms out to him.
Asher started toward her, but at the scream coming from downstairs, he froze.
“What was that?” Dulcie rushed toward the hall.
“No!” He lowered his voice. “Take Harper and hide. I’ll go see what happened.”
Turning, he stopped again, reached in his pocket and tossed his phone to the cook. “Call 911.”
As he ran down the grand stairway from the third floor to the second, he tried not to think about how recently he’d asked another woman to make that same call. Was someone else he loved in danger? Would he be too late to help this time?
When he glanced in both directions on the second-floor landing, he started down again. “Who screamed? Where are you?’
“It’s me, Asher.”
“Mom?”
“In here.”
She seemed to be calling from her suite, so he raced inside. From her scream, he would have expected blood or at least bruises. But from the look of the carefully decorated and always immaculate master bedroom, his mother was the only thing there that hadn’t been touched. Dresser drawers lay upside down, their contents scattered across the floor. Her mattress had been flipped off the bed. Even her antique hand mirror had been shattered on the bathroom tile.
“We’ve been robbed.”
He didn’t bother telling her how obvious that was. “How did they get inside?”
Asher took in the pile of handled boutique bags on the bed. “Were you out shopping?”
“Just for a few hours.”
“That’s all it took. How did they get past Jace?”
“Do you think the thugs overpowered him?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t see any sign of a struggle, at least at the front door. He probably just stepped away.”
Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Jace all afternoon. That he’d been relieved not to have to deal with his possible brother’s questions earlier only made him feel guilty now. Where was he?
“Well, what about the alarm system? Was it on?”
