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“The judge might let her post bail,” Randy said. “I’m sorry. There is a huge backlog of cases right now and even with a crime like attempted kidnapping, because it’s a custody issue, he might let her out.”
Stunned, Adam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You need to stop that from happening,” Adam said.
Ending the call, Adam was incredulous. He put the baby in her crib, looking around her room to see if it was as safe as it could be. The window could be a point of entry, even with the house on stilts, so he pushed her dresser in front of it. He’d install shutters as soon as he could.
Walking around the house, he made sure the doors and windows were locked. Then he got a beer out of the fridge and sat down to call Katy.
“I’m so sorry! I talked to Calista. You must be beside yourself.”
He told her what Randy said about how she might get bail, too. “I don’t even want to deal with it. I’m having the perimeter of the yard fenced tomorrow with a gate. I’ll have shutters installed. I’m not sure how I can keep her safe knowing Ashlie is out there, willing to risk her freedom to get Adelaide. And by doing so, it makes her appear even more unstable and less able to be a mother to the baby.”
“I wish I had a solution for you,” she said. “How will you be able to return to work now?”
“I feel confident that she’ll be taken care of at the day care. But you’re right, the risk seems huge. I don’t know what I’m going to do right now. I have to work.”
“I’ll go to nursing school so I can support us,” she said. “You can stay home and be the houseparent.”
“You should go to medical school, but don’t worry about that now,” he said, chuckling. “I’m trying to hold it together, waiting to hear if they are going to release her on bail.”
The sound of cars in the driveway distracted him so he got up and looked out the window.
“My entire family just arrived,” he said. “There are two cars full. I guess they must have seen the activity at the hotel and then heard the news on TV.”
“It was on TV?”
“It was. ‘Quick thinking day care worker thwarts kidnapping in Cypress Cove.’”
“Oh my God, my parents must be having a fit.”
“I’ll call you later, okay? The posse is at the door.”
They said goodbye and he opened up for everyone. “Who’s manning the store?”
“We have employees,” Butch said.
“Yeah, but people won’t know what to think if Maw Maw isn’t at the customer service desk.”
“Stop with the chatter,” Genevieve said. “Where’s the baby?”
“She’s finally in bed, safe with a full belly. Go look but don’t wake her up, please.”
Paulina unpacked bags of food in the kitchen. “Who else is coming?” he asked. “I don’t have that many plates.”
“Your sister, April, and her two kids are in the other car. She’s lecturing about behavior. Everyone is reeling from this, sweetheart. That there could have been a much different outcome has us upset.”
“You mean if she’d succeeded?”
“Exactly. Imagine not knowing where your baby is.”
“Thanks, Ma, that really helps,” he said, grimacing.
“Ignorance isn’t bliss in this case. We have to put our heads together. Your pa thinks you need to apply for a conceal carry permit.”
“You mean carry a gun? I don’t think so. I’d be scared I’d shoot myself in the foot.”
“Use your head, Adam! What if she’s got one? How would you defend yourself if she had a gun to your head and told you to hand over your baby?”
The danger of living too close to your family had become a reality to Adam at that moment.
