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How could Jon keep Annie and Kylie safe? He’d barely slept after the revelation that Hussert was free, and he took his coffee out to the deck to watch the sun come up. The scent of dew on the freshly mown grass blended with the aroma wafting from his mug, but the sense of contentment he usually enjoyed was gone this morning.
The men who had taken Hussert out of the hospital confirmed that he hadn’t committed his crimes alone. And that meant the woman and the daughter he loved were likely still in danger. If Lissa was more involved than she’d admitted, Kylie’s testimony could send her to jail too.
That reality pushed his own problems aside. He could always find another job, but Annie and Kylie were more precious than his own life. How quickly life had changed by coming to Rock Harbor. It had been a roller coaster, but the journey had only emphasized how empty his life had been without Annie.
He shot off an email to Bree before he had second thoughts about his idea.
The screen door squeaked, and he turned to see Annie tiptoeing out with a mug in her hand. Milo followed her, and thepuppy darted down the steps to do his business. Annie’s blonde hair, still damp from her shower, flipped up a little on the ends, and she wore her Park Service uniform of dark-green pants and a gray shirt.
He pushed a chair out with his foot so she could sit. “Got a big day at work?”
She put her phone on the table. “I’m going to check in with Mason before I head out to see what’s on my desk.” She settled on the chair and took a sip of her coffee. “You seem very serious this morning. Did Nate’s parents upset you?”
“It wasn’t fun. But I’m more concerned about the Hussert situation. It’s not only that he’s free but that he had help. That speaks volumes about this case being bigger than we anticipated. And I’m worried he may come after you or Kylie.”
Her hand lifting her coffee cup paused in midair. “Kylie?”
“I don’t believe for a minute Lissa is clueless about what he was doing. That means Kylie could testify against her. She was in Lissa’s car after Sarah took her. That makes her an accessory to child abduction. Mason hasn’t charged her yet because he was trying to gather more information, but if Lissa’s arrested, the other people involved in this could target Kylie too.”
Annie set down her mug. “You’re right. We’ll watch her like a hawk.”
“I think she should go with Bree and Kade to Wisconsin Dells for a few days. She’d be away from here and safe with them.”
Jon watched the puppy nose through the dandelions while Annie thought through his suggestion. Milo was growing as fast as the weeds in the yard, and he looked more like his sire, Samson, every day.
“I would fret every day she was gone,” Annie said. “And thisis a family vacation for them. I’d hate for them to have to worry about one more child.”
His phone vibrated with a message, and he glanced at Bree’s response. She said she’d thought about inviting Kylie but didn’t think Annie would agree. Studying Annie’s mutinous expression, he had a battle ahead.
“I already asked Bree, and she just answered.” He handed her his phone before Annie could marshal arguments against his plan.
She scanned the text. “You shouldn’t have asked her without talking to me first.”
“You’re right, but I’m worried, Annie. This would give us time to figure out who took Hussert and why. It’s a good plan, and Bree wants her. She was going to ask anyway. And you know Kylie would love it.”
“But there’s her celiac disease too. I’m not sure Bree realizes how hard it is to make sure she doesn’t ingest gluten. It’s everywhere, especially in restaurants.”
“Kade told me they’re renting a condo and cooking most meals. We can send her gluten-free bread and other food items to make it easier.”
Her frown deepened. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” The way she worded it made it sound like an insult.
“You don’t have to decide right now. You can think about it.”
“We don’t have long. They’re leaving tomorrow, and I’d have to get her packed up. And what about Nate’s parents? She’ll want to see them.”
“Dad said they never checked in to the Blue Bonnet. I think they’re gone. Maybe they went to Houghton or maybe they headed home.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she stared down. “Without a word to me or Kylie?”
“They feel betrayed. The news came out of the blue.”
And so did his own sense of insecurity. He’d thought he’d left the trauma of the past behind until seeing them. How much had Annie loved Nate? More than she loved him now? It was hard to consider that might be true.
She rubbed her forehead. “I know. Let me try to call them.” She placed the call, then bit her lip and inhaled. “Maryanne, good morning. I wondered when you wanted to get Kylie for shopping.” Her face fell, and she looked down at her lap. “I see. I’m so sorry, but can we—?” She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. “She hung up on me. They’re at an airport hotel in Houghton and are leaving in an hour to return to New York.”
He winced at the wobble in her voice. “I’m sorry, love. This will hit Kylie hard.”
She cleared her throat and nodded. “But a trip with Bree would wash away the disappointment.”
