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They were so different, but Carly loved her fiercely.
Amelia pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Thanks, you do too. You dropped your baby weight fast.”
“It doesn’t take long with Noah nursing so often.”
Amelia wrinkled her nose. Carly shouldn’t have said anything about that. Amelia would probably never have a baby—not if it meant gaining weight and nursing.
She turned toward the door. “I’ve got the two of you in the Honeysuckle Suite. It has an attached bathroom.”
It was one of only three bedrooms with baths attached. Emily might squawk, but Dillard would complain even louder if he had to traipse down the hall to a bathroom. Carly watchedhim wrestle two large suitcases from the back of the SUV and roll them toward the house.
“A little help here,” he called. “There are two more just like this.”
They must have packed enough for an army. Carly went down the wide stairs toward the drive. “We do have a laundry room, you know.”
The glance he shot her from under his blond brows held animosity. “We came at your request, but we need all our things. You realize I can’t stay, right? Amelia’s help will have to be good enough.”
“I appreciate that.” Biting back the words she wanted to say, she lugged a suitcase down the sidewalk toward the porch.
“Let me help you with that.”
She turned at Lucas’s deep voice. He grabbed the suitcase by its handle and lifted it off the brick to carry it to the house. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I’ll tell you later,” he whispered back.
He wasn’t even breathing hard as he carried the biggest suitcase of the three up the stairs, into the house, and to the second floor, where they found Amelia and Dillard milling around the old carpet.
Dillard’s appraising glance around the room raised Carly’s hackles. It wouldn’t be his decision what they did with the house—it would be whatever Gram wanted. She was not about to let anyone—not Dillard or her sisters—steamroll her grandmother. They were here to steer her vision to fruition. Gram’s money was riding on the decisions they would all make, and once Emily arrived, Carly would make sure everyone understood that.
Lucas set down the suitcase. “Could I speak with you for a minute, Carly?”
“Of course.” She followed him out into the hall, and he motioned her down the steps before he spoke. “Have you ever met Debby Drust?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“According to some records, she attended some maternity classes at the same time as you. But she never had a baby. And her address is in New York, so she’s not even local.”
Carly absorbed the news. Had Debby been stalking her? The watchful expression in Lucas’s hazel eyes made it clear he felt the same way.
“Do you have a picture of her?”
He whipped out his phone and called up a photo. “She looks like she’s in her forties. Not the usual childbearing age, wouldn’t you say? Not that it’s impossible, but you might have noticed her.”
Carly studied the picture of the attractive blonde. “I remember her. She sat by me in a couple of classes and asked me where I lived. When I mentioned living with my grandmother, she peppered me with questions about Gram’s family. I finally moved to the other side of the room after the break on that last day, and she didn’t show up.”
His eyes narrowed. “She was fishing for information. Carly, I think someone knows about the egg, or at least suspects it’s out there. You might be right and Eric’s death had everything to do with it.”
And they were all in danger.
***
Why on earth was he hanging around?
The tantalizing aromas of shrimp and grits made Lucas’s mouth water. He held little Noah while Carly cooked the dish. He’d left hours ago, then come back when he’d learned more information about the Drust woman.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t the full story. His protective instincts had flared at the way Dillard was treating Carly. And her sister wasn’t much better. When Lucas arrived this time, he’d seen Amelia holding Noah in a precarious way where his head bobbled around. When the baby put his wet fingers on her face, she’d nearly screamed as she thrust him toward Lucas.
The baby made a few soft sounds, and Lucas jostled him up and down until he settled. Why didn’t the baby have Carly’s brown eyes? Weren’t brown eyes dominant? He jerked his attention back to Carly instead of focusing on inane internal questions.
