Protecting the Single Mom Read online

  They just were.

  And that could get him killed. He couldn’t and wouldn’t tell a soul about his flashback today. It had been a blip. Two seconds. Maybe less. But that’s all it had taken. If Le Grande had been firing his gun, Trent or someone else could have been killed.

  Trent had to find a way to push through his demons. He’d learned to focus more on the moment, and that had helped. But it wasn’t perfect yet. He wasn’t perfect.

  The email pinged again.

  Trent shook off his dour thoughts and read Richard’s note.

  Trent—

  I can’t believe we’ve been on this guy’s case so long and missed this one. Get this. He’s been married before. Even has a kid. And yes, you guessed it, she’s right there in Indian Lake. My team is all over the news. No wonder the creep is in your backyard.

  Keep this on the down low. Except for your COP, I’d play it close to the vest for now. We don’t need anyone alerting her to our knowledge about Le Grande. She could be in on his gang activity. We’re checking that out.

  Trent, I have a man on the inside. Undercover cop. Not just an informant, which I don’t trust completely. He’s feeding me intel.

  There’s not much on her. We tracked down a divorce decree. No particulars other than that. And there was no mention of a kid in the decree. It was six years ago. So maybe he didn’t know about the kid.

  Le Grande chose Indian Lake initially as a transfer station for drug trafficking. This new intel is a game changer. Because of the ex-wife, we believe he’s not lost to you.

  Was it possible that he was getting a second chance? Maybe his luck had turned. He and his men had rounded up every man in the building. They’d only missed Le Grande.

  So, Le Grande had a family.

  Now that was an anchor for any man.

  Trent had never had a family of his own and didn’t think he ever would. Not with his PTSD. But even his two undercover agents had wives and kids. Lives. They didn’t seem to have any problems after Iraq. At least none they talked about.

  Trent finished reading Richard’s note.

  The woman’s name is Susan Kramer. We believe Raoul Le Grande is actually Brad Kramer. They lived on Chicago’s South Side.

  She’s living in Indian Lake under an alias. You’ll find her as Cate Sullivan.

  Trent slammed back against his chair. “Cate Sullivan? The real-estate agent?”

  Cate Sullivan had her photograph plastered on huge agency billboards at the main entrances to town. She was that pretty brunette he’d seen at the Indian Lake Deli from time to time with one of the deli owners, Olivia Melton, who’d just got engaged to Rafe Barzonni. Trent knew the four Barzonni brothers—Gabe, Rafe, Mica and Nate—as well as their mother, Gina, a recent widow, because they donated heavily to the policemen’s widows and orphans fund as well as the City Playground Fund, which Trent spearheaded. He’d even seen Cate with Sarah Bosworth, the wife of his workout buddy, Luke.

  Luke was a former navy SEAL and, along with Scott Abbott, a journalist for the local newspaper and owner of the Book Stop and Coffee Shop; they all tested their skills at the shooting range south of town twice a month. Just yesterday morning, Trent had bumped into Cate at Cupcakes and Cappuccino, Maddie Barzonni’s café.

  Trent swiped his face. So while he didn’t know Cate Sullivan personally, he definitely knew of her.

  This was ludicrous. She seemed like a nice person. A sweet woman, always smiling and polite.

  She was mixed up with one of the biggest drug dealers in the Midwest?

  Trent stared at the email. The longer he was a cop, the more humanity shocked him. He’d thought he’d seen it all in Afghanistan.

  But the thought that Cate Sullivan was part of Le Grande’s heroin trafficking gang—Trent’s heart grew weary with the idea. God help them all.

  CHAPTER TWO

  CATE WALKED INTO the living room during the baby shower for Liz and Gabe Barzonni in time to see her six-year-old son, Danny, holding Liz’s baby, Angelo Ezekiel. Sarah and Luke Bosworth’s children, Timmy and Annie, sat on either side of him. On the floor surrounding the kids was a sea of tissue, boxes and glittery gift bags that Liz and Gabe had clearly opened earlier. The children were oblivious to the mess or the pile of presents to the side of the sofa.

  “Danny, be careful,” Cate said as she deposited a silver tray of petits fours on the linen-covered dining-room table. She’d never been to a couple’s shower like this. Nearly every light in Sarah’s house had been turned on, not to mention dozens of taper candles and votives flickering on the tables, mantel and along the windowsills. The house was so illuminated it could probably be seen from outer space, Cate thought. And everywhere laughter suffused the air with joy.

  “I’m doing good, Mom!” Danny assured her, tilting the baby into the crook of his arm. He looked so grown-up and sure of himself at that moment, her little man. It seemed only a blink ago that Danny was a baby, and here he was already in kindergarten and making new friends.

  Cate looked around. The entire Barzonni family was present, and not one of Cate’s girlfriends was missing. Mrs. Beabots, an elegant eighty-year-old wearing a black vintage Chanel suit with a half dozen ropes of pearls, gold links and colored gems, held court with the newly engaged Olivia Melton and Rafe Barzonni.

  Luke walked through the room with an open bottle of sparkling wine. “Gabe’s vineyard is very proud of their first sparkling crop.” He smiled at Cate.

  “Oh, Luke, wine isn’t a crop,” Cate joked.

  “Why not?” He foisted a wounded look onto the bottle with its gold foil label.

  “It’s a batch,” handsome, black-haired Gabe said, breezing through the clusters of guests with empty glasses and another bottle.

  Luke winked at Cate. “You watch the kids for me? I have to help pour.”

  “Sure.”

  Cate had known Luke when he was married to his first wife, Jenny. She’d sold them their lovely bungalow house. She’d also resold it for him after Jenny died. It all seemed impossible to her that Jenny could be dead. And now, Luke was as happy—or happier—with Sarah, who’d been one of the first friends Cate had met in Indian Lake.

  “Mom!” Danny called as he looked up from the sleeping baby. “Come here. Don’t you think Zeke is cute?”

  “He is,” Cate replied, approaching to look at the baby. “Is his name Zeke? I thought it was Angelo. After his grandfather.”

  “Oh, no,” Annie and Timmy chimed together.

  “It’s definitely Zeke,” Annie stated.

  “Definitely.” Danny and Timmy nodded.

  “He’s got a lot of black hair.” Danny grinned proudly. “Like me.”

  Gabe walked up, put his arm around Cate’s shoulder and said, “You get yours from your mother, Danny. Zeke’s hair is like mine. I’m told a baby’s hair can fall out and grow back another color.”

  Danny’s blue eyes widened. “No way. Is that true, Mom?”

  Cate nodded. “Actually, yes. When you were a baby, you were a towhead. Er, blond.”

  Danny shook his head. “That’s just crazy. Why would I do that?”

  Cate shrugged. “I don’t know. Must have been someone in the family.”

  “Well,” Gabe said as he scooped up baby Zeke, “I have to take him to his momma.”

  Cate was aware Danny appeared slightly reluctant to release the baby. “She probably needs to change him.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Danny said. “Mom, when can we get a brother for me?”

  Before Cate could answer, Annie chimed in. “Good luck with that,” she groaned. “We’ve been asking our mom that for months.”

  “Yeah,” Timmy said. “She’s not listening to us at all.”

  “But you guys have each other,” Danny replied. “I don’t have anybod
y to play with.”

  “Sure you do. Sarah said you can come play with Timmy and Annie after school anytime you want.” Cate held out her hand. “C’mon, sweetheart, don’t you want a cupcake or a petit four?”

  Timmy jumped off the sofa. “Maddie made them special for us! Let’s get Beau.”

  Danny took his mother’s hand as Annie scrambled off the sofa as well and raced away. “Mom, do you think that’s a good idea letting the dog have cake?”

  Cate stifled a laugh. “I think if Sarah says it’s okay, it’s fine. Just take one cupcake.”

  Danny grinned. “Sure, Mom.”

  Cate knew that mischievous look on her son’s face. He was up to something. “Only one treat. No cookie. No petits fours. Just the cupcake.”

  “Aw, Mom!” Danny stomped away as if his shoes were lined with lead.

  Sarah stood next to Cate. “He’s adorable, Cate. The kids love him to pieces, and they all play so well together. Honestly, anytime you have to show a house or do an open house, we’d love to have him stay with us.”

  Cate felt her smile of gratitude bloom. “Sarah, you don’t know what this means. Ever since his regular babysitter moved, I’ve been in a quandary. He hates day care, because all the kids are younger than he is. He’s only six, but he thinks he’s fifteen. He’s growing up so fast.”

  Sarah smiled wistfully. “I know what you mean. Annie is so much the young lady now, it scares me. Her piano playing is astounding and her voice... Last week she asked me if she could enter the Indiana Junior Miss Pageant.”

  Cate’s jaw dropped. “For real?”

  “Uh-huh. You know? I think she’d win.”

  “But that’s...so much, er, notoriety. I mean her photo would be everywhere. She’d be on television,” Cate replied, trying to suppress a wave of niggling fear.

  “Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Oh, absolutely,” Sarah said.

  “So what are you going to do?” Cate put her fingers to her lips as if to stifle her fearful words. Cate hated that her buried demons crept up on her at times like this. Sarah’s decisions had nothing to do with her—or Danny. She and her son were safe. Secure. She’d made certain of that.

  “We’ll go for it. The one thing that Luke and I agree on is that we don’t want to hold the kids back from anything within reason. Too many people go through life trying to do the sensible thing. When it’s all said and done, they wish they’d taken more risks. If the kids fail, at least they tried.”

  Cate kept her gaze on Danny as he and Timmy sat on the floor with Beau, petting him. Danny was the happiest, most well-adjusted little boy she’d ever seen. She loved him beyond measure and would do anything for him.

  Cate knew all about risks. She could write volumes about the determination that came from terror. Half the people in this room didn’t have the first clue about life-and-death risks. Except Luke, possibly.

  He never talked about his time as a navy SEAL, but Cate had always been curious.

  She supposed her caution was because she’d taken a lot of risks for Danny. Risked her life. She still risked her life for him. Daily.

  No one knew that. And they never would.

  “Mom! If I can’t have a baby brother, can I get a dog like Beau?” Danny asked, getting up from the floor.

  He had white icing on his lips. Cate wiped his mouth with the napkin she held. “A dog? I’m not sure. But, I will think about it.”

  “Promise?” Danny asked excitedly.

  “Yes.” It might be time he started learning some responsibilities. “You could help out by feeding and walking it.”

  Timmy patted Beau’s head. “Don’t forget cleaning up the poop. Mom wouldn’t let me do that till I was seven. I have to wear plastic gloves,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Danny nodded seriously. “I could do that.”

  Cate laughed. “Yes, you could.” She ruffled his hair. “We better get our things. Tomorrow is a school day.”

  “I know,” Danny said dejectedly as he gave Beau one last pet.

  “I have to say my goodbyes, Danny. You stay there,” Cate said, going into the kitchen where Sam Crenshaw and Gina Barzonni were pouring coffee. Ever since Gina’s husband, Angelo, had died of a sudden heart attack, Cate had noticed that Liz’s grandfather, Sam, always seemed to be at Gina’s side. Cate wouldn’t be surprised if there was something romantic brewing between the two.

  Sarah was at the sink washing dishes.

  “Sarah, I have to take Danny home,” Cate said. “It was a wonderful party. I think Danny would be happier if Liz let him take the baby with us.”

  Gina laughed. “He’ll have to stand in line. That baby has got half the town wrapped around his tiny fingers.”

  “You can say that again.” Sam smiled, pulling Gina closer to him and giving her a look that was so loving and intimate, Cate nearly winced. No one had ever looked at her like that.

  She knew she’d never give anyone the chance to, either.

  Sarah dried her hands. “Let me give you some cookies to take home. Luke will go nuts if I keep all this sugar in the house.”

  “Thank you, Sarah. That’s so kind. Assure Luke that I’ll dole them out carefully. No sugar overload at my house.”

  Sarah placed six oatmeal-and-raisin cookies inside a plastic container and snapped the lid shut. “Actually, they’re fairly healthy. I made them myself.”

  Cate went to the living room and hugged her friends one by one.

  Mrs. Beabots tugged on Cate’s hand and whispered, “Anytime you want to bring Danny over, I wouldn’t mind watching him. He’s such a good boy.”

  “What a nice thing to say, Mrs. Beabots. I’ll do that.”

  “See that you do,” Mrs. Beabots replied. “Being around the little ones keeps me young.”

  Cate squeezed her hand and went to get her purse. Though she and Danny were the first ones to leave, she noticed that others were starting to say their goodnights, as well.

  Cate buckled Danny in and reversed out of the drive.

  Her house was on the west side of Indian Lake, though not on the lake itself. They were close enough so that she and Danny could walk to the beach, but she didn’t have the sky-high property taxes.

  The 1930s Craftsman-style bungalow was Cate’s third house in town. The same week that she’d landed her first real-estate commission, she bought her first house. It had been a matchbox, but she didn’t care. It had been a start, and they hadn’t needed much since Danny was a baby then. She’d traded up until she’d finally bought this house. It was sturdy, in a good neighborhood and shouted respectability. The house was the antithesis of what Cate felt in her soul.

  She would do everything in her power to make certain her son had a good life. A happy home, security and friends.

  So far, Cate had provided all that.

  But Danny was getting older and asking a lot of questions. Ones that she couldn’t answer or didn’t dare to.

  As was her custom, she parked in the detached garage. Waiting until the automatic garage door lowered, they got out of the car. She locked it and they exited the garage through the side door, which Cate also locked, double-checking the handle to make sure it was secure. They walked the short sidewalk and up the back steps. Cate unlocked the door and they entered the kitchen.

  She turned on the light, reengaged the lock and threw the inside bolt. Again, she tried the handle to make sure the door was tightly shut.

  “So, Mom. Can we talk about what I was talking about?” Danny asked as he took off his jacket.

  Cate glanced out the window. “What? I’m sorry, sweetheart. What did you ask?”

  “A baby brother? Remember? When can we get one?” Danny stood with his hands on his little hips, his face earnest and concerned.

  “Sweetie, in order to do that, I have to have a
husband. And that could take a long time. Then he and I would have to decide if we want anyone besides you. Honestly, I’m very happy with the current arrangement.”

  Danny shook his head. “That’s not how it works.”

  “It’s not?” She couldn’t wait to hear his take on this one.

  “No. You go to the attorney’s office. I saw a sign for one on Main Street. You get the baby there.”

  “Who told you this?”

  “Jessica. She’s in my class. Her mom can’t have any more babies. So they went to the attorney. Now she’s got a sister. I don’t want a sister. I really want a brother. Can you tell the attorney that?”

  The laughter that threatened to explode from Cate was next to impossible to choke back, but she had to. Danny was so serious. This was a complication she hadn’t ever calculated. Cate knew Jessica Anderson’s parents. She’d sold them their house six months ago. She’d wondered why they’d wanted so much extra room. Now she knew.

  “Sweetie, I’m pretty sure that getting a baby like Jessica’s parents did would be very expensive. Right now I can’t afford a baby that way. Plus, I also believe because they had a mommy and a daddy, the adoption went fairly well for them.”

  “Hmm. Yeah. Jessica has a daddy.”

  “A father is an important ingredient for an adoption.”

  “But not for a family, right? Because we’re a family. Even if my daddy died. And he never got to see me.”

  Cate’s heart went out to her little boy. There was so much he was missing because he didn’t have a father. Sure, there were thousands of boys without a father, but she’d never planned to be a single mother. She’d wanted the dream. A knight in shining armor. Happily-ever-after. Still, she’d been granted the most perfect child a mother could ever want.

  Danny was her blessing. She’d take that.

  “Yes. He never got to see you, but I know he sees you from heaven. Don’t you think?”

  Danny smiled, as he always did when they talked about his father. “Yeah.”

  “Okay,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Time for your bath and pajamas. I’ll run the water. You pick out a book for me to read to you.”