Forever Hers by Walters, Ednah (top 50 books to read txt) 📕

“Home,” he said. “They only stopped by for a brief visit.”

“Will they come again?”

“No, sweetheart, but maybe you can visit them.” He realized his mistake when his eyes met Amy’s. There was a flash of irritation in her blue eyes. He ignored it and continued to smile for the sake of the child.

But he wasn’t smiling later when Amy set up the table for one and told him primly that dinner was served. “If there anything else you’d like with your meal, let me know.”

Eddie stared at her in confusion. “Where are you eating?”

“The bedroom. Raelynn and I are having a picnic.”

She’d outdone herself, but the food tasted like sawdust. He missed her and Raelynn. Determined not to show it, Eddie ate alone.

The next morning, he came back from a run and found her and Raelynn dancing and cooking. They had their breakfast in the kitchen and served his on the patio. He realized what she was doing and it annoyed him. She wanted to use her position as the housekeeper as a barrier? Fine. He’d see how long she lasted.

Wednesday was Farmers Market day. He accompanied her and Raelynn and thoroughly enjoyed watching her shop. She took shopping for the right vegetables and fruit seriously. But the fun went out of the trip when they stopped for something to eat and vendor assumed they were a family.

“No, we’re not. I’m his housekeeper.”

Eddie wanted to shake her.

Back at the lake house, he fired up his computer and read reports as he ate, chuckling when there was nothing amusing in the files Sly had sent him, until he caught her eye and waved her over. “Could I have more orange juice, please?”

She retrieved the bottle of orange juice and served him.

“Uh, salt and pepper would be nice too.” He waited until she was putting the two wooden containers beside him and added, “I forgot. I could use more paper towels.”

Her eyes flashed, but she went back and brought the wicker tray holding the paper towels. The fork slipped from his hand just when she arrived at the table. He picked it up and handed it to her.

Her hand clenched on the paper towel tray and for one brief moment, he was sure she would hit him on the head with it. She slowly put the towel holder down then went to get him a clean fork.

He had her running up and down, even heard her vow to bury him in an unmarked grave. He had to give it to her. She hung in there, sometimes muttering under her breath, other times biting her lower lip to stop herself from saying something. He pretended not to notice. He gave her until dinner tomorrow to give in, but he hadn’t factored in her stubbornness.

For two days, she refused to give up on her perfect housekeeper idea, impressing the hell out of him. Even when Raelynn carried her plate to the table and ate with him, Amy didn’t waver. Her smile cracked a few times, but his Amy had been replaced by a Stepford wife.

His investigation on both cases, the local robberies and Nolan, were moving along nicely.

“You forgot to mention he’s a cop,” Rod said the first time they spoke.

“Right now think of him as a suspect. I want to know where he is twenty-four seven, who he meets, his latest girlfriend or boyfriend, or if he wakes up in the middle of the night for a midnight snack. He doesn’t take a piss without you knowing.”

“Damn, Fitzgerald. What the hell did this man do?”

“He hurt someone I care about and her little girl.”

Rod cursed. “Then he deserves to go down. Twenty-four hours surveillance means I need a partner, but Lambert already figured that out. Hailey will be here tomorrow morning.”

Rod might be a chameleon and surveillance expert, but there was no security system Hailey couldn’t breach. The day after that phone call, they uploaded surveillance footage on a private server at their security firm’s website and Ken sent Eddie a password to access them. The videos kept coming, but Nolan hadn’t done anything worth getting excited about. As for Ken, Eddie owed him a gratitude that could never be repaid.

The local case proved to be much easier to solve. An idea popped in Eddie’s head as he read the police reports. Most of the homes robbed were time-share properties, which meant the occupants hadn’t been the target. He focused on the two companies managing the times-shares and found a link—they had acquired the homes quite recently.

First, he called Sally.

“No, we didn’t check the companies. Why would they rob their own homes?”

“I have theory I’m working on.”

“Call us if it leads to something. We found the landscape guy. He said he went drinking with friends and when he came out, his truck was gone. He even reported it missing.”

“I’m sure Nolan and his man ditched it somewhere. Keep me updated.” As soon as he hung up, he pulled out Lauren Holliday’s card and punched in numbers. “Lauren, Eddie here.”

“Is everything okay? I feel terrible that bastard came so close to the house and I didn’t know. Amy will never let me babysit for her again. She insisted it’s not my fault but I feel so terrible. If I were her, I would never…”

Eddie leaned back against his chair and watched Raelynn, Jimmy and Sam at their usual spot in the sand pit, temporarily tuning Amy’s friend out. The woman could talk a person’s ear off. Amy was on her computer inside the house but he knew she was keeping an eye on Raelynn through the surveillance cameras. He admired her vigilance, but at the same time, he hated the fact that she had to be because of her bastard ex.

“Eddie!”

His attention shifted to the phone. “Still here.”

“I asked you if you’re sure you can catch Nolan.”

Eddie frowned. His goal was to have Nolan behind bars before he left Sandpoint. He’d given Amy and Raelynn his word. “I will.”

“Well then, what can I do