Read Online Beginning of Forever (Heaven Hill #7) by Laramie Briscoe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laramie Briscoe
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before Stephanie broke it and went inside.
“What is it about that girl?” she whispered. Her hands were shaking as she went to back out of the drive. There was something about her that didn’t ring true, that seriously gave Meredith the creeps. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled her phone out of the console and took a picture of the girl’s license plate. Chances were it was a fake plate, but it would give Steele a place to start. By the time she got back on Monday, she wanted to know what she was dealing with.
*
A few hours later, Meredith was feeling more accomplished than she had earlier in the day. Her nerves had calmed down enough that she had been able to give the house a thorough cleaning, she’d done all the laundry, and now she stood outside, cleaning out the SUV. It always amazed her how dirty it got, even though it was normally just her and Addie inside it. Beside her, the baby monitor buzzed, and she could hear Addie on it.
“Mama,” her voice was clear.
There had been a time in her life when Meredith had thought she’d never hear that word, especially aimed at her. It warmed her heart now as much as it did the first time she’d heard it.
“Hey.” She waved as she made her way into Addie’s room. They’d moved her from a baby bed into a big girl bed, but there was still a rail on it so the little girl couldn’t roam by herself. “Did you sleep well?” she asked, picking her up and hugging her small body.
The smell of a little girl was something that made Meredith feel like she was coming home. If there was ever a time when she questioned if she had made the right decision to go through with the adoption, that was answered every single time Addie threw her arms around her neck and snuggled in.
“Yeah,” she answered. “Thirsty.”
They made their way to the kitchen, and Meredith went to work getting a snack ready and pouring her a sippy cup full of juice. As she finished slicing an apple and grabbing a few cubes of cheese, she had a seat at the table and put the pate in front of Addie, who sat in her high chair.
“Mer?”
That was odd. Tyler was supposed to be at the shop for a few more hours at least.
“We’re in here,” she yelled.
He burst through the doorframe, his eyes bright. “You wanna tell me why you have Steele researching a fuckin’ license plate?”
Blowing out a breath, she rolled her eyes. “Damn, I thought something was really wrong.”
“It is wrong, if you feel threatened in any way.”
“I don’t.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure what I feel. It’s weird.”
“The feeling is weird, or the situation?”
She cut her eyes at him. He’d learned well from their sessions with Doc Jones. “Both.”
He sighed and had a seat at the table. “Why don’t you explain to me what’s going on, and then I can help you determine if the feeling or the situation is weird.”
“I don’t need you to save me all the time, Ty. I’m perfectly capable of making a decision on my own. If I feel threatened, I would definitely tell you that. There’s no way I’d put any of us in harm’s way.”
He counted to ten. Another little trick he’d learned from good ole Doc Jones. “I know you’d never intentionally do something to hurt anyone else, but you of all people should know that everyone is not like you.”
That hurt, but she knew he was right. “Did Travis find out anything?”
“Not yet.”
“Then why the hell did he already sell me out?” Her mouth hung open in shock. There was such a thing as friendly courtesy.
“He was worried that something had happened at CRISIS. He couldn’t get hold of Christine. He did what you should have done and called me.”
“Well I’m here to tell you, things are okay. There’s one woman though, a young one, who came in the other day. There’s something about her that I can’t put my finger on. Something about her seems off, and they found drugs in her room. Christine sent me home so I
“What is it about that girl?” she whispered. Her hands were shaking as she went to back out of the drive. There was something about her that didn’t ring true, that seriously gave Meredith the creeps. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled her phone out of the console and took a picture of the girl’s license plate. Chances were it was a fake plate, but it would give Steele a place to start. By the time she got back on Monday, she wanted to know what she was dealing with.
*
A few hours later, Meredith was feeling more accomplished than she had earlier in the day. Her nerves had calmed down enough that she had been able to give the house a thorough cleaning, she’d done all the laundry, and now she stood outside, cleaning out the SUV. It always amazed her how dirty it got, even though it was normally just her and Addie inside it. Beside her, the baby monitor buzzed, and she could hear Addie on it.
“Mama,” her voice was clear.
There had been a time in her life when Meredith had thought she’d never hear that word, especially aimed at her. It warmed her heart now as much as it did the first time she’d heard it.
“Hey.” She waved as she made her way into Addie’s room. They’d moved her from a baby bed into a big girl bed, but there was still a rail on it so the little girl couldn’t roam by herself. “Did you sleep well?” she asked, picking her up and hugging her small body.
The smell of a little girl was something that made Meredith feel like she was coming home. If there was ever a time when she questioned if she had made the right decision to go through with the adoption, that was answered every single time Addie threw her arms around her neck and snuggled in.
“Yeah,” she answered. “Thirsty.”
They made their way to the kitchen, and Meredith went to work getting a snack ready and pouring her a sippy cup full of juice. As she finished slicing an apple and grabbing a few cubes of cheese, she had a seat at the table and put the pate in front of Addie, who sat in her high chair.
“Mer?”
That was odd. Tyler was supposed to be at the shop for a few more hours at least.
“We’re in here,” she yelled.
He burst through the doorframe, his eyes bright. “You wanna tell me why you have Steele researching a fuckin’ license plate?”
Blowing out a breath, she rolled her eyes. “Damn, I thought something was really wrong.”
“It is wrong, if you feel threatened in any way.”
“I don’t.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure what I feel. It’s weird.”
“The feeling is weird, or the situation?”
She cut her eyes at him. He’d learned well from their sessions with Doc Jones. “Both.”
He sighed and had a seat at the table. “Why don’t you explain to me what’s going on, and then I can help you determine if the feeling or the situation is weird.”
“I don’t need you to save me all the time, Ty. I’m perfectly capable of making a decision on my own. If I feel threatened, I would definitely tell you that. There’s no way I’d put any of us in harm’s way.”
He counted to ten. Another little trick he’d learned from good ole Doc Jones. “I know you’d never intentionally do something to hurt anyone else, but you of all people should know that everyone is not like you.”
That hurt, but she knew he was right. “Did Travis find out anything?”
“Not yet.”
“Then why the hell did he already sell me out?” Her mouth hung open in shock. There was such a thing as friendly courtesy.
“He was worried that something had happened at CRISIS. He couldn’t get hold of Christine. He did what you should have done and called me.”
“Well I’m here to tell you, things are okay. There’s one woman though, a young one, who came in the other day. There’s something about her that I can’t put my finger on. Something about her seems off, and they found drugs in her room. Christine sent me home so I
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