honestly, how could a few questions hurt?
Shelby raised a hand to her forehead, grimacing as if she had a pounding headache. “Yes, I do. And I told you, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. What more can you do tonight, anyway?”
He wasn’t used to anyone questioning him, but at this point, he hated to admit she was right. Maybe it would be better for Cody to have a good night’s sleep. “All right. Tomorrow then. No more stalling.”
“I’m not stalling.” Impatience laced her tone. “I want to know who is after him as much as you do. But I’m concerned about Cody’s mental health, too. How much can a child take without breaking? What if all of this haunts him for the rest of his life?”
For a long moment, they stared at each other, on opposite sides of a line drawn in the sand.
Alex sighed in frustration. He strove to hang onto his temper. “I don’t know,” he allowed. “I don’t want Cody hurt any more than you do. But I can’t help if I don’t know what the danger is.”
“I thought you’d already had a list of suspects? Including my father.” Shelby arched one brow. “If I recall correctly, you’ve accused Cody’s grandfather of a despicable criminal act.”
Stunned, he stared at her, unable to come up with a response to that. His son irrevocably tied his life to Russ Jacobson’s. Lashing out at Shelby’s father wouldn’t win him any points. “I won’t question Cody without your permission, okay? We need to work together on this.”
Shelby eyed him warily for a tense moment. And then her shoulders slumped as if she’d been carrying the weight of a huge burden. “You’re right. We need to work together.”
He wanted to go to her, to ease the tension from her muscles. To pull her into his arms, offering comfort. Her features were fragile, as if another wrong word would make her break. She turned away, putting distance between them. “I’m going to put Cody to bed.”
“May I join you?”
His question halted her midstep and she swung around to face him. “What?”
“I’d like to help put Cody to bed.” Why was she staring at him like that? He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. What did putting a kid to bed entail? Tucking him in? Reading a bedtime story? He hadn’t done fatherly things with Brianna, and now he wished he had. He might be out of his league with this fatherhood stuff, but something made him stand there while Shelby stared at him in frank dismay. Maybe Cody didn’t feel comfortable with him yet, so he’d act more like a father, starting now.
He couldn’t protect Cody if his son didn’t trust him.
“I—guess.” Her stark frown of disapproval was not reassuring.
Alex almost let her off the hook, but held his tongue. With obvious reluctance, her back stiff and unyielding, she kept pace with him as they climbed the stairs together.
Inside his room adjacent to hers, the boy giggled as the puppy growled and pounced when his foot moved beneath the covers. The sound of Cody’s childish laughter made Alex grin.
Shelby went over to Cody’s bed and sat on the edge beside him. “Did you brush your teeth?”
Cody nodded vigorously. “Yep. Kayla gave me a toothbrush. How come dogs don’t have to brush?”
“Because they have special treats that help keep their teeth clean.” Shelby gently pushed the puppy aside, so she could pull the covers up to his chin.
“Why can’t we use treats instead of toothpaste?” Cody persisted, more, Alex thought, to keep her talking than because he wanted to know. Either way, Alex noted Shelby never lost patience with Cody’s stream of questions.
“Because people treats have sugar in them and sugar is bad for our teeth.” She leaned over to hug and kiss him, even as he opened his mouth for another question. She forestalled it by placing a finger over his lips and giving him a no-nonsense look. “It’s time for bedtime prayers.”
As if someone flipped a switch, the boy quieted down. He pressed his tiny
Shelby raised a hand to her forehead, grimacing as if she had a pounding headache. “Yes, I do. And I told you, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. What more can you do tonight, anyway?”
He wasn’t used to anyone questioning him, but at this point, he hated to admit she was right. Maybe it would be better for Cody to have a good night’s sleep. “All right. Tomorrow then. No more stalling.”
“I’m not stalling.” Impatience laced her tone. “I want to know who is after him as much as you do. But I’m concerned about Cody’s mental health, too. How much can a child take without breaking? What if all of this haunts him for the rest of his life?”
For a long moment, they stared at each other, on opposite sides of a line drawn in the sand.
Alex sighed in frustration. He strove to hang onto his temper. “I don’t know,” he allowed. “I don’t want Cody hurt any more than you do. But I can’t help if I don’t know what the danger is.”
“I thought you’d already had a list of suspects? Including my father.” Shelby arched one brow. “If I recall correctly, you’ve accused Cody’s grandfather of a despicable criminal act.”
Stunned, he stared at her, unable to come up with a response to that. His son irrevocably tied his life to Russ Jacobson’s. Lashing out at Shelby’s father wouldn’t win him any points. “I won’t question Cody without your permission, okay? We need to work together on this.”
Shelby eyed him warily for a tense moment. And then her shoulders slumped as if she’d been carrying the weight of a huge burden. “You’re right. We need to work together.”
He wanted to go to her, to ease the tension from her muscles. To pull her into his arms, offering comfort. Her features were fragile, as if another wrong word would make her break. She turned away, putting distance between them. “I’m going to put Cody to bed.”
“May I join you?”
His question halted her midstep and she swung around to face him. “What?”
“I’d like to help put Cody to bed.” Why was she staring at him like that? He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. What did putting a kid to bed entail? Tucking him in? Reading a bedtime story? He hadn’t done fatherly things with Brianna, and now he wished he had. He might be out of his league with this fatherhood stuff, but something made him stand there while Shelby stared at him in frank dismay. Maybe Cody didn’t feel comfortable with him yet, so he’d act more like a father, starting now.
He couldn’t protect Cody if his son didn’t trust him.
“I—guess.” Her stark frown of disapproval was not reassuring.
Alex almost let her off the hook, but held his tongue. With obvious reluctance, her back stiff and unyielding, she kept pace with him as they climbed the stairs together.
Inside his room adjacent to hers, the boy giggled as the puppy growled and pounced when his foot moved beneath the covers. The sound of Cody’s childish laughter made Alex grin.
Shelby went over to Cody’s bed and sat on the edge beside him. “Did you brush your teeth?”
Cody nodded vigorously. “Yep. Kayla gave me a toothbrush. How come dogs don’t have to brush?”
“Because they have special treats that help keep their teeth clean.” Shelby gently pushed the puppy aside, so she could pull the covers up to his chin.
“Why can’t we use treats instead of toothpaste?” Cody persisted, more, Alex thought, to keep her talking than because he wanted to know. Either way, Alex noted Shelby never lost patience with Cody’s stream of questions.
“Because people treats have sugar in them and sugar is bad for our teeth.” She leaned over to hug and kiss him, even as he opened his mouth for another question. She forestalled it by placing a finger over his lips and giving him a no-nonsense look. “It’s time for bedtime prayers.”
As if someone flipped a switch, the boy quieted down. He pressed his tiny
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