Read Online Sweet Gone South by Alicia Hunter Pace - Free Book Online

Susie kept telling him not to worry about it, that Emma wasn’t ready yet — despite the fact that she wouldn’t tolerate a less than pristine diaper for fifteen seconds. She sometimes woke him in the middle of the night to change her.
    Still, he couldn’t help thinking if Carrie were still alive, everything would be on schedule. Carrie had been organized, efficient and — most of all — sure of herself. She had run a multi-million dollar business, several charities, and their home with seemingly no effort. And all the while she’d loved him, made him laugh, made him smile. He was sinking but there was an end in sight. It wasn’t the perfect end; a mother would be the perfect end. But it was a solution. Wednesday, he was interviewing three prospective nannies.
    For once, Luke immediately fell into a deep, restful sleep — so deep that he thought he was dreaming about a ringing bell when the phone rang. He reached for it but didn’t raise his head from the pillow.
    “Hello,” he said around a yawn.
    “Judge Avery, this is Jack Greer. Sorry to wake you.”
    “That’s all right.” And it was. Sherriff Greer was not the kind of man to make a late night call without reason. Luke sat up and glanced at the clock. One o’clock. He’d been asleep less than an hour.
    “I need a search warrant,” the sheriff said. “I’ve got a body out here on Route 439. Domestic dispute, we think. We’re pretty sure the suspect’s hiding at his brother’s house but they won’t let us in.”
    “Sure.” Luke stood up.
    “I can have a deputy at your house in ten minutes.”
    “You know I’ve moved?”
    “Yeah. Downtown, above the candy store.”
    “Tell him to go to the ground floor door around back. I’ll meet him down there.”
    Luke pulled a pair of sweatpants over his shorts. This was the first time he’d been called for a warrant in the middle of the night but it was bound to happen. Emma was sleeping soundly but he took the baby monitor with him when he went downstairs to wait.
    The doorbell rang sharply and reverberated throughout the entire building, upstairs and down. Damn it all to hell! The officer must have parked the squad car in front and walked around. To be fair, he hadn’t said anything about not ringing the bell, but that’s what he’d wanted to avoid when he’d said he’d be waiting. He punched in the security code, jerked the door open, and held the monitor to his ear. No sound from Emma’s room.
    “Judge,” the deputy said, stepping inside.
    Luke took the clipboard and looked over the form. “Do you swear that these allegations are true?”
    “I do,” the man replied.
    “Good luck.” He signed his name and handed the clipboard back to the deputy just as the door to the stairwell flew open and Lanie appeared bleary-eyed, tousle-haired, and half-naked.
    Well, maybe not half-naked, but in shorts and a clingy little shirt with some straps that looked like they might not make it through a strong wind. Great idea. He let his eyes feast on her as he closed the door behind the deputy. After a peek at her leg that time, he should have known she would have a body like this, but out of sight, out of mind, and it was definitely out of sight in those baggy chef’s pants and aprons.
    She froze in place and crossed her arms over two very pert, very perfect breasts. They were not over large but they were firm and luscious looking. Then she blushed and moved one of her arms to shield her lower torso.
    “Sorry.” He found his voice. “I had to sign a warrant. I meant to catch him before he rang the bell.”
    “It’s fine. I was afraid something was wrong.”
    It is. Lots of wrong out there. Just not in your world.
    “Just a day’s work. I’m sorry the doorbell scared you. I’ll be more careful next time.” He dawdled over resetting the alarm and turning off the lights so he wouldn’t have to watch those fabulous legs and bouncing bottom ascend the stairs in front of him. But that didn’t stop