shrink he had some kind of superhero complex. He could carry the weight. He could save the world.
Right. He snorted derisively. Tell that in the back alleys of Chicago.
When the phone in his hand suddenly rang, he almost dropped it. A quick glance told him Sophie had gotten the message.
âHey,â he said. âSorry I woke you.â
âYou didnât. I was in the shower.â
He carefully avoided going there. He was, after all, a man. âThe police chief called.â
âDavey?â Concern laced the word. Kade hated hearing it, hated knowing heâd put the worry there.
âHeâs run away from the Cunninghams.â
She sucked in a gasp. âOh, no.â
âIâm headed out there now to help with the search. Thought youâd want to know.â
âIâm coming. Iâll meet you there.â
âGet ready. Iâll pick you up.â He hadnât meant to offer, but he liked the idea of Sophieâs soothing presence in his car. âYou know the way?â
âYes.â
âGood. I donât.â
Heâd started to hang up when Sophie said quietly, âItâs really cold this morning.â
He understood her meaning. Davey was out there.
âYeah.â The chill in Ida Juneâs house had kicked on the wheezing furnace numerous times during the night. âWeâll find him, Sophie. Donât worry.â
âPromise?â Her teasing words warmed him. He could hear her moving around, getting ready as they talked. He should hang up, but he was reluctant to let her go.
âNo promises. Just action.â
âI like the sound of that. Action and prayer work every time, and Iâm already praying. God knows where Davey is.â
âYou let me know if He tells you.â
He expected her to go all defensive on him, but instead she laughed. âI will. Have you had breakfast yet?â
Weird question. âNo.â
âI have coffee ready in the pot and yogurt in the fridge.â
He made a face at the yogurt. âBring me coffee and Iâm your slave forever.â
That warm, throaty chuckle filled his head. âIâm going to remember that.â
They had a runaway kid to find and he was flirting with a schoolteacher. No wonder heâd lost his edge. Try as he might, he couldnât resist. And he didnât try too hard.
âKade?â
âYeah?â
âIâm joking around to keep from being afraid.â Her admission softened him. If he wasnât careful heâd never get his edge back. âItâs cold and dark and the Cunninghams live several miles out in the country.â He heard her swallow. âDavey has to be scared.â
âWeâll find him.â
Phone against his ear, he made his way through the kitchen toward the garage. He flipped the exterior light switch and started down the two steps toward his car.
âWell.â He stopped dead still.
âWhat is it?â
âI donât think weâre going to find him.â
A pause hummed anxiously over the distance. âWhy?â
Curled in the corner on Shebaâs fluffy bed, with the big dog wrapped around him protectively, Davey lay fast asleep, his book clasped to his skinny chest. He wore the zippered jacket Sophie had given him.
âHe found us first.â
* * *
Sophie didnât consider anything odd about rushing over to Ida Juneâs house at six in the morning. She pulled into the short concrete drive before the streetlights went out and the first streaks of sun broke the horizon.
Looking lethally male beneath the golden glow of porch light, Kade let her in. A kick of attraction hit Sophie in the empty stomach. Now that she knew Davey was safely in Kadeâs care, she took the time to explore the feeling. She hadnât been attracted this way in a long time, and considering Kadeâs dark broodiness, she was a little concerned by her judgment.
He hadnât
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