Easy Prey (Love-Inspired Suspense) by Lisa Phillips

released her hand, and Elise waved Nathan over so she could introduce her son.
    The mayor shook Nathan’s hand and waved toward the house. “Should we go inside? There’s a chill out here, and you probably want a moment to sit.”
    Elise didn’t want to spend much more time out in the open, even if the area was crawling with law enforcement. Not when she could still hear the echo of the gunshot in her ears. She nodded and the mayor stepped closer, holding out his elbow. She slipped her arm in his and he patted her hand as though they were walking through stately gardens, not the dirt drive that led to Jonah’s house.
    Sam trotted over to the mayor. Dominic bent to scratch the dog’s ears. “Good dog.”
    Elise wasn’t used to people being so concerned about her—it was almost disconcerting. The introvert in her needed some quiet time. Maybe she could go to the ranch where a few of the animals were being cared for and spend some time with them, instead of using all her time rebuilding the zoo. She’d have to ask the mayor about that.
    Alvarez waved Nathan over, and her son walked with them. Elise heard Hailey chuckle, but didn’t get the chance to find out what was so funny. Jonah stood in front of them. Was he going to move, or would they have to swerve around him?
    “Good morning, son.”
    Jonah didn’t move. “Dom.”
    Elise said, “Do...you guys know each other?”
    Jonah turned to the mayor. “Elise had a scare. She doesn’t need to be working right now.” His eyes were dark with something she didn’t understand.
    “I know that. This isn’t about work. I’ll go easy on her.”
    “Dom—”
    The mayor glanced at her. “Come.” He walked her around a now sullen Jonah toward the house, as though he’d been here many times and was perfectly at home. “Let’s go sit.”
    When they were a short distance from Jonah, Elise looked back. He was watching them walk. The mayor looked back over his shoulder. “Is the coffeepot on, Jonah?”
    “Yeah, Dom. The coffee’s on.”
    The mayor—Dom, evidently, to his friends—leaned close to her as they walked. “Jonah is my stepson.”
    Elise nearly tripped. “You’re married to...”
    “Nettie, yes. For four years now.” Dom grinned. “I heard a rumor that makes you my step-daughter-in-law.” Before Elise had a chance to answer, he turned to Nathan. “And you, my step-grandson.”
    Nathan smiled. “I guess so.”
    The kid had never had so much family in his whole life as he’d had in the last two days. He was probably on overload. Elise sure was.
    She bit her lip. “You really married Bernadette Rivers?”
    Dom’s gaze on her softened. “She’s told me so much about you, Elise. Nettie very much... Well, none of it is for me to say, given Nettie is the one who needs to make amends. But she greatly regrets the wrong done to you.”
    “Because she found out she has a grandson?”
    Jonah must have called his mom the night before, after Elise fell asleep, and told her all about Nathan. She glanced back at Jonah, but he was talking with Hailey. Was he going to leave, to go talk with the reporter she’d just identified as the man who’d attacked her in the zoo office?
    Maybe he would just go without telling her, assuming she would be fine without him. Which, of course, was true. She didn’t need it to be specifically
him
who made sure nobody else tried to kill her this weekend. Any of the marshals, or a cop, or Sam, would do.
    She reached down and patted the dog and then turned back to Dom. “All of a sudden Bernadette wants to make amends?”
    They stopped at the porch. Elise opened her mouth to tell the mayor where his wife—Elise’s former mother-in-law—could go, but he cut her off.
    “You’re probably not feeling up to this. Please don’t get upset. That was not my intention.” His mouth compressed into a frown. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it, but I didn’t want there to be secrets between us.”
    Nathan opened the front door for