mother.
She began to rise, but he grasped her hand. The anguish on his face ripped a new hole in her heart.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Thanks for not freaking out.”
She tried to smile. “I’m the cool mom, remember?” She took in a deep breath and tried to find some sort of comfort she could offer her son.
“Mom, about the gun—”
“We’ll talk about that tomorrow. Right now, you need your rest.”
She rose and stepped back from the bed just as Erin entered the room, her arms laden with pillows and her sleeping bag. Noah said a quick good night and left the room.
Elizabeth leaned against the door frame and studied her kids’ interaction. Danny was trying to be so damn brave, not letting on the amount of pain he must be feeling. Erin seemed to be holding onto her tears by a thread, but did her best to keep the mood light. The scene was almost too painful to watch.
Her children’s world should be safe. Her son shouldn’t have been compelled to buy a damn gun off a gang member or find himself beaten up on the sidewalk only a few blocks from home.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and Noah nodded for her to follow him. With one last glance into Danny’s room, she shut the door with a soft click and studied Noah as he headed downstairs. It might have been nice having him help her get Danny settled. What was she going to do now that the kids were no longer her buffer?
• • •
Noah lifted his jacket off the back of the lounge chair. He had tossed it there before helping Danny up the stairs. “Elizabeth, are you okay?”
The tenderness in his tone almost rocked the last pebble holding the dam of tears at bay. She moved further into the living room and, keeping her back to him, adjusted the afghan draped over the back of the chair. He eased behind her but didn’t touch her. She didn’t know what she would have done if he did. Strangely, just the warmth radiating off him seem to help calm her raw nerves.
“I’m fine. Can’t thank you enough for coming back into the city. That was very kind of you.”
“Rough day.”
He stood too close. It would be so easy to reach out just once and take the comfort he was so obviously offering. It had been so long since she felt a man’s arms around her. Even after Danny went missing, she wouldn’t allow friends to hold her. She was so afraid if she didn’t keep herself together, if she even allowed a thin wall in her armor to fall, what was behind that wall would consume her.
She inched away from him and placed a chair between them. “And you kept it from becoming a nightmare. I won’t forget that, Noah.”
He closed the distance until only the chair was between them. “I’m going after this guy. He’ll not get away with this.”
“The police took Danny’s statement at the hospital. I’m sure they will keep an eye out for him.”
Like earlier that afternoon, the expression on Noah’s face changed; his irises turned from deep pools of blue to almost black. He was angry, and at her. What did she say? She stood her ground and stared back as a dead silence enveloped the room.
“You’re exhausted. I’ll get out of your hair.” He turned toward the door.
“Wait. What just happened? You were so kind to Danny. Why are you all of a sudden so angry at me?”
Noah raked a hand around the back of his neck. “Do you expect me to do nothing?”
Her emotions of gratitude flip-flopped. She could almost feel the blood boiling in her veins. “No, I expect you to let the cops do their job.”
“I’m a cop, Elizabeth. Danny means something to me. I’m not going to sit on my fucking hands and wait until the BPD finds the manpower to look for this bastard.”
The fury she had been holding in all evening erupted. She dashed from behind the chair and rammed a finger into his chest. “I don’t know who you thought you were speaking to just now, Noah McNeil, but I don’t allow that language in this house.”
“Cops cuss.”
“Not in
She began to rise, but he grasped her hand. The anguish on his face ripped a new hole in her heart.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Thanks for not freaking out.”
She tried to smile. “I’m the cool mom, remember?” She took in a deep breath and tried to find some sort of comfort she could offer her son.
“Mom, about the gun—”
“We’ll talk about that tomorrow. Right now, you need your rest.”
She rose and stepped back from the bed just as Erin entered the room, her arms laden with pillows and her sleeping bag. Noah said a quick good night and left the room.
Elizabeth leaned against the door frame and studied her kids’ interaction. Danny was trying to be so damn brave, not letting on the amount of pain he must be feeling. Erin seemed to be holding onto her tears by a thread, but did her best to keep the mood light. The scene was almost too painful to watch.
Her children’s world should be safe. Her son shouldn’t have been compelled to buy a damn gun off a gang member or find himself beaten up on the sidewalk only a few blocks from home.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and Noah nodded for her to follow him. With one last glance into Danny’s room, she shut the door with a soft click and studied Noah as he headed downstairs. It might have been nice having him help her get Danny settled. What was she going to do now that the kids were no longer her buffer?
• • •
Noah lifted his jacket off the back of the lounge chair. He had tossed it there before helping Danny up the stairs. “Elizabeth, are you okay?”
The tenderness in his tone almost rocked the last pebble holding the dam of tears at bay. She moved further into the living room and, keeping her back to him, adjusted the afghan draped over the back of the chair. He eased behind her but didn’t touch her. She didn’t know what she would have done if he did. Strangely, just the warmth radiating off him seem to help calm her raw nerves.
“I’m fine. Can’t thank you enough for coming back into the city. That was very kind of you.”
“Rough day.”
He stood too close. It would be so easy to reach out just once and take the comfort he was so obviously offering. It had been so long since she felt a man’s arms around her. Even after Danny went missing, she wouldn’t allow friends to hold her. She was so afraid if she didn’t keep herself together, if she even allowed a thin wall in her armor to fall, what was behind that wall would consume her.
She inched away from him and placed a chair between them. “And you kept it from becoming a nightmare. I won’t forget that, Noah.”
He closed the distance until only the chair was between them. “I’m going after this guy. He’ll not get away with this.”
“The police took Danny’s statement at the hospital. I’m sure they will keep an eye out for him.”
Like earlier that afternoon, the expression on Noah’s face changed; his irises turned from deep pools of blue to almost black. He was angry, and at her. What did she say? She stood her ground and stared back as a dead silence enveloped the room.
“You’re exhausted. I’ll get out of your hair.” He turned toward the door.
“Wait. What just happened? You were so kind to Danny. Why are you all of a sudden so angry at me?”
Noah raked a hand around the back of his neck. “Do you expect me to do nothing?”
Her emotions of gratitude flip-flopped. She could almost feel the blood boiling in her veins. “No, I expect you to let the cops do their job.”
“I’m a cop, Elizabeth. Danny means something to me. I’m not going to sit on my fucking hands and wait until the BPD finds the manpower to look for this bastard.”
The fury she had been holding in all evening erupted. She dashed from behind the chair and rammed a finger into his chest. “I don’t know who you thought you were speaking to just now, Noah McNeil, but I don’t allow that language in this house.”
“Cops cuss.”
“Not in
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