Now Grayson was married to Harlow, and Liam and Quinn were expecting a baby and engaged to be married. He was happy for his brothers, he really was. But would they still have room for him, the odd man out? Maybe he wasn’t used to that after all because here he was, in a rented apartment, feeling sorry for himself while hiding from the sweet grandmother next door who wanted him to come over tonight and meet her granddaughter.
“Get over yourself,” he muttered. Ruby, his rescue dog, lifted her head from where she was curled up next to him on the couch. “Didn’t mean you, girl.” He really did need to start looking for a place to buy like he kept saying he was going to do. A house with a yard for Ruby to play in.
He was supposed to be at Grayson’s for an afternoon at the beach and then a cookout. He was procrastinating. The cookout was to celebrate Liam’s and Quinn’s engagement. Not that he could just not go. That would require explaining, and he didn’t want to rain on their parade with his poor-me story. Tomorrow, he’d be over it. He always got over it.
He sighed as he stuck his wallet in his pocket, and as soon as he picked up his keys, Ruby raced to the door, tail wagging. She loved riding in his truck, and she loved when that truck took them to Grayson’s, where she could play with her best friend, Einstein, a very talkative cat.
Now all they had to do was sneak past Mrs. Seagrave’s apartment. Not an easy task as he was sure she had her ear to the door listening for his footsteps. Turned out to be his lucky night, and he and Ruby were able to sneak past.
As he was getting in his truck, his phone chimed, the ringtone telling him it was a Phoenix Three call forwarded to him since he was on duty tonight.
“The Phoenix Three. Cooper Devlin speaking.”
“Thank God, it’s you. My name’s Kendall Hart, and I have to talk to you. Tonight.”
He heard the panic in her voice. “I have somewhere I have to be right now, Miss Hart. Can you tell me what this is about?”
“Not over the phone, but it’s urgent. Please. Oh, God, please.”
She was crying now. “I really do need to be somewhere. I assume you’re in Myrtle Beach. I can meet you in three hours.” This would give him an excuse to leave right after dinner.
“You don’t understand. We can’t wait. She’s been missing since this afternoon.”
“Who’s missing?”
There was a long pause, and then, “Your daughter.”
“Ma’am… Ms. Hart, I don’t have a daughter. I can tell you’re upset, and I’ll do what I can to help you. When did you—”
“She’s yours, Cooper. Olivia’s the result of our night together. You were home on leave, and we met at The Tipsy Turtle. Please tell me you remember.”
The phone slipped out of his hand, falling to the floor of his truck. Remember? Hell, yes. He’d never forgotten that night and the woman who wouldn’t give him her name. “I have a daughter?” Ruby, sensing his distress, whined as she tried to lick his face.
He reached down and picked up his cell phone. “Ms. Hart… Kendall.” Surely, it was okay to use her first name considering they’d spent an entire night in each other’s arms. “I remember.” He couldn’t wrap his mind around learning he had a daughter. “Where are you and what do you know?” And what’s my daughter’s name? What does she look like? Is she happy? A thousand questions crammed their way into his mind.
“I still live in Decatur, not far from where we met.”
“Do you have someone with you? A husband or boyfriend?” He didn’t like the thought of her being alone right now.
“No, it’s just my daughter and me.”
The relief that there wasn’t a man in her life surprised him. He hadn’t seen her in five years, had no claim on her, but he’d thought of her often, regretted that she was only one unforgettable night in his life. “This is your cell phone number we’re talking on?”
“Yes. Please, Cooper. You find missing children. You have to help me find Olivia.”
His daughter’s name was Olivia. It didn’t occur to him that he might not be Olivia’s father. The woman he’d spent a night with wouldn’t lie about something like that. “Do you have a pen handy?”
“Yes.”
“Take down this number. It’s my personal cell.” After giving her his number, he said, “Text me your address. I’m going to findthe fastest way to get to you that I can. I’ll call you when I have the details.”
“Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He started his truck while he talked to her. “Have you contacted the police?”
“Yes, they’re aware, but they don’t have much to go on. I’m so afraid.”
He hated hearing the quaver in her voice. “Listen to me, Kendall. We’re going to find her.”