“No problem.” Bobby ducked his head shyly and sauntered over to the other car. Declan slapped Isaac on the back and then went to join his brother-in-law. Isaac waited for Leah to get Ben settled in the booster seat before he opened the front passenger door for her.
He didn’t breathe easy until the church was far behind them. Isaac knew he needed to find another place to stay for what was left of the night, and this time he wasn’t about to tell anyone, even his friends, where they were going.
Driving through the night, he finally came across a hotel that boasted two-bedroom suites. The concept offered the best of both worlds, so he pulled in and parked.
Leah had been dozing and came awake in a rush when the car stopped. “Where are we?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Brookside Suites Hotel,” Isaac said. “They offer two-bedroom suites, so you and Ben can share one room and I’ll use the other.”
“Looks expensive,” Leah murmured.
Isaac didn’t answer, because he’d already had the same thought. But they couldn’t afford to be cheap when it came to making sure they were safe. As it was, he’d need to convince the clerk to take cash when they were ready to check out.
It didn’t take long to secure a room, although the man insisted on having a credit-card number on file in case there was any damage. Apparently Isaac’s badge helped lend credibility, as the clerk reluctantly agreed to take payment in cash.
This time, Isaac carried Ben inside the hotel. The boy had fallen back asleep and barely stirred as they rode the elevator to the third floor. They had an inside room, and Isaac figured that they’d be much harder to find in a place like this, even if somehow the shooter figured out what kind of car they were driving, a nearly impossible feat.
Surely they’d be safe here.
Isaac waited for Leah to unlock the door and flip on the lights. The place was nice, as it should be for the price he’d paid. There was a comfortable living area, complete with a small kitchenette, so they could cook their own meals if they were going to stay for a few days.
The first bedroom had two double beds, and he waited while Leah pulled down the covers so he could set Ben down in the one nearest the bathroom.
She quickly stripped the boy’s coat, hat mittens and boots off before covering him with the sheet and blanket. For a moment she simply stood there, staring down at her sleeping child. Isaac eased toward the door, thinking that maybe she wanted some privacy.
But she surprised him by turning and following him out to the living area. “It’s hard to believe we’re finally safe,” she murmured, running a hand through her hair.
Isaac had to stop himself from wrapping her in his arms and holding her close. He cleared his throat and nodded. “No one knows we’re here, Leah. The car can’t be traced to us, either. We are safe.”
Her smile was a tad pathetic, but still made his heart race. “I finally believe that.”
He cleared his throat again, hoping she couldn’t tell how nervous he was. “I’m going to go back down to get the laptop, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
He left the room, thinking for sure Leah would be tucked in bed by the time he returned. He wouldn’t blame her one bit, since he doubted she’d gotten much sleep before the tear-gas incident.
Grabbing the computer case out of the backseat didn’t take long, and within minutes he was back upstairs, using his key card to access the room. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Leah curled in a corner of the sofa, waiting for him.
She glanced over when he walked in. “Did you want me to order something to eat? You mentioned you were hungry.”
Isaac was touched by her offer. When was the last time anyone cared about whether he was tired or hungry?
“Thanks for the thought, but I doubt they’ll provide room service this late.” He set the computer case down on the small table in the kitchenette.
“Really?” Leah seemed surprised and then shrugged. “You’re probably right. It’s closer to breakfast, anyway.”
“Get some sleep, Leah,” he suggested in a low tone. “I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
She dropped her gaze and nodded. “I am, but truthfully, I’m afraid I’ll have nightmares.”
The urge to offer comfort was strong. “I’m sorry,” he murmured helplessly.
“It’s okay.” She uncurled herself from the sofa and stood. To his surprise, she crossed over to him and put her hand on his arm. “Thanks for keeping us safe, Isaac.” She stood on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss across his cheek before turning to head into her room.
It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to let her walk away, when all he really wanted to do was haul her close for a real kiss. He didn’t let out his breath until she’d closed the door behind her, the cinnamon-and-spice scent lingering long after she’d gone.
He gave himself a stern talking-to as he headed into his room. He wasn’t in the market for a relationship. And Hawk wouldn’t appreciate knowing how much Isaac thought about kissing his sister.
From here on out, he needed to keep his distance from Leah. For both their sakes.
Leah awoke with a start, to find bright sunlight streaming through the window. For a minute she couldn’t figure out where she was, but then the events from the night before came rushing back to her.
The masked man, the Jeep sliding into a ditch, the canister of tear gas. She pushed her tangled hair away from her face, amazed that she’d slept so soundly after all that. When she glanced over at Ben’s bed, her heart flew into her throat, because it was empty.
“Ben?” She leaped out of bed and dashed over to open the door. She needn’t have worried, for Isaac had everything under control. He was seated beside Ben, the two of them enjoying a hearty meal of scrambled eggs and bacon.
“Good morning, Leah,” Isaac said. “Are you hungry? I didn’t order anything for you yet, because I didn’t want the food to get cold.”
“I— Um, yes. I’m hungry.” She was glad to see that Ben must be getting over his nervousness around Isaac. They looked quite cozy eating breakfast together.
“It will take a few minutes for them to deliver,” Isaac said as he reached for the phone. “But I have coffee here if you want some.”
“I’d love a cup.” Leah crossed over and helped herself to a steaming mug. She doused it with cream and then carried it back to her room. If breakfast was going to be a while, she’d spend the time getting cleaned up.
She emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, feeling much better even though her mud-splattered jeans were beyond redemption. But she pulled them on anyway, because she didn’t have anything else to wear.
Making a mental note to convince Isaac they needed to go shopping, she came out of the bedroom to the enticing aroma of bacon and eggs.
“Smells delicious,” she said, pulling out a chair next to her son. At this moment it was almost as if none of the terrible things had happened last night.
“Trust me, it is.” Isaac stood and moved his dirty dishes out of the way so she’d have more room.
“Mr. Isaac is a policeman just like Uncle Shane,” Ben said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Isn’t that cool?”
She forced a smile for Ben’s sake. “You bet.”
“Are we gonna see Uncle Shane soon?” he asked.
“I’m