Traffic was always a challenge, especially getting from Jackson Heights over to Forest Hills. Eva could feel her nerves fraying with every stoplight and every bumper-to-bumper slowdown. Logically she knew the two men in black had been after her and Cocoa, not Mikey, but she wouldn’t rest easy until she had the little boy safe at home.
The preschool wasn’t far, and when Finn pulled up beside it, she told him she’d be right back, shoved open her door and jumped out. Quickly, she went inside, then paused, waiting for her eyes to adjust from the bright sunlight to the dim interior of the building.
“Auntie Eva!” She heard Mikey before she saw him running toward her.
“Mikey!” She swept the little boy into her arms, cuddling him close. His blond hair was so much like hers that people often assumed she was the boy’s mother. “I’m here to take you home.”
“You’re early.” Peggy Harris, Mikey’s preschool teacher, came over to stand beside her. “We were in the middle of a Father’s Day art project.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Eva didn’t want to go into the events of her morning, so she simply offered a wan smile. “Tomorrow he’ll be here for the full day.”
“That’s fine.” Peggy reached out to smooth Mikey’s hair. “You can finish your art project tomorrow, Mikey. Be a good boy today for your aunt Eva, okay?”
“’Kay,” Mikey said agreeably.
Eva held her nephew in her arms as she turned to head back to the doorway, assuming Finn was waiting outside in the SUV. It occurred to her that she didn’t have Mikey’s car seat, and the thought of walking back to Pete’s house, the way she normally did, wasn’t very appealing. Being outside made her feel vulnerable, and she refused to risk anything happening to Mikey.
She turned around and went back to find Peggy. “Do you have a car seat I can use temporarily?”
“Sure, you can borrow this one.” She pulled a bulky car seat from the supply closet. “We have a few extras, but try to remember to bring it back as soon as you can.”
“I will. Thanks, Peggy.” Eva carried the car seat with one hand while holding Mikey’s hand with the other.
Finn and Abernathy were coming into the building as she and Mikey came out. “Next time, wait for me,” Finn chided without heat. “Parking is a nightmare around here.”
“Doggy!” Mikey tugged on her hand, reaching out toward Abernathy. “I wanna pet the doggy!”
Finn laughed, a hearty sound that sent shivers of awareness down her spine. She had no idea why on earth she had this strong reaction to the sound of his laugher, but she found herself smiling as she released her nephew.
Finn crouched next to Mikey, placing his hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “Friend, Abernathy,” Finn said.
“Good doggy,” Mikey said, stroking Abernathy’s silky fur. “Nice doggy.”
“His name is Abernathy,” Finn explained, then cocked his head to the side. “That seems like a mouthful for such a little guy like you. Maybe you can call him Abe.”
“Abe,” Mikey repeated.
“And I’m Officer Finn,” he added.
Abernathy attempted to lick Mikey’s face, which sent the little boy into gales of laughter. Finn chuckled, and for a moment she could easily imagine the K-9 cop with a child of his own.
It was enough to snap her out of her reverie. Having a child—a family of her own—wasn’t part of her future.
Losing her eyesight would make it difficult enough to take care for herself, much less a child.
The sooner she accepted that reality, the better.
* * *
Finn loved watching Mikey and Abernathy together. Boys and dogs went together like peanut butter and jelly. But it was time to get going, so he called Abernathy over.
“Come,” he commanded.
Abernathy instantly wheeled around and came to sit beside Finn, looking up at him expectantly. “Time to go.” He led the way down the street to the parking spot he’d managed to find. When they reached the vehicle, he opened the back. Abernathy jumped inside with lithe grace.
Finn came around to help Eva with the car seat. Once she had it secure, she set Mikey inside, buckling him in. He opened the front passenger-side door for her, and she hesitated for a moment before climbing in.
After sliding in behind the wheel, Finn glanced over at her. “I was thinking once you’re safe at home, I could go out and grab something for lunch.”
She hesitated, then nodded, seemingly relived. “That would be great. I’m still too shaken up to cook.”
“Any particular food Mikey likes best?” NYC was well-known for its variety of restaurants, but he had no clue what three-year-old kids preferred to eat.
“Pizza!” Mikey said excitedly. “I love pizza!”
“I know you do,” Eva said, glancing back at her nephew. “It’s your favorite, right? We’ll eat as soon as we’re home.”
“Speaking of which, I’ll need directions.”
“Keep heading north, then turn left at the next intersection.”
Eva continued to give him directions until he pulled into a narrow driveway in front of an older-model brown brick home wedged in between two others. It was a nice place to raise a child, he thought as he slid the gearshift into Park. He thought there might even be a little sliver of a fenced-in backyard for Mikey to play in.
“We’re home,” Eva said, as she carried Mikey out of the SUV. Finn went around to the back to let Abernathy out, grabbing the dog’s water dish and tucking it under his arm as he followed Eva and Mikey inside.
Eva hesitated for a moment in the doorway, and he wondered if she’d noticed something out of place. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing.” She flushed as if she were embarrassed, then moved farther inside. The small kitchen was crowded with two adults, a little boy and a dog, but Eva acted as if she didn’t notice.
“Okay, what’s for lunch?” he asked, filling Abernathy’s water dish and setting it in the corner of the kitchen.
“Ordering pepperoni pizza would be easiest, then you don’t have to leave.” There was an underlying note of fear in Eva’s voice and he understood she was loath to be alone.
“Not a problem.” He caught a glimpse of a local pizza flyer on the fridge. Using his cell, he dialed the number and ordered a cheese-and-pepperoni pizza. When that was done, he took Abernathy’s vest off, giving him a bit of freedom to explore. Abernathy lapped at the water, then began sniffing around the edges of the room.
Finn’s phone rang and he quickly answered it. “Gallagher.”
“We got the video feed you requested,” Danielle Abbott, their technical guru said. “But it’s not a lot of help. The camera angle isn’t great. The cars are too close together to get a view of the license plate, and the crowds of people on the sidewalk obscure the view of the perp’s face. I’ll keep trying to clear up the video, but I can’t make any promises.”
Finn battled a wave of frustration. “Okay. Thanks, Danielle.”
“What?” Eva asked.
“We haven’t got anything off the subway camera. At least, not yet.”
Eva shook her head. “It figures.”
The pizza arrived twenty minutes later. Eva opened her purse, but he shooed her away to take care of the bill himself. Eva set the table, and he opened the