Secret Agent Father (3 page)

“He sure is.” Shelby’s face softened into a warm smile and Alex couldn’t dismiss her obvious love for the boy.

In a daze, Alex did the mental math and came to the conclusion that the timing was right for him to have fathered Cody, although for all he knew Trina could have been sleeping with both him and Stephan at the same time. He’d request a DNA test at the very least, so that he would know for sure.

During the time he’d been undercover as a longshoreman, he hadn’t seen Trina’s son at all. Wisely, she’d kept him far away from the unsavory characters who had often hung out at the docks.

One look at Cody now, though, told him almost as much as a DNA test. At first he was so focused on Cody’s blond hair, he hadn’t really looked at the rest of his facial features. He could see that aside from the hair and the stubborn chin, Cody was the mirror image of himself at that age. Kayla had a box full of their baby pictures in the attic to prove it. The kid’s green eyes haunted him.

Not the kid,
he admonished himself.
My son. I’d better get used to the fact that Cody could really be my son.

Shelby knelt beside Cody and scratched the pup behind the ears. “So how were the cookies? Did Clyde get any?”

Cody giggled as he petted the puppy. “No. Dogs can’t eat people food. It’s bad for them, ’specially chocolate. The cookies were good, but not as good as yours,” he loyally added.

“I can show you to your rooms.” Kayla’s intensely curious gaze bounced back and forth between the three of them. “That way you’ll have some time to freshen up or to take a nap, if you prefer, before dinner.”

“Oh, well—” Shelby’s hesitant gaze swung around to collide with Alex’s.

Alex raised a brow at her dismay. Clearly Shelby hadn’t thought any further than tracking him down. Logically, he knew he should turn both of them over to Rafe. But now that they were here, he’d rather keep them close at hand. At least, until he’d gotten a chance to talk to Cody.

“Kay’s right. You’re both safe here, so there’s no point in you leaving to go somewhere else. Especially when this place has more than enough room.” He flashed a crooked smile, waving a hand at the various rooms overhead. “There’s plenty of privacy, I’m the only guest at the moment.”

Shelby drew in a long breath, reaching up to rub at her temple. “All right, then,” she agreed slowly. She stabbed him with a fierce glance. “But we still need to talk.”

Alex hesitated, glancing down at Cody who was watching them both curiously. “We will, but for now, why don’t you get settled into your rooms. I have some phone calls to make.”

“Me, too,” she said with a frown.

“That’s not a good idea. You can’t tell anyone you’re here or what you’ve seen,” he warned. “I’ll explain more later.”

He could tell she wasn’t happy with being put off, but she also clearly didn’t want to say much in front of Cody. Obviously she took her role of being the boy’s protector very seriously.

Slowly she nodded. “All right.” She turned to Cody. “Should we check out our rooms, partner?”

The boy nodded, although his attention was focused on Clyde who jumped up on him, trying to lick him in the face. Within moments the two were rolling on the floor with Cody giggling madly over the puppy’s enthusiastic affection.

Alex felt his chest tighten at the sight. He glanced up to find Shelby staring at him intently. For a long moment, they exchanged a look full of understanding. Hers reinforced that she would protect Cody at all costs. His admitted the need to take things slow, so he didn’t scare the boy.

He watched them walk up the stairs, grappling with the knowledge that he could deny the truth all he wanted, but he was likely Cody’s father.

What he was going to do about it, he had no clue.

Shelby’s earlier fear slowly began to fade as she gazed at her surroundings, while Kayla gave them the nickel tour. They mounted the staircase to the second story. The log home was even more impressive inside. A cathedral ceiling towered overhead giving an expansive view over the great room from the loft encircling the second floor. When Kayla showed them two adjoining rooms, Shelby saw that her earlier assumption was correct. Each room contained patio doors leading out onto the snow-covered deck.

“The shared bathroom is through this door here.” Kayla crossed the room to demonstrate. “And you can leave the connecting door open, if you prefer.”

“You have a beautiful home.” Shelby admired how the furnishings in the room had a rustic look, from the overstuffed chairs to the pine, sleigh-shaped bed frame. For the first time since leaving the marina in a mad rush, fully expecting the gunman to come after them, she felt safe. Secure. Because of Alex?

Kayla’s mouth formed a sad smile. “Thank you. My husband had a hand in building it himself, before he died.”

“I’m sorry.” Shelby inwardly winced at her blunder. She couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for a woman to raise a child alone after her husband’s death.

“That’s all right.” Kayla straightened, shaking off the despondency. “He died nearly two years ago, but he was a wonderful man. And I’m not totally alone, his mother helps me by watching over Brianna when I’m busy working. Well, here I am jabbering in your ear, when all you want to do is relax for a bit. Dinner will be ready about six. If you’re hungry before that, just come down to the kitchen. There’s always plenty to eat.”

“Thank you.” When Kayla left, Shelby closed the door behind her and glanced over at Cody. He didn’t usually take naps, but his eyelids drooped as a result of his interrupted night. She wasn’t feeling too perky herself and the white down comforter on the bed looked soft and inviting. “So, partner, how about we lie down for a few minutes?”

“I don’t wanna lie down.” A wide yawn belied his words but he pried his eyes open, fighting fatigue the way kids tended to do. “Are we gonna live here now? I like Clyde.”

Shelby shook her head, eyeing the puppy that had followed them upstairs, claiming Cody as his newfound friend. Clearly, every child should have a pet. She made a mental vow to get Cody a dog of his own once this mess was over. Would Alex mind? No, she wasn’t going there. If she wanted Cody to have a puppy, he’d have one.

“We can’t live here, Cody. In the spring and summer, these rooms are rented out to guests. We’re just lucky there isn’t anyone here now.” Inspiration struck. “Would you like to take a nap with Clyde?”

“Yeah!” Cody ran into his room, the puppy close on his heels. Her ruse worked, forestalling further questions about his father or their possible future together. She wouldn’t be able to dodge the little boy’s questions forever.

But first and foremost, Cody needed to be safe. Once they were out of danger, she intended to ask Alex to grant her sole custody. The apprehensive expression in his eyes, when he’d looked at Cody, convinced her that he wasn’t overly thrilled to be a father. Which was fine with her. She couldn’t have loved Cody any more if he really were her son.

Cody would feel better, once he knew what to expect in the future.

Shelby left open the adjoining door between their rooms, so that she’d hear Cody when he awoke. She slid between the sheets, sighing gratefully as the down mattress cushioned her tired and aching body. Sleep should have come easily.

Instead Alex’s face swam in her mind, interrupting her search for blessed oblivion. She couldn’t believe she’d cried on his shoulder. She hadn’t leaned on a man in a long time, and Alex wasn’t exactly the best candi
date. He was too intimidating by far. And besides, maybe he wasn’t married, but he’d clearly been irresponsible all those years ago.

Instantly she felt ashamed. She couldn’t pass judgment on him for having an intimate relationship with Trina, since she wouldn’t have Cody in her life if he hadn’t.

But she didn’t get the sense he held the same Christian beliefs she did. She’d found God as her savior after an awful experience in college, where she’d narrowly escaped being sexually assaulted. She’d found solace in God and her church, and the people there had helped her again after she’d suffered a brutal attack at the shipyard a few years ago. She’d overcome her fear of men slowly but surely, with help from the Lord. Creating her Little Lamb’s Day Care Center had helped her find a greater purpose in life. She hadn’t planned to have children of her own—she wasn’t sure she’d ever trust a man enough to risk her heart—but she’d love to raise Cody as her son.

Shelby knew she was getting ahead of herself, since she didn’t really know what Alex’s plans were, so she tried not to dwell on him. Or his relationship with her sister. She trusted him only as far as his ability to keep them safe.

Nothing more.

Tossing and turning in the unusually soft bed, her unanswered questions swirled through her mind. What had Trina been involved with? What was the source of the danger? Who had Cody seen?

She couldn’t help a tiny flash of guilt. Maybe she should let Alex question him, get some answers. But she knew all too well what it felt like to be a victim. She didn’t want to cause Cody to have nightmares like she’d had. The poor kid needed time to assimilate what had happened.

And really, how much detail would a four-year-old be able to give in a description, anyway?

She wondered what was going on back in Green Bay. She didn’t talk often to her father, but surely he’d find out soon about what happened to Trina. She’d have to call him. And what about Stephan? Had Stephan discovered the truth about Cody’s biological father last night? Was that the reason Cody was in danger?

No. She couldn’t believe Stephan was the
bad man
that Cody had mentioned. Up until now, Cody had called Stephan
dad
even if they were never really close.

Too many questions and she grew irritated with Alex for not giving her nearly enough answers.

She must have fallen asleep because she abruptly woke up, blinking groggily in the darkness, instantly aware of her strange surroundings, wondering what had woken her so suddenly. In a rush she remembered the bed-and-breakfast, and Alex. Outside, dusk had fallen, telling her she had slept longer than she’d planned. Quickly pulling on her clothes, she poked her head through the connecting doorway, her gaze searching for Cody.

His bed was rumpled, but empty.

She paused to listen for sounds of him playing with the puppy downstairs, but everything was quiet—though not for long.

The sharp retort of a gunshot from somewhere outside ripped through the silence of the night.

“No!” Shelby ran downstairs, barely pausing to grab her coat from the chair before she threw open the door. Her mind raced with terrifying thoughts of what she might find as she barreled out into the frigid moonlit night desperate to find her nephew.

S
helby peered through the night, forcing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The snowy ground showed a trail of footprints. She thrust her arms into her coat sleeves even as she slipped and stumbled on the icy trail of trampled snow leading back around the house. The darkness swallowed her. Concern for Cody overpowered her usual fear of the night.

“Cody!” Shelby began to shout as she dodged between trees. Her voice sounded distant through the roaring in her ears. She noted another building—a pole barn, hidden in the woods to the left of the house. A shaft of light shone through the small side door left ajar. “Cody?”

Another gunshot ripped through the air, louder this time. With a sob of horror, Shelby burst through the door. She glanced around wildly. Alex stood in the center of the room holding a gun, wearing a pair of earmuffs.

Alex pulled them off the moment he saw her.

“Shelby? What’s wrong?” In an instant, he crossed over to her, lightly grasping her arm.

Helplessly, she shook her head, choking back tears and gasping for breath. Her heart pounded frantically in
her chest. “I—I woke up and Cody wasn’t in the room. And th-then I heard gunshots.”

Chagrined, he glanced over to the target he’d clearly been using. “I’m sorry. I should have realized you’d worry.”

“The last time I heard gunfire, my sister was shot.” She couldn’t help pinning him with an accusatory look. A burst of anger quickly replaced her gut-wrenching fear. She tore from his grip, curled her fingers into a fist and smacked him square in the chest. “What on earth possessed you to shoot off a gun?”

He frowned and glanced down at the weapon in his hand, as if noticing it for the first time. “I needed to work on my arm. It’s not what it should be. Considering you came here for protection, I thought I’d better practice. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about Trina.”

She stared at the long paper targets hanging over sheets of plywood propped in front of several bales of hay stacked in the back of the shed, forcing herself to think logically. Alex wasn’t the bad guy here. He was Trina’s contact which meant he must be a good guy. And he was Cody’s father. He was just trying to protect them.

Shelby drew a deep, shuddering breath. For years, she’d avoided men, but suddenly now here she was, totally dependent on Alex for safety. The idea was extremely disconcerting.

She let go of her anger, knowing her overreaction wasn’t his fault. Since his goal was to protect them, how could she argue?

She glanced at Alex, and he shook his head at the unspoken questions in her eyes. “Let’s go back to the
house,” he suggested. “So you can see for yourself that Cody’s fine.”

Shelby slowly nodded, following him outside down the path she’d taken a few minutes ago.

When a low hanging branch tangled in her hair, she tried to yank free, muttering under her breath.

“Here, let me help.” Alex came up behind her and deftly unhooked the naturally curly lock of hair from the branch. His nearness made her shiver and not necessarily with fear. She stepped away. She shouldn’t be tempted to lean on Alex, not when she’d fought so hard to remain independent.

“Thanks.” Her breath shortened and she hunched her shoulders, careful to duck far below the trees. His calm presence managed to distract her from her fear of the dark.

Alex must be a cop. That would explain why Trina sent them to him for protection. Her preoccupation with her sister caused her to stumble over a fallen branch, half-hidden beneath the snow. Alex caught her by the arm.

“Watch your step.” Alex frowned when she instinctively pulled away from his touch. He glanced down at her sodden feet. “We need to get you a pair of boots. Kayla’s already loaned Cody a pair of Brianna’s.”

“We left Green Bay in a hurry.” Shelby grit her teeth together to stop them from chattering. Alex’s domineering personality put her on the defensive. She wasn’t used to anyone questioning her parenting skills. “Besides, we didn’t have as much snow there as you do here.”

“I’m sure Kayla has a pair that’ll fit.” Alex kept his hand under her elbow as they climbed up the few steps to the house.

Shelby refrained from answering. Safe inside the
well-lit house, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d conquered the darkness, at least for a few minutes. Feeling foolish for her rush of panic, she removed her coat and her sodden tennis shoes. Her jeans and socks were damp, but she ignored the discomfort, simply walking toward the sound of voices coming from the kitchen had died down in their absence.

When they entered, Cody ran up to her. She caught him close in a quick hug, which he tolerated for a half a second before squirming away. She reluctantly released him.

“Aunt Shelby, were you practicing shooting with my other dad outside? When I get older, he said he’s gonna teach me how to shoot a real BB gun.”

“Oh, really?” Calmer now, Shelby sent Alex a narrow look. Just who did he think he was making a promise like that, without even asking her? No matter what biology said, he was
not
Cody’s only parent, and he had no right to make decisions like that without consulting her. She didn’t approve of guns and she especially didn’t approve of teaching children how to shoot them. Shelby held on to her temper with an effort, turning her attention to Cody. “Who’s your new friend?” she asked, gesturing to the girl standing near the stove with Kayla.

“That’s Brianna. She’s five. Clyde’s her puppy, but he likes me better.”

Shelby rolled her eyes at the rivalry in his tone. “I’m sure Clyde likes you both the same. Are you hungry, or did you eat dinner without me?”

“No, of course not,” Kayla said. “Brianna, you and Cody need to set the table.”

“Okay,” Brianna agreed as she dashed toward the
cabinets on the other side of the kitchen, dragging Cody with her.

“I’m sorry,” Kayla murmured, her gaze apologetic. “I didn’t realize you’d heard the gunshots until I saw you running for the door. I wanted to come after you, but I couldn’t go outside like this.” She pointed down to her feet, covered only in thick socks.

Shelby tried to smile. Cody was safe and that was the important thing. “It’s okay. I’m just not keen on guns.”

“Guns are only a problem when they’re misused.” Alex spoke testily. “Don’t worry, I keep trigger locks on all my weapons.”

All his weapons? How many did he have? Shelby wasn’t about to stand around, debating the pros and cons of gun legislation with him. Not on the same day when she’d watched someone shoot her sister. In fact, she was glad Cody was doing all right in here, and hadn’t reacted to the noise of the gunshot with the heart-wrenching fear she’d felt. Maybe he hadn’t seen as much during their frantic dash to the parking lot as she’d thought. Gathering every ounce of patience, she steered the conversation toward a safe topic. “So, what’s for dinner?”

“Venison stew,” Kayla replied.

“Venison?” Shelby tried to hide her dismay.

Kayla chuckled. “That was my reaction too, at first. But trust me, you’ll like it.”

“Don’t tell me it tastes like chicken.”

Kayla laughed. “Why don’t you two go have a seat in the great room?” she suggested. “I’ll call you when everything’s ready.”

Back in the great room, Shelby noticed that the fire had died down. She reached for a log, intent on adding
to the dying embers, but a masculine arm snatched it from her grasp.

“Here, let me. You need to change into some dry clothes.”

Annoyed, Shelby wondered if all men liked to pretend they were in charge of the world, or if this was a characteristic unique to Alex McCade. She might be afraid of the shadows, but years of living alone had taught her to fend for herself in her own way. She valued her independence and preferred to keep it that way. Dire circumstances had brought her here. She needed Alex to keep Cody safe. She did
not
need him to boss her around.

She sat on the edge of the sofa, propping her feet on the stone hearth of the fireplace. “I don’t have anything else with me. Besides, I’m fine.”

“I’m sure Kayla will lend you a few things.”

“I’m fine,” she repeated stubbornly. She didn’t want to put her hostess out any more than she already had.

“I know you’re upset with me,” Alex murmured in a low tone. “I promise I’ll try to answer your questions. But I don’t want to talk in front of the kids.” Alex waved in the general direction of the kitchen, where Cody and Brianna were still helping Kayla by setting the table.

Shelby lifted her gaze to his. He wasn’t looking at her, though, but stared thoughtfully into the fire. When he wasn’t ordering her around, he was very attractive, not that she had any business noticing. He wasn’t at all her type, even if she wasn’t interested in men, which she wasn’t. Considering her past experiences, she didn’t trust men on a personal level and that included Alex. “They won’t hear us if we’re quiet. Be honest with me. Are you in law enforcement?”

“Sort of.” He shrugged and glanced at her. “I work for the government.”

Her eyes widened. “FBI?”

He shook his head. “DEA. Shelby, you’ll need to keep everything I tell you confidential. Your life and Cody’s depends upon it.”

She swallowed hard at the seriousness of his tone. “Okay.”

Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “How much do you know about your father’s shipping business and the marina?”

“Not a lot. Most of my time is spent running my day care center.” Shelby wrinkled her forehead, realizing she’d have to call her assistant soon to let Debbi know she wouldn’t be there on Monday. “Trina and Stephan manage the marina.”

“I know. Trina was helping us, providing inside information.”

Shelby frowned. “Like what?”

“Details that may be pertinent to us finding the drugs being smuggled into the U.S. from Canada through the Great Lakes. Names of ships, routes, etcetera. We’re trying to find the identity of the mastermind behind the drug smuggling operation. We knew there were several insiders, including one in customs, but we needed to find the guy in charge.”

“Drugs? On my father’s ships?” She stared at him in shock. “You can’t be serious.”

“Shelby, I saw the shipments firsthand. I was working undercover as a longshoreman, reporting to Bobby Drake, the warehouse foreman and your father’s right-hand man. During the time I spent on the docks, I discovered drugs
coming in on your father’s ships over and over again. That much is fact. What we don’t know is who’s responsible.”

She sucked in a harsh breath. She’d had no idea. “You think my father is involved, don’t you?”

“I saw him on the docks a fair amount. He kept his hand in every aspect of his business. Russ Jacobson was especially interested in the cargo on the ships that traveled from Sault Saint Marie to Green Bay, with the final destination being Chicago. The same ships where we found drugs.”

“No!” Shelby jumped to her feet, her hands fisted at her sides. “I’m telling you, Alex, my father isn’t involved in drug smuggling.”

“Shh.” He frowned at her, and then glanced over his shoulder toward the kitchen where the kids were playing with Clyde. “Calm down. Trina felt the same way you do. Yet we have no choice but to treat everyone as a suspect, until proven otherwise. You wanted to know the source of the danger, well this is it. Whoever hurt Trina must have figured out she was feeding us information.”

“Dinner’s on,” Kayla called.

Alex glanced toward the kitchen. “We’ll discuss this more later.”

Shelby didn’t want to discuss it later. She wanted to talk about it now, so she could show Alex he was wrong. Yet in spite of her instinctive defense, she felt uneasy. She wasn’t an idiot. Her father’s shipping company dominated the Great Lakes shipping business. How could drugs be on his ships without his knowledge? She shoved aside the shimmer of doubt. She didn’t know how her father had missed what was going on, but she was relieved to hear Trina believed in their father’s innocence, too.

She was tempted to insist he tell her more, but bit her tongue, in deference to Cody. The poor child had been traumatized enough. He didn’t need to hear his aunt arguing with his
other dad.

“Yes. We will talk more later.” Her gaze warned him that she expected answers. He returned her look with a bland one of his own.

Kayla called out to them from the kitchen. “Are you coming?”

They both hurried into the kitchen. Instead of eating in the formal dining room usually reserved for guests, they crowded around the oak picnic table in the kitchen. There should have been plenty of room, especially when Cody insisted on sitting next to Brianna. Yet Alex seemed to take up more than his share of space. His presence was disturbing and not just because she usually avoided being so close to a man. For some strange reason, his woodsy aftershave teased her senses.

“Excuse me,” she muttered when their elbows bumped for the third time. She scooched over a few more inches. Any farther, she’d be sitting on the floor.

“Switch places with me, I’m left-handed.” Alex lifted his plate and stood while she slid into his spot so that he could sit at the end.

He was still too close. His right hand rested on the table and Shelby could see a few of the reddened scars above the denim cuff of his shirt. What had happened to him? Mesmerized by the dark sprinkling of hair on his forearm, she didn’t realize she’d eaten half her stew until Kayla snickered at her from across the table. Flustered, she stared at her bowl. Had the meat tasted different? She couldn’t say one way or the other.

“What do you think?” Kayla asked.

She flashed her a sheepish smile. “You’re absolutely right, Kayla. The venison stew is wonderful.”

“Thanks. Alex is a hunter and he shot the deer himself, last year.” Her voice rang with pride.

“Can I learn how to hunt deer?” Cody piped up from the other side of the table.

“No.”

“Sure.”

Both Shelby and Alex answered simultaneously. She threw him a dark look. Alex had the grace to look away guiltily.

“I don’t think you’ll be old enough to hunt for quite a while yet, Cody,” Shelby amended, noticing the confusion in the boy’s eyes. She mentally cursed Alex for interfering. She’d been making decisions regarding Cody’s upbringing for years, how could he expect to suddenly step in and take over?