Midnight Ridge (Detective Ellie Reeves #12)

Prologue

Mystic, Sanctuary House

Sixteen-year-old Minnie Benton hated her daddy.

She should hate the baby growing inside her, too, because it was made in shame instead of love.

But she couldn’t help herself. Even unborn, she loved the little girl more than she’d ever thought she could love anyone.

Another contraction ripped through her body and she bit her tongue, fighting a scream.

Ms. Hazel, who was an angel with a bouffant hairdo, pale green eyes and a slight tremor in her arthritic hands, had taken her in along with other girls in her same predicament and they’d become a family.

Ms. Hazel had no ill words to say, just a soft voice, a tender smile and a heart as big as Texas.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone in your family?” Ms. Hazel asked as she blotted the sweat from Minnie’s forehead with a cool cloth.

Minnie’s sister’s face flashed in her mind, and she wondered if Beth Ann would help her. If they could be close again like they had been when they were little.

If Beth Ann could forgive her for some of the things Minnie had done.

But Beth Ann might still be tight with their daddy and Minnie didn’t want any part of him. “No, don’t call anyone,” she screeched through the pain.

Her stomach clenched and she felt something wet flow down her legs. Heat flooded her cheeks. Had she just peed herself?

“Your water just broke, so it won’t be long,” Ms. Hazel said.

Minnie’s chest tightened in panic, and she suddenly couldn’t breathe. What did she know about being a mother? She was just a stupid teenager. She’d made so many mistakes already.

“You’ve got this, sweetie,” Ms. Hazel assured her. “Just breathe in and out like we practiced.”

Tears rolled down Minnie’s face as an even sharper contraction seized her. She felt like someone was stabbing her from the inside out. Another one hit a second later, then another and another and Minnie lost the will to be strong and did scream this time.

Somewhere in the room, a clock chimed the midnight hour and Minnie thought she was going to die as the pains came one on top of the other.

Her vision blurred and her head swam. Fear choked her as the minutes blurred, then Ms. Hazel was telling her to take a deep breath and push. Sweat trickled down her face.

She tasted salt from her tears as she cried out in agony but seconds later, a tiny sound, a newborn’s cry, bled through her fear, and Ms. Hazel helped ease the baby out of her throbbing body. For a moment she went numb with shock, but Ms. Hazel wiped the baby clean and wrapped her in a blanket.

Ms. Hazel angled the wailing infant so Minnie could see her and Minnie broke into a sob.

The tiny, shriveled, pink-faced squalling girl was so small and looked so fragile that fear clawed at Minnie.

“You want to hold her?” Ms. Hazel murmured.

Minnie backhanded the tears on her cheeks. “What if I break her?” she whispered.

A soft smile lit Ms. Hazel’s eyes. The kind woman ran Sanctuary House, her own non-profit to help teenagers in need, and had been a godsend to Minnie by welcoming her into her home like family. “Oh, honey, you won’t. You’re her mama.”

Minnie swallowed another sob, and she suddenly wanted her own mother. But she hadn’t told her about her pregnancy. She hadn’t wanted to see the disappointment on her face.

But her daddy had figured it out.

The ugly things he’d said to her when he’d learned about her pregnancy taunted her.

The vile names had stung her to her core.

Nausea had washed over her that night, and she ran to the bathroom, dropped to the floor and puked in the toilet.

Footsteps echoed and then her father yanked her hair back so she didn’t throw up on it.

For a moment, she thought he was being kind, but instead he growled, “Keep your mouth shut and don’t tell anybody what happened. Not even your mother or sister.”

Minnie coughed, grabbed some tissue paper and mopped at her mouth.

“Do you understand me?” he snapped.

Her scalp stung as he twisted her hair harder, but she nodded. She understood all right.

The baby’s cry dragged her back to reality, and she reached for her newborn. Ms. Hazel gently eased Minnie’s daughter into her arms.

The moment Minnie looked into her daughter’s eyes, eyes such a deep blue they almost looked purple, love for her newborn overcame her. “Iris. That’s my favorite flower and my grammy’s name. She was such a sweet lady. She used to make cookies with me every time she came to visit.”

She stroked the strands of her daughter’s damp hair as she studied her delicate features. A tiny pug nose, dimpled cheeks, pink little lips. If only her grammy were still alive to see Iris.

She lifted Iris and kissed her forehead. “Somehow, baby girl, we’ll make a life for ourselves. And I’ll always protect you.”

Two of the girls who’d been staying here when Minnie first arrived had chosen adoption for their infants. Minnie wasn’t opposed to it.

But she couldn’t give up her baby girl. Iris was her life now. She’d never leave her or let anyone hurt her.