Chapter 10
Jake
I moved closer to Ella, every muscle in my body tightening as I watched the color drain from her face. She gripped the phone so hard her knuckles turned white. Whatever Frank was saying terrified her.
“Just tell me what you told him,” she pressed, her voice barely above a whisper.
I could hear Frank’s tinny voice through the receiver, but couldn’t make out the words. Ella’s eyes met mine, wide with fear.
“Okay. Thank you for calling,” she said finally, then ended the call.
“What happened?” I asked, already reaching for my jacket.
“He went back to the bakery,” she said, her hands shaking as she set the phone down. “Started asking Frank questions about us—where we live, how long I’ve worked there, whether Nora is my biological daughter.” She swallowed hard. “Frank told him he didn’t know anything, but...”
“But Kozlov didn’t believe him,” I finished for her.
She nodded. “Frank said he looked around the bakery like he was memorizing everything. Took pictures of the staff photos on the wall.”
Caleb appeared in the doorway, alerted by our voices. “We have a problem?”
“The PI went back to the bakery,” I said. “He’s digging.”
My brother’s expression hardened. “Time to dig back, then.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t used in years. After three rings, a gruff voice answered.
“Martinez.”
“It’s Brennen,” I said. “I need a favor.”
There was a pause, then a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned. Thought you fell off the face of the earth.”
“Nearly did,” I admitted. “Listen, I need information on someone. A private investigator named Alex Kozlov. Probably Russian connections.”
“This official business?” Martinez asked, caution creeping into his tone.
“Personal,” I said. “But important.”
Another pause. “Give me twenty-four hours. And Jake? You owe me a drink for this.”
“Make it a bottle,” I promised, then hung up.
Ella was watching me, questions in her eyes. “Who was that?”
“Old contact from my Army days,” I explained. “He works in intelligence now. If anyone can find out who Kozlov really is, it’s him.”
She nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Thank you.”
I turned to Caleb. “We need to check the security cameras, make sure no one’s been scouting the property.”
“Already on it,” he said, holding up his phone where the security feed was playing. “Nothing so far, but I’ll keep monitoring.”
I looked at Ella, trying to keep my expression calmer than I felt. “You should call the vet, see if we can bring Scout home early. I’d feel better with him here.”
She nodded and reached for her phone again. While she made the call, I walked to the window, scanning the tree line that bordered her property. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the snow, perfect cover for anyone watching the house.
“Dr. Miller says we can pick him up at five,” Ella reported, joining me at the window. “He’s still weak, but she thinks he’ll recover faster at home.”
I checked my watch. Almost three now. “I’ll go get him.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said firmly.
I started to argue, but stopped myself. The determination in her eyes told me it would be pointless. “Alright, but Nora stays here with Caleb.”
Ella bit her lip. “I don’t want to leave her.”
“I’ll keep her safe,” Caleb promised, his voice gentler than I’d heard it in years. “Scout needs you, and Jake shouldn’t go alone.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Nora,” she called. “Can you come here for a minute?”
The little girl appeared in the doorway, clutching her stuffed fox. “Is Scout coming home?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Ella said, kneeling to her level. “Mom and Jake are going to get him from the doctor. You’re going to stay here with Caleb, okay?”
Nora looked up at my brother, assessing him with a child’s brutal honesty. “Do you know how to play Go Fish?”
A smile tugged at Caleb’s mouth. “As a matter of fact, I’m the Go Fish champion of Alberta.”
She narrowed her eyes, clearly skeptical. “We’ll see.”
Despite everything, I felt a laugh bubble up in my chest. This kid was something else.
Twenty minutes later, Ella and I were in my truck, headed toward town. The silence between us was heavy with all the things we weren’t saying.
“Your brother seems good with kids,” she said finally.
I kept my eyes on the road. “Yeah, he always was. Before... everything.”
She didn’t press, just nodded and looked out the window. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice soft. “That kiss last night. I don’t regret it.”
My hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Neither do I.”
“But you’re right that the timing is terrible,” she continued. “With everything that’s happening—”
“Ella,” I cut in gently. “We don’t need to figure this out right now.”
She turned to look at me, her eyes searching mine. “What if there is no right time? What if this—whatever it is between us—just gets buried under everything else?”
I reached across the console and took her hand, threading my fingers through hers. “Then we dig it back up when things settle. But right now, keeping you and Nora safe is what matters.”
She squeezed my hand, then let go as we pulled into the veterinary clinic parking lot. The place was quiet, and most of the day’s appointments finished. Dr. Miller met us at the door, her expression tired but pleased.
“He’s doing much better. He ate a bit of soft food,” she said, leading us to an examination room where Scout lay on a padded table. “Still weak, and he’ll need medication for the next week, but the worst is over.”
The dog’s tail thumped weakly when he saw Ella. She went to him immediately, burying her face in his fur. “Hey, buddy,” she whispered. “Ready to go home?”
While Dr. Miller explained the medication schedule and follow-up care, I scanned the parking lot through the window. And that’s when it dawned on me.
“Dr. Miller. Did you call Caleb about Scout?” I asked.
She looked at me with a blank stare. “Who is Caleb? I don’t—”
“We need to go,” I said, cutting in. “Now.”
Dr. Miller looked startled, but Ella caught my tone and straightened immediately. “Is it—?”
“No, something else.”
She helped me lift Scout, who was still too weak to walk. Dr. Miller hurried ahead of us, holding open doors as we carried the dog to my truck.
“Call if his condition changes,” the vet called as we settled him into the back seat.