Chapter 38
Farrah
I’m in that space between wake and sleep where everything feels like a possibility. Being surrounded by Knox’s warmth makes me feel safer than I ever have. Not even the threat of Alex being in town has a place in this bed this morning.
I’m going to lie here and bask in the happiness I’ve been dreaming about for years.
Something happened last night between Knox and me.
I don’t know exactly what it was, but the way he made love to me was almost as if he were saying the words.
It made my eyes prick with tears I had to quickly swallow down.
I didn’t want Knox to think I was anything but inordinately happy.
“You’re thinking an awful lot for it barely being daylight,” Knox grumbles. His sleep-roughened voice sends a shiver through my body.
I turn over so I can press my face into his bare chest. “How can you tell?”
He wraps his arms tighter around me. “Because you start to get restless the faster your thoughts move, as if your body needs to match the speed of your brain.”
I pull back from his chest in surprise. “How in the world did you notice something so small?”
He smirks down at me. “Because I made it my business to learn everything about you.”
“Why?”
“At first, I was trying to figure out what your angle was. Then I just became obsessed with everything you do.”
I shake my head. “You never cease to shock me, Knox.”
He grins as his phone rings. A crease forms between his eyebrows when he checks it. “This is Knox.” He bolts up out of bed, sending my heart thrumming in panic.
“No, she’s not in the residence. Have the police been dispatched?
” There’s a short pause, then he says, “We’ll be there in twenty minutes.
” He hangs up the phone before looking at me.
“The security alarm at your house went off ten minutes ago. The police should be arriving any minute, but we should go meet them over there.”
“Did they get into the house?”
Knox shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
Knox wakes up Finn while I finish getting ready. The two of them are already downstairs when I’m done. They’re heating the frozen breakfast sandwiches Knox keeps on hand, talking quietly.
“Why would someone try to go to Farrah’s house without her there?” Finn asks.
“That’s what we’re going to find out, buddy, but listen, I need you to stick with Farrah or me the whole time we’re there, okay? We don’t know who tried to get into her house, so I need you to make safe choices by staying with one of us, please.”
Finn nods. “Okay, Daddy.”
Knox hands me a sandwich and a cup of coffee, and the three of us head out to the truck. I’m nervous about what we’re going to walk into, but I’m oddly unafraid. I have so many people surrounding me now that I no longer have to worry about doing any of this on my own.
We eat our breakfast on the way to my house. None of us is in the mood to say much. The potential disaster waiting at the end of my driveway puts a damper on what could’ve been a nice, quiet morning.
It’s a shock to see two police cruisers with their lights flashing. The officers are standing in my front yard with their hands on their hips while they chat. I take it as a good sign that no one seems too concerned.
Knox is out of the truck first, coming over to my side to help me out before opening Finn’s door for him. We walk over to the officers, Finn’s little hand in mine, offering more comfort than he could fully understand.
“What did you find?” Knox asks.
One of the female officers speaks first, introducing herself as Officer Pritchard.
She looks like she could be the same age as me, but I can never tell how old people are these days.
“Looks like they broke a window in the back of the house. It doesn’t seem like they were able to make it any further.
I’d guess the security alarm scared them off, but we’d like to walk around inside to make sure. ”
“Will you make sure Whiskey’s okay?” I ask.
Knox nods, leading two of the officers to the house since he knows the door code, while I stay outside with Finn and the lone male officer. He’s got a handlebar mustache that could probably win contests. His uniform says his last name is Burton.
“I remember your daddy. He was a mean son of a”—he glances at Finn before correcting himself—“gun. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with all this now.”
A surprised laugh comes out. “Thanks. He wasn’t the most pleasant man to be around, that’s for sure.”
“Your grandmother would be proud of you though. One of my grandbabies was in your class last year and couldn’t have loved you more.”
His last name doesn’t ring any bells, but I have no doubt I taught his grandkid. Then I realize what else he said. “You knew my Grammy?”
He gets a fond smile. “I did. I was a rookie when I first met her and your grandpa. She was a real sweetheart.”
“Yes, she was.” My voice hitches.
Before he can say anything else, Knox, Officer Pritchard, and Officer Mallory come out of my house. Finn squeezes my hand in reassurance, and I squeeze him back to say thank you.
Knox runs a comforting hand down my spine as he gives me an update. “Officer Pritchard was right in her assumption. Doesn’t look like he got any further inside before taking off. We’ll get your window boarded up, but I think you and Whiskey should stay with us for a while longer.”
I nod. “Will you come inside with me?”
He gives me a look. “Try and stop me.”
* * *
“So the cameras didn’t pick up anything?” Gia asks, taking a sip of her glass of wine.
I shake my head, picking at my mostly full plate. Holt and Gia invited us over for dinner tonight after hearing about the break-in. Knox and I were both grateful for the distraction.
The kids have been playing in the living room since we finished eating, giving us the chance to talk freely without any of them picking up on our worry.
Knox and I went through the security footage with the officers this afternoon, but Alex managed to stay out of full view of the cameras. It’s incredibly frustrating because we can’t use it to prove he’s broken both his parole and the protective order.
We talked to the detective in Wyoming to see if they can track Alex down, but he’s in the middle of a murder investigation. He said he’d assign someone to the task, but I have very little hope that they’ll be able to do anything before Alex makes his next move.
“What’s the plan in the meantime?” Holt asks.
“Farrah’s going to stay with us until either the cops in Wyoming locate him or he shows himself here,” Knox answers.
Gia raises her eyebrow. “That might be a while.”
I shrug. “He’s already made his presence known, and he’s too impatient to wait much longer than a week. I’d imagine seeing me living with Knox will piss him off enough to act sooner rather than later.”
Gia tilts her head in agreement. “Narcissists do tend to be territorial over what they perceive as theirs.”
“Are the girls ready for school to start again?” I ask to change the subject.
The first day back is next week, and then we’re hosting Finn’s science-themed birthday party.
I’ve had a blast planning it with him. We’re going to set up experiments for the kids to try, and we’ll have little white coats and safety glasses they can take home.
Knox surprised me by being just as involved in the planning as I am. He scoffed at me and told me I needed to see pictures from Finn’s fifth birthday party two years ago. Apparently, they had a massive dinosaur bouncy castle, and they got to dig up pretend bones like archaeologists.
It was a reminder that Knox has been raising Finn all by himself for years.
I’m not really sure how he’s managed it.
The more time I spend with Finn, the more I’ve come to realize how incredible he is.
While some kids have a great personality on their own, most kids are a product of how they’re raised.
Finn wouldn’t be the kid he is if Knox didn’t put his all into being a good dad.
I’ve been dying to ask Knox about Finn’s mom. There isn’t even a picture of her in the house, but every time I think to bring it up, I chicken out before I can say anything. I wouldn’t want someone to flat-out ask about my past either.
He deserves to tell me on his own time, but I’m starting to get the feeling he won’t ever talk about it unless prompted.