Hostage At Hawk's Landing. Rita Herron

held any sentimental value to her. And certainly nothing fancy. But she didn’t need fancy things.

      Just a safe haven to lay her head at night.

      Not having personal items made it easier to pack up and move on when she felt the urge.

      And she was starting to feel that urge. She’d already been at Lend-A-Hand nearly a year, longer than most places.

      Nerves clawed at her stomach. She could have died tonight. And she had watched a man lose his life. She’d seen bad things before, but never death so close-up.

      With the temperature soaring outside, she opted for a glass of wine over her cup of nightly hot tea and carried it to the bathroom. She filled the tub with bubble bath, undressed and climbed inside to soak away the stench of blood and death that permeated her skin.

      Dex’s handsome face flashed behind her eyes. Once they’d shared a bath, had loved each other the way young lovers did.

      She wasn’t young and innocent anymore, though.

      And she couldn’t entertain fantasies of Dex again. For all she knew, Dex might be involved with someone else.

      She had to focus on work, which made her wonder about Jim Smith. Why had that PI been willing to hold her at gunpoint to get to Jim?

      * * *

      THE NEXT MORNING Dex met his family at the main house for a big country breakfast his mother had prepared. Honey and Harrison and their baby, little Steven, were already there, the baby cooing from the high chair where he banged a spoon on the tray.

      Lucas and Charlotte arrived as he did, Lucas steadying a very pregnant Charlotte as they joined the family in the large dining room off the kitchen. Brayden and Mila and Mila’s little girl, Izzy, were talking to the foster girls their mother had taken in after they were rescued from the human trafficking ring that Lucas had broken up.

      As chatter, laughter and hugs floated between the family members and the ones who’d joined the family, a warmth spread through Dexter. For years after Chrissy disappeared, the family had suffered from guilt and the uncertainty of what had happened to her. Learning she was dead had been a blow, just as learning about their father had been. But at least they had closure.

      Love for his family overcame Dex as he thought about Melissa. When they’d dated, she’d confided in him her feelings about losing her mother, about her father moving them from place to place. They’d lived in shelters all her life.

      No wonder she was at home there.

      It still wasn’t fair. She deserved to have more.

      “Let’s eat,” his mother called over the noise.

      The next few minutes were hectic as everyone grabbed a plate and served themselves from the buffet. Platters of sausage and bacon, eggs, grits, homemade biscuits and roasted potatoes made Dex’s mouth water. One by one, they found seats at the giant farmhouse table the brothers had built to house their growing needs, then his mother tapped her spoon on her coffee mug to indicate it was time for a prayer. The family joined hands and bowed their heads, the voices quieting as their mother gave thanks for all they had.

      As the prayer ended, the conversation began again.

      The baby squealed as his mother drizzled a biscuit with honey, then tore it into small bites and put it on the tray. Izzy sidled next to the baby and began to talk to him, and the foster girls joined at the opposite end, jabbering about the pool his mother had decided to build so they could cool off in the hot summer.

      Charlotte was excited about putting the finishing touches on the nursery for their baby girl who was due any minute. Brayden stood and gestured that he needed everyone’s attention.

      He motioned for Izzy to join him and Mila, then grinned at Izzy. “You want to tell them, sweetie?”

      Izzy bobbed her little head up and down. “I’m gonna be a big sister!”

      The family cheered and stood, hugging and congratulating the couple. Dex slapped Brayden on the back. He still couldn’t believe his little brother was married and had a stepdaughter. And now he was going to add another child to his new family.

      Pulling away, Brayden asked with a grin, “When are you going to settle down, man?”

      His mother looked at him, and Dex shrugged. “Not going to let anyone tie me down.”

      Lucas pounded him on the back. “Because you haven’t found the right woman.”

      Dex chewed the inside of his cheek as an image of Melissa taunted him. She was beautiful and sweet and the most selfless person he’d ever known. She’d invaded his dreams and fantasies since college. She would love his family and would fit right in.

      But...losing his sister and father had nearly destroyed him. If he gave his heart to Melissa, she might crush it, too.

      So he simply laughed off his brothers’ teasing. As they finished breakfast, he asked his brothers to join him in the study. Their mother didn’t allow work talk at the table.

      Harrison eyed him with a frown. “What’s going on, Dex?”

      Dex crossed his arms. “Did you hear about the shooting at the Lend-A-Hand Shelter last night?”

      “Yeah,” Harrison said. “Someone broke in and one of the homeless men shot him.”

      Lucas pulled a hand down his chin. “Police are looking for the shooter. They suspect he was using an alias, that he was on the run from the law.”

      Brayden raised an inquisitive brow. “Why are you asking, Dex?”

      “I know the woman who runs the shelter,” Dex admitted. “Went to college with her years ago.”

      “You dated her?” Brayden asked.

      Dex cursed himself. Why had he shared that he knew her? “Yeah, but that’s not the point. She claims Smith wasn’t dangerous, that the shooter broke in and put a gun to her head.”

      Harrison scowled. “What else do you know about Smith?”

      “Nothing really,” Dex said. “But the shooter was a PI, name was Clark McTruitt.”

      “Maybe McTruitt knew why Smith was on the run and that he was dangerous.”

      “But why hold a gun to Melissa?” Dex asked.

      “Melissa?” Brayden said with a tease to his voice.

      “That’s her name,” Dex said, irritated. “Anyway, after we found Dad, I asked around at a few shelters to see if anyone had seen him.”

      “Dex,” Lucas said with a warning note to his voice. “Dad abandoned us. No need to ask anything else.”

      Harrison’s jaw tightened. “He’s right. You have to let it go.”

      Brayden twisted his mouth to the side. “Did you find out anything?”

      Dex shook his head. “Not yet. But in visiting the shelters, I discovered that three other transients have gone missing the past six months. That started me thinking—”

      “That maybe Dad’s death wasn’t an accident,” Brayden said.

      Lucas made a sound of disgust. “He was drunk. Loaded, according to the medical examiner’s report.”

      “Transients go missing all the time,” Harrison added. “That’s nothing suspicious, Dex. It’s their nature. They roam from place to place. These three may have just moved on to another shelter.”

      “Not to any that I’ve found,” Dex said. “And now a PI breaks into this one and tries to kill another homeless man. Don’t you think that warrants an investigation?”

      Harrison sighed. “Do you have any evidence suggesting all this is related?”

      “Or is this just your imagination looking for problems that aren’t there?”