Her Baby's Protector. Margaret Daley

at Chase across the room. Then he struck out for him and threw his arms around his leg.

      Jamie loved meeting new people, but after today, she’d thought that might be different. She hadn’t known he’d really been aware of the man who had saved them today, but he must have been because he raised his hands, opening and closing them.

      “Up!”

      Chase hoisted Jamie into his arms. “Sure, big guy. I’m Chase. I have a nephew not too much older than you.”

      “Case.” Her son rubbed his hand across Chase’s day-old beard. He giggled and did it again.

      Seeing Jamie with Chase made her realize her son didn’t have too many males in his life. She closed the space between the police detective and her. “C’mon, Jamie. Time to eat.” As Rachel put the food on the table, Kate took him from Chase and set her son in his high chair.

      After everyone was seated, Kate bowed her head and said, “Lord, thank You for sending us Chase when we needed him. Bless this food and our soldiers protecting us. Amen.”

      When she looked up, Chase was staring at her, and for a few seconds her son and Rachel faded into the background, the lure of his gaze making her forget who else was around. No wonder she’d remembered him from all the many people who frequented the county courthouse. It wasn’t just that he was handsome—there was also an intensity to him that drew her attention. When he’d described himself as determined, she understood why. There was something about the man that intrigued her.

      A purring Boss rubbing against her leg pulled her attention back to the moment.

      While Rachel was eating, Kate assisted Jamie with his meal, a mixture of baby food and the Mexican chicken, trying to minimize Jamie’s chances to play with it or fling it. Then her nanny would take over while Kate had her dinner. But her son kept getting distracted by Chase across the table from him—probably because he was the first man to sit at her table. She hadn’t realized how small her world had become since Jamie’s birth.

      Her world centered around her child, the only one she would ever have. For ten years she and her husband had tried to have a baby. She had miscarried four times, and they’d given up the last year James was alive. Then her husband had died in a small plane crash. Not long after his death, she’d discovered she was pregnant. James would never know he had a son. A complication after Jamie’s birth had led to a hysterectomy. Jamie would be her only child, but she cherished him and thanked the Lord for her one baby.

      Jamie flipped his spoon, causing his food to fly in several directions.

      “Okay. That’s my sign you’re finished.” Kate took the utensil and bowl off the tray while Boss licked the food that landed on the tiled floor.

      Then her son rubbed his eyes and tried to stand in his seat. Kate rose and picked him up. She noticed her nanny was finished with her meal and said, “After you wash him up, let’s try and put him to bed again.”

      Rachel stood and took Jamie from Kate. “I’m surprised he even woke up after not sleeping much last night. I’ll take care of him. You need to eat.”

      When the nanny left the kitchen with Jamie, Kate served several spoons of her Mexican chicken onto her plate. “Do you want anymore?”

      “Yes. I don’t get a lot of home-cooked food. This is delicious.”

      Kate passed the serving spoon to Chase. Their fingers briefly touched. For a few seconds she forgot to breathe. Sharing a meal with a man was something she hadn’t done in so long she didn’t know how to react anymore. She sternly reminded herself not to be silly. This wasn’t a date—he was just trying to keep her and her son safe. If an assailant wanted to hurt her, the most effective way would be to do something to Jamie. Zed Hammer’s anger the last day she saw him might have driven him to harm her son. The thought plunged fear deeper into her. She’d fought to have her son, and she would fight to keep him and protect him from any harm.

      “Is the house secure?”

      “All windows and doors are locked. You have a good security system, but vigilance is important, too.”

      “Now I wish I had a big dog. Would it be good to get one tomorrow? I’ll do whatever I need to make sure Jamie is all right.”

      “If you got a dog tomorrow, it would take some time to train him properly. Right now you need a guard dog. I could loan you Mac. He’s a German shepherd. When I got him, he’d been a guard dog. He’s well-trained, or I wouldn’t offer.”

      A German shepherd she hadn’t raised? She didn’t know if that would be a good idea, and yet having him might be just what she needed at this time. “On one condition. Would you stay with us for the day after bringing him to make sure Mac is a fit for us? I know that’s asking a lot, but I need to be assured Mac won’t have any problems with Jamie, Rachel and me, not to mention my cat. Have you ever loaned him out before?”

      “No, and that’s a good suggestion. Tomorrow is Saturday. I can bring him by in the morning and introduce you to Mac.”

      “Good. I’d like that.” But this incident made her realize she needed a dog as a permanent pet. Jamie would love it.

      Chase’s cell phone rang. “I need to answer this. It’s my partner.” He pushed to his feet and walked into the hallway.

      Kate tried to eat a few bites of her dinner, but knots of tension riddled her stomach. She finally decided not to force it down. As she began taking the dishes to the sink, Chase reentered the kitchen.

      “Was it about Zed Hammer?”

      “Yes. We got a search warrant for his house. I’m meeting my partner over there. I’ll have a patrol car drive by your place at least once an hour. With the police force looking for the car and Hammer, hopefully we’ll find him soon. In the meantime, I hope we’ll get some useful data from his home. If he’s the attacker, then I want to have solid evidence against him.”

      For a second, she wanted to ask him to stay, but he was right that his duty lay elsewhere. Her house was secured, and she wanted the person responsible in jail tonight, if possible.

      She went to her desk and jotted her cell phone number on a piece of paper. “Call me if you find anything.”

      He checked his watch. “It could be late.”

      “I don’t care. I’d like to know.”

      He pocketed the scrap of paper she gave him and offered her his business card in return. “Okay, I will.”

      Kate walked with him to the foyer and turned off the alarm. “Thank you for all you’ve done today. I hate to think what could have happened if you hadn’t shown up.” A shudder rippled through her.

      At the front door, Chase paused and turned. “You have my number. Call if you need me. Any time, day or night. I don’t live far from here. I can be here in ten minutes.”

      “I appreciate it.” She gave him a smile.

      When he left, she locked up and turned on the alarm again. Then she glanced around, realizing how big the house was. But Chase had checked it. If someone came in through a door or window, the alarm would go off. After cleaning the dishes, she headed upstairs.

      Rachel backed out of Jamie’s room and quietly closed the door, then swung around. “I think he’s officially asleep this time. I waited awhile to make sure.”

      “Thanks. I’m going to bed, too. Long day.”

      “Don’t worry about Jamie. I have the monitor on, and if he wakes up, I’ll hear and check on him. Get some rest.”

      That was easier said than done, Kate noted later as she stared up at her dark ceiling. She was exhausted but not sleepy. She was glad tomorrow was a day off. Maybe before the weekend was over, her attacker would be found, and she could make up for the sleep she’d lost. Her docket was full next week.

      Finally her eyelids grew heavy. She hugged her