you stretch out on the sofa? Itâs comfortable.â
âNo, thatâs okay.â
Before she could protest further, he stood. Ellie seemed unaffected by his movement. âThatâs okay. Iâll sit in the chair. You donât have to sleep if you donât want to. Just get comfortable. You look like youâre about to fall over.â
Gone were the cold stares and harsh attitude and in their place, Sonny saw concern. She welcomed the change, but she knew she shouldnât. Gil wanted something she couldnât give him. Something she didnât want him to get. As nice as he was now, she was sure the accusing glare would return if she didnât give him the information he wanted.
Walking over to the sofa, she perched on the edge. If she allowed herself to fall back against the deep cushions, sheâd pass out. She was sure of it.
âEllieâs asleep,â Sonny said. âMaybe I should put her back in the crib.â
âNot yet. She needs to be fully asleep or sheâll wake up again. Too bad we donât have a car seat to put her in,â he said, easing back in the armchair.
âWhy?â
âI used to let Johnny sleep in his car seat by my bed. It helped him.â
âI could just hold her like youâre doing.â
Gil shook his head. âYouâre not used to holding her like this. If you fall asleep, she might slip from your arms.â
Sonny sighed, annoyed with herself for thinking more about getting sleep than what she could do for the baby.
âIâm sorry.â
The words were spoken so softly that Sonny would have missed them if she hadnât seen Gilâs lips move. The expression on his face told her he meant it.
âWhat?â
âIâm sorry.â
âWhy?â
âI was wrong. I shouldnât have called you a criminal,â he said gently.
Her smile was weak, but she felt it in her heart. âForgiven.â
âThat easy, huh?â
âYep, that easy. You got the baby to stop crying, so Iâm in your debt for that.â
He looked down into Ellieâs face. âShe doesnât look like you.â
âShe looks like my mother. Cash looks like my mother, too.â Tears filled her eyes. How could she be complaining, even if only to herself, that she was tired and out of her element when Cash was the one so clearly in trouble?
âCome on,â Gil urged. âYou know you want to trust me.â
It was true, but could she?
âTell me what I want to hear, Sonny.â
FIVE
âY ou never stop, do you?â she said, the weight of the day practically pulling on her eyelids. She was fighting to stay awake.
âNo. But I can help you if you let me.â His voice was sincere and made her yearn to let down her guard with him.
I trust in You, Lord, to guide me through my darkest hours. It would be so easy to trust Gil. But his motives for wanting information were mercenary.
âI donât know what youâre talking about.â
âIâm no fool, Sonny. This wasnât a quick vacation to Colombia. Why would Ellieâs mother allow you to take her to a foreign country? And why didnât I ever see you with her until today? It doesnât make any sense.â
She lifted her chin. âIt doesnât need to make sense to you.â
âLook, I know something is going on. I can help you. But only if you let me.â
She turned away from his probing gaze. âYou already âhelpedâ me back at the airport,â she said sarcastically. âOr have you already forgotten that?â
âYouâre terrified of something.â
âHow do you know itâs not you?â
He took in her words and considered them. âFair enough. But I know what kind of trouble your brother was in. If youâre afraidââ
She cut him off. âI told you all I know.â
âHave you?â
Running her fingers through her hair