Free Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) by Kathryn Shay Page A

come along.”
    He’d said no, of course, thinking of all the rigmarole involved in taking Ellie to the mall, let alone bring her on a boat. “She loves to go to mom and dad’s house. And they don’t get her enough for their liking.”
    “Grandparents. I know the feeling. I try to have Mariel once a week, but Ava’s got a schedule and doesn’t want to veer too much from it.”
    “I’m not big on schedules.”
    Her smile was real. “I wasn’t, either. I wonder if that’s why Ava is. You never know with kids.”
    “See? That wasn’t so hard, talking about her.”
    “It wasn’t.”
    Sliding his arm around her, Cole took her mouth. The kiss was slow and gentle, lazy as the boat rocked, the sun beat down. When he pulled back, her eyes were glazed. “I’ve missed you. It seems like forever since that Sunday in the motel.”
    She blushed, buried her head in his chest. “We were like animals.”
    He kissed her head. “Want to go play down below, tiger?”
    She nodded, then stood. Taking his hand, she led him to the steps that went to the boat’s quarters.
    “It’s small,” she said when they reached the interior.
    He grasped her around the waist and drew her to him. “I don’t care. All I want is you.”
    She whispered, “All I want is you, too, Cole.”
    He tried not to read meaning into her words. Not to think they excluded Ellie. He managed to banish the thought as they reached the bed and she drew him down to it.
    o0o
    The clock struck midnight as Beth walked the floor of Ava’s family room with Mariel. The area was huge with plush carpet, skylights and a fireplace. Now only a small lamp lit a corner and the sliver of moon peaked through. “Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay. I know you feel bad.”
    The child burrowed into her. “Mama.”
    “I know you want her, love. But Mama’s dead on her feet.”
    Beth wished Ava had called her before ten o’clock tonight. Her daughter had been up for thirty-six hours with a sick baby and had a husband who was out of town at a medical conference. Ava had given in and phoned Beth when she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. Beth had arrived an hour ago, sent the poor girl right to bed and brought Ava down here.
    Picking up a bottle, she sat in the rocker. “Let’s try some milk, again.” Though Ava had breast fed Mariel for a year, Mariel still took a bottle once in a while. Beth tried to get the nipple in her mouth. But the child spit it out and wailed.
    So she tried to sing to Mariel and it quieted her. They rocked in silence and Beth’s thoughts turned to another baby the same age as Mariel.
    Tell me about having Ellie. What was it like when you first got her?
    Oh, Lord. I felt as if I was dropped onto a different planet. I worried all the time if I was doing the right thing. Finally, my mom sat me down and told me just to go on my instinct.
    Did it work?
    Yeah, for the most part. But I made some mistakes. He spoke as if he’d committed high crimes.
    All parents make mistakes. Tell me one.
    I rock her to sleep. Every single time, and make babysitters do it, too. I, um, started it, because when I first got her, I couldn’t bear to hear her cry.
    And now?
    He shrugged. I don’t know. I haven’t even tried stopping.
    She’d laughed at him then, glad the ice was broken about Ellie.…
    The baby in her arms squirmed again, raised her head, and screamed like a banshee.
    Jesus, Beth had forgotten how awful kids could be at this age when they didn’t feel good.
    The thought unnerved her.
    o0o
    Cole sat at his desk as he read Sabrina’s email about the predator. They’d identified him as Ernesto Street? As in Bruce Springsteen’s band? Or was the name for real? As far as they knew, it was. The guy had sent RightMatch.com a paper check under that name and address, and had been verified by BeenChecked.com. But the nomenclature bothered Cole. Given what had been happening, Cole had good reason to be worried. Carrie Lawson, the woman who’d complained, had