Free The Baby's Bodyguard by Stephanie Newton

even a note in the file that she forgot her driver’s license when she was in the office with the baby. But we can cross-reference the name she gave with the address we have.”
    He hummed a little as he typed and scrolled. “Okay, she doesn’t have a bank account, but she has a credit card in the same name with a slightly different spelling, using that address.”
    Kelsey shifted her weight to the other foot, but they were both so sore that it didn’t really help. “I can get a court order for the credit card records, but it might take a little while.”
    Nolan tapped the keys a few more times, and a paper came spewing out of the printer. “She used that card three hours ago, about forty-five minutes from here, at a hotel just outside Fort Walton Beach.” He whipped the paper out of the tray and held it up.
    Ethan snatched it. “I’m going.”
    Kelsey blocked the doorway. “Ethan, you have to call the sheriff’s office or the SBPD for help. You haveno idea what this woman is capable of or if she’s even alone.”
    Tyler walked in, dropped into one of the leather reading chairs and hooked one foot over the other knee. “I have to agree with Kelsey on this one. There’s nothing good that can come from going alone, but lots that can go wrong.”
    “This woman is the only lead I have to finding my son.” He looked into Kelsey’s eyes and took her hand. “I don’t want to leave you, but you’ll be safe here, I promise.”
    He let her hand drop as he strode away without giving them a chance to say more. He wasn’t kidding. It was hard leaving her here. Harder still was knowing Charlie was out there somewhere and not knowing where. Or how to get to him.
    “Ethan.” The soft voice behind him stopped him in motion as he reached for the doorknob.
    His shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry, Kels—I have to go. I have to take this chance.”
    “I understand. Just be careful, please. This is the person who left a baby defenseless in the middle of the ocean.”
    He gave her a quick smile, meant to reassure. “Janie’s got you now. She’s far from defenseless.” He pushed open the back door. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. Hopefully with the woman who knows the details of Janie’s life.”
    Kelsey pressed something into his hand. “We’ll have backup meet you there. Your brother said to give you these.”
    Keys. He wouldn’t have gotten very far without them, evidence that he wasn’t thinking as clearly as he should be—guess he needed the backup they were sending after all. “Thanks.” He touched her cheek. “You won’t even know I’m gone.”
    He walked away.
    His baby had been taken from him. He could barely breathe at the thought that Charlie might be alive. For so long there hadn’t been a whisper of hope in his life. There had been nothing to look forward to. He’d been an empty shell.
    Hope hurt.
    But he was ready for it. Charlie needed him. And he needed Charlie, to know that he was okay. To know that his little boy hadn’t suffered—wasn’t suffering the way Ethan had these last two years.
    He glanced back at the house and saw Kelsey framed in the doorway to the kitchen. The early afternoon sunlight shone on her face, gilding her in its light. She was tough and sweet, had to be to hang in there in the job she did. He had amazing respect for her.
    Truthfully, she was beginning to mean something to him in a way that was completely unexpected. He didn’t know what to do with the knowledge, or even what it meant, but there it was.
    And that kind of hope hurt, too. He felt like he was coming apart at the cracks. Every bit of sticking together that he’d done in the last two years seemed to be shredding in the face of these new developments.
    The only thing he knew to do was stay busy, chasedown the leads to find his son and baby Janie’s past and do everything in his power to keep both of them safe.
    He could think about the rest later.
    Kelsey watched Ethan drive away and fought the