Free Before The Night Is Over by Sandy Sullivan Page B

What?”
    “ I’ll watch your daughter for a few hours.”
    “ You can’t be serious.”
    “ Why not?”
    “ How much experience do you have watching a three year old?” The pause on the line answered her question. “I appreciate you volunteering, but I think you would be so out of your league with her. I’d probably find you sitting in one of your dining room chairs with one of those ropes you cowboys use, wrapped around you, when I got back.”
    A warm chuckle reached her ear through the phone line. She closed her eyes at the sound, reliving it and their rendezvous from this morning, in her mind.
    “ All right. I’ll tell you what. Let me make a phone call and see if a friend of mine would be willing to watch her for you. She’s great with kids.”
    “ She?” Jealousy raced down Laurel’s back and she chided herself.
    “ Yeah. Natalie is married to my best friend and she’s an elementary teacher. Let me call her real quick and I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
    Natalie? Isn’t that the name of the woman I heard the ladies at the picnic table talking about?
    “ Red?”
    “ Sorry. My mind drifted there for a minute.” She inhaled a steadying breath and said, “Okay. I would appreciate any help. I’m at wits end here. The lady who normally sits for me has an appointment and I can’t ask my sister. Jeff’s home and I won’t let Kimmy go over there.”
    “ I’m sure it will be fine, but I’ll call you back.”
    “ Thanks, Kale,” she murmured, her heart thumping loud in her ears.
    “ Talk to you in a minute or two.”
    The phone disconnected with a click and she flipped hers shut. Thoughts zipped across her mind even as she tried to corral them. Who is this Natalie to Kale? Those women mentioned Kale and someone named Cade. Should I ask? Hell no! He would get the impression I’m jealous or something.
    “ Did you find someone to watch your daughter?” Jim asked as she wandered back to his patrol car.
    “ I’m not sure.”
    “ You better figure it out soon. The chief is getting antsy.”
    “ I know. I’m waiting for a phone call from someone.”
    Her cell phone vibrated in her hand and the screen showed the same number Kale called from earlier.
    “ Hello?”
    “ Hey, Red.” The nickname had started to grow on her especially coming from Kale's lips. “Nat said she would watch your daughter for you. I’ll have to pick her up and take her out to their house though. Her son is down for a nap right now and Cade isn’t home at the moment.”
    A heavy sigh left her lips as she glanced at Kimmy still sitting in the patrol car while she chatted like a magpie to Jim. “All right. I don’t have a choice I guess.”
    “ Where are you and I’ll come and get her.”
    “ No, meet me at my apartment. I need to get her car seat out of my car and I’m at the park on Fourth.”
    “ It’ll take me about ten minutes to get there anyway. Can you get home before then?”
    “ Yeah. No problem.” The address of her apartment complex rolled off her tongue. “Apartment two-ten.”
    “ Great. I’ll see you in a few.”
    Once he hung up, she told Kimmy to stay there with Jim for another minute and walked to where the chief stood talking with two officers.
    “ Officer Hayes. What’s the verdict?”
    “ I’ll be able to investigate, sir. I’ve got a friend coming over to pick up my daughter, but I need to go back to my apartment and get her a few things. Will it be all right if I come back in say an hour?”
    The chief stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets and rolled back on his heels as he squinted at her. Trepidation rolled down her back. The look on his face didn’t bode well, but she was probably the most experienced officer on their force with homicide investigation.
    “ One hour. I expect you back here before two.”
    “ Yes sir.”
    Not wasting any time, Laurel gathered up Kimberly and walked back to her apartment to get ready for Kale.
    “ Hey baby girl, I need you to be a big