Peekaboo Baby by Delores Fossen Read Free Book Online Page A

them.
    â€œNothing like this has ever happened to me before,” Delaney said. “Not even a fender bender. For a couple of moments there, I thought we were going to die.”
    He’d thought the same thing, but Ryan kept it to himself.
    â€œDo you think this is connected to what Dr. Keyes told me?” she asked.
    It was the billon-dollar question, and it was a possible connection they hadn’t withheld from the sheriff.
    Well, in a way, they hadn’t.
    Delaney had been careful not to accuse the doctor outright of a crime, but she had told Sheriff Knight about the unsettling call from the medical watchdog group. What she’d left out, however, was any mention of cloning. It was as if she were trying to strike that particular detail from her mind. Ryan was willing to bet she hadn’t been any more successful at it than he’d been.
    However, the cloning allegation wasn’t the only factor to be considered here.
    â€œI’ve made enemies,” Ryan admitted, staring down into his coffee. And that was a massive understatement. “This could have happened because of me.”
    Not an easy admission to make to her, and Ryan hoped—no, he prayed—that this deed wasn’t on his head. He already had enough unresolved issues in his life without adding this latest episode involving Delaney Nash.
    She came to a halt directly in front of the gray metaltable where he was sitting and waited until their eyes met. “You didn’t mention anyone specific to the sheriff.”
    He lifted a shoulder. “Because there’s a lot more than just one. But then, I don’t have to remind you of that.”
    Delaney paused a moment and nodded. “No.”
    She stood there, looking exhausted but determined to dig until they learned the truth. She also looked vulnerable. The vulnerable part wasn’t so obvious, but he knew it was just beneath the surface. The fact she was trying to hide it brought out some of his own feelings.
    He wanted to protect her.
    Which made him an idiot.
    Delaney wasn’t some money-hungry opportunist out to extort from him. During the past couple of hours, he’d gotten past those particular allegations. But she was his enemy’s daughter. And she was embroiled in some kind of…whatever. He couldn’t dismiss the potential issues that had surfaced from the New Hope clinic and Dr. Keyes.
    Nor would it be wise to overlook the obvious.
    â€œI know we’ve been through this, but I need you to think hard. Is it possible that your father knew you were coming to see me tonight?” Ryan asked.
    He braced himself for her to unleash a vehement protest, A declaration of her father’s innocence. After all, it was practically an accusation. A really serious one. Her father’s involvement would mean that he’d essentially tried to murder them.
    â€œI didn’t tell him,” Delaney answered. No protest, and she didn’t add anything else for several seconds. “But I suppose he could have found out. I mean, my sitter knew where I was. If he called her, she might have told him.”
    She became more ashen with each word, and her breath was no longer level. Delaney glanced at the clock on the wall and then motioned toward the door. “I have to go to the ladies’ room.” She obviously needed to come to terms with what she’d just realized—her father could have been the one behind the wheel of the other car.
    â€œThis is a small town and an equally small sheriff’s office, so it’s my guess that Dillon Knight won’t be able to offer you any protection,” Ryan added before she could walk away. “If you decide you want or need it, that is.” He took a sheet from the notepad that the deputy had left on the table, and he wrote down the phone number of the person who was in charge of his security. “Quentin Kincade. He’s a good man. Just call him if you have any concerns. Or