you can take the wheel in the morning.”
He shook his head. “I can't sleep there.” He peered at the sleeping girl, surrounded on all sides by pillows. “I might roll over and suffocate her.”
Hope smiled then snorted in amusement. “I promise she'll let you know if you roll onto her. Besides, that bed's big enough for you to have your space and Michelle to have hers.”
“ Hope—”
“ Please don't argue with me now, Bren. Just take the bed.” She turned away and took her hamburger to the table. “I just want to eat and sleep so we can get on the road tomorrow morning.”
Brennan stood from his seat and moved to the bed, sitting himself so far from the baby that he nearly tumbled over the edge. He looked up to see if Hope had seen his near fall. She kept her eyes averted, hiding a smile, and after a moment he grabbed the television remote. He began flipping through channels, stopping abruptly when he saw a baby’s picture flash onto the screen. He looked down at the infant sleeping beside him then back at the screen.
“ Hope—” he murmured, and she turned quickly.
A memorial for infant Michelle Taggert began at 4:45 this afternoon, the exact time the child was born in May. Family, friends and strangers all gathered, candles in hand, to grant prayers and remembrance to the infant abducted from her home.
A teary-eyed bear of man appeared, and Hope recognized Justine's father.
“ I can never forget or forgive this tragedy. My innocent young granddaughter was—”
He stopped suddenly, choking on his anguish, and shaking his head.
“ She took that poor baby girl and tried to excuse her crime with vicious accusations. I loved my granddaughter and my daughter with all my heart and—”
He shook his gray head again and placed his hand up to stop the cameras.
Her expression rigid, Hope watched as her own mother's face, pale, tear-streaked and sunken with grief, appeared on the screen. The woman fought against the reporters to get into her home, and that was when Hope quickly got up to flip off the television.
Bren rose and approached her.
“ Hope, I—”
“ Maybe you should get your shower, Bren,” she interrupted. “I'm gonna eat then get some sleep.”
He took several moments to stare at her, then turned and moved to the bathroom, not saying a word. Hope dropped her hamburger and groaned, feeling her stomach cramp, the muscles seizing over mixed feelings of helplessness and rage.
Brennan woke up with a start, jumping up and sucking in a loud breath. He flipped on the light and peered down at the baby beside him, thankful she was still asleep. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was three o'clock in the morning, and he groaned, wondering what on earth could have made him wake up so early.
He heard a sound to his right and turned to find that Hope was no longer curled up asleep on the chair near the bed. He scanned the room for her then realized the sound he had heard was coming from the balcony.
When he slid the door open, he found her standing against the railing, looking out intently into the darkness. She did not turn to him, but her back stiffened when she heard him. His hand gently touched her shoulder, and a shiver passed through her body.
“ Are you okay?” Bren murmured near her ear.
Hope swallowed a sob and nodded her head in a jerky motion. Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply, and he could see she was struggling to pull herself together.
Finally she found the ability to speak. “Did the baby wake you up? Is she crying?”
“ No, I almost forgot she was there. I don't know why I got up. I just felt like something was wrong.”
“ Everything's fine.”
Brennan shook his head. “Why do you refuse to let me help you? Why won't you let me be here for you?”
She chuckled. “I don't remember you ever being so eager to help.”
He was quiet a moment. “I know. I was pretty much a stubborn dick.”
“ Are you saying I'm being
He shook his head. “I can't sleep there.” He peered at the sleeping girl, surrounded on all sides by pillows. “I might roll over and suffocate her.”
Hope smiled then snorted in amusement. “I promise she'll let you know if you roll onto her. Besides, that bed's big enough for you to have your space and Michelle to have hers.”
“ Hope—”
“ Please don't argue with me now, Bren. Just take the bed.” She turned away and took her hamburger to the table. “I just want to eat and sleep so we can get on the road tomorrow morning.”
Brennan stood from his seat and moved to the bed, sitting himself so far from the baby that he nearly tumbled over the edge. He looked up to see if Hope had seen his near fall. She kept her eyes averted, hiding a smile, and after a moment he grabbed the television remote. He began flipping through channels, stopping abruptly when he saw a baby’s picture flash onto the screen. He looked down at the infant sleeping beside him then back at the screen.
“ Hope—” he murmured, and she turned quickly.
A memorial for infant Michelle Taggert began at 4:45 this afternoon, the exact time the child was born in May. Family, friends and strangers all gathered, candles in hand, to grant prayers and remembrance to the infant abducted from her home.
A teary-eyed bear of man appeared, and Hope recognized Justine's father.
“ I can never forget or forgive this tragedy. My innocent young granddaughter was—”
He stopped suddenly, choking on his anguish, and shaking his head.
“ She took that poor baby girl and tried to excuse her crime with vicious accusations. I loved my granddaughter and my daughter with all my heart and—”
He shook his gray head again and placed his hand up to stop the cameras.
Her expression rigid, Hope watched as her own mother's face, pale, tear-streaked and sunken with grief, appeared on the screen. The woman fought against the reporters to get into her home, and that was when Hope quickly got up to flip off the television.
Bren rose and approached her.
“ Hope, I—”
“ Maybe you should get your shower, Bren,” she interrupted. “I'm gonna eat then get some sleep.”
He took several moments to stare at her, then turned and moved to the bathroom, not saying a word. Hope dropped her hamburger and groaned, feeling her stomach cramp, the muscles seizing over mixed feelings of helplessness and rage.
Brennan woke up with a start, jumping up and sucking in a loud breath. He flipped on the light and peered down at the baby beside him, thankful she was still asleep. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was three o'clock in the morning, and he groaned, wondering what on earth could have made him wake up so early.
He heard a sound to his right and turned to find that Hope was no longer curled up asleep on the chair near the bed. He scanned the room for her then realized the sound he had heard was coming from the balcony.
When he slid the door open, he found her standing against the railing, looking out intently into the darkness. She did not turn to him, but her back stiffened when she heard him. His hand gently touched her shoulder, and a shiver passed through her body.
“ Are you okay?” Bren murmured near her ear.
Hope swallowed a sob and nodded her head in a jerky motion. Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply, and he could see she was struggling to pull herself together.
Finally she found the ability to speak. “Did the baby wake you up? Is she crying?”
“ No, I almost forgot she was there. I don't know why I got up. I just felt like something was wrong.”
“ Everything's fine.”
Brennan shook his head. “Why do you refuse to let me help you? Why won't you let me be here for you?”
She chuckled. “I don't remember you ever being so eager to help.”
He was quiet a moment. “I know. I was pretty much a stubborn dick.”
“ Are you saying I'm being
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