Hostage Midwife Read Online Free PDF

brother’s job. Unfortunately, Jared was still in Singapore.
    At a mailbox painted with flowers and butterflies, he made a left turn and drove down a long, curving driveway. Hearing Kelly’s voice had given him a focus—a problem he could deal with. He needed to find out who had contacted her and why and, most of all, if she was in any kind of danger from this fake investigator.
    Though he’d never been to the farm owned by Serena and Nigel Bellows, he knewhe was in the right place when he saw the farmhouse—a mash-up of architectural styles that Marian had described as crazy. From modern A-frame to the Victorian tower topped by an ornate weather vane to the wild splashes of color painted on the barn, none of the construction made sense. And yet, he felt a genuine smile tug at the corners of his mouth as he parked and got out of his SUV.
    Inkeeping with the fanciful atmosphere, a fat goat sashayed toward him, followed by a little blond girl wearing a yellow sweatshirt and a tiara. “You will be the prince,” she said to him. “You’re supposed to slay the dragon. It’s your job.”
    He reached down and scratched the goat between her floppy ears. “Is this the dragon?”
    “That’s a goat, silly. It’s Fifi.”
    “And what’s your name?”
    She flipped her hair away from her small, freckled face. “I’m Princess Butterfly.”
    She was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. He wanted to hug Princess Butterfly and her pet goat for reminding him that being irritated by lawyers and accountants was a sheer waste of time. If he wanted to get the job done, he had to step up and slay the corporate dragon.
    Kelly raced around the cornerof the house, wearing a red sheet as a cape and a cardboard hat with scales and spikes. Her brown sweatshirt was raggedy and oversized. Two other small children and a llama accompanied her.
    “Hi, Nick.” She gave him a little wave, and then she roared. “The dragon is nigh.”
    Princess Butterfly ducked behind him. “Get her.”
    He braced himself and pointed imperiously toward Kelly. “Noway, dragon. I banish you.”
    She whipped off her cape and hat as she collapsed into the dirt. “Oh, no, I’m melting.”
    All the kids ran to help her. “No, dragon, don’t die. That’s not how it works.”
    She stopped melting. “It’s not?”
    “No,” they chorused. “You turn into another princess.”
    “Okay.” She popped back up. “I’m Princess Kelly.”
    After a few more reassurances, shesent the children back to the house and came toward him. Her straight hair was messy from being a half-melted dragon, and she tucked the loose strands behind her ears. “Thanks for playing along.”
    “I didn’t know you were so ferocious.”
    “Oh, yeah, I’m a fire-breather.” She picked up the sheet and folded it under her arm. “You really didn’t need to come all the way out here. I could havedriven into town.”
    “Seeing this house is worth the drive.”
    “Unusual, huh?”
    “I’ve never experienced anything like it.” And that was saying a lot. Nick had a master’s degree in architecture and had designed hotels, condos and custom houses. “I did a house in Aspen that looks like a flying saucer, and a Gothic-type castle for a rock star. Fun projects, but not as unique as this farmhouse.”
    “The people who live here make it happy and interesting.”
    “That’s always true. A house is only a shell.”
    She reached toward him and lightly rested her hand on his sleeve. Her chin tilted up, and her pale green eyes scanned his face as though searching for something important. “I’m sorry about your uncle’s death.”
    Other people had offered condolences, but he sensed true empathyfrom her. “I appreciate your concern.”
    “Tell me about Samuel.”
    “He was a crazy old man, eccentric as hell.” That was the standard line. Most people would describe his uncle that way, but Nick appreciated the creativity that came along with Samuel’s unusual perspective. “I