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nonstop about babies, diapers, and things like potty training and teething—she began to realize what she’d done. She’d called Sam instead of the police. Why had she done that?
    Sissy brought Georgeanne a cup of hot tea, her pretty face bordering on terrified. “I’ve been telling Don we need to install an alarm system.” She picked up her cup, her fingers trembling. In the background, her toddlers screamed along to something on the television. “What if someone tried to break in here when it’s just me and the girls?”
    Georgeanne willed her thumping heart to beat a little slower. “I’m sure I must have left the door unlocked,” she said, wanting to calm Sissy’s fears as much as her own. “Someone could have just walked right in. Or maybe I didn’t push it all the way closed and it worked itself free while I was gone.”
    Sissy chewed her lip. “That’s possible. And it’s not like we’ve had a rash of break-ins. Still, I’ll feel better once we get that alarm. Maybe we should call the police, just in case…”
    Georgeanne smoothed a hand along her jeans. She’d thought about that too, but Sam just seemed like the right person. “I already called my friend. He’s a badass military guy, so I know he’ll make sure everything is fine. If he thinks someone broke in and I should call the police, I will.”
    Sissy nodded. “That sounds sensible. It’s not like the police don’t have enough to do, right?”
    “Right.”
    But there was a downside to calling Sam, and Georgeanne had been thinking about that too. What if he told Rick? Oh mercy…
    The phone chose that moment to ring and Georgeanne jumped at the blare. Sissy snatched it up and started filling her husband in. Georgeanne sat there, clutching the cup in one hand, and went over everything in her mind from the moment she’d left the house until she returned. Had she left the door unlocked? Could it have swung open from the pressure when she closed the front door?
    And what did that mean for Belle? After the incident in the coffee shop, her fight-or-flight response had been so tuned that she’d ran without stopping to look for her cat. She put her head down and sucked in a breath.
    She wanted to go back right now and check for Belle, but she knew better. All she could do was wait for Sam to arrive while asking herself a zillion times whether she should have just called the police instead.
    Within a half hour, someone banged on the door. Georgeanne and Sissy both jumped, but then Sissy got up and went to answer it. A moment later, Sam entered the room and a wave of relief washed over Georgeanne. She didn’t even hesitate before getting up and flinging herself into his arms.
    He seemed stunned at first, but then his arms tightened around her. “You’re fine,” he said softly. “And Belle is fine too. There’s no one there.”
    She sucked in a shaky breath and pushed herself back to look up at him. He was blurry.
    “You’re sure? She’s really okay?”
    “Yes, she’s okay. She was hiding beneath the couch.” His dark eyes gleamed hot, and she knew he was suppressing something. She’d always known when Sam was shoving his feelings deep and twisting the screws down on the lid.
    “I want to see her. Now.”
    “Sure.”
    Georgeanne thanked Sissy, and then she and Sam went next door and into her house, which he’d locked up tight before coming over to get her. Just to be sure, he checked everything again while she cradled Belle in her arms and stroked her soft fur. Belle purred as if nothing had happened. Georgeanne was weak with relief. Belle had been her companion through all the crap with Tim, and she couldn’t imagine life without her sweet cat.
    Finally, Sam joined her in her office, which was in the front of the house. “You need to pack a bag, Georgie. You aren’t staying here.”
    Her heart twisted in her chest. She wanted to do exactly as he said, and yet she’d learned a hard lesson with Tim. Never give your power to a