“Did Bess or Maeve hear anything?”
“Maeve’s room is on the other side of the house, and Bess sleeps like a log. A bomb blast wouldn’t wake her since she entered this last trimester.” Mick set down his mug. “One of the neighbors says he heard glass breaking, but figured it was just someone throwing out their glass recyclables.”
“I don’t like this at all. If this is the same person that broke in before, then the girls are obviously a target.”
“Most likely Lacey is the target since it was her car,” Mick pointed out, his gut clenching into a tight knot. “I’d feel better if Lacey stayed with me until this thing got resolved.”
“They do have that alarm system now.”
“It’s useless to her after she steps out the door. If she were on base with me, she’d be safer. No car gets past those guards at the gate without a DoD sticker and military ID.”
“Mick, if you want Lacey to move in with you, I don’t think this is the way to go about doing it.”
“I’m not asking her to move in with me.”
Edith raised her eyebrows.
Mick relented. “Well, I am—but just temporarily ’til they catch this guy.”
“Which could be never. And what is Lacey supposed to do when you get orders and leave Annapolis?”
Come with me! a voice shouted in Mick’s head. But he kept the idea to himself, knowing it was absurd.
Edith sighed. “If you are thinking of moving forward with your relationship, you should do it because you love each other. Not because Lacey is frightened or you are concerned for her safety. Good intentions aside, it’s not a healthy way to start a life together.”
“I didn’t say we were starting a life together. I just would feel better knowing she was safe.”
“And would you keep her safe when she’s in her office? Or at the grocery store? You can’t protect her all day. So I wonder if it’s just an excuse to have her closer to you.”
Mick shifted uncomfortably.
“Think about your intentions toward her truthfully before you suggest her moving in with you. It would be unfair to play upon her insecurities or fears to get her to uproot her life. Because if you aren’t proposing to start a life together, she will be left high and dry when you leave here for your next post.”
Mick stared down at the mug of hot chocolate, suddenly finding it less appetizing.
Mrs. B was right. Mick hated that.
***
Lacey stomped the snow off of her new boots at the door, punching the security code into the alarm. “Anyone home?”
“In here,” Bess’s voice called from the kitchen.
When Lacey joined her, she couldn’t suppress a laugh at the sight of a pile of stuffed animals heaped onto the kitchen table. “What happened in here? It looks like Disneyworld exploded.”
“That’s about what happened. Jack came by saying he had picked up a couple things for the baby when he was in Florida. I had no idea how much.”
Lacey picked up a Daisy Duck and tossed open a princess blanket, shaking her head at the pile. “That was so sweet of him.”
“It was,” Bess said tentatively, “but it’s just too much.”
“Jack loves kids. You know that. He just got carried away. Let him have his fun.”
“I feel awkward accepting all of it.”
“Oh, get over it. Just accept gifts graciously,” Lacey said in a Minnie Mouse voice, her hand shoved up the dress of a puppet.
Bess’s brow creased. “It’s not just that. It was the way Maeve acted.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t figure it out. It was like maybe she was jealous.”
“Of what?”
“Maybe of me, you know. Of the attention or something. I’m not sure.”
“Well, they definitely had a fling. Maybe all those times she said she didn’t want something more than friendship with Jack she was lying. Where is she now?”
“Said she had to go to the store. She left before Jack even did. I wish you had been here. It was weird.”
“Did Jack say anything?”
Bess snorted. “You know Jack. He’s not one to pick up on anything. The man’s clueless. Should I mention something to Maeve when she gets home?”
Lacey picked up a Tinkerbell that had rolled off the pile of toys as she sat at the table. “No. Not unless she keeps acting weird. You know how she likes keeping her feelings to herself.”
“Wish I could do that as well as she does.”
“Me, too. She’s the master.”
Bess started piling all the toys back into shopping bags. “So how did your client meeting go?”